A Life in Professional Wrestling
by WWEChica
Summary: Imagine Sara Callaway had actually come into the WWE as a wrestler. This is the story about her career. Her ups and downs, how she and Mark Callaway got together, her triumphs and failures. Read & Review! :D Officially complete: Saturday, 04/22/06!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Sara Marie Roberts Callaway was born on November 24, 1981, to Darren and Lucinda Roberts. She was a very gifted child, learning to speak at the tender age of one, and reading at the age of two. With short, dark brown hair and big, beautiful brown eyes, Sara was a pretty girl. When she entered junior high school, however, she had a growth spurt. She was the tallest girl in her freshman high school class, measuring 5'8". By the time she left high school, at the young age of 16, she was 5'10", and 155 lbs. Although she was a girl, Sara was the biggest tomboy anyone had ever met. She played varsity basketball and varsity soccer, as well as, to everyone's amazement, junior varsity boy's football. Through sports, she was introduced to weightlifting, aerobics, and being able to take care of her body. By the time she graduated from Radford University with a Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations, where she'd received a full academic scholarship, Sara had grown two inches and gained 35 lbs. She remained feminine by growing her hair waist length (and which was no easy task to take care of, either), wearing a little make-up, and wearing what was considered feminine clothing. Relationship-wise, Sara didn't fare too well. Every guy that she met was intimidated by her, including those she met at the college campus gym. Her only male friend was the 6'2" boxing instructor, Luke.

Professional wrestling had always been a part of Sara's life. Her father had been a top wrestler for the now-defunct National Wrestling Association (N.W.A.). Her parents divorced when she was seven years old. They had been married for almost eleven years. Lucy began dating a wrestler named Luke Jenkinson and got married to him a year later. However, Luke's Worldwide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) character, Romeo, was very popular, so he was on the road almost ¾ of the year. It was this that began to pull Sara's family apart. There was many a night when Sara would be awakened by the sounds of her mother and stepfather arguing, whether it was face-to-face or via telephone. After three years of trying to hold the family together, Lucy filed for divorce. To her surprise, Luke went along with it without much resistance.

After that second divorce, Sara developed a deep hatred for the wrestling industry. Although she was only seven years old, she was very mature for her age. Whenever her mother would watch wrestling, she would stay in her room and read, or practice her basketball shots outside. "Sara, come watch TV with me," Lucy would plead, "It's not that bad." "Mom, it destroyed our lives…twice! I remember when you and my daddy got divorced!" Sara would argue back. "It's not the business, Sara, it's just…I picked the wrong men," Lucy would respond. These arguments went on week after week for two years. Finally, when Sara entered junior high school, Lucy started to raise her daughter to be very independent, and not to have to rely on a male for anything. "If you want to be noticed, you've got to put yourself in that position," she told Sara everyday, "Don't expect anybody to _give_ you anything. If they do, they want something in return."

In the summer of 2001, Sara met her first husband. His name was Roderick Tombs…and he was a professional wrestler. She tried to ignore him, even when he paid for an ice cream cone she couldn't afford at the moment, but the attraction was amazing. She ended up talking to him for over four hours. They had so much in common…except for wrestling. "Why do you hate it so much? It's a very successful business," Roddy said. "That business is successful, alright," Sara hissed, "It was successful in ruining my family…twice!" Eventually, Roddy changed Sara's perspective of wrestling. "Maybe your mother just couldn't deal with the pressure of Luke being on the road all the time. Maybe she wanted a husband who would provide a stable image for you. It takes a certain mentality to, you know, be married, engaged, or whatever to a wrestler like Luke," he told her, "I'm sure he wanted to be with you more. It's just that when you have a character as popular as Luke's was, he had to appease the needs of the fans." "Well, what about my mom and me? We had needs, too," she said quietly. "I know, Sara, and I'm sure Luke knew that, too, which is probably why he went along with the divorce so easily," Roddy added, "Maybe he didn't want to hurt you any more than he already had." "Maybe it's not so bad after all," Sara said when Roddy walked her up to her house. "It isn't, Sara," Roddy said before he left, "It isn't."

A week later, Roddy returned, and he and Sara became a couple, much to Lucy's surprise. "I never thought I'd see you date a wrestler," she said to Sara. Six months later, on Christmas Day, Roddy proposed…and Sara accepted it. While Roddy was on the road working, Lucy and Sara planned the wedding. They set the wedding date for July 4, 2002, a year after Sara had met Roddy. It took a lot of time and hard work, but Sara managed to stay focused. She spent days with her mother planning the wedding, and she spent many nights on the phone with Roddy. She couldn't believe that a man like Roddy was so interested in her that he wanted to marry her. Sara's marriage to Roddy brought her deeper into the world of wrestling. Before, Sara would only see Roddy or his friends when they were in Daytona. Now, Roddy had asked her to travel with him on the road. "Just for one month," he said, "If you don't like it, you can come back to Daytona and continue working at your job." Sara thought about it for the rest of the day before she agreed, factoring in all the positives and negatives that would come from her being away from home. To Roddy's surprise, Sara actually liked traveling with him. "It's just the rush of everything before the show," she said at a live RAW in Anaheim, California, "Besides, I've always wanted to travel." One night, during a "Smackdown!" taping in Hampton, Virginia, Sara ran into Vince McMahon for the first time. "I don't believe you belong back here, miss. Do you have a backstage pass?" he said. "I'm Sara Tombs, Roddy Tombs' wife," she said stiffening her back, "Do I _need_ a pass?" Vince took a deep breath as he noticed the woman's amazing height. "Absolutely not," he said walking away, trying to decide whom he would get a do a background check on her. Sara sighed as she headed the opposite way, towards the locker room.

About an hour or so later, Sara ran into Vince again. This time, he acted totally different. "Hello, Mrs. Tombs," he said extending his hand, "I ran into you earlier tonight." "Please, call me Sara," she said returning the handshake, "Everybody else does." Vince was rather shocked by the firmness of her grip. Other females simply place their hands in his timidly, but this woman gripped his hand and shook it calmly. "I can tell by your handshake, you've got a lot of confidence," he said, as he slowly looked her over, "What kind of work do you like?" "Do you eyeball every woman you see, Mr. McMahon?" Sara snapped. "Why, of course not. I'm sorry if you thought I was 'eyeballing' you, Mrs. Tombs. I'm just captivated by your physique. I've never seen a woman of your stature," Vince replied. "Sure," Sara retorted. "If we can get back to my question, what kind of work do you like?" he repeated. Sara took a deep breath and said, "Well, I really like interacting with people, being in front of an audience. I had hoped to open my own public relations firm, but then I married Roddy. I'm traveling with him now, just for a little while, to see if I like it."

"Well, what kind of credentials do you have? What's your basic background?" Vince asked. He hadn't been able to find anyone who really knew her, so he figured he'd find out from the source herself. "I graduated from Radford University, in southwest Virginia, with a Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, and with a double-minor in Media Studies and Sociology. It took five years, including three years of summer school, but I managed it," Sara said proudly. Due to the teamwork between her and her mother, Sara had given up all chances of a personal life and learned to focus solely on schoolwork. "Wow, not bad, not bad at all," Vince said putting his hands in his pockets, "Were you an involved student?" "Yeah, I was, actually. I was a Resident Assistant for four of those five years. I was involved in the Residence Hall Council for all five years. I successfully pledged for the national co-ed fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, which is based solely on community service. And, I played on the women's rugby team the entire time, as well as Webmaster for the school's Office of Multicultural & International Student Services," Sara answered, "There were a few other things, but I can't recall them right now." "Since you played rugby for your university, how do you feel performing in front of an audience, a _large_ audience?" Vince asked.

"It would be easy, I guess, since I've been a performer almost my entire life. But I've never performed in front of more than 5,000 people," Sara said quietly as a sudden joy filled her body. These questions could be leading to something very prosperous. "I'm talking about crowds like this one here, 15,000 to 35,000 people, maybe more at certain events," Vince said smiling, "What I'm getting at is would you like to work for my company _as a performer_?" Sara's jaw dropped slightly. "I believe the crowd is ready for someone like you, something new and different, something other than the big, athletic males," Vince added, "I'm talking about bringing in a big, athletic _female_. And I believe that you are just the woman for the job." "I'm flattered, Mr. McMahon, but I want to talk to Roddy about it," she said hiding a smile, "I've never really given any thought to a career in wrestling. I don't know--." "Here's my business card. Why don't you discuss it with Roddy?" he said handing her his card, "Then, if everything's okay, call the office and we'll set up an appointment." Sara just stared at the card. "You might want to catch him before his match," Vince suggested. Sara turned and dashed for the men's locker room. When she got there, she walked in without knocking. "What the hell--?!" The sounds of angry voices shot at her. Sara gasped as Roddy quickly turned her around and hurried her out. "Sorry, guys," he said as he shut the door, "Sara, what did I tell you? This isn't high school, or even college. You can't go into a men's locker room without knocking."

Sara lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry, Roddy…It's just that…Vince just offered me a job here." "Are you serious?!" Roddy asked hugging her tightly. "Yep," Sara said smiling, "I didn't say 'yes', though, because I wanted to talk to you about it." "Listen, I've got to finish getting ready for my match. You start thinking about a portfolio and résumé, gettin' it ready. I'll talk to Vince after my match and set up the appointment," he said opening the door. "Roddy…I'm nervous," Sara said truthfully, "I mean, what if he doesn't like what I've done." "Sara, Vince knows talent when he sees it. He wouldn't have approached you if he didn't see something there," Roddy said before going back into the locker room, "You'll do great." That Friday, Sara had her interview with the "Talent Relations Committee": Vince, his wife and CEO of the company, Linda, their son and head of the New Media Department, Shane, their daughter and head of the creative team, Stephanie, and the Senior President of Talent Relations and lead announcer for RAW, Jim Ross. They discussed her training, her character, her role, and her contract. She would physically train for eight to ten months, appear in house shows for an additional four to five months (the length of additional training depending on how well she'd done in her physical training), and then, if the crowd liked her, she'd be put on television. Her character was named "Ivory", and she would have the role of Roddy's valet. She would be paid $45,000 to start. "If your character gets popular, you'll stay on TV, and you'll eventually get merchandise. If those sales are good, you get more money. That's the way it works," Vince told her at the end of the meeting, "Congratulations, Mrs. Tombs. We're glad to have you aboard."

Over the next three and a half years, Sara remained happily married to Roddy. Her character had become very popular amongst the fans over the years. She quickly moved beyond just being Roddy's valet, to actually performing in the ring. She accomplished more than any woman ever had: being the first woman in the annual Royal Rumble, being the first woman in the annual King of the Ring, as well as becoming the first woman to hold a title only associated with males, the Intercontinental title. Sara had been a babyface, or good person, for the entire time. Sara and Roddy became involved in a huge angle with a group known as the "Corporation". It was the biggest group of heels, or bad people, in the company. The elite members were selected firsthand by Vince, for their loyalty to the company and their overall talent in the ring, requiring overall wrestling experience of four years, but the group itself was ran by Vince's right-hand man, a guy named Eric Bischoff. Vince had wanted Sara to join this group so she could have a run as a heel, but Sara felt slightly uncomfortable going against Roddy. It was this decision to go against the boss that changed her life forever.


	2. The Kidnapping

**Chapter 1…The Kidnapping**

Sara finally decided to try and take a break from the rigorous schedule of wrestling. A couple of weeks ago, she had gotten into a heated argument with Vince over her joining the "Corporation". It ended with Sara storming out of the office, slamming the door behind her. Very few had ever walked out on Vince before, and those who had ended up without a job. When she asked Vince for one week off, she was surprised he'd given to her. "You know, you haven't had a break since you began working with us over three and a half years ago. Are you sure you don't want a longer break?" he'd said. "That's okay. I just need a week to recharge my body, to relax," she'd replied, "All the traveling has finally caught up with me." The week Sara had suggested was the week after the pay-per-view "King of the Ring". Vince allowed her to take her break early, sending her home early that Sunday morning. Roddy had a match at the show against Carlos Gonzalez, whose character was a thug-type named "Konnan", the newest member of the "Corporation". When the phone rang after the show was over, Sara was shocked. She picked it up and said, "Hello?" "Hi, baby, how are you?" Roddy asked on the other end. "Hi! I didn't expect to hear your voice. How are you feeling?" she asked. "I'm fine. The match went pretty well. Carlos did damn good – I know we're not supposed to speak nicely of those members – but he did excellent for it to have been his first match on television. I think he's going to be a big star," he said. "I agree. Vince sure knows talent when he sees it," Sara said. "Now where have I heard that before?" Roddy asked playfully.

The two talked for about ten more minutes before Roddy said he had to go. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" he said. "Alright, honey, I love you. Bye," she said before hanging up. She gave her one-year-old purebred Doberman, Duchess, who was lying on the couch beside her, a goodnight tap before heading upstairs to be. As she walked upstairs, however, Duchess started growling. "What's wrong, sweetie?" Sara asked, concerned only because Duchess was. Duchess looked up at her owner, then lied back down, keeping her short, black ears perked up. Sara simply hunched her shoulders and continued to make her way upstairs. In her bedroom, she changed into her nightgown and brushed her teeth. As she brushed her teeth, Duchess started growling very loudly and barking. Sara raised her head and listened. Suddenly, Duchess yelped. Sara dropped her toothbrush, quickly rinsed out her mouth, and ran downstairs. Duchess was in the middle of the hallway, with what looked a small tranquilizer stuck in her hind leg.

"Duchess, baby," Sara whispered leaning down beside her, "What--?" Suddenly, Paul Levesque appeared from inside the living room. Sara was so shocked that she froze. However, when he headed towards her, she bounded up the stairs. She screamed when she felt Paul's hands on her waist. "Let me go!" she yelled as she kicked him down the stairs. She looked back and watched him fall as she kept going, but she didn't pay attention to where _she_ was going, so she hit the wall. She hit the ground, but quickly recovered and ran towards her bedroom, but was grabbed by another pair of hands. This time, her panic levels flew through the roof. The hands pushed her into the wall gently, then turned her around. A hand came over her mouth and the man's body pressed against hers. "Hush," the deep voice whispered, "You're gonna be fine." Sara looked up and into the face of Mark Callaway, rumored to be the next member of the "Corporation". He had been with the WWF for almost two years. She had never paid much attention to him, except for watching his matches and giving him spots of advice now and then. His matches were always filled with such emotion; Sara would find herself mesmerized by them. She had never really paid much attention to Mark in the back, however, because he was always so quiet, intent on learning everything that he could about the business he'd found himself in. Whenever he wasn't watching a match, or talking to a road agent about his matches, or studying a tape, Sara always noticed him nearby her. Suddenly, his hand slid over her cheek, reminding her to her current situation. Standing as closely as he was to her, Mark seemed to tower over her, despite his height of 6'10", a mere ten inches taller than she. His long, auburn hair was pulled back tight in a ponytail, and he was wearing sunglasses, but she could tell his eyes were locked on hers. He was the most handsome man she'd ever seen.

Mark slowly pulled away and took a deep breath. He'd never had the chance to really talk to this woman at the arena because he was always busy, but he never strayed too far from her. From the first time he'd seen her, at an event where they happened to be wrestling on the same card, Mark knew that she was going to be in his life for a long time. She'd spoken to him once or twice when he first came into the company, as well as sometimes giving him advice on how to better his matches, but they'd never had an actual conversation. Sara was even more beautiful up close. Her large, brown eyes were filled with concern. Her breathing was uneven, and there was an involuntary twitch in her arm. His eyes slowly moved down her gorgeous, muscular body before locking with hers once more. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked nervously. "Cooperate now," he replied quietly, "And all your questions will be answered." "I'm gonna kick that bitch's ass!" Paul yelled from downstairs. Sara looked around Mark's huge frame and saw Paul at the bottom of the stairs clutching his crotch. She kneed Mark in the stomach and pushed him down. She ran down the stairs, but stopped when she saw Paul heading up. She turned around, but stopped when she saw Mark at the top "Give it up, bitch!" Paul growled, "You've got nowhere to go!"

Sara glanced at Paul once more, then looked over the banister. The floor was about 15 feet away. If she landed correctly, she wouldn't get hurt. "Don't do--." Before Mark could get the words out, Sara had jumped over the banister. "She's a fuckin' monkey!" Paul said.. Sara landed in a cat-like position, on all fours, rolled over, and then stood and ran into the kitchen. As soon as she'd passed through doorway, though, yet another pair of hands grabbed her. "What the--!" Sara tried to speak, but the air was leaving her lungs. The grip on her waist seemed impossible to break. She tried to struggle, but when she did, the grip tightened even more. "I've got her, guys," Kevin said backing into the hallway, "She's not going anywhere." Sara stomped on Kevin's foot as hard as she could, causing him to release her, and then she turned around and kicked him in the groin. She then ran back into the kitchen and grabbed a butcher knife out of the utensil drawer. She turned just in time to see Paul and Mark, along with a mortified Kevin, enter the kitchen. She waved the knife at them to keep them away.

"Now, just what the hell are you going here?!" she screamed. "Calm down, Sara," Mark said, "We just want to talk to you." "I wouldn't say breaking into my friggin' house is just wanting to 'talk'!" Sara yelled.. She was so distracted by the men in front of her that she didn't hear Lance Stevens come through the back door, but when he grabbed her, she screamed bloody murder. Lance twisted her arm until she dropped the knife, then grabbed her free arm, holding them both behind her back. This allowed to Paul to jam a needle into her neck. "Kick me down some stairs again," he growled punching her in her jaw, "And you'll regret it," "Back off, Paul," Mark growled pushing him back. Paul stepped back up to Mark and snarled, "Look, new guy, don't push your fuckin' luck with me. Just 'cause you got feelings for this bitch don't mean I won't whip her ass…or yours! The only reason you're here anyway is because Eric wants you here…so don't fuck with me!" Mark tensed up, but then turned to Sara, who was looking up at him in slight shock at what Paul had said. "Just relax," he whispered. She had tried her best to break loose of Lance's grip. Her hair was tangled, and her skin had a slight gleam to it from the sweat it'd acquired. Mark pulled a scarf out of his back pocket and tied it around her mouth, to muffle her screams. Eventually, the drug took effect, and Sara passed out. Kevin then tossed him a rope and he tied he hands behind her back. As he picked her up, Kevin sarcastically said, "Well, _that_ was easy." The ride back to the airport wasn't easy for Mark. He hadn't wanted to do this; he knew his feelings for Sara would interfere with his performance. However, it was a requirement to be admitted into the "Corporation". "To prove your worth," were Eric's exact words. Mark look down at Sara's limp body, which was lying in his arms, and sighed. Her face was soft and innocent looking. Her long, chestnut hair fell over her shoulders and covered half her face. He slowly pulled it away and took a deep breath. She was as glorious as he had imagined. His eyes roamed freely over her features, focusing on her long, graceful, yet muscular legs. "Pst…Mark, there's a puddle formin', buddy," Lance said from the driver's seat. Mark glanced around the car, sighing in relief when he saw that the other two guys were asleep. He then looked back at Sara, who'd moved to where she could rest her head on his shoulder. _I didn't want you like this_, he thought to himself, _but this is what fate has handed us_.

Sara awoke on the floor of a strange room. There were small, two-seat couches all over the place, as were coffee tables. When she tried to sit up, she groaned quietly. She realized her hands were tied her hands behind her back and had been for some time now, because her upper back and shoulders were in excruciating pain. When the door opened, Sara's head snapped towards it. Shawn Michaels walked in and shut the door as she looked up at him. He stared at her and smirked. Not more than five hours ago, she had managed to outmaneuver three grown men. Now she looked like a lost, little child. Her eyes were wide with caution and worry. As he watched her struggle to stand, a shred of sympathy came over him and he grabbed her elbow, pulling her up. He took a deep breath when he saw that she was only a few inches shorter than he was. He looked her over slowly and grinned. _She may have brawn_, he thought, _But she's sure as hell got beauty to go with it_. Sara's eyes thinned when she saw the way he was looking at her. She put herself in a defensive position, even though she couldn't use her hands. She had taken plenty of self-defense classes in college, and she'd been in many handicapped fights throughout her life, so she knew how to handle herself if the odds were against her. "Now, now, there's no need for that, Ms. Sara. I'm not gonna hurt ya," he said grabbing her arm. He turned her around and untied the rope, as well as the scarf. Sara rotated her shoulders and stretched. Shawn turned her back around and ran his hands over her muscles, putting emphasis on her legs and arms. Sara tensed up slightly as his hands moved over her body without shame. "Is this really necessary?" she hissed.

"Just tryin' to see what kind of shape you're in," he said looking at her face. "Well, see with your eyes next time, not your fucking hands," Sara hissed. "Who did this to your face?" he asked grabbing her jaw. There was slight swelling, and a small bruise was forming. "That asshole Paul, and if I get my hands on him, I'm gonna beat the hell out of him," she spat. "Damn him, I told him not to hit you," Shawn said quietly. He left out of the room with haste. Sara sat down on one of the couches and shuddered. No man had ever touched her like that besides Roddy and her doctor. A few minutes later, Shawn walked in with Paul. She stood and glared at Paul as her temper rose. "Go ahead, man," Shawn said pushing Paul towards her. Paul sighed in disgust and went over to Sara. Shawn had awakened him from a deep sleep to apologize to this _woman_. "I'm sorry I hit you," he said through clenched teeth, "I didn't know it would bruise so easily…since you're such a tough bitch." He grinned slightly and pushed her down onto the sofa, then walked towards Shawn, who was sneering at him. "What?" he asked smiling. Sara stood up and ran straight for him. She jumped on his back so hard that he fell to the floor. She stood and kicked him in the back. Then, she flipped him over, climbed on his chest, and started punching him in the jaw. That's when Shawn intervened. Paul had done his damage, and Sara had got her hits in, but that's where it was going to stop. He grabbed her waist and pulled her back, despite her wishes to be released. Paul slowly stood and glared at her. "You stupid bitch! You're gonna pay for that," he growled wiping away the blood from his lip. "Bring it on, asshole! I'll show you how tough I am!" Sara hissed struggling against Shawn. Shawn backed up and said, "Paul, get over it. Just go get Mark, and tell him to bring an icepack."

"Gee, Paul, you think _that_'ll bruise?!" Sara yelled as Paul stormed out. "What the hell is your problem?" Shawn asked throwing her down to the floor. Sara groaned slightly, lowered her head, and ignored him. Her shoulders were aching, her jaw was beginning to hurt, and she was in strange surroundings. She pulled her legs underneath her and turned her back on Shawn. The door opened minutes later and Mark walked in. Sara looked up at him and quickly stood. "Try to calm her down, Mark. I don't need her attacking every member that she sees," Shawn said quietly, "I'll be back in about 30 minutes." Sara never heard the door shut; she couldn't keep her eyes off of Mark. She knew he wasn't going to hurt her…she felt it in her heart. He would never do anything to jeopardize her health. Still, she was nervous. When he walked towards her, she backed up. "Listen, I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered, "You know this." Sara's breathing quickened as Mark headed towards her again. When he stopped in front of her, she started to back up again. This time, it was because she didn't want to look up him; she didn't like looking up at any man. Besides, his incredible height – or so it seemed incredible – was a bit intimidating. Mark put his hand on her shoulder and placed the icepack on her bruised jaw.

"Don't touch me!" Sara whispered hoarsely, pulling away from his grasp. His touch was like a blazing branding iron on her bare skin, igniting a feeling unfamiliar to Sara. "You've got to get that bruise down," Mark said walking towards her, "And I need to talk to you." "I don't _care_ what you've got to say, and if you touch me again," she hissed, "You'll regret it." Mark placed the icepack on her jaw and tilted his head to get a better look at the bruise. He wasn't prepared for the right hook Sara threw, which connected solidly with his jaw. He stumbled back and grabbed his jaw. Sara lunged at him and tackled him down. For the next twenty minutes, she used every offensive move she could think of, but Mark blocked _everything_. It was like he knew which move she would do before she could execute it. Finally, Mark pinned her to the floor and put his hand on her thigh. Sara tensed up slightly and gasped as his lips brushed past her ear. "I'll touch you when I please," he whispered squeezing her thigh gently, "And you can't stop me." "Don't--." He then placed his lips on her and easily parted them with his tongue. Sara moaned slightly and arched up towards him. A wave of desire rushed through her body unlike anything she'd ever felt before. A coil of heat began to pulsate deep inside her as her arms moved up around his neck instinctively. Her skin felt red-hot as the kiss began. She offered no protest – she couldn't think enough to do anything to stop Mark – even as his hand ripped her nightgown up to her stomach. He was doing things to her body that she didn't think could happen; a whirlwind of emotions were flowing through her veins, and she couldn't decide which one to focus on. Mark gently caressed her bare thigh and muscled stomach, his hand slowly inching up, until the nightgown was halfway off of her body. Sara moved her hands over his face and upper body, gently caressing his muscular arms, taking in the extreme power that he harnessed, yet the sensitivity he was using with her. "You're so beautiful," Mark whispered hoarsely as he kissed her slender neck and shoulder, "Roddy doesn't know how lucky he is."

"No!" Sara replied to the mention of her husband's name, "No, Mark…stop!" Either he heard her and chose to ignore her, or he was too impassioned to hear her protests. She tried to push him off as his lips blazed a trail of wet, sensual kisses down her neck. "No!" she exclaimed, desperately trying to push him off, fear mounting at what could result from what he was doing. "Be…still," he said slowly, hoarsely. The dark tone in his voice sent an eerie chill up her spine, and caused her to automatically struggle even harder. Finally, Mark climbed off of her. He sat back and looked at her. Her face was flushed, her lips were slightly parted, and her breathing was harsh and fast. She had wanted him as bad as he had wanted her, and he felt it right down to his soul. Sara sat up and looked down at her torn nightgown as she tried to catch her breath. No man had ever made her that hot or wanton with desire _ever_, not even Roddy, and that's what scared her. She slowly stood and tried to collect her thoughts. Her mind was in a daze, and the room seemed to be spinning. Mark slowly stood and placed his hand on her back, steadying her. "Don't you touch me!" Sara said hoarsely, kicking him in the stomach. Sara hammered him down with punches to the back. Mark grabbed her ankles and pulled her down under him, holding her hands above her head with his left hand, and covering her mouth with his right hand. "I'm sorry, Sara," he whispered as she struggled against him, unknowingly drawing all types of responses from Mark's body, "I-I-I don't know what came over me."

Sara screamed as loud as she could and pushed against him. Mark was so big compared to her, though, that it was like pushing a brick wall.. Still, Sara _kept_ screaming and _kept_ pushing. "Fine, I'll let Shawn tell you why you're here," he said standing. He headed towards the door as though he was going to leaving, but Sara grabbed his arm. "Please…don't do that," she whispered, "I'll…I'll listen to _you_." Mark looked down at her, saw the fear in her eyes, and simply said, "You've been chosen, Sara." It took a few moments for Sara to realize what he was talking about. "No," she whispered dropping to the floor, "I—no, this--." "Nothing's wrong. You're in this group, as I am, and we're gonna be here for a while," he said quietly. "No, Vince and I talked! He knows I can't-I _won't_ do this!" Sara yelled stepping towards him, "Now let me the hell out!" She headed for the door, but Mark grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. "You bastard, let me go!" she yelled trying to twist away. "Stop it before you hurt yourself!" Mark growled tightening his grip. "The only thing I'm going to hurt is you!" she yelled swinging at him. Mark caught her other wrist and twisted her around. Her struggles and twisting was having both wanted and unwanted effects on his body: his muscles were tightening from trying to keep Sara from hurting herself, yet the feel of her lengthy body against his made his groin tighten with desire. The door opened moments later and Shawn walked in. "What the hell did you do to her?!" he asked after he saw Sara's torn nightgown, flushed face, and disarrayed hair. "Nothing, she fought and tore her gown, that's all," Mark replied quietly. "Well, let her go. She's one of us now," Shawn said, "As are you." As soon as she was loose, Sara spun around and slapped Mark with all her power. "You piece o' shit!" she hissed.

"Take her down to the empty room besides yours, Mark. We'll get her name put on it tomorrow," Shawn said turning to leave. "Let me the fuck out of here!" Sara screamed lunging for him. Mark pulled her back just in the nick of time. He covered her mouth with his hand and practically had to drag her down to the room. When he finally got there, and the door was shut, he let her go. "You've got to be quiet. If Shawn comes in here," he whispered, "You're gonna get in trouble…and I don't want that." "I don't give a fuck what you want! Shawn can kiss my ass! _I_ want to be let go," Sara snarled stalking over to him, "Because if you _don't_, I will scream bloody fuckin' murder!" "It'll only cause more trouble," Mark said quietly. Sara let out an ear-piercing scream as she swung wildly at Mark.

The door swung open and Shawn stormed in. Mark couldn't do anything to stop him from what he was going to do, even as red-hot anger coursed through his veins. Shawn clipped Sara down and put his forearm directly on her windpipe, causing her to struggle and convulse simultaneously. Mark took a step forward, but Shawn's back was turned, so he didn't see him. Shawn pulled out a needle from his pocket, removed the protective cover, and then jammed it into her arm. He emptied the contents (some concoction Carlos had stirred up), then stood up. "That ought to shut her up," he growled leaving, "All that goddamn noise early in the morning! People are trying to sleep!" Mark quickly went over to her and picked her up. This time, she relaxed against him and started crying. Her slowly laid her down, shocked when one hand gripped his arm, as though telling him that she needed him. Her eyes kept closing, then struggling to open, and her breathing had become slightly irregular. _What did he give her? _he thought. He lied down beside her and was shocked more when she scooted closer and curled up against him. "You're gonna be just fine, Sara. I won't let anything happen to you," he said putting his arm around her and closing his eyes, "I promise."


	3. The First Day

Chapter 2…The First Day

Sara woke up alone the next morning. She was groggy, and her head was pounding. She slowly sat up and looked around. "Where am I?" she whispered. She had very little recollection of the night before. She climbed out of the bed and went over to the dresser. _What happened to me?_ she thought looking down at her torn nightgown. The door burst open suddenly, and Shawn walked in. "What the--?" Shawn came over and grabbed her arm. Sara felt too weak to struggle. He pulled her towards the bathroom, pushed her in, and said, "Clean up, Sara. You've got a long day." He then shut the door and left the room. Sara took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She was in the "Corporation" mansion, and she was now a member, whether she liked it or not. She slowly stepped out of her completely ruined nightgown and into the shower. Afterwards, she went back into the room. There was a pair of shorts clearly too small, and a black shirt clearly too big, set out on the bed. She dressed as quickly as possible, and started pacing back and forth, trying to figure out how to contact Roddy, let him know what had happened, and get out of the mansion. The door opened suddenly and Shawn appeared. "Let's go. I want you to meet everyone," he said jubilantly. Sara glared at him before following him out. Shawn led her down two flights of stairs, two hallways, through what looked like the living room, and into the kitchen, where everyone was gathered. As he introduced her, Sara locked eyes with Mark. The same unknown heat from the previous night coursed through her veins as she looked at him. It was as though he was undressing her with his eyes, and it felt as though her skin was beginning to turn red. "You'll be fine," he mouthed to her, "I promise." "Sara!" Shawn said tapping her shoulder. "What?" she said quietly, her head still pounding. "You'll get a tour of the house and city later. I know everything's new to you, but you'll get used to it in no time," Shawn said. "I don't want a fuckin´ tour, I want out o´ here!" she hissed

She then turned and headed towards the living room. When she finally found it, she plopped down on the sofa to watch television. When the station switched to ESPN, she looked around, only to find Paul standing in the back of the living room with the remote in his hand. She went over to him and tried to get it. "Don't start with me, Paul. I recall beating your ass last night, and I will not hesitate to do it again," she hissed reaching for the remote again. "You watch who you're talkin´ to," he said grabbing her arm. Sara simply punched him in his nose. Paul grabbed his nose and groaned in pain. She kneed him in the stomach and punched him in the head. "That oughta teach you," she hissed before going outside onto the back porch. She slammed the door behind her and starting pacing, rubbing the knuckles of both hands. No man grabbed her or talked to her like that, especially Paul.

Sara stopped when she heard a low growl. She'd been so busy pacing, she hadn't paid any attention to the surroundings. She slowly turned around and let out a high-pitched scream as a huge, vicious-looking Bull Mastiff attacked her. Its teeth quickly sank into her left thigh. She screamed again as the dog bit her thigh even harder, its jaws locking and pulling against the skin and muscle. "Help!" she yelled trying to push the monstrous animal away, "Somebody, please!" Suddenly, Sara's own dog came running around the corner and attacked the other dog. Tears filled Sara's eyes as the blood started pouring from its wounds. "Dear God," she whispered at the sight of her own blood, "Somebody…help me." It was beginning to pool up around her leg. The back door swung open, and Mark and Carlos rushed out. Mark quickly pulled the two dogs apart as Carlos looked at her leg. "Duchess…heel!" Sara forced herself to say. Duchess immediately pulled away from Mark and trotted over to her owner. Carlos wrapped her leg in towels, then carried her into the house and into the kitchen, where she was set down on the kitchen floor. Shawn walked in as Sara screamed again. "What the hell happened to her?!" he yelled, "And what the hell is this dog doing in the house?!" He grabbed Duchess´ collar, and tried to pull her out, but the dog easily twisted away and plopped down besides Sara's twitching body. "I'm guessing the dog's yours," he said as Carlos washed the blood from her leg, Mark holding a towel on the bite wounds to stop the bleeding, "But it can't stay in the house." "Yeah, she is," Sara answered, "And she's not going anywhere."

Shawn crossed his arms and stared at her. "What…happened…to her leg?" he growled. "Slasher attacked her," Mark said quietly. "Mark, you're new here, and already your dog has attacked three people, not counting Sara. You control him…or he's outta here," Shawn said, "Carlos…get her cleaned up." Mark kneeled down beside Sara and wiped away her tears as Shawn left. "I'm so sorry, Sara," he whispered looking into her eyes. She didn't say a word, but he saw how scared she'd been. Sara simply put her hand on his arm; for some reason, she wanted him to know she was okay. Carlos carefully stitched up Sara's wounds, and bandaged her thigh, as she lied there rubbing her dog's fur, tensing up only once in a while, squeezing Mark's arm when she did. "You have a high threshold for pain," Carlos said quietly. "Yeah, that's why I'm a wrestler," Sara whispered sniffling, "Now could you not talk to me, please?" Mark rubbed her arm as a show of comfort. "Fine," Carlos said quietly, "Just tryin´ to be friendly." Once he finished, Mark helped her up to her room, and onto her bed. Then, he brought her pain pills and a glass of water. "Take two every other hour, okay? No more than ten a day, though," he said before leaving out. Sara popped two pills in her mouth and gulped the water, then closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep.

Mark made his way downstairs into the living room where Carlos was sitting on the couch watching television, Slasher lying at his feet. "You okay?" Carlos asked as he sat down. Mark took a deep breath and shook his head. "She was so scared, Carlos. It hurt me to see her in pain like she was," he whispered. "She's gonna be just fine. She looks like a strong woman," Carlos said standing, "And don't worry about Shawn. Slasher just did what he was taught." _He wasn't taught to attack women_, Mark thought as Carlos left, _Especially her._

Sara woke up about four hours later. Her swollen, bandaged leg was propped up on a pillow. As she tried to sit up, the door opened and Mark walked in. "Whoa, easy," he said. He set the bowl of water, rag, and bandages he'd had on her nightstand, then helped her sit up. "You've got to take it easy," he said as he changed her bandage. His hands glided over her creamy skin, carefully washing the wound and re-bandaging it. Mark's soft, gentle caresses eased Sara's fear a little. "Why'd you change it so soon?" she asked after he'd finished. "First, I've changed it twice before," Mark replied, "And second, I'm changing it so frequently so that the bite won't get infected." "Look, obviously I'm not welcome here, so you sho--." "You are welcome here, and you're gonna be here for a while," Mark whispered caressing her cheek, "Slasher just didn't know you…I'll be right back." As he walked out, Duchess jumped onto Sara's bed and lied down beside her. "Hi, girl, how ya doin´?" Sara asked rubbing her face. Duchess sat up and licked her face. Sara laughed heartily and continued to stroke Duchess´ fur. When Mark finally returned, he had crutches.

"Sara…Shawn wants you walking by Wednesday," he said sitting beside her. "What?!" Sara said, "Look at my leg, Mark! I can't do that! That's imp--." "Nothing's impossible if you try," he whispered, "Nothing." Mark stood and held out his hand. Sara looked up at him, took a deep breath, and placed her hand in his. Mark had a way of making her feel she could trust him with almost anything. Mark helped her stand and helped with the crutches. "I'm gonna take it easy, though," she said as Mark placed his hands on her hips as support, "Duchess, stay." Sara only needed help when she got to the stairs. Mark slowly picked her up, wary of her injured leg, and took her downstairs. When Sara got to the living room, she stopped. The dog that had bitten her was lying in the middle of the floor. "I can't go in there," she whispered starting to tremble, "I-I-I just can't go in there with that beast." "Sara, he's not going to hurt you. Believe me," Mark said. After a couple of moments, Sara finally made her way into the living room..

As soon as she sat down on the sofa, Slasher hopped on the couch between her and Mark. Sara started to get up, but Mark grabbed her wrist. "Don't be scared of him, Sara. He's not going to hurt you," he said, "Pet him." "That brute bit me; it almost took my leg off," she hissed snatching her wrist away, "And now you want me to pet it? I don't think so." Slasher sat up and placed his front paws on Sara's legs, forcing her back down. She gasped as the dog sniffed her wounded thigh, then started to whine sorrowfully. She gasped again when he licked her cheek in a very friendly manner. Mark placed her hand on Slasher's shoulder and asked, "Now, was that so hard?" Sara chuckled nervously and rubbed the dog's fur gently. "If his name is 'Slasher´, he sure lives up to it," she said quietly. Once again, Mark apologized for Slater's actions, saying that the dog didn't recognize her as a resident. Next, Mark gave her a tour of the house. It had three floors, five rooms on each, with its own bathroom, one huge kitchen, a spacious living room, a conference room, a personal gym on the basement floor, a large backyard, and a separate garage which could hold up to 12 vehicles. During the tour, Sara asked why the house was empty now when a few hours ago, it was pretty full. "Well, Shawn and the others had to go back on the road. RAW tonight, Smackdown´s Tuesday. You know, things like that," Mark replied. Afterwards, he gave her a brief tour of the city and let her go on a small shopping spree. Sara eventually spent a total of $2,500 (of Mark's money, little did she know) on clothes, shoes, and toiletries.

When they got back, it was almost ten o´ clock at night, and Mark's arms were full of shopping bags. Sara went into the living room and lied down on the sofa. "Mark, could you bring my pain pills down?" she asked. "Sure," Mark said going upstairs. When he came back downstairs, accompanied by Duchess, Sara was lying down with Slasher curled up at her feet. Duchess trotted over to her and growled slightly at Slasher, who simply stared at her. "Hush, girl, you're number one to me," Sara said. Duchess hopped up onto the couch and lied behind her. Mark leaned against the door and just stared at her. She was lying on her back and her eyes were closed. She looked so calm and peaceful. "Do you want the pills?" he asked after a few minutes had passed. "Yes, my leg is killing me," Sara said sitting up, gasping as the pain increased. Mark walked over to her and handed her the pills, along with a glass of water. Sara quickly popped the pills in her mouth and gulped down the water. She then stood and went over to Mark. "I just wanted to thank you for today. Even though I still don't want to be here…and your dog did attack me…I think I'll make the best of it," she said hugging him. Mark slowly placed his arms around her, then sighed and pulled her closer. "It'll get better than this," he said, "Besides…I'd do anything for you."

Sara looked into Mark's eyes and took a deep breath. She wanted him…and he wanted her. When Mark leaned in to kiss her, she didn't try to stop him. Mark's lips met hers and she tightened her grip on his neck. Feelings similar to the ones she'd had the night before came rushing to the surface. She tilted her head to the side and slightly parted her lips. The room was already spinning, so when Mark's tongue caressed the inside of her mouth, the rest of the world seemed to disappear. Sara felt like she was floating in a cloud of bliss, with Mark right beside her. The only thing that she focused on was the warmth of his mouth, and the pressure of his body pressed against hers. Mark carefully moved his hands over her back and sides. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her off. His hands gripped her rear end easily, fitting perfectly. Sara moaned as his tongue traveled gently over her lips and across her teeth. It was so sensual and erotic, yet wholly romantic at the same time. "If you only knew how you make me feel," he whispered kissing her ear. When Sara heard those words, she stopped moving. "I can't do this," she whispered pulling away, "I just can't." Mark leaned against the doorway and closed his eyes. _She's just teasing, that's it….She's just teasing_, he thought. "Why are you doing to this to me, Sara?" he asked quietly. "I'm not doing anything, Mark, you are. The point is, I'm a married woman," Sara said in response. "Well, you don't try to stop me," Mark snapped, immediately regretting it. Sara glared at him before slapping him as hard as she could. "You son of a bitch!" she whispered heading upstairs, "Duchess, come on!" Duchess hopped off the couch and followed Sara upstairs. When they got to her room door, Sara stopped and kneeled down in front of Duchess. "Listen, girl, don't let Mark in here. He's a sick asshole, and I don't like him at all," she said quietly. Duchess licked her face as a sign that she understood her master's command.

Sara then stood and went inside her room. She slowly changed into one of the silk nightgowns she'd bought and lied down on her bed. As soon as she'd dozed off, she was awakened by the sound of Duchess´ growl. "Sara, could you come out here, please?" she heard Mark say, "Because I'm not leaving until you do." Duchess´ growl began to get louder and louder. "Duchess isn't helping the situation," Mark added. Sara groaned and stood, hobbling over to the door. She opened and saw Mark leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "I knew that'd get you up," he said arrogantly. "Duchess, get in here," Sara said coming out slowly. Duchess stood and backed into the room, hesitant to leave her owner alone with what was, right now, a threat. When she was in, Sara shut the door. Mark took a deep breath and let his eyes travel freely down Sara's body, then move back up to her face, which he saw was turning red even in the dim hall light. "What do you want?" she asked nervously. "I…want…you," he said placing a hand on either side of her head and stepping close. "You can't always get what you want," she said placing her hand on the doorknob. "Oh, yes, I can," Mark said pulling her hand away and kissing her cheek, "And trust me, I will." Sara turned her head to the side and took a deep breath as he kissed her other cheek, this time using his tongue as well as his lips. "Look at me!" he said suddenly. Sara slowly looked up at Mark and gasped. She'd never seen such a look of pure animalistic, primitive lust in a man's eyes as she did in Mark's. It was as though he'd die if he didn't have her…and that scared her. His lips abruptly captured hers, and Sara's mind blanked out. It seemed impossible to think of anything else, because it wasn't an ordinary kiss. Mark used his lips and tongue to manipulate and tease her. Sara's hand fell away from the doorknob and went to Mark's waist, pulling him a little closer. She couldn't help but to want more. Her female instincts were working against her mind. She returned the pressure of his mouth and put her hands on his muscular shoulders, moaning softly when he began to kiss her neck.

"No, wait…stop," she whispered breathlessly, trying to push him away. Mark grabbed both of her hands with his left hand and held them up. He pulled her closer with his right hand. Sara gasped and moaned gently when she felt Mark's throbbing erection against her muscled belly. It made her hormones soar through the roof, yet it scared her at the same time. She didn't know what Mark would do if he were sexually driven over the edge. Mark's voice broke through her thoughts. "You feel that? That's what you do you me, how you make me feel, and I can't stop it. I'm not even gonna try," he whispered hoarsely in her ear, his voice full of raw emotion, "You see, dollface, I want you. God knows I want you. It's only a matter of time before I get what I want." "Please, Mark…don't do this to me," she whispered trying to pull away, "I-I-I…I can't deal with this." Her skin seemed to be on fire, and her insides were wound up tight, ready to release themselves at any moment. However, Mark's words had hit her deep inside her heart, and it worried her that she might feel the same way. Mark let her hands go and looked at her face. Her eyes were focused on him, her skin was flushed, and she was trembling against him.

_Good gracious, Mark, what have you done?_ he thought. He realized what he'd done after she pushed him away and dashed into her room. He'd let his desire for Sara take control of his mind and his body. He waited a few moments before entering her room. Sara was on the floor with her arms around Duchess, and by the way she was jerking, he knew she was crying. "Sara…" When she turned around, Mark kneeled down and reached out to wipe away her tears. She quickly scrambled over to her bed, saying "Please, don't" as she did. Duchess, however, stood and barked at him. "I just want---." Duchess´ barking and growling got louder than his voice. "Just get out, Mark," Sara said hoarsely, "Before I get her to rip your fucking throat out." Mark lowered his head and turned to leave. "I'm sorry, Sara," he said opening the door, "I didn't mean to hurt you.." "Just get the hell out of here!" she yelled throwing a vase that hit the wall inches away from his head. Mark didn't flinch a bit. When the door shut, Sara plopped onto her bed and started to sob. She felt so lost, and so confused. Her heart was being pulled in two totally different directions. She wanted Mark so bad, more than anything in the whole world, even more than she wanted to be back with Roddy. It felt almost animalistic how much she wanted him. But she could, nor would, never admit it, not to Mark…and not to herself. It would be better for her to simply deny the feelings than to act on them. Duchess trotted over to the bed and hopped up beside her. "Thank you, girl," Sara whispered as Duchess lied down, "Thank you." Sara put her hand on Duchess´ side, then fell asleep.


	4. A Test of Love

Chapter 3…A Test of Love 

Sara awoke the next day in tears. She was in a huge amount of pain, physically and mentally. Her leg was hurting, as was her heart. Memories of her encounter with Mark sent shudders through her body, yet at the same time, made her grin. He was so aggressively romantic at times that it scared her. That was why she'd pushed him away. Duchess lifted her head up and stared at her owner before lying back down at the foot of the bed. Sara grabbed the crutches off the floor and slowly made her way downstairs, tears falling as the pain in her leg overwhelmed her. When she got to the kitchen, she sat down at the table and propped her leg up. She grabbed an apple from the bowl in the middle and bit into it. As she ate it, she felt Mark's presence close by. She looked up and gasped. He was standing in the doorway staring at her. When he kneeled down at her leg, she set the apple down on the table. His hand reached for her leg, but she pushed it away. "I have to check---." "Don't touch me," she said coldly. "Sara, I'm sorry about last night," he said stroking her wet cheek with the back of his hand, "I don't know what came over me."

Sara reached back and slapped him hard. "You sick, lying bastard," she whispered moving away. No matter how much pain she was in, she wasn't going to let Mark help her, not today. Mark lowered his head and leaned against the table. He'd deserved every bit of that slap. Sara went upstairs and took a good shower, making sure to cleanse her leg wound thoroughly. When she got out, she bandaged her leg herself, took four pain pills, and put on her underclothes. She started crying as she pulled out a blue denim skirt and a red, tight tanktop, and put them on. She dried her face and put on her make-up. The door opened as she slipped on her black, knee-high boots. When Mark entered the room a few moments later, he froze in shock. Standing in front of him was not the same Sara he'd seen thirty minutes ago. Duchess trotted out of the bathroom and went over to Sara. Once she saw Mark, she took a defensive position and started growling. "Now, now, hush that noise, girl. Mark isn't going to try anything like last night," Sara said glaring at Mark, "He'll regret it if he does." She slowly brushed her hair down and slipped on a pair of her black Ray-Ban sunglasses. "Let's go, Duchess," she said picking up her purse. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked as she pushed past him. "_None of your fuckin' business_," Sara hissed walking down the stairs, Duchess close behind her. Mark followed her and watched as she left out of the front door, slamming it behind her. For some reason, he didn't go after her. He knew she'd come back. She couldn't stand to be away; her dignity wouldn't let her. Besides, if she didn't, he'd be in deep shit. After standing there for a minute, he finally went into the living room. There, he lied down on the couch and closed his eyes. When Slasher jumped on his feet, he sat up on his elbows and grinned. "What's up, boy?" he asked. Slasher just curled up and closed his eyes. Mark lied down and closed his eyes as well, Sara being the last thing on his mind before he fell asleep.

Sara was dropped off in front of the mansion gates around six p.m. She felt a little better because not only had she got in a harsh, one-hour workout at a cheap gym, but she'd talked to Roddy for another two hours. He'd really been concerned when he'd called Monday and she hadn't been home…all five times. "I'm sorry, sweetie, I was out all day," she'd lied, "And when I got home, I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow." The one question Sara had asked Roddy before she'd hung up was: "How would you feel if Vince put me into the 'Corporation'?" His answer hadn't surprised her. "I wouldn't agree with it one bit. That group only travels with each other, and they avoid communication with the other wrestlers. I heard they also have to live together. I wouldn't want you put into that environment," he'd told her. "Okay, baby. I'll call you later this week," Sara said before ending the call.

When Sara opened the front door, she was shocked to find it quiet. She was half-expecting Mark to be standing there steaming mad, yelling at her for being gone for so long. "Go on, girl, I'm right behind you," she told Duchess. Duchess ran up the two flights of stairs and into Sara's room. Sara slowly headed up the stairs behind her, her leg aching, but she was suddenly pulled back. She grunted as she hit the floor with a profound impact. She looked up into Mark's _enraged_ face. "Just where the hell have you been?" he growled crossing his arms. "I walked around, dammit," Sara groaned as pain shot up and down her leg. Mark pulled her up by her elbow and turned her to him. "For six fuckin' hours?" he asked in disbelief. "Yes, Mark…for six hours," she replied quietly, "It's possible in a city this big…especially when you don't know your way around." The pain in her leg worsened, causing tears to fill her eyes. Mark grabbed her jaw and pulled her close, then leaned down until he was eye-level with her. "Don't you _ever_ pull a stunt like that again, or you will _not_ like the consequences," he warned, "Understand?" A tear escaped from her left eye because the way he said it truly frightened to her. "Okay, Mark…I won't," she whispered nervously. She thought she saw a flash of relief in his eyes, but doubted it when he let her go and stormed into the living room.

Sara ran upstairs, ignoring the pain in her leg, as tears poured down her face. When she got in her room, she slammed the door and went into the bathroom to take a shower. When she got out, she put on her nightgown, took a few pain pills, and immediately went to bed. She was too tired to make the trip downstairs, and too terrified to face Mark. She awoke the next morning in a cold sweat. Duchess was lying beside her, and her room door was slightly cracked. She sat up quickly and looked around. Everything seemed to be in order, and nothing was out of place. However, she could sense that Mark had been there many times through the course of the night. She grabbed one of her crutches (she was becoming less and less dependent on them), slowly stood, and carefully made her way downstairs.

She immediately headed for the kitchen, not surprised to find Mark sitting at the table. He looked extremely tired, like he'd gotten very little sleep the night before. She slowly sat down in front of him and lowered her head. She couldn't get the nerve to even look at him. However, she could still feel his eyes wandering over every inch of her body. "There's tea on the stove," he said suddenly. Sara took a deep breath and slowly stood. She went over to the stove and, trying to balance on one leg, attempted to pour herself a cup. Suddenly, the pot slipped and she almost dropped it. "Oh, man," she whispered. Mark sighed and came over to her. "Go sit down before you break something," he said quietly. Sara quickly hobbled over to the table and sat down. Mark poured a small cup of tea and, without noticing, added two scoops of sugar and a lemon slice. He stirred it as he went back over to the table. He handed it to her and sat back down to eat his breakfast muffin. "Mark, I'm sorry for yesterday. I shouldn't have stayed away for so long," she said a few minutes later, in a voice so quiet that he had to strain to hear, "But…you shouldn't have exploded…like that…I--." "That was your fault," he said standing up and leaving. Sara lowered her head and finished up her tea, which happened to be made just the way she liked it. Afterwards she went upstairs and took a good shower, making sure to scrub and cleanse her bite wound (which was healing very well; there would be very little trace of a scar), shave her legs, and wash her hair. She got dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a white Tommy Girl shirt. She put on her black Reeboks and grabbed her brush. She slowly headed downstairs gently brushing her hair. She stopped at the living room doorway when she heard Mark say her name from the couch.

"Slasher, she's just so awesome. I don't know what to do. I'm just so…I don't know…infatuated, maybe even in love with her. She's smart, confident, and beautiful. She's got everything I've looked for in a woman, plus some. She's so strong, physically _and_ mentally, because she's handling this whole situation better than anyone ever could, but she shows vulnerability at times. And, you know, I wouldn't blame her for hating me, especially after what I did to her Monday night. Slasher, I don't know what came over me. I've always been able to control my desire. But when I saw her…those beautiful brown eyes, that flowing rich, dark brown hair, that nightgown clinging to her like a second skin…it all pushed me over the edge. And last night, I didn't mean to go off like I did, and I sure as hell didn't expect her to submit. It's just…she was gone for _so_ long…I started to feel empty, like I was missing something. When she walked in, I didn't know whether to strangle her or hug her. I just get so worried that something might happen to her if I'm not there. Then again, she's got the strength to fight off anyone in this city. It just seems that if she isn't around, I don't feel whole, I can't concentrate, I…" His voice slowly trailed off. Suddenly, Slasher appeared in front of her. Sara gasped and dropped her brush.

Mark shot up and stared at her. "Sara….," he whispered standing. "No…leave me alone," she whispered turning to go upstairs. Mark quickly caught up to her and grabbed her arm. "How much did you hear?" he asked quietly, "How long were you standing there?" Sara shook her head and looked down. He'd just confessed his feelings for her, and it hit her like a sledgehammer. "I need to know, Sara. How much?" he said tilting her chin up. "Every word, Mark. I heard _every word_. I don't need this right now, you know," she replied quietly. "I…I can't help the way I feel," he whispered leaning against the wall. "Well, I'm married, Mark," Sara said, "What don't you understand about that? _Married_: permanently attached, _not available_." "Look, let me take you to lunch, and we'll talk about this," Mark said looking down. "Fine, but it's not going to change reality," Sara answered. Mark opened the front door and let her out first. He motioned for Slasher and Duchess to follow, and when they were outside, he shut the door.

When they got back, it was close to three o' clock. The talk Mark and Sara had was a relief, for Mark at least. He had confessed _all_ of his feelings, while Sara had sat there and listened. It was heart wrenching for Sara to hear Mark bare his soul to her, and not have the guts to admit that she had similar feelings. However, it still didn't change the fact that she was married, she loved her husband, and she would remain married for as long as possible. Sara immediately went up to her room and changed her bandage and shirt, then took a couple of pain pills. When she came downstairs, she bypassed Mark in the kitchen and went outside onto the deck. All the dogs that protected the huge estate, including Slasher and now Duchess, were lounged about there. She poked each one of them, then ran out into the yard. Just as she'd expected, the dogs ran after her. She laughed as they playfully nipped at her legs. Mark came out a few minutes later. He smiled to himself and watched as Sara easily tumbled over each dog, throwing a back flip here and there. Suddenly, Sara tripped over Duchess and fell on her back. However, she used her arm strength to push herself back up, then comforted her concerned pet. _Amazing_, Mark thought, _Simply amazing_. Sara continued to play for the next half-hour, and Mark watched her the entire time. Then, he found a way to join in on the fun. Sara had kneeled down on the ground and covered her head with her hands, allowing the dogs to jump over her and nip at her. Mark ran down to her and covered her with his body.

"Get the hell off me, Mark," she hissed trying to get up. "Fine," Mark said leaning back. However, as soon as she tried to walk away, Mark sent both Slasher and Duchess after her. The two dogs tackled her down and kept her there. Mark walked over to her and picked her to, then twirled her around. He only stopped when he got dizzy. He fell to the ground and closed his eyes. Sara climbed on top of his stomach and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Real funny, pal," she said leaning down close to his face, "Use my own dog against me." Mark grinned and cupped her face. "It was the only way to get you to smile at me," he said. Sara chuckled and pushed Mark's hands away from her face, but she didn't move from atop him. "Are you comfortable?" Mark asked as he watched Sara pull her hair into a tight bun. "As a matter of fact, yes," she said leaning back down. Mark easily captured her lips and put his arms around her. Sara pushed away and shook her finger in Mark's face. "What did I tell you at lunch?" she whispered, "If I don't initiate the kiss, Mark, don't kiss me." She leaned back down and gently placed her lips on his cheek. She teased him by kissing both cheeks, the tip of his nose, and his goatee-d chin. "You're doing that on purpose," he whispered, "I can't do anything until you kiss my lips." Sara smiled and nodded her head.

"Forget it," Mark whispered pulling her head down and kissing her gently. Sara wanted to pull away, but she didn't have enough willpower. Mark had a way of manipulating her mouth to want more. Mark put his arms around her again and pulled her closer. He let out a deep growl as Sara moved her hips down to his. Sara moaned quietly as his hands slid over her back. She stopped when she felt his groin on her private parts. She pulled her mouth away, still keeping her face close by putting her head in the curve of his neck. "I'm sorry, Sara, I couldn't resist," Mark said rubbing her back. _I know, and I couldn't either_, Sara thought. She lifted her head slightly, only to kiss his ear and say, "I forgive you." She then stood and helped Mark up. The played around with the dogs, and each other, until around eight o' clock. "You want to watch a movie?" Mark asked when they finally went back into the house. Sara lowered her head and thought a moment before saying, "Sure, Mark, why not?" Mark smiled as she headed up to her room.

In her room, Sara took a good shower and slipped on her black silk nightgown and a pair of panties. _You're asking for trouble_, she thought as she looked in the mirror, _Remember what happened the last time you wore one of these in front of him?_ "I can handle this," she said aloud, "I can handle him." She left Duchess in her room, cracking the door. Downstairs, Mark was in the kitchen making popcorn. He had also taken a shower. He was now dressed in a pair of boxers and a black, muscle t-shirt. Sara stood in the doorway and watched as he poured the popcorn into a big bowl. When he turned around and saw her, he took in a sharp breath. The black silk stood out against her creamy skin, and clung to her like latex. "You finished?" she asked. "Um…yeah," he said quietly. Sara grinned and went into the living room. Mark followed close behind her. He set the bowl down on the coffee table in front of the sofa and put _Bless The Child_ into the VCR. As it started, he sat down beside Sara and grinned slightly when she put her feet in his lap. After the movie, Sara was almost too scared to move. "Creepy," she whispered. The phone rang as Mark took the bowl into the kitchen. "I'm going to take this in the hallway," he said as Sara opened the refrigerator. She got out the milk and poured herself a glass. When she finished it, she went into the living room and lied down on the sofa, facedown.

When Mark's hands landed on her back, she jumped. "Easy, it's okay. It's just me," he whispered smoothly. Sara immediately relaxed as his hands began a deep massage over her back and shoulders. "That feels _so_ good," she whispered. When he finished, Sara slowly turned over and pulled Mark on top of her. He was so shocked that he pulled up. "What are you doin'?" he whispered. "Initiating a kiss," she said pulling his face back down. Mark offered no more protest. He kissed her with as much passion as he could. Sara rubbed her right leg against his and wrapped her arms around his neck. Mark's hands traveled down her shoulders, over her breasts, to her left leg, which he pulled up around his waist. Sara's hands roamed almost as freely as his, moving through his thick hair, caressing his neck, and moving over his large chest and muscular arms. "You're so beautiful," he whispered kissing her neck, pulling down the straps of her nightgown so that the rounds of her breasts were exposed. Through the sheer material, he saw that he had managed to bring her nipples into hard nubs. He grinned and took her right breast in his mouth, gently suckling on the hard nipple through the material, kneading it with his hand. Sara moaned softly as his lips worked wonders, and his hand caressed her injured leg. When her muscle twitched under his hand, he pulled up. "Are you okay?" he asked. Sara just pulled his face down and continued to kiss him.

Mark moved his hand up her nightgown as her hands traveled through his hair. "What are you doin' to me?" he whispered in her ear, his breath warm and ragged. "Thanking you for the massage," she said rubbing her hips up against him. Mark growled and began to lick and nibble on Sara's ears. Sara slowly pulled Mark's shirt up and raked her nails on his skin. She giggled girlishly as he nibbled on her ear. Mark stuck his tongue inside her ear as he slowly pulled her panties down. When he eased his index and middle fingers inside her, Sara moaned slow and loud as she arched up against him, giving him more access to her insides. "If that isn't a sign that you want me, I don't get you," he whispered hoarsely. She was more than ready for him. _Yes…I do…I want you so much_, she thought as his finger eased in and out of her body, and flicking, pinching, and caressing the nub which brought her pleasure. However, when he tried to get her panties fully off, she tried to sit up saying, "No, Mark…not this far." Mark leaned towards her ear and whispered, "Just let it happen, dollface, it was meant to." "No, Mark, _stop_. It's already gone too far," she said pushing against him. Mark grabbed her hands and held them above her head with one hand, grabbing her panties with the other. "_You can't deny me what is already mine_!" he growled trying to rip them off. "What the hell are you talking about?!" Sara yelled struggling with all her might, "_DUCHESS!_" Mark covered her mouth with his free hand, causing tears to well up in her eyes and spill onto her cheeks; she was afraid that he was going to rape her. "Don't call her, Sara. You're overreacting," he said reading her mind, and starting to stand, "I would never rape you."

Suddenly, Duchess dashed from around the corner and jumped on Mark, teeth bared, with such force that she knocked him down. Hysteric, Sara immediately pulled her panties up, jumped off the couch, and ran upstairs as fast as she could. When she got to her room, she slammed her door shut and locked it as tears poured down her face. She had just betrayed her husband in one of the worst possible ways, and she felt horrible. She leaned against the door, lowered her head, and allowed the tears to fall freely. A few minutes later, she heard sniffling and whining at her door. She quickly opened it slightly and smiled when Duchess slid in. "Oh, girl, thank you so much. What would I do without you?" she said rubbing Duchess' face. When she pulled her hand away, though, there was blood on it…human blood. "What did you do to him?" she asked as she took Duchess into the bathroom.

Mark wrapped the gauze around his forearm as he headed to Sara's room. If he wouldn't have got his arm up, Duchess surely would've ripped his throat out. Still, there was sizeable damage done to his arm. It had taken him two long minutes to stop the bleeding. When he got to her room, he took a few deep breaths before walking in. "Sara?" he called out. Sara was still in the bathroom. She grabbed Duchess' collar and slowly walked out. As soon as Duchess saw Mark, she growled loudly and tried to lunge at him, but Sara kept a tight grip on her collar. "What are you doing in here?" she asked sniffling. "First of all, you keep your psycho bitch dog away from me," he growled taking a step back, "She tried to rip my fucking arm off." "Well, you deserved it," Sara said looking at her vicious, angry pet, "Stop it, girl, you're hurting my arm." Duchess immediately sat down at Sara's side, but she didn't stop growling.

"I just came to deliver a message," he said stepping towards her, stopping when Duchess stood, "You're debuting this RAW." The news hit Sara like a freight train. Her chest tightened and breathing became difficult. "What?" she whispered, tears filling her eyes once again. "Remember when the phone rang? That was Shawn," Mark said coldly, ignoring Sara's sad state for once, "It's all been settled with Vince. You're debuting with the 'Corporation' _on RAW_." Sara dropped to the floor and lowered her head, tears starting to flow. Duchess tried to comfort her, but Sara merely pushed her away. "Shawn will be here at exactly 5:00 a.m., so _be ready_," he growled. He then left out and slammed the door behind him. Sara flinched slightly and crawled over to the door. She slowly locked it, cut off the light, and lied down on the floor. Sobs shook her body for over an hour before she finally fell asleep.


	5. No Hard Feelings

**Chapter 4…No Hard Feelings**

Sara woke up a few hours later because there was banging on her door. She stood up and went over to the door, slowly unlocked it, and then cracked it. She looked up and saw Mark's tired, irritated stare. "Get up!" he growled. Sara slammed the door in his face and leaned against it. "Pack light, too!" he added through the door. Sara sighed and went into the bathroom. She took a long shower, washing her hair and scrubbing her skin. When she got out, she wrapped her towel tightly around her and went into the room. Duchess was lying on her bed stretched out. "Hey, girl," Sara whispered, "How ya doin'?" Duchess rolled onto her back as Sara rubbed her soft belly. Sara stood and put on her underclothes. She got dressed in a pair of loose jeans and a short-sleeved t-shirt. After she was dressed, she pulled out two small suitcases. In one, she packed clothes and nightclothes to last two weeks. In the other one, she packed bathing materials, underclothes, and make-up. As she closed the second suitcase, there was a quick knock on her door. She slowly opened it and took a deep breath. "Are you ready?" Shawn asked, not saying anything about her red, swollen cheeks. "As ready as I'll ever be," she replied quietly. Mark walked in and pushed past her, much to the disdain of Duchess. Sara just glared at him as he picked up her suitcases.

When he walked past her again, he glared down at her and said, "I thought I told you to pack light." "I did," she snapped staring right back at him. Mark scoffed and shook his head as he walked out. "What's his problem?" Shawn asked as Sara went over to Duchess, "Why is he pissed at you?" "Be good and don't get into any trouble," Sara said hugging Duchess and rubbing her nose, "I'll be back in a couple of weeks, girl." She then stood and headed out of the room. Shawn grabbed her arm and pulled her back, saying, "You didn't answer my question." "I'll tell you why he's pissed. He can't get what he wants, and it's driving the big crazy bastard brat insane," she hissed. Shawn grinned slightly as Sara pulled away. She was the first woman to resist Mark, and it was killing him. How long will she resist? Shawn thought, That is the question. Sara turned and walked out. As soon as she passed through the doorway, though, Mark grabbed her by her neck and pushed her into the wall. "Crazy? Insane?" he growled pressing his hand against her windpipe, "I'll show you crazy." Sara tried to scream for her dog, but the air in her lungs was draining quickly.

Shawn shut her room door quickly when he saw her dog run towards it, then tried to pull Mark away from Sara. "Get the hell off her, Mark, NOW!" he yelled pulling on Mark's arm. Mark simply pushed him away and glared at him. "Damn it!" Shawn whispered. Eric would have his head for this. Sara locked eyes with Shawn and whispered, "Help me, please. Get him the fuck off me!" "No one can help you!" Mark growled, "Not Shawn, and not your precious little dog." Shawn simply lowered his head. When Mark went into a rage, everybody stayed out of his way, including Eric and Shawn. It seemed, unfortunately, Sara hadn't learned that yet. "When we get to New York," Mark said menacingly, forcing Sara to look at him, "I will get what I want because I will fuck you." "You'll have to…rape me…you son of a bitch…And if you do…I'll…I'll-I'll--." Mark pressed his hand against her windpipe harder until she turned a pale blue and passed out. "You'll what?" he growled as she slumped down to the floor.

"What is your fucking problem?!" Shawn yelled pushing him back. He kneeled down in front of Sara and looked at her face. It was getting its color back, but there was a big bruise forming on her throat. "When Eric finds out about this…hell, when Vince finds out about this, we're both gonna be in trouble," he said. Mark just turned away, picked up Sara's suitcases, and headed downstairs in disbelief at what he'd just done. Shawn lifted Sara's limp body and opened her room door. Duchess bounded out and looked up at Shawn, then at Sara, and started growling. "Easy, girl, she's fine," he said. Duchess snorted in a sign of apparent disbelief. I can't believe I'm talking to a dog, he thought. He headed downstairs and out the front door, closing the door behind him. When they got to the airport, Shawn had to carry Sara onto the jet. He set her down right across from Mark. As he left out, he glared at Mark. Mark looked over at Sara and sighed heavily. He'd hurt the one woman he'd vowed never to hurt. He slowly stood and sat down beside her. The bruise on her neck was turning dark blue. He put his finger on the bruise and slowly began to trace it as he leaned close to her ear. "I'm so sorry, dollface. You can't imagine how much pain I feel knowing I did this to you," he whispered, "You mean so much to me, Sara." Shawn walked in as Mark was whispering. "Get away from her, Mark!" he said setting the cooler beside her, "Haven't you done enough damage?" Mark took a deep breath and went back over to his seat. He watched as Shawn taped an icepack to Sara's throat and tied an ace bandage over it.

"You're gonna have to change her icepacks every half an hour. We've got to get this bruise down as quickly as possible before we get to New York," he said. Mark simply looked at him. He didn't want to take the chance of waking her up in that process. She would probably panic if she saw him touching her again. "You better change the icepack, man," Shawn said standing, "You created this problem, so you're going to fix it." Mark closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head. He hadn't gotten any sleep the night before because he'd stayed up worrying about Sara, sitting outside her door for over two hours. He'd broken what little trust she might have had in him. "Change the icepacks, man," Shawn repeated before going to the back of the plane. "Sure," Mark said quietly. He tried to go to sleep, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Sara. He changed her icepacks only twice, because he didn't want to wake her.

When Sara opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was that she was on a plane. The second thing was that her throat was in a huge amount of pain. She slowly reached up and felt the ace bandage, and then proceeded to take it off. "Don't…do that," Mark whispered. Sara immediately sat up and stared at him. Mark slowly stood and walked over to her. "I've got to change the icepack," he whispered carefully sitting down beside her. Sara started trembling violently as Mark slowly unwrapped the bandage. Her eyes grew wide at the feel of his hands on her skin. She couldn't even stop the tears that were forming in her eyes. Mark didn't look away until he'd finished. The terror and disappointment he'd seen in her eyes was like nothing he'd ever seen before. When he stood, Sara scrambled out of the seat and sped towards the door. "Where are you goin'?" he asked grabbing her arm. Sara panicked and snatched her arm away, preparing to pound him if he touched her again. "Don't touch me," she went to say, but couldn't because the pain in her throat was excruciating. She turned around to leave, only to bump into Shawn. She immediately backed up and prepared to defend herself, her panic and fear levels both peaking. "What did you do to her now?" Shawn asked looking at Mark. "Nothing, Shawn. I changed her icepack, and then she freaked," Mark replied, Just like I thought she would. Sara shook her head, stared at Mark, and grabbed her neck. "Come on, Sara," Shawn said leading her to the back of the plane. Mark plopped down in his seat and sighed heavily. The last thing he wanted was for Sara to fear him.

When Sara and Shawn got to the conference room, Shawn picked up the phone off of the table and sat down on one of the leather sofas. "I'm back," he said. Sara took a deep breath and sat down at the far end of the same sofa. "Yeah, she's fine, she's right here with me," Shawn said quietly. Sara looked at Shawn and sighed heavily. Tears came to her eyes as he relayed her injury to whomever he was talking to. Shawn scooted beside Sara and reached to take off the bandage, but Sara pushed his hand away. "It's okay. I just have to check the size of the bruise," he said calmly.

Sara gripped the side of the chair as Shawn unwrapped the bandage and pulled away the icepack. Her breath quickened when he placed his hand on the bruise and put pressure on it. Shawn felt her trembling and looked up at her. There was fear and terror written all over her face. "She'll be fine, Eric," he said, "Nothing's damaged." He quickly re-wrapped the bandage and stood up. "I'll keep my eye on her," he said quietly, "And I'll talk to Mark." Sara curled up on the sofa and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Bye, Eric," Shawn said before hanging up. He looked at Sara, then got a blanket out of the cabinet and placed it over her. "Rest well, Sara," he whispered, "Rest well."

Sara awoke a second time in a limo. Her head was in Mark's lap, and his hand was holding an icepack to her neck. She practically jumped to the other side of the limo. "You'll need this," he said calmly, holding up the icepack. Sara stared at him, trying to decide whether to take the icepack, or ignore him. Suddenly, the limo slowed to a stop. "We're here," Mark said looking out the window. He opened the door and told the limo driver to take care of the suitcases, then put the icepack in the cooler. He wasn't going to let it go to waste. "Come on," he said afterwards. Sara slowly climbed out of the limo and stared at the huge Holiday Inn hotel in front of her. She and Roddy had always stayed in cheap motels to save money for when they retired, even though Roddy was making close to seven figures, Sara making half that. "Come on," Mark repeated gently touching her back. Sara immediately stepped away and glared at him. Mark sighed before saying, "Just follow me. We've got to get our keys from the desk." Sara took a deep breath and followed Mark inside the hotel. Once they got their keys, Mark led Sara to the elevator. "You'll be rooming with Liz in every city that we stay overnight," he said stepping in after her, "Unless you're told otherwise."

Sara stood in the far corner and kept her head down. She couldn't find the urge to even look at Mark. The act of violence he'd committed against her destroyed all of her views. She thought he'd cared about her, about her safety, and yet when he didn't get his way with her, he lashed out against her. Now her mind was as confused as when he first kissed her. The elevator stopped on the 15th floor. "We're here," Mark said as the doors opened. He let Sara out first, and then followed. They stopped in front of room 1506. "Here's your key," he said holding up the key card. Sara snatched it away and struggled to open the door, her hands shaking too violently. "Sara, please," Mark said touching her hands, "I'm sorry." Sara slid the card in, glared at Mark as the door unlocked, then rushed in and slammed the door in his face. It seemed feelings for him still existed, because when he touched her, her skin burned with desire. Mark sighed heavily as he walked down to his room, which he "conveniently" shared with Shawn.

Sara took a deep breath as she looked around. There was an empty bed by the back door, the other one obviously occupied by Liz. Sara lied down on the empty bed and closed her eyes. She wasn't really tired, but she would rather sleep than stay away and think about her bleak future. She fell asleep about twenty minutes later. Sara didn't sleep long, only about two hours. She woke up around nine a.m. Liz was awake reading the newspaper. Sara looked around and spotted her suitcases by the dresser. She stood up and pulled out her towel, rag, and soap. "Good morning," Liz said looking over the edge of her newspaper. It's the complete opposite, Sara thought before going into the bathroom. Liz sighed and shook her head. "She'll get used to it," Liz whispered, "She won't survive if she doesn't." Sara took a long shower and washed her hair. When she stepped out, she wrapped her towel around her and stood in front of the mirror. The bruise on her neck was a dark shade of blue. She sighed as she placed another icepack on her neck and wrapped the bandage around it. She then braided her hair tightly and went back out to her suitcase. She pulled out a pair of shorts and a tank top. She quickly dressed and lied back down. Liz had ordered breakfast and was now eating. "Do you want some orange juice or something?" she asked, "It's over on the dresser." Sara looked over at Liz and sighed. No point in starving myself, she thought. She slowly stood and went over to the dresser. Her throat was still hurting badly, so all she grabbed was a banana and a small glass of orange juice, things that wouldn't be too hard to swallow. "Is that all you're gonna eat?" Liz asked. Sara simply pointed to her injured throat and sat down on her bed. It took her over 20 minutes to eat the small "meal". Afterwards, she lied down and cried silently. Physical pain and mental anguish consumed every inch of her body. After eating, her throat felt inflamed; the bite wound had been acting up as well. Her mind was confused with feelings for Mark and feelings for Roddy. She finally fell asleep again about ten minutes later.

Shawn knocked on Liz's door around quarter after twelve. Liz, who was in the bathroom, came out and opened the door. "Hi, Liz. Sara's in here, right?" he asked. "Yeah, she should be on her bed," Liz said as Shawn walked in, "I think she's still asleep." Shawn shut the door behind him and headed for Sara's bed. She was slightly tossing and turning in her sleep, mumbling softly. Shawn gently moved her thick chestnut hair out of her face and let his eyes roam over her features. I see what Mark sees in her, he thought, She's gorgeous. When he placed his hand on her arm, she immediately awoke, grabbed his hand, and twisted it until he was on his knees writhing in pain. Liz came out of the bathroom and rushed up over to her. "Sara, honey, let him go," she said touching her shoulder, "Let him go." Sara slowly released her grip and scooted away from Shawn; she was worried he would attack her in revenge. "It's okay, Sara. I shouldn't have tried to awake you so abruptly," Shawn said, "I just need to have a talk with you. I would've waited until Saturday, but Eric wants it over and done with." Sara looked up at Shawn and stood, and then headed out onto the balcony, followed by him. Shawn sat down across from Sara and placed a small bag on the table. He pulled out a small notebook, a pen, and a box of herbal tea. "This notebook is for you to write down anything you have to say. Eric doesn't want you talking until Sunday," he said sliding it over to her, "That ensures that your throat can heal. And the herbal tea, made hot, will speed up the healing process." Sara immediately picked up the pen, opened the notebook, and wrote, "Did you talk to Mark?" "Yeah, Eric and I both did," Shawn said quietly, "He's not allowed near you for the whole weekend. Eric figures that's enough time for him to cool off." "What about how I--?" Shawn placed a finger over her lips and said, "There's nothing I can do about it." Sara pushed his hand away and sat back in her chair. "Let's get down to business then," he said.

Shawn spent the next two hours trying to explain Sara's role in the group, as well as how she would be fitted into that role. "After that RAW, you'll make appearances on every show for one month, then you'll go spend one month at the mansion, training to get into your on-screen bodyguard role," he'd said. Sara sighed heavily as she stood. "I'm guessing you don't have anymore questions, then," he said. Yeah, why me? Sara thought. When Sara entered the room, she stopped dead in her tracks, making Shawn bump into her. "What's wrong?" he asked. Mark was sitting at a table talking to Liz. Sara backed into the room slowly, never taking her eyes off of Mark. His eyes were filled with regret, yet fresh memories of the attack forced her not to believe him. Shawn immediately went over to Mark and asked him what he thought he was doing there. "You said I couldn't go near Sara, not Liz," Mark said calmly. "Listen here, Mark, don't be a smartass. Your presence disturbs her, and I don't need her any more freaked out than she already is," Shawn said quietly, "Until her debut, you're restricted from this room, from the vehicle she rides in. Hell, I don't want you where she can see you." Sara quickly went over to Shawn and touched his arm, trying to tell him that wasn't what she wanted, but he pushed her away.

Mark stood and glared down at Shawn. Sara shut the door quietly, and then sat down on her bed. Shawn was being totally unreasonable, and she, Mark, and Liz knew it. Mark turned a gentle eye towards Sara before storming out. "Was that really necessary?" Liz asked staring at Shawn, "You know he regrets what he did." "I can't take any chances," Shawn said. He went over to Sara and touched her shoulder. "You didn't have to do that," she'd written, "Liz is right." Shawn took a deep breath and said, "Fine, just so long as he doesn't come within reaching distance of you. Can you handle that?" Sara nodded her head as Shawn stood. Shawn left out as Sara stood to fix herself a cup of tea. Moments later, Mark walked in. He immediately went over to Sara and touched her back. She quickly moved away and put her hand up. "I know, arm's distance. I just need to speak with you…on the balcony," he said quietly, "Please?" Sara looked over at Liz, who gave her a nod of approval, before heading towards the back door.

Mark opened the door and let Sara out before following her out and shutting the door behind him. Sara sat down first. Mark took a deep breath as he sat down across from her. "Listen, Sara, I…I just want to apologize for what happened…I was angry…frustrated, really…and I did not mean to take it out on you. You can't even imagine the remorse, the shame, I feel knowing that I did that to you," he said pointing to her neck, "I know I broke what little trust you had in me. All I ask…is that you forgive me." Sara took a deep breath as she slowly touched his cheek. He looked as though he would cry if she told him she didn't forgive him. What he'd done to her was tearing him up inside; she could see it in his eyes. "I do forgive you, Mark, because the man sitting in front of me is not the monster I saw last night. I don't like that person, or what he does to the man that I know," she wrote quickly. Mark inhaled slowly as he read the note, and then looked up at Sara. "Thank you, Sara," he whispered touching her hand carefully. When it twitched slightly, he quickly removed his. "Does this mean…that you…might…put trust in me again?" he asked. Sara sat back in her chair and lowered her eyes. The door opened and Liz walked out with Sara's tea. "Thanks," Sara wrote. "It's nothing. The sooner you can talk, the better," Liz said setting the cup in front of her, "For all of us."

Sara hunched her shoulders as Liz went back in. She took a long gulp of the hot tea, flinching as it slid down her sore throat. When she finally set the cup down, she found Mark staring at her in a very tense manner. "You never answered my question," he said slowly, "Can you trust me again?" Sara was in the middle of writing a response when Liz came out again. She went right over to Mark and whispered something in his ear that obviously upset him. "And he says if you do it again, you're suspended for two weeks," she said crossing her arms. "Are you kidding me?" he asked standing. He gave Sara a deep hug, and whispered, "Thank you," before heading back inside. Liz sat down in front of Sara. "Does the tea help?" she asked. Sara grinned and wrote, "More than you know." "Listen, uh, we're all going to lunch in a few minutes. You think you're up to it?" Liz said. "Maybe some other time," Sara said shaking her head. "Okay, just thought I'd asked," Liz said standing, "You keep drinking that tea, and using those icepacks, and you'll be talking in no time." Sara smiled slightly as Liz went back into the room, but when the door shut, her smile immediately disappeared.

Roddy's face entered her mind and she tried to think of all the good times they'd had. She never heard the door open, but she sensed Mark's presence. She looked up at him and stood. "I thought you had to go to lunch," she wrote before gulping her tea. "I opted not to," he said quietly, "I wanted to visit you." Sara slowly sat back down and watched as he pulled a chair beside her. "Please, don't be sad," he whispered touching her hand. "I think I have a right to be," Sara wrote quickly, "This group is gonna ruin my entire life. My marriage, my friendships, ALL will be gone!" "Sara, you have to be positive about this," he said after reading the note, "Something good will come out of this." Sara stood up and rasped, "Yeah, that's what you think!" She then went back into the room and sat down on her bed. Mark followed her and shut the door behind him. "Don't come near me, Mark, you've already been too close," she said as the tears began to fall. Mark ignored her and sat down beside her. "Please…don't cry," he whispered.

Sara snapped her head towards him and glared at him. "Why not?! I was brought here against my will," she hissed standing, "bitten by your dog--" she slapped him "attacked by you—" another slap "and now, I can't even talk to Roddy! You have the nerve to tell me not to cry!" Sara attacked Mark and swung wildly at him. "Sara, don't do this," Mark whispered as Liz walked in. "Sara, what are you doing?" she yelled running over to her. She tried to pull her off, but an elbow in her chest pushed her down. Mark tried to get a grip on Sara's hands, but she was swinging wildly. Shawn came in moments later and grabbed her from behind. "Let me go!" Sara hissed. Shawn immediately inserted a needle in her arm and emptied the contents. Sara tried to pull away, but Shawn held her tight. "No," she whispered, "Please…don't, Shawn."

Moments later, Sara was going to sleep. "Help me put her on the bed," Shawn said. Mark quickly pulled the covers back as Shawn laid her down. "Easy, Sara," he whispered as she started to struggle, "Just go to sleep. Tomorrow will be much better." Sara let out a long, heavy sigh before falling asleep. "Now that that's over," Shawn said quietly, "Let's go to lunch." Liz slowly stood and watched Shawn leave. Her chest was hurting from the elbow by Sara. "What did you say to her?" she asked rubbing her chest. "The wrong thing," Mark said pulling the covers over Sara, "The wrong thing." Her braid had come loose, and now her hair had tumbled over her shoulders. He pulled it away and replaced her icepack. "Come on, let's go," Liz said touching his shoulder after he'd finished, "I'm sure everyone's waiting for us." Mark slowly stood up and looked down at Sara. Her entire face was reddened, from tears as well as from the struggle. Right now, though, she looked relaxed and peaceful. He stayed in the room one more moment. Sara's face, however, stayed in his mind all day.


	6. Relaxing Times

**Chapter 5…Relaxing Times**

Sara awoke Friday morning around eight a.m. She slowly sat up and looked over at Liz, who was still asleep. Sara stood and stretched leisurely. She groaned as her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in almost 24 hours. She immediately picked up the phone and dialed room service. She ordered a slice of toast, a banana, and a tall glass of orange juice. Once she hung up, she took a quick shower and dressed in a pair of Levi's and a sleeveless button-up denim shirt. When the food came, Sara tipped the deliverer and took the tray. She finished 15 minutes later. Afterwards, she fixed a cup of herbal tea. It was close to nine o' clock when Liz woke up. "Good morning," Sara rasped quietly. "Morning," Liz replied going into the bathroom. When Liz came out, Sara was on the phone…smiling and laughing. "Who are you talking to?" Liz asked. Sara covered the receiver, whispered "Roddy", and then went back to her conversation. She spent over two hours talking to him. Not once did she mention where she was or where she had been for that entire week. She did tell him that her throat was raw, and that's why it was so raspy. Sara never saw Liz leave the room. When Liz did come back in, she was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. "I guess you're feeling better," Liz said. "Liz, you have no idea how worried Roddy was," Sara said sitting up, "I spent almost an hour trying to calm him down."

Liz grinned slightly and said, "I've never seen you this happy before." "It'll pass by tomorrow," Sara said quietly. She slowly stood up and went over to the mirror. She removed the ace bandage and stared at the bruise on her neck. It was still visible. "I'm, uh, goin' out in a few. You wanna come?" Liz asked. "I don't think so, Liz," Sara answered, "What if someone sees us together and start asking questions. I can't spoil the surprise." "Oh, girl, please. Enemies from television hang out off screen all the time. Now, you're getting out of this room, and that's final," Liz said grabbing her purse, "Come on." Sara sighed as she put on her tennis shoes. She grabbed her wallet and followed Liz out. The two women didn't get back to the hotel until late that evening. They haven't spent much time shopping, mostly talking. "As your roommate, I can only help so much," she'd said while they were riding in the cab, "I can give you all the advice I can." "I'm definitely going to need it, Liz. I don't know if I can stand this much longer," Sara whispered. "Just a couple more days," Liz said. "Until the end of everything I've ever known," Sara whispered. And a new beginning, Liz thought. When the cab stopped, Shawn was right there waiting for them. "Where have you been?" he asked following them into the elevator hotel. "Don't even start, Shawn. I had to get her out of that room," Liz said as the elevator went up, "She can't stay in there the whole time."

"You and I are gonna have a talk," Shawn said grabbing her arm when the elevator door opened. "No, we're not. I did what was right. Keep her locked up in that room and the moment she can," Liz said snatching her arm away, "She'll call her husband. Then, your whole 'plan' will be ruined." Sara lifted her eyebrow as they walked out. Would Liz tell Shawn that she'd already talked to Roddy? Shawn took a deep breath before saying, "If you wanted to go out of the room, that's all you had to say, Sara. I could've easily escorted you." "Yeah, well, I prefer to go with Liz," Sara said unlocking her door, "She's the only one I can relate to." She then went into the room, followed by Liz, who slammed the door in his face. "I'm really sorry, Sara. I didn't mean for you to get caught," Liz said as Sara sat down on her bed. "It's okay, Liz. Who would've known Shawn would freak like that," Sara said quietly. Liz said nothing as Sara picked up the phone. Moments later, she was talking to Roddy again. This time, Liz stayed in the room, but she didn't make a sound the entire time Sara was on the phone. When Sara finally hung up, Liz was halfway sleep. Sara took a quick shower and slipped on a long, white t-shirt, then cut off the light and television. She slipped into bed, reminisced about the day, and then turned onto her side and went to sleep.

Sara awoke the next morning to the sound of an alarm. She reacted over and slammed her hand on the off button. "Wakey, wakey," Liz said. Sara opened her eyes and sat up. "What time is it?" she asked rubbing her eyes. "It's quarter to nine," Liz answered. Sara sighed as she went into the bathroom. She took a good, long shower, shaving well, and deep conditioning her hair. When she came out, Mark was sitting on her bed. She blushed deeply, keeping her eyes on the floor, and pulled her clothes out of her bag: a pair of khaki shorts and a white baby t-shirt. Mark let his eyes slowly move over her bared skin, the droplets of water making her look so innocent, yet sexy at the same time. Sara quickly went back into the bathroom and got dressed. When she came out of the bathroom again, she was a little more relaxed. Mark was now sitting on Liz's bed, and they were in a deep conversation. Sara didn't want to bother Liz, so she tried to French braid her wet hair herself. "You need some help with that?" Liz asked when she saw the trouble Sara was having. "I didn't want to interrupt your conversation, so I tried to do it myself," Sara said going over to Liz's bed. "Don't worry about it," Liz said looking at Mark, "It wasn't that important." Mark took a deep breath and looked away. It was important, because they had been talking about Sara and his feelings for her. Liz easily braided Sara's hair and put one of her hair ties on the end. "Thanks," Sara said as she sat back down on her own bed. "Sara, would you like to go out again today, like yesterday?" Liz asked minutes later. "I guess," Sara said as she stared up at the ceiling, "I don't care." "Are you okay?" Liz asked slipping on her shoes. "Yeah, Liz," Sara answered rubbing her eyes, "I haven't worked out since Tuesday, so I'm feeling sluggish." "We're all going to the gym tomorrow," Mark said quietly, "I'm sure you'll make up for it."

Sara grinned at him as she sat up and put on a pair of sandals. "Alright, let's go," she said standing. Mark opened the door and let both ladies out before shutting the door behind him. Unfortunately, they ran into Shawn in the lobby. "Where are you three headed?" Shawn asked. "We're gonna go out," Sara said quietly, "Like yesterday." "Liz and Mark are free to go, but you can't go anywhere," Shawn said. "Are you serious, Shawn?" Liz said stepping forward, "Why can't she come with us?" "Like you said, the first chance she gets, she'll call Roddy," Shawn said grabbing Sara's elbow, "See you guys for lunch." He pulled her to the elevators, pushed the "up" button, and waited until the doors opened. Mark tried to go after him when Sara looked back at him, a sense of helplessness in her eyes. Liz put her hand on his broad chest and held him back.. When Shawn entered the elevator, he turned around, pressed the 15th floor button, and then waved good-bye to Mark as the elevator doors shut. "Don't worry, Mark," Liz said slightly tugging on his arm, "She'll be fine." Mark hesitated momentarily before following Liz out of the hotel.

Sara took a deep breath when Shawn pushed her out of the elevator. "You are confined to your room until dinner," Shawn said when they got down to her room, "You are not to leave for any reason…unless it's a dire emergency. Understand?" "Yes, Shawn," Sara said through clenched teeth, "Perfectly." She then opened her door, went in, and slammed it in his face. Confined. The thought made her red hot with anger. Sara changed her shoes, put on a muscle t-shirt, and began an intense cardiovascular workout. I don't need a gym to work out, she thought. She didn't conclude the workout until she was completely exhausted, three full hours later. Afterwards, she rested in a tub full of steaming water. When she stepped out, she put on a pair of loose, white silk pants she'd bought the night before, and the matching silk halter top shirt that tied around her waist twice. Then, she lit an incense stick in the window, sat down on her bed Indian-style, and began a deep meditation session to relax. Liz and Mark walked in five hours later, at almost six o' clock. "What's that smell?" Liz asked. "It's incense. I use it to relax my mind," Sara answered, "I only use it when I'm extremely upset--." "It smells good," Mark said shutting the door, "Very…relaxing." Sara blushed slightly as the phone rang. Liz picked it up and spoke. "Downstairs in five minutes?" Liz said, "Okay, Kevin." She hung up and said, "Looks like we made it just in time." "For what?" Sara asked. "Dinner," Liz answered, "And you're coming." Sara lowered her head and whispered, "I don't think I can do this."

"Just stick with us," Mark said putting his arm around her, "You'll be fine." Sara looked up at him and slowly nodded her head. "Okay," she said quietly. "Come on, you guys, we've got to go," Liz said opening the door. Sara slipped on a pair of black Adidas sandals and followed Liz out. Mark shut the door behind him. They rode the elevator down with Carlos, Kevin, and Scott. When they got downstairs., everyone was already in the lobby. "There you are," they heard Shawn say. Sara stiffened up as Shawn walked over to her. "Is there a problem?" Mark asked. "No, Mark, not at all," Shawn replied, "Sara has to ride with me." "WHAT?!" Sara practically yelled. "Hey! There's no need to get all upset," Shawn said quietly, "You'll just be riding with us until your debut." "'Us'?" Sara asked. "Eric, Lance, Bret, Steve, and myself," he replied. Sara looked up at Mark questionably until he gave a slight nod of approval. "Fine," she said quietly, "Since it's only until Monday." She followed Shawn outside and gasped when she saw three stretch Navigator jeeps. "Impressive, aren't they?" he asked leading her to the first one. He opened the door and let her in. Moments later, she was joined by Eric, Lance, Bret, and Steve. She didn't acknowledge any of them, even when they spoke to her. She kept her eyes focused on the window for the entire ride. When the jeep stopped, she had to wait until Eric and Shawn got out before she could move, and Bret, Lance, and Steve closely followed her. "Come on," Shawn said trying to keep her hidden. Her height, however, did not help his attempt.

They entered Olive Garden quietly and went immediately to the back. "What happened to 'wait to be seated'?" Sara asked under her breath. She sat down quietly and crossed her legs. "Just keep your head down," Shawn said giving her a pair of black shades and a baseball cap, "And put these on." "Why?" she asked. "Since I can't hide your height, I'll hide your face," he said under his breath, "Now put them on." Sara slowly did as she was told. When Mark and Liz finally came in, Sara stood up. "Where are you going?" Shawn asked grabbing her wrist. "I rode with you. The hell if I'll eat with you," she said leaning towards his ear, "And if you don't let me go, this secret will get blown wide open." "Oh, really?" Shawn asked doubtfully. Sara quickly raked her nail across Shawn's cheek, leaving three bright red scratches. Shawn grabbed her other wrist and stood. "Let her go, Shawn," Eric said. Shawn looked at him questionably before releasing her. "Go eat with whomever you please, Sara, if it'll calm you down," Eric said calmly. "Thank you," she said removing the hat and glasses. She looked up at Shawn, who was sneering at her, shoved the hat and glasses at him, and then turned and walked away. When she reached Mark and Liz, she was smiling inside. "What are you so happy about?" Mark asked sensing it. "Shawn's angry 'cause I showed him up in front of Eric," Sara answered. "Come on," Mark said shaking his head, "Let's sit down." He led her to a table where the other 'Corporation' women were, Trish Stratus and Stephanie Fields. Sara had more fun at dinner than she would've admitted. Trish had entered the WWF a member, as did Stephanie. It seemed only Liz and Sara had resisted. The women traded stories of life on the road as though they'd been friends for their entire lives, while Mark watched on warily. He would see Shawn throw glaring looks at Sara, a look of pure revenge coming every few minutes.

When it was time to leave, Sara hugged each woman and thanked them all. "For what?" Trish asked. "For making me realize…that even though…I might lose my husband…" she whispered glancing at Mark, "I'm making very good friends." She then turned to go to the jeep. The ride back to the hotel was not as tense as before. Sara was definitely more relaxed. She even engaged in conversation with Bret and Steve, fully ignoring the glares from Shawn. When the jeep stopped in front of the hotel, Sara was the first one out. She stood in front of the hotel doors and watched as the other two jeeps pulled up. "Sara?" a voice called out. Sara looked around until she spotted Mark. She walked up to him and spoke. "You know, Shawn's pretty pissed at you," he said. "I don't care," she said quietly, "He's turning out to be a real jerk." Mark grinned and said, "He's always been like that." When they got to the elevator, Eric stopped them. "Sara, I just wanted to let you know that there's a group workout tomorrow morning at ten," he said stepping into the elevator, "We'll meet in the lobby at 9:30." "Okay, Eric," she said stepping in behind him.

When Sara got to her room, she fixed herself a cup of herbal tea, and headed onto the balcony. This time, she slowly drank the tea, spending her time thinking about Roddy. Her mind traveled to the day she first met Roddy, and wandered through the great times they'd had together. She obviously lost track of time, because when she went back in, Liz was lying down. "There you are!" Liz said picking up the phone, "Mark and I have been worried sick!" Liz dialed Mark's room, as Sara went into the bathroom. "Yeah, Mark?" Liz said, "Sara was on the balcony the whole time." She sighed when he revealed that he'd already known. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. "She just looked so relaxed," Mark answered honestly, "I didn't want her to be bothered." "Well, I understand. Goodnight, Mark. I'll see you in the morning," Liz said, hanging up as Sara walked out wearing a nightgown. "Mark knew where you were, but he didn't want you to be bothered," Liz said. I heard the door open twice, and I knew it was Mark," Sara said lying down and turning on her side, "He just never came out." "Well goodnight, Sara," Liz said turning off the television. Sara said the same before falling asleep.


	7. Dealing With Pain

**Chapter 6…Dealing with Pain**

Sara awoke the next morning at eight o' clock. She took a nice, long shower and put on her towel. She pulled out a pair of biking shorts she liked to wear when she worked out, a sports bra, and a tank top. After she got dressed, she packed her duffel bag, putting in ankle weights, wristbands, and an energy bar. She woke Liz up at 8:30. "Where are you going?" Liz asked when Sara headed out, "It's only half past eight." "I just want to get down there early," Sara answered before shutting the door behind her. Sara took the elevator down to the lobby. When she stepped into the lobby, she found she wasn't the only female workout fanatic in the group. Stephanie was sitting on the floor eating an energy bar. "What are you doin' down here so early?" Sara asked. Stephanie looked up at her and sighed in relief. "Finally, I have a female partner to work out with," Stephanie said. "What do you mean?" Sara asked setting her bag on the floor. "Trish and Liz – no offense, 'cause they're like sisters to me – but they can't handle my pace," Stephanie said, "I can do about twice the work that they do, so I don't like to work out with them. I usually either work out alone, or with Patrick." "I think I know what you mean," Sara said quietly, "But I think they're pretty tough, too."

Stephanie scoffed as she stood up and began to stretch. "What are you doin'?" Sara asked. "Well, since we only have these big workouts once a week, I like to do my stretching before I get to the gym," Stephanie answered. "That way, I don't waste time doin' it at the gym." "That's a good idea," Sara said standing. The two women stretched together until the first few members walked into the lobby. "Steph, were you down here first?" a voice asked. Stephanie looked up from her seat on the floor and smiled. "You know me," she said standing and hugging her husband, "I like to get a head start." Sara stood and looked at Patrick. "Are you…a couple?" she asked quietly. "A couple?" Stephanie said holding up her left hand, which held a bright diamond ring, "Sara, we're married." "That's cool," Sara said forcing a smile, I don't know how long I'll have my husband. More members began to pour into the lobby as it got closer to 9:30. Trish and Liz walked in at exactly 9:30. "Last as usual, ladies," Eric said jokingly. Once everyone was accounted for, everyone loaded into the jeeps and headed for the gym. They arrived there at quarter to ten.

Sara got out of the jeep as fast as she could, grabbed her duffel bag from the floor, and headed inside the gym first. She went into the women's locker room and was grateful it was empty. She put her hair into a tight bun, put on her ankle weights and wristbands, and then ate her energy bar. She relaxed her muscles more by using a method of deep breathing taught to her by her college kickboxing instructor. She finished as Stephanie walked in. "Wait for me, Sara, will ya?" Stephanie asked. Once they got into the main gym, it was easy. Sara and Stephanie both had very similar workouts, work until failure to continue, so neither was left behind. When they reached the bench press station, Mark was already there.

"How much is that he's lifting?" Sara asked. "360. He lifts the most of the whole group," Stephanie answered quietly, "I'm so jealous, 'cause I can only lift 315. How much do you lift?" "400," Sara said indifferently. Mark set the bar back in place, sat up, and looked at her in complete shock, as did Stephanie and Kevin, who'd been spotting Mark. "You can lift more than me? I'd like to see that," he said in doubt. "Is that a challenge?" Sara asked crossing her arms, her temper sparked. She didn't like having her strength doubted. "Call it what you will," Mark said standing, doubt written all over his face. He admired Sara, he truly did, but for her to say that she was stronger than he was, was really hard to believe. "You're on," Sara snapped. Mark took Kevin's position as spotter as Sara lied down on the bench. "Let's start with 360," Sara said rotating her wrists, "I'll work my way up." Kevin smiled to himself as everyone gathered in a big circle. Sara took a deep breath and tried to focus. What the hell's wrong with you? You've never lifted more than 385 lbs., and that's working your way up, she thought, but you've got to prove him wrong. Show him you can hang with the best. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Mark asked.

"Shut up, Mark," Sara snapped placing her hands on the bar. She took deep breaths as she lifted the bar 10 times. Everyone simply stared in amazement as Kevin and Patrick added 20 lbs. of weights. Sara placed her hand on the bar and lifted it ten times. Her forearms began to ache as Kevin added the last 20 lbs. "Don't push yourself to an injury, Sara," Mark whispered when he saw her rubbing her wrists, "It's not worth it." Sara looked up at Mark and sighed heavily. She should've stopped, but she had a deep passion to beat Mark in this one challenge. I've got to do this, she thought slowly placing her hands on the bar. Mark took a deep breath and placed his hands slightly below it.

Sara strained to lift the bar five times. On the sixth time up, she started to tremble and whispered, "Mark, help me…get this thing." Mark quickly helped her lift the bar and set it in its resting place. She sat up as everyone started to poke fun at Mark. Her wrists were killing her, and her elbows and upper arms were sure to be in pain by tomorrow. She flinched as she tried to rotate her wrists. The pain was becoming almost unbearable. "Are you okay?" Kevin asked, truly concerned. "Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled making her way through the crowd and into the locker room. Mark looked over everyone and saw her, thinking to himself, Her goddamn pride has gotten her hurt. "Oh, man," Sara said taking off her wristbands. Just as she'd though, dark bruises were starting to form on her wrists. "Girl, you were awesome." Sara looked up and saw Liz. She took a deep breath as tears filled her eyes. "I shouldn't have let my pride get in the way," she said rubbing her wrists. "Sara, what are you talking about? You made a hell of an impression," Liz said, "On everybody…including Eric and Shawn." Sara shook her head and sat down on the bench.

"Liz, I didn't want to lift that 400 lbs. I was doubting whether or not to lift it," Sara said as a tear fell down her cheek, "I just…I had to beat him…to prove that I was worthy of his respect for my strength, and that I could hang with the best." Liz wiped away the tear and grabbed her hands, examining her wrists gently. "I can ask Eric to let you see a trainer if you really think something's wrong," she said. "No, I'm fine," Sara said quickly, "I'll just put ice on 'em when I get back." "You ready to go back out there?" Liz asked after a moment of silence. "Uh, yeah," Sara answered putting her wristbands back on. She stood and walked out, only to walk into Mark. "Were you standing there the whole time?" she asked quietly, "Did you hear that?" Mark faced her and leaned down to her ear. "Sara…you didn't have to answer that dare…," he whispered in her ear, "I have respect for you no matter how strong you are…besides, you could've really hurt yourself." "I…I just had to show you up," she whispered, "It's something you couldn't understand…It's personal." Mark sighed and led her to the boxing ring. "You showed me up in weightlifting," he said tossing her a pair of gloves, "I'll give you that, but can you box?" Sara grinned and stepped in the ring. "Fully trained to professionally box," she answered. She and Mark went a full 12 rounds. She got in a lot of good shots that were sure to leave bruises. Mark never really hit Sara; he just pointed out what areas she left undefended by tapping them. Everyone finally finished up around noon. They all cleaned up, then piled into the jeeps and headed back to the hotel.

When the jeep stopped, Sara was the first one out again. She made it up to her room first, wrapped her wrists in icepacks, and went out onto the balcony. Tears filled her eyes as her mind wandered yet again to Roddy. The realization that her marriage would be disintegrated in just over 24 hours caused the tears to fall. She wanted to tell Roddy about the kidnapping, about Mark, and about the week's happenings, but the consequences piled up with each past memory. "What am I gonna do?" she choked. Moments later, Mark and Liz walked out. Sara sniffled and quickly wiped her tears. "Sara, what's wrong?" Liz asked touching her shoulder, her voice full of concern, "Come on, Sara, you can talk to me." "I'm fine, Liz, I…I just-I just need to be alone," Sara whispered lowering her head. "Is it your wrists?" Mark asked cupping her face, "I can get Carlos to look at them. I told you not--." Sara pulled her face away and said, "No, Mark! Please…go away. I-I need to be alone right now." Liz took the hint and pulled Mark up as Sara started crying. "Sara, please, tell me what I can do to help," he said. "If you need me, Sara, I'll be in the room," she said forcing Mark into the room. Liz shut the door and glared at him.

"Don't you ever disrespect her like that, Mark. You know the problem is not her wrists," she said quietly, "Let her grieve alone." "I know, Liz. I just want to be there for her," Mark replied going to the window and looking down at Sara, whose body was jerking badly, "I don't like to see her hurting…because I hurt, too." Liz walked over to him and put her hand on his cheek. "Mark, I realize how much you care about her," she said quietly, forcing him to look at her, "But it's not right for you to hover over her like that. When I feel she needs your help, I'll get you…I promise." Mark closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "I know I can rely on you, Liz," he whispered looking back at Sara, "Please, take care of her." He then left and went down to his room. Liz cut on the television, but kept glancing out the window to keep an eye on Sara.

Sara spent most of the time on the balcony between silent crying and fits of sobs. Every time she thought about the good memories between her and Roddy, the week's events came to the forefront. As the sun began to set, the door opened and Liz walked out. Sara looked up at her, and then lowered her head again. "I said I wanted to be alone," she whispered. "You've been out here alone for over eight hours," Liz said sitting down beside her, "That's way too long." "I just…need time to think about what I'm going to do tomorrow," Sara said quietly, "What I'm going to say when he asks…why I did…what I did." Liz touched her hand softly and took a deep breath. Sara looked at her with tears in her eyes and said, "Please…help me. I-I-I…I don't know what to do anymore."

"I know exactly where you're coming from, Sara, and I know the pain you're feeling, the struggle going on in your mind. There are two things you can do," Liz replied. Sara sniffled and listened intently. "First, right after you explain you actions to the crowed, like I had to do, you have to find Roddy and tell him the truth. You've got to tell him the whole truth, and make him listen," Liz started. "Roddy will never believe me if I told him I was forced here last Sunday. He'll know I lied about the whole week," Sara cried as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Make him listen. If he loves you and knows you, he'll forgive you. Second, call anyone close to you who watches, and explain to them what happened, storyline-wise and reality-wise," Liz said standing, "You've got to do that so that your friends and family won't abandon you in your time of need." Sara stood and hugged Liz tightly. "Thank you so much, Liz," she said touching her shoulders, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"It's nothing, Sara. I just don't want you to suffer like I did," Liz said, "Now, come on in. You've been out here way too long." Sara sighed heavily as she followed Liz into the room. "You hungry?" Liz asked picking up the phone, "You missed dinner." "Gosh, yes," Sara replied lying down on her bed, "I'm starving. A salad please, and a cup of orange juice." "Thought you were hungry?" Liz said jokingly. Sara forced a grin as she sat up on her elbows. "That'll fill me up," she said. Liz shrugged as she ordered their dinner. The two women sat in silence until the food came. As they ate, they watched a movie on HBO, and then lied down. Sara managed to hold back her tears until she believed Liz was asleep, and then they burst forward, and she didn't hold them back. She didn't fall asleep until after one a.m.

The next morning, Sara awoke in a fright, drenched in sweat. She'd dreamed that while she was trying to explain to Roddy what had happened to her, he'd put earplugs in his ears. To make it worse, a force was pulling her further and further away from him. She turned around and looked into the green eyes of Mark, who'd said, "I knew I'd have you." That's when the dream ended and Sara had woken up. She sat up and wiped her face with the back of her hand. She looked over at Liz and let out a sigh of relief when she realized she was still asleep. Sara stood and went into the bathroom. Her eyes were swollen, her cheeks were crimson red, and her wrists were light blue. She wrapped an ace bandage around each wrist, then relieved herself and washed her face and hands. When she came back out, Liz was awake and ordering breakfast. "Bagel and orange juice, right?" she asked. "No, Liz," Sara whispered, "I'm not really hungry." Liz watched as Sara plopped down on her bed, turned onto her bed, and started crying. "Cancel that order," Liz said before hanging up the phone, "Sara, don't let tonight get to you. It'll destroy your mind." Sara ignored her and continued crying. Liz stood and grabbed her key and robe, and left the room, heading straight for Mark's room. It was 8:30 in the morning, so she could only hope he was awake. She knocked on the door quietly and waited.

Mark answered the door moments later. "Liz, what are you doing here?" he asked quietly. "Mark…Sara needs you. Yesterday, she spent over eight hours alone. She didn't come in until I made her. Then, she spent half the night crying, and she's crying now…I didn't think a woman could cry so much," Liz replied quietly. Mark took a deep breath and said, "Take me to her." Liz nodded and led him down to her room. When she opened the door, they saw Sara standing on the balcony, leaning far over the bar. Mark ran up to her and grabbed her arm. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he asked pulling her back into the room. Sara looked up at him and whispered, "Mark, I can't take this pain anymore." "Well, taking your life is not an option, Sara," Liz said stepping forward. "You bitch!" Sara said lunging for her, "How dare you bring him here!" Mark's grabbed Sara's arm and pushed her back onto her bed. "She did it for your own good," he said sternly, "You need me, whether you want to admit it or not!" Sara lowered her head in shame and sighed heavily.

Mark walked over to Liz as Sara lied down and turned her back to him. "Here's my key," he said handing her a card, "I'll be there in about a half an hour." Liz nodded and turned to leave. "Liz, whatever you do, don't let Shawn in here," he said as she shut the door. He then turned and stared at Sara. The tension between them thickened immensely as he walked over to her. When he sat down at her feet, she flinched. "Sara, please, talk to me," he whispered touching her smooth calf. "Don't touch me, you asshole," she snapped pulling her legs up. Mark scooted closer and touched her shoulder. "You've got so much pent-up anger you need to release," he whispered, "Or it'll destroy you." Sara sat up and glared at him. "Just leave me alone, Mark," she said angrily, "I don't want your help!" Mark took a deep breath and shook his head, saying, "I can't do that." Sara yelled in frustration as she caught him off guard with a right jab. Mark rubbed his jaw as she kicked him off the bed. Sara stood and sighed heavily. "Mark, I-I'm sorry," she whispered, "I didn't mean--." "Did that make you feel better?" he asked standing. "No, Mark, it doesn't," Sara said looking down, "Just…stop caring so damn much…and leave me alone!" She punched him in his jaw and slapped his cheek. "Why are you just standing there?!" she asked in shock. "You could do this every single day of your life, Sara," he replied quietly, "And I would not retaliate."

Sara hesitated momentarily before jumping on Mark, knocking him down in the process. Then she started swinging wildly and yelling obscenities no woman should say. "That's it, Sara," he whispered, "Take it out on me." Sara beat Mark, and cursed at him, and called him every name she could think of. Little did she know, the noise she was making caused everyone to come out of their rooms and crowd around her door. They were not only shocked by her language, but amused by it as well. "There's a lot of pent-up anger there," Kevin said. "Is he crazy?" Carlos said, "She'll kill him." "Oh, no, Mark knows very much well what he's doing," Kevin replied, "He's just helping her out. If she doesn't get that anger out, I think she could seriously hurt somebody." Mark managed to block most of Sara's blows, but the ones she landed caused a good deal of harm. Finally, when he couldn't block or take anymore, a full 30 minutes later, he grabbed Sara's swinging arms and held her against the wall with his body until she relaxed and started crying. Mark picked her up, sat on her bed, and cradled her like a baby. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "It's okay, Sara. I'm fine," Mark whispered rubbing her back, "Are you alright?" "I-I think so," Sara whispered wiping away her tears. The door flew open moments later and Shawn stormed in. "What the hell is going on here? What's all this noise?" Shawn screamed, "And what the fuck happened to your face?!" Mark's left eye was bruised and his bottom lip was bleeding. All of Sara's anger renewed itself when she heard Shawn's angry voice. She lunged for him, but Mark held her back…barely. "Let me go, damn it!" she screamed pulling against him.

"Oh, I see," Shawn spat, "Someone's having a temper tantrum." Sara screamed as she slapped Shawn and spit in his face. "Temper tantrum that, you--." Shawn grabbed her jaw and squeezed hard. "Don't even try that shit with me. I am not Mark. I will beat your ass!" he growled. Mark quickly pulled her away and said, "Shawn, I've got her. Just forget about it." "Mark, shut up. I'll make sure she gets what she deserves," Shawn said turning to leave, "I promise." Sara's legs buckled as the door slammed shut. Mark quickly picked her up and laid her down on her bed. "Are you okay?" he asked wiping her sweaty face, "Do you feel better?' Sara slowly nodded and looked up at Mark's face, finally noticing the damage she'd done. She sat up and touched his left eye, which was turning light blue. "How could you let me do this to you?" she whispered slowly moving her head down to his swollen lip in a lightly sensuous manner, "Why did you do this, Mark? I hurt you." "It's nothing, really. You just had…a lot of pent-up anger that you needed…to release," he whispered trying to divert his attention from the feel of her hand on his skin, "And I knew you needed to release it…on someone…who wouldn't harm you in return." Sara took a deep breath and locked her eyes with Mark's. He had given so much of himself, and she'd taken it all for granted. She gently touched his cheek, and, for a few moments, it was as though she looked at him lovingly. Her lips parted as Mark leaned in to kiss her When their lips met, Sara put her arms around his neck and tilted her head sideways. The kiss was gentle, soft, and yet it was filled with pure emotion.

Liz slowly walked in, expecting to see the room turned upside-down, and cleared her throat. Mark pulled away first and glanced at her before looking back at Sara. He put his nose to hers and touched her cheek gently. Sara swallowed and touched his cheek as well. The energy between them was so powerful that Liz shuddered. Even though no words were being spoken, the scene seemed to speak for itself. "I'll, uh, I'll see you later," he said slowly. Sara nodded slightly and caressed his cheek. Mark then stood and left the room, touching Liz's shoulder and nodding on the way out. Sara's temper was now calmed, and her pent-up emotions had been released. Sara slowly stood and walked over to Liz. Liz took a deep breath and locked eyes with her. When Sara hugged her, she gasped and flinched. "Thank you so much, Liz," she said quietly. "For what?" Liz asked. "For making me realize how much I do need Mark, and how important he really is to me," Sara replied touching her shoulders, "And how much you two care about me." Liz shrugged her shoulders. "It's nothing, Sara. What are friends for?" she said.

Sara smiled and hugged her again before going into the bathroom. She took a long shower, washing her hair twice and shaving stray hairs. I've got to get to the arena early, she thought, I've got to leave before everyone else does. She went into the room and pulled out what she was going to wear: a brown khaki skirt and a while, short-sleeved Ralph Lauren shirt. She lost herself in thought as she got dressed. "You're thinkin' about leavin' early, aren't you?" Liz said suddenly, "About getting to the arena before any of us." Sara looked up at Liz and raised an eyebrow. "So what if I am? I think I have a right," she said putting on her socks. Liz stood and crossed her arms. "I'm warning you, Sara. Don't do it," she said, "You'll regret it." Sara stood and glared at her. "What does that mean?" she snapped. Liz stood a deep breath, stiffened up to her full of height of 5'6", and stood her ground. "I'm just saying to be careful. If you get caught, you'll regret it," she said, "I did." Sara plopped down on her bed and apologized. She didn't like intimidating anyone because she didn't like to be intimidated. "I wasn't going to go to the arena, Liz. I was going for a walk," she said quietly, "You can come along if you don't believe me." Liz shook her head and sat down beside her. "I do believe you, Sara. If you do attempt to leave early, leave around 2:30. Everyone's in his or her room then, waiting to leave. We don't leave on Monday's until three. Okay?" she said, "I'll cover for you for lunch." Sara smiled and hugged Liz tightly. "Thank you. I'll never forget this," she said.

"No problem," Liz said. The women gasped when they heard a loud knock. "I'll get it," Liz said standing. Sara put on her brown Timberland boots and went over to the dresser. Liz opened the door and crossed her arms. "What do you want, Shawn?" she asked quietly. It was Shawn who'd forced her to open the door earlier. "Cut the attitude, Liz. Where's Sara?" he snapped staring down at her. Liz cleared her throat as she stepped aside and allowed him in. Sara looked up at him and slowly set her brush down. "I need to talk to you…alone," he said. "Well, you can forget it," she said menacingly, "I do not want to talk to you." Shawn grabbed her arm and forced her out onto the balcony, slamming the door behind him. "Take a seat," he said sternly. Sara crossed her arms and straightened up. "Fine," he snapped, "But you'll be sitting by the time I finish."

Sara listened in horror as Shawn explained, in detail, how she was going to make her "turn" on Roddy. She slumped into the nearest chair and tried to breathe deeply. "You…you-you can't do this," she whispered as a tear fell. "Oh, I can," Shawn said smiling as he leaned close to her face, "And I have. Don't test me, bitch." He then straightened up and left. Liz came rushing out moments later. "What did he say?" she asked anxiously. Sara slowly stood and went back into the room. "Sara, talk to--." "Not…now!" Sara snapped, "I'll be back around two." She picked up her key and wallet in one swipe, and then left the room.

Sara walked the streets of New York City for three full hours. It was quite exhilarating and relaxing to get away from the hotel. She even enjoyed watching the fans gawk at her, too shocked to ask for an autograph. When she got back to the hotel, it was quarter to one. Mark was sitting in the lobby, waiting for her. "Where have you been?" he asked quietly. "I had to get away," she replied softly. "What's this 'new plan' Shawn told you?" he asked sternly. Sara shuddered as Shawn's words reverberated in her mind. "I don't want to talk about it," she said heading for the elevator. "Please, Sara…don't keep it from me," he said as the doors opened. "Fine, he says…I'm gonna turn on Roddy in his match. You, he, and Kevin are going to run out and interfere, getting Carlos disqualified. You're all going to beat him up, and then I'm going to fend you off with a chair. Then…as Roddy stands…I, uh, I…swing around and hit him in the head with it," she said quietly. "Is there anything else?" Mark asked, disgusted that Shawn could be so asinine. "Yeah, I…have to make up…my own explanation to give on camera," she added as the elevator stopped.

Mark grabbed her arm and led her down to his room. "Why are we stopping here?" she asked, knowing Mark shared his room with Shawn. "You need to convince Shawn to change his mind," he said unlocking the door, "He shouldn't make you suffer like this. It's not right." "I'm gonna suffer anyway," she whispered resisting as he pulled her in. Mark shut the door behind him and gently pushed her forward. Sara sighed and looked at Shawn, who was sitting on his bed shuffling through papers in a leather briefcase. She straightened her back and crossed her arms. If she appeared serious, he might take her serious.

"Shawn," she said coldly, "I need to talk to you." Shawn looked up and grinned at her. "About what?" he asked casually. "Your 'new plan'. I don't like it…and I'm not going to do it," she said. Shawn stood and stalked over to her. "Listen, Sara, obviously you haven't been filled in on how things work around here. There's something you just…don't quite understand. What I say goes, whether you like it or not," he said pompously, "You don't dictate to me, I dictate to you. Now what I told you still stands. And you will go through with it, because I said so." "First of all, this isn't the fucking military, and I don't answer to anybody, especially a sick son of a bitch like you!" Sara hissed, "Secondly, I will not be a part of this twisted plan of yours." "We'll see about that, Sara," Shawn said walking back over to his bed. Sara grabbed his arm and spun him around. "Listen, asshole, if--."

Shawn grabbed her neck and rammed her into the wall. "I told you not to pull that shit with me," he growled yanking her hair. Sara gasped as he raised his fist. She held her breath and closed her eyes. No man had ever struck her in a purposely-violent way in her entire life, not even her father or stepfather. The hit never came. Sara opened her eyes and let out a huge sigh of relief. Mark had caught Shawn's fist in midair. "What do you think you're doing?" Mark asked. "Excuse you?" Shawn asked in return, snatching his hand. "What are you thinkin'? I can't believe you would even contemplate bruising our biggest prize," Mark replied smiling wickedly, "You can't scratch this trophy on the night she's to be displayed. Come on, Shawn…think. What would Eric say? What would Vince say?" He said it with such feeling, and looked so truthful, that even Sara believed his words. "You're right, Mark, what was I thinking? I can't mess up this gorgeous face," Shawn said squeezing her jaw. He let her go and opened the room door.

Sara walked out with trembling hands. Shawn's decision hadn't changed one bit, and now Mark had deserted her in her direst time of need. Mark followed closely behind her, not surprised when Shawn slammed the door behind them. Sara hurried down to her room and unlocked the door, completely oblivious to the world. When she went to shut the door, Mark stopped her. "Sara, look at me," he said grabbing her arm. Sara spun around and snatched her arm away. "Don't you touch me again! You two-faced bastard, to think I actually believed all your bullshit talk about how you cared! Your kisses, your touches, your words, you, it's all one big shitty act!" she screamed, "You're just like Shawn – an egotistical, giant asshole who thinks he can get his way with everything! Just get out of my sight and don't come near me again!" She then went over to her dresser and leaned against it with her arms crossed over her chest; her anger was beginning to peak, and she didn't want to take it out on Mark again. "Sara?" Mark said quietly and calmly. "What?" she snapped glaring at him, "More lies?!" "If you need me tonight, or any time else, I'll be here for you. I'd do anything for you," he said walking over to her, "And if you need a shoulder to cry on. I've got one." He cupped her face and kissed her forehead, then looked into her eyes. "You know that, but I hope you believe it," he whispered, "Because I mean it." Sara felt a strong, sudden urge to just throw her arms around Mark and cry into his muscled shoulder, but she resisted….barely. Mark stepped away from her and left the room. Sara let out an exasperated sigh as a tear fell. Whether she liked it or not, that was the best thing Mark could tell her.


	8. Decisions

**Chapter 7…Decisions**

Sara left the hotel at exactly 2:30. She packed her duffel bag with the things she'd need for that night and left. Liz wasn't in the room when she left. She didn't run into anyone in the lobby, and paid the receptionist $100 to say he never saw her. When she finally got outside, she let out a huge sigh of relief. She quickly hailed a cab and jumped in. "Madison Square Garden, please," she said, "And hurry, because I really need to get there." The cab driver nodded and sped off. They arrived at the back of the arena in record time. Sara stepped out, grabbed her duffel bag, and paid the driver, giving him a $10 tip. She took a deep breath before running inside. The first person she ran into was Larry. "Hi, Larry. Have you seen Roddy?" she asked quickly as she hugged him tightly. "Hey, Sara, Roddy's lookin' all over for you. He said you should've been here hours ago," he said returning the hug, "You might want to check the locker rooms. Is everything alright?" "Yeah, it's just--. Never mind. I'll see ya later," Sara said before dashing away. Larry hunched his shoulders before heading the opposite way towards the gym.

Sara stopped in front of the door of Vince's designated office. Before finding her husband, she was going to tell Vince exactly how she felt about everything that'd happened to her that week. She took a deep breath before quietly walking in. Vince was standing beside his desk talking to the last person she wanted to see: Shawn. Now is not the time to back off, she thought. "Ahem," she said loudly. Both men looked up at her, Shawn more shocked than Vince. "We'll finish this conversation later, Shawn," Vince said as Shawn stood. "Yes, sir," he said glaring at Sara. Sara slowly stepped forward and remained silent, her temper reaching an all-time high, until she heard the door click shut. Then, she exploded.

"Do you have any idea what I've been through this week?! That fucked up group of yours kidnapped me from my own home! I do believe that's illegal! Then, I was attacked by a dog, attacked by the members, and half-raped!" she screamed throwing her bag down, "Not to mention I was dragged cross-country and forced to put up with all those assholes, especially Shawn! And I still can't believe this is your call!" "Are you done?" Vince asked calmly. "Hell, no! I did everything you ever asked, Vince – extra matches, extra appearances, whatever! Why?! Because I was grateful for my fucking job! I let you make the creative decisions because I knew you were wiser than me in that department," Sara yelled, "But I've got to admit, Vince, this is a pretty dumb-ass decision!" By this time, she was leaning over his desk, her breathing fast and her face flushed. "Sit down, Mrs. Tombs," Vince said quietly. Sara slumped into the nearest chair and lowered her head. "Why, Vince?" she asked so softly that Vince had to strain to hear her, "Why me?" "I did it for your career, Mrs. Tombs," he replied. Sara looked up at him with such sorrow that he felt it. "After tonight, I won't be Mrs. Tombs anymore. Vince, I don't care about my career if it affects my personal life…you know that," she said quietly, "Sure, I've always had success here, and I'm thankful for that, but I didn't ask to be a wrestler. I always put Roddy first." "I know that, Sara, and I factored in everything that you've ever done for me. It was not an easy choice," he said, "But, think of the opportunities that--." "Vince…fuck the opportunities," Sara snapped standing.

She walked to the door and grabbed her duffel bag. "Sara, don't tell Roddy. I'm going to tell him," Vince said. Sara slowly turned around and scoffed. "You actually think…that after this week's happenings…I'm going to trust you," she said slowly. "If you value your job, Ms. Roberts," Vince warned, emphasizing her maiden name, "You will not tell Roddy." He hated using such an underhanded tactic as threatening, but it was necessary in the current situation. "Are you saying you'll fire me if I tell my husband the truth?" she asked. "Just keep your mouth shut, or your career will go nowhere fast," Vince added before looking down at the schedule in front of him. He looked up when the door slammed shut. I'm sorry, Sara, but it has to be this way, he thought, for business.

Sara leaned against the door and lowered her head. Her job, for which she had a deep passion, or her husband, whom she loved just as much; the choice was pulling her apart. "Sara!" Her head snapped up when she heard her husband's voice. She spotted him down the hall and ran towards him with her arms spread. Roddy caught her and lifted her up. "I've missed you so much," he whispered. "It's only been a week," Sara said kissing him. "A week is like an eternity without you," he said kissing her nose, "So tell me what kept you so busy that you could only call twice." "Well, I spent hours at the spa each day, and then I came home and sat in the back yard each evening. I didn't answer the phone at all," Sara lied, guilt growing inside her with each word. "Are you ready to go back to work now?" Roddy asked. "Definitely," Sara said. When they got to the locker room, Sara stopped short of it. "What's wrong, babe?" Roddy asked. "I, uh, I need to talk to you," she said quietly, "It's, uh, really important." Roddy saw the concern in her face and said, "Okay, hon, just let me settle a few things first. Come on in and sit down." Sara followed him in and sat down in the corner, her legs crossed and her head down. She wouldn't be able to tell Roddy fully what had happened, but she was sure as hell going to warn him. In 15 minutes, she had formed a mental plan.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Roddy asked as he sat down. Sara looked up at him and sighed. The look of concern in his face made her want to blurt out the whole story. "When I got here, I walked past Vince's office, and I heard him talking about you…and your match," Sara said slowly, "So I stopped." "Well, what's wrong with that?" Roddy asked, "Vince talks about everybody's match." "He was talking to Eric and Shawn, Roddy. They were talking about something…big…really big," Sara said starting to tremble, "It's supposed to…to involve---. Roddy, I'm scared. I don't want you to go out there unprepared, and end up getting hurt." A tear rolled down her cheek as she lowered her head. Roddy saw the tear and practically pulled her out into the hallway.

"Sara, what--." Sara threw her arms around his neck and started crying. "Sara, honey, you're scaring me," he whispered as her grip tightened on his neck, "What's goin' on?" "Just…hold me…please," she whispered into his neck, "Just hold me, Roddy." All of the grief she'd experienced that week came rushing to the surface. "I'm here, Sara, I'm here," Roddy said rubbing her back as her body jerked. Roddy knew that there was something bothering her, but he didn't want to push it. She was upset already. Sara looked up and gasped. Shawn was standing there glaring at her. "You're in a lot of trouble," he whispered so that only she could hear him, "You're not gonna get away with this!" Sara simply lowered her head and continued to cry for the next few minutes. She paid no attention to Shawn's ominous words. She was too busy focusing on the mixed feelings she was having. She loved Roddy with all her heart, but there was something even stronger pulling her towards Mark.

"Are you feeling better?" Roddy asked when her grip finally loosened. Sara wiped her eyes and slowly pulled away from him. The fear she saw in his eyes almost caused more tears to come. She cupped his face and gave him a gentle kiss. "I love you so much," she whispered sniffling. "And I love you, too. You're worrying me, Sara. I think maybe you shouldn't be out there tonight if you're so scared," Roddy said quietly. "No, I'll be fine by the time the show starts," she said. "Are you sure?" he asked touching her shoulders. Sara forced a smile and nodded. "I promise," she whispered. "Come on," he said putting his hand on the small of her back, "Let's talk about what you did this week." "You don't have any business to take care of?" she asked. She always got business out of the way before she relaxed, which was rare because she always had something to do. "That reminds me. I have to get the itinerary for the next two weeks from Vince,' he said touching her arm, "You'll be okay, right?" "Yeah, I'll see you a little later," she said. Roddy then turned and walked down the hall. Sara headed the opposite way, but she was grabbed by her arm and pulled into a room.

She looked up and saw that Shawn, Eric, Bret, Steve, John, and Patrick surrounded her. She took a deep breath and stiffened up to her full height. She'd never felt more intimidated in her life. All six men looked like they would attack her at any moment, especially Shawn and Eric. Little did she know, only Shawn and Eric were actually angry; the other guys were there for intimidation. "You're a slick, sneaky bitch, aren't ya?" Shawn asked menacingly. "Shawn, chill. We don't want to frighten her," Eric said quietly. Sara swallowed and stared at Eric. "What do you want, Eric?" she asked. "Don't ask stupid questions, Sara. What did you tell him?" Eric snapped. Sara crossed her arms and said, "Your goddamn secret is safe. I didn't tell him anything." Suddenly, Shawn punched in her stomach so hard that she fell to her knees. Sara grabbed her midsection and gasped for air. "You…prick," she whispered. "If this match goes wrong in any way, Sara, you will feel a hell of a lot worse," Eric said quietly, "Let's go, guys." All of the men followed Eric out except Bret. "Make sure she's alright," Eric told him before leaving.

Bret looked down at Sara and somewhat sympathized. Sure, Liz had resisted, but not like this Sara had resisted, rebuked, rebutted, debated, and done everything in her power to not be put into the 'Corporation', which he didn't understand. The 'Corporation' was the one group a wrestler tried to get into, because it was the elite. It was synonymous with being the best. However, Bret did admire Sara for her determination and persistence. "Are you okay?" he asked as she stood and rubbed her stomach, "Let me check." Sara stared at him so hard that he stepped back. "Look, Shawn didn't mean anything by that. He's hotheaded. Now, don't be stubborn, Sara," Bret said, "You're in pain, and I have to make sure you're okay." "Fuck off, Bret," Sara hissed heading for the door. Bret stood in front of her and grabbed her arm. "Let…me…go," she said slowly. "I told you--." Sara reached around and slapped him as hard as she could. He released her and rubbed his jaw. "You don't tell me anything," she hissed before leaving the room, "And I am as tough as I look." She stepped out into the hall, slamming the door behind her, and headed towards the arena seats. Watching the ring crew and technicians bustle about putting everything together, as well as watching her fellow Superstars practice for their matches, helped her relax. It had been her favorite thing to do, besides performing, ever since she'd started traveling with Roddy. Sara's mind started wandering to memories of those days working with him. All of the nights spent in different motels, the early morning hours spent driving from city to city; it was a life Sara had known for over three years. Now, it seemed like she was giving it all up.

"I knew I'd find you here." Sara looked up and smiled. Roddy sat down beside Sara and put his arm around her. "How ya feelin'?" he asked. "Better…I guess I just needed to be alone," she answered, "To relax." "You were pretty worried," Roddy said rubbing her shoulder. "Those guys down there look so much more stressed than I do," she said, "I guess they help me to not concentrate on my own problems." "Well, I hope you do feel better," Roddy said, "Now, come on. They're about to open the doors." "Okay," she said standing. She followed Roddy through the halls, taking the back routes so as to not cause commotion with the fans.

When they got back to the locker room, the couple parted. "I'll see you in about an hour, okay?" Roddy said handing her the duffel bag. "Bye," Sara whispered as he shut the door. She went down to the ladies' locker room and entered. Bags, shoes, and clothes were spread out. She headed to the back towards Liz, but Stephanie came up to her and grabbed her arm. "Eric wants to see you," she snapped. Sara looked down at her arm. "Would you please release my arm?" she asked. "Hell, no. You're in a lot of trouble," Stephanie snapped, "So let's go!" Sara dropped her duffel bag, sighed as she rolled her eyes, and then grabbed Stephanie's shirt, shoving her into the door and raising her off the ground until she was eye level. "Don't you ever put your hands on me like that again," she hissed, "Because if you do, I will rip you apart with my bare hands. Understand?" Stephanie took a deep breath and nodded her head. Sara was pissed off, and Stephanie did not want to get in her way. Sara slowly let her slide down and let her shirt go. "Good," she said picking up her duffel bag and going over to the corner Liz was in. "I thought you didn't like intimidating people," Liz said. "I never said that, but I don't," Sara said glaring at Stephanie, "I only do it when things like that happen…when people overstep their boundaries." Stephanie was straightening her clothes and throwing evil looks at Sara. Sara raised her eyebrow and tilted her head slightly, causing Stephanie to look away quickly. Sara pulled out her costume and slowly changed, her mind wandering to thoughts of Mark and Roddy. "How did it go?" Sara looked up at Liz and asked, "What? What'd you say?" "Roddy," Liz said, "How'd it go?" Sara took a deep breath and looked down. "I-I didn't…I didn't tell him," she whispered, "I 't." "It was Mark that stopped you, wasn't it?" Liz asked quietly. "For the most part, yes," Sara admitted in a whisper, "But…Vince threatened to fire me."

Liz stared at her in disbelief. Vince was not the type of boss to threaten a worker. "Believe it, Liz," Sara said reading her mind, "He threatened me." A minute of silence passed as Sara got dressed. She put on her boots before standing. "I'm headed to Janet," she said, "You comin'?" "Yeah," Liz said following Sara out of the room. When they got there, Janet was just setting up. "Hi, girls. How's your week been?" Janet asked. "Hectic," Sara and Liz said simultaneously. "Which one first?" Janet asked unfolding her chair. "You can go," Sara said to Liz. The women remained in deep conversation until both Sara and Liz were taken care of. "Well, I'll see ya around, Liz," Sara said turning to leave, "I've got to meet up with Roddy." She bumped face-first into Mark. "Oh…hi," she whispered biting her bottom lip. Mark let his eyes travel slowly down her chiseled, exposed physique before moving back up and locking with hers. "Hi," he said grinning. Sara blushed as she moved around Mark and headed down the hall, feeling unusually happy.

Mark sighed heavily and lowered his head. He saw in her eyes the pain she was hiding. "What's up, Mark?" Liz asked. "Nothin', Liz," Mark answered looking towards the direction that Sara had gone, "She's hiding it as hard as she can, but I see it in those big brown eyes of hers. She's in so much pain right now…I just wish I could help." "I know you do, Mark, but she's got to handle this on her own. Do you know she didn't tell Roddy about the angle?" Liz said. Mark snapped his head towards her and stared in disbelief. "She said because you were a major factor," Liz continued, "That, and Vince actually threatened to fire her." Mark looked away and crossed his arms. "I wish I could just hold her, and take this pain away," he whispered, "But I can't." Not yet, Liz thought, But soon.

Sara headed down the hall with her head lowered. The match was the only thing on her mind. "What's up, Sara?" She looked up and into the eyes of Shane, Vince's son, and head of the creative team. "What do you want?" she asked quietly. "Just asking how you're doin', that's all," Shane answered, sensing her tense attitude. His dad had filled him in on what had happened between Sara and him. "Fine," Sara snapped, "Can't you tell?" "Look, Sara, I know what you're tense about," he said, "But it wasn't any--." "I don't want to talk about it," Sara hissed stalking away. Shane shook his head as he walked away. Sara was one of the WWF's most motivated, dedicated workers, and he didn't want anything to affect her performance. Sara headed down the hall at a faster pace. She didn't want to run into anyone else. When she got to the men's locker room, she took a deep breath before knocking. The door opened slightly and Sara slid in. Roddy was sitting at a table talking to Larry and Dallas. Dallas stood and came over to her. "How you feelin'?" he asked. "Better," Sara answered. She knew Roddy had told them she'd been upset earlier. "Well, you know you can tell us anything," Dallas said, "We're here for you." Sara swallowed as she hugged Dallas. "Thanks, buddy," she whispered, "But I can handle this."

"Hey, beautiful," Larry said grasping her hand. Sara smiled down at him and hugged him for the second time that day. "What's up, L?" she asked sitting down. "Nothin' much, just going over the itinerary," he answered. Sara took the 3-page paper and glanced through it. Her name was mentioned for making houseshow appearances and RAW appearances…with Roddy. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Is something wrong?" Roddy asked. "No, I'm fine," she said sliding the paper across the table. "Well, it looks like we have a busy two weeks ahead of us," Roddy said, "About 14 appearances straight." "Well, Vince…schedules crazy sometimes," Sara whispered. "Come on," Roddy said standing, "Let's take a walk." Sara looked up at him before standing. He was right; she didn't need to be sitting around. They headed down the hall hand-in-hand.

"I thought you said you felt better," he said when they got to the snack table. "I thought I did," Sara said honestly. She had forgotten about everything…until she'd seen Mark staring at her like he'd devour her at any moment. "Well, maybe if you eat something, you'll feel better," he said. Sara grabbed a half-sandwich and a couple of orange slices. As she and Roddy headed back to the locker room, someone yelled, "Fire in the hole!" Fireworks sounded off moments later, signaling the start of the show. "It's 9:00 already?" she asked. "Yeah, you spent a lot of time up in the balcony, remember?" Roddy responded. "Yeah," Sara said. As they headed back to the locker room, Sara's stomach began to turn flips. As Roddy's match got closer, it became harder to concentrate. Roddy had to tap her shoulder twice to get her attention. On the way to the entrance, Roddy had finally had enough. "That's it, Sara, you're not paying attention to anything I'm saying," he finally said, "I don't want you out there as worried as you are." "But, Roddy, I did--." Roddy put his arm around her and put a finger on her lips. "No arguments," he said. Sara nodded her head after she'd come up with an alternate plan.

"You're up in 30 seconds," Suzy said from the ready table. Sara grabbed Roddy's arm and pulled him to her, giving him one last deep, passionate kiss. "Whatever happens out there," she whispered in his ear, "I still love you, and I would never do anything purposely to hurt you. Just…please, keep that in mind." "What are you talking about?" Roddy asked as his music started. "Just…go," she said pushing him towards the entrance to the stage, "Go…I love you." Roddy shook his head before going out in front of the receptive crowd, receiving a huge pop.

"Why the hell aren't you out there with him?" Sara spun around and looked up at Shawn. "He wouldn't-he wouldn't let me go out there," she answered folding her arms. "Well, you better get your ass out there for what you're supposed to do," Shawn growled pushing past her. Sara lowered her head as Shawn, Carlos, and Kevin walked past her. A hand on her shoulder got her attention. She looked up into the beautiful emerald eyes of Mark. "It's all gonna work out," he whispered. She looked away as a tear rolled down her face. Mark forced her to look at him. He wiped the tear away and hugged her. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear as the 'Corporation' music started, "Thank you so much." "Mark, let's go," Shawn said loudly. Mark released Sara and followed the rest of the men out onto the stage. Sara watched the match on the monitor close by.

The match was Roddy versus Carlos. Just as she'd suspected, Shawn would distract the referee at every chance he got, while Mark and Kevin would take cheap shots at Roddy. Finally, Roddy managed to roll Carlos up and get the three-count. Mark and Kevin flooded the ring as Shawn helped Carlos up. Sara waited until Roddy had been powerbombed twice, before running out with a chair. All three men slid out of the ring and met at the edge of the ramp. Sara leaned down beside Roddy as Shawn climbed onto the mat. "Back off!" she screamed waving the chair at him, "Come on, Roddy, get up." Roddy slowly stood and rubbed his head. "I'm so sorry," she whispered after she'd helped him up.

Sara grinned wickedly as she turned around and swung the chair at Roddy. It connected with a resounding smack. The contact knocked Roddy down, and opened a small cut on the side of his left eye. The crowd let out a unanimous sound of disagreement as she was hoisted onto Kevin and Mark's shoulders. Shawn continued to beat on Roddy as Sara waved to the crowd, a huge smile on her face. Kevin and Mark set her down slowly, and then joined in on the beating of Roddy. Only when Dallas and Steve ran out did they cease the attack. They slid outside the ring and headed up the ramp. When they got to the top, Sara turned around and faced Roddy, who was staring at Sara with a look of pure bewilderment. She blew a kiss and whipped around, following the three men to the back.

As soon as she was in the back, Sara ran into the bathroom and started crying. Her heart seemed to break into a million pieces as she realized she had done the impossible. The tears fell for the next five minutes, and Sara could barely stop them. When she looked up in the mirror, she saw that her make-up was ruined. She wiped her wet cheeks and walked out of the bathroom, right into Mark. "Sara…talk to me," he whispered Sara ignored him and ran into the women's locker room, locking the door behind her. The last person she wanted to see was Mark. He cared so much that it hindered her thinking. Mark sighed heavily and plopped down in a chair beside the door. He wouldn't force her to express her feelings.

Shawn walked up a few minutes later. "Is she in there?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, Shawn," Mark said looking away. Shawn took a deep breath before knocking on the door. It opened moments later, and Sara stood there with a brooding look on her face. "Yes, Shawn?" she asked. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Exactly what you told me," she responded gloomily, "Preparing to explain my actions." "Look, Sara, I-." Sara simply shut the door in his face. Shawn sighed and looked down. "I didn't think she'd take it so hard," he said quietly. Mark stood up and glared down at him. "What do you expect, Shawn? You have her kidnapped, forced into an angle she doesn't want to be in, and forced to lie to the one person she's not supposed to," he snapped, "Her husband." Feelings of sudden guilt coursed through Shawn's body; never before had he acknowledged their actions against Sara. "Hey, man…I just do what Eric tells me," he said walking away. You always do, Mark thought staring at the locker room door, you always do.

Fifteen minutes later, Sara walked out of the room. She had changed her hair and make-up, as well as her clothes. Mark slowly stood and stared at her. Her demeanor had completely changed. "Let's do this, hon," she said smiling. Mark touched her shoulders and said, "Sara…don't hide it…don't hide the pain." "What are you talking about?" she asked hesitantly, stepping away from him. "I can see it…I can feel it, Sara," he whispered, "You're hurting, and hiding that won't help." Sara lowered her head as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I don't have time to hear you scold me about the obvious," she snapped wiping it away, "I've got a job to do." She turned to head towards the entranceway, only to walk right into Liz. "Listen to him, Sara," she said quietly, "It only makes it worse if you hide it." Sara crossed her arms and glared at Mark. "Look, I don't need to tell you what I'm going through…you know. I'm going to go out there and do what I have to do to keep my job," she said angrily, "I'm going to lie…and everyone's going to get what they want. Vince, Eric, Shawn…and especially you." She then stormed away to the walkway. Mark lowered his head and crossed his arms. She hates you; she blames you, he thought, what can you do now? Liz touched his arm and said, "She knows you care…she just doesn't want to accept it yet." Mark looked down at her and sighed heavily. Acceptance would be the only way he could truly earn a place in her heart.

Sara met up with Shawn, Eric, and Kevin at the stage entrance. "You didn't have to change," Shawn said quietly. Eric and Kevin talked to each other about Roddy coming out to confront them. "Yeah, well, I figured this would make it easier," Sara responded. Shawn once again felt a terrible guilt for the pain he was causing. In order to hide it, he acted cold and irritated. "Yeah, well, just don't fuck up," he growled. "I won't, Shawn," Sara whispered, "I won't." Mark walked up behind her moments later, touching the small of her back. She jumped and turned around to face him. "Don't," she whispered, "Please…not right now." Mark nodded and stepped away from her. Sara turned around, lowered her head, and put all other thoughts from her mind. She was concentrating on what she was going to say, and how she was going to act. "One minute, people," Suzy said after a couple of minutes. As the 'Corporation' music started, Shawn tapped her shoulder. "Are you ready?" he asked quietly. Sara waited before looking up at him, her eyes dark and sinister. "The question is," she said grinning slyly, "Are you ready?' She pushed past him and walked onto the stage, receiving a shower of boos. All three men looked at Mark, who merely hunched his shoulders, before heading out behind her.

Sara was standing there with her arms crossed and her nose in the air. Shawn walked up to her, grabbed her hand, and twirled her around. Sara smiled up at him before walking arrogantly to the ring. Kevin and Mark held the ropes open for her so that she could climb in. Eric and Shawn grabbed a couple of microphones from a nearby ring assistant and pointed to Sara. "Isn't she beautiful, ladies and gentlemen?" he said smiling, "Absolutely gorgeous." The boos became louder. "Well, it seems we have accomplished the impossible," Shawn said, "We have taken the one thing from Piper he valued the most…his wife." "The question is: Why?" Eric commented, "Why leave your husband, the one you care about more than anything in the whole world, for a chance at mere superstardom?" Sara looked around before taking the microphone from him. She took a few steps forward and sighed.

"You know, I think that's the question on everybody's mind. The real question is: 'Why not?' I've done more for Roddy than any wife ever could. I supported him in everything he ever tried to do, whether I liked it or not. I led him through every interview, every match, and every single personal appearance. His success was thanks in large part…to me," she said somewhat truthfully, "And you know what? I never got so much as a 'thank you'. I was taken advantage of to the fullest extent. No appreciation was ever shown, no thanks were ever given, and no love was ever expressed. If you think I was a little bitter…you're damn right! This group has offered me the appreciation, the thanks, and the love that I was denied in my marriage. This group will give me all the power, all the money, and all the influence that I'll need to be a star. Leaving that runt Roddy was the best choice I've ever made! And if he doesn't like it, he can kiss my ass!" "Well, I'd say we've got a great woman on our side," Eric said, right before Roddy's music started. Sara's head snapped towards the entranceway, and she took a deep breath when Roddy stalked out, heading to the ring with a purpose.

Roddy stepped in the ring and glared at Sara. He paid no attention to the other four men in the ring. "You lying bitch! You better tell these people the truth," he snapped, "Or I'll force it out of you." He backed her into the farthest corner and put the microphone to her mouth. "I did this for me! You're jealous because you're selfish; you want the spotlight on you all the time! Well, now it's my turn!" she screamed before kicking him in the groin. Roddy fell to the mat and was attacked by Shawn, Mark, and Kevin. Sara walked out of the corner and moved around them. She pushed the three men to do more damage as the crowd's chants of "Bitch!" got louder. Suddenly, Eric pulled out a can of black spray paint and tossed it to Sara.

Time seemed to slow down rapidly as Mark and Shawn ripped off Roddy's shirt. Sara leaned over and sprayed "Runt" on his back. As she stood back up, she kicked him in his bruised ribs and stepped back. Mark picked him up and powerbombed him with all his strength. Sara spit on Roddy and kicked him once more before climbing out of the ring and jumping down to the floor. She was carried on Mark and Kevin's shoulders to the top of the ramp. They let her down slowly and stepped back as Roddy held his ribs in the ring. Sara smiled and waved good-bye once more before heading to the back.

Vince met her immediately. "Sara, that was awesome," he said smiling, "I couldn't have asked for a better performance." Sara's jaw tightened as tears filled her eyes, and she took a deep breath, because it was taking every ounce of her being to not slap him. She glared at him as she tried to say something without getting fired anyway. "I don't do anything half-assed…even if I don't like it," she gritted as Mark placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to pull away and run down the hall. "Sara, come back," he said running after her. Sara ran into the women's bathroom as tears streamed down her face. Mark stopped as the door shut in his face. "Sara, please, come out here," he said through the door. He could hear the sounds of sobs coming from her. "Sara, let me help you," he whispered. "Leave me alone!" she screamed as sobs emitted from her throat. Mark sighed heavily and lowered his head.

Sara leaned over the sink as tears flowed down her cheeks for the second time that night. She had done it; she had gone through with Vince's orders. She was now a member of the 'Corporation', and there was nothing she could do to change it. The fans had seen it, and Roddy had experienced it; her bleak future was now cemented. The tears came for the next ten minutes, with Sara barely being able to stop them. When she did, she saw that her make-up was ruined. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and slowly walked out. Mark was still standing there waiting for her. "Sara, talk to me," he said walking behind her, "Where are you going?" "To try and explain what happened out there to my husband," she whispered, "So that tomorrow…I may still have one." Mark stopped and watched her walk down the hall towards Roddy's locker room. If she was going to be happier with Roddy, then he would be satisfied.

Sara slipped off her shoes and let her hair down. She took a deep breath before knocking on the locker room door. When the door opened, she slowly looked up and into the eyes of Larry. "Is…is Roddy in there?" she asked slowly. "Yeah, he is, Sara," Larry said quietly, noting her crimson cheeks and swollen eyes, "But I don't think it's safe for you to come in here. He's in a very irrational state right now, and I don't want to see you get hurt." Tears welled up in Sara's eyes once more as she lowered her head. Larry was like the big brother she never had, and she knew that he was telling her not to come in because he honestly didn't want her to get hurt. "He has to know the truth, L," she whispered looking back up at him, "I've got to tell him what really happened." Larry sighed heavily as he opened the door so she could come inside. He had an idea of what had happened to her; her sad state told him immediately that what had happened was not something she'd completely willingly done, but he didn't know if Roddy would believe her. Roddy was sitting in the far corner with a bandage on the side of his face, talking to Steve. She slowly walked over to him and touched his shoulder.

Roddy looked up at her and stood. "What the hell happened out there, Sara?" he yelled, "What the hell aren't you telling me?" "Roddy, please, let me explain," Sara whispered, "I was forced into that angle. They kid--." Roddy cut her off by backhanding her hard. Sara groaned as she hit the floor. Her mouth stung, as well as her cheek. Roddy had never before struck her, and it broke her heart that he was that angry. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, crying when she saw the blood. Larry ran over and stepped in front of Roddy. "Look, man, I don't care how angry you are," he said heatedly, "You do not hit a female, especially your wife." Roddy glared at him, and said, "For once, Larry, mind your own goddamn business," before stepping around him. Sara tried to slide back as Roddy stepped towards her. "Please, Roddy, don't," she whispered when he grabbed her shirt. Roddy lifted her up and shoved her into the lockers. Sara groaned and grabbed the back of her head. "How long, Sara?" he snapped, "How long did you know?" "Last Sunday," she whispered, "I was put with them last Sunday." Roddy dropped his hands and stepped back. "Last…Sunday?" he said in doubt, "You knew…last Sunday…and you didn't tell me?" "Vince threatened my job, Roddy," she confessed, "How would I have explained that?" "So…you chose your job over your marriage? It seems like it was an easy enough choice for you," Roddy snapped, "You made that decision…so now I make mine." He grabbed her shirt and pulled her close. "The address?" he growled, "What's the address?" "What are you talking about?" she choked, tears falling again. "Give me an address…to send the divorce papers," he said quietly, "Steve, write this down." "Gladly," Steve said grabbing a pen and paper. "Roddy, you can't do this to me," Sara cried, "Please, don't do this to me." "You did this to yourself," Roddy snapped shaking her, "Now give me the goddamn address!" Sara spat out the mansion's address from memory as Roddy yanked her wedding ring from her finger. "Now get the hell out of here!" Roddy yelled pushing her out and throwing her shoes at her, "And stay the hell away from me!"

Sara stumbled and fell against the wall. Sobs wracked her body as she slid to the floor. In less than five minutes, she'd lost what she'd spent her entire life looking for: love. She slowly stood, picked up her shoes, and headed down the hall to the women's locker room…but Mark stopped her. "What happened?" he asked grabbing her shoulders, "Tell me, Sara, please." "Why do you care so much? I've lost my husband," she cried, "And I'll never get him back." Mark put his arms around her and rubbed her back. For a moment, Sara struggled against him, but his arms provided the strength and comfort that she needed, so she ceased in her struggles. Mark slowly led her down to the 'Corporation' locker room, but stopped when she tried to pull away. "Please, Mark…don't make me go in there," she choked, "I-I can't be in there." She threw her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shirt. "Okay, I won't," he said opening the door, "Eric, can I speak with you?" Eric came to the door moments later. "What's up?" he asked. "Can I take Sara back to the hotel?" Mark asked, "I don't think she'll be able to perform at her best tonight." "Why not?" Eric asked. Mark slowly pulled Sara away from him and turned her around.

"What the hell happened to your face?" Eric asked quietly, his voice full of shock. "Roddy, he…he hit me," she responded quietly, "Eric, don't make me go back out there…I've done everything…that I was told to…Please, don't force me to go back out there." Eric looked around and took a deep breath. "You're right…you've done everything we've asked," he said, "Go on, Mark, take her back…There's not much more she can do here anyway." Mark put his arm around her shoulder and led her to the back of the building. "Wait, I have to get my bag," she whispered when they got to the exit. "I'll get it," Mark said quietly, "Just…wait here." Sara sat down on the cold, concrete floor when Mark disappeared around the corner. Her mind was completely twisted out of order; she couldn't make a thought if she tried. When she felt Mark pick her up, she put up no resistance. She rested her head in his shoulder and relaxed in his arms. Mark slowly climbed into the limousine and shut the door as it sped off. Sara tried to stay awake, but the combination of Mark's body heat and her strength loss overwhelmed her; she fell asleep minutes after the limo had pulled off.

An elevator door bell awoke Sara. She immediately realized that she was in Mark's arms. When she tried to get down, however, Mark's grip tightened around her. "Why do you care so much?" she asked. Because I think I'm in love with you, and I don't want to see you hurt, Mark thought, instead saying, "Because you need me." Sara sighed heavily and leaned her head to rest against his shoulder. Mark walked down the hall directly to his room, bypassing Sara's. "What are you doing?" she asked as he pulled out his key. "You don't need to be alone in the state that you're in," he responded, "And I couldn't leave you alone if I wanted to." Sara stared at him as he opened the door and walked in, letting the door click shut on its own. Mark set Sara down on his bed, and then cut on the television to RAW. As he sat down beside her, Roddy appeared on the screen. "So, Roddy, how do you feel knowing that your wife has turned her back on you for your biggest enemy in the World Wrestling Federation, the 'Corporation'?" asked the interviewer. Roddy glared at him before slowly focusing on the camera. "Sara, you were wrong…and you know it. You lied to me, and for what? For money, for power, for title shots and television time?! You called me selfish, when you left for the most selfish of reasons!" he growled, "Well, you know what?! I hope you enjoy the 'Corporation', and I hope the 'Corporation' enjoys you, because you both are getting what you want: another selfish bitch to add to the pack!" Roddy then looked down at his left hand and took a deep breath. "And as far as our marriage is concerned," he said removing his wedding band and tossing it to the interviewer, "It's over! Have a nice life!" The locker room door slammed shut in the cameraman's face.

Sobs once again plagued Sara's body. The fact that Roddy had publicized their break-up made her decision even worse. "He didn't have to do that, Mark," she sobbed, "That was personal…that was way too personal…I didn't deserve that." Mark hugged her and said, "I know, Sara…I know." Sara lied down and buried her face in Mark's pillow. Mark sighed and stood, but was stopped by Sara's hand on his forearm. "Don't leave me, please," she cried, "I couldn't take it if you left, too." Mark touched her wet cheek and softly said, "I would never leave you, Sara. I'm just going to cut off the TV." Sara slowly moved her hand and continued crying. Mark went over and cut the television off. When he came back, Sara had climbed under the covers and curled up. He sighed slowly before climbing into the bed beside her. Sara immediately faced him and put her arm around his waist. "Go on, baby," he whispered putting his arms around her, "Cry as long as you need to. I'm here for you." "It's not fair, it's not fair," Sara choked repeatedly, "He wouldn't listen, he just wouldn't listen to me." She continued to cry for the next half an hour. Finally, Mark wiped her tears away and whispered, "Sleep, Sara, sleep. You're going to be just fine…I promise." Sara finally took his advice and closed her eyes, sleep consuming her dispirited body in minutes.


	9. Denial

**Chapter 8…Denial**

The next morning, Sara woke up practically covered by Mark. Mark's face was buried in the nape of her neck, and his warm breath caused her to flush deeply; she couldn't concentrate on anything. Finally, she realize that Mark's weight was restricting her breathing. "Mark," she whispered, "Mark, move…please. I can't-I can't breathe." Mark groaned before slowly moving off of her. His left arm went up under his neck, while his right arm landed on her stomach. Sara sighed and placed her hand on his arm. It just felt so natural to lie beside him. A few minutes later, Sara glanced at her watch and sighed. "Mark, I've got to go," she said rubbing his forearm as his hand grasped her waist, "I-I-I want to stay, but, uh, I--." Mark's mouth landed on hers, quickly quieting her. He moved his right leg on top of her thighs and squeezed her waist. Sara moaned softly and moved her arms up around his neck. Their tongues intertwined and danced with each other. Mark moved Sara's shirt up and touched her bare skin. She had skin a model could envy. Sara moaned softly and moved her fingers through his long, thick hair. "I knew you'd forgive me, Roddy," she whispered to herself, "I knew you'd understand." Mark heard her and immediately pulled up. Sara's eyes fluttered open and locked with his. "Go on down to your room," he said letting her up. Sara slowly stood and picked up her shoes. "Thank you, Mark," she said kissing him once more, letting her lips linger, "For everything." "Sara, you're gonna need me a lot more over the next two weeks, and I'm going to be here," he said touching her cheek, "For whenever you're in trouble."

Sara smiled slightly and quietly left the room. When she entered her room, Liz was asleep on her bed. Sara went over and plopped down on her own bed. She wanted to lie down, but without Mark, she felt lonely and empty. She then stood and began to pack her clothes. If she recalled correctly, they were leaving at 11:00, and it was almost nine o' clock. Once she finished, she went into the bathroom and took a shower. She spent fifteen minutes between fits of sobs and silent crying. Suddenly, there was a knock on the bathroom door. "Sara, Shawn wants to speak with you," Liz said. Sara sighed heavily and acknowledged her. She then washed up and stepped out of the shower, wrapping her towel tightly around her. She stepped into the room and saw Shawn standing by the dresser. "You wanted to speak with me?" she asked. Shawn turned and looked at her.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about your performance last night," he said. Sara sighed heavily as she began to apply lotion to her wet skin. "What about it? I did exactly as you told me," she said quietly. "No, you didn't," Shawn said sitting down on her bed and patting the spot beside him. "What did I do wrong?" she asked sitting down. "That's the thing, Sara. You did absolutely nothing wrong. You did better than everybody expected. I just wanted to apologize for the spray paint. That was all Eric's idea. He wanted to see how much pressure you could hold," he replied. "Yeah, well, I also did well enough to lose my husband," Sara said quietly. "And I'm sorry about that, truly, I am," Shawn said, "No one meant for you to be affected like you have been." Sara gave him a look that said, "Whatever." "I'll see you at 11:00," Shawn said standing.

Sara took a deep breath and picked up the phone receiver when he left. Almost immediately, she dialed her mother's number. The phone rang a few times before it was picked up. "Hello?" a soft voice said. "Hi, mom, it's Sara…I'm calling to--." "Shut up, Sara. How could you do that to Roddy? That was your husband, of all people, that you lied to…the one man you should never lie to. You lied to me, to your friends, and most of all, to him!" Lucy said angrily. "Mom, please, just listen to me. Let me explain," Sara begged. "I don't want to hear it, Sara Marie Roberts. You're becoming what I told you not to be: a selfish liar. You and I don't need to speak again until you can start telling the truth," Lucy said before hanging up the phone. "Mama," Sara whispered hanging up the receiver slowly. Her mom never used her whole name unless she was extremely upset. The sadness she felt soon turned to hate…for Shawn. It was his fault she was there anyway. She shoved on a pair of loose shorts and a tanktop before leaving her room. When she got to Shawn's door, she pounded on it with her fists.

John answered the door. She pushed him to the side and walked right in. Shawn was sitting at the table with cards in his hand. "I'm gonna kick your ass!" she yelled. "What's your problem?" he asked standing. Sara tripped him down and said, "You've ruined my fucking life!" She climbed on top of him and started punching at his face. "Get this crazy bitch off me!" he yelled at John. John tried to grab Sara, but he caught an elbow to his stomach for his troubles. He tried again, but this time, Sara grabbed his wrist and twisted it hard. "Get the fuck out of here," she hissed before releasing him. John quickly left the room to get help. Sara, in the meanwhile, continued to punch at Shawn's face. She laughed sinisterly as Shawn yelled in pain. "Who's the bitch now?" she asked picking him up and kneeing him in the stomach. She then nailed him repeatedly with jabs until his lip was busted, and his nose started bleeding. She then delivered a vicious low blow that brought Shawn to his knees, clutching his nose and crotch. She went to deliver one last punch, but she was grabbed from behind. "She just came in here and attacked him," John said.

Eric walked in and barely missed a kick in the face. "What the hell is your problem?!" he asked. "I'm gonna kick your ass, too! You're as much at fault as he is," Sara yelled. Eric helped Shawn up and glared at Sara. Shawn wiped his lip slowly, before suddenly punching Sara in her stomach. Sara's knees buckled as her lungs seemed to collapse. "Get her the fuck outta here," Shawn growled, "And get Carlos in here." John pulled Sara out of the room and helped her down to her room. Sara struggled to stand as she opened the door. John walked in behind her and said, "You are in a lot of trouble. Shawn will get his payback, you better believe it." He then turned around and walked right into Mark. "Not if I have anything to do with it," he growled as John left. Sara rubbed her sore belly and tried to stand up straight. "Are you okay?" Mark said coming up behind and placing his hand on hers. Sara gasped and immediately turned away. "I'm fine," she said slowly. "Sara, you can say that, but your body is contradicting that statement," he said walking over to her, "Now, what happened in there? You were acting like a rabid animal." Sara started crying as she reached for Mark. "She won't talk to me, Mark. She won't even listen to me," she whispered. Mark grabbed her hand gently and asked, "Who are you talking about?" "My…mother," she responded. "Listen, Sara, we'll be going to Daytona in a few months. You can see her then," he said touching her shoulders, "In the meanwhile, you need to get ready. We're leaving in a half an hour."

Sara nodded and wiped her tears away. "Thank you," she whispered. Mark grinned slightly before leaving the room. Sara plopped down on her bed and lowered her head. Shawn will get his payback. Those words repeated themselves over and over in her mind. Forget him, she thought, he won't do a damn thing to me. About fifteen minutes later, there was a sharp knock on the door. She stood and opened it, only to come face to face with John, Patrick…and Shawn. She stiffened up, but she felt nervous. "What-what do you want?" she asked breathlessly. Shawn glared at her and crossed his arms. John and Patrick pushed her into the room and shoved her into the closest chair. "What the hell are you doing?" she yelled as they tied her arms behind her back. "I told you he'd get his payback," John said stuffing a bandana in her mouth. Sara stood up at Shawn with wide eyes. Mark had heard her from down the hall and was heading towards her room when Eric stopped him. "I need to talk to you," Eric said, "It's about Sara." Mark grudgingly followed Eric to the elevator. Sara sounded very distraught, and he'd wanted to find out what was wrong.

Sara gasped at the first punch. "We were going really well," Shawn snapped punching her again, "I was trying to be nice. Then, you go and fuck it up." The punches came at a quicker pace as Shawn got angrier. "I really wanted to be your friend," he growled delivering a punch for every other word. The physical and verbal assault continued for almost ten minutes. "No more," Sara finally murmured. "Patrick," Shawn said holding his hand up. Patrick pulled a small box out of his pocket and tossed it to Shawn. "Go easy, man," Patrick said, "You don't know how she'll react." Shawn shrugged his shoulders as he pulled the needle out of the box, then jammed it into Sara's arm. Sara groaned softly as he emptied the contents. John untied Sara's arms, removed the bandana, and stepped back as Shawn pulled her up.

"You're leaving for Venice tonight, and you will stay and train for three months. And I will make sure you learn obedience and respect before you're allowed to come back," Shawn growled in her ear . He then released her and watched as she fell to the floor. Sara sighed heavily as the agent Shawn gave her took effect. Her eyelids drooped down, no matter how hard she tried to keep them open. "Let's go, guys," Shawn said once Sara had fallen asleep, "We've got a plane to catch." John and Patrick glanced at each other before following Shawn out of the room.

Sara slowly opened her eyes to find Mark leaning over her. "Are you okay?" he asked wiping her face with a rag. Sara groaned softly as she tried to sit up. "Easy, dollface," Mark whispered helping her up. "I…I think so," she answered, "Did I miss the flight?" "Actually, we had to reschedule because we're headed to back to Venice Beach," Mark replied. "Well, what time is it?" she asked as he picked her up. "It's almost seven o' clock," he answered, "Now what happened to your face?" Her right eye was bruised badly, and her bottom lip was swollen. Sara closed her eyes and tried to think, but all she could remember was a fist hitting her over and over again. "I can't remember," she whispered. "It's okay, we'll talk about it on the plane," Mark said quietly. Sara sighed heavily as she rested against his warm body and closed her eyes. Mark looked down at her as he entered the elevator and carefully shook her until she opened her eyes. "Wake up, dollface," he said quietly, "You've been asleep all day." Sara mewed quietly as she stared up at Mark's face. She simply loved looking at him, she felt like smiling whenever she looked at him; his eyes were a penetrating emerald green, his nose was normal, curving up just at the tip, and his lips were just right, with the bottom lip jutting out prominently, like he was pouting all the time. Mark caught her staring at him and grinned, causing Sara to blush slightly and look away. He made her feel like a little girl who had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Did you like it?" he asked suddenly. "Excuse me?" Sara whispered. "Whatever it is you were staring at," Mark answered smiling. Sara laughed to herself and lowered her eyes. Mark had this aura of confidence that pulled her to him.

When they got to the airport, Sara found the strength to walk on board herself. However, when she and Mark sat down, she immediately closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. "Come on, Sara," Mark said shaking her awake, "I need you to try to remember what happened to your face." Sara closed her eyes and tried with all her might to put a face on her perpetrator, but she couldn't. "I can't, Mark…I just can't," she whispered as a tear fell down her cheek. Mark wiped it way and cupped her face. "It's okay, Sara. Don't worry about it," he said putting his arms around her to reassure her. "I'm sorry, Mark," she whispered in his shoulder. "Hey, don't you apologize," he said, "This is not your fault." Sara pulled her legs up in the seat as the plane took off and rested her head on Mark's shoulder. She fell asleep about ten minutes later.

Sara awoke in a limo, in Mark's lap. His arms were wrapped around her body tightly. "Where are we?" she asked quietly. "On our way to the mansion," Mark answered. Sara lowered her head and started to cry. "You're gonna be fine," Mark whispered rubbing her back, "I'm here for you." The limo stopped a few minutes later. Mark kept Sara in his arms as he climbed out of the limo. "Take care of the bags for me, will ya, Ben?" Mark said to the driver as he entered the mansion. Duchess and Slasher met him in the hallway. "Not now, you two," he said quietly as he headed up the stairs. When he got inside Sara's room, he set her on her feet. He wiped her wet cheeks and touched her shoulders. "You know I'm here for you if you need me, right? I'll be right next door, okay?" he whispered kissing her forehead. Sara nodded and watched as he turned to walk away. She grabbed his arm and pulled him to her, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him with all she was worth. Mark's arms went around her waist as they backed onto her bed. His hands moved over her bare skin, easing her shirt over her head. Sara moaned softly as his lips moved over her bared skin. She ran her fingernails over his back as she removed his shirt as well. Their lips met once more as Sara locked her legs around his waist. "Yes…," she whispered to herself, "Oh, yes, please…take it away. Take my pain away."

Mark barely heard her, but when he deciphered what she'd said, he looked up. He could see in the dark that her eyes were red and slightly swollen, and her breathing was very shallow. Mixed feelings. Liz had warned him that Sara might have some mixed feelings over the next few days, so he was to be careful in the way he acted around her. "I can't do this," he whispered pulling away from her. "No, Mark, please don't leave," she said grabbing his shoulders. Mark removed her hands and stood, grabbing his shirt as he headed for the door. "Mark, you said you'd be here for me, for anything," Sara cried, standing and forcing him to face her, "You said you would never leave me." She threw her arms around him and kissed him hard, saying, "Please don't leave me now…not when I need you the most." Mark forced her arms away from around his neck and held her at arm's distance. "Sara…you aren't in the right frame of mind right now…you're in a lot of mental pain," he said, nodding as she shook her head in disagreement, "And if…I were to make love to you tonight…we would both regret it. And I couldn't bear it if I hurt you any worse than you already are." He then turned and left the room. Sara fell to the floor as sobs completely overtook her body. She needed someone to make her feel wanted, someone to make her feel needed, but most of all, she needed someone to make her feel loved. And Mark was the only person who could do all three of those things at the same time. Tears fell down her cheeks for what seemed like forever. Sometime during the night, Duchess and Slasher were let into her room. They lied down on either side of her and tried to comfort her. Sara ignored them, though, and continued to cry. She fell asleep around seven a.m., just as the sun began to shine.


	10. Tough Love

**Chapter 9...Tough Love**

The next three days were pure chaos. Sara lied in her bed for three straight days and three straight nights, refusing to eat or drink anything. The only signs of life she showed was either crying or shifting her position on the bed. Mark lost count of the number of times he'd gone in her room, pleading with her to eat, or even drink, something. Sara said something to him on the second evening that affected the way he approached her: "Life isn't worth living without someone to love." On Friday morning, Mark entered Sara's room with a tray of food. She was asleep, as usual. He set the tray on her nightstand and gently woke her up. Sara meekly pushed him away and struggled to turn on her side. All of her strength was basically gone. Mark grabbed her arms and forced her to sit up. "Sara, wake up. You've got to eat something right now," he said touching her cheeks. Sara struggled to open her eyes and said, "I'm…not…hungry, Mark." Her hair was dull and tangled, seemingly wedged to her head, and she'd lost the gleam in her eyes. "Listen to me, Sara, you can't sit here and waste away. You can't leave those who care about you. Think about your mom, your friends…Roddy," he said back to her. "No one…cares…about me. My mom…didn't even…listen to me, and…Roddy wouldn't either. What's the point? I've got…nobody left," she struggled to say. "There is still at least one person who cares about you," Mark argued. "And who…is that?" Sara whispered. "Me, dammit, and I will not sit here and watch you waste away to nothing. You will eat every drop of this soup, and drink every bit of this orange juice, if I have to shove it down your throat," Mark growled before calming down slightly and picking up the bowl, "Now open…your mouth." Sara trembled slightly as she opened her mouth. Once she swallowed the first drop, she grabbed the bowl from Mark and emptied it. Mark grinned slightly as he handed her the glass of orange juice. She drank that quickly as well. "Better?" Mark asked when she handed the glass back to him. "Yes, actually…much, much better," Sara replied, "Thank you." "I only did what needed to be done," Mark said standing and picking up the tray, "I'll send Maria in here to help you get cleaned up." He then left the room.

Maria entered the room moments later, as Sara struggled to stand. She'd been lying in bed for over three days, so her leg muscles were very weak. "Come on, Mrs. Tombs, Mr. Callaway wants--." "Don't you ever call me that again! That's not my name!" Sara yelled immediately. Maria grabbed her chest and stepped back. "I'm sorry, Maria…just…call me Ms. Roberts, or even Sara," Sara said quietly. "Well…Sara, let's go. Mr. Callaway wants you cleaned up as soon as possible," Maria said as she helped Sara into the bathroom, where she helped her take a nice, hot bath, shave her legs, and wash her hair twice. When Sara finally stepped out of the bathroom, she felt a whole lot better. When Maria began to brush her wet hair, Sara took the brush and said, "I'm not helpless, Maria, I can do this. You can leave now." "But Mr. Callaway has ordered me to stay until you are done," Maria refuted. "Listen, I'm not an invalid…now leave," Sara said sternly. Maria nodded and left the room. Sara sighed heavily as she slowly dressed in a long t-shirt/nightgown. She left her room for the first time in three days a few minutes later.

She slowly made her way down to the kitchen, holding on to anything she could, where she found Mark washing dishes. She quietly sat down at the table and watched him. "Good morning," she said quietly after a few minutes of silence. Mark turned around and grinned slightly. "Yes, good morning it is," he said drying his hands. He slowly walked over to the table and sat down in front of her. "How do you feel?" he asked touching her hands. "Fatigued, and hungry. But I haven't moved or eaten in three days, so that's understandable," she said locking her fingers with his. "Well, of course you're going to feel that way physically. You'll get better as soon as you get something to eat. I meant…how do you feel mentally?" Mark said quietly. Sara sighed heavily and looked down. "Like any woman going through an unwanted divorce," she said moments later. Mark took a deep breath as he stared at her dismal face. "Well, I'm glad you finally decided to come out of your room, because I've got things to tell you," he said. "I didn't have a choice, now did I?" Sara asked smiling slightly. "No, not really," Mark replied grinning, "Now, as you know, you're going to be continuing to do televised shows for the next three weeks. But when you're not at the arena, or eating, or sleeping, you're going to be training with Patrick."

"Patrick?! He'll kill me…especially after I threatened his wife!" Sara exclaimed. "Patrick will know how far to push you. After that month, you'll leave your on-screen role to come back here, and train with Kevin and Stephanie. Since Kevin will be making appearances, he needs Stephanie to help him. After those four weeks, Shorty will come to train you. Your teachers were picked based on how Eric and Vince thought you needed to be trained," Mark said touching her cheek softly, "Patrick will focus on strength training. Kevin will focus on 'Temper Check', while Stephanie will be focusing on 'Temper Check', eating right, and submission move training. Shorty will be teaching aerial moves. You'll be well-rounded by the time your three months are over." "What's 'Temper Check'?" Sara asked quietly. "It's basically anger management; it teaches you to control overreactions and sudden urges to strike out," Mark replied grinning, "It works…usually." Sara sighed heavily and lowered her head. "Come on," Mark said standing. Sara tried to stand, but her legs were hurting from the trip downstairs. Mark put his arm around her waist and steadied her, then helped her into the living room.

He slowly sat down, taking a deep breath when Sara eased into his lap. He put his arms around her body, rubbing his nose in her freshly washed hair. "Mark…I need to say something to you," Sara whispered suddenly. "Yeah, babe? What is it?" Mark asked. "I just…want to thank you…for not doing what I asked of you…Monday night," she answered softly. "Sara, you don't--." "No, I need to say this," Sara said putting her finger on his lips, "I know that I was feeling…really…lonely that night, and I needed someone…anyone…to make me…feel like a woman again. You refused…because you knew that. And I wanted to thank you for caring so much…I now realize how great a man you are…and how much you actually care about me…Thank you so much." She gave a huge hug, squeezing him with all the strength she had. Mark smiled and kissed her forehead softly. "You're welcome, Sara…but you're going to need me a lot more in the following weeks than ever, and I'm going to be there. All you have to do is ask," he said looking into her wide eyes. Sara smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, falling asleep minutes later. Mark sighed heavily as he carried her upstairs and lied her down on her bed. "Rest, my angel, for your life is about to change," he said before leaving the room, "For the better."


	11. Back on Track

**Chapter 10…Back on Track**

The next three months were both exciting and pure hell. When Sara wasn't busy with work, she was training, just as Mark said she would be. Her days had begun at sunrise, and ended at sundown. At first, she believed she would be injured for life when she trained with Patrick, because he was constantly pushing her. She soon was able to keep up with his callused pace. The next two months were constant in-ring training, from Kevin, Stephanie, and Sean. They wanted to increase the number of moves at her disposal to the point where could wrestle in a seven-minute match, and not have to use a certain move more than five times. The last week, Shawn showed up at the mansion and took over Sara's training. He was highly impressed when she outran him in a 5-mile run, outlasted him in the gym, and kept up with his fast pace in the wrestling ring. They left for Daytona that Friday night, arriving early Saturday morning around 3 a.m. Eric met Sara at the airport, and he was just as impressed with her look as Shawn. "Well, it looks like what everyone said was right," he told her, "You look beautiful." Sara smiled up at Eric, looking him directly in the eye. She'd come to respect him over the past few months. She had been told of all the great things he'd done for the company as a whole, and all of the personal sacrifices he'd made to stay with the company during its rough times. It made her respect him not only as a superior manager, nor as a fellow employee, but as a person as well. "Thank you, Eric," she said proudly. They climbed into the rented stretch Navigator and headed towards the hotel.

As Shawn and Eric talked, Sara combed her fingers through her freshly cut hair and stared out the window. She was more nervous than she'd ever felt in her entire life. This was the day when she'd finally get to see her mother again. She hadn't spoken to her since that fateful day after her turn to the 'Corporation'. "Sara, are you okay?" Sara looked up and into the concerned eyes of Shawn. "Yeah, Shawn, I'm just thinking," she answered before continuing to stare out the window. They arrived at the hotel at 20 after three. Sara was given her room key in the elevator. "I'll see you later today, Sara," Eric said as she and Shawn stepped off the elevator. She waved good-bye to him as the doors shut. When she entered her room, she wasn't shocked to find Liz sound asleep. Sara fell onto her bed and kicked off her shoes. She wasn't that tired, but she wanted to go to the gym later on, so she had to rest up. She climbed under the covers and closed her eyes, falling asleep in about 5 minutes.

Sara woke up about five hours later. Liz was lying on her bed reading the newspaper. Sara sat up and shook her head to loosen up her hair. "Good morning, hon--. Oh, my God, you cut your hair!" Liz exclaimed. Sara smiled as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Yes, I did, and it feels great!" Sara said as she went into the bathroom. Liz smiled and shook her head in disbelief. When Sara came back out, she pulled out her towel, rag, and soap. She then went back into the bathroom and took a nice, hot shower. When she stepped out, she felt invigorated. She went back into her room and dressed in a pair of cotton shorts and a sports bra, with a white tank top. "I'm guessin' you're goin' to the gym," Liz said peering over her newspaper. "Well, you guessed right. But that's not the only place I'm going," Sara said as she packed up her duffel bag. "Excuse me?" Liz asked setting the paper down in front of her. "I'm going to see my mother today, Liz," Sara said quietly, "To make up for three months of not speaking." "Oh, good luck," Liz said reassuringly. "Thanks a lot, Liz," Sara said grabbing her keys and wallet off of the dresser, then leaving. As soon as she left the room, she bumped into Mark. "Hello…it looks like we had the same idea," he said softly as his gaze wandered over her chiseled body. She looked better and healthier than ever before. Sara grinned and looked up at him, taking a deep breath as she did. She didn't think it was possible, but he'd seemingly gotten more handsome over the past three months. She hadn't seen him in two of those three months, so she had to restrain herself from throwing her arms around his broad neck. She did notice that his eyes were more penetrating than ever. She looked away as they headed to the elevator side by side.

They got to the gym just as it opened. Sara stretched thoroughly before starting the workout that she'd become accustomed to over the past three months. She and Mark didn't finish until about an hour and a half later. She stretched and cooled down, then showered, as Mark did the same. They met out front at 10:45. "So, where are you headed now?" he asked as she hailed a cab. "To see my mom," Sara answered opening the door of the nearest cab. "Would you like me to come with you?" Mark said, "In case things go bad." Sara hesitated before nodding her head and climbing into the cab, scooting over so that Mark could fit in. She gave the driver the address of her mother's house, then sat back and stared out the window. The cab slowed to a stop in front of the two-story house at 11:00 on the dot. "Keep the motor running," Sara said as she put on her dark sunglasses and climbed out, "I'll compensate you." She shut the door quietly and looked up into the yard. Her mother was in the garden on her knees, obviously tending to her flowers. "Go on, Sara," Mark said through the window, "You can do it." Sara took a deep breath and walked up the stairs leading to the garden. Lucy heard the commotion and turned around. When she saw the woman enter her yard, she stood up.

"May I help you, miss?" she asked. Sara slowly removed her sunglasses and looked into her mother's eyes, then suddenly dropped to her knees. "Mom, I came here to beg your forgiveness. I love you more than anything in this world, and all I want is your acceptance. I'm so sorry for letting you down like I did. Please, please forgive me for the pain that I caused you," she pleaded, "I don't want to do anything knowing you don't approve of it." Lucy took a deep breath and walked up to her daughter. She hadn't spoken to her in three months, and she hadn't seen her in an even longer period. She placed her hands on her cheeks and slowly said, "Sara…I _accepted_ your choice a couple days after you called me…but I forgave you the moment I hung up." Sara threw her arms around her mother's waist and let out a half-cry, half-sob as tears flowed down her cheeks in pure relief. She felt as though a great weight had been lifted off of her chest, and she could finally breathe again. Lucy rubbed the back of Sara's head and comforted her for the next few minutes. "Sara, you are a grown woman," she said when Sara finished crying, "And you know what's best for _you_. If you think that this angle will help you out in the long run, then I can't stop you…Now get up; you're ruining a perfectly good pair of pants." Sara smiled as she stood and brushed off her pants. "Mom, I want you to meet someone. He's the greatest guy in the world," Sara said motioning for Mark to get out of the cab, "He's helped me a lot since…since the divorce." Mark paid the driver and climbed out of the cab. Sara was smiling and pointing to him in complete joy. He walked through the gate and up the stairs. "Mom, this is Mark Callaway, my best friend in the whole world," Sara said. Lucy extended her hand, smiling when Mark gently took it and kissed the back of it. "Hello, Mrs. Roberts," he said grinning. "Actually, it's _Ms_. Lindsey," Lucy said gently taking her hand away, "Let's go in. I'll get you two something to eat." Sara followed her mother in the house, Mark behind her, with a huge smile on her face.

She and Mark went into the living room as Lucy brought fruit slices, a pitcher of water, and glasses from the kitchen. "So, what you been up to for the past three months?" Lucy asked as she set the tray on the coffee table. "Mainly training," Sara answered filling up the three glasses, "I didn't have time to do much else…but it paid off." "Yes, it has," Lucy said smiling, "You look better than you ever have." "Thanks, mom, I appreciate that," Sara said. They talked for the next few hours. At around two o' clock, the doorbell sounded.

"Are you expecting someone?" Sara asked going to open the door. When she did, her heart skipped a beat. Standing in front of her was Roddy, Dallas, Larry, and Steve. The men were equally shocked to see her there as well. "Girl, don't be rude," Lucy said coming from behind and pushing her aside, "Come on in, guys. Long time no see." Sara turned around and went back into the living room, plopping down and becoming frigid. "Sara, what's--." Mark was cut off as Larry, Dallas, Steve, and Roddy walked into the living room. "What's up, guys?" he asked casually. Larry and Dallas returned the greeting, but Roddy and Steve only mumbled responses. Lucy walked in with more glasses and more fruit, seemingly unaware of the thick tension between everyone.

"So, what have you guys been up to? You don't call, you don't e-mail; I'm beginning to feel unloved," she said sitting down. "Oh, Lucy, we humbly beg your forgiveness," Dallas said getting on one knee and grabbing her hand, "We are worthless, mere servants to our queen." "I can tell you haven't lost your sense of humor, Dallas," Lucy said snatching her hand away playfully. "I'm sorry, Lucy, please forgive us," Larry said, :"Our schedule's just been really busy. I hope you understand." "Of course, Larry, I understand completely," Lucy answered. They talked for a few minutes before Lucy and Roddy went into the kitchen to refill the snack tray. Mark stood and headed for the front door, but Sara grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Where are you going?" she asked quietly. "I don't think I'm welcome here," Mark whispered in her ear, "In case you didn't notice, these guys don't like me." "Mark, those guys have no say-so in who's welcome here, and who isn't. If you weren't welcome here, you wouldn't have stepped foot on the property, because my _mother_ wouldn't have let you," Sara responded, "Besides, when have you ever let _anyone_ intimidate _you_?" Mark grinned slightly, leaned close to her, and whispered, "_You_ have intimidated me since the day I first saw you." Sara's eyes widened as she blushed slightly. She lowered her head and smiled.

"Sara, can I speak with you…_alone_?" Steve asked suddenly. Sara looked up at Steve and took a deep breath. "Sure…why not?" she responded. She slowly stood and followed Steve out onto the back porch. "Why are you doing this to him?" Steve asked when she shut the door, "Haven't you hurt Roddy enough?" "Look, Steve, don't start that shit. I tried to explain what happened to Roddy. He was just too upset to listen," Sara snapped back. "You _lied_ to him, Sara. That's what he was so upset about. You were his _wife_ and you _lied_ to him. You broke that sacred trust between husband and wife. You _knew_ about the angle, and you _knew_ you were going to be put into that angle. And you still kept it a secret," Steve said poking her chest, "And I think you did it because you were cheating on Roddy…with that piece o' shit in there." Tears quickly filled Sara's eyes and, before she could stop herself, she had caught Steve squarely in the jaw with a right punch. "You are a _selfish_…_inconsiderate_…_asshole_, Steve. Mark has nothing to do with what happened _three fucking months ago!_ You loathed the fact that Roddy had married such a 'big' woman. You hated the fact that I took up all of Roddy's time, never mind the fact that I was married to him!" she yelled stepping in his face, "You know something…you're right. I betrayed Roddy, and I learned my lesson. So I will not have a vindictive bastard like _you_ slander me, or Mark, for it! He is more of a human being than you will _ever_ be!"

Mark heard Sara's loud voice and immediately stood up. If anyone knew that tone, he was definitely the person. "Please…let me speak with her," Roddy said stepping in front of him. Mark took a deep breath, and even hesitated, before slowly taking his seat. "Thanks, man," Roddy said before heading outside. When Sara saw him step outside, she turned her back to him, trying to hide the tears that flowed down her cheeks. "Steve, get the hell out of here," Roddy said quietly, "You didn't have to be such a jerk about this." Steve sighed heavily as he entered the house. "Sara, we're going to have to talk sooner or later…no matter how painful it is," he said when the door clicked shut. Sara turned around with red, tear-stained cheeks. "You didn't even _listen_ to me, Roddy…I tried to explain…and you wouldn't listen. For God's sake…you-you hit me," she whispered painfully, "That…hurt me…more than anything." "Sara, I'm so sorry. I was just so…angry…and confused. You tried to warn me about it, but I ignored it…because I didn't want it to be true," Roddy said quietly, "Vince had told me what was going to happen...but I didn't want it to be true." "Vince…told you? So why wouldn't you just listen? I actually _wanted_ to be a heel, but you were against it…and I tried to warn you…but you wouldn't listen to me," she said. "Because I couldn't stand to be separated from you. If you were to have joined that group, and we would've stayed married, I would never see you," Roddy answered back, "But…what's done is done. That's in the past. I can only hope…we can remain friends. I couldn't stand not to be friends with you." Sara walked up to him and threw her arms around his neck. "Of course we can be friends…my life wouldn't be the same without you in it," she whispered. Roddy smiled and threw his arms around her waist. The hug seemed to last forever. It was Sara who pulled away first. "We've got to go back inside," she whispered as Roddy wiped her tears away. "Yeah, before they start to worry about us," he said opening the door. He let Sara in first, then followed her in.

Lucy had pulled out her "Monopoly" game and refilled the snack tray. Sara sat down beside Mark and rested against his shoulder. "How'd it go?" he asked in her ear. She merely looked up at him and smiled, letting him know the good news without even speaking. Near the end of the game, Mark went into the kitchen and called a cab. He came back and stood in the doorway and watched Sara play. She was happy now. He could tell by the way she smiled and laughed. He absolutely loved her smile: straight, even, sparkling white teeth, and full, curvy lips; they both complimented each other. The honk of a cab brought him out of his daze. Sara heard it and sighed heavily. She didn't want to leave, not when things were finally starting to go right again. All four men stood, as well as Lucy. Sara took a deep breath and stood herself. Tears filled her eyes as Larry, Dallas, and even Steve embraced her. "You're still our friend, Sara," Dallas said quietly. "Yeah, no matter what happened," Larry said. "Or why," Steve added lastly. They finally let her go and allowed her to embrace her mother. "I love you, Sara, more than anything in the world," Lucy whispered, "You take care of yourself, you hear?" Sara nodded as she pulled away. A tear fell from her left eye as she embraced her ex-husband. "I will _always_ love you," he whispered tightening his grip, "Never forget that, Sara. I will _always_ love you." Sara buried her face in his neck and began to cry. This was the man who'd shown her that being "overgrown" was okay, that she was just right being herself. The cab began to honk its horn again. "Sara…we have to go," Mark said slowly, not wanting to ruin her happy moment, "We've missed lunch, and we're going to miss dinner. You know how Eric--." "I know," she whispered, "I know." She slowly released Roddy and caressed his cheek. "I will always love you, too," she said before turning and leaving the house. Lucy grabbed Mark's muscular forearm as he headed out behind Sara. "You take care of her, you hear me?" she said quietly, "You take care of my baby." "Yes, ma'am," he answered before exiting the house.

Sara climbed into the cab and wiped her wet cheeks; she smiled broadly as she realized that her life was finally back to normal now. She had lost her husband in the process, but she'd gained an incomparable friend in Mark. She waved good-bye to her mother as Mark climbed into the cab and, despite her trying not to, started crying again. The cab pulled off moments later. Sara sat back in her seat and once again wiped her tear-stained cheeks. She gasped when Mark gently caressed her cheek. "Thank you so much," she whispered touching his hand, "I doubt I could've done this without your encouragement." "Sara, don't thank me. The encouragement was already there; I simply removed the doubt," Mark said quietly. Sara sat back and stared out of the cab window until the arrived back at the hotel.

Mark debated in his head whether or not to ask Sara out, right up until they got to her room door. As he pulled out her key, he took a deep breath. "Sara, I was wondering if, maybe, if you're not busy tonight….I mean, since we've already missed dinner…you think, I mean…would you like to have dinner with me?" he said, letting out a deep breath as soon as he finished. He'd never had that much trouble in the world asking a female out. _But this one is different_, he reminded himself. Sara snickered as she went to open her door. "Did you just attempt to ask me out?" she said smiling. Mark regained his confidence and said, "Yes, I did, and I won't take 'no' for an answer." Sara closed her eyes and tilted her head left to right, as if she was actually deciding whether or not to say 'yes'. "Um, well…I…," she said biting her bottom lip. "Well?" Mark asked impatiently. "Of course I'll go to dinner with you, Mark," she said opening her eyes, "Did you think I would say 'no'?" Mark smiled and answered, "No…I didn't. How does 8:00 sound?" "Perfect," Sara said opening her door, "See ya then." Mark walked quickly to the elevator as the door shut. He had a lot of details to take care of before 8:00. Sara dropped off her duffel bag and headed right back out, heading for the elevator. Little did she know, was in for one of the best nights of her life.

Sara headed to the nearby shopping mall and went on a mini-shopping spree, buying things she'd need for that night. When she finally got back to her room, it was 7:00 p.m. Fortunately, during the past three months, she'd learned to be ready for any occasion, formal or informal, in record time. She put her bags on her bed, then went into the bathroom to take a shower. She managed to wash her hair, shave her legs, and wash her body in only 20 minutes. When she stepped out, butterflies began to form in her stomach. She couldn't decide whether they were from being nervous, or being excited. When she went back into the room, Liz was lying on her bed watching television. Sara plopped down on hr bed and began to lotion her freshly shaved legs. She pulled out her dress that she'd bought and laid it out on the bed. It had cost her $1,600. It was black, silk material, with a tight top and a flare-out skirt. The straps were about an inch wide, while the skirt came just past her fingertips. There were also diamonds, shaped in a heart, on the left breast. "Are you going out tonight?" Liz asked as she put on her underclothes. "Yes, in fact, I am," Sara answered wrapping her hair in a towel. "Where ya headed?" Liz asked. "On a date," Sara smiled as she slipped on her stockings, "With Mark." "Oh," Liz said somewhat disdainfully.

Sara turned around and looked at her. "What's wrong with that?" she asked. "Nothing at all, Sara…I just was wondering if you thought you knew Mark well enough to go out with him," Liz answered sitting up. "Of course I know Mark well enough," Sara said quietly, "Is there something else I _should_ know?" "Well, number one, he's got personal endurance like I've never seen before. It's almost to a point where he can be dangerous," Liz said, "He doesn't give up on a goal until he achieves it, or he can't physically continue." "Well, that's a good thing. I'm the same way," Sara argued back. "Number two: he's overprotective. Once he gets his hands on something, or someone, he _never_ lets go," Liz said, "He did call you everyday while you were gone, right?" "Liz, what are you getting at? Mark would never hurt me, or put me in harm's way," Sara said plopping down on her bed, "He cares about me." "What about your neck?" Liz asked grimly. Sara closed her eyes and grasped her neck as the painful memories resurfaced. Liz kneeled down in front of her and touched her shoulders. "Sara, I'm not trying to discourage you from going out with Mark. If you want to go, that's your choice. I just want you to be careful," she said squeezing gently. "I will, Liz…I promise," Sara said gently pushing her away, "Now move so I can finish getting ready." Sara allowed Liz to neatly French braid her hair, before slipping into her dress. She then put on her black pumps that she'd bought on sale.

As Sara finished applying her make-up, there was a knock on the door. Liz opened it up and gasped. "Come in, Mark…you look…wonderful," she said quietly, "I'm sure she'll be impressed." Sara looked up and brushed off the skirt of her dress as Mark walked in. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him. He was dressed in the finest suit Sara had ever seen; she could tell it was made just for him. His wrist was decorated with a shiny, pure gold Rolex watch. His hair was pulled back into a tight, wet ponytail. He was absolutely gorgeous. Sara took a deep breath as a smile plastered itself on her face. "You look…uh…wow," she whispered. "The same to you," Mark replied as his eyes wandered over Sara's features. She was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen in his entire life. The black dress clung to her torso, spanning out at the waist; and her face was glowing, not only from the make-up but from her inherent happiness. "Are you ready?" he asked when his eyes returned to hers. Sara quickly dabbed perfume on her neck, behind her ears, and on her wrists, grabbed her purse, and then looked up at Mark and smiled. "Yes," she answered, "I'm ready." Mark stepped to the side and let Sara out first. "You two have fun," Liz said as the door shut quietly.

Mark grinned to himself when Sara placed her hand on his arm in the elevator. When they stepped outside, Sara gasped. In front of her was a long, stretch limousine. She looked up at Mark as he opened the door for her. She slowly climbed in and brushed her hands over her skirt. She could feel the goosebumps all over her skin. "So…where are we going?" she asked when Mark climbed in beside her. "You'll see," Mark said grinning, "It's a surprise." Sara sat back in her seat and stared out the window as the limo pulled off.

When the limousine stopped, Mark opened he door and climbed out first before helping Sara out. When she looked up at the restaurant in front of her, a smile spread over her face. It was the same restaurant she'd spent years working at as a teenager, and even more time during her college years. "Paul's Seafood Palace" didn't have the classiest name, but it did have the best seafood on the lower East Coast. Sara had worked there as a waitress for almost a decade; even during college, Sara worked there during her summer breaks. It wasn't her enormous height that got her rehired, but her wonderful smile and outgoing personality. She was so nice to the customers that they brought in friends of theirs, and so on, which in turn produced more customers. "How did you know about this place?" Sara asked looking at Mark. "I have my ways, dear Sara," he replied kissing her forehead, "I have my ways." Sara put her hand in Mark's as they walked into the restaurant.

Paul Sanchez, the Hispanic owner of the restaurant, met them at the door. "Sara, is that you? My God, I didn't expect to see you here!" he said smiling, his thick Hispanic accent very apparent, "How's the married life treatin' you?' Sara took a deep breath and looked at him. "Paul…I'm not married anymore. It, uh, it didn't work out," she said softly. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said quietly, "You searched for so long. I thought you had finally met the right one." _I think the right one is standing beside me_," Sara thought, saying instead, "Don't worry about it, Paul." "I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Sanchez, but we have reservations," Mark said taking a step forward, "Callaway, please." "Ah, so you're the one I talked to on the phone," Paul said, "I've got your table right in the back, just like you asked, so you won't be bothered." "Thank you," Mark said putting Sara's hand in his arm. Paul led them to the back of the restaurant and presented a table with two candles. "Here we are," he said. Mark helped Sara to her seat, and then sat down across from her. "Could you give us a few minutes to order, please?" Mark asked picking up the menu, "And bring us a bottle of white wine…the best you have, for the best here." He touched Sara's hand as he said that, grinning at her. Sara looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you," she said quietly. "It is I who should be thanking you, Sara…for giving me this opportunity," he answered. Sara blushed slightly and picked up her menu.

When the wine came, they were ready to order. "Could I get a steamed lobster…and a baked potato, please?" Sara asked the waitress. "I'll have the same, please," Mark said as he poured two glasses of wine. "Your order will be here in about 20 minutes," the waitress said before walking away. "So, what do you think so far?" Mark asked. Sara took a sip of her wine and set the glass down slowly. "You _surprised_ me, Mark, you truly did," she answered, "I used to work here when I was a teenager, and even through college. I'm simply trying to figure out how you found out about this place." "I just wanted this date to be special," Mark said quietly, "For both of us." The couple talked for the next 15 minutes, until the food came. After dinner, Mark impressed Sara even more, because they lit up the dance floor. When they finally left the restaurant, it was almost ten o' clock. "Thank you so much for tonight, Mark," Sara said, thinking that the date was over, "I haven't had this much fun in forever." "Oh, we're not done yet," Mark said stopping her, "Take off your shoes." Sara raised an eyebrow as Mark removed his shoes. "Trust me, Sara, just take off your shoes," he added. The limousine stopped as Sara slid off her shoes. Mark stepped out first, then extended his hand. Sara placed her hand in his, and stepped out. When her feet hit the soft sand, she gasped. Mark smiled and locked his fingers with hers. They spent the next two hours walking up and down the beach, talking about anything that came up. Mark even won a small teddy bear for her when they walked on the boardwalk.

When they got back to the limo, it was quarter to one. Sara put her shoes back on and yawned slightly Mark pulled a long, slim, black velvet box out of his jacket pocket and took a deep breath. The gift inside had been specially ordered a full month ago, and had cost him $3,500. It was a 3/8-inch wide, 24k gold identification bracelet with an engraving on the inside. "Sara…I have one more thing to give you," he said opening the box. Sara gasped as he pulled out the bracelet. "Mark, I can't take that…that had cost you an arm and a leg," she said as Mark reached for her hand. "Sara, please, I want you to have this," he refuted, "It's a gift from my heart." Tears filled Sara's eyes as Mark slipped the bracelet on her wrist. "The first date of many, and the start of something wonderful, Sept. 21, 2006 – MLC & SMR," Mark said quoting the engraving on the gold plate of the bracelet. "Thank you so much," Sara whispered hugging him tightly, "You're absolutely the best." "No, Sara…I only do the best for the best." He gently kissed her before locking his hand with hers. They sat in silence for the entire ride, neither of them thinking of anything but the past five hours.

When they returned to the hotel, it was exactly 1:00 a.m. In the elevator, Mark pulled Sara into his arms and slowly began to unbraid her hair. When he finished, Sara shook her hair loose, smiling when Mark wrapped his fingers in it and lifted it to his nose. "Why did you do that?" she asked. "So I could wrap my fingers in your hair," he whispered in her ear, "Because it's so beautiful." The doors opened as Mark gently kissed her. "Come on, you big softie," she said taking Mark's hand and leading him out. Sara pulled out her key when they got to her door. "Mark…I just wanted to thank you…for dinner…and the teddy bear…and for the bracelet," she said, "It was an awesome night." Mark gently caressed her cheek and kissed her once more, this time with passion and emotion. "Thank _you_, Sara," he whispered. Sara blushed as she opened the door. "Good night, Mark," she whispered going in and shutting the door. "Good night," Mark replied before heading to his room, "My queen."

Sara kicked off her shoes and set her key and purse down on the dresser. Liz was sound asleep, so Sara tried to be as polite as possible. She changed into a floor-length nightgown, and then hung up her dress. She placed her bracelet on the nightstand beside her bed before lying down, her teddy bear right beside her. She closed her eyes and fell asleep minutes later.

When Mark entered his room, it was completely dark. He cut on the bathroom light, and stripped down to his boxers. "And where the hell have you been all day?" Mark came out of the bathroom, and looked over at Shawn. "I went to the gym this morning with Sara, then we spent the day at her mother's house," he answered hanging up his suit, "And then we went out for dinner." "Aha! What happened?" Shawn said rubbing his sleep-wrought eyes, "Details, my man, details." "Nothing happened, Shawn," Mark said quietly, "And even if it did, you'd be the last person I'd tell." Shawn sighed heavily before lying back down. "That's wrong, man," he said before turning over and attempting to go back to sleep. Mark cut off the bathroom light and climbed into bed. _I just had the best time of my life_, he thought, falling asleep with a grin on his face, _With the woman of my dreams_.


	12. Relaxation

**Chapter 11…Relaxation**

Sara woke up the next morning around 11:00 with a smile on her face, despite the headache she had. "I'm guessing you had fun," Liz said grinning. Sara stretched luxuriously before sitting up, holding out the teddy bear Mark had won her. "See it? He won it for me," she said smiling ridiculously. "You're pitiful," Liz said as Sara dashed into the bathroom. Sara used the bathroom, and then washed her face and hands. "Oh, Liz, you won't believe how much fun I had," she said coming out of the bathroom, "Mark's the greatest guy in the world. He's perfect." Liz grinned as she continued to read the newspaper in front of her. "You're not listening to a word I'm saying, are you?" Sara asked plopping down on the edge of Liz's bed. "Of course I am, Sara," Liz said jokingly. Sara rolled her eyes playfully before standing and going over to the dresser. She pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. "Are you going out today?" Liz asked. "No, I don't think so," Sara replied going into the bathroom She took a long shower, washing her hair, and then got dressed. When she came out, Mark was lying on her bed watching television. "Excuse me, mister. What the heck are you doing?" she asked grinning. "You wanna go out for lunch?" Mark asked sitting up. "Did you come here just to ask me that?" she asked plopping down beside him. "Yeah," he answered. "Sure, just let me slip on my shoes," Sara said standing. She put on a pair of socks, and pulled on her tennis shoes. When she turned around, Mark was holding up the bracelet. "Here," he said quietly, "Your gift, madam." Sara blushed slightly and slipped the bracelet on her wrist. "I'll be back later, Liz," she said grabbing her key and wallet out of her purse. "Okay, hon," Liz said continuing to read her newspaper. The door clicked shut quietly.

Mark treated Sara to lunch at a small diner looking out over the beach. "So, did you have fun last night?" he asked as they ate. "Oh, Mark, it was the best," Sara answered setting down her sandwich, "Just being able to relax and not have to concentrate on anything. It's the best feeling in the world." "I'm glad," Mark whispered leaning back in his chair. His eyes roamed all over Sara's features as she continued to talk about the previous night. Her eyes were glowing, her hair was twirling around her face in the wind, and her laugh was like music to his ears.

Sara noticed Mark staring and stopped talking. "What's wrong?" she asked trying to get his attention, "Mark!" Mark snapped out of his daze and asked, "Huh?" "You were staring at me like I grew an extra head or something," Sara said smiling. "I'm sorry," Mark whispered standing, "Let's go for a walk." "Alright. I was full anyway," Sara said dropping a $5 bill on the table. Mark picked it up, put it back in her hand, and then set down a $20 bill. "It was my treat," he said as he locked his hand with hers. Sara grinned and followed him out of the diner. They walked down the streets talking and smiling, peering into windows with colorful shirts, and playing games along the boardwalk. "Mark, can we go see my mom again today?" she asked as she walked with a huge teddy bear in her arms. "Sure, babe, whatever you want," Mark answered. They hailed a cab, and Mark opened the door. He laughed as he watched Sara climb into the cab backwards. "Don't you laugh at me, buddy," Sara said scooting over. She lied the bear down in her lap as Mark climbed in, a smile still on his face. "You just looked so adorable doing that," he said touching her cheek. Sara pulled away and turned towards the window, a playful pout on her face.

They arrived at the house a few minutes later. Lucy didn't live that far from the beach; she just chose to have fun in her own house. Sara climbed out of the cab with the teddy bear in her hands and ran up the stairs. "Mom, are you here?!" she screamed going into the house. Lucy came rushing out of the living room, almost crashing into her daughter. "What's wrong? Why are you screaming?" she asked frantically. "No reason," Sara said grinning, "Just wanted to see if you were home." Lucy rolled her eyes humorously, before turning and going back into the living room. When Sara entered the living room, she saw Roddy and habitually sat down beside him. "So, what are you so happy about?" he asked. "Nothing, just life in general," Sara answered setting her teddy bear beside her. "Where'd you get that?" he asked. "Mark won it for me after we went to lunch today," Sara replied as Mark sat down beside her mother. "Well, that's the cutest teddy bear I've seen," Lucy said smiling. "Well, mom, since I've already got one, you can have this one," Sara answered. "Thanks," Lucy said.

Roddy glanced down at Sara's wrist and gasped. "Wow, where'd you get _that_?" he asked picking up her hand and staring at the gleaming bracelet. "Well, Mark…got it for me, as a reminder…of our first date," Sara answered blushing slightly. "That's impressive. Can I see it?" Lucy said. "Sure, mom," Sara answered removing the bracelet. She carefully handed it to her mother and sat back on the sofa. "The first date of many, and the start of something wonderful, Sept. 21, 2006 – MLC & SMR," Lucy said, quoting the engraving as Mark did, "Mark, that's _very_ sweet." "Thanks, Ms. Lindsey," Mark said politely. "Mark…please, call me Lucy," Lucy said handing the bracelet back to her daughter, "You should tell by now that I like you." Mark nodded his head slightly as he watched Roddy examine the bracelet closely. "Is this pure gold?" Roddy asked turning the bracelet around. "Yeah," Mark answered. "This had to cost you a pretty penny," Roddy said slowly placing the bracelet back on Sara's wrist. "It did, but I wasn't thinking of how much it would cost," Mark said as a twinge of jealousy ran through his veins, "I was thinking of how much Sara would like it." Sara looked up at him and smiled. "Well, I like it very much," she said quietly. She must have seen the jealousy in his eyes, because she stood up and came to sit by him. "Yes, it makes me very _happy_ indeed," she added. "Do you guys wanna watch a movie?" Lucy asked standing, "I've got tons of 'em." She went into the kitchen and made up a fruit tray, as Sara browsed through her mother's collection. "Sara, get something good," Lucy said as she made a pitcher of lemonade. "Yes, mother," Sara answered.

Sara picked out "Black Dog", popped it into the VCR, and then sat back down beside Mark. She started the movie as her mother walked in. "Oh, let me get that for you," Mark said standing. "Hey, pal, back off," Lucy said grinning, "I've been doing this for over 20 years, so I don't need anybody's help, including yours." Mark slowly sat back down and looked at Sara. "Don't ask," she whispered. Mark nodded and watched as Lucy set the tray on the coffee table in front of them, then poured four glasses of lemonade. Mark grabbed his glass, and handed Sara hers. "Thank you," she whispered. "No problem," Mark answered as she stretched out on the sofa and placed her feet on his lap. He stared at her feet, and then looked up at her. She smiled mischievously, and wiggled her feet. Mark removed her shoes and tossed them on the floor.

As soon as the movie ended, Mark stood and went to the bathroom. "You two look like you're having fun with each other," Roddy said grinning. "Yeah, he's great to me," Sara answered as she finished a glass of lemonade, "I think he's trying to spoil me." "Really?" Lucy asked smiling, "How was dinner last night?" "It was great, mom! He took me to Paul's place!" Sara said sitting up, "Can you believe that?" "I know, Sara," Lucy admitted. "Wait a minute, how do you know about that?" Sara asked quietly. "He came back here about a half an hour after you both left here, and said he wanted to impress you at dinner," Lucy admitted, "So, I told him about Paul's, and he took it from there." Sara smiled as she lowered her head. _How else would he have found out about Paul's_? she thought to herself, _No one knew but Paul, my mom, and me. And Paul was just as shocked to see me, as I was to see him_. "Well, thank you, mom," she said as Mark walked back in. "Are you ready to go?" he asked. "Yeah, Mark," Sara said standing, "Mom, I'll see you tomorrow. I'll be over around eleven o' clock." "Okay, sweetie. I'll be here," Lucy said as they left. "She looks happier than she ever was with me," Roddy said quietly, a little bit of hurt in his voice. Lucy put her arms around him, and said, "Roddy, I don't think she did what she did just to get out of her marriage. Remember, she was in as much pain as you were." "I understand that, Lucy," Roddy whispered, "It's just that I imagine her then, in the pain that she was in, and then, I see her now…she's just so happy." "Roddy, I still consider you a son to me," Lucy said, "Just because you're not married to my daughter doesn't mean you're not like family to me." "Thanks, Lucy," Roddy said hugging her back. "Do you wanna watch another movie?" Lucy asked as she pulled away from him. "No, actually, I have to get back to the hotel, Lucy," Roddy said, "I'm sure the guys are waiting to go to dinner." "Okay, but feel free to come by any time," Lucy said as she walked him to the door. "Thanks, Lucy, you're wonderful," Roddy said before heading out the door. Lucy sighed heavily as she shut it behind him.

"What was with that look you gave Roddy earlier?" Sara asked as they finally walked into the hotel. It was going on six o' clock. They had taken a trip to the shopping mall, and Sara had brought a couple of pair of pants. Mark had simply watched her model each pair, and "approved" of them. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "Don't act like you don't know. You got jealous of him," Sara answered, "My attention wasn't on you…and you got jealous." Mark looked away and sighed heavily. Sara continued to tease him until the elevator doors closed behind them. Mark backed her into the wall and kissed her gently. "Guilty as charged," he whispered caressing her cheek. "Why?" Sara refuted, "Roddy and I are divorced, and I'm okay with that now. You should be, too." "But, Sara, you should've seen the way he looked at you when he put the bracelet on," Mark said walking out of the elevator, "He still loves you…he still wishes you two were married. "You don't think I noticed that, Mark?" Sara said following him out, "That's why I came over and sat by you…to show him that I'd moved on." Mark took a deep breath as Sara opened her door. "Mark…" She hesitated because she was trying to think of something to say without hurting Mark's feelings. She cared for him too much to insult him. "Mark, I still have feelings for Roddy, and I always will. He showed me…what love was," she whispered, "But I'm divorced now. There will never be anything between me and Roddy _but_ friendship." "I know that, Sara," Mark answered, "it's just that…the way he looks at you. He misses you." "Mark…please, drop this subject," Sara finally said, frustrated, "If not for me, then do it for your own peace of mind." Mark touched her cheek and nodded, saying, "I'm sorry, Sara. I didn't mean to press a sore issue." "Don't worry about it, babe. I'll see you at dinner," Sara said, "Okay?" "Okay," Mark said before turning away, "I'll see you in a few minutes." Sara changed into one of her new pair of pants, and slipped on a white Polo t-shirt. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and touched up her make-up. When she walked out of the room, Mark met her.

"Were you standing there waiting for me?" she asked. Mark looked down and grinned. "Yeah," he said slowly. "You're crazy," Sara said shutting her door. Mark picked her up over his shoulder and headed down the hall. "Put me down, you giant!" she laughed pounding on his back. "Okay, okay," Mark said slowly letting her down when they got to the elevator. "What was that all about?" she asked straightening her shirt. "I'm crazy, remember?" Mark said walking into the elevator. Sara grinned as she followed him in. When they stepped into the lobby, everyone was already heading outside. Mark and Sara climbed into the last available Navigator. "What's up, Mark?" Kevin asked, "Where ya been all day, pal?" "Hangin' out with Sara," Mark said quietly. Sara blushed slightly and stared out the window. When they got to "Outback Steakhouse", Mark and John were the first two in the restaurant. "I'm guessin' those two like steak," Sara said walking in beside Liz. "Oh, yeah. They're the poster children for carnivores," Liz said as they walked inside.

Dinner lasted for just over two hours. The guys talked about the next night's event, as well as Sara's debut, while Sara diverged the details of her date to the ladies. "Ladies, I'm telling you, it was great," she began before telling the story behind her surprise dinner date. "Wow, I never knew Mark was that much of a romantic," Trish said when she finished. "Yeah, me either," Stephanie added. "Yeah, he's great," Sara said as she looked over at Mark. He was in the middle of a conversation with John. He must have felt her eyes on him, because he looked over at her. He winked at her before going back to the conversation. Sara blushed slightly and lowered her eyes.

"Does that happen often?" Sara looked over at Liz and asked, "Does what happen often?" "The whole blushing thing," Liz said smiling. Sara blushed again and looked away. "Whenever I'm around him, I can't help it," she whispered. "Ah, I understand," Liz said. They finally left the restaurant a few minutes past eight. Once again, Sara slid in right next to Mark. For some reason, she couldn't stand to be separated from him if she could help it. "Are you excited about tomorrow?" Shorty asked her on the ride back to the hotel. "Excited is not the word," Sara said smiling, "Shorty, I can't wait to even get to the arena…just to be there again." "Well, not too long now," Shorty said. "Yeah, I'm countin' down the hours," Sara admitted.

When the jeeps pulled up in front of the hotel, Sara and Mark were the only ones who didn't go in. Instead, they headed down the street holding hands. "There's definitely something there," Stephanie said as she and Liz watched them walk away. "Oh, yeah," Liz said before going into the hotel, "I think there always has been."

Mark and Sara spent the next couple of hours walking around downtown Daytona. It was almost just like the night before, except without the formality. Mark once again treated Sara to dinner at Paul's, and they went down to the beach. Instead of walking around, though, they simply found a dark place behind a pile of rocks and cuddled. "Sara, I missed you so much these past two months," Mark whispered in her ear, "It was really hard for me to be away from you." "I missed you, too, Mark," Sara admitted. Indeed, she had missed Mark very much. It was hard for her to be away from him as well, especially after he had cared for him after her turn. She had been separated from him since her second television appearance with the 'Corporation'. It was one of the most painful obstacles she'd have to overcome during her training. She treasured his call everyday, and looked forward to it. Their calls lasted from five minutes to two hours. "So, what's your plan for tomorrow night?" Mark whispered, unknowingly interrupt her thoughts. "I don't know…I have to talk to Eric about it," Sara said rubbing her face in his chest. "Well, you just go out there and have fun," Mark said wrapping his fingers in her hair, "Okay, dollface?" "Yes, Mark," Sara answered.

They lied there for about 10 more minutes before standing. "I guess we better get back to the hotel," Mark said as Sara dusted off her clothes. "Yeah, it's getting late," Sara said yawning. They got back to the hotel around 11 o' clock. "I'll see you tomorrow morning," Mark said as Sara entered her room. "Yes, Mark, good night," she whispered shutting the door. She quickly changed into a nightgown and lied down on her bed. If they hadn't have left the beach when they did, Sara had no doubt that she would've fallen asleep there. Moments after her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.


	13. Back in Action

**Chapter 12…Back In Action**

When Sara awoke the next morning, it was only nine o' clock. She stretched her limbs, yawning as she sat up. She heard the shower running, and figured that Liz was in there. Sara stood up and scratched her belly as she went over to the dresser. She pulled out a tan, khaki floor-length skirt and a white, sleeveless Nike shirt. She was feeling nervous, not only about her debut, but what she was going to do in the next couple of hours. Liz came out of the bathroom wrapped in her robe. "Do you wanna hang out today?" Liz asked as she got dressed. "I can't, Liz, I've got something really important to do," Sara said quietly. "Are you okay, Sara?" Liz asked slipping into her denim shorts. "Yeah, Liz, I just have something to do," Sara answered going into the bathroom. She took a long, hot shower as she debated inside her head whether or not to forge ahead with her previous decision. When she stepped out, she had made up her mind. She went into her room and quickly dressed. She grabbed her keys and went to leave the room, but the phone rang. "Hello?" she answered. "Hi, Sara, it's Shawn," Shawn said. Sara took a deep breath and sat down on her bed. "What's up?" she asked. "Nothing, are you excited about tonight?" he asked. "Yeah, Shawn," she answered truthfully, "Excited _and_ nervous." "Well, I know how you feel, making a comeback and all," Shawn said, "I just called to remind you that we were going to head to the arena a little early today. We're going to be there by one, okay? So, if you head out, try and be back to the hotel by 12:30." "Okay, Shawn," Sara answered, "See ya then." Sara hung up the phone and quickly left her room. As she headed to the elevator, Mark stopped her. "Where ya headed so fast?" he asked smiling. "I've got to go see my mother," Sara said somewhat restlessly. "Do you want me to come along?" he asked. "No, actually, I…I need to talk to her alone," Sara said quietly. Mark sensed Sara's distraught demeanor and nodded his head. "I'll see you when you get back," he whispered touching her cheek. "Thank you, Mark," she said before going to the elevator, "Thank you for understanding." Mark sighed heavily as he realized what Sara was going to do. _She's going to tell her the truth_, he thought, _and I can only hope that's the right decision_.

The limo pulled up in front of Lucy's house at around quarter to ten. Sara took a deep breath as she stepped out of the limo. "I'll call you when I'm done," she said. The limo driver nodded before pulling off. Sara brushed herself off and headed up the steps. The front door was open, so she walked right in. "Mom?" she asked somewhat hesitantly, "Are-are you here?" "Yeah, Sara, I'm in the kitchen." Sara walked in the kitchen and stopped in the doorway. "Hi, Roddy," she said quietly. "Hey, Sara, come join us," Roddy said, "We were just about to have breakfast." "Okay," Sara whispered sitting down at the table. Lucy served up eggs and toast for breakfast, with orange juice to drink. All throughout breakfast, Sara barely spoke. Her mind was getting all caught up between her comeback, and what she was about to do. "Sara, are you okay?" Lucy asked. "Um, no, mom. I need…I need to talk to you…alone," she finally said. "Okay, baby, just give me a minute to clean this stuff up," Lucy said. Sara nodded her head and looked down. "I'll call you sometime, okay, Lucy?" Roddy said as he stood. "Here, Roddy, I'll walk you out," Lucy said drying her hands. "No, don't worry about it. I'll see myself out," Roddy said touching Sara's shoulder, "I'll see you at the arena, Sara." Sara's muscle twitched under his hand as she nodded. Roddy left the house, while a tear fell from Sara's eye. "Sara, what's wrong?" Lucy asked sitting down in front of her. "Mom, there's something I have to tell you…something I didn't tell you before," Sara whispered. "Go ahead, baby, I'm listening," Lucy said grabbing her hand.

Sara started off slowly, telling her mother about the kidnapping, before going into the intricate details of the week she'd lived in the 'Corporation' mansion. She told her _everything_, from the point where Mark first kissed her, to the dog attack, and even the near rape. She even told her about the feelings she'd gotten for Mark during that time. When she finished, tears were streaming down her face. She took a deep breath and waited for her mother's reaction. Lucy lowered her head as she tried to process the information that she'd just been told. "Mom, I'm sorry…I'm so sorry. I didn't know what else to do," Sara cried, "I loved my job, and I loved Roddy, too. You know I did. My heart and mind were being ripped in opposite--." "Sara, hush, sweetie…Like I said yesterday, you are a _grown woman_. I can't stop you from making the decisions you feel will help you in life," Lucy said, "If, after everything that happened to you…if you think that participating in that angle was best for your professional _and_ personal life…I can't stop you. Okay?" Sara nodded and held her chest. "Then why do I still feel like…like I let you down?" she asked quietly, "Like…you're ashamed of me?" "Sara, I'm not ashamed of you, I can promise you that. I love you more than anything in this world. I want you to be happy," Lucy said forcing her daughter to look at her, "The fact you followed your heart and mind, and made the best decision for _you_…that makes me prouder than any mother in the world." Sara threw her arms around her mother and sobbed.

Lucy sighed heavily and hugged her daughter back. What she'd said to Sara was the absolute truth; she wasn't ashamed of her, merely disappointed that she'd hurt Roddy. That was what had hurt her the most. Sara finally stopped crying and wiped her face. "Thank you, mom. Thank you so much for your support," she whispered, "I mean, the group really isn't that bad. And Mark's great to me. He helps me when I need it the most, yet he's willing to back off if I ask him to. And…he and I are closer than Roddy and me ever were. It's just…it's like we're mirror images of each other." Lucy nodded her head in understanding, saying, "Sara, you don't have to explain your relationship with Mark…I can see it when you two are together." Sara smiled slightly and said, "That's what everybody says." The women talked for a while, before going into the living room to watch a movie. Lucy chose _G. I. Jane_, and Sara agreed that it was a good movie to watch, especially after the training she'd gone through to get where she was. "I just want to see a woman go through worse," she said smiling. When the movie was over, Lucy and Sara talked for a while longer, especially over Sara's debut. "Yeah, mom, tonight is going to be hectic," Sara said glancing at her watch, "Oh, crap, where's the phone?" She dashed into the kitchen and quickly called the limo driver. "Sara, what's the problem?" Lucy asked following her. Sara informed the driver that she was ready to leave before hanging up the phone. "Mom, I was supposed to be back at the hotel an hour ago," Sara said beginning to pace the kitchen, "I'm going to get in trouble, and I can't afford to start off on the wrong foot." Lucy sat at the table and watched her daughter pace. She had never seen her this upset before; sure, she hated being late to something important, but she'd never been this worried before. "Sara, sit down right now," Lucy ordered finally, "Everything will be _fine_." Sara sighed heavily and sat down. "Mom, you don't understand…I want to make a good impression on everyone," she whispered, "To let them know that my three months of training actually did some good." A horn honk from outside made Sara shoot up. She dashed outside, stopping when Eric climbed out of the limo. Her mother followed her out, glaring at Eric. She didn't like his character, but she didn't like the person behind that character even more. She'd had many confrontations with Eric when she'd tried calling Sara at the mansion. "Eric, I'm sorry," Sara said looking down, "I completely lost--." Eric silenced Sara by backhanding her.

Sara gasped as her hand went up to her burning cheek. Lucy, on the other hand, was not as calm. She ran down and tried to attack him. "You bastard, how dare you hit a woman!" she screamed, "Especially my daughter!" A tall, thin yet muscular, blonde-haired man, however, stopped her and tried to pull her back. Sara pushed him away and snapped, "I don't know who you are, and I don't care; you stay the hell away from my mother." The blonde man stepped back immediately. "Mom, you can't attack him like that," Sara whispered. "Then stick up for yourself, child! Don't let a man beat on you like that, especially that piece of crap!" Lucy yelled. "Sara, let's go! We're already late!" Eric said angrily. "I'm coming, Eric," Sara said. "Yeah, you wait a damn minute!" Lucy added. "Please, mom, you're only making it worse," Sara said quietly. "Sara, haven't I taught you anything about independence? You are an adult; you don't let a man order you around," Lucy said. "Sara, NOW!" Eric snapped. "What the hell did I tell you? Can't you see we're talking?" Lucy screamed stepping towards him. "That's it! Andrew, grab her!" Eric said climbing into the limousine. Andrew grabbed Sara's waist and pulled her back to the limo, which was not an easy task because Sara tried her hardest to break his grip. "Oh, my God. They've tamed you," Lucy said angrily, "You let them tame you!" "No one can do that me, mom!" Sara said as the door slammed shut, "No one!" The limo sped away as Lucy shook her head.

For the entire ride back to the hotel, Eric berated Sara for her lack of responsibility. "I know Shawn called you and told you when we were leaving!" he yelled, "Because he did it from my room!" Sara simply sat with her head lowered as her temper sparked. She wasn't mad that Eric was upset with her; after all, she had been irresponsible. But, she was highly peeved that he had had the nerve to slap her in front of her mother. That had made her forget all the lessons that Kevin had taught her about self-control, and beat Eric's ass more than anything. "When we get to the hotel, you have fine minutes _exactly_ to get to your room, get your stuff, and get your ass back down here! Understand?" Eric said. "Yes, sir," Sara gritted. The limo halted to a stop, causing Sara to suddenly slide forward. Andrew's arm immediately came across her waist. She sucked in a breath and groaned slightly. "Sara, I'm sorry. I was just trying--." "Don't touch me again!" she hissed climbing out of the limo and running into the hotel.

Sara rushed into the nearest elevator, and got very impatient when it seemed to take forever to get to her floor. She hurried into her room, and stuffed her duffel bag with what she would need for that night, then left, slamming the door behind her. When she got back outside, Andrew was holding the door open for her. She scoffed, sneered at him, and climbed in. Andrew sighed and slid in beside her. The door shut as the limo pulled off. "I'm sorry, Sara, how rude of me. This is Andrew," Eric said, "He'll be taking the place of Lance." Sara glared at him for a long while before acknowledging him. Eric looked at Andrew and hunched his shoulders.

When they got to the arena, Eric practically pulled Sara out of the limo. "Where are we going?" Sara asked as Eric pulled her into the building. "To see Vince," Eric said restlessly, "Which you would have done earlier had you been here _on time_." When they got to Vince's designated office, Sara took a deep breath. Eric knocked and slowly entered. "Vince, I have someone here who wants to see you," he said as Sara walked in. She put her hands behind her back and lowered her head. "Ah, Ms. Roberts," Vince said looking her over, "How nice it is to have you back." "Thank you, Mr. McMahon," Sara said quietly. "Sara…what's wrong?" Vince asked, "You can look up at me." "Well, sir, I was taught to keep my eyes on the ground…until informed otherwise." Vince looked over at Eric warily. "Is that true, Eric?" he asked. "Well, yes, Vince. We had to break her down…she had such a free spirit," Eric admitted, "It would've been impossible to train her." "Well, that's what I liked about her. That 'free spirit' is what made her motivated, and it made her a success here," Vince said, "Let us speak alone." Eric took a deep breath before leaving the room. "Sara, take a seat. It seems we have some catching up to do," Vince said sitting on his desk. Sara nodded and sat down in front of him.

First, they discussed her training, as well as her trainers. "Yeah, Kevin was the most helpful of all," Sara said smiling, "If it wasn't for him, I don't know if I could've controlled myself this afternoon." "Why? What happened?" Vince asked. "Well…Eric slapped me…in front of my mother," Sara said quietly. "Oh, jeez, Sara, I'm sorry," Vince said, "He and Shawn…they tend to have problems when it comes to dealing with women." "Thankfully, though, I suppressed my anger," Sara said. Afterwards, Sara discussed how much she had missed performing in the ring. "I mean, being in front of 20,000 or 30,000 people is a hell of a lot different than training in front of two or three," Sara admitted. "Oh, yeah, I understand that," Vince replied, "But just know that we definitely missed having you around here. So…how's your personal life?" Sara took a deep breath and looked away. "Well, Roddy and I did get divorced. It was hard….to deal with at first…but Mark helped me to get through it, as well as my trainers. Now…Roddy and I are still friends. But…Mark and I are….we'll, we're dating," she said looking up at him. "Well, I'm happy to see that you're prevailing," Vince said. "I am, Mr. McMahon," she admitted, "I am." "It was nice to see you again, Sara, and I'm really excited to have you back," Vince said as she stood, "I'll see you around later tonight." Sara nodded, then turned and headed for the door. "Uh, Sara?" Sara stopped and faced Vince. "Yes, sir?" she asked. "We're still on a first-name basis, right?" Vince asked. Sara grinned slightly and said, "Of course…Vince." She then gave a curt nod before leaving the room. Vince sighed as he sat down and began to look over the itinerary for the night's show.

Sara headed to the 'Corporation' locker room quietly. When she got there, she immediately saw that Roddy's locker room was right across from the group's locker room. She hesitated momentarily before entering the 'Corporation' locker room. She noticed that no one was there; it was completely empty. "Sara?" Sara spun around and narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me, I've got business to handle," she snapped trying to leave. "I need to talk to you," Andrew said stopping her. "Listen, pal, get the hell out of my way," Sara hissed, "I don't want to talk to you, and I don't have to. So fuck off!" "Yes, you do," Eric said suddenly. Sara gasped and turned around. He had just come out of the bathroom. "Especially since he's your new bodyguard," Eric added crossing his arms. "Excuse me?! What the hell is this?!" Sara screamed, "I don't need a bodyguard! I can take care of myself!" "Listen, Sara, I don't know what you and Vince talked about, but you are _still_ under my control!" Eric snapped. Sara apologized and lowered her head. "I just don't think it's…_necessary_…for me to have a bodyguard," she said quietly. "Well, he's just going to keep an eye on you, make sure you don't get into any trouble," Eric said. "So he's a babysitter?" Sara asked looking up. "No, a bodyguard," Eric said sternly, "Now, you two better get to know each other…and be nice." Eric then left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Sara took a deep breath and stared at Andrew. His blonde hair was now pulled back into a tight ponytail, and his brown eyes were focused on her. "Fine…let's talk," she said quietly. They sat down at a table in a corner of the room. Over the next three hours, Sara listened to Andrew talk about his past experience in the wrestling business, how and why he had decided to become a wrestler, and how he got to the WWF. He had been a bodyguard for a heavy metal band, and while on a tour in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Andrew's hometown), Andrew had gone out to a bar one night. The doorman had mistaken him for a wrestler, due to his large size, and seated him in the VIP section. He had spoken with many of the WWF's then-top superstars. By the time the doorman realized his mistake, Andrew already had his foot in the door. He spent about 3 years wrestling for independent companies, as well as a couple of years overseas in Japan. Finally, he'd gotten the call from Vince to be a part of the 'Corporation'. Sara only spent about ¼ of the time talking, giving simple, one-word answers to Andrew's questions.

Everyone started walking into the locker room at around four o' clock. When Mark came in, Sara immediately stood and went over to where he was sitting, leaving Andrew in the middle of a sentence. "What's wrong?" Mark asked. "Eric gave me a 'bodyguard'! Can you believe that?" Sara hissed, "A goddamn bodyguard." "Relax, babycakes," Mark said patting her head, "You'll be fine." Sara looked up at Mark and grinned. "Thanks for your concern," she said sarcastically. Eric came in and walked up to Sara. "I need to talk to you after this meeting," he said. "Okay," she said crossing her legs.

Eric opened up the meeting with the discussion of Sara's debut. "You're going to be highly involved tonight, in about three or four matches. I have to double-check with Vince on whether or not he wants your identity to be discovered tonight. He's had a promotional video about your character playing for the last couple of weeks; I'll let you see it later. Check with me later on whose matches you're going to be interfering in," he said before going on to the news affecting everyone. The meeting lasted for another half-hour. When it was finally over, Sara stood and went over to Eric. "You wanted me to talk to you," she said. "Oh, yes, I've got the names of the guys whose matches you're going to interfere in," Eric said flipping through the itinerary, "John…Patrick…Kevin…and Shawn, in that order. It's your responsibility to find those guys and strategize together." "Yes, Eric," Sara said before walking away. It took her the next hour and a half to find all four men, and come up with strategies for their matches. When she finally finished, it was almost six o' clock. She went down to the women's locker room with her duffel bag in hand. When she got there, the room was packed with suitcases, shoes, and extra clothes. The only other woman there, though, was Liz. Sara sat down and pulled out her set. As she got dressed, Liz stared at her confusingly.

"What are you doin'?' she asked. "Uh, getting dressed," Sara said plainly. "Sara, you're making a brand new debut tonight, for a brand new character," Liz said snatching her set away from her, "If you go out there in _this_, it'll completely ruin the surprise." Sara slapped her forehead and said, "Oh, my God, I didn't think. I was in such a rush earlier, I didn't even consider that. What the hell am I gonna wear?" Liz sighed as she went over to the giant luggage case holding the extra clothes. She pulled out a pair of long, tight, black stretch pants and held them up. "These should do," she whispered grabbing a pair of scissors. She then proceeded to cut slits on the side of the pants from the bottom to the top. After she finished, she handed them to Sara. Sara put them on, and tucked the bottoms into her boots. She then stood up and straightened them out. They outlined her muscled legs, and fell right below her belly button. "Oh, Liz, you're a lifesaver," she said grinning, "What would I do without you?" Liz pulled out a vest of the same material and held it up to Sara, measured where to cut, and went to work. She sewed leather over the front of it, to give it more of a biker look, and glued rhinestones over the seams. When she finished, she handed it to Sara. "Be careful, because the glue isn't all dry," she said. Sara carefully slipped it on, with Liz's help, and smiled. It was tight, yet comfortable, and it came about two inches below her breasts. "Liz, you have _got_ to let me pay you back for this," she said looking in the mirror. "Just go out there and do a good job," Liz said as Sara headed out the door, "Impress the people." Sara nodded as the door clicked shut behind her.

Sara headed straight to Janet's. When she got there, Janet had just finished with Trish. "What's up, Sara? Long time, no see," Janet said smiling. "Yeah, it has been a while," Sara said sitting down. "What's it gonna be for ya?' Janet asked. "Just a simple French braid, please, Janet," Sara answered, "I'm going to be doing a lot of moving around." "You got it, girl," Janet replied. Janet slowly did Sara's hair first, making sure that the French braid was tight, yet elegant. "It will take a lot for this thing to come loose," she said when she finally put a small, black band on the end. She then did her make-up, putting a slight emphasis of dark black eyeliner around her eyelids. When she finished, Sara thanked her and quickly walked to the locker room. She got there at quarter to nine. Eric, Shawn, Kevin, and Andrew were standing in a circle, seemingly waiting for her.

"Where the hell have you been?" Eric yelled. "I had to get ready," Sara answered. "It takes three hours to get ready?!" Eric screamed exasperatedly. "Well, I had to find John, and Patrick, and Kevin, and Shawn, just like you told me to," Sara said as he pulled her out of the room, "And then, I had to wait to get this new set made, and--." "Well, it's almost nine, and we had a plan to introduce you without showing your face," Eric said running down the hall, "And it was almost ruined." "Eric, I'm sorry, I didn't know," Sara said, "Where are we going?" "Don't worry about it. I forgot to tell you before you left; it's my fault," Eric answered, "And we're going to the limo. We still have time to go through with the plan." Sara climbed into the limo first, followed by Andrew, Kevin, Shawn, and then Eric. The limo screeched off as Eric shut the door.

"So, what's the plan?" Sara asked as Shawn tossed her a pair of black sunglasses, a black scarf, and a black leather cap. "Well, when the limo stops, I'm going to get out, followed by these guys. I want you to take your time getting out. The camera's going to be at the back of the limo, so it won't be easy to identify you," Eric answered, "Then, when you get out, you're gonna shake our hands, and I'm gonna make a comment about your debut tonight. That's basically it." "Yeah, that stuff's just to hide your identity," Shawn said. "Your new identity is 'Chyna: The 9th Wonder of the World'," Eric added. "Sweet," Sara said tying the scarf around the lower part of her face. She put on the sunglasses next, followed by the leather cap. "Sara, where'd you get that set?" Eric asked. "I owe this to Liz," Sara admitted, "That's what took so long, too. She was busy cutting and sewing and patching this piece together." "Ah, I never knew Liz was so talented," Eric said. "Yeah, it's a nice look," Andrew added. Sara looked at him with a raised eyebrow before clearing her throat.

The limo finally pulled to a stop a few minutes later. Eric opened the door and climbed out. Kevin, Shawn, and Andrew followed him as planned. Sara hesitated before sticking her leg out. She cracked her knuckles before fully stepping out. She shook each man's hand and looked around as though in awe. She could feel the crowd's anticipation as Eric said, "This is going to be a night no one will ever forget." They then headed to the back as the cameras panned out. When they got to the locker room, Sara let out a deep breath. Butterflies were swirling around in her stomach like crazy. She sat down beside Mark and rubbed her hands on her thighs. "What's wrong, babe?" Mark asked putting his arm around her shoulder. "Just…nervous," Sara whispered. "_Relax_, you're going to do fine," Mark whispered rubbing her shoulder, "So, what's Andrew like?" Sara looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "I guess he'd be okay if he wasn't following me around like a damn puppy dog," she said. Mark looked down at her with a grin on his face. "You'll be fine. I have no doubt that you'll quickly set him in his place," he whispered in her ear. Sara grinned and shook her head.

John's match was first; he was fighting against Dallas. "Do you remember the plan?" John asked as they headed to the entrance. "Yes, John. You're going to attack the referee, knocking him out. The lights are going to go down, and I'm going to run out and DDT Dallas. Then, when the lights come back on, I'm going to be at the top of the stage with my arms crossed. You get the pin fall, and come up to the top of the stage; I go down to the ring and execute a _beautiful_ hurricanrana," Sara said smiling. "You got it, gorgeous," John said patting her head. When they got to the entranceway, Sara took a deep breath. When the music hit, she practically jumped out of her skin. "Remember," John said before heading out, "Not until the lights go out." Sara nodded and lowered her head, preparing to get into character. When she looked up, all she was attentive to was the crowd and the action in the ring. John quickly established his strength as he used power moves back to back against Dallas. However, about five minutes into the match, Dallas reversed the momentum with an excruciating neckbreaker. He picked John up and went to sling him into the ropes, but John reversed it and sent Dallas crashing into the referee. The lights went out and Sara dashed out and down to the ring. She felt the tension in the air as she slid in the ring, located Dallas, and quickly executed a DDT, then ran back up to the top of the ramp. She turned around and crossed her arms as the lights came back on. John looked around with an evil grin, spotted at Dallas' prone body, and quickly got the pin fall. He slid out of the ring afterwards and walked up to the top of the ramp. He touched Sara's shoulder and said, "Do your thing, sweetie." Sara nodded and stalked down to the ring. She agilely made her way to the top rope as Dallas stood. When he faced her, she soared off the top rope and landed a perfect hurricanrana. The crowd gasped in unison as she slid out of the ring. She walked up to the top of the ramp as the crowd went silent. She slowly turned around, panned a view through the crowd, before grinning wickedly and walking to the back.

When she got to the back, she plopped down into a chair and lowered her head. She hated doing high-risk maneuvers like that. They could cause a high amount of injury, both to her as well as her opponents. A hand on her shoulder brought her out of her daze. She looked up and into the concerned eyes of Mark. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Yeah, I just…I hate doing those high-flying moves…they're so dangerous," she answered, "I just had a rush of blood to the head. I'll be fine." She slowly stood up and took a step forward, but her legs buckled. "Sara!" Mark said kneeling down beside her. He helped her stand and put a reassuring arm around her waist. "Back off, Mark, I'm fine," Sara said pushing him away and walking back to the locker room on her own. Mark shook his head and followed behind her.

A huge round of applause met Sara as she walked into the locker room. Shorty came up to her and hugged her tightly. "That was the _most_ beautiful hurricanrana I've ever seen," he said, "I'm very proud…and impressed." Sara looked down and smiled. Shorty had been very hard and strict in his teachings because he only accepted the best, and for him to congratulate her like that in front of everyone, it made her feel like she'd accomplished something. "Thanks, Shorty," she said quietly, "The crowd seemed really impressed, too." "Yeah, they were," Shorty said patting her shoulder, "They were." Sara sat down with a bottle of water as she tried to recollect her thoughts. The adrenaline that had been pumping through her body when she'd went out there was just unbelievable. "Feels good, doesn't it?" Eric said looking at her. Sara looked up and immediately knew what he was talking about. "Oh, yeah," she answered honestly, "I mean, the rush is just _unbelievable_." Eric grinned before walking away.

There was one match, plus an interview, before Sara was once again called on to perform. Patrick's match was next; he was facing Steve. The plan was for Sara to attack a cameraman who would "unknowingly" provoke her by being in her face for the entire match; they had already approved it with Vince and the cameraman. Sara would be accompanying Patrick to the ring, so that the crowd could get a better look at her. When the music started, Sara took a deep breath. It was getting easier by the minute to get into character. They headed out side by side. Sara grinned under her scarf as she noticed the crowd following her every move. It was actually nice to have all the attention on her. Patrick tossed Steve around for almost the entire match; as he finally put Steve into his finishing maneuver, Sara glared at the cameraman, who had been in her face for the entire match as planned. As the bell rang signaling the end of the match, she speared him with all her might and began to hit him with hard right punches. She then stood and started kicking him. Security tried to pull her off, but Sara pried away and slid in the ring to help Patrick. Patrick picked up Steve, whispering "DDK" to Sara as he slung Steve into the ropes. Sara nodded slightly and, when Steve bounded back, executed a perfect double-dropkick alongside Patrick. Patrick then picked up Steve and threw him to Sara, who executed a beautiful belly-to-back suplex. They sped out of the ring as Roddy and Larry ran down the ramp. Patrick and Sara headed up the ramp backwards, glaring down Roddy and Larry.

When they got to the back, Patrick picked up Sara and swung her around. "You were great!" he said kissing her cheek. "Put me down, you big oaf!" Sara said smiling. She playfully punched his sweaty chest as they walked to the locker room. Sara, once again, walked into the room to a round of applause. She blushed slightly and quickly sat down beside Mark. "Don't be embarrassed, Sara," Mark whispered, "You deserve every bit of this. You've worked your ass off, and it's showing." Sara nodded as she crossed her legs. Andrew watched her from across the room and took a deep breath. She was beautiful, physically as well as mentally. She was not only a great wrestler, but an awesome athlete and she seemed to be an expert on ring psychology. Andrew admired her spunk, as well as her determination to be perfect in the ring. He had watched her humbly thank Sean for his words of kindness; obviously that was not an everyday thing. He headed over to talk to her, but glanced at Mark, who had been watching him stare at Sara and placed a somewhat possessive arm around her shoulders, and decided not to. Instead, he sat down in front of the monitor and watched the show with the rest of the guys. Sara removed her sunglasses and wiped the drops of sweat from under her eyes. That belly-to-black suplex had hurt like hell, for the mere fact that she hadn't practiced it in a long while. Her back was surely bruised because of it.

When Sara was called on again, she got extremely nervous. It was Kevin's match, and he was facing Glenn Jacobs, known to the crowd as John Kronus. Glenn was no ordinary man, which was why he made Sara so nervous. He was an unbelievable 7'0" even, and his muscles seemed to pop out everywhere. His arms were about 23", his thighs were 40", and his chest was about 50". His character was just a monster; Glenn, however, wouldn't hurt a fly. He was one of the gentlest guys Sara knew. Sara's interference in the match was actually quite simple: knock Glenn out with a chair shot to the head. Sara was just concerned that she couldn't reach up that high. _I'll just hit him from the top rope_, she thought as she plopped down in Janet's chair. "Could you fix me up real quick?" she asked. "Yeah, Sara, anything," Janet said. She quickly re-did the French braid, as well as Sara's make-up. "Sara, come on!" Kevin said as he headed to the entranceway. Sara bounded out of the chair behind him. "Sara?" Sara spun around and stared at Janet; she was holding up the items that had hidden Sara's identity for the entire night. "Oh, jeez, thanks, Janet," Sara said bounding back over to her. She grabbed the stuff and put them on as she caught up with Kevin. Glenn was already in the ring when she got there. "Would you prefer to come out there now, or wait?" Kevin asked. "I'll wait," Sara answered, "I spent enough time out there last time." Kevin nodded as the music started. "See ya out there, babe," he said before heading out. Sara nodded and lowered her head, once again beginning her process of drowning out outside sounds.

Sara looked up a few minutes later with a dark look in her eyes. She was ready to kick somebody's ass. The adrenaline was flowing through her veins like water, and she couldn't wait to get out in front of the crowd again. Finally, her moment came. Glenn accidentally knocked out the referee and went to pound on Kevin. Sara grabbed a nearby chair and ran out to the ring. As she dashed up to the top rope, she felt the crowd gasp in unison. Glenn slowly stood up and, just as he turned around, Sara launched herself off the top rope and hit Glenn right in the head with the chair. He fell to the mat hard, as did Sara. She quickly rolled out of the ring with the chair in hand. Kevin slowly crawled over to him and went for the pin fall. The referee finally came to and made the count, but Glenn kicked out at two. Sara narrowed her eyes and mumbled under her breath. This was not what she had expected to happen. Scott ran down to the ring and distracted the referee. Sara caught on to the plan and quickly slid in the ring. She hit Glenn with a powerful swinging DDT off the middle rope onto the chair. She grabbed the chair and slid out of the ring as Scott jumped down off the mat. Kevin once again went for the pin fall, but Glenn kicked out a second time. Sara jumped up onto the mat as Scott craftily distracted the referee by trying to get into the ring. Kevin rolled out of the way as she climbed onto the top rope. Sara took a deep breath before launching herself off the top rope, and hitting a perfect Senton bomb. Sara swore she heard the crowd cheer slightly as she slid out of the ring. This time, Kevin got the pin fall. "Third time's a charm," Sara said pulling her hat down a little tighter. She, Kevin, and Scott walked up the ramp backwards, with their hands held high. The crowd response was a mixture of cheering and booing.

Sara let out a long breath as she walked into the back. The pain in her back had not decreased, especially with that Senton bomb she just did. Glenn stopped her moments later. "I'm very proud of you, Ms. Roberts," he said patting her on the back, "You've come a long way. It's good to have you back." "Thanks, Glenn," Sara said wincing slightly. She headed to the locker room with her head lowered, but she was stopped when she saw the replay of her Senton bomb on a monitor. "Look at that, J. R. I mean, wow! This woman moves like a cat!" Jerry Lawler screamed. "Yes, King, you're right. She's amazing, and check out that Senton bomb," Jim Ross answered, "It was astonishingly perfect! The only question is who is this _stunning_ woman performing these outrageous maneuvers?" Sara smiled as she walked back to the locker room. Yet another entourage of applause met her when she walked through the door. This time, Shorty came over and picked her up in a gigantic hug. She winced slightly as he set her down. "Now I _know_ my teachings have paid off," he said smiling. "Yeah, Sara, that was awesome, girl," Liz said smiling. Sara smiled slightly as she went to sit down. "Are you okay, Sara?" Andrew asked noticing the somewhat grim look on her face. "I'm fine," she snapped sitting down beside Mark. "Sara, baby, what's wrong?" Mark asked gently rubbing her back. "It's just…being in the ring in front of that crowd…I kind of forget about the pain," Sara whispered, "And then, when I get back here…it just kind of comes rushing forward." Mark took a deep breath as he continued to move his hand over her back. "You'll be fine," he said quietly.

Finally, around ten minutes to eleven, Sara found Roddy's opponent…Roddy. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?" she asked confronting Shawn. "Sara, relax. This will only make your debut even better," Shawn said touching her shoulder, "You helping us defeat your ex-husband. The crowd will eat it up." Sara lowered her head and thought about it. "You're absolutely right. I'm sorry, Shawn, I didn't think of it that way," she answered. "Don't sweat it, Sara," Shawn said as he headed to the entranceway. Sara followed behind him with her head lowered, trying to think of something different to do besides the planned DDT. _Aha, I'll do a flying headscissors_, Sara thought. "Sara, I've got some good news for you," Eric said running up behind her. "Well?" she asked excitedly. "You _will_ have your face shown tonight," Eric said smiling. "Thanks, Eric," she said as the music started. She quickly removed the smile from her face as she tied on her scarf. It took her mere moments to get into character. She headed out behind Shawn with a grim look on her face. She scanned the crowd, and could tell every eye was on her and Shawn. Due to her sunglasses, hat, and scarf, no one could really see her face.

The match started off fast, with Shawn launching an aerial assault that was un-countered. She had seen many, many tapes of Roddy being beat up over the past three months, so it didn't faze her anymore. Sara looked on in approval, until Roddy reversed an overhead suplex with one of his own. When Roddy countered Shawn's move, she actually got angry. She tripped Roddy up on his way to do a flying DDT. He flipped over and glared at her; Sara simply glared right back. Suddenly, Kevin and Mark ran out and attacked Roddy, followed by Larry, Steve, and Dallas. Kevin, Mark, and Shawn took the fight with Larry, Steve, and Dallas to the outside of the ring. Sara quickly climbed into the ring and picked Roddy up, who'd been lying prone in the corner. She went to do her flying headscissors, but Roddy countered it with a powerful powerbomb. Sara groaned and grabbed at her lower back. Mark saw what happened and slid in the ring, attacking Roddy. Sara slowly stood and began to help Mark. She laughed as they kicked and punched at Roddy. Suddenly, Larry slid in the ring and attacked Mark. Roddy bounded up and glared at Sara. He grabbed her neck and reached back to hit her. The crowd yelled and cheered in agreement. However, Sara quickly snatched off her scarf and glasses, smiling as Roddy released her. "You!" he said in shock. "Yeah, me!" Sara said as Roddy was attacked from behind with a chair. Sara looked up and into the eyes of Shawn. The crowd reaction immediately turned to boos. They even began throwing objects into the ring. Shawn grabbed a microphone from the announcer and handed it to Sara. She stepped over Roddy's prone body and tapped his face. "Hey, Roddy…can you hear me? Because I hope this gets into that narrow-minded little head of yours. I'm Chyna, and I'm more woman than you can handle, pal," she said smiling evilly, "This is the beginning of the end for you." She threw the microphone down beside him and smiled as Mark and Shawn held up her hands, standing over Roddy's prone body. As the show went off the air, Sara slowly climbed out of the ring, followed by her fellow 'Corporation' members. Larry, Dallas, and Steve slid in the ring and helped Roddy up.

Sara smiled wickedly and said, "You've met your match! I'm back, and I'm gonna hurt you like you've never been hurt before!", before turning around and walking through the curtains. "You took that powerbomb well," Kevin said to her. "Thanks, Kev," Sara replied, "But it hurt like hell." "You'll get used to it as you take more performance bumps," Shawn said. Sara sighed heavily as she headed towards the ladies' locker room. When she got there, she took a nice hot shower and changed back into her street clothes. She headed back to the 'Corporation' locker room with a headache. She reached for the doorknob, but was pulled into someone's arms. She immediately recognized him and put her arms around his waist. "You were excellent, baby," Roddy whispered, "I was _so glad_ to see you back in the ring." "Thanks, Roddy, it feels good to be back," Sara said looking up at him, "But you didn't have to powerbomb me so hard." "I'm sorry, Sara, I didn't mean to hurt you," Roddy whispered. "Don't worry about it, babe, I forgive you," Sara answered. "Ahem." Sara slowly released Roddy and turned around. Kevin was standing there staring at her. "I'll see ya later, Sara," Roddy said before heading back into his locker room. "Okay, Roddy, maybe I'll call you sometime," she replied staring at Kevin.

The door clicked shut and Sara raised her eyebrow. "What was the purpose of doing that?" she asked somewhat angrily. "Sara, we're not supposed to 'socialize' with them," Kevin said, "You know that." "Listen, Kevin, I joined this group quite unwillingly. I gave up a very good life for this group, and I will not have you, or anyone else, tell me whom I can or cannot speak to," Sara replied, "I will _not_ give up my friends. That's the one thing I _won't_ do. Okay?" Kevin shook his head and smiled. "You are one bold chick, Sara," he said opening the door for her. "Would you expect any less?" she asked going in. She got inside and stopped. Everyone was standing there just staring at her. At first, Sara thought she was going to get in trouble for talking to Roddy, but then Scott started clapping. Shorty joined him; eventually, the whole group did. Sara blushed deeply and sat down. Eric came over to her and patted her shoulder. "Excellent, Sara, truly extraordinary," he said. "Thank you, Eric," Sara said humbly, "I only went out there and did my best." "Well, it really showed. The fans were truly captivated by your presence," Eric said. Sara crossed her legs and lowered her head. Her back was still hurting, worse than before, and now her headache was getting worse. She tried to ease the pain in her head by rubbing her temples, as Stephanie had taught her, but it didn't seem to be working. "Here." Sara looked up at Kevin and sighed. She took the aspirin and glass of water, downing both in mere seconds. "Thanks, Kevin," she whispered.

Twenty minutes later, everyone was ready to go. Sara tried to stand, but the pain in her body was too much. "Come on," Andrew said trying to help her up. Sara weakly tried to push him away, but he wouldn't let her. "Don't be stubborn," he said putting her arm around his neck and helping her stand. Sara sighed heavily as he helped her to the limo. When they got there, Sara slowly slid in beside Mark. "Are you okay, babe?" Mark asked putting an arm around her. "Yeah…I just…need some sleep," Sara whispered resting her head on his shoulder. "Well, we should get back to the hotel in about ten minutes," Mark said quietly, "You'll be fine once you get there." The limo pulled off a few moments later. Sara was almost asleep when it stopped. Mark helped her out slowly. "Hey, guys, wait up," Liz said from behind. Mark turned around a little too quickly, because Sara groaned. "I need to get to my room," Sara whispered. Her back seemed to be on fire, and her head was pounding. She hadn't been in this much pain since she first started training. "Okay, baby, we're goin'," Mark whispered slowly picking her up. He handed her bag to Liz before going into the hotel.

When they got to the elevator, it was nearly full. "I'll wait," Andrew said stepping out, followed by Shorty and Scott. "Thanks, guys," Mark said going in, followed by Liz. When they got to the room, Liz quickly opened the door. Mark went in first and slowly lied Sara down on her bed. He went to pull off her shirt, but she pushed his hands away. "What are you doin'?" she asked. "I'm just checkin' the damage," Mark answered. Sara winced as she allowed Mark to remove her shirt and carefully flip her onto her stomach. "Jesus, your back is bruised all to hell. Did you need to make such an impression that you hurt yourself like this?" Mark said, "Liz, can you get me some ice?" "Mark, it hurts so much," Sara whispered as tears filled her eyes, "Please, make it stop." "I'm trying, Sara," Mark whispered as Liz handed him a towel full of ice. He slowly placed it on her shoulder blade, where the darkest bruise was, and lied down beside her. Sara started crying from the pain; she couldn't even find the strength to move so that Mark could fit on the bed comfortably. He ended up having to sit up and scoot her entire body over, before he could lie down beside her. "Hush, darlin', this is going to make it feel better," he whispered kissing her wet cheeks. "Are you going to stay here tonight, Mark?" Liz asked as she began to pack her bags. "Yeah, Liz, if you don't mind," Mark answered moving the ice over Sara's back. "No, I don't mind at all," Liz replied. After she finished, she packed Sara's bags as well. Liz didn't get into bed until close to two a.m.


	14. Switching Roles

**Chapter 13…Switching Roles**

Sara awoke the next morning around eight, and found that she was alone. She went to sit up, but her back was still in a bit of pain. She groaned slightly as she forced herself to sit up. Liz was bustling around the room straightening things up. "Where'd Mark go?" she said quietly. "He left a couple hours ago to pack," Liz said as she made her bed. "Shit! I've got to pack," Sara said bounding off of her bed, wincing at the pain in her shoulder. "Don't worry about that. I packed for you last night," Liz said tossing Sara her shirt. "You're the best, Liz," Sara said going into the bathroom. Standing in the mirror, she strained to look at her shoulder, which was still in pain. There was a slight discoloration from her shoulder to her mid-back. She sighed and used the bathroom, washed her hands, and put on her shirt as she walked out. "Where are you goin'?" Liz asked as she opened the front door. "To thank Mark," Sara answered as she left. Liz shook her head as she continued to straighten things up.

Sara rotated her neck as she headed down to Mark's room. She quietly knocked on the door and took a deep breath. The door opened and Mark pulled her in. "What are you doin' here?" he whispered, "You're not supposed to leave your room until Eric inspects it." "I just wanted to thank you," Sara whispered, "For last night. You didn't have to do that." "Sara, you were in a lot of pain. I didn't want to see you like that," Mark whispered touching her cheek. Sara reached up and kissed Mark's cheek before saying, "Thank you, Mark. I really appreciate it." Mark sighed and lowered his head. "What's wrong?" Sara asked. "You didn't kiss me," he whispered pointing to his lips, "Here." Sara rolled her eyes playfully and kissed him softly. "Thank you, babe," she whispered before leaving. Mark smiled as he shut the door behind her. "Who was that?" Shawn asked coming out of the bathroom. "Sara. She didn't know not to leave her room, so I told her," Mark answered going back to packing. "Okay," Shawn said resuming his cleaning.

Sara went back to her room and shut the door. "Why didn't you tell me I wasn't supposed to leave?" she asked Liz. "Would you have listened to me?" Liz said grinning. "No, but at least I would have known," Sara said smiling back. Liz shook her head as Sara went into the bathroom. Sara took a long shower, allowing the steaming hot water to massage her back. She didn't want to leave the warmth of the shower, so she washed her hair to waste time. When she stepped out, her back felt a little better. She went into the room and quickly got dressed in a pair of loose jeans and a t-shirt. As she made her bed, Eric came storming in. "Good morning, Eric," Sara said. He obviously looked stressed, so she simply smiled at him. "Yeah, yeah," Eric snapped looking over the room, "Be downstairs in five minutes. "But we have another half--." "Five minutes!" Eric said leaving, bumping into Mark on the way out. "Good mornin', Eric," Mark said smiling. "Why is everyone so damn sarcastic this morning?" Eric snapped leaving the room. Mark chuckled as he walked into the room. "Are you ladies ready?" he asked. "Yeah, Mark, just give me a couple of minutes," Sara said as she finished making her bed. When she finished, she and Liz inspected the room once more to make sure they hadn't left anything behind. "Alright, we're ready," Liz said heading out. Sara walked out behind her, and Mark let the door close behind him.

When they got downstairs, Sara plopped down in a chair and took a deep breath. "Are you feeling better?" Sara looked up and into the concerned eyes of Andrew. "Yeah, I'm fine," she snapped looking away. "Listen, Sara, I--." "Just leave me alone," she snapped. Andrew took a deep breath and walked away. "Give it time, man," Kevin said quietly, "She's got to get used to having you around." "I guess you're right," Andrew said. Kevin walked over to Sara and leaned down in front of her. "Are you okay, Sara?" he said, "Mark told me how bruised up you were." "Yeah, Kev, I'm fine, I promise," she whispered, "Why is everyone so concerned? I've been in more pain than this." "Yeah, but not everybody knows that," Kevin said, "Especially Andrew. Why don't you give the guy a chance?" Sara glared at Kevin before looking away. "I don't like having people follow me around like a babysitter, Kevin, and that's exactly what he is," she answered, "It's annoying." "Look, Sara, you're _overreacting_ to this situation. Just give the guy a _chance_; maybe he doesn't want you to look at him as a 'bodyguard', but as a friend," Kevin said. "I guess so," Sara admitted. She didn't want to disappoint Kevin, so she conceded to his wishes. "Good," Kevin said tapping her knee, "I hope you feel better." Sara forced a smile as she lowered her head.

"Alright, people, listen up," Eric said as Shawn handed out the itinerary for the next week, "We've got a really busy schedule this week. I'm just going to read off of it. Does everyone have one?" Everyone agreed and Eric began. "Okay, today, we're going to split up. Bret, Steve, Trish, Stephanie, Scott, Sean, Carlos, and Patrick, we're headed off to California, while the rest of you are going up to New York. I'll be traveling with the first group, while Shawn will go with the other half. This road trip is basically going to be personal appearances. We're going to meet up again in Massachusetts for Smackdown," Eric said looking around, "Alright, let's head out."

Everyone stood and followed Eric out. Sara strained to stand, but when Andrew headed towards her, she forced herself to her feet. She stared at him before heading to the limousine. They arrived at the airport around 9:30. When they got there, Sara practically shoved Andrew out of the limousine. "Sara, have you completely forgotten what I've taught you?" Kevin asked staring at her. "I'm sorry, Kevin, I'm just pissed off that Eric would do something like to me," Sara said honestly, "I'll try harder to be nice to him, I promise." Kevin nodded as they headed toward their gate. They boarded the 'Corporation' personal jet. Sara immediately headed to the infirmary, which was filled by the time she got there. "Hop on up here," Shawn said patting the empty table in front of him, "And take off your shirt." Sara took a deep breath as she slowly removed her shirt. "Oh, it's not that bad," Shawn said when he saw her bruise. "You should've seen it last night," Mark said walking up to Sara. Sara smiled as Mark stood in front of her. Shawn grinned as he placed ice on Sara's shoulder and wrapped it in place with gauze, across her chest and around her back. He taped the end in place and said, "There ya go, Sara." Sara stood and headed behind Mark to the main cabin. They found a seat near the middle.

"So, is your back feeling better?" Mark asked as Sara closed her eyes. "Well, it's better than it was last night," she whispered. "Well, that's good," Mark said touching her knee. Andrew looked at Sara from his seat and sighed heavily. _She's never gonna give me a chance_, he thought, _It's useless_. "Hey, pal, give her time," Kevin said quietly, "She's just come back, so she wasn't expecting have someone on her back 24/7." Andrew nodded and picked up a nearby newspaper. The plane took off minutes later. Mark spread a cover over Sara as she laid her head in his lap. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He and Sara fell asleep around the same time.

Sara awoke in a sweat. Her breathing was fast and uneven, and she knew that her skin was flushed. It was rather dark on the plane; the only lights on were in the walkway. A strong hand on her shoulder reassured her. "You're fine, Sara," Mark whispered. "Why is so hot in here?" she whispered sitting up. "Come on, I'll get you some water," he said helping her stand. They went to the kitchen area and sat down. Mark poured a glass of cold water and handed it to her. Sara downed it in mere moments. Mark smiled as he slowly removed her gauze. "There, all better," Mark said kissing the water droplets on her shoulder. It had returned to its normal color. "Thank you," Sara whispered. The lights clicked on and Sara covered her eyes.

"Alright, people, wake up! We've got a busy day!" Shawn's voice said over the P. A. system, "The plane will be landing in about five minutes. Wake up!" Sara smiled as she shook her head. "That'll be sure to wake people up," she said as she followed Mark back to their seats. They plopped down and buckled up their seatbelts. Suddenly, Andrew walked by and dropped Sara's shirt in her lap. She looked up at him, grinning as he walked away. _Maybe he's not so bad after all_, she thought as she put on her shirt. When the plane finally landed, Shawn appeared from the front cabin. "Alright, guys, this is the rundown of today's schedule. Sara, you and Liz are doing a radio interview at the local radio station at one; Mark, you and Kevin are going to the hospital to pay visits to the children's ward at two. "Let's see," Shawn said as he flipped through his itinerary, "Andy…you're sticking with Sara…Carlos and Sean, you guys are coming with me to the restaurant. We're supposed to do a 'surprise' appearance at noon. Alright, that's it. It's almost 11:30, so you guys have about an hour and a half to waste. Since we're leaving for Massachusetts as soon as we finish here, there's no use checkin' into a hotel. I don't want to hear any complaints, so don't be late. I'll see you guys later. Carlos, we should head out right now." Sara slowly stood, pushing Mark's hand away when he tried to help her, and walked over to Andy. He looked up at her and took a deep breath when she sat down.

"Andy…I want to apologize for being so mean to you. It's just…I'm coming back from a two-month absence, and I've really made a lot of improvement. I didn't know that I was going to have somebody down my throat 24/7. And…I mean, I'm a really nice person," Sara said slowly, "I just…I have to get used to having you around." "Sara, I don't want you to feel that I'm holding you down, nor do I want you to feel that I'm invading your space. I just want to do the job I was hired for," Andy said honestly, "I mean…Sara, I just want to be your friend." Sara looked down and took a deep breath. "I think that we can be friends, it'll just take time," she said looking back into his eyes, "Okay?" Andy nodded and asked, "Is your shoulder feeling better?" "Actually, yeah, it is," Sara said standing, "Thanks for asking." "No problem," Andy said as he watched Sara walk back over to her seat, "_No problem_."

"What was that all about?" Sara looked up at Mark and grinned. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, trying not to laugh. "What'd you talk about with him?" Mark asked. "Why?" Sara said smiling, "I just apologized for being so mean. I've got to get used to him sometime, and since he's going to be following me around, I might as well get used to him now." Mark sighed as he looked out of the plane window. "Are you jealous of my 'bodyguard'?" Sara asked punching his shoulder. "No, he just needs to know his place," Mark said quietly. "Mark, you're totally overreacting," Sara said putting her hand in his, "I'm going out with _you_, and besides, I would never leave you for my 'bodyguard'." Mark looked down at Sara and grinned. "I hope not," he said kissing the back of her hand, "You wanna go to breakfast?" "Sure," Sara said as they stood. They headed towards the exit, but Andy stopped them. "I'm sorry, Andy. Mark and I are just going to breakfast," she said. "Well, I have--." "I know, I know, you have to come with us," Sara said smiling, "So come on." Andrew grinned slightly as he followed them off the plane. "Told ya so," Kevin said to Andy as they left. When they got outside, there was a Chevrolet Silverado waiting for them. "Ah, my favorite," Mark said as Sara grabbed the keys from the valet. "I'm driving," Sara said. Before she could get around to the driver's side, though, Mark was already inside and buckling up his seat belt. "Mark, that's not fair," she playfully whined, "I called for it." "I'll make it up to you," Mark said holding out his hand for the keys. Sara grinned slightly as she dropped the keys in his hand. She ran around to the other side and slid in beside him. Andy took a deep breath as he slid in beside her. Mark sped off as he shut the door.

The next hour and a half passed quickly. Mark and Sara took a short trip to Central Park. Fortunately, no one bothered them for autographs, so they were able to enjoy their time together. Mark finally dropped Sara off in front of the radio station around quarter to one. "Have fun, baby," Mark said kissing her forehead. "Always," Sara said before jumping out of the truck. Liz was sitting on a bench in front of the radio station finishing up a salad. "What's up, honey?" Sara asked smiling. "Nothing," Liz said as she threw away her salad tray. "So, what'd you do?" Sara asked. "Hung out with Kevin," Liz said smiling, "That guy is nothin' but a big kid. You should've seen him in the arcade, challenging all of the kids in there." "That's Kevin for ya," Sara said smiling, "You ready to do this?" "Oh, yeah," Liz replied, "Might as well get it over with." The women, along with Andrew, walked into the radio station side by side.

The interview lasted for about an hour. The deejays asked questions for the first twenty minutes or so, and then took questions from the phone lines. The questions ranged from in-ring aspects to both Liz's and Sara's personal life; they, however, chose not to answer questions from the latter subject. When they finished, it was just after two o' clock. "Wow, the fans really have inquiring minds," Sara said as they left, "I'd forgotten about that." "Yeah, they do," Liz agreed. Sara walked out first, right into a mob of fans. "Well, how 'bout that?" she said as she began to sign autographs. "Yeah, how 'bout that," Liz whispered. When they finally finished, 45 minutes later, Sara sighed as she sat down on one of the nearby benches; Andrew sat down beside her. "You handled that well," he said, "I mean, for you to have just gotten back." "Well, Andy, I've learned over the years that you've got to be able to handle the fans in any situation, at any time," Sara said. "I've never been that popular, so I never really had to deal with that," Andy admitted, "I guess I'm going to have to learn a few things in this group, huh?" "Yeah, you will," Sara said smiling. She spotted Mark a few minutes later. She ran up to him and jumped into his arms. "How long have you been waiting?" he asked. "Well, we were done about 45 minutes ago, but those fans just came out of nowhere," Liz said as Mark set Sara down. "Yeah, I lost count of the number I signed," Sara said. "Well, we've got to be back at the airport in a half an hour, so we don't have time to do anything," Mark said leading them to the truck. "That's okay," Sara said, "We've got plenty of work to do in Massachusetts." They returned to the airport as quickly as possible, arriving about ten minutes ahead of schedule. "Good job, you two," Shawn said when they entered the plane cabin, "I heard the interview on the radio." "Thanks, Shawn," Sara said as she sat down. Everyone else filed onto the plane a few minutes later. They took off for Massachusetts at 3:30 on the dot.

The plane arrived in Massachusetts only a half an hour later. The group headed to the arena immediately. "The other half of the group will be arriving in a couple of hours," Shawn told the group when they got to their locker room. "I just talked to Eric a few minutes ago, and he says to be prepared for tonight, because it will be very similar to last night," Shawn added at the end of the meeting, "Sara…you've got a match." Sara gasped as she stared at Shawn. "A match?" she asked, "Already?" "It's nothin' big, just an intro match, to show the fans a little of what you're capable of," Shawn said calming her fears, "Vince doesn't want you to kill the guy, just beat him around a little bit. The match should only be about four or five minutes long." "Oh, okay, no problem," Sara said before heading to the ladies locker room She dressed in the same set she'd worn Monday night; she'd have to get the seamstresses to make her a few more. There was no need for the scarf, but she carried the sunglasses and leather cap with her to the 'Corporation' locker room.

"So, what's the poor guy's name?" she asked Shawn. "It's…Brock Lesnar. He's using that as his character name, so that's who you should go ask for," Shawn answered as Sara headed back out, "And, Sara, please don't scare the poor kid. It's his first match on television." Sara grinned before saying, "I'll take care of him." She closed the door behind her and quickly walked to the visitors' dressing room, where the independent wrestlers usually dressed. When she got there, she stopped and took a deep breath. She hadn't wrestled an independent wrestler in _years_, so she hoped that she could handle the situation well. She carefully knocked on the door and walked in. "Female entering," she said loud enough so that everyone could hear her. She'd learned over the years to warn the men that a woman was coming in, so that any who were undressed could get decent. When the guys noticed who she was, they all stopped what they were doing and stared at her in awe. Sara's nervousness increased as she scanned the room. "Is Brock Lesnar here?" she asked slowly. A 6'4" man stood and came over to Sara. He wasn't that much taller than Sara, but his weight had to be close to 300 lbs. To make it worse, it was almost pure muscle. She slowly gazed over him and took a deep breath. "Y-yes, ma'am?" he asked quietly. He was as nervous as Sara was. "_You're_ Brock Lesnar?" she asked. "Yes, ma'am," he said quietly. "Well, Brock, it looks like we're going to be facing each other tonight," Sara said, "I need to talk to you, so if you could go ahead and get dressed, I'll be outside waiting for you." "Yes, ma'am," Brock said before turning to head over to his cubicle. "Hey, Brock?" Sara said grinning. He looked at her and said, "Yes?" "Don't call me ma'am," she said before leaving, "I'm not that old, and I'm not married."

Sara sighed as she sat down outside the locker room door and began to try to plan a match. Without Brock there to suggest moves, though, it was getting complicated. She didn't want to beat on the guy the entire time; she wanted to show the crowd that she could take as much as she gave. Moments later, Brock came out of the dressing room. "Alright, good, you're here. I'm going to take you to the best place to plan a match," Sara said standing, "At least, that's what the wrestlers say." Sara then led Brock down to the entranceway, down the ramp, and into the ring. The expression of awe on his face was priceless. "You didn't have to bring me here," Brock said when Sara bounced off the ropes. "Trust me, if you make it here, you'll learn that this place is the best motivator for planning matches," Sara said smiling as he stared at her, "I know."

"Well, ma--. Well, Ms. Roberts…what now?" Brock asked as he looked around the empty arena. The fans weren't going to be coming in for another two hours. "Now…we get to know each other…so we know who we're getting into the ring with," Sara said as she finished up her sprints, "The more comfortable you are with your opponent, then the easier it is to wrestle in front of a crowd because you know that you aren't at any risk." "So, should I start?" Brock asked as he did sprints. "Yeah," Sara said as she sat down on the mat to stretch. Brock finished up his sprints and then sat down in front of her. "Well, I've been wrestling for about two years now, down in southwestern U.S., and I did some work in Florida as well. I was an amateur wrestling star in college, and then I graduated, and figured I'd give pro wrestling a chance," he said, "But I don't know if I belong here. I mean, everyone seems so…focused. I…don't know if I have that focus yet." "Brock, if you're here now, about to wrestle a match on WWF television, then obviously _someone_ thinks you have focus," Sara said, "In a business as competitive as this, you can't afford to doubt your abilities. I'm sure your wrestling background is helping you out." Brock looked out over the seats and pondered what Sara just said. "Yeah, you're right," he finally said. "Listen, Brock, I've seen men, and women, who have come through here and been doubtful. They didn't get very far," Sara said bluntly, "So trust me when I say that you're where you deserve to be. If you've worked your ass off like you said you have, then you have nothing to worry about." "Yes, ma'am," Brock said, "I mean, I understand." "However, jut because you're here now doesn't mean you stop workin' your ass off, because you will get nowhere fast," Sara added, "Now, I guess I can tell you a bit about me. I've been in the WWF for the past five or six years, but I've been in the business, for the most part, all my life. My dad was a wrestler for the N.W.A., and my stepfather was a wrestler for the old WWWF. I wasn't going to be a wrestler, because it had destroyed my family, and I didn't want to go through that as an adult. But, I met a wrestler here, and we ended up marrying. We divorced about…three months ago. But, hey, that's the way the cookie crumbles." "You did a lot in the short time that you've been here, though," Brock said, "I followed your career in college, and even when I independently wrestled." "Yeah, I have, but I worked my ass off for it," Sara replied, "I had to earn every bit of the respect I have now. I mean, honestly, most of the guys didn't want me here. They assumed I'd used Roddy to get a job here, which was _not_ the case _at all_." "Well, it seems like you proved yourself," Brock said as Sara stood. Sara smiled and glanced around the arena. "Yeah, I guess I did," she said, "Alright, now that we're comfy, we've got to get started on this match. You have anything in mind?" Brock took a deep breath and started. "Well, I know that this is your first match back, and I know that you're gonna win," he said, "I was thinkin' a match that went back and forth. You start off with the offense, then I come back with a few moves, and then you get back on the offense. I could try a couple of moves near the end of the match, but you're definitely gonna make a strong ending." Sara couldn't do anything but stare at him. "And you've only been in sports-entertainment for how long?" she asked grinning. She would've sworn she saw him blush. "Alright, here's what I had in mind," she said, "In the beginning, we're gonna lock up, and I'm gonna put you down with a headlock takeover. You're gonna really sell it; always remember that: sell everything. Then, I'm gonna roll down to your feet and kick you in the groin. Once you get up, I'm gonna hit you with a couple of simple suplexes, then pick you up and hit you with a sidewalk slam. You wanna practice that before I move on?" Brock nodded and Sara stretched out a little bit before positioning herself. They practiced the order of the moves a couple of times before moving on. "Alright, after that, I want you to hop up like the sidewalk slam didn't faze you. I'm gonna be so busy playing to the crowd that I don't see it, though. You're gonna grab me from behind and hit a neckbreaker. I want you to stand up and really play to the crowd while I just stare up at you. Then, I stand up and try to do a running attack, but you're gonna drop me with, like, three clotheslines in a row. On the third clothesline, though, I'm gonna duck and hit a reverse DDT. Once again, you're gonna act like that didn't faze you. I'm gonna get really frustrated and swing you into the ropes, hit a Lou Thesz press, and start nailin' you with right hands. I'm gonna get up and play to the crowd again. I'm gonna try a pin attempt, but I want you to kick out of it, and build up a decent offense. You got any moves you wanna try?" Brock grinned and said, "I've got a hell of a moonsault." Sara smiled and said, "Alright, go for it. After the moonsault, what then?" "Let's see, I can pick you up and hit a DDT; I'll pick you up again and hit a double arm suplex. And then, a falling neckbreaker," Brock spouted. "You're on a roll, aren't you?" Sara said smiling, "Alright, we've got to practice a few of those moves, like that damn moonsault…I can't wait to see that one."

Once again, she and Brock went through the match; it went smoothly. Sara's jaw dropped at the sight of Brock's huge body soaring off the top rope like an eagle. They tried that move more than a few times, and each time, Sara's reaction was the same. "Alright, alright," she said after the fifth time, "We've got to finish this thing up. Like you said, I'm gonna have a strong ending. After that falling neckbreaker, you're gonna try a pin attempt. I'm gonna kick out and sell that move. When I stand up, I want you to try and hit me with a strong suplex. I'm gonna reverse it and hit you with three back to back. After the third one, I'm gonna stand up and signal the end of the match. I'm gonna jump to the top rope and hit a hurricanrana. I'm gonna finish it off with a falcon arrow. You ever heard of that move?" Brock nodded, but said, "I haven't actually practiced it before; I've just seen it done." "Alright, thanks for letting me know. We'll do that move, and then head on to the back," Sara said. She did the move step-by-step, before going straight through it. Brock handled it very well. When they headed back up the ramp, Sara said, "This is gonna be a great match, Brock. I can just see it." "I think so, too," Brock said as he headed back to the visitors' locker room. "Hey, Sara." Sara turned around and found Mark at the snack table. "Hey, babe," she answered going up to him. "Did you have fun?" he asked. "Oh, yeah," she answered, "Did you see that guy? He's _huge_. He's definitely got potential to be a star." "You can always spot the stars, can't you?" Mark asked grinning. "I don't think I spot them, I think they make themselves seen," Sara answered back, "Listen, I'll talk to you later. I've got to get my hair done. Okay?" "Yeah, I'll see you later," Mark replied. Sara touched his arm before walking towards Janet's station. When she got there, however, Janet was busy working on one of the women used as an extra during certain vignettes. "Hey, Janet, how long do you think you'll be?" she asked. "Give me another 10-20 minutes, Sara," Janet said as she began to curl the woman's hair. "Alright, I'll be back," Sara said heading towards the snack table. She hadn't eaten anything since the trip in Boston, and she was practically starving. She grabbed a ham-and-cheese sandwich, an apple, and a bottle of water before heading to the balcony. She was quite glad to find it empty. She took a seat and ate her meal as she stared at the workers bustling below.

"Well, hello, there." Sara looked up and smiled. "Hi, L, how are you?" she said standing and hugging. "I'm fine, babe," Larry said, "And you?" "Oh, you know me. I'm hangin' in there," she said as she sat back down. "So, how are things goin' in the enemy camp?" Larry said smiling. "Oh, those guys are just big kids," Sara said biting into her sandwich, "They're just like you and Dallas, manifested into about 20 men." Larry chuckled to himself. "Why, do you miss me?" Sara asked grinning. "Sara, I'm not the only one who misses you," he whispered. Sara sighed heavily as she continued eating. "Larry…I…" "Sara, I didn't mean anything by that," Larry said hugging her. Sara sighed heavily as she hugged him back. "I know you didn't," she whispered. "Sara, look at me," Larry said forcing Sara to look him in the eye, "You know I would never say anything like that to intentionally hurt your feelings. We all miss you, especially Roddy, but we understand that you made the decision you wanted to, not because you had to." "Thank you, Larry," she whispered. "So, what's goin' on in your life? Any major changes?" he asked. "Yeah, actually…there is," Sara admitted with a smile, "Mark and I…we're dating now. It's only been two days, but we've learned so much about each other over the past three and a half months…it's like I've known him forever." Larry looked down at Sara and sighed heavily. "I'm glad for you," he said quietly, "You seem really happy." "I am, Larry…I am," Sara replied. "Is your schedule any busier?" he asked. "Not really, I mean, it is just a little," she answered, "It's like we're doing things that require more involvement with the community, more responsibilities to the fans." "You seem like you're havin' fun," Larry commented. "Oh, man, it is _so much fun_," Sara said smiling, "I mean, getting to just take the time to actually talk with the fans, and make them feel good about meeting someone famous. It's so impersonal, yet so professional, because everyone is so respectful of each other--." "Things were like that with Roddy, weren't they?" Sara stared up at Larry in shock. "Wh-where did that come from?" she whispered. "Weren't they, though, Sara?" Larry asked again. "Sort of, but--." "Why did you join that group, Sara?" he asked. Sara stood and tried to breathe. Of all the people to badger her, Larry was the last person she'd suspect. He was like one of her best friends.

Larry stood and forced her to look at him, saying, "Answer me, Sara. If you did all that stuff with Roddy, why did you agree to be put into that group?" "I don't have to answer that, Larry, and you are _way_ out of line," she said trying to break away from him. "_Was_ it because you wanted to further your career? Or was it because you wanted to be with Mark, and you couldn't do that while you were _married_?" he continued. A tear fell from Sara's eye as she slapped Lawrence. He released her arm and immediately apologized. Sara simply grabbed her trash and walked away. _Betrayed…betrayed by one of the closest friends I've ever had_, she thought as she scurried to Janet's area, _he knew…that I couldn't answer that. That's why he kept harassing me_. Sara's thoughts were interrupted when she bumped right into Mark. "Hey…what's wrong?" Mark asked immediately noticing her jumpiness. "Nothing," Sara managed to say. "Sara, don't lie to me," Mark said forcing her to look at him, "What happened?" Sara grabbed Mark's arm and pulled him to the side.

"If I tell you, promise you won't freak out," she said quietly. Mark raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked down at Sara. Someone had said something to upset her, and she didn't want him to overreact. "I promise," he said finally. "I was sitting up in the balcony eating, and Larry came up, and we started talking. The first comment he made, it shocked me. But he said that he didn't mean anything by it, but…then he started badgering me about why I joined the group," Sara said, "And he said…that I left only to be with you…not to further my career like I'd said…And…it just--." Mark walked off, heading for the balcony. Sara grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back. "Mark, I don't need this, okay," she said as he continued to walk forward, "I just got back, dammit…you _promised_!" Mark stopped when she said that. He turned towards her and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry," he whispered touching her shoulders, "I know how important this whole week is to you. I won't do anything unless you say it's okay. Promise." Sara grinned and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Mark," she whispered in his ear, "Now, I've got to go find Janet. She's got to fix me up for tonight." "Oh, yeah, good luck in your match," Mark said as she walked away. "Thanks, babe," Sara said over her shoulder.

Mark watched her head down the hall and took a deep breath. Larry had gone over the limit with what he'd done. If Sara hadn't have stopped him, Mark would surely have found him and given him a good verbal thrashing. He shook his head and went to the 'Corporation' locker room.

Sara quickly walked down to Janet's make-up and found her eating a sandwich. She plopped into the chair and said, "I'll wait until you finish." Janet put her sandwich down and dusted her hands on her pants. "Come on, I'll go ahead and get you ready now," she said. "You don't have to stop eating, Janet. Go ahead and finish," Sara said stopping her. "Are you sure?" Janet asked. "Yeah, go on," Sara answered lowering her head. Her mind wandered back to her conversation with Larry. _What drove him to do something like that?_, she thought, _Who told him to do something like that?_ A hand on her shoulder startled Sara. She looked up at Andy and sighed heavily. "What's up?" she asked quietly. "Nothin'. Mark said something about you bein' upset," Andy answered. "Don't…Oh, forget it. Just get him to tell you the story," she said lowering her head, "I really don't want to think about it right now." "Okay, I'll leave ya alone," Andy said before turning to head away. "Actually, don't talk to Mark," Sara said grabbing his arm, "He'll only get mad, and I don't need that right now. I'll tell ya later, okay?" "Okay," he said before leaving her there. Sara sighed heavily as Janet came around and began to braid her hair. "You did want a French braid, right?" she asked. "Yeah, Janet, I've got a match tonight. I don't want my hair all over the place," Sara said. Janet did the French braid tightly, but not painfully tight, and did Sara's make-up afterwards. When she finished, Sara thanked Janet and headed back to the locker room. She was stopped by Roddy a few feet from the door. "Sara, I--." "Don't apologize. That was Larry's doing. He should be the one apologizing," she said cutting him off. "But--." Sara walked around and him and went into the locker room, leaving Roddy standing there shocked. He had no idea what she was talking about.

Sara plopped down beside Andy and lowered her head. "Sara--." She shook her head and went into the bathroom. Tears fell from her eyes as guilt consumed her. Part of what Larry had said was indeed true; she had agreed to the divorce from Roddy because she wanted to be with Mark more, and she didn't necessarily want to further her career, merely do something _different_. The door opened and Sara quickly wiped her face. "Sara, sweetie, are you okay?" Liz asked. "Yeah, Liz, I'm fine…just give me a few minutes," she answered. "Oh, okay," Liz said before shutting the door. Sara sighed heavily as she wiped her eyes and washed her face. "Shit…Janet's gonna be pissed," she said as she walked out of the bathroom, through the locker room, and back to Janet's, ignoring the looks of concern from both Liz, Mark, _and_ Andy. She went back to Janet's and plopped down in the chair. "Are you okay, Sara?" Janet asked, "What happened to your make-up?" "Please…just fix it," Sara whispered. "Okay, babe," Janet answered before redoing Sara's make-up. When she finished, Sara sighed heavily before heading up to the balcony. She needed to get away from everyone so that she could get focused.

When she got there, she sat down and lowered her head. Things had been going great – she had made up with her mother, she had enjoyed her comeback, and she had a great match coming up – but Larry had ruined it with his statements. Whether they were made on purpose or not, he had still made them, and they had truly hurt Sara's feelings. The next hour passed by quickly, and only after Sara had noticed that the fans were beginning to file in did she head back to the locker room. When she got there, she took a deep breath and tried to relax. _If you go in there upset, everyone's gonna jump on your back, so _relax, she thought. She took a few deep breaths before finally entering. Mark and Andy immediately came up to her. "Where the heck have you been?" Mark asked. "Yeah, Sara, we've been really--." Sara cut him off by walking away and sitting down. Mark and Andy simply stared at her, and then at each other. "Go on, man, check and see if she's okay," Andy finally said, "I'm probably the last person she wants to see." Mark sighed as he looked over at Sara, who'd taken a seat at one of the tables and lied her head down. "Let's just leave her alone for the moment," he countered, "I don't want to upset her any more than she already is." "Alright, that's fine," Andy agreed taking his seat. Mark sat down beside him, and they continued watching the footage from Monday's show.

"Sara?" Sara looked up at Kevin and took a deep breath. "Yeah?" she asked quietly. Kevin sat down beside her and touched her back. "Are you okay, baby girl?" Kevin whispered, "You walked out of here earlier like somethin' was _really_ bothering you. You know I'm here for you, right?" Sara lied her head down and nodded. "I'm just kind of tired, I guess," Sara said closing her eyes. "Where was the excitement you had earlier? I mean, you've got a match in an hour Your first in almost five months," Kevin said. "Look, Kevin, I don't want to talk about it," Sara said turning her head the other way, "Just…please, leave me alone." Kevin sighed heavily and rubbed her back. "You'll be okay, Sara," he said standing, "We're here for ya." Sara nodded her head and tried to put the past two hours out of her head. Kevin was right. She had a match in about an hour that she had to concentrate on. She sat up in the chair and took a deep breath. If she had learned anything through her training, it was to put bad things in the back of her mind; they could be dealt with later.

When she opened her eyes, Mark was sitting right in front of her. "You okay?" he whispered. "Yeah, babe, I just…I needed to relax…" Sara answered looking down. "Why don't I believe you?" Mark whispered forcing her to look at him. "Mark, please, I'm trying to concentrate on later tonight, okay?" she said moving his hand away. "Alright, just…if you wanna talk, I'm here for you," Mark said standing. "Thank you," she whispered. Sara closed her eyes and began to concentrate on her match. It was the first time she would be wrestling in front of a live crowd in over four months. As she watched the match happen in her head, she relaxed and grinned to herself. _The crowd's gonna love it_, she thought. A few minutes later, Sara opened her eyes and found that she felt much better. She went and sat down beside Mark, crossing her legs and looking up at him when she did. "I'm guessing you feel better?" he asked. Sara smiled and nodded her head, then turned her attention to the television monitor in front of her. She specifically paid attention to the points where she was on camera. She noted how the crowd reacted to her when she first came out, and then when they figured out who she was. _I'll incorporate my demeanor that I used Monday night into my match tonight_, she thought.

After the tape was over, Andy removed it and put it on the television. He then went and sat down by Sara. "So, are you excited about your match tonight?" he asked. "Yeah, I am. It's gonna be a lot of fun," Sara said, "I don't plan on beating on the guy the entire time, just most of the time." "That's understandable," Mark said. "Yeah, you know, just to show the crowd that I can take what I can dish out," Sara added. Andy nodded as he watched her. "Well, you're gonna be great," Andy said. Sara grinned slightly and said, "Thank you, Andy." The rest of the guys piled into the room as Sara broke her eye contact with him. They sat down at the table and pulled out a deck of cards. "Can we take a walk?" Sara asked Mark. "Yeah, babe, no problem," Mark said standing. Sara stood and followed him out. They walked around the building hand in hand. ":So, what's on your mind?" Mark asked when they found a secluded spot in one of the empty locker rooms. "It's just…it's what Larry said to me; it's stuck in my mind," Sara whispered as she sat down in front of him. Mark sighed heavily as he sat down. "Sara…I don't know what to tell you to do," he said honestly, "If it were up to me, I'd go kick his ass. But, you've already got enough on your mind." "I mean, he just kept badgering me…and badgering me…I had to slap him to get him to let go of me," Sara whispered lowering her head. Mark tensed up when she said that. Not only had Larry upset Sara, but he'd put his hands on her. "And you know somethin'? He was right about one thing…I think that underneath it all…I did agree to join this group because of you," Sara said looking back up at Mark, "I mean, besides wanting to do something _different_ with my career, not only to get ahead, but to do something different…I wanted to be with you …just-just like Larry said." Mark came over and pulled Sara into his arms. "Sara…I didn't mean to break up your marriage, I swear I didn't," he said quietly, "I'm sorry, baby. I would never have been involved in that kidnapping if I knew it was gonna affect you like this." Sara tried not to cry, but the tears fell anyway. Mark sighed heavily as he rubbed Sara's back. "Sara, please, forgive me," he whispered. Sara wiped her eyes and looked up at Mark. "Mark…you didn't force me into this. I mean, _I_ made the choice to-to come to this group. I _wanted_ to…I just didn't mean to hurt Roddy. He was a big part of my life; we were _married_…but then you came along…and you made me realize that Roddy was not the guy I needed to make my life worth living…it was you," she said quietly, "And I thank you for that. I honestly thank you for clearing my mind. You're-you're just a really great guy. You're…perfect." Mark took a deep breath as he kissed Sara slowly. "Sara, I'd do anything for you…anything in the world," he whispered. "I know, Mark, I know," she replied as she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. She had been waiting to say that to Mark since she'd told her mother the truth behind her being in the 'Corporation'. "Do you feel any better?" Mark asked as he wiped her cheek.

Sara smiled as she stood and stretched. "Actually…I do," she answered. Mark stood and pulled her into his arms. "Sara…I think you're perfect, too," he whispered hugging her hard. Sara returned the hug before saying, "We should get back to the room. The show's about to start." Mark took a deep breath and slowly moved away from her. They walked back to the locker room discussing Sara's match.

The show passed by rather quickly. Sara's match came and passed. It was over in less time than she thought it would be; it only lasted about three or four minutes. It was actually a very good match, though. Vince even commended Brock after the match, as did Sara. "I guess I was wrong about you out there," Sara said as she walked down the hall beside Brock, "You really got the crowd hyped up." Brock grinned slightly and lowered his head. "Thank you," he said quietly. "If you don't mind me askin', how is it that you can be so quiet in the back, and yet you're outrageous in front of 20,000 people?" Sara said. "I don't know," Brock said, "I think it might be that being in front of 20,000 people, and knowing that they're watching me so I can entertain them, I feed off their energy, their anticipation. In the back, I'm too busy learning from the big stars to say anything." Sara grinned and punched at Brock's huge arm playfully. "You're good, Brock, you're real good," she said when they got to the women's locker room, "Just keep it up. Don't slack off because you got this opportunity. Work your ass off to get it again." "Yes, Sara," Brock said before walking away, "I won't let you down." Sara smiled at him before heading into the locker room. She took a quick shower before changing back into her street clothes.

As soon as she left the locker room, she bumped into Larry. She looked up at him with disappointment in her eyes. "What do you want?" she asked quietly. "Sara, I'm so sorry. I did _not_ mean to hurt you like I did earlier. You're like a sister to me, and I would never hurt you on purpose," he answered. Sara took a deep breath as she looked away. "Why'd you do that, Larry? Why'd you have to harass me?" she finally said, "I loved Roddy. I still do. You know that, but--. You know what? I don't have to explain myself. I apologized to Roddy; I apologized to everybody. I won't do it anymore." She then tried to leave, but Larry stopped her. "Sara, please, I'm asking you to forgive me. I'm sorry, I really am," he whispered, "I love you like a sister. You know--." "Ahem." Sara looked behind Larry and saw Mark. She shook her head slightly, as if pleading with him not to do anything. Larry turned and looked up at Mark. The look in Mark's eyes was anything but joy. "Mark, I was just--." "Larry, don't say anything. You'll only make the situation worse," Sara said before walking around him and grabbing Mark's hand, "I'm with Mark now, I'm in the angle, and there's nothing you, or anyone else, can do about it. It's over." She tried to pull Mark away, but he stood fast glaring at Larry. "Please, Mark…let's just go," Sara whispered, "Don't." Mark's arm muscle tensed before he looked down at Sara and then, seeing the sadness in her eyes, immediately relaxed. He then looked back at Larry and simply said, "Don't ever put your hands on her again." He then followed Sara back to the locker room. Larry sighed heavily as he headed back to Roddy's locker room.

When Mark and Sara got to the locker room, Mark stopped. Sara looked up at him and asked, "What's wrong now?" "I just want to apologize for that," he answered, "I shouldn't have said anything to him. It was your business, and you could've handled it." Sara looked down and took a deep breath. "Actually, I wanted to thank you for interfering. I don't know if I could've dealt with that again," she said looking back at him. "Don't worry about it, dollface," Mark said hugging her. They entered the locker room and took a seat at the table. Andy brought Sara a bottle of water and aspirin. "Just in case," he said before going back over to his card game with John and Ron. Sara looked over at him and grinned. "He's not so bad after all," she whispered to herself.

After the show, the entire group headed back to the airport, preparing for a hectic schedule.


	15. Connected

**Chapter 14…Connected**

The next nine months passed by extremely quickly. Sara and Mark's relationship grew stronger each day. Eric noticed this, and even tried to separate them whenever possible, but it didn't work. Finally, the entire group got a much needed week's vacation. Sara and Mark decided to take a trip to Daytona, to spend the week with her mother. When they got there Monday morning, they quickly checked into a hotel, getting two adjoining rooms. Sara took a shower first, dressing in a light blue skirt, and a loose black tank top. When she finally knocked on Mark's door, he opened it and pulled her in. She laughed and threw her arms around his neck as he leaned in to kiss her. "Wait, you have to get ready," she said pulling away from him just as his lips brushed past hers. Mark groaned and stared at her as she stood in front of the mirror. She glanced at him with a big smile on her face as she ran her fingers through her hair. He pulled on a t-shirt and his black boots, and then pulled her into his arms. "You can't escape me, dollface, no matter how much you try," he whispered before kissing her. Sara chuckled as her arms went around his neck. They stood there for about two minutes before Sara finally pulled away. "Ha, I pulled away first," she said smiling, "Now, come on. I want to get to my mom's." Mark rolled his eyes playfully as he grabbed his key off the dresser. They headed out hand in hand, as they had been doin' since their first date.

When the taxi pulled up in front of Sara's mother's house, it was almost eleven o´ clock. Sara climbed out of the cab as Mark paid the driver. She straightened out her skirt and headed up the stairs. "Will you wait for me?" Mark asked running up behind her. Sara grinned as she looked back at him while continuing to head up the stairs. They found the front door wide open. "Mom?" Sara said, "It's Sara." The house was empty. Sara looked around and saw that the back door was open. She went outside to the backyard, and found her mother in a lawn chair. "Mom?" she said again. Lucy turned around and jumped up. "Sara, baby, hi!" she screamed running up to her daughter. It had been nine long months since she'd seen Sara. The two women wrapped their arms around each other and twirled around. "Oh, mom, I'm so happy to see you!" Sara gleamed. "Oh, same here, girl, same here," Lucy said standing back and looking at her daughter, "You look great!" "Thanks, mom," Sara said smiling broadly. "And Mark, you look great, too," Lucy said hugging Mark. Mark thanked her and returned the hug. "Come on, let's sit down," Lucy said going back over to her chair, "We've got a lot to talk about. It's been nine months since I've seen you two." Sara and Mark lied on the ground in front of Lucy, and began to tell her everything they'd done over the past nine months.

They talked well into the afternoon. Finally, Sara asked Mark to go get her some water. "Would you like some, Lucy?" Mark asked as he stood. "If you don't mind, Mark," Lucy said. Mark shook his head as he went into the house. "You two are really attracted to each other, aren't you?" Lucy asked when Mark entered the house. Sara sighed as she lied back and looked up at the sky. "You could put it like that," she said smiling. "I can see it when you two look at each other. It's like nothing I've ever seen before," Lucy said, "It's…truly magical." Sara looked up at her mom and blushed slightly. "He just makes my life so much fun. At work, he's the ultimate professional; when we hang out together, he's just a normal guy," she said looking down. Lucy smiled as she said, "I'm so glad you're happy, sweetie." "Thank you, mom," Sara whispered as Mark came back out, "I really appreciate that." "Here you are, ladies," Mark said handing them glasses. He poured water from a pitcher, set the pitcher down beside him, and then lied down beside Sara. "So, were you ladies talking about me?" Mark asked looking down at Sara. She grinned and simply looked away. "It figures," Mark said kissing her cheek, "I go away for one second, and you just go on and on about me." Sara smiled and kissed his cheek in return. The three talked for another hour and a half before Lucy finally stood and stretched. "You okay, mom?" Sara asked. "Yeah, babe, it's just a little hot out here," Lucy answered heading into the house, "I think I'm gonna go inside now." "Yeah, it is kind of hot out here," Mark said as he grabbed the pitcher and stood, "Don't you think so, Sara?" Sara looked at the pitcher, and then at him, reading his thoughts. "You better not," she said grinning. "You think I won't?" Mark asked looking down at her. "You wouldn't dare," she said sitting up. "Oh, baby, don't dare me," Mark said throwing the entire pitcher of water over her. Sara's screams made Lucy whip around, and then start howling.

"Mom, don't laugh," Sara said standing and grabbing the water hose, "He's gonna pay for this." "Sara, do--." Sara laughed heartily as she turned on the water hose and sprayed down Mark. He finally got close enough to take the hose away from her and pull her into his arms. "You little devil," he said throwing down the hose, "You sneaky little devil." Sara smiled as he kissed her softly. "Yeah, that I am," she whispered. "Come on, you two. You've got to get dried off," Lucy said as she cut the hose off. Sara and Mark laughed as they headed into the house behind her. Sara went upstairs into the bathroom, while Mark went into the downstairs bathroom. When he came out, Lucy was sitting in the kitchen. He put his clothes in the dryer with Sara's before going in and joining her. Lucy looked over at him and grinned. "You love her, don't you?" she asked. Mark looked directly in her eyes and answered, without hesitation, "More than anything in this world, Lucy. She's what I've been searching for now for many years. She's a dream come true." "Have you told her yet?" Lucy asked. Mark took a deep breath and looked away. "I've been waiting to for the past three and a half months, but I never could find the right time," he answered quietly. "Well, Mark, now's definitely the time," Lucy said touching his hand. Sara walked in as Lucy removed her hand.

"And what was that about?" Sara asked plopping down on Mark's lap, "Am I the one being talked about now?" Mark smiled as he put his arms around her and smelled her freshly washed hair. "Of course," he whispered, "What else is there to talk about?" Sara giggled as he kissed her cheek. "I'll leave you two alone," Lucy said as she went into the living room, winking at Mark as she left. "Sara, there's something I wanted to tell you," Mark whispered after Lucy left. "What's up, hon?" Sara asked twirling his hair around her fingers. Mark took a deep breath as he thought of how to tell Sara his feelings for her. "Sara…we've been going out together for over nine months now, and I've…never really told you how I feel," he began, "I just could never find the right time or place. Eric was always trying to keep us apart." Sara looked into his eyes and touched his cheek. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Well, I…I just want you to know how I feel," Mark answered slowly, "Sara…I'm…I'm in love with you." Sara's eyes lit up when he said that, and a smile crept up on her face. "Say it again…please," she whispered touching her nose to his. "I love you…more than anything on this planet," Mark said touching her cheek, "You're my angel. You're everything to me." A tear fell from Sara's cheek as she whispered, "Mark…I love you, too. And I think I always have." Mark smiled and put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Oh, baby, you don't know how long I've been waiting to say that," he said in her ear. Sara chuckled as tears flowed from her eyes. "Why are you crying?" Mark asked looking into her eyes. "Because…" she answered slowly, "I can't tell you how long I've waited to hear you say that." "Would you like me to say it again?" he said, "Because I'll say it as many times as you want." Sara shook her head and said, "You don't have to, Mark. I feel how much you love me." "Should we join your mother?" Mark asked. "Yeah, before she starts to worry," Sara answered standing. Mark stood behind her and put his hands on her waist, then said, "Lead the way, princess." Sara smiled as she went into the living room.

They sat down on the sofa as Lucy put a tape into the VCR. "What's that?" Sara asked. "Con Air," Lucy answered as she took a seat on her couch. "Oh, okay," Sara said as she put her legs on Mark's lap. He smiled and placed his hands on her smooth calves. When the movie was over, it was almost eight o´ clock. "I guess we should get goin´," Sara said as she looked over at mother, who was fast asleep. "Yeah," Mark whispered, "I'll go get our clothes." Sara moved her legs so that Mark could stand, then went upstairs and got her mother's blanket. When she came back downstairs, she spread the blanket over her mother and kissed her forehead. "I love you, mama," she whispered, "I'll see you tomorrow." Mark handed Sara's clothes to her, and then headed to the downstairs bathroom. Sara quickly changed in the living room, slipping on her boots as Mark walked in. "Could you call a cab, Mark?" Sara whispered. Mark nodded and went into the kitchen. "You wanna go to dinner?" he asked when he came back into the living room. "Sure," Sara answered. They then cut off the lights and television, going out onto the front porch to wait for the cab.

That night, Sara and Mark were closer than they had ever been during their entire relationship. Mark treated her to Red Lobster that night, and as formal as he tried to make it, Sara tried her hardest to make it informal. They ended up feeding each other, instead of themselves. When they got back to the hotel, it was almost ten o´ clock. The two laughed and hugged all the way up their floor. When they stepped out of the elevator, Mark picked Sara up and kissed her all the way to her door. When he got there, he slowly set her down and whispered, "I love you, baby." Sara smiled as she opened the door and let Mark in. She slowly shut the door and walked over to him. "I love you, too," she answered as Mark sat down on her bed. She slowly straddled him and put her arms around his neck. She kissed him slowly before pulling away and whispering, "Mark…make love to me."

Mark grinned as he put his arms around her waist and locked his lips on hers. He slowly lied her down and rubbed her waist, slowly inching her shirt up until he reached her bra. "Somethin´s gonna have to come off," he said as he kissed her neck. "Do you really think so?" she asked smiling. Mark growled as he helped her remove her shirt, removing his as well. He began slowly at first, kissing her deeply and passionately, as he slowly removed her pants. When Sara felt his lips on her stomach, she laughed and squirmed. "Stop moving, will ya?" Mark asked as his hands moved over her smooth skin. Sara chuckled as she continued to squirm. Mark sighed and finally said, "I can't do anything if you're moving all over the place." Sara looked at him, smiled and motioned for him to come up to her. "Then do somethin´ about it," she whispered putting her arms around his neck and kissing him. Mark smiled as his hands roamed over her sides, down her legs, and up the insides of her thighs. Sara gasped when she felt a finger inside her. "I will," Mark whispered as his lips moved over her breasts. He reached behind her and slowly undid her bra, tossing it over his shoulder. Sara moaned as he continued to move his finger in and out. Mark used his free hand to massage her voluptuous breasts, capturing one in his mouth, while his free hand massaged the other. Sara ran her fingers through his long hair and across his shoulders. Mark worked over each breast before moving down. He left kisses all over her stomach and legs, before slowly turning her over and working his way up over her back. When he moved up her spine, Sara twitched slightly and giggled. "Sensitive there as well, are you?" Mark whispered as he slowly blew across her spine. Sara smiled and giggled again. Mark moved up to her shoulders and began to leave kisses there as well. "You're so beautiful, baby," he whispered kissing her ears, "I love every part of you." Sara slowly turned around and caressed Mark's cheek. "I love every part of you, too, baby," she said kissing him deeply. Mark put his arms around her and flipped onto his back, bringing her onto his stomach.

Sara broke the kiss and began to move her lips over his face and neck. She moved closer to his crotch, alternating between soft kisses and gentle nips. As she inched down, Mark began to tremble…involuntarily. "Now who's sensitive?" Sara whispered as she slowly undid his belt. Mark leaned up on his elbows and watched her as she slowly removed his pants. She raked her nails gently over his legs as she moved back up, then stopped. Mark groaned to himself as she slowly slipped her hand inside his boxers. "Sara…what--." Sara wrapped her hand around his penis and began to caress it. "If you can tease me…I can tease you," she whispered as she slowly inched her way back down, leaving a trail of kisses across his chest and stomach before slowly putting her mouth on him. Mark grabbed the sheets and emitted a deep, guttural sound. Sara chuckled as she slowly moved her mouth up and down all over the large weapon in her hand. It was getting harder and harder by the moment; it was like holding a great rock covered in velvet. "Jeez, Mark," she said looking up at him, "I didn't know you had it like this." Mark groaned as he whispered, "Red-heads typically do…it's a lot…of testosterone." Sara smiled as she continued to tease him; Mark was at least seven inches soft, and she had no doubt that he would extend that few inches when he was hard. "Oh, Sara…you don't know what you're doin'´ to me," Mark growled moving his fingers through her hair. Sara sped up little by little until she felt Mark trembling greatly. She then ran her tongue up the length of him and inched back up to his neck. "Do I tease good?" she whispered kissing his neck. Mark growled as he rolled on top of her and kissed her hard.

"That wasn't fair…and you know it," he whispered moving his hands over her bare skin. He slowly removed his boxers while kissing all over her face and neck. As he moved down, Sara smiled and slipped off her panties. When she felt Mark's tongue delve inside her, she screamed and moaned at the same time. Mark grinned and continued to play with her. His tongue flicked over her womanhood, as his mouth took up her sweet taste. Sara tossed her head back and forth as Mark seemed to go deeper and deeper inside her. Mark put his hands under her butt and tried to lift her up. He couldn't get enough of her sweet taste. It was like quenching a thirst he never thought he had. Sara locked her legs around his head and moaned louder. Mark must've counted at least nine orgasms from Sara before he finally stopped. "Jesus, Mark," Sara gasped as he moved back up. His lips continued to move over her chest as she lied there. "Yeah, babe?" he whispered. "I thought you were never gonna stop," Sara said smiling. Mark grinned as he caressed Sara's gleaming skin. "I try my best," he whispered, "Now…onto the main show." Sara smiled as Mark slowly kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he eased inside her. Sara gasped as she wrapped her fingers in Mark's hair. Mark smiled as he slowly began to move his hips. He was going to take his time with Sara, no matter how much she wanted him to go faster.

Sara raked her nails up and down his back as he pumped his hips. "Be careful," Mark growled kissing her neck, "You'll draw blood." Sara chuckled as she began to rub her hands over the scratches. "I'm sorry," she whispered moving with him. She let her hands roam all over his upper body as she closed her eyes and moaned softly. "You're so beautiful," Mark whispered as he began to speed up, "My dollface, you're so beautiful." Sara forced Mark onto his back and slowly began to ride him. Mark grinned as his hands found her breasts and began to knead them. Sara leaned down and allowed Mark to take her right breast in his mouth. Mark suckled softly on the hard nub of Sara's nipple. He pinched it gently with his teeth, chuckling when Sara gasped. Sara moaned softly as she continued to ride him. She tried to quicken the pace, but Mark put his hands on her hips and slowed her down. "Take your time, baby," he said before moving to her left breast, "Take your time." Sara moved his hands and locked her fingers with his. "We're so perfect together," she whispered tossing her head back, "We fit just right." Mark smiled and leaned his head back, grasping Sara's hips as she rode him. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to last. "Yeah, that's good," Sara moaned, "Oh, honey, that's good." Despite Mark's grip on her hips, Sara quickened her pace, moving up and down as fast as she could. Suddenly, Mark flipped over and started pumping as hard as he could. Sara emitted soft mews as she quickly caught up with his pace. Mark groaned as he waited for Sara to have one last orgasm before letting go himself, being swallowed in an ocean of pleasure. He jerked several times before finally collapsing on top of her. Sara rubbed his back as they kissed gently. "I love you," Mark whispered kissing her earlobe. "I love you, too," Sara answered as Mark moved off of her and put his arms around her. His legs tied up with hers, and their hands locked together. They fell asleep just like that, not wanted to be any further apart than they had to be after what they had just shared.

The next morning, Sara woke up completely under Mark. His weight didn't bother her at all; she simply put her arms around his neck and spread her legs slightly to accommodate his size. "Mmm…is that a clue?" Mark whispered moments later. "Not really…just lie there," Sara whispered as her hands moved gently through his hair. Mark nuzzled his face in her neck and sighed with a grin on his face. "Sara?" he whispered. "Yeah, babe?" Sara asked quietly. "Thank you," he answered. Sara opened her eyes and looked into Mark's emerald green ones. "For what?" she asked. "For everything…you are so special to me…you are…a dream come true…you're what I've been waiting for," Mark said caressing her cheek softly, "You make me the happiest man on the planet…just by being with me. That's what I'm thankful for." Sara smiled as a tear fell from the corner of her eye. Mark kissed the tear away and rubbed his nose in her hair. "What time is it?" she asked a few minutes later. Mark looked over at the clock and sighed. "Almost eleven," he answered. "Do you think we should get up now? I would usually be up and running by now," Sara said. "Sara, we've got a week to ourselves. We don't have to get up until we want to," Mark said moving to lie beside her. "You're right," Sara said as Mark's arm came across her stomach, "But at least cut on the television." Mark smiled as he reached over for the remote, then cut the television on.

They lied together talking for the next two hours, not even paying attention to the television. Finally, around one o´ clock, Sara stretched and said, "Okay, I've got to take a shower. I can't lie here anymore." Mark smiled as he stood and picked her up. Sara squealed as her arms instantly went around his neck. Mark carried her into the bathroom and set her down. "You big bear," she smiled as she cut on the shower. She stepped in and found herself followed by Mark. "And just what are you doin'?" she asked looking up at him. "Showering…with the love of my life," he answered picking up the bar of soap. Sara smiled as he began to lather her entire body with the soap, not missing one inch. When he finished, he made her let him wash her hair. "Are you enjoying this?" Sara asked with her arms folded. "Actually," Mark said kissing her wet forehead, "Yeah, I am." Sara grinned as he rinsed her hair gently. When he finished, she turned around and bathed him in return.

They climbed out and went into their respective rooms to get dressed. Sara finished first and went into the bathroom to do her hair. As she put on her make-up, Mark walked in. She looked up at him and winked before going back to putting on the make-up. "You know somethin´? You don't need that stuff to be beautiful," Mark said standing behind her, "You're already gorgeous." Sara blushed slightly at that wonderful compliment. "You always know the right things to say, don't you?" she whispered. "Only when I say them to the right person," Mark answered. Sara finished and turned to face him. He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white Harley Davidson t-shirt. "Get ready, will ya?" she said before going into her room. Mark smiled as he went back into his room. He loved complimenting her, no matter when. He brushed his semi-wet hair into a ponytail, groaning when it became entangled. He went into Sara's room and found her sitting on the bed, watching her television. "Can you do me a favor?" he asked. "Sure, what do ya need?" Sara asked. "Put my hair in a ponytail," he answered sitting in front of her, "I can't get this shit untangled." Sara laughed to herself as Mark plopped down in front of her. She carefully untangled his flowing locks and put it into a ponytail. To ensure the loose hair wouldn't get re-tangled, Sara braided it and put one of her black rubber bands on the end. "There…done," she said touching Mark's shoulders. "Thanks, babe, I appreciate it," Mark said standing. "Not a problem, hon, anytime," Sara said, "Now, you better hurry up. Like you said, we've got a week to do what we want, and you're wasting time." Mark looked down at her and leaned towards her. He captured her lips gently and whispered, "I know a better way of wasting time." Sara smiled and answered, "Later." Mark grinned and whispered, "Yeah, later…now, come on." The couple headed out of the room together, preparing to relax as much as possible until they once again had to return to the crazy schedule of work.


	16. Breaking the Mold

**Chapter 15…Breaking the Mold**

The week passed by faster than either Mark or Sara wanted it to. By day, Sara showed Mark her wonderful hometown. Each day was a new location or three; Sara enjoyed reminiscing about her old hangout spots, while Mark enjoyed learning about her past. During the night, they acquainted themselves with each others´ bodies. They experimented with different ways to please each other. On Saturday night, Lucy treated the couple to a huge dinner. "Thank you so much, Lucy," Mark commented after the meal was over, "Everything was wonderful! It's nice to have a real home-cooked meal before we have to go back on the road again." "No problem, Mark," Lucy said as she went to clean up. Mark, however, wouldn't hear of it. He ushered both women out of the kitchen, then proceeded to thoroughly clean it.

Sara and Lucy went outside and seated themselves on the cool grass. "I've really enjoyed your company this week, Sara. I'm gonna miss you so much," Lucy said touching her daughter's hand. "I'm gonna miss you, too, mama," Sara whispered putting her free hand on top of her mother's. "Remember when we used to do this? Just sit outside in the evening and talk?" Lucy asked sitting up into an Indian-style position. Sara did the same thing and nodded her head. "Yeah, those were the days. Now, I've got a full-time, on-the-road job, and a great man in my life, both of which I love with everything I am," Sara answered, smiling as she looked towards the house. "And I can see that in your eyes, honey, whenever you come out on television, and every time you and Mark look at each other; you're passionate about what and whom you love," Lucy said, "I'm so proud of you, baby." Sara looked back at her mother as her cheeks pinked. "Gee, mama…thanks," she whispered. "Honey, as long as you're doin´ what you feel is right for you, I'll always be proud of ya," Lucy added before changing the topic, "So, what places did you and Mark explore while you were here?" "Oh, just all the places I used to hang out at while I was growin´ up. Let's see: all my schools, Shane's place, a bunch of friends´ houses – you should've seen the looks on their faces – the beach, the boardwalk, and places like that," Sara replied. "Really? Did he enjoy your tour?" Lucy asked. "Mm-hmm. He promised, on the next break we get, to do the same thing for me in his hometown of old Houston, Texas," Sara answered smiling broadly.

The women talked for about a half an hour before they were finally joined by Mark, who had a thick photo album in his hand. "Took ya long enough," Sara smiled as Mark laid his head in her lap, forcing her to extend her legs so they could both be comfortable. "Yeah, well, I'm sure Lucy will be happy with what I did," Mark said with a grin of his own. Sara placed her hand on his cheek and whispered, "Thank you, baby. I appreciate it, too." Mark winked up at her before turning his attention to Lucy. "I figured I'd do something nice for you, since you cooked that marvelous dinner," he said. "You're a real sweetheart, Mark. You have my deepest thanks," she replied, "But if you don't mind, I'm going to retire for the night. If I don't see you tomorrow morning, then I'll look forward to your phone calls." Lucy then stood and entered her home.

Sara stretched out beside Mark and looked through the photo album. Mark had chosen one from the shelf of the living room randomly. Now, he found himself laughing deeply at pictures of Sara being potty-trained, of Sara with her first pet (a dog she'd kept for 12 years), and even her first Halloween outfit. Sara blushed harder with each page of pictures. "I hope you're satisfied," Sara said when they finally finished, turning on her back and looking up at the stars. Mark chuckled as Sara rested her head on his shoulder. "Beautiful, aren't they?" he asked a few minutes later. "Yep," Sara whispered. Mark caressed Sara's cheek gently as he slowly kissed her. "But not as beautiful as you are," he added after pulling away. Sara smiled as she kissed him in return for his compliment. Her arms slipped around his neck and she gave a gentle squeeze. "I could spend all night out here with you," she said quietly. "And why can't we?" Mark asked nuzzling his face in her neck. "Two very simple reasons, babycakes: I'm too tired right now – I'd probably fall asleep; and two, I've still got packing to do. We have to be out of our rooms by nine, and at the airport by ten," Sara answered. Mark sighed heavily and let his forehead to Sara's. "Yeah, you're right. We should be getting back to the hotel," he answered somewhat sadly, "Oh, baby…I don't want this week to end." "Mark, don't look so sad. Work isn't that bad, not when you love what you do," Sara said kissing his cheek. Mark looked up at her and grinned. "And when you love who you work with," he said before standing, helping Sara up with him, "Come on. We've got to say good-bye to your mom."

When they entered the house, it was quiet. The only light on was the kitchen. "I guess she really did go to bed," Sara said putting the photo album back on the shelf. "Well, we'll call her tomorrow before we leave the hotel," Mark said opening the front door. Sara nodded her head and walked out to the car. Mark locked the front door and shut it, then went to the car. They pulled away from the house moments later. When they got to the hotel, it was quarter after ten. Sara quickly got to her room and packed up the rest of her belongings, while Mark did the same. When she finally changed into the nightgown that Mark had bought her a few days ago, it was after midnight. She quietly slipped into Mark's room and, seeing that he was lying down, climbed into bed beside him. He slid over to make room for her and put his arms around her, gently rubbing her back. "Mmm…that's the nightgown I bought you," he whispered in her ear. Sara grinned and closed her eyes, placing an arm around Mark's waist. They fell asleep together.

The next morning, Sara awoke to a blaring alarm. Mark reached over and cut it off. "Come on, baby, we've got to get up," Mark whispered moving off the bed. Sara groaned and pulled the covers over her head. Mark smiled and yanked the covers back, then swatted Sara's firm behind, getting a yelp from her. He chuckled and went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Sara pulled the covers back over her head and fell asleep. When Mark came back out and saw her, he sighed in mock frustration. Climbing on top of Sara's sleeping body, he pulled the covers down slightly and shook his wet hair in her face. Sara woke up gasping. When Mark wouldn't let her up, and continued to let water drip on her face, she said, "Okay, okay! I'm up, I'm up!" Mark laughed and moved from atop her. "You sneaky dog," she whispered sitting up, "What time is it?" "Well, now it's about eight o´ clock," Mark answered. Sara sighed as she went into the bathroom. She took a quick shower, choosing not to wash her hair. When she stepped out, she went into her room and dressed in a pair of jeans and a Tommy Girl t-shirt. She and Mark inspected each others´ rooms before heading to check out.

By the time they got to the airport, it was 9:30 a.m. They quickly boarded their plane to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Luckily, it was a straight flight. When they reached the country, it was four and a half hours later. They left the airport, and made it to the arena by three o´ clock. It didn't take long for them to find the locker room. When they entered, it was only occupied by a few of the members: Kevin, Scott, Shorty, Carlos, Liz, and Trish. "Hey, guys!" Sara said as she dropped her suitcases in the corner. Liz ran up to her and gave her a big hug. "Hey, how was your week?" Liz asked. "Well, our week was great," Sara said looking up at Mark. Mark grinned and winked at her. "Well, I wanna tell you all about my week, and then you can tell me about yours," Liz said smiling. "As soon as I get settled, okay?" Sara said as she grabbed the night's itinerary from the table. She saw her match with one of the newest women's stars, Amy Dumas, known to the fans as Lita. Sara wasn't a big fan of female vs. female wrestling, because she was much bigger than all the females, so it didn't provide any real competition. She'd rather stick to fighting the males. However, Kevin and Scott were involved in a feud with the tag team she managed, Matt and Jeff Hardy. Amy had gotten involved in match after match of theirs, so Sara had finally taken it into her own hands to punish Amy. Now, they had a scheduled match at the pay-per-view tonight.

"I'll be back in a few hours, okay?" Sara said before heading out the door with her duffel bag in hand. She went down to the women's locker room and changed into her wrestling outfit, a tight pair of leather shorts with a glued-on rhinestone belt, and a matching leather bra with chain links for straps. She slipped on her black boots and headed down to the ring. When she got there, she found Matt and Jeff practicing a few moves for their match that night. "Hey, guys, have you seen Amy?" she asked. "Yeah, she's in the gym workin´ out," Jeff said before launching himself off the top rope for a Senton bomb onto one of the independent wrestlers. He couldn't practice on Kevin and Scott, because Sara had yet to get the members of the 'Corporation´ to practice with the rest of the Superstars. She was at the step where they talked to each other occasionally, but they weren't practicing moves with each other. Sara was determined to change that. She didn't like practicing with someone she wasn't going to be wrestling, and she knew the other Superstars felt the same way. "Thanks, Jeff," she said before dashing off to the gym. When she got there, she spotted Amy doing bicep curls. "What's up, Amy?" she said walking over to her. Amy did one more rep before looking up at Sara. "Oh, hi," she said. Sara smiled and sat down in front of her. "You ready for this match?" she asked. "Yeah, it should be fun. Just try not to kick my ass so much," Amy said with a smile. Sara grinned and nodded. "Alright, I'll try to remember that," she said, "You wanna go out and plan the match? Matt and Jeff are out there, but I'm sure they won't mind sharing the ring." "Sure, I was finished in here anyway," Amy said standing. She and Sara walked back to the ring pitching ideas to each other. "Well, the fans are always captivated by fast-paced matches, so I think we should try and incorporate some of that into the match," Amy said, "I mean, my style is high-flying. So it won't be a problem for me." "Yeah, I mean, that'll be the way you maintain your offense. I can take you down with my power offense," Sara said, "That'll be the way we go back and forth." When they got to the ring, Matt and Jeff were just finishing up. "Ring's all yours, ladies," Jeff said hopping out. Sara rolled in as she thanked them. She and Amy spent the next half an hour spouting out ideas and practicing sequences. "It would be great if we could just wing it, but since I don't know your style that much, I don't want to risk it," Sara said. "Yeah, but with the way you're working, we'll be there in no time," Amy said after they'd finished. "I know. I'm workin´ hard, too," Sara said as they headed back up the ramp, "I'll see ya later, Amy."

Sara headed to Janet's. When she got there, Janet was just finishing with Trish. "Hey, Sara, how was your week?" Trish asked. "It was great, Trish. I don't think I focused on work for longer than 10 minutes a day," Sara said smiling. "That's good. What'd you do?" Trish asked. "I spent the week in my hometown, just relaxing," Sara said as she sat down in Janet's chair. "With Mark?" Trish said grinning. "Yeah, with Mark," Sara answered before turning to Janet, "Do what you want tonight, Janet." "Alright, Sara, I'll just do some layered curls, okay?" Janet said. "Sure, Jan," Sara said. "Hey, I'll talk to you later," Trish said before heading back to the locker room. "Alright, Trish, see ya," Sara said. When Janet finished Sara's hair and make-up, Sara thanked her and went to the empty arena. The doors didn't open until six o´ clock, and it was only five. Some of her fellow Superstars were practicing for their matches that night. Sara spotted Paul working with Dwayne Johnson ('The Rock´ to the fans), and grinned to herself. It seemed she was having an effect on the 'Corporation´ members after all. "Hey, baby." Sara looked up and smiled. "Hey, Mark," she said as Mark sat down beside her, putting his arm around her shoulder instinctively. "How was practice with Amy?" Mark asked watching the wrestlers in the ring, "I mean, you're doing something no one else had the nerve to start: actually working with the other wrestlers. That's great, dollface." "Well, I figured it was time for something like that to happen," Sara said shrugging her shoulders, "We work with these people. We all make this company a success. If we don't work together, it's gonna all go down the hole." "Yeah, you're right," Mark said squeezing her shoulder, "I'm dating the smartest woman in the company." Sara grinned and said, "Thanks, baby." She went over her match in her mind over and over as she watched wrestlers practice, road agents help spot out problems and suggest solutions, and ring technicians do last minute fixations. When six o' clock came, Sara and Mark headed to the locker room.

When they got there, Liz immediately came over and grabbed Sara from Mark. "I know you don't mind, Mark," she said smiling, "Me and Sara have some catching up to do." Sara smiled back at Mark as she and Liz sat down at the table. "So, what'd you do?" Liz asked. "Alright, alright," Sara said, "We spent the week in Daytona. I basically gave him a week-long tour of the city. I mean, after all, it was my hometown. I also spent a lot of time with my mom. All in all, it was a good break." "And that's it?" Liz asked with a raised eyebrow, a grin on her face. "Well, all I can mention here," Sara whispered smiling. "Ah, I got ya, I got ya," Liz laughed, "Well, let me tell you what I did. I…spent the week with Kevin." Sara's jaw dropped before she smiled. "No shit?" she asked. "No shit," Liz whispered smiling, "He asked me out the day before our break. And so, we spent the week hanging out in Virginia, of all places. It's a beautiful state, with a lot of different sites. It was like…one big road trip." "That's great, Liz, I'm so happy for you," Sara said hugging her, "Maybe now we can double date." Liz blushed slightly and glanced at Kevin, who was grinning at her; she blushed even harder. "Now who blushes a lot?" Sara whispered touching Liz's arm. The two women laughed together, getting glances from everyone in the room. "When we get on the plane, I'll fill you in on all the details," Sara said quietly. "Same here," Liz said smiling.

Around 7:30, Sara headed to the interview area. She had a scheduled interview with Michael Cole about her match that night, and she couldn't miss it. When she got there, she went over to Michael and practiced her promo a couple of times. When the cameraman finally cued them, she had it down packed. "5…4…3…2…1," Suzy said before cueing them. "Chyna, tonight, you are going one on one with Lita, the Women's champion. One question: why isn't this match for the title?" Michael asked. "Well, Michael, this isn't about the Women's Championship; it never was. I don't care about Lira's pathetic little title. This match is about teaching that little bitch not to mess with the tag team champions, because when she does, she's got to deal with me," Sara said staring at Michael. "Okay, well, that's understandable. But, do you think you can handle Lita's high-flying entourage? She's been known to take down people twice her size with a single hurricanrana," Michael commented. Sara grabbed Michael's shirt and snapped, "Do you think I can't handle Lita, huh, Michael? Her speed isn't all that impressive, because the faster she moves, the faster she can get knocked down." She let him go and glared into the camera. "Lita, when you bring your scrawny ass to the ring, prepare to get it handed to you!" she warned, "Because I will show you no mercy! You will learn, by the end of the match, that you do not mess with the '9th Wonder of the World´!" She then walked away, sighing in relief when she was finished.

She headed to the 'Corporation´ locker room, going over the match one more time in her head. They were third on the card that night, so she wanted to make sure the sequences were fresh in her mind. Sara never made it to the locker room. She was stopped when a flash of colors ran across the screen. It was a commercial for her match with Lita; it showed each woman's strengths and purpose for the upcoming match. "Two different women, two different styles; who will succeed at 'King of the Ring´?" the commercial voice said, "Live tonight from Vancouver, British Columbia, at 5:00 p.m. on pay-per-view!" Instead of going to the locker room, Sara decided to go to the snack table. The Superstars usually congregated there to generally converse before a big pay-per-view. When she got there, she grabbed an orange and a water bottle off the table, then sat down with Amy. Her flaming red hair was crimped and hanging down; her face was highlighted with different shades of red. She was dressed in a pair of black, baggy jeans with the Hardy Boyz insignia on each leg, and one of her 'Lita Graffiti´ t-shirts. "You ready for tonight?" Sara said starting to peel her orange, "The crowd seems really hot tonight." "Yeah, I'm up to it," Amy answered, then asked, "Sara…can I ask you somethin´?" "Shoot," Sara said. "What's up with you? I mean, about a year ago, the 'Corporation´ members would never have taken the time to try and talk to the rest of us, even if we had a match together. I don't know how we've managed to be successful with each other, but it's been happening. I mean, you're changing everything," Amy said, "I actually saw Paul working with D. J."

Sara grinned and took a swig of her water. "Well, Amy, it's like this. I'm trying to change things. I don't know how this company's managed to stay successful when it's split like it is. The 'Corporation´ has always been seen as the elite, the upper echelon of the wrestlers. To me, that doesn't mean that you guys don't deserve to be respected with as much respect as we give each other. We're all trying to make this company as successful as possible. I know you've heard this a lot, but a team is only as strong as its weakest link. In my opinion, by not communicating with every wrestler that we work with, that's being a weak link; that's stopping the company from being even more successful, you know? I'm just doing what's right for the company," she said, "And you've got to admit, it's having one hell of an effect. The morale around here is just a tad higher than it was a year ago. I guess my joining them was definitely good for the company, then." Amy just looked at her in admiration. "You're a great person, Sara," she said finally, "I don't think I'd have the guts to do what you're doing." "I'm just doin´ what needs to be done," Sara said. They talked until the fireworks signaling the beginning of the show sounded. "I'm gonna find a monitor, and watch the action," Sara said standing, "Wanna join me?" "Sure," Amy said following her. They found a monitor near Janet's stand, grabbed a couple of nearby chairs, and sat down. The first match was Brock Lesnar (the same guy Sara had wrestled several months back) vs. Larry. The match wasn't fast-paced; it was the opposite. Both men had arsenals filled with power moves, and they used them to create a very methodical match. Near the end, Larry tried to put Brock in the Torture Rack, but Brock reversed it, and hit his finishing maneuver, the F-5. He picked his opponent up in a torture rack-like move, then spun him around into a neckbreaker. He got the pin fall easily. Sara found herself cheering like a fan. "I wrestled that guy in his first match on TV," she told Amy with a smile, "I knew he was gonna make it."

When Brock walked pass, Sara grabbed his hand and winked at him. "Congratulations," she said, "You finally made it to the big leagues." "I didn't let you down, Sara," Brock said smiling back, "I told you I wouldn't." Sara smiled up at him, and said, "No, you didn't." Brock then left and headed back to the locker rooms. "I'm gonna warm up for the match," Sara said standing, "I'll see you out there." Amy nodded as she did the same. Sara found a secluded area and quickly warmed up her muscles by doing a few exercises: push-ups, triceps dips, lunges, and jumping jacks. She ended her warm-up by doing some deep breathing and getting into character. By the time she headed to the entranceway, the second match had ended, and they were doing an interview with Amy. Sara watched it on the monitor next to the entranceway.

"Lita, tonight you face probably the biggest match of your career. You go one on one with the 'Corporation´ bodyguard, Chyna. She's 6´ tall, she's got immeasurable strength, and she's out for your blood. Are you prepared for this challenge?" Jonathan Coachman asked. "Coach, Chyna may be tall; she may be strong. But she is no match for the 'Litacanrana´. Chyna will never know what hit her," Amy said before walking away, "Now if you don't mind, Coach, I've got a few wonders of my own that will surprise your '9th Wonder of the World´." Sara grinned slightly as her music hit. This is gonna be fun, she thought as she walked out. A wave of boos met her as she stepped out in front of the crowd. Sara glared at them as she stalked to the ring. She rolled in and stood up, holding her hands high. The crowd hadn't liked her for all nine months she'd been a member of the 'Corporation´, and she loved it. One could get away with more by being a heel, and Sara was having fun discovering each thing she could get away with in the ring.

Amy's music hit and the crowd roared. Sara stood in the corner as different colored lights lit up the arena. Amy came out and hyped up the crowd really good, displaying her shiny Women's title. Sara sneered at the sight of it. It was a puny belt that weighed only 10 lbs. She had suitcases that weighed more than that. In reality, Sara didn't really like wrestling women, because she was so much bigger than the average WWF female. It didn't provide her with real competition, and to Sara, no real competition equaled a bad match for the fans. Amy slid in the ring and climbed up to the middle rope, holding her belt high. "Yeah, come on! Make some noise!" she screamed to the crowd. Sara didn't hesitate to take advantage of her turned back; she attacked her right away. Amy groaned as she was pulled back. The referee quickly grabbed the belt and handed it to the ring announcer. Sara kicked Amy repeatedly in her stomach before picking her up and connecting with a vicious DDT. She picked her up again and landed a few stiff forearms, which knocked Amy back to the closest corner. Sara hit Amy with a few kicks to her ribs, then lifted her onto the top rope. She wrapped Amy's left arm around her neck, grabbed a handful of jeans, and then went flying with a suplex from the top rope. Amy screamed in pain as Sara stood and gloated. "Look at this pathetic thing. This is supposed to be competition?" she said going to pick Amy up. Amy kicked her in her head, knocking Sara down, and hopped up. She grabbed Sara's legs and spun her around in a windmill before letting go. Sara went flying outside the ring, much to the joy of the crowd. Amy played to the crowd's happiness and circled the ring a couple of times before going outside and throwing Sara back in. She went for a flying headscissors, but Sara countered with a huge powerbomb. Amy grabbed her back and grimaced in pain. Sara smiled as she picked Amy up methodically; she hit her with a strong belly-to-belly suplex, followed by a stiff sidebuster, then a crucial reverse DDT. Amy rolled to the corner and grabbed her neck in pain.

Sara went into the opposite corners and propped her legs up, waiting for Amy to stand. "Oh, come on!" Sara screamed as the ref went to check on her. She pushed him out of the way – getting a warning from the referee – and pulled Amy up. She went for another suplex, but Amy rolled her up in a small package. The fans counted with the referee, but Sara kicked out at '2´. The fans booed as she stood and glared down at Amy. She yanked Amy up by her hair and threw her into the corner. "You aren't that good!" she yelled as she landed right hands to Amy's jaw, "You'll never be that good!" The referee counted to four before trying to pull Sara away from the corner. "Back off!" he screamed as Amy fell to the mat. Sara walked to the other side of the ring to try to cool off, playing to the crowd's boos, but then headed back. She pulled the referee away and snatched Amy out of the corner. Amy blocked her next punch, and laid into her with several punches of her own. She then pushed Sara back and hit a strong dropkick which connected directly with Sara's jaw. She fell back to the mat hard. Amy didn't hesitate to grab this opportunity; she launched herself onto the top rope and went for a moonsault. Unfortunately, Sara moved. Amy hit nothing but the mat; the crowd groaned right along with her. Sara slowly stood and rubbed her sore jaw. "You bitch!" she hissed heading towards Amy. Amy, though, had already rebounded, and was perched on the top rope. She launched herself off and landed a perfect 'Litacanrana´. The crowd blew up as Amy went for the pin fall. Sara, however, still had the strength to kick out at two. Amy groaned and got frustrated. She picked Sara up and hit her with repeated kicks to the side of the head, which knocked Sara back into the rope. She threw Sara into the ropes, and hit her with a hard clothesline. She picked Sara up, and hit her with another hard clothesline. "You're not gettin' this win, Chyna!" she screamed as she put Sara into a tight figure-four leglock. Sara screamed as the pressure on her knee increased.

"What do ya say, Chyna? What do ya say?" the referee asked her repeatedly. Sara lied back, letting her shoulders hit the mat. The referee counted to two before Sara sat back up, trying to fight against the pain. Once again, she fell to the mat; the referee got to two and a half before Sara bounded back up. This time, she grabbed Amy's neck, causing her to release the hold. She slowly stood, then hit Amy with a powerful chokeslam. She went for the pin fall, her first in the match, but Amy kicked out. Sara glared at the referee as she picked up Amy. "Next time, count to three!" she screamed before hitting Amy with a double-arm suplex. She picked her up and lifted her into the air in an obvious chokehold. She didn't drop her until she heard the referee hit 'four´. She picked her back up, but Amy pushed her hands away and slapped her twice. Sara was so shocked that she couldn't block that the Russian leg sweep that Amy hit her with. Amy smiled as she went to Sara's head and put her in a reverse chin lock. Sara screamed as Amy's knee bore into her back. Amy let her go, but not for long; she dropped a vicious knee drop onto Sara's chest. She picked her up and landed a vicious DDT. She picked her up yet again and managed to hit a pumphandle slam. The crowd screamed in approval. Amy went over to the farthest corner as Sara stood. She lunged for her to hit a spear, but Sara sidestepped her, and she hit the corner.

Sara laughed evilly as she grabbed a fistful of Amy's hair and signaled for her finishing maneuver. She quickly took advantage of Amy's mistake, and hit her falcon arrow, specifically called 'Chyna´s Syndrome´ by the announcers. The referee counted to three, and Sara stood. She refused to allow the referee to raise her arms; she did it herself. As the fans booed her, she went over to Amy's limp body and lifted her face. "I told you that you couldn't beat me!" she hissed, "So why didn't you believe me?" She picked her up and hit one more falcon arrow before rolling out of the ring. She went to the back, plopping down in the closest empty chair when she got there. That was one of the fastest-paced matches she'd ever had. Her muscles would surely be sore in the morning. Amy had given her a run for her money. When Amy came through the entranceway, Sara stood and grabbed her shoulder. "You okay, there?" she asked. "Yeah, I'm fine. That was a great match, huh?" Amy said. "Yeah, it was. Probably one of the best I've ever had. You deserve to be the Women's champ," Sara commented shaking her hand, "It was an honor, Amy." Amy smiled and said, "Thank you, Sara. Keep doin' what you're doin'. You're a great heel; you know how to make the crowd hate you." "Alright, I'll see you out there later," Sara said. "Yeah, no doubt," Amy said, "And thanks again for a great match." Sara nodded as she went back to the 'Corporation´ locker room. When she got inside, she sat at the table with Kevin and Scott. "That was a damn good match, Sara," Kevin said touching her hand, "I think it's one of the best you've had since you've been in this group." "Yeah, I mean, I was shocked at the way you two went back and forth," Scott said grinning, "What'd you do to have a great match like that?" "Well, Scott, Kevin…we talked to each other," Sara said winking at them, "We practiced together. We knew what we were gonna do before we went out there, and we were comfortable doing it. It's amazing what you can do when you work a match out together." She then stood and went over to sit beside Andy; leaving Kevin and Scott smiling at her.

"You're changing this group, you know?" Andy whispered when she sat down, "You're really changing the energy of it." Sara looked at him and grinned slightly. "That's what I'm trying to do, Andy. We shouldn't be isolated from the rest of the wrestlers just because we're in this group," she whispered back, "This company is interdependent; our dependence on each other correlates to the amount of success we get. We're not an island." Andy nodded and smiled. "You're doin' a good job," he said patting her back. "Thanks, Andy," Sara said.

The rest of the night went by quickly. Sara accompanied Kevin and Scott to the ring for their match with Matt and Jeff. It wasn't as fast-paced as Sara and Amy's had been. Kevin and Scott mainly used their strength to keep the Hardy's grounded. Sara ended up helping Kevin and Scott gain the win by distracting the ring so that Kevin could nail Matt in the face with his tag team title belt. After the match ended, Kevin, Scott, and Sara added more damage by hitting each member of 'Team Extreme´ with their own finishing maneuver. Kevin hit Matt with the 'Jackknife Powerbomb´, Scott hit Jeff with the 'Outsiders´ Edge´, and Sara hit Lita with 'Chyna´s Syndrome´ for the third time that night. They left 'Team Extreme´ lying in the middle of the ring as they celebrated going up the ramp. When they got to the back, Sara went to the women's locker room. She was through for the night. It had been an exciting night back, and it let her know how much she loved the world of sports-entertainment.

She took a nice, hot shower, washing her hair twice, before dressing in her street clothes and going back to the locker room. Before she got there, she saw Matt, Jeff, and Amy walking down the hall. "Good match, you guys," she said walking up to them, "The fans really loved it. Keep it up, and maybe one day, you'll get the titles." She smiled and patted Matt and Jeff's shoulders. "Seriously, though, kids. It was a great night, for all of us," she said quietly, "I'd be glad to have a match with you anytime." "Thanks, Sara," Jeff said, "But if you don't mind, we've got to get cleaned up." "I understand," Sara said before going into the 'Corporation´ locker room, "I'll see you tomorrow in Tacoma." "Alright, Sara, good night," Amy said as she and the two men headed down the hall.

When Sara went into the locker room, she immediately grabbed a seat at the table to watch the main event of the night. Shawn was challenging Dwayne for the Heavyweight title. He was slated to lose, but it was still going to be a good match. Sara had no doubts as Shawn laid into D. J. The pace was a mixture of aerial and ground moves. In the end, D. J. hit the 'Rock Bottom´ and pinned Shawn for the win. Sara hunched her shoulders as she went over to get her bags. "I guess it's not his time yet," she said to herself, "He'll get it sooner or later." When she got to the limo, Mark was standing there. She hadn't seen him since she'd left to do her promo. "Hi, baby," she said smiling, "Where have you been all night?" "Up in the balcony watchin' the show," he answered putting her suitcases in the trunk, "You had a pretty good match. I was shocked at the intensity of it." "Yeah, that's what everybody said," Sara said climbing into the limo. Liz was already there. "Hey, sweetie. Good job tonight. You really took it to Amy," she said. "Thanks, Liz," Sara said smiling, "But what I could take it to now is a bed." Mark slid in and grinned when Sara rested her head on his shoulder. The rest of the group piled outside about twenty minutes later. They split between the three limousines that were waiting for them. Kevin, Scott, Shorty, Carlos, and Andy climbed into the limo with Mark, Sara, and Liz. It had been a long night for all of them.


	17. Obstacles

**Chapter 16…Obstacles**

The ride to the airport was a long one. When the group got there, it was almost 45 minutes after they'd left the arena. They all piled onto the jet and quickly sat down. The sooner the jet took off, the sooner they could stretch out and go to sleep. "Alright, guys, it's good to see you all back here. We're gonna get the itineraries handed out, and have a short little meeting, before we take off," Eric said, "I hope you had a good break, but now it's time to get back to business." He handed out the itineraries to each person as quickly as possible, because he was just as ready to go to sleep as everyone else. "Alright, tomorrow is Tacoma for RAW, then we fly to Spokane to record Smackdown. We're gonna head over to Rosemont, IL for a house show, and then over to New York City for another house show in MSG. We're also gonna go to the restaurant before the house show to make a special appearance," Eric said, "Now, as far as the meeting, I just want to know how you guys spent your break." "Sleeping!" the group said together. Eric laughed and nodded his head. "I get the point, guys," Eric said, "Pilot, we're ready for takeoff!" The members all cheered, happy to be back at work, and happy to be able to go to sleep. The lights went off, with the exception of the walkway, and the plane took off.

Around 11:00 the next morning, everyone was awakened by Eric. "Guys, I decided we're gonna head straight to the arena.," he said, "That's why you got all that wonderful sleep on the plane." Sara stretched her arms and wiped her face. She would be glad to be off the plane and walking around. She stood up and stretched fully. "I love my job," she said smiling. Mark looked up at her and grinned. "I'm sure you do," he said standing, "Come on, let's get off of this plane." They were followed by Andy. "So, what'd you do this week, Andy? I mean, a whole week without having to watch over me," Sara asked smiling. "Well, I went back to Toronto. I haven't been there in God knows how long. I mean, I've lived in the States for a few years now, so it was kind of a culture shock for me," Andy said as they claimed their bags, "All in all, it was a good break. What about you?" "Same as you, I went back to my hometown, Daytona. I gave Mark a week-long tour of the city, and we just hung out together," she said grinning. Mark called a cab, and he and Andy put the suitcases in the back as Sara climbed in. The two men climbed in on either side of her, and the cab pulled off.

When they got to the arena, it was only 11:30. They dropped their bags off in the 'Corporation´ locker room, and went over the itinerary for the night. Since they were the first ones in the locker room, they had first look. "Well, I've got a rematch with Amy tonight," Sara said, "That's gonna be fun. I guess they're making an angle out of it." "Yeah, that's cool. I mean, you guys put on a hell of a show last night, so I guess the writers noticed that," Andy said. "You've got a match against Jericho for the Hardcore title, Mark. You better go talk to him," Sara said. Mark looked down at her and crossed his arms, a grin on his face. "You won't stop until you've got every one of us talking to the other guys, will you?" he asked. Sara simply winked at him and headed out the locker room, towards the ring. "You've got to admit, Mark, she's determined," Andy said. "Yeah, she is. That's what I love about her," Mark said sighing, "But she's right. We do need to start working with those people. They're our co-workers, and we can only be so successful on our own." Andy grinned and chuckled. "She's doin´ a good job," he said to himself.

Mark headed down towards the regular locker rooms; his heart was pounding, his hands were shaking, and his palms were clammy. He couldn't believe he felt this nervous about talking to a fellow wrestler. When he knocked on the door, he held his breath. It opened and Lance stood there. "Hey, Lance, how's it goin´?" he asked. "Hey, Mark, long time no see. It's funny seein' you down here," Lance said, "What's up, buddy?" "Yeah, is, uh, Jericho in here? I need to talk to him," Mark said slowly. "Yeah, hold on. I'll go get him," Lance said, "Come on in." Mark entered the locker room and let out a deep breath. He was now in uncharted territory. The little cubby holes were filled with the bags of different wrestlers, and the itinerary for the night was scribbled on the whiteboard. "You asked for me?" Mark looked down at the 5´9", blonde, muscular man in front of him, looked over him slightly, and said, "Yeah, uh, we have a match tonight. I figured we needed to get to know each other." There was a slight look of shock on every person's face in the room, except Mark and Chris. "Alright, let's talk," Chris said opening the door, "We can go out to the arena." Mark followed him and grinned to himself. That wasn't so bad, he thought to himself. "So, tell me about yourself," Chris said on the way there, "I mean, besides the face that you're in the 'Corporation´." Mark chuckled and said, "Well, I'm not that new to the company. I've worked here for a few years now; the last year has been spent in the 'Corporation´. It's not all that everybody makes it out to be, though." "Really?" Chris asked somewhat shocked. "Yeah, I mean. There are certain perks: the private jet, the mansion, and getting to travel together. But, those perks can also be disadvantageous. They isolate us from everybody else," Mark said honestly.

"Well, I guess that's what comes with the package," Chris said. "Yeah, you're right. But anyway, about me. I'm from Houston, Texas – born and raised – but I live in Venice Beach right now. I'm only 27 right now, just turned 27 actually, but I've been wrestling for about five years now. It was just kind of something I fell in love with – I was actually supposed to go over to Europe to play basketball, but something told me to try out wrestling," Mark continued, "I've always been an athlete – basketball, baseball, and boxing – but I'm just natural at wrestling. What about you?" "Well, my dad was an ice hockey player for the New York Rangers, so it was just kind of natural for me to become an athlete. All growing up, I wanted to be an ice hockey player. Growin´ up in Vancouver, it was, like, the only thing to do. But, then, I saw a commercial for a wrestling school, and I had been a huge fan as a kid, so I looked into it. I trained under Bret's dad, actually, in Calgary, and the rest is history," Chris said as they walked up through the entranceway Curtain, "I've been wrestling for about five years, too, but I just got here a year ago. I guess about the same time you went into the 'Corporation´."

Mark nodded as they walked out onto the ramp. Sara was down in the ring with Amy, Matt, and Jeff – they were all laughing and joking around. Mark shook his head as he and Chris climbed into the ring. "What's up, Mark? We were just talking about our match last night," Sara said. "Good job, Amy, you two really had the fans hangin' on your every move," Mark said. "Gee, thanks, Mark," Amy said, "You're, like the umpteenth person to compliment me on that match." "So, where were we, Mark?" Chris said. "Oh, yeah. Well, I guess we can move on to hobbies. I love motorcycles. That was, and probably always will be, my biggest hobby. Even though I live in California, I can still find a little bit of country and just let loose. I also love to box; that's a great stress reliever," Mark said as he leaned on the ropes, "With the way we travel, though, I don't really listen to much radio until I get back home." "That's cool. Like I told you on the way here, I love hockey. I live in Tampa right now, so I like to go hang out at the beach sometimes. It's a totally different atmosphere in Tampa than it is in Vancouver. I'm still gettin´ used to it," Chris said.

Sara found herself half-listening to Amy, and half-responding, too. She was so happy that Mark had taken her advice and talked to Chris; she now really felt that her attempts to get the group to work with the other wrestlers were working. When she and Amy finished talking about the previous night's match, they discussed their match for RAW. "Well, I think the fans should be in for a treat tonight. We're gonna have to follow up on what we did last night," Sara said. "Definitely, definitely. It was pretty fast-paced, even though we didn't mean for it to be," Amy said grinning, "Who do you think should win?" "Well, according to the itinerary, I'm supposed to win, but I'm going to talk to Vince about that," Sara said, "I mean, I won last night with your fast-paced match, so I think you should win tonight with my kind of pace." "That's a good idea. You wanna go talk to him now?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, sure," Sara said rolling out of the ring, followed by Amy. As they headed up the ramp, Shawn was walking down with D. J. "Hey, Sara, what's goin´ on?" Shawn asked. "Nothin' much," Sara said, "What about you?" "Oh, just goin´ to practice a few moves," Shawn answered walking past her, "I'll see you a little later." Sara grinned as she headed through the Curtains. "It's working," Amy said, "I told you it's working." Sara couldn't do anything but grin. They quickly headed to Vince's office, knocking on the door before entering. Vince was watching the previous night's event on a small television screen. "Hey, ladies, I just got finished watching your match," he said looking up at them, "You guys did an excellent job! I don't think I can say that enough." Sara smiled as she sat down, Amy following her lead. "I'm sure you two are looking forward to putting on a small version of that tonight," Vince added. "Actually, that's what we came to talk about, Vince," Sara said, "Amy has something she wants to ask you." Amy looked at Sara in slight shock. She wasn't expecting this; she thought Sara would be doing all the talking. "Yes, Amy?" Vince asked bringing her back to reality. "Well, uh, Mr. McMahon, I wanted to talk to you about the outcome of the match tonight," Amy said slowly, "Sara and I, uh, agreed – or rather thought – that, um, I--." "Should win?" Vince asked grinning. "Yes, sir," Amy said.

Vince chuckled softly and sat up in his chair. "Amy? How long have you been with this company?" he asked. "About a year and a half, sir," Amy said slowly. "And how many times have you ever sat down to talk to me, really?" Vince said smiling. "Um, I don't know, sir. Not that many, I guess," Amy answered. "Sara, if you don't mind, I'd like to have a talk with Amy," Vince said looking at Sara. "Sure, Vince," Sara said standing and looking down at Amy, mouthing the word "Relax" before leaving the office. She knew that Vince would have Amy relaxed around him in a matter of minutes, so she waited outside of the office. Five minutes passed, then ten minutes, and then twenty minutes; Sara wasn't worried, but she was curious to know what was keeping them. She decided to go down to the gym for a quick workout – she hadn't worked out all week, and was feeling extremely sluggish - leaving Amy to find her when she finished.

When she got to the gym, it was empty. She quickly warmed up and worked out on her upper body for about 30 minutes, nonstop, before moving to her lower body and doing the same. She finished up her workout with a harsh 15-minute abdominal workout. When she finally finished, it was after one o´ clock. Sara went down to the 'Corporation´, grabbed her duffel bag, saying "Hello" to Andy, Kevin, Liz, and Carlos on her way out, and headed down to the women's locker room. She quickly took a good shower, and dressed in one of her black sets that she'd acquired over the months. It had a black thong, with clear plastic gems all over the crotch area, accompanied by sheer black shorts which went under the thong. The black bra had small stainless steel spikes on them. It was a very tough-looking outfit. As she buckled her bra, Amy walked in. "Hey, how'd it go with Vince?" Sara asked grinning. "It was cool as shit," Amy said, grinning at her own use of language, "I mean, it was really helpful. We talked about my motivations to become a wrestler, how successful I was as an independent wrestler compared to how successful I am now, and how I can better develop my character." "Well, what about the match?" Sara asked. "I'm gonna win," Amy said smiling broadly, "And the title will be put on the line." "That's great! I'm headed back to the ring," Sara said opening the door. Amy walked in front of her still smiling. Sara followed her, shutting the door behind her. When they got to the ring, Kevin and Scott were in the corner talking with Matt and Jeff. Sara could only stare in shock.

"What are you guys up to?" she asked climbing up on the apron. "Just talkin' with some co-workers, do ya mind?" Kevin said winking at her. Sara grinned back at him before climbing in the ring and tapping his shoulder with her fist. She and Amy went to the far corner to discuss their match. "Well, Ms. Winner, tell me what you've got in mind," Sara said sitting down in the corner, "I mean, you and Vince couldn't have spent all that time in his office, and not gotten some sort of plan." "Well, I told him what our plan was – how we would use your pace for this match – and he kind of threw a few sequences out," Amy said sitting down in front of her, "But not for the beginning of the match, but for like the end." "Oh, okay, well, let's get started with beginning of the match, then," Sara said, "We'll start off with a lockup, then I'll pull you into a headlock, then take you over. I want you to reverse that by putting me into a headlock. I'm gonna try and pull your legs apart, but I want you to keep your legs locked tight. I'm gonna roll backwards onto my feet, and I want you to jump up real quick. We're gonna walk around glaring at each other, like we're sizing each other up." "Alright, then we'll lock up again, and I'll hit you with a strong belly-to-belly suplex. Then, I'll put you in an armbar, keeping the pressure as tight as I can. Then, I'll get up and try and pin you with a mahistrol cradle. Of course, you'll kick out, and I'll try and roll with up with a small package, and we'll get a close three-count before you kick out, like you're frustrated. Then, we'll both hop up again and stare at each other, as if trying to figure out what to do next," Amy said. "Alright, I'm gonna build a decent offense with a bunch of power moves. We'll lock up for a third time, and I'll turn you around and hit you with three quick German suplexes, releasing you on the third one. I'll come back over to you and grab your legs, putting you in a whirlwind. I'll let you go, and you'll land in one of the corners. I'll pull you up and hit you with a few kicks in the ribs, and a bunch of hits to the head. I'll grab your neck and toss you to the middle of the ring. You're gonna really sell that, as I smile really evil-like. I'm gonna come back over to you, and hit you with a few more punches to the head, before putting you into a rear chinlock. I'm gonna let you go, but I'm gonna put you into a strong sleeper," Sara continued, "The ref's gonna lift your hand twice, as though it's the end of you, but – of course – on the third one, you're gonna fight back, and hit me with a hard belly-to-back suplex. We're both gonna be down for awhile after this one."

"Alright, I got ya. I'll get up first and try to pin you, but I want you to kick out. I'll get up and kick the hell out of you a couple of times, then pick you up and hit a strong suplex, but I won't let go. I'll pick you up and hit a strong brainbuster. You wanna try that out, just to make sure I can lift you up pretty easily?" Amy said. "Sure," Sara answered. It took Amy a few tries, but she was finally able to lift Sara successfully for the brainbuster. "Whoa, we've definitely got to try that a lot more," Sara said with a smile after she'd landed, "Can't take the risk of you droppin' me." Amy chuckled and nodded her head, saying, "Or messing up in front of the fans." They indeed practiced the move a few more times. When both women were finally comfortable with the move, they moved on. "Now, I'm gonna try to pin you, but I want you to throw me off – literally. I'm gonna stand up, and wait for you to stand. Like last night, when I went for the spear," Amy said. "Except this time, you'll actually hit it," Sara grinned. "Exactly. Now here's where Vince's idea comes in," Amy said, "After I hit the spear, I'm gonna pick you up, and sling you into the rope, and hit you with a huge clothesline. I'll pick you up again, and hit a stiff dropkick. Then, I'll head for the top rope like it's over, but I'll hesitate. I want to put you through more punishment. I'll come back over to you, lift you up, and launch you into the corner. I'll jump up onto you, and hit you with ten punches – hopefully, the crowd will chant with each hit. Then, I'll monkeytoss you into the middle of the ring. You're gonna really sell that as I jump onto the top rope, and hit a huge Senton bomb." "You'll try to pin me, but, I'll kick out of it," Sara said, "You'll be able to tell that the match is drawing to an end. I'll stand and sling you into the ropes, trying to hit a clothesline, but you'll counter it with a reverse DDT. You'll go to the top rope as I stand--." "And hit the 'Litacanrana´, getting the one-two-three," Amy said smiling. "There we go, there's our match," Sara said as she leaned against the rope.

"Sounds like it'll be very entertaining." Sara looked down and into the eyes of Mark. "What's up?" she said. "Nothin´. Just wanted to see how you were doin´," Mark answered. "Well, we just finished up planning our match," Sara answered rolling out of the ring. "You wanna go get somethin´ to eat, then?" Mark asked. "Sure," she said, "Amy, you wanna go?" "No, that's okay. I've got to catch a workout before I get ready," Amy answered. "Alright, I'll see ya around," Sara said as she and Mark headed up the ramp. They headed to the catering room to grab a bite to eat. Usually, the 'Corporation´ members ate separately from the rest of the wrestlers, but Sara had refused to accept that the day she'd come back from training. She'd gotten into trouble countless times for doing that, but eventually, it settled into Eric's – and every other member – mind that Sara just wasn't going to stop communicating with the other wrestlers. When Sara walked in, she was greeted by about every person in the room; it was half-way full. Sara returned the greetings as she and Mark grabbed a plate, and filled it with nutritious food. They grabbed a seat with Matt and Jeff.

"What's up, guys?" Sara said, "I'm sure you know Mark." "Hi," Matt and Jeff said, "How's it goin´?" "Fine," Mark answered, "Are you guys ready for your match tonight?" "Yeah, it'll be pretty good. I think the fans will like it," Jeff said, "We've done a lot of practicing for it…with Kevin and Scott." Sara looked up with a forkful of salad halfway to her mouth. "Really?" she asked. "Yeah, I mean, at first we were just talkin´ out the match," Matt admitted, "And then Scott suggested that we practice the sequences so it would go smoothly." Sara smiled and shook her head. "I love those guys," she whispered to herself. "Well, that's great," she said speaking back to Matt and Jeff, "I'm glad for you guys." "It's all thanks to you, Sara," Matt said, "How'd your match-planning go?" "Oh, it was great," Sara said, "Amy's gonna win this time." "I'm sure she was excited about that," Jeff said, "I mean, that'll be a big win for her." "Yeah, you're right," Sara said, "And it's a title defense for her, so that's even better, I guess."

"Mark, you haven't been saying much," Sara said, "What's up with your match? How was Jericho?" "Aw, it wasn't too bad," Mark said, "We managed to plan out a decent match. I mean, he's a pretty cool guy." Sara grinned and said, "Of course he's a cool guy. They're all cool people." Mark grinned back and said, "You would know, of course." They finished up their lunch before heading up to the balcony. "Well, hon, you've done it; you've changed the group," Mark said putting his arm around her shoulder. Sara smiled and relaxed against his shoulder. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she said smiling. "I'm serious, Sara. Think about it: Kevin and Scott, me, you, Shawn," Mark said quietly, "The others aren't too far behind." Sara sighed and looked out at the empty arena. "Can we change the subject? I'm kind of tired of being told I'm doing something special, when it should've been done a long time ago," she whispered. "Are you okay, baby?" Mark said massaging her right shoulder with his hand. "I mean, it really should've been done a long time ago; Vince should've never let the group get isolated like it is," Sara said, "And, for some reason, I have a feeling I'm going to have a load of hardships trying to get us to work with them."

"Sara, you're scaring me, baby," Mark said forcing her to look at him, "Let's change the subject right now." Sara touched his cheek and apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you," she whispered. "It's okay, let's just change the subject," Mark said, "You and Liz catch up enough yesterday?" "Oh, yeah, she's goin´ out with Kevin now," Sara said. Mark looked at her in complete shock. "Yep, they're goin´ out. And, truthfully, I'm shocked I didn't see it comin' earlier. I mean, they spent all their extra time together, or with Scott and Carlos," she continued, "I should've connected two and two together." "Well, now we can double-date," Mark said. "Yeah, that's what I said when she first told me," Sara said. "Did you catch up with Andy? I haven't seen him following you around anywhere these past couple of days," he said. "I know. It's actually kind of weird. I mean, he's been there every moment, almost, for the past nine months," she said, "And, I haven't really seen him for the past two days." "I guess that is kinda weird," Mark said, "I'd just gotten used to him." Sara chuckled softly, and said, "Well, I'm glad you've overcome that obstacle."

In the same moment, Andy put his hand down on Sara's shoulder. She jumped and looked up at him. "Don't ever do that again," she snapped clutching her chest. "I'm sorry, Sara," Andy said, "But I've been looking around for you for almost two hours." "Well, I was in the arena the whole time," Sara said grinning, "You found me." Andy grinned down at her, and asked, "Do you wanna be alone?" "Yeah, if you don't mind, Andy," Sara said grinning back, "I'll catch up with you in about an hour, okay?" "Alright, sweetie," Andy said leaving. Sara looked back at Mark and said, "I'll blame that on you." Mark grinned and said, "I accept that." They talked for a while longer before heading back to the 'Corporation´ locker room. When they entered, Sara went over and sat down by Liz. "Hey, girl, how ya doin´?" she asked. "Pretty good. I just came back from lunch with Kevin," Liz said, a slight grin on her face, "What have you been doin´ all day?" "Well, I had to plan out my match with Amy, and got a quick workout while she was talking to Vince. Other than that, I've been hanging out with Mark," Sara said. "Well, that's cool," Liz said lowering her voice and leaning towards Sara's ear, "Did you hear about Andy?" Sara looked at her quizzically. "His father died a few days ago," Liz whispered. "Are you serious?" Sara asked. "Yeah, that's why he's been so down the past couple of days," Liz said frowning. Sara sighed heavily and sat back in her seat. "That really sucks," she said before focusing on the television monitor. It was playing the pay-per-view.

Sara saw Andy walk in and went over to him. "Hey, I just heard about your dad," she whispered in his ear, "I'm really sorry. If you wanna talk, I'm here for you." Andy's cheeks turned a slight red as he looked down at Sara. "Thanks," he said quietly, "How many people know?" "I don't know. Liz told me, though," she answered quietly. "Well, I'm sure people will find out," Andy said going over to the table. Sara took a seat beside him, and studied the tape along with everyone else.

The afternoon quickly passed. A pre-show meeting occurred at 7:30 p.m. Eric walked in with a stack of papers. "What's up, guys? I haven't really seen any of you today, so I just wanna let you know what I've been talking about with Vince," he said. He handed out a sheet of paper to each person, before going to stand by the television so every one could see him. "First off, we've got the matches for tonight. Kevin and Scott, you two have your title re-match against Matt and Jeff Hardy. From what I've heard, you guys have a pretty exciting match planned out; I look forward to that. Mark, you're goin´ up against Jericho in a Hardcore match. That should be interesting. Tons of weapons, right?" Eric said looking around. "Yep," Mark agreed. "Alright…Sara, you've got a Women's title match with Amy. I'm actually looking forward to that the most, because I watched your match last night – I know you've heard this a million times probably – but it was really good. They had a poll on the website about the matches, and yours was voted the second best for the whole pay-per-view," Eric said looking at Sara. Sara blushed slightly, and looked away. "Thanks, Eric," she said quietly. "That's it for the matches for tonight," Eric continued handing out a couple more sheets of papers, stapled together, "This is the itinerary for the next month, after the house show in MSG. That Friday, we're gonna head to Pittsburgh for a bunch of appearances, including the Ticketmaster office, since the tickets for the next pay-per-view go on sale. Saturday, we're gonna head back to San Francisco to do another round of appearances at a couple racetracks, a hospital, and the opening of a new beach restaurant. Sunday, you'll be able to relax, but we head right back out to Albany for RAW, and we've got 27 whole days straight on the road."

"Wow," Shorty whispered. "Alright, that's it, guys," Eric said, "Have a good night tonight. Entertain the hell out of these fans." Sara stood and headed down to Janet. She had yet to get her hair and make-up done for the night. When she got there, Janet had just finished with Amy. "Hey, fancy running into you here," Sara said, "You ready for tonight?" "Yep, I think it's gonna turn out okay," Amy said smiling, "See ya around." Sara sat down as Amy walked away. "What's up, Janet?" Sara asked. "Nothin´ much, home girl," Janet, "How are you doin´?" "Oh, I'm fine," Sara said. "How are things goin´ for you? I'm sure you've been hearing how great your match was last night," Janet said. "Yeah," Sara said sighing, "I've lost count now. We're gonna have a rematch for tonight; the fans should really like it, since it's gonna be for her Women's title." "Ah, well, I think I'll catch that match," Janet said beginning Sara's make-up, "Do you want anything special done to your hair?" "Actually, could you crimp it like you had Amy's hair last night; I thought that was really cute," Sara said. "Sure thing, babe," Janet said.

Janet finished up just over an hour later; Sara's hair had taken a majority of the time, since Sara had let it grow back down to her waist. When Janet finished, Sara thanked her and headed to the snack table. "Fire in the hole!" yelled a production technician. Sara put her index fingers in her ears as the fireworks signaling the start of the show exploded. Down the hall, she ran into Brock. "Hey, Brock, how's it goin´?" she asked. "Great, Sara. I've got another match tonight, against Bob Holly," Brock answered, "I'm actually headed out to the ring now; it's the first on the show." "Awesome!" Sara said, "Good luck out there; do what you do best – entertain the fans." "Alright, Sara," Brock said heading towards the entranceway. Sara continued on her way to the snack table, sitting down with Andy when she got there.

"You okay, Andy?" she asked. He was sitting there with his head in his hands. "Yeah, I'm fine, Sara," Andy answered, "Just…upset, you know." "Is that why you haven't been on my case the past couple days?" Sara whispered, "I mean, with your dad dying and all. Did you get to go to the funeral?" "Yeah, actually, that's what I did during my break; when I went back home, I, uh, I went and stayed with him," Andy said quietly, "It wasn't a painful death; he died in his sleep…The funeral was Saturday night. Eric said I didn't have to come back Sunday, that I could stay at home for that day, but I chose to come back. It would help me to kind of not think about it." Sara touched his back and rubbed it slightly. "I'm really sorry, Andy; it sucks when you lose a family member," she whispered. Andy looked up at her, and sighed heavily. "Yeah, it does," he said, "But I've got to move on. Can't dwell on it forever, you know. I'll look forward to your match tonight."

"Thanks, buddy," Sara said standing, "I'm actually gonna go warm up for it, since it's once again third on the card." "Alright, do you want me to accompany you to the ring?" Andy asked. "Sure; I think it'll do you good to be in front of the fans," Sara said, "Just don't get involved. Amy and I didn't plan for it, so she won't know how to react. I'll come get you when I'm ready, okay?" Andy nodded and went back to trying to eat his salad. Sara went over to the interview area; she had to do her promo before the second match. When Coachman signaled that it was her turn, she stepped in front of the camera. She had planned to freestyle it. "Alright, 3…2…1," said the cameraman. "Chyna, last night, you and Lita had one hell of a match. We've got some great footage of it here," Coach said pointing at a television screen. The shot highlighted several different moments from the match, before capturing Sara's finishing maneuver. "Chyna, you handed out a lot of punishment to Lita, not to mention that extra 'Syndrome´ after the match was over. And, that match wasn't even for the Women's title," Coach said, "Tonight's match is. Lita has challenged you for a rematch from last night, and she's so confident that she can pull off an upset…she's put her Women's title on the line. What do you have to say about that?"

"Coach…Lita got her ass kicked last night. I thought she'd learned her lesson. Obviously, she hasn't. And now, I've got to go teach it to her again. You don't mess with the '9th Wonder of the World´. Tonight, not only am I going to beat the hell out of Lita; not only am I going to leave her lying in the middle of the ring crippled; I'm going to do it and take her title," Sara said, "Everybody knows how I feel about that thing she calls a title – I'm not real big on it. In fact, I think it's an insult to what I do. But tonight, I'm going to enjoy taking it from her. Because it'll show Lita just how big and bad I can be." She then walked away from the camera, towards the snack table. Andy was still there.

"Come on," she said, "We're gonna go find Amy real quick, and I'm gonna see if it's okay for you to get involved. I just had an idea." Andy looked up at her and smiled. "Thanks, Sara," he whispered standing. They found Amy near the entrance warming up. "Amy, I was wondering if you minded if Andy got involved in our match tonight; he really, really wants to be involved," Sara said as she started to warm up. "Yeah, it's no problem with me. What do you have in mind?" Amy answered. "Well, you know when I put you in that whirlwind, and you're supposed to go into the corners? I was thinkin' you could slide out of the ring instead," Sara said as she ran in place, "Andy could hit you with a couple of suplexes, and then throw you back in, and we could pick up right where we left off. That way, you don't have to do anything different." "Sure, that's no problem," Amy said looking at Andy, "Are you comfortable with that?" "Yeah, it's cool," Andy answered beginning to stretch his arm muscles. Lifting a person required the arms to be stretched out completely.

The three people headed to the entranceway together; Sara, as the challenger for a title, had to go out first. When Suzy gave Sara the one-minute cue, Sara lowered her head and began to get into character. She didn't look up until the 'Corporation´ music hit; she actually waited a few extra moments before walking through the Curtains – she was trying to get as big a reaction as possible from the crowd. They didn't let her down, because as soon as Sara hit the stage, a wave of boos engulfed her and Andy. She walked to the ring with an attitude, looking pissed at the fact that she had to wrestle the same woman she'd defeated the night before. She rolled into the ring, stood up, and held her hands high; the crowd booed her even more. Andy walked around to the other side of the ring and stared up at her.

When Amy's music hit, the crowd went wild. Sara stood in the far corner, and sneered when Amy hit the stage holding her Women's title belt high. She kept signaling that the belt was hers, and it wasn't going anywhere. Sara paced the ring grimacing. Amy ran down the ramp and slid into the ring. Instead of hopping up on the ropes to hype up the crowd, she immediately lunged at Sara. Sara wasn't prepared for it, so she fell out between the ropes. She landed correctly, but bounded right back up and tried to get in the ring, her real temper sparked. How dare Amy do something like that without telling her? Andy immediately stopped her. She glared up at him, but he kept hold of her. "If you get into that ring like that, you're gonna screw up the match," he whispered in her ear, "Chill out before you go in there, and when you do, teach her a lesson...beat the hell out of her." Sara took a deep breath before climbing into the ring. She and Amy walked a circle around each other before starting the match.

It was stiff, hard, and slow-paced. Sara had decided to teach Amy not to push her boundaries. Their friendship hadn't progressed that far. Even Andy did the same; his suplexes on the mat were anything but comfortable – they were sure to leave bruises. When the bell signaling the end of the match finally sounded, Sara kicked out of the pin Amy had her in, then stomped her stomach hard. She lifted her up and hit a crucial falcon arrow. Amy folded up like an accordion, holding her neck. Sara turned her onto her back, grabbing the collar of her shirt. "Don't screw with me, Lita," she snapped, "Don't screw with me, because I'm not the kind of person you want as an enemy!" She then climbed out of the ring and stalked to the back, glaring back at Amy as Andy followed her.

When she got to the back, Sara plopped down in the closest chair. She was having regrets about being so cruel to Amy. They had taken two steps forward over the past couple of days, and now she felt like she'd taken four steps back. Amy came limping through the Curtain with the help of the referee. "Sara…can I talk to you?" she asked quietly. Sara took a deep breath as she looked up at her. Amy was trying not to cry; Sara's own eyes filled with tears. "Yeah," she said quietly. Andy went to follow her, but Sara shook her head. "We need to work this out alone," she told him. Andy nodded and said, "I'll meet you in the locker room."

Amy went directly towards the women's locker room, Sara beside her. When they entered, Amy shut the door and locked it. "What was that about?" she asked, "Please, tell me what the hell that was about." "Amy, I can't apologize for that enough. I was so unprofessional out there. And I apologize for Andy, too. It's just…when you hit me at the beginning…I wasn't expecting it; I could've hurt myself falling out. And the fact that you didn't seem to consider that really…made me angry," Sara admitted, "So…I tried to teach you a lesson about being professional, and how even the littlest things can affect the dynamics of a match. And, I went way overboard. I'm really, really sorry for that. I know that probably doesn't mean anything to you, but I'm really sorry." Amy looked down at the floor as tears fell down her cheeks. "Sara…I'm going to accept blame for not asking you about changing the beginning of the match; I had just wanted the fans to get the impression that I could take on a challenge like you. You've said it countless times how you feel about fighting women, and I wanted to fans to know that I wasn't an ordinary woman," she said looking back up, "But, that didn't give you the right to beat the living hell out of me. Do you have any idea what kind of pain I'm in?"

"Yeah, I do, Amy. Try training for 12 hours a day, in and out of the ring, nonstop, no breaks whatsoever. I was in pain for over two months last year, so I know what you're going through. I can't say that the pain you're feeling won't happen again – there are other challenges out there probably far worse – but I can say that I won't hurt you on purpose again. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" Sara said quietly. Amy came over to her and hugged her. "Yeah, I do," she whispered, "Thanks for teaching me a lot these past couple of days." "No problem, hon," Sara said hugging her back. They parted and both unwounded from their match. Sara took her shower first, quickly changing into her street clothes. "You have a good night, Amy. I hope you feel better," she said quietly. "Alright, Sara, you too," Amy said as Sara walked out.

Sara headed down to the locker room with her head lowered. She felt really ashamed of herself for what she put Amy through. It had to be mentally draining on Amy, more so than it was on Sara. When she entered the room, she was met by Eric. "If I ever see you do that to another person again, Sara…I'll make sure you're suspended. Do you understand me?" he said quietly, "That woman didn't deserve that beating, not like you gave it. Next time, think about what the hell you're gonna do before you do it! Think about the consequences!" Sara nodded slowly, feeling even more terrible, and went to sit down by Andy. "You okay, hon?" he asked. "No, Andy, I'm not," she whispered, "And, no, I don't want to talk about it." Andy nodded and rubbed her shoulder. Sara tried to focus on the show, but she couldn't, especially when Eric told her to go get dressed, because she had to accompany Kevin and Scott to the ring for their match against the Hardy´s.

"Okay," she whispered going into the locker room bathroom. She quickly changed, put her hair up into a tight ponytail, trying to do something with her bangs. She quickly did her make-up to the best of her ability, then walked out into the locker room. Kevin and Scott were waiting for her. "You ready?" Kevin asked her. "Yeah," she answered quietly. "Alright, let's go," he said opening the locker room door. On the way to the entranceway, Kevin looked down at Sara and said, "Sara…you let me down, you know? I thought I'd taught you more about controlling your anger, and you went out there and proved me wrong." Sara stopped and stared at him with her jaw hanging. "Kevin, please…don't say that. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry," she whispered trying to breathe deeply. "I taught you to control your anger, no matter what, and you went out there and just threw it all out the window. What if you had seriously hurt Amy? Did you think about that?" Kevin said. Sara looked down and covered her eyes. "I don't want you out there with us. I don't trust you out there right now," he said before walking away with Scott.

Sara started crying as she ran back to the locker room. She didn't like being kept from doing what she loved, especially when she knew she deserved it. She wiped her eyes before entering the locker room. "What happened?" Mark asked as she sat down beside him. "Kevin…doesn't want me out there," she whispered, "He said…that he didn't…trust me. He told me…that I let him down…that I showed him that I hadn't learned anything from him." Mark didn't say anything. He had somewhat agreed with Kevin; Sara had went overboard with whatever point she was trying to prove to Amy. Sara looked up into Mark's eyes, and read his thoughts. "You agree with him, don't you?" she whispered trying not to cry, "Look, I apologized, okay? I'm sorry! It was a mistake!" Mark tried to comfort her, but she pushed away from him, grabbed her duffel bag, and stormed out the room, heading straight for the limousine, surprised that Eric hadn't stopped her.

When she got outside, she climbed into the 'Corporation´ limo and cried as she changed into her street clothes. The door opened as she slipped on her boots. She quickly wiped her eyes as Liz slid in. "Sara…look, um, Eric wants you to stay out here for the rest of the night," she said quietly, "He – and these are his words – wants you to 'think about your actions of tonight´." Sara nodded as she packed up her duffel bag. "Okay, Liz," she choked out. "Sara, I'm sorry…I didn't want to deliver that message, but Eric made me," Liz whispered. "No, don't apologize. He's right; I let a lot of people down tonight," Sara answered, "I'd rather be alone anyway." "Okay, hon, I'll see you later," Liz said climbing back out of the limo. The door shut, and Sara curled up away from the doors, in the farthest corner. She eventually cried herself to sleep; what she'd done the past nine months had gone down the drain with the actions in one match.


	18. Powerless

**Chapter 17…Powerless**

Sara awoke on the plane in Mark's lap. Her fingers were clenching his shirt tightly, and his arms were safely wrapped around her. The lights on the plane were off, as usual when they were flying during the night. She looked up at Mark, only to see that he was fast asleep. She sighed and rested her head back against his shoulder. Her muscles were extremely sore from her match with Amy, its memories branded in her mind. She'd let a lot of people down – Amy, Eric, Kevin, and even Mark – and now she felt completely worthless. A tear fell down her cheek as she recalled the look of disappointment on each of those people's face. Mark's hand sliding across her back brought her back to reality. "You okay, babe?" he whispered. "Yeah," she answered quickly. Mark looked down at her and wiped the tear away. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings last night, dollface, I really am," he whispered. Sara shook her head and said, "It was my fault. I used poor judgment with Amy. I deserved it." Mark took a deep breath and kissed her forehead. "What time is it?" she asked quietly. "It's almost one a.m. You want to go get a drink of water?" Mark answered. "No, I'm fine," Sara said snuggling closer to him. Mark rubbed his nose in her hair, whispering, "You know I love you, right?" Sara nodded against his chest and closed her eyes, feeling slightly better. "I love you, too," she whispered before falling back asleep.

The plane landed in Spokane a half an hour later. The lights in the cabin popped on, wakening almost every member. "Look, guys, we're gonna sleep in a hotel tonight," Eric said standing in the front, "We've got a lot of time before we have to be at the arena. All you should take is a few essentials for staying in the hotel, and what you're gonna wear tonight." The members all agreed and exited the plane. They checked into the nearest Sheraton Hotel. Liz and Sara stayed together, but Mark accompanied Sara. Since Sara had just gotten herself into trouble only earlier that night, she didn't want to ask Eric if she could room with Mark just yet. "Liz, you don't mind, do you?" Sara had asked in the lobby. "No, hon, not at all," Liz had said. When Sara got into her room, she fell onto her bed and turned her back to both people. Her mind was in shambles, and her body wasn't feeling too good either. "Is she gonna be okay?" Liz asked Mark. "I don't know," Mark answered quietly, "I honestly don't." He climbed into the bed beside Sara and pulled the covers over them. "Are you gonna be okay, dollface?" he whispered in her ear. "Yeah, I just need to sleep it off," Sara answered as his left arm came around her waist, his right arm under her head. Mark kissed her ear before falling asleep.

Sara woke later that morning at exactly eight a.m. Mark was still holding her close. She rubbed his forearm and leaned her head back against his shoulder, grinning to herself. Mark could always make her feel better just by holding her. Mark kissed her neck suddenly, getting a soft yelp from her. Mark chuckled softly and kissed her neck again for a long moment, this time getting a quiet moan from her. Sara turned to face him and kissed him gently. Mark moved his free hand over her waist and backside. "I love you, baby," Sara whispered against his lips. Mark growled softly as her hands moved through his hair and over his face and neck. "Come on, let's go in the bathroom," he whispered in her ear. Sara chuckled as Mark stood and grabbed her hand. They went into the bathroom and shut the door as quietly as possible. Mark put her onto the sink counter and kissed her passionately. His hands removed her shirt and bra quickly, then took her left breast in his mouth. Sara moaned quietly and massaged his shoulders. Mark moved his tongue over her nipple, bringing it to a hard nub. "Good gracious," Sara whispered as Mark moved to her right breast, "That's good, baby. Oh, that's good." Mark smiled as he moved down her waist, kissing her defined ab muscles while undoing her jean shorts. Sara leaned back so that Mark could pull them off, followed by her panties. When he eased inside her, she smiled and wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck.

Mark teased her by just standing there. "What are you doin´?" she asked frantically trying to move around. Mark lifted her off the counter and sat down in her place. "Aha," Sara smiled kissing his neck and cheeks, "That's a good idea." Mark smiled as she started to move. "Oh, dollface," he whispered gently squeezing her breasts. Sara quickly sped up her pace as her lips locked onto Mark's. Mark waited until Sara had at least three orgasms before climaxing himself on her fourth one. "Thanks," Sara whispered kissing his ear, "I needed that." Mark smiled and kissed her gently. "Anything for you," he answered, "Anything for you, dollface."

Sara slowly climbed off of him and cut on the shower. After Mark had removed his clothes, they both stepped into the running water. Mark treated Sara to a luxurious washing, before letting her wash his body as well. Sara stepped out of the tub, laughing when Mark drying her off with one of the hotel towels. He finished it off by dressing her in her clothes. When he did finish, Sara stepped close to him and kissed his bare chest. "I love you, baby," she whispered hugging him. "I love you, too," Mark said smiling, "But if you don't mind, I'd like to get dressed, too." Sara winked at him before leaving the bathroom. Liz was still asleep in her bed. Sara went out onto the balcony and stared into the morning sky, losing herself in thought. Even though she'd upset everyone, Mark had made her forget about everything from the previous night; he'd made her feel good about herself again. She loved him so much; she couldn't describe to anyone else how deep her love ran for him, but she knew.

When Mark's arms wrapped around her, she merely leaned back against him. "I can tell you feel better," he whispered. "Yeah, I do," she answered, "I owe it to you." "You wanna go to breakfast? I don't feel like ordering anything here," he said. "Yeah, just let me call Andy," Sara said going back into the room. She picked up the phone and dialed Andy's room. "Hello?" he answered groggily. "Um, Andy, Mark and I are going to breakfast. I wanted to let you know so you could come with us," she said quietly. Andy sighed heavily before saying, "Alright, meet me in the lobby in 15 minutes."

"Alright, thanks, buddy," Sara said before hanging up the receiver. She went back out onto the balcony and took her spot in front of Mark. "He's gonna meet us down in the lobby in about 15 minutes," she said quietly. "Okay, that's cool. Where do you want to go?" Mark said wrapping his arms back around her. "How about Denny's?" she asked. "That's fine with me," Mark said, "Are you nervous about tonight?" "A little," she answered honestly, "I mean, I don't know if Vince is gonna approach me. He wasn't there after the match, so I just don't know what to expect when I get there." "Did you run into anybody after the match? I mean, like any of the other wrestlers," he said quietly. "Amy came limping through the curtains, and we immediately talked about what happened – I apologized to her, too – but other than her, nobody," she answered. "Well, hopefully, Amy will tell everybody that you did apologize, and we can keep moving forward," Mark said. Sara faced him and grinned slightly. "Thank you, Mark," she whispered, "Thank you for still believing in me." Mark cupped her face and kissed her forehead, before saying, "I'll always believe in you." Sara smiled and hugged him tightly. "Come on, let's go on down to the lobby," she said kissing his nose. "Alright," Mark said opening the door and letting Sara pass.

When they got down to the lobby, Sara grabbed a bagel and cup of orange juice from the continental breakfast table. Mark simply stared at her. "Thought we were going to breakfast?" he asked with a smile. Sara grinned and bit into the bagel. "I'll eat something at Denny's, too," she said. As they sat at the table, a few fans came up to ask for autographs. Sara and Mark happily obliged; Sara even posed for pictures. It helped her mood to see that the fans still liked her. "Thanks, Chyna!" the little girl said running back to what looked like her mother. Sara smiled broadly and waved good-bye to her. "You're welcome, honey," she answered. Andy walked in as she waved good-bye. "Are you ready?" she asked. "Yeah, um, Eric wants you back by ten," Andy answered. "Did he say why?" Sara asked. "No, he just said to 'be back by ten, and not a minute later´," Andy said. "Alright," Sara said putting her hand in Mark's. They left the hotel together.

Sara returned to the hotel at quarter to ten. The last thing she wanted to do was piss off Eric. However, she was met in the lobby by Eric. "Hey, Eric, what's goin´ on?" she asked. "Nothing. I want you to go to your room, change into some workout clothes, and be back down here in five minutes," he said plainly. "Okay, I'll be right back," Sara said as she, Mark, and Andy headed to the elevator. "What do you think he wants?" she asked Mark. "I don't know, baby. It's probably just a regular workout," Mark answered. He'd said that only to satisfy Sara – he didn't want her to worry – but his instincts told him that Eric was going to doing something bad to her. The elevator opened, and Sara quickly headed to her room. When she entered, it was completely empty. "Liz is probably out with Kevin," Sara said to Mark. She grabbed her duffel bag from the corner and pulled out her cotton shorts and muscle t-shirt. She quickly changed and left the room, followed by Mark. "Baby, I think I have to go alone. I'll see you when I get back, okay?" Sara said when they got to the elevator. Mark hesitated before nodding. "Alright, dollface," he said as the elevator door closed, "Be careful, though." Sara nodded and tried to slow her racing pace. The look in Eric's eyes had told her that this was not going to be a regular workout. When she got to the lobby, Eric was pacing. She walked up to him and lowered her eyes. "I'm ready," she said quietly. "Alright, follow me," he said walking out. Sara followed him and climbed into the waiting car, Andy right behind her. Eric's silence didn't really help Sara's heart rate; she had no idea what she was in store for.

They pulled up to the gym about 20 minutes later. Andy opened the door for them, and Eric and Sara climbed out. They walked into the gym quickly. "Alright, you've got 15 minutes to stretch, and then I want you to meet me in the boxing ring," Eric said, "We're gonna make that a temporary wrestling ring." Sara took a deep breath and looked at Andy; he looked as confused as she. "Okay," she whispered. She stretched as thoroughly as possible for the next 15 minutes. When she stepped in the ring, Eric had just finished wrapping on some karate sparring equipment.

"Now…defend yourself," Eric said before attacking her. For the next two hours, Eric put Sara's body through pure hell. She was on complete defense for the entire time, and Eric switched from karate techniques and wrestling moves so fast, she couldn't get an offense on him. He had truly meant for her to defend herself. Finally, Eric pulled back after a stiff roundhouse kick to the side of Sara's skull which sent her crashing to the mat. "I hope today was a lesson for you, Sara," he snapped looking down at her, "Don't let what happened last night happen again. Get your ass up, and get outside to the car." Sara nodded as tears filled her eyes. She slowly rolled out of the ring and tried to stand up straight. However, that last kick Eric had delivered had really hurt her. She got lightheaded and fell to the floor on all fours. Andy rushed to her side and helped her up. "Come on, Sara, stand up straight," he whispered in her ear, "Don't let him defeat you like that." Sara nodded slightly and forced the tears in her eyes away. He wrapped her arm around his neck, and put his arm around her waist, then led her to the car.

The ride back was as silent as when they'd rode to the gym. Sara couldn't stop the silent tears from sliding down her face; her brain seemed to be swelling out of her head. That last kick could've given her a concussion. Eric had put her through ten times as much punishment as she'd put Amy through. Along with the mental pain that Sara felt, she now had to deal with the physical pain Eric had put on her. When they got to the hotel, Eric climbed out and slammed the door shut. Sara sat still and tried to stop crying – Andy even tried to wipe the tears away – but the tears kept coming. "Come on, Sara, you've got to get yourself together," Andy said quietly, "You can't go in there like that. If Mark sees you – you know how he can get – he'll probably do something he regrets." Sara nodded and wiped her face slowly. "Let's go. Help me out, please," she whispered. Andy opened the door and quickly climbed out, helping Sara out. They went into the hotel quietly and headed directly for the elevator. When Sara finally got to her room door, she sighed heavily. "Are you going to be okay? Do you need anything?" Andy asked her as she leaned against the door and pulled out her key. Her head was pounding. "No, Andy," she said slowly, "I'll be fine. I just need to rest before we go to the arena." "Are you sure?" he asked. "Yes, dammit, leave me alone," she snapped, lowering her head as tears once again filled her eyes. "Okay…I'll leave you alone," he whispered, "I'll see you in a little bit." Sara nodded as he walked away. She trembled as she slid her key into the door lock. When it clicked open, she sighed in relief. The first thing she was going to do was lie down in her bed. However, when she took a step into the room, it seemed to spin out of control. Sara got extremely dizzy and fell to the floor. She didn't have the strength to move, and passed out right in the doorway.

Sara awoke on her bed; Shawn was sitting beside her wiping her face with a rag. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said trying to sit up. Every muscle in her body ached, and her face contorted in pain. "Come on, let me help you," Shawn said standing and putting her arm around his neck. Sara groaned slightly as she slowly stood. "Where's everybody else?" Sara asked. "They're already at the arena. It's almost one o´ clock," Shawn answered as Sara leaned down to grab her duffel bag, "Eric didn't want me to wake you up; he wanted you to wake up on your own." "Oh, great," Sara whispered, "Not only am I hurting, but I'm fuckin' late." "Don't worry about it; you're not gonna get in trouble," Shawn reassured her, "But, if you don't mind me asking, Sara…what the hell happened to you?" "Well…Eric…taught me his own lesson about giving punishment to somebody," she whispered as they headed out of the room. "Oh," Shawn said quietly.

They quickly got downstairs and into a waiting car. The drive to the arena was quiet, neither person spoke on what had been said in Sara's room. When they got to the arena, Sara managed to climb out of the car by herself, but she needed Shawn's help to get into the building; she was still a little lightheaded. "Alright, you need to sit down somewhere," he said when they got to the locker room, "I'll bring you a bottle of water, and something to eat." "Okay," Sara said going in, thankful that it was empty. She sat down at the nearest table and picked up the itinerary for the night's show. Fortunately, she didn't have a match; she was only playing the manager role in a couple of matches. "So, you finally showed up." Sara jumped and looked around at Eric. "Yeah, I didn't wake up until just before one; Shawn said that you didn't want him to wake me – that's why I'm late," she said standing, wincing at the pain, "I'm sorry, I did--." "Sara, hush. It's fine. I wanted you to rest up after what happened this morning," Eric said coming over to her, and forcing her to sit back down. "That's what Shawn said; I just wanted to apologize for being late," Sara added. "It's perfectly understandable, Sara. I'm the one who should be apologizing; I shouldn't have put you through that much punishment. It was a mistake to let it go as far as it did," Eric said quietly, "So, I guess to 'make up´ for it, I asked Vince take you out of a match against an up-and-comer named Randy Orton, and just let you play the managerial role tonight." "Thanks, Eric," she said softly. "No problem, hon. Have you stretched out any at all?" he answered, "Do you wanna see the trainer?" "Um, no. I passed out in the doorway of my room before I could even get two steps in," Sara answered, "And I'll pass on the trainer." "Well, you might want to try and stretch out. I know your muscles are probably tightened up," Eric said touching her shoulder, "Once again, Sara, I'm sorry." Sara nodded slightly as Shawn walked in with a water bottle and a plate of fruit. He set the plate and bottle down in front of her, then stepped back. "You'll be okay, Sara," he said, "I'll see ya later." "I'll see ya later, okay, Sara? Everybody's out and about here, so you've got the room to yourself for awhile," Eric said heading out behind Shawn, "Remember to stretch."

Sara nodded and pulled herself to the floor; Eric was right – her muscles were extremely tight. That's why she was so sore. She began to stretch a little as Andy walked in. "Hey, Sara. How do you feel?" he asked coming over to help her stretch. "Tired as hell, Andy," she whispered, "Have you seen Mark?" "Yeah, he's in the ring talking with Randy Orton; they've got a match tonight," Andy answered quietly, "You should've seen him earlier, concerned as hell about you. He wanted to go back to the hotel, but Eric wouldn't let him." "I figured he'd try to come back," Sara said groaning as she stretched her right leg by touching her ankle. Andy helped by pushing down slightly on her back. She repeated the same process on her left leg, and then reached out in front of her, Andy pushing down on her back a little harder. Sara did a few lunges – frontward and backwards, side to side – to stretch out her legs some more, before moving to her upper body. That lasted a few minutes. When she finished, she felt a little better. "Thanks, Andy," Sara said as she bit into her orange slices, "Thanks a lot." "No problem, Sara. That's what I'm here for," he said. "Guess what? Eric apologized to me for going so far," she said beginning to eat at a faster pace; she was starving. "Well, he should have. He went too far after the first half an hour," Andy said quietly.

Sara quickly finished her food and water, before standing and stretching her arms as far as she could. "Look, Andy, I'll see you later, okay? I've got to get cleaned up, and dressed for tonight," she said going into the shower room. "Alright, Sara," Andy said leaving the room to give her privacy. Sara quickly took a good shower, and then dressed in her set for the night: a pair of leather pants covered in sequins (to cover the bruises on her legs), a black leather halter top, and a black vest (to cover the bruises on her back). As she slipped on her boots, the door opened and Mark, Liz, and Kevin walked in. "Oh, my God, where have you been?!" Mark said rushing over to her. "Mark, relax. I'm fine. I was…I was at the hotel," she said quietly. "Are you okay?" he asked scanning his eyes over her body, "He didn't hurt you, did he?" "Mark, even if Eric did hurt me, I wouldn't tell you," Sara said standing, forcing down a grimace. She left the locker room and headed to Janet's. When she got there, she plopped down in the chair and sighed heavily. "What can I do for ya tonight, babe?" Janet asked. "Oh, just a cute ponytail. I'm in the manager role tonight, so be creative," Sara said smiling. "Okay, hon, no problem," Janet answered.

Sara closed her eyes and let Janet go to work. She let her mind wander to the "workout" she'd had with Eric. It was like a session with Shawn during her last week of training, except worse; besides, she'd been able to keep up with Shawn. Eric had been about five times faster, which she didn't think was humanly possible. "Sara." Sara opened her eyes, only to find herself looking into Mark's. "What?" she asked quietly. "He hurt you, didn't he?" he asked. "So what, Mark? I deserved it; I needed to be taught what it feels like to have your body thrown around like a rag doll, to know what it feels like when the other person doesn't give a damn about whether or not you get hurt," she said quietly, "What are you gonna do? Beat the hell out of him, and get fired for it? Would it be worth it to you? I'm fine…that's all you should care about." Mark tensed up and looked away. "Mark, please…don't fight for me…not this time. What I did was wrong – you know that, you practically said so yourself – so don't go and say that I didn't deserve punishment for it," Sara said grabbing his hand. Mark looked down at her hand and simply walked away; he wanted to fight for Sara, but he couldn't, and that pissed him off more than the fact that she'd been hurt in the first place.

"What was that all about?" Janet asked. "Oh, nothing to worry about Janet," Sara answered, "We're fine." Janet agreed and finished up Sara's hairstyle – a ponytail with the hair hanging down in bouncy curls and a fluffy bang – and make-up. "There…all done," Janet said after she'd finished putting the last little bit of rouge on Sara's cheeks. "Great, Jan, thanks," Sara said hopping out of the chair, "I'll see ya around." She walked down to the entranceway, meeting up with Andy. "You look a lot better," he said. "Yeah, I feel a lot better," she said. "So, what are you up to?" he asked. "Oh, just goin´ to the ring to see what's goin´ on," she answered, "I mean, to see if John and Patrick are in there. They've got matches tonight, and I want to know if I'm gonna have to do anything." "Ah, I see, but they're not there," Andy said grinning, "Last I saw, they were in the gym." "Thanks for telling me," Sara said turning around to head to the gym. When she got there, John was spotting Patrick at the barbell area. She walked up to them and spoke.

"Hey, Sara," John said. "Where have you been this afternoon?" Patrick asked. "Well…recovering," Sara said slowly, looking down at the floor. "From what?" asked John with a raised eyebrow. "I, uh, was…punished…for what I did to Amy last night," she answered quietly, "By Eric." Patrick set the barbell back on its resting stand and sat up. "What'd he do to you?" he asked tensely. "Oh, don't you start, either. I've already had enough from Mark," Sara said, "Besides, it was deserved." Patrick stood and came over to her. "What did he do?" he asked again. He'd trained Sara for only a month, but they'd grown like brother and sister during that one month, and he cared about her. "Honestly…he beat the hell out of me," Sara whispered, "I didn't have a chance." "Are you bruised?" John asked coming to stand beside Patrick. "Why do you think I'm covering so much skin?" she whispered. "Oh, jeez, Sara," Patrick whispered hugging her, "Are you okay? You're not too hurt, are you?" "No, Patrick, I'm fine," she said hugging him back, "Thanks for asking, though." "No problem, sweetie," Patrick said releasing her, "Now let me see what he did."

Sara stared at him in shock. "Are you serious?" she asked. "Yep," Patrick said quietly. Sara looked at John with pleading eyes; if they actually saw what Eric had done to her, they would surely snap. "I want to see, too," he said crossing his arms. Sara stared at the ceiling as she turned around and unzipped her vest; she was thankful she'd decided to wear the halter top with it. The men gasped when they saw the different shades of blue patches all over her back and shoulders. "Has Mark seen that?" John asked slowly. "No, and I don't plan on showing him," Sara said quickly putting the vest back on, "Besides, it doesn't feel as bad as it looks, not anymore…And Eric apologized for going so long." "How long did it last?!" Patrick asked. "Two hours," Sara whispered zipping the vest up. "That's crazy," Patrick said, "You definitely shouldn't tell Mark about that." "Well, if you guys are finished telling me what I already know, can we discuss your matches? I'm supposed to play the manager role tonight," Sara said turning around. "Oh, we already talked to our opponents – I'm fighting Brock Lesnar, and John's fighting Adam Copeland – so, it's all worked out," Patrick said as he went back to his workout, "You've only got a couple of low blows to land, and maybe a beating to help with afterwards. You'll be able to tell when to interfere." "You…talked…to your opponents?" Sara asked quietly. "Yeah…why?" Patrick asked. Sara grinned to herself, answering, "Never mind, Patrick, never mind. Well, in that case, I'll see you guys back in the locker room."

Sara left the gym with a huge smile on her face. Patrick and John had made her day by telling her that they'd talked to their opponents; it had proved to her that despite what happened between her and Amy, the other members were still attempting to get to know their co-workers. She headed up to the balcony, running into Mark on the way there. "Hey, baby," Sara said. "Hey," he said quietly, "Can we talk?" "Yeah, sure," Sara said putting her hand in his, "I was just headed up to the balcony." They quickly went up to the balcony, taking seats as far up as possible. "What's up, sweetie? You look like somethin´ is bothering you," Sara said squeezing his hand. "Well…it is. Shawn told me why you were late. He said that Andy had found you passed out in your doorway, and that Eric didn't want you to come to the arena until you'd waken up on your own," Mark started, "What I want to know…is why you passed out in the first place." Sara released Mark's hand and covered her face. "Mark…I thought I told you to drop this," she whispered. "I can't," Mark said quietly, "It's locked in my mind, and I can't let it go until I find out what happened to you." "And what's gonna happen when you do find out?" she asked looking out at the arena. "Peace of mind, Sara," Mark answered forcing her to look at him, "That's it, just peace of mind. I won't do anything else."

"Look, I got the shit beaten out of me for two fuckin´ hours, and there wasn't anything I could do to stop it!" she snapped, "That's why I passed out in the doorway, because I didn't have any energy left!" Mark dropped his hand and stared at her. Sara could only look away and lower her head. She didn't mean to spout it out like she had, but there was no other way to say it. To make it worse, she could feel Mark's anger engulfing her. "Please, Mark…don't do anything you're gonna regret," she whispered looking back at him. "Are you bruised?" he asked quietly. "Yeah…pretty badly," she answered. "Can I see it?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and looked down, then slowly unzipped her vest. Patrick and John had told her not to show him, but she felt that Mark needed to see what had been done to her. "Mark…before you see this…just know that it's not as bad as it looks," she whispered removing the vest and turning around. Mark groaned as he placed his hand on the darkest bruise, right under Sara's neck. "Have you stretched?" he asked moving his hands over her back. "Yeah," Sara answered as he began to deeply massage her back. That's what she had needed the most, someone to loosen her back muscles; now, Mark was doing that, and she was extremely grateful.

When Mark finished, he kissed her neck and hugged her from behind. "Thank you," she whispered leaning against him, "I feel a lot better." "I guess that was my way of getting my anger out," Mark whispered. "Well, it didn't feel like you were angry," Sara whispered, "Would you mind coming with me to the trainer? I want to get my back iced up." "Sure, that's fine," Mark said standing and helping Sara her vest back on. They quickly went to the trainer's room, not running into anyone on the way. When they got there, Sara hopped up onto the table and removed her vest. "Jeez, Sara, what the hell happened to your back? I know that one match last night didn't do that," Bruce said. "What's with all the questions around here?" Sara said lying down, "Just put some ice on it. I don't really feel like wearing this vest tonight." "Okay, no problem," Bruce said pulling out five icepacks. Sara winced when the cold packs touched her skin. Mark pulled up a chair and put her hand in his. "Just talk to me, baby. Don't focus on the pain," he whispered. Sara nodded and began to talk about different subjects, ranging from the time she'd cut all her hair off as a child ("Mom beat the shit out of me for that") to when she won the Intercontinental title ("It was in front of my hometown, so it was probably the highlight of my career").

Bruce finally removed the icepacks a half an hour later. "The bruises are barely there now, Sara," Bruce said, "If you want, I can put a heat pad up there for another half an hour, and the bruises will be gone." "Go on, Bruce," Sara said. "I'll be back, okay? I've got to go take care of something real quick," Mark said standing. "What do you have to do?" Sara asked grabbing his hand. "Sara…trust me, I'm not going after Eric," Mark said leaning down in front of her, "Just worry about getting those bruises down." "Okay," she whispered lying her head back down.

Mark walked out of the trainer's room with his head down. His massage had barely brought the bruises down, but tied loosened Sara's muscles up, so she was feeling a lot better, which made him feel better. He went to the gym to work off some more aggression. He was still angry as hell that Eric had dared to punish Sara, after she'd had enough mental punishment. When he got there, Kevin was working out. "Hey, there, buddy," Kevin said working on the punching bag, "How you doin´? Did you find Sara?" "Yeah," Mark said quietly. "What happened?" Kevin asked as Mark taped up his hands. "She was bruised all to hell, man," Mark growled. "How?" Kevin asked staring at him. "Eric…´punished´ her…this morning, and she passed out at the hotel," Mark snapped as he went to work on the large punching bag. Just thinking about what Sara had told him made him red with anger. Kevin touched his shoulder and whispered, "I'm sorry, man." Mark hit the bag as hard as he could once more before moving to the barbell bench. He was now too angry to talk. He worked his body as hard as he could without overdoing it. By the time he finished, Kevin had been gone for over an hour. He went back to the locker room and took a quick shower, changing into his set for that night. He was going to be accompanying Kevin out for his match against Glenn. After he got dressed, he went back to the trainer's room, only to find that Sara had left, and went out to the seating area.

He found her sitting with Andy. He walked down the stairs toward her, but stopped when he heard Sara talking about what Eric had done. "It was so hard, Andy; I tried to fight back the whole time, but he was too fast for me. I've never been treated like that, not in my whole life. It was so degrading. He meant to hurt me – forget the fact that he apologized – he meant to hurt me. You saw it yourself," she whispered, "Did he tell you what he was gonna do?" "No, he just told me to deliver that message to you about being back by ten," Andy answered, "But, I swear if I would've known, I would not have let you go." "Andy…you're supposed to protect me, right? Against all people?" Sara asked. "That's true, Sara," Andy said. "So why the hell didn't you stop Eric?" she snapped, "I got the shit beaten out of me, Andy, or were you not watching? I was on defense the whole fucking time! Or was that the point? To let me know that I'm not as tough as I look!" Mark took a step forward, then decided to let Sara vent; it was what she needed. "I am tough, Andy! Goddamnit, I haven't been a performer my whole life because I was weak! I was always one of the top athletes wherever I went, and today…I was defeated…defeated like never before. Do you know what that feels like? Huh, Andy? I felt…like I couldn't do anything. I felt-I felt…powerless," Sara continued, "And that's what hurt the most – more than the mental agony knowing what I'd done to Amy, more than the physical pain of the beating – what hurt the most was that I was powerless to do anything. Me, the one who's always been in control of her own life, her own destiny, her own body…I was powerless."

When she stopped speaking and lowered her head, Mark went down and kneeled beside her. "You're not powerless, Sara," he said kissing her head, "Far from it. Come on." He then put his hand in hers, and led her up the stairs, glaring back at Andy as they walked away. "Are you okay, baby?" Mark asked when they'd gotten down the hall. Sara ignored him and continued walking. "Sara, stop!" Mark said grabbing her arm. Sara spun around and pulled away. "What do you want from me, Mark?!" she snapped, "I can't do anything about what happened to me. I am powerless!" She then turned and stormed back to the locker room. Mark stood there and sighed. Andy walked up beside him and said, "And what the hell was that about?" Mark spun around and grabbed his shirt, saying, "If you're not going to protect her against everybody, then you should just fucking quit!" "Listen, Mark, there was nothing I could do," Andy whispered, "You know that as well as I do." Mark released him and answered back, "That's why I'm so pissed off, Andy…because there was nothing any of us could do…just like Sara said."


	19. Leadership Qualities

**Chapter 18…Leadership Qualities**

The night passed quickly. Sara got to interfere a good deal in the two times she was out there. In Patrick's match, she delivered a crucial jackhammer and low blow to Brock Lesnar, and in John's match, she held down Adam's feet while John got the pin fall, afterwards helping John with a spike piledriver on him. When she got to the back after John's match, she was met by Amy. "It was good to see you back out there, having fun," Amy said, "You didn't get into too much trouble for what happened last night, did you?" "No, not too much. Were you really bruised up?" Sara answered. "No, not really. I've been hurt worse in the indies, so it wasn't as bad as I thought," Amy said quietly. "Well, it was good seeing you, Amy. I've got to get back to the locker room," Sara said as she walked away, "Maybe we'll hook it up in the ring again down the road." "Yeah, that'd be fun," Amy answered.

Sara caught up with John, saying, "Good match out there, buddy." "Yeah, thanks to you," John said, "The fans seemed intrigued by it." "Well, that's what we strive for, isn't it?" Sara said with a smile. John opened the door and let Sara in. She grabbed her duffel bag, and told Eric she'd be right back. "Alright, take your time. We've still got to wait for Kevin to finish his match," Eric told her. Sara nodded and headed down to the women's locker room. She took a quick shower and got dressed in her street clothes. Her muscles were still slightly sore, so she moved carefully. Walking back to the locker room, she ran into Roddy. "Oh, my God!" Sara said throwing her arms around him. She hadn't talked to him in almost two months. "How have you been?" she asked looking at him in shock, "God, it's been forever, honey!" "I'm fine; how have you been?" Roddy said quietly, "I heard about what happened last night." "Oh, everything's fine. It's all been worked out," Sara said as they walked towards the 'Corporation´ locker room, "We just had a week-long break before the pay-per-view Sunday, and I spent that week with my mom and Mark. It was great! And then, I came back and had that great match at the pay-per-view. But last night was kind of rough…on me and Amy. We got past it, though." "Well, I'm glad to see you're doing so good. It's been too long. How's your schedule looking for tonight? I was thinking maybe we could go grab a bite to eat after the show," Roddy said quietly. "Oh, I'd love to – you know that – but we head to the airport right after the show," Sara answered. "Oh…well, okay. I guess I'll see you around," Roddy said kissing her cheek, "Call me sometime." "Okay, sweetie," Sara said, "I'll talk to you soon, I promise." She waved good-bye, then entered the locker room. She sat down beside Mark and rested her head on his shoulder. "How do you feel?" he asked. "Fine…a lot better than earlier," she whispered. "Good," Mark said, "Aren't you gonna watch the rest of the show?" "Sure, why not?" Sara said focusing on the television screen.

Finally, around half past ten, the group filed out of the locker room and out to the waiting limousines. The ride back to the airport was boisterous. Everyone was rather excited about the 27-day road trip coming up. "Road trips in the 'Corporation´ are always fun," Shorty said, "You get to drive throughout the country, and you try to pack as much into one day as you can." "Really?" Sara asked. Whenever she had a long road haul, she would spend a certain amount of time driving, and then the rest of the day at the arena. "Yep," Kevin said with a smile, "And when you hang out with us, you'll learn how to do it." Sara smiled as she sat back in her seat. Tomorrow was the houseshow in Rosemont, and the houseshow Thursday in New York City, then a bunch of appearances on Friday and Saturday. Sunday, they'd be able to relax, only to have to go on the road for almost a full month. "The road trips are fun, because we also like to go see at least one gym in every city," Kevin told her.

When they got to the airport, Sara grabbed her bags from the trunk and followed everyone onto the plane. She took her usual seat by Mark, grinning when he put his arm around her shoulder. "Guess who I saw tonight?" she said quietly, "Roddy. I haven't talked to him in, like, two months." "Really? How's he doing?" Mark asked. He could now discuss Sara's friendship with her ex-husband without feeling an excessive amount of jealousy. "Oh, he's fine. He'd invited me out to go get somethin´ to eat after the show, but I told him I couldn't do it," Sara answered leaning her head against his shoulder. "Hmm. Maybe next time, then," Mark said quietly. "Yeah, maybe next time," Sara whispered.

The plane took off at 11:00 p.m. The flight to Rosemont was a short one, only about an hour. Just like they'd done in Spokane, the group checked into a hotel close to the arena for the night. Once again, Mark stayed in the room with Sara. However, instead of going to sleep, they spent an hour talking about who Sara would like to work with next as far as feuds. "That Randy Orton guy's pretty good. His dad and granddad were both wrestlers, so it's in his genes. He worked the crowd really good – they were cheering loud as hell for him – so tied be great for your heel personality," Mark told her before they decided to finally go to sleep. "Yeah, that's true. Hmm, maybe I'll look into it with Eric and Vince. It sounds like it could be something good for both of us. You know me, I like to help out the young guys," Sara said as Mark wrapped his arms around her, "Good night, baby. I love you." "I love you, too, Sara," Mark whispered closing his eyes. They fell asleep happily.

The next morning, Sara awoke to the phone ringing. She reached over Mark and picked it up. "Hello?" she whispered. "Sara, I just wanted to let you and Liz know that we've got to be at the arena early today. The show starts at three p.m., so we have to be there by ten o´ clock," Eric said, "It's eight o' clock now. We're gonna meet in the lobby at 9:30." "Alright, Eric, thanks a lot," Sara whispered, "See ya then. Bye." Eric said the same before hanging up. Sara put the phone back on the hook, and lied back down. "What was that about?" Mark asked rubbing his nose in her hair. "We've got to meet in the lobby at 9:30. The show starts at three, so we have to be to the arena by 10," Sara said rubbing her hand over his muscled arm. "What time is it now?" Mark said kissing her head. "Eight o' clock," Sara whispered closing her eyes.

Mark sighed as he went to sit up. "Where do you think you're going?" Sara asked looking up at him. "I've got to go take a shower, hon. And you've got to do the same," Mark said kissing her forehead, "I'll be back in a half an hour." Sara nodded as she watched him leave. She tried to lie back down to sleep for a few more minutes, but without Mark, she couldn't do it. She stood and stretched as she walked into the bathroom. Liz had fallen back asleep after the phone rang. Sara took a hot shower – her back was still tender from yesterday – and washed her hair. When she stepped out, it was quarter after eight. She dressed in a pair of loose blue sweatpants, and a white Harley Davidson t-shirt Mark had bought her during their break. She awoke Liz after she got dressed, then went out onto the balcony of the room. The morning sun had turned the sky a beautiful pinkish-blue. It was the same serene image Sara had seen sitting on the roof of her mother's house when she was young. Sara smiled at the image in her mind, leaning against the banner as the cool morning wind blew against her face. Her freshly washed hair whipped around her face, making her look even more innocent than ever. She had no worries in her life, and she loved it.

"Oh, my God, you are so beautiful." Sara turned around and looked at Mark. She grinned and held her arms open, beckoning him forward. He stepped up to her and cupped her face. "That was…the most beautiful I've ever seen you," he whispered kissing her gently, "I swear it." "So, that's the first thing you say when you see me, huh?" Sara said smiling, "I'm not even dressed up." "I don't care what you've got on, you're beautiful. Besides, I couldn't think of anything better," Mark whispered kissing her again. Sara let her hands rest on Mark's belt as the kiss continued. Finally, a few minutes later, Mark pulled away and said, "It's almost nine o´ clock. You wanna go grab somethin´ from the continental breakfast table, or wait ''til we get to the arena?" "Wait," Sara whispered pulling his face back down to hers and kissing him gently.

They were interrupted when the balcony door opened, and Liz walked out. "Hey, guys, Eric just called. He wants us down in the lobby now, instead of at 9:30," she said. "Alright, thanks, Liz," Sara said looking back out at the sky. "Come on, baby. We'll get to rest up Sunday," Mark said as he put her hand in his. Sara grinned to herself as she followed him out. When they got to the lobby, everyone else was walking in as well. "Good morning, Sara. How are you feeling?" Eric said when he saw her. "Fine, Eric. A lot better now that I've had a good amount of sleep," Sara admitted. "Good, good," Eric said before turning his attention to the rest of the group. "We've got to get to the arena now, because there's a lot of stuff to take care of. Five of you guys have matches, and people who don't have matches are going to be accompanying those that do to the ring," he said, "Also, we've got an impromptu appearance to make at the Ticketmaster after the show. Alright, let's head out."

Everyone piled out into the limousines somewhat refreshed. Even though it was nine in the morning, the previous night's sleep had recharged their bodies, so every person was wide awake and attentive. There was a little excitement because it was a houseshow. The members got a kick out of performing in front of a camera, but an even better kick performing in front of only the people in the arena. Without cameras, there was a little more leeway to what one could do. "Eric, do you mind if I ride with you? I want to talk to you about somethin´," Sara said quietly. "Yeah, no problem, Sara," Eric said climbing into the lead limo. Mark watched Sara climb into the lead limo, before climbing into his own.

"So, what's up, hon?" Eric asked as the limo pulled off. "Well, I just wanted to talk to you about who I was interested in feuding with," Sara said crossing her legs, "I spent an hour last night talking to Mark about it." "Who do you have in mind? I mean, Vince already has you set up for another small run with Amy, and one after that with Brock Lesnar, but I'll let him know what your opinions are," Eric said. "Oh, okay. I mean, that's cool and all, but I was thinking about some of the younger guys – you know, the less experienced guys – like Randy Orton, John Cena, guys like that," she commented. "You like teaching them, don't you? Helping them out?" Eric asked. "Yeah, I guess it's just…who I am," she said quietly. "Well, I'll definitely mention it to Vince. He likes to hear things like this from the group members," Eric said, "Is there anything else?" "Actually, yeah, do you know if I'm wrestling tonight?" Sara asked. "Yeah…you're wrestling Jacqueline. Vince feels that you'll give the crowd a decent showing," Eric answered. "That's cool," Sara said, "I've got a newfound respect for the women who wrestle. I should've realized a long time ago that they've got talent." Eric grinned and touched her hand. "That's good, Sara. That's real good," he said.

The rest of the ride was quiet, a little too quiet for Sara's comfort. Since the limo she usually rode in was occupied by Kevin, Mark, Liz, Andy, Scott, Carlos, and Shorty, she was used to a lot of noise. Everybody in this limo was either looking over some document, or reading a book, or some other boring task. Sara sighed heavily, wishing she'd waited until they'd gotten to the arena to talk to Eric. When the limo stopped in the back of the arena, Sara jumped out. The other limousines had yet to arrive, so Sara headed into the building, grabbing her duffel bag from the trunk. She went to the women's locker room and changed into her workout outfit, then went down to the gym. Shortly after getting there, she was joined by Mark, Kevin, and Scott.

"Remind me never to ride with Eric and his crew again, okay?" she said with a smile, "I've never seen a more boring bunch." Kevin chuckled as he started to work out with Scott. "So, what'd you talk to him about?" Mark asked as he taped his hands up. "Oh, what we talked about last night. I told him who I wanted to feud with – basically, all the younger guys – and he let me know he was gonna talk to Vince about it. Apparently, though, I'm already set up to feud with Lita again, and then Brock," Sara said as she stretched out her arm muscles. "Well, that's good. I'm guessing Vince is giving you another chance with Lita, to have a long-standing feud or something," Mark said. "I didn't think of it like that, but maybe that's the way it is," Sara said as she stepped into the boxing ring. Mark followed her, saying, "And didn't you wrestle that Brock guy a while back?" "Yep, in his first match on TV," Sara smiled as she began to swing at Mark. Mark ducked her jabs, saying, "Well, I know you've got to be excited about that. How's he doin´ by the way?" He swung with a right hook, catching Sara's shoulder, but was caught with a harsh uppercut. "Real good. He just got out of his first angle, set up with Larry. I caught that one; the fans were real intrigued by his power," Sara said continuing to focus on Mark's midsection. Mark blocked her next few swings, and caught her square in the chin with a jab.

Sara fell to the mat and looked up at Mark. He stared down at her with a grin. "Next time, block your face," he said helping her up. Sara nodded her head before hitting him with an equally stiff right hook, knocking him down in return. "Same to you," she grinned. Their 'match´ continued for the next twenty minutes, before both moved onto lifting weights. They made their way down to the locker room around half past ten. Sara grabbed her duffel bag and told Eric she'd be back momentarily. "Alright, but hurry up. I want to have a pre-show meeting," Eric said as she left the room. Sara quickly went to the women's locker room, where Jacqueline and Amy were getting dressed. "Morning, ladies," Sara said plopping down in one of the chairs. "What's up, Sara?" Amy said as she slipped on her 'Lita Graffiti´ t-shirt. "Nothin´ much. Anxious to get in front of that crowd, though," Sara answered, "It's always fun performing with no cameras." "Yeah, I hear that," Jacqueline said, "Speakin' of which, you and me got a match." "I know. Um, I'm gonna get dressed, but I'll meet you in the ring in an hour," Sara said pulling out a pair of leather shorts. "Alright, girl. I'm lookin' forward to it. Amy tells me you put up a good fight," Jacqueline said heading out the room, "But fair warning, I'm a hard hitter, too." Sara grinned as she stared up at Amy, who hunched her shoulders innocently. "I'll see you in the ring, Jacqueline," Sara said smiling. Jacqueline nodded and shut the door.

"So, I put up a good fight, huh?" Sara asked. "Yeah. It doesn't matter what happened Monday night, Sara. We had a good match on Sunday, and that makes everything just fine with me," Amy said, "I think our co-workers should know just how great you are to work with." Sara blushed slightly and looked down. "Wow, Amy, thanks," she said quietly, "You're a great person to work with, too." "Well, you better get dressed," Amy said, "I've got some practicing to do in the ring, so I'll talk to you later." "Alright, see ya later, hon," Sara said as Amy left the room. Sara quickly showered, dressed, and headed back to the locker room. It was nearly full with members. Eric was standing up at the front preparing for the upcoming meeting. Sara grabbed a seat between Mark and Andy. "Hey, babe," Mark said. "Hey," Sara said crossing her legs and leaning on the table in front of her, "I've got a match tonight." "Really? Against who?" Mark asked. "Jacqueline," Sara said, "I'm kinda nervous about working with another female. I mean, other than Amy, you know." "You'll be fine, hon," Mark said rubbing her back.

"Alright, guys, listen up. It's 10:30 now, and the show starts in about 4-1/2 hours. Since five of you have matches, I want you to make sure you get some practice time in the ring. I know you guys love the houseshows—" Eric was interrupted by slight cheering "So make sure you know what you're gonna do before you go out there." Sara was completely shocked. Eric was now announcing to the group to get some practice time with their opponents; she'd accomplished her goal. "Are you okay, babe?" Mark asked when he saw her face. "Yeah…I think so," Sara whispered, "We'll talk later." "Alright, as far as those of you who are wrestling, here's the rundown of the show: There are eight matches total, and five of those will feature you guys. It's Sara, Andy, Carlos, Chris, and Stephanie. Sara, you're up against Jacqueline; Andy, you're goin´ up against Eddie Guerrero; Carlos, you've got John Cena; Chris, you've got Perry Stephenson; and, Stephanie, you've got a match with Amy. I want you guys to get some practice in the ring, like I said, so you'll be prepared," Eric said, "Andy, you're gonna be goin´ out with Sara, and vice versa; Scott and Kevin, I want you two out there with Carlos; Paul, you'll be out with Chris; and, Stephanie, you'll be joined by Trish." Sara looked over at Andy, and whispered, "This should be a fun show." Andy nodded and grinned. "After the show, we've got an appearance at 6:30 at the Ticketmaster. Tickets go on sale at 7:00, but the supervisors want us their early, because we're gonna be handing out tickets for an hour, and they want to show us the 'process´," Eric added.

"What kind of process can there be to handing out tickets?" Kevin asked, getting snickers from his fellow members. "Look, just know that we're gonna be leaving here right after the show, so be ready," Eric said grinning at Kevin, "And after that, we're gonna be pulling out of the airport at 9:00." "Only an hour to relax?" Sara asked smiling. "Go get ready for your matches," Eric said returning the smile, "I'll see you guys around." Sara stood with Andy and Mark and headed out first. "So, what was with that look on your face?" Mark asked as they headed out to the ring. "Oh, it was what Eric had said. He basically told everybody to practice with the other wrestlers," Sara said walking down the empty aisle. The ring crew and production technicians were still fixing up the ring area, so all three grabbed a seat behind the barrier. "So, this is what it feels like to be behind the barrier, huh?" Sara asked. "Yeah, of course. Don't tell me you've never actually sat in the stands before you came to work here," Mark said. "Well, not really. Mom never took me to any shows. She knew how much I'd hated it as a kid," Sara admitted, "And I only watched it a little when Roddy and I were married; that is, before I came to work here." "You poor, denied woman," Mark said grinning. "Oh, gee, thanks," Sara said. "Are you really looking forward to your match tonight?" Andy asked. "Well, yeah. The only thing is…Jacqueline's about four inches shorter than Amy, so it's gonna be kinda odd working with her," Sara answered. "Well, I've watched Jackie wrestle, and she's as tough as you in the ring. She doesn't really take height into mind when she wrestles. I've seen her fight guys almost a foot taller than she," Mark said. "You pay attention to everybody, don't you?" Sara asked looking up at him. "Yeah, it's the only way to stay the best," Mark said quietly.

"Well, that's great that you think like that. It seems I've got some learning to do myself," Sara said touching his hand. "You never stop learning in this business, dollface," Mark answered touching her hand. "Okay, so, since you know so much about everybody, tell me about her style," Sara said grinning. "Well, she's got a strong power base. From what I've heard, she's a third degree black belt in tae kwon doe," Mark answered. "Wow, that's great. What else?" Sara said. "Well, she's a stiff worker," Mark continued, "It's not that she's mean or anything, that's just how she works." "Well, this should be interesting," Sara whispered. They continued to talk amongst each other, and passing wrestlers, for the next 45 minutes. Finally, Sara mentioned that she had a match-planning session coming up.

"Alright, babe, I'll see you later, okay?" Mark said walking up the aisle steps with Andy. "Yep," Sara said hopping over the banister, almost stepping on one of the ring technicians lining the ringside area with padding. "Oh, I'm sorry," she whispered sliding into the ring. She hit the ropes for about five minutes, to warm up, before practicing taking bumps for another few minutes. When she finally finished, Jacqueline was walking down the aisle where the wrestlers entered the ring. "Hey, girl, how ya doin´?" Jacqueline asked. "Fine, Jacqueline. And you?" Sara said. "Please, call me Jackie. 'Jacqueline's´ so professional," Jackie said with a smile. "Alright, Jackie. So, it seems we've got a match today," Sara grinned, "From the start, I want you to know that it's gonna be odd for me to work with you. Amy was kind of okay because she's only a few inches shorter than me--." "Sara, hon, don't worry. I've worked with guys taller than you. It'll be fine," Jackie said.

Sara grinned and sat up on one of the turnbuckles. "So…tell me about yourself," she said. "Well, I'm from Dallas, Texas, born and raised. I'm a third-degree black belt in tae kwon doe. And, I've been wrestling now for almost eight years," Jackie started, "I've been with the WWF for only two, though. People say I seem hard-nosed, but once they get to know me, they see I'm a pretty cool woman." "Third-degree black belt, huh? I'm guessin' that gives you some pretty stiff moves in the ring," Sara commented. "Yeah, it does. I've actually gotten some complaints from other women wrestlers, 'cause they think I work too hard," Jackie admitted. "Well, trust me, I'll have no complaints. I'm about as tough as they come," Sara said. "Alright, well, what'd you have in mind?" Jackie asked. "I was thinkin´ that since we're both pretty strong, that's what we could give to the fans. You know, like a power-based match or somethin´." "I agree completely. But what power moves to use, that is the question," Sara said.

The two women talked – and practiced – for the next hour and a half. When they finally finished up, the arena had been completely set up for the nearing event. "I guess we've been in here a while," Sara said. "Yeah, but it was a lot o´ fun. We found out a lot about each other, styles and everything," Jackie said, "So, I think the fans will be impressed." "It'll definitely be a rough match," Sara said. Sara and Jackie parted ways at the snack table. "I'll see you in the ring," Jackie said as she left. "Bye," Sara answered grabbing an orange and bottle of water. She headed up to the balcony to relax her mind before the show.

Sara took the next hour to recollect on her first few months of house shows with the 'Corporation´ after she'd come back from training. It was a completely new experience. She'd thought the guys didn't take anything seriously – they were always laughing and joking around and not practicing in the ring; they just winged it with their opponents, and it usually produced an excellent match. That had confused the hell out of Sara until Kevin had pulled her aside one afternoon and said, "Sara, houseshows are where you actually get the chance to have fun. Everything's not coordinated like it is on camera, especially as a member of this group. Don't get me wrong – it's not like we've got free run over the place – it's just we're a lot more laid back than usual. Relax, and have fun." That advice had helped Sara with her character development in general. Not only did she find different ways to please the crowd, but she found new ways to piss them off at the same time. It had been a long, eventful learning process, and in the end, everybody benefited from it.

"Hey, hon." Sara looked up at Liz and said, "Wow, I didn't expect to see you up here. What's up?" "Oh, I just wanted to sit up here with you. Andy and Mark say this is a great place to relax," Liz said. "Yeah, it is, actually. I just like to watch the fans file in, you know, feed off their anticipation. Even before they come, I just like to relax. It's quiet, except for people practicing in the ring, and the ring crew and those other people running around," Sara said quietly, "It's a great place. Watching the fans file in, though, is the best because they don't know they're being watched. It's amazing what you hear people talk about." "I know what you mean; I used to do this when I was just starting out in wrestling. In the small gyms and places like that, it's kinda hard because there's not many places that you can go and not be seen. But still, it's great to hear fans talk about us, especially rumors," Liz said smiling. "Oh, I definitely know that's right. The rumors that swirl around with our fans are like none other, if you ask me," Sara agreed nodding her head.

After a few more minutes of talking and watching the fans, Sara and Liz headed back to the locker room. "I've still got to do my hair and make-up," Sara said when they got to the 'Corporation´ locker room, "Let Eric know I'll be right back." Liz nodded as Sara dashed down to the women's locker room. With the show starting in a half an hour, Sara barely had time to do her make-up, and fix her hair up into a tight ponytail, giving the ends of her hair a flip curl, and leaving her bangs to hang freely. She glanced herself over before smiling and going back to the 'Corporation´ locker room. Everyone was gathered around a small television set as the show started.

First, the ring announcer gave the usual speech about no throwing objects into the ring, no video cameras, no laser pens, and everything else. Then, Lillian Garcia sang the national anthem (every member stood while she sang), and the show started. The first match was Jeff and Matt in a tag team match against the "Dudley Boyz" (insert real names). The fans cheered with each high-flying move from Matt and Jeff, and booed with every power move from the Dudley Boyz. In the end, Matt and Jeff won. They stayed for a few moments longer, posing for pictures. They even appealed to the crowd by talking about how great a town Rosemont, Illinois was. The second match featured Andy against Eddie Guerrero. Despite Eddie's many attempts to quicken to pace, Andy kept him grounded with a variety of power moves; Sara even interfered in the match several times, which eventually cost Eddie the match. They double-teamed him afterwards with a great jackknife powerbomb.

Sara had her match next with Jacqueline. The fans hung on to their every move. Captivated by the sheer brutality of it, they couldn't help but to watch. Sara hit Jackie with as much strength as she could; Jackie returned her favor. A move that intrigued the crowd the most was a move that Sara had been wanting to try for a while: a handspring cartwheel to a backflip to a back elbow in the corner. Because of Sara's height, she had to stand at the opposite corner to do the move. Jackie's height didn't seem to hinder her performance at all, though, especially when she piledrove Sara into the mat, then went for the count. Sara, however, used her arm strength to push Jackie up off her. Jackie didn't let that stop her attempts to pin Sara. She came at Sara with a martial arts entourage that Sara failed to counter. A stiff kick to the side of Sara's head knocked her to the mat, and she was pinned. The fans cheered loudly as she rolled out of the ring, and Jackie stood to celebrate. The celebration didn't last long; Andy slid in the ring and attacked Jackie from behind. He clotheslined her down as Sara slid back into the ring. "That's right; kick her ass!" she yelled as Andy picked up Jackie for a powerbomb. Jackie, however, clung to Andy's head and hit him with punches to the head, knocking him to the mat. The fans cheered even more loudly as Jackie attacked Sara and knocked her out the ring. She then picked up Andy and threw him out of the ring on top of Sara. Sara pushed Andy off of her and bounded up. "This isn't over, bitch!" she screamed at Jackie, "I'll get your ass back for this!" "Well, bring it on, then!" Jackie yelled as Andy pulled her back. The fans cheered again as Jackie posed for them.

When Sara got back to the locker room, she groaned and sat down carefully. She was sure to be covered in bruises later that night. "Wow, that was brutal," Kevin said to her, "They were right about that lady being hard." Sara grinned up at him and said, "It was worth it; I think the fans liked it." "Yeah, they did, especially when she hit you with that piledriver," Kevin said, "You better go get dressed. There's not gonna be much time after Stephanie's match." "Right," Sara whispered trying to stand. Andy helped her up and said, "You'll be fine. Just stretch it out." Sara nodded and headed down to the women's locker room. When she went in, Jackie was on the floor stretching. "Hey, good match out there. I've got some trophies to show off," Sara said showing her the bruises on her back. "Yeah, it was a good match," Jackie said holding out her hand, "Thanks a lot." Sara shook it and nodded her head. "Anytime," she said groaning as she sat down on the floor. "You gonna be okay?" Jackie asked. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I've been through worse than that. That was a walk in the park for me," Sara said as she began to stretch her sore muscles. "Really?" Jackie asked, "That's the first time I've heard that." "Oh, trust me. That was nothing compared to what I've been through," Sara said.

Sara used the next 15 minutes to stretch out from her match. It took that long for her to be able to move again; her muscles had tightened up painfully as she had sat down on the floor. She took a good shower and changed into a pair of blue denim shorts, and a "Chyna´s Syndrome" t-shirt. As she slipped on her shoes, Amy walked in. "Well, how was it?" she asked. "Definitely a lot tougher than our match Monday. This time, I'm the one with bruises," Sara said grinning. Amy chuckled and said, "Well, it was a good match. There was definitely a lot of power used. And Jackie's real excited with the win." "I was happy to give it to her. I guess I needed some humbling by the women," Sara said quietly, "Will you accept my apology?" "Sara, you don't have to apologize. It's okay, hon," Amy said, "I told you that earlier. Just continue to be successful, okay?" Sara nodded and said, "Keep that title as long as possible. Don't give them a reason to take it away from you. Show them that you're the best female we've got." Amy smiled and said, "Speaking of which, I'm actually defending the title against Stephanie next, so I'll see you around." "Alright, good luck," Sara said as Amy headed out. She picked up her brush and straightened her slightly wet hair, before tucking it into a sloppy bun with loose hair hanging out. She packed up her belongings and headed back to the locker room.

When she got there, it was almost empty, with the exception of Eric, Shawn, Chris, and Paul. "Where is everybody?" she asked taking a seat in front of the television. "Getting ready to leave," Eric answered. "Oh, okay," Sara said turning her attention back to the monitor. She felt obligated to watch Amy's match. It was definitely not as well-oiled as Sara and Amy's had been. Stephanie still had her views that she didn't have to face women, especially since she hadn't fought one since she'd joined the company. "What is her deal?" she whispered to herself. The match seemed to resemble the one Sara had had with Amy on Monday night, except it was worse. Whatever Amy had worked out with Stephanie didn't seem to be happening; she didn't seem to be getting any offense. "What's wrong?" Eric asked looking up at the monitor, and then scoffing. "That woman is just not gonna do what I tell her," he said to himself. "What are you talking about?" Sara asked. "Well, you know how you used to be stubborn about working with females – Stephanie's about ten times worse," Eric said, "If she's forced to do something she doesn't want to, then she does a piss-poor job of doing it. And this is a prime example of it." Sara lowered her head and then asked, "Eric, do you mind if I talk with Stephanie about this?" Eric looked at Sara for a few moments, contemplating her request. "Why?" he asked. "Well, it's just that…if she's gonna continue to work like that, then someone needs to say something to her," Sara answered back, "She's hurting herself, this group, and most of all, this company. "Sara…it's a lost cause. Stephanie doesn't listen to anyone but Stephanie," he argued. "Then, if I may speak frankly, why the hell is she still in this group? Why is she still in this company?" Sara said quietly. Eric lowered his eyes and covered them with his hand. "You are amazing," he whispered. He looked back up at her and said, "Fine, Sara, do what you think will help things out."

"Thank you," Sara said turning back to the television. The match was nearing to an end. Finally, Amy hit a 'Litacanrana´ from the top rope, and pinned Stephanie. Stephanie kicked out of the pin fall afterwards and hit Amy from behind. It definitely looked unplanned, because Amy hit the mat harder and more awkwardly than was necessary. Sara bounded up and headed straight for the entranceway. She wasn't gonna wait for Stephanie to get back to the locker room for this. Moments later, Stephanie came prancing through the curtains. "Hey, Sara, did you see what I did to that puny bitch?" Stephanie smiled. Sara narrowed her eyes, grabbed Stephanie's shirt, and pulled her to the side.

"Listen, I don't know what your deal is, or why you think the way you do. After what I saw out there, I don't give a fuck. Eric told me that you only listen to what you have to say; well, you're gonna listen to me. I will not let you ruin what I have worked nine fucking months to build. I will not let you destroy business relationships that I have worked to create. I won't let you destroy this group, or this company, with your stupid beliefs. You are a selfish, egotistical, self-centered bitch, Stephanie, and from now on, that's gonna end. This company can't deal with people like you. So, you either get your shit together, work for the same fucking team, or you can believe that I will take this shit straight to Vince," she snapped. Stephanie pushed Sara back and said, "You know somethin´, Sara, I've held my tongue long enough. 'Won't let´ me? I do what the hell I want around here. Who the hell do you think you are? What 'you´ have built?! This group was fine before you came along. We were great! We were the best, and you have lowered those standards. What the fuck do I look like working with someone like Amy Dumas? I don't work with females; I don't give a rat's ass how good they think they are. And you, you think you're all that. You think you're the best, huh? Well, before you came, I was the one looked up to around here. I was the one everybody loved. You didn't 'build´ anything, you destroyed it. So don't fuck with me!" Stephanie then pushed past Sara, but she didn't get far. Sara grabbed her hair and pulled her back to the wall.

"No, Stephanie, don't you fuck with me! I am not the kind of person you want as an enemy!" she snapped, "Hear this, and hear it well: if you don't shape up, I'll see to it you're shipped out." She then let her go and stormed off to the locker room. Stephanie took a deep breath and straightened her clothes out. She wasn't going to let anyone intimidate her, especially Sara.

When Sara got back to the locker room, she plopped down in her seat beside Eric. "So, how'd it go?" he asked. "Well…you want the honest truth?" Sara asked quietly. Eric looked her and said, "What'd you do?" "I told her to shape up, or I'd see to it she'd be shipped out…Now wait, Eric, you can't get pissed. Someone has to take a stand to her – you can't just let her run roughshod over this group, or this company. I can't really do anything about her; only you can," Sara said quietly, "I can only give her ultimatums. It's you who has to follow through with them." Eric sighed heavily and grinned. "Like I said, you're amazing," he said touching her shoulder, "I've got your back on this one. We'll just have to see what happens." The door opened up moments later and the entire group walked in, including Stephanie, who was hanging onto Patrick whispering in his ear. "Alright, guys, we're gonna be heading out o´ here in a few minutes, so don't get too comfy," Eric announced. Sara stood and said, "We'll talk later, Eric." "Okay, hon," Eric said watching Stephanie glare at Sara, "Definitely." Sara went over to where Mark was and sat down beside him. "Hey, hon, what's wrong?" Mark asked as Sara lowered her head. "It's just a whole lot of drama," she said quietly, "I'll tell you about it later." "Somethin´ happen to you?" Mark asked quietly. "It´ just…I've got a lot on my mind right now; it's somethin´ I didn't think I would ever have to worry about," Sara whispered. "What are you talking about?" Mark whispered rubbing her back. "It's…Stephanie," Sara whispered in Mark's ear, "She's not doin´ her job like we are – to the best of her ability – and now, I'm trying to solve the problem." Mark looked at Sara with wide eyes. "You're serious, aren't you?" he asked quietly. "Dead serious," she answered. "Alright, um, after the Ticketmaster thing, we'll go hang out and talk about it, okay?" Mark said. "Yeah. I need some help here; I can't do this by myself," Sara answered.

Eric came over to Sara and touched her shoulder. "Sara, don't worry about what happened earlier, okay? I'll take care of it. I told you I had your back on what you said, and I do," he said quietly, "It'll all be fine." Sara looked up at him and nodded. "Thank you," she whispered. "Alright, guys, let's get out of here. We've got about 20 minutes to get to the box office," Eric announced loudly. Sara stood and followed Eric out. What he'd told her hadn't really helped her situation; if she'd assumed correctly, Stephanie had told Patrick what'd happened. The last thing Sara wanted was for Patrick to be mad at her. He was definitely like a brother to her. If Patrick got mad at her, she didn't know how she would deal with that.

The ride to the Ticketmaster office wasn't as eventful as usual for Sara. Usually, Sara, along with everyone else, would discuss what they'd liked or disliked about the show. However, Sara was so distracted that she didn't pay attention to anything that was said.

"Sara, we're here." Sara looked over at Kevin and said, "Huh?" "We're here, darlin'," Kevin said again. Sara looked out the window and saw that they were parked in the back of the Rosemont Arena, where the tickets were mainly going to be sold from. "Thanks, Kevin," Sara said climbing out after him. She was the only one left in the limo. "Sara…if you don't mind me asking, what were you thinkin´ about so hard?" Kevin asked as they walked into the building, "You didn't seem to hear a word anyone was saying." "Well, it's a really long story, Kevin. I'll tell you about it later," Sara answered. "Speaking of later, Liz and I are goin´ out to get somethin´ to eat. Do you and Mark wanna go?" Kevin said. "Sure, I don't think Mark would mind," Sara said quietly. "Great, I'll let Liz know," Kevin said.

That evening was fun for the whole group. They practically sold out the event in the hour that they were there. The members didn't just hand out tickets, as they'd thought they would; they took money, processed orders, as well as handing out tickets. When they headed out the back of the building, the entire group was refreshed. Sara and Mark joined Kevin and Liz for dinner at a diner down the road from the arena. "Well, Sara, tell me what you were so down about in the limo," Kevin said near the end of their dinner. "Oh, yeah. Well, I was in the locker room checkin' out Stephanie's match, and – I swear I honestly mean this – it was the worst performance I've ever seen…on Stephanie's part. Eric told me that she's really self-centered as far as who she performs against, and so I spoke to her about it. I told her that she can't focus on just herself, not when the success of another person, a whole company, depends on it," Sara said. "Wow, I'm sure she didn't take too well to that," Liz said, "Stephanie's not the most accommodating person in the world."

"Well, Eric says that he's got my back on this; he said he would take care of it," Sara said quietly. Mark put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Sara, you're doin´ a great job with the rest of us; don't let one person get you down." Sara nodded as she finished up her chicken salad. "Well, guys, it's almost half past eight. We should get back to the airport," Kevin said standing. Kevin paid for himself and Liz, while Mark paid for himself and Sara. They headed out of the diner quickly. They caught a cab, and managed to get to the airport with ten minutes to spare. As they boarded the plane, Sara was met by Patrick. Sara took a deep breath and looked him square in the eye. He was looking at her so impassively that she couldn't tell what he was going to do. "Thank you," Patrick said. "What?" she whispered, her voice full of shock. "Thank you for what you did earlier. Stephanie's needed to be put in her place for a while now, and I'm glad that you did it, instead of Eric," Patrick said quietly, "It's really been a long time comin´." Sara could only stare in shock. "What do you think she'll do if she finds out you agree with me?" she asked softly. "Oh, she'll be mad as hell…at me. But, you told her the truth about herself, Sara. It needed to be done," he answered, "I love her, I honestly do, but she needs to start caring about people other than herself."

"Thanks for saying somethin´ to me, Patrick. I really appreciate that," Sara said touching his arm. "No problem, sweetie. I just thought you should know that you're not the only one who feels that way," Patrick answered before turning to go sit back down by Stephanie, who was glaring at Sara. Sara sat down beside Mark and whispered, "How 'bout that, huh?" "Yeah, I know," he said. Eric stood up at the front of the cabin and got everyone's attention. "Guys, tomorrow is gonna be fairly busy. The houseshow is in the evening, and the appearance at the restaurant is only an hour before that. But, we've got a ton of special appearances to do before that. What we're probably gonna do is just go check in at the arena first, then I'll give you a few hours to relax before we head out. I'll say that we'll head to the arena probably around…nine a.m. So, when we get to New York, we'll get to the hotel as soon as possible so you guys can get some sleep. Alright, that's it, guys," he said before taking his seat, "Pilot, we're ready for take-off." Sara grabbed a blanket from the overhead compartment, as well as a pillow for Mark. When the plane got into the air, she climbed into Mark's lap, spread the cover over them, and rested against his shoulder. "I'm proud of you, baby," he whispered. "For what?" Sara said curling her fingers in his long hair. "Standing up for what you know is right," he whispered kissing her forehead, "Speaking your mind knowing that it might cause discomfort, when the situation calls for it." Sara looked up at him as the lights cut off. She grinned and kissed his chin. Mark wrapped his arms around her a little tighter before lying back and going to sleep; Sara rested her head on his shoulder and did the same.


	20. Preparing for the Long Haul

**Chapter 19…Preparing for the Long Haul**

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were extremely busy for the group. They seemed to have appearance after appearance. The houseshow in New York City was even better than in Rosemont, simply because the crowd was more hyped up. Saturday night, they flew from San Francisco into Venice. "Well, guys, relax as much as possible tomorrow, because it's gonna be a long haul," Eric told them before they left the airport, "Have fun, guys!" Everyone piled into the closest cabs outside the airport, excited to be going home.

Sara, Mark, and Andy got to the house first. Sara jumped out and got her suitcases and duffel bag from out of the trunk, then ran into the house. She was excited to be back, simply because she missed being home. Duchess met her halfway down the stairs. "Duchess! Hi, baby!" Sara said as she walked up the stairs. When she got to her room, she threw her bags on the floor and hopped on her bed. "It feels good to be home!" she said as Duchess hopped up on her bed and licked her face. "Yeah, I've missed you too, baby!" Sara said rubbing her dog's face and neck. "Well, someone's happy to be home." Sara looked up at Kevin and laughed. "Yeah, I'm taking advantage of it while I can," she said smiling. "Well, rest up, because it's gonna be a long ride comin´ up," he said before going down to his room. That reminds me, Sara thought running out of her room, followed closely by Duchess. She ran right past everyone coming upstairs, down to Eric's room. "Hey, Sara, what's up?" Eric said when he noticed her heavy breathing. "I…wanted to…ask you something," Sara said trying to catch her breath. "Okay…breathe," Eric said smiling. "Well, I wanted to know if…Mark and I…could move in…together," Sara said. "Oh," Eric said grinning, "Really?"

Sara took a deep breath as her cheeks turned pink. "Um, yeah," she said quietly. "I'll have to do some rearranging with the rooms, but I'm sure we could work something out. I'm assuming that you'll want to stay together at the hotels, too, right?" Eric said smiling. "If you can, I mean, I don't want to be too demanding," Sara answered. "It's fine, Sara, no problem. Check back with me, okay," Eric said, "I'll let you know where your new room will be." Sara nodded and dashed back up to Mark's room, shutting the door and jumping on his bed as he unpacked his things. "What are you so happy about?" he asked. "Well…you and I get to room together," she said as Duchess went up to Mark. Mark looked over at her with his eyebrow arched. "How'd you pull that one off?" he asked. Sara smiled and lied back onto his pillow. "I have my ways," she said. Mark shook his head and patted Duchess´ head. "So, you missed me, too, girl?" he whispered. Sara sat up and looked at Mark. "Well…aren't we gonna celebrate?" she asked with an evil-like grin. Mark looked over at her and grinned the same. "I don't know," he said going back to unpacking.

Sara's jaw dropped and she stood and went over to him, putting her arms around his waist. "And why not?" she whispered pulling his shirt from inside his jeans. Mark took a deep breath as she unbuckled his belt. She turned him around and pulled his face down to hers. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer. He captured her mouth and kissed her deeply, removing her shirt slowly. As he picked her up to carry her to his bed, there was a knock on the door. "Ugh," Mark growled going back to kissing Sara. The knock came again. "Mark, you busy?" Kevin asked. "Hold on, man," he said setting Sara down. She quickly put on her shirt as Mark buckled his belt. "Come on in," he said as he finished buckling his belt. The door opened and Kevin walked in. "What do you need?" Mark asked. Sara took her place back on Mark's bed, alongside Duchess. "Oh, uh, me and some of the guys were gonna watch a movie in about a half an hour. You two wanna join us?" Kevin said. "What's the movie?" Sara asked. "Terminator 2," Kevin said. "Oh, why not? I'm a big Schwarzenegger fan," Mark answered. "Alright, we're gonna play it at 10. That's cool with you two?" Kevin said. "Yeah, no problem," Mark said. Sara stood up and said, "I'll see you two down there." "Where ya goin´?" Mark asked her. "You're not the only one who's got unpacking to do," Sara said grinning. The two men watched her leave, then looked at each other. "You've got an extraordinary woman, man," Kevin said quietly. "Yeah…I do," Mark commented, "I'll see you downstairs, okay? She's right, I've got unpacking to do." "Alright, we're gonna set up the conference room like a theater," Kevin said before leaving, "We'll be in there." Mark nodded and turned to unpack.

Sara went down to her room and quickly unpacked her things. She changed into a cotton pair of shorts and a small muscle t-shirt. As she opened her door, Slasher jumped up on her and knocked her down. "Hey, buddy," she said rubbing his face, "Where's your partner, huh? Where's Mark?" Mark stepped into the doorway and chuckled. "Right here," he said pulling Slasher away and helping Sara up. "Did you do that on purpose?" she asked dusting herself off. Mark smiled innocently and took her hand. "Come on, everyone's waiting on us." Sara grinned and motioned for Duchess to join her. They made their way down to the conference room quickly. It had, as Kevin had said, been transformed into a makeshift theater. The small couches had been arranged into rows in the center, and the tables and chairs had been moved to the sides of the room. Kevin, Scott, and Shorty were in the front row, Liz sitting beside Kevin. Sara and Mark sat down in behind them, Duchess and Slasher sitting on the side of the room beside them. "Well, are we all that are gonna be here?" Sara asked as she stretched her legs onto Mark's lap.

"Of course not," Shawn said from behind her. Kevin grabbed his chest in obvious mockery and gasped in shock. "Oh, my God! It's Shawn! Shawn is joining us for some fun! Get the cameras, get the camcorders, get the paintbrushes for Christ's sake; he's actually gonna have some fun!" he said with a smile, "This is the biggest moment in the group's history!" Sara chuckled as Shawn took a seat on the couch beside her and Mark. "You guys are too much," he smiled, "Are we gonna watch this movie or what?" "What are you doin´ here?" Scott asked, "You're always too busy to hang with us, man. What's your deal?" Shawn looked at him and said, "Guys, this is time for us to just relax. Okay?" "Alright, man, whatever you say," Kevin said chuckling to himself. Maria came and handed out a few bowls of hot popcorn, leaving as quickly as she came. The lights went out and the movie was projected onto the back wall.

Around half past midnight, the movie finally ended. "That is just a classic, man. 'Ah-nold' will never go dull," Shorty said holding out his hand to Sara, "'Come vit me if you vant to leve'." Sara doubled over with laughter, as did the other men. "Ho, Shorty, you are hilarious," she finally said. Shorty sucked in his breath and held his arms to his side like he had huge muscles. "'I am the Vorld´s Strongest Mahn. Don't mess vit me´," he said in his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression. Sara chuckled as she stood and stretched. "I won't, man, I won't. You'd kick my ass," she said laughing, "Well, Sean-old, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed." Shorty broke his mean look and smiled. "Alright, sweetie, I'll see you tomorrow," he said. Mark, Duchess, and Slasher followed her out of the room. "So, guys, you lookin´ forward to this road trip?" Shawn asked. Sean, Scott, and Kevin threw their arms in the air and groaned. "Man, you had to ruin the mood, didn't you?" Shorty asked as they left. "What?" Shawn asked. He grinned and followed them out. He was always talking about work, more than anybody in the entire group, except Eric.

Sara let Duchess and Slasher out through the back door, before going up to her room to brush her teeth and wash her face. As she did so, Mark came into her room and lied down in her bed. When Sara came out of the bathroom, the lights were off except for the bathroom. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked when she saw Mark in her bed. "About to go to sleep," Mark said putting his hands behind his bed. Sara smiled and cut off the bathroom light, then ran and jumped onto Mark's stomach. He groaned and smiled up at her. "What was that for?" he asked grasping her hips. "Because this is my bed, and I can do what I want," she said rubbing his forearms. "Really?" he whispered moving his hands under her shirt and over her skin. Sara let her head fall back as his hands grasped her breasts. She moaned softly as she gripped his forearms. Mark grinned and let his hands fall back to her waist. Sara looked down at him and said, "Was that a tease?" Mark slowly moved his hands back up to her breasts and began to knead them softly. Sara licked her lips and let her head fall back again. This time, Mark sat up and removed her shirt. "Now why in the world," he whispered kissing her neck, "Would I wanna tease you?" Sara rubbed her fingers through his thick hair and wrapped it around her fingers, then gently pulled his head back. She kissed him gently and moaned as he moved his hands over her nipples, squeezing them gently until they were hard nubs in his hand.

Mark gently caressed her naked back, then lied her down beside him, climbing on top of her. "Even in the dark, you're beautiful," he whispered taking her right breast in his hand. Sara let her hands fall above her head, not worrying about anything but the pleasure Mark was causing her body. Mark suckled gently on Sara's nipple, biting it gently every so often, getting a soft yelp from Sara when he did. When he was satisfied with her level of pleasure, he moved to her left breast. Sara giggled at the feel of his tongue over her hard nipple. When Mark moved back to her neck, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed gently. "I love you, baby," she whispered kissing his earlobe. Mark continued to kiss all over her bare neck, especially the hollow spot between her collar bone. "And I love you, dollface," he whispered against her skin, "Come on, we've got to get to sleep." Sara mewed softly and said, "You were teasing me." Mark grinned and kissed her passionately, using his tongue to caress the inside of her mouth, running it over her pearly white teeth, and playing with her own. "Of course," he whispered when he ended the kiss, "It's what I do best." He helped her to put her t-shirt back on, then lied on his back. Sara rested her head on his arm, placing her hand on his broad chest. "Goodnight, hon," she whispered closing her eyes. "Goodnight, baby," Mark whispered wrapping his arms around her, pulling her a little closer, before falling into a deep, satisfied sleep.

The next morning, Sara awoke and stretched luxuriously. She looked over at the clock and grinned. It was almost nine o´ clock. Mark was eagle-spread over her bed. She smiled and laughed to herself, climbing onto his waist. He looked so normal asleep. His chest rose and fell with each deep breath that he took. His hair was spread over Sara's pillow in a half-tangled mess. Sara was so distracted by her staring that she never saw Mark's hands move to her hips. She gasped when she felt them tighten. Mark's eyes opened and locked with hers. "Were you asleep?" she asked moving his hands and climbing off his waist, going into the bathroom. "Nope," Mark answered, "At least, I was until you climbed on top of me." Sara chuckled as she washed her face. She patted it dry and went back into her room, pulling out one huge suitcase. It was about three feet tall, and three feet wide. It was like a big box on wheels. She set it down on its back and opened it.

"You really need that big thing?" Mark asked standing beside her. Sara stood straight and looked up at him. "Females are a lot different than males, Mark," she said, "I'm a prime example." Mark smiled and kissed her forehead. "And what an example you are," he said heading for the door, "I'll see ya in a couple of hours, okay?" "Alright," Sara said going over to her dresser. She pulled nine pair of jeans, ten pair of shorts, and seven skirts. She folded them as small, yet as neatly as she could, then went to her closet. Hanging up were all her shirts and sweaters. She pulled out about ten short-sleeved t-shirts, a couple of denim shirts, and a few sleeveless t-shirts. She'd get more when she went out shopping. After she packed those, she moved to underclothes. Those didn't take up as much room, because she simply stuffed those into the big front pocket of the suitcase. Since Sara didn't particularly like shoes, she didn't have that many pair to pack. She only needed a couple pair of tennis shoes, a pair of her black high heel boots, and a couple pair of sandals. She put her wrestling gear into her duffel bag.

Going into the bathroom, Sara grabbed her shampoo and conditioner, shower gel, towel and shower puff, and toothbrush, along with some other female products. She put those into the small front pocket of the suitcase. As she closed the suitcase, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," she said sitting on top of the suitcase. It was refusing to zip up. Eric walked in and stared at her. She was spread over the top of the suitcase, struggling to zip it. He walked over and put more pressure on it with his hands. Sara looked up at him and grinned. "Thanks," she said zipping it up. "Jesus, Sara. What the hell do you have in there, a dead body?" he said grinning back. "Nah, I've got bigger suitcases for that," she answered, "What's up?" "Well, just wanted to let you know that I've talked to a few of the guys, and they're willing to switch around so that you and Mark can move in together. They said they 'knew it would happen eventually´," Eric said. Sara smiled and said, "Alright, thanks a lot, Eric. I really appreciate it. Do you know when that takes effect?" "The Sunday we get back from the road trip," he answered, "Maria and the staff will have everything moved around. I'll let you know near the end where you'll be at, okay?" Sara nodded and said, "Thanks so much, Eric." "No problem, sweetie. Oh, but you guys can start rooming together at the hotel starting tomorrow," Eric said before leaving, "I'll see ya around."

Sara sighed happily as she went into the bathroom to take a shower. She washed her hair twice, shaved her stray hairs, and washed her body twice. When she stepped out of the shower stall, she felt refreshed. She quickly dressed in a pair of khaki shorts, and a blue, button-up Polo vest. As she slipped on her white Reeboks, there was yet again another knock on the door. "Who goes there?" she asked with a smile. The door opened and Maria walked in with a small plate of food, Duchess close behind her. "Since you missed breakfast, madam," she said. "Oh, gee, you didn't have to do that," Sara said taking the plate. "Mr. Callaway asked me to do it," Maria said. Sara smiled and shook her head. "Thanks a lot, hon, I appreciate it," she said taking the plate. It was covered with light, fluffy eggs, a few pieces of warm ham, and a couple of pancakes. "He is too much," she whispered. Maria left and shut the door quietly.

Sara set the plate up on her dresser. She quickly ate the eggs and ham, then set the plate on the floor. "You're spoiled," she said as Duchess quickly began to eat up the pancakes. Sara went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth, rinsing her mouth out when she finished. She went back into her room and resumed her packing. Her make-up box didn't take as long. Sara didn't wear much make-up outside of the arena; her natural beauty was something that was rare, so she only wore make-up when she wanted. "Finally, Duchess, almost finished," she said looking at her dog, who was still licking the syrup-laden plate, "Like I said, you're spoiled." Duchess looked up at Sara to bark once before going back to the plate. Sara shook her head and began to pack her wrestling gear. She packed five different sets into the bag, along with two black pair of boots, her elbow pads, and even a couple sets to work out in. When she finally zipped that up, it was an hour and a half after she'd first started. She grabbed the plate off the floor – which Duchess was still trying to lick – and pulled up her suitcase. "Well, girl, here we go," she said opening the door. Mark was standing there with his hand raised.

"You said two hours," she said smiling. "Well, I finished early. Let me get that for you," he said grabbing the suitcase, "Good God, woman! What the hell's in here, a couple of bodies?" Sara chuckled as she headed down the stairs. "No one said you had to carry it," she said. She laughed as she heard Mark's groans. She went into the kitchen, saying hello to Kevin and Liz. "You guys packed up and everything?" she asked. "Yep, all ready," Liz said eating her breakfast. "What time do you think we'll pull outta here?" Sara asked putting her plate in the sink. "Well, since we've got to travel all the way across the damn country, we're about to head out in the next half an hour," Kevin said, "We'll probably get to the airport in a few hours." "You're kidding, right?" Sara asked. "Come on, Sara, you know how traffic can be," Kevin said, "It can take forever to get to Fresno." Sara went back to the staircase, waiting a few minutes for Mark to get to the bottom. "You actually carried that thing down three flights of stairs by yourself?! You could've pulled a muscle," she said quietly, "I could've asked Kevin or somebody to help--." "Sara, I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think I could handle it. Stop being a worrywart," Mark said planting a kiss on her forehead, "You get to take it to the car." Sara smiled and said, "Thank you, baby. We're leavin' in the next half an hour, and it's gonna be a long ass road trip." "I know," Mark said going into the kitchen. Sara shook her head and took her suitcase and duffel bag out to Kevin's Ford F-250. There was a huge cab, with a cover in case of rain, so everybody's bags fit in the back. She struggled to lift the bag into the cab, sighing in great relief when she finally did. "Wow, I see what the big fuss is about," she said with a smile, closing the hatch.

When she went back into the house, she ran into Trish. "Hey, hon, what's up? You ready for this trip?" Sara asked. "Definitely. It's fun riding with Patrick and Stephanie…and even Andy," she said, hesitating to say the last name. "Don't tell me you're into Andy," Sara said arching her eyebrow. "No…I think," Trish said, "It's just that…he's a nice guy." Sara grinned and said, "Uh-huh…sure." Trish grinned girlishly and said, "I don't think it'll develop into anything. I mean, he just…it's Andy." "Whatever you say," Sara said walking away, "I want details." Trish turned pink and headed up to her room, conveniently located next to Andy's.

Sara went back into the kitchen, where Mark had joined Kevin and Liz. "Did you get that house onto the back of the truck?" Kevin asked Sara. Sara smiled, saying, "So, Mark told you about it, huh? I've got a lot of stuff to take, this is gonna be a long trip." "Well, if it weighs down the truck, it's gotta go," Kevin said with a smile. "Oh, please, we're only going to the airport, man," Sara said winking at him. Kevin chuckled and nodded, saying, "Yeah, but we don't wanna break down halfway there because your house weighed the truck down." "Alright, what time is the flight?" Mark asked resting his arms on the table. "Well, it's not until four o´ clock," Kevin said, "We'd get to Pittsburgh at around two o´ clock a.m." "We've got to make the trip to Fresno, though, right?" Sara said, "I don't see why we didn't get a flight from a closer airport." "You'll be fine, Sara," Kevin said. "Yeah, I know," she answered smiling at him.

"You guys headin' out soon?" The four people turned and looked at Eric. "Yeah, in about a half an hour," Kevin answered, "Why?" "Oh, well, my group can't leave until everyone else does. You guys are the last ones here, other than us," Eric answered. "Oh, okay. Well, since the trip is a long one, we'll head out now," Kevin said standing, "Come on." Sara stood and grabbed an apple from the bowl in the middle of the table. "See ya in New York, buddy," she said patting Eric's shoulder. "Alright, Sara, see ya there," Eric said walking them to the front door, "Bye, guys." Everyone said good-bye and climbed into Kevin's large truck. Kevin started the truck and took a deep breath. "Here we go, guys," he said pulling out of the driveway. Sara sat in the back with Mark, leaning her head on his shoulder as his arm went around hers. "He's right," Mark said as Kevin pulled into traffic, "Here we go."


	21. In Fighting

**Chapter 20…In-Fighting**

Just as Kevin had said, they drove into Pittsburgh around 2:30 a.m. Their flight had landed an hour beforehand, but they'd had to claim their baggage, as well as rent a truck, which took another half an hour. "Which hotel is it?" she asked Kevin quietly. "The, uh, Best Western down the street from the arena," he whispered. Liz and Mark were fast asleep in the back and front seats, respectively. "Alright, buddy, we should be there in about twenty minutes," Sara told him. She rubbed her face and took a deep breath. When she finally pulled into the parking lot of the Best Western, she spotted Shawn, Patrick, John, and Carlos' vehicles in the parking lot. "I guess we were the last ones to get here, but Eric and his group must have hauled ass to get here before us," she said to herself. She awakened Mark, as Kevin did Liz. "Come on, we're here," Sara whispered shaking Mark gently. He groaned and rotated his neck before climbing out. They groggily removed their suitcases from the cab and entered the hotel. As usual, Eric had pre-reserved their rooms, so their keys were waiting at the desk. "Sleep well," the receptionist told them as they left the lobby.

"Yeah, we will," Sara said as they went into the elevators, "We made it, guys." Kevin chuckled as Liz leaned her head on his side. When the elevator stopped, they stumbled out and down to their own room. "We'll see you two in the morning," Kevin said as he and Liz headed down the hall. Mark and Sara quickly changed into nightclothes and fell into bed. "Too much flying…too much driving. I'm through," Mark said quietly, "See ya in the morning, dollface." "Alright, hon, goodnight," Sara said closing her eyes. She was asleep in record time.

The next morning, Sara was awakened by the blaring alarm. She reached over and sighed heavily. It was only seven a.m. "Five 'wonderful' hours of sleep," she whispered sarcastically. Mark sat up and rubbed his eyes, yawning widely. "I know that's right," he said, "Do you wanna shower first?" "Nah, you go ahead," Sara said lying back down. Mark smiled and climbed out of bed. He took a nice shower, then got dressed. "Sara, hon, come on," he said going over to Sara. She was completely knocked out. Mark gently shook Sara awake and said, "I'm done." "Ten more minutes," Sara whispered trying to turn over. "Uh-uh, it's already quarter to eight," Mark said pulling Sara into a sitting position, "Come on, sweetie, wake up." Sara groaned and said, "Alright, I'm up." Mark stood and let Sara stand up. Sara yawned and stretched hard. "This is nuts," she whispered making her way into the bathroom. "Yeah, I know," Mark said.

Sara took a good, hot shower to wake herself up. When she finally stepped out, she felt a little better. She brushed her teeth, rinsed her mouth out, then went back into the room. Mark was lying on the bed with his eyes closed. She went over to him and leaned over him, letting her wet hair cascade down onto his face. Mark jumped up and said, "What the hell--?" Sara laughed and moved out of his reach. "Now you know what it feels like," she said grinning. She pulled out her underclothes and slipped them on quickly. Mark came over, leaned down and slowly kissed her as the phone rang. "Ha," Sara said moving away from him and picking up the receiver. "Hello?" she answered. "Hey, Sara, it's Eric. Just wanted to let you know that we've got to be downstairs in five minutes, okay?" Eric said. "Alright, see ya down there," Sara said, "Bye." She hung up the phone and said, "If you'll stop groping me, mister, I've got to get dressed." "Oh, I'm groping you, huh?" Mark said going over to her. He grabbed her waist and set her on the bed He then began to tickle her unmercifully. Sara laughed heartily and said, "Okay, okay, just let me get dressed….We've got to be downstairs…in a few minutes." Mark smiled and said, "I never touched you.." He went back into the bathroom.

Sara smiled as she quickly dressed in a pair of jeans and one of her sleeveless t-shirts. As she slipped on her boots, Mark said, "Hurry up, woman, we're gonna be the last to leave again." Sara stood and grabbed her duffel bag, saying, "Okay, I'm ready." She followed him to the elevator, where they were met by Kevin and Liz. "You two look up and running," Kevin said. "Well, that's the only way to go," Sara said. They quickly made their way down to the lobby, where everyone was almost out the door. Sara climbed into Kevin's truck and grabbed the keys from him. "Thank you," she said starting it up. Kevin shook his head as he climbed into the back seat with Liz, Mark in the front seat.

They arrived at the arena ten minutes to nine. Eric and his group had already arrived. Sara jumped out of the truck and shut the door loudly. "Hey! Watch the door, will ya?" Kevin said with a grin. "Sorry, Kevin," Sara said. She pulled her duffel bag out the back of the cab and slung it over her shoulder. "I'm guess I'm just full o' energy," she smiled heading into the back of the arena. As soon as she entered, though, she was met by Vince. "Sara…I need to speak with you," he said quietly. "What's wrong?" Sara asked. "Just…come with me to my office," Vince said, "It's pretty important." Sara looked back at Mark and hunched her shoulders. She then turned and followed Vince down the hall.

When they reached Vince's office, Vince stopped and faced Sara. "Before we go in here, Sara, I just want you to know that whatever happens stays in this office. Understand?" he said quietly. "Yes, sir," she answered. Vince opened the door and let Sara in first. Stephanie was sitting there, beside Eric. Sara took a deep breath and hesitated. "Go on, Sara, sit down," Vince said shutting the door and moving behind his desk. Sara sat down beside Eric, who was now in between she and Stephanie. "It has been brought to my attention that there was a problem during the houseshow in Rosemont, ladies, and I want it to be solved. Stephanie, I've heard your side of the story. Sara, now I want to hear yours," Vince said. "Well, Vince, I had just got back to the locker room from winding down after my match against Jackie, and I sat down to watch the rest of the show. Stephanie was in her match with Amy. I made a comment about it--." "And what the hell was that comment that gave you the right to interfere in my goddamn business?!" Stephanie snapped. "Close your mouth, Stephanie, you had your say," Vince said sternly, "Continue, Sara." "If you must know, I asked what your problem was, because your match was looking distasteful, to put it lightly. Eric heard me, looked at the television screen, and said that you wouldn't listen to anybody. You didn't do anything up to par unless it was something you wanted to do. I asked him if I could have a word with you, because I wasn't going to let you destroy the group with your selfish thinking," Sara said before turning her attention back to Vince, "I went out to the entranceway to meet her - because she'd purposely attacked Amy from behind without Amy's knowledge - and we got into a huge argument. I basically told her that if she didn't get her act together, I was gonna bring the situation to your attention. Eric agreed with me and said that he would take care of it."

Vince nodded and said, "Well, that's why we're here: to take care of this problem. I can't have dissention in the ranks of my group of elite. You're supposed to be setting the example, Stephanie, and you're not doing it. I saw that match on tape earlier, and you were completely unprofessional. Can you imagine the impact that had on many of the younger wrestlers who happened to be on that same card?" Stephanie took a deep breath and clenched her jaw tightly. "Sara, that's not to say that you're perfect, either. I saw your match with Amy on Monday, and it definitely was one of your worst performances," Vince continued. Sara took a deep breath and nodded her head, saying, "Yes, sir, I know that…and that situation was dealt with promptly." "Yes, Amy told me that you two had worked it out…That is the kind of example that needs to be set. Stephanie, you told me that you told Sara she'd destroyed the group, by 'lowering its standards'. To be honest with you, it seems like you are lowering the standards. Sara has worked wonders with those men and women, and from my standpoint, it seems like you're jealous of her accomplishments. And that group has no room for jealousy; this company has no room for jealousy," Vince said staring at Stephanie.

"What are you saying?" Stephanie asked. Vince took a deep breath before saying, "I'm telling you that your actions cannot go unpunished…You are suspended for one month, no pay." Stephanie bounded up and snapped, "Are you kidding me?! One puny argument, and I get suspended?! That's not fair!" "Oh, it's more than fair, and it's not just because of that one argument. Whether you realize it or not, I have had complaint after complaint after complaint about your work ethic, young lady. You're not doing what you were hired to do, you're not doing what you were put into that group for, and you're not doing what you know you can do. This one month will give you time to rethink your priorities," Vince answered back, "Now, Eric, what I suggest you do is keep Stephanie on this 27-day tour. Allow her to travel with the group, but make sure that she studies each match on each show. Make her study the way each person carries himself and herself. Make her learn what it means to be a real WWF employee and Superstar." Eric nodded and said, "Yes, sir." Stephanie huffed and glared at Sara. "I hope you're satisfied," she hissed. Sara stood and said, "Stephanie, I can only hope that after this one month, you'll have learned more about what it means to be a team player, because right now…you don't know jack shit." She then turned and looked at Vince. "May I be excused? If I've heard right, I've got an angle coming up with Amy, and I'd like to talk with her about it," she said. "Of course, Sara. Thank you for coming here," Vince answered.

Sara grabbed her duffel bag off the floor and left the room. The last thing she'd wanted was for Stephanie to be suspended; she'd only wanted for Vince to set her straight about what her job was. _Well, he did that_, she thought, _Hopefully, Stephanie will come out on the better end of this_. She headed straight for the women's locker room, meeting up with Liz on the way there. "Where'd you disappear off to?" Liz asked. "Well…I had a meeting with Vince," Sara answered, "About what happened in Rosemont." "You mean, about Steph?" Liz asked. "Yeah, but I can't say anything about it. Confidential," Sara commented. "Oh, okay. I understand," Liz said. They got to the women's locker room quickly. Sara dressed in her workout clothes, then told Liz she'd see her later. "I'm gonna go get a quick workout in, then head to the ring," she said leaving the room. Liz sighed as she proceeded to get dressed. 'Confidential' meetings usually meant that someone was on the receiving end of something bad.

Sara quickly went down to the MSG gym, stretching as well as possible when she got there. Jackie and Amy were already in there, so Sara simply joined them. It was fun for her to work out with people whose styles were so different from hers. "How's it goin', Sara?" Amy asked as she worked on the bicep curl machine. Sara hunched her shoulders and said, "Well, I made a 14-hour trip to get here, then got about five hours of sleep. So, I'm a bundle of energy." Jackie laughed as Sara took a seat on the barbell bench. "That's a hell of a way to travel," Jackie commented. "Yeah, no doubt. But it can be entertaining," Sara answered as she began to do bicep curls of her own, with free weights instead. "Wow, that's a crucial schedule," Amy said, "What's up with that?" "Well, it's definitely not a show everyday. It's really a bunch of appearances, along with the TV days," Sara answered. "Oh, I understand," Amy commented, "But that's still a hell of a schedule."

The three women worked out together for the next half an hour, before moving out to the ring. A few of the road agents were sitting around the ring talking to a few wrestlers who would be opening up the show before the cameras started rolling. Sara slid in the ring and said, "Amy, um, I think you should know that…uh…Stephanie has been dealt with. I'm sorry that you had to go through another match like the one we had." "It's nothing, Sara. I can only keep on improving my style, and keep on trying to help other people be successful. I've learned that this business is gonna have some trials and tribulations that go along with the success; I mean, that's just life," Amy answered, "I've heard that you and I are gonna have another angle that'll last until 'Bash at the Beach'." "Yeah, it should be a lot of fun," Sara commented, "What do you say we practice for those matches?" "Sure, no problem," Amy answered.

As Sara and Amy worked on putting different spots together, Jackie stood on the outside of the ring and watched. A couple of road agents came over to her side, helping all three women to point out the good points and bad points of why different spots worked or didn't worked. All three women learned a lot about the use of different ideas in the ring. When they finished, it was almost noon. Sara climbed out of the ring and sighed. The reason she'd spent so long in the ring was so that she wouldn't have to go back to the locker room to face Stephanie. "You okay?" Amy asked touching her back. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Sara answered rubbing her sweaty face, "That was a tough session." "Yeah, but it was helpful; we've got a hell of a setup for the first part of the angle," Amy added. Sara smiled and nodded. "That is true," she said. They went to the women's locker room and cleaned up, preparing for the night's show. "Well, I'll see you around, Sara," Amy said when she left. Sara nodded and let her head drop when the door shut. _If Patrick finds out about this - which I know he will - he's gonna be so pissed at me. How the hell am I gonna deal with that?_ Sara thought, He's gonna be so fucking pissed.

When Sara looked up again, Stephanie was standing in front of her. Sara stood and crossed her arms. "What's the problem now?" she asked. "Sara, you remember this…there are times when you stand up for something, and there are times when you just leave shit alone," Stephanie said before storming out of the room, "And this was one of those times when you should've just left the shit alone." Sara rolled her eyes and thought, _It's impossible. It's gonna take her getting fired for her to realize that this is not a one-person show_. She ran her fingers through her hair and left the room. She made her way down to the locker room slowly. She even hesitated to go in. When she entered, she sighed in huge relief to see that it was empty. She went and sat down at one of the tables, putting her head down. She was worried sick about having another confrontation with Stephanie. Confrontations produced tension, and tension could lead to serious problems.

"Dollface?" Sara looked up and into Mark's green eyes. "Are you okay?" he answered rubbing her back. "No, I'm not," she whispered. "What happened? Did you and Stephanie have another fight or something?" he asked. "I really can't say anything about that whole situation, Mark. Boss' orders," she said quietly. "Alright, baby. But if you wanna talk, I'm here," he said quietly. As soon as he said that the entire group came bustling into the room. Sara managed to perk up in order to talk with everybody, but inside, she was falling apart. "Sara, can I speak with you?" Sara looked up from her conversation with Andy, and into the eyes of Patrick. "Yeah, Patrick, of course," she said standing, "Andy, I'll be right back, okay?" Andy nodded and watched as she followed Patrick out of the locker room. I should be out there with her, he thought suddenly, But _it's Patrick. She'll be fine._

"Sara…how could you do that to Stephanie?" Patrick asked once the door closed. "Patrick, I don't want to fight with you. The last thing I want to do is fight with you, but Steph had this coming. You said it yourself, it was about time someone told her about herself," Sara said quietly. "Yeah, but that didn't mean for you to go and get her suspended," Patrick said tensely. "Patrick, you've got to believe me. The last thing I wanted was for Steph to be suspended," Sara whispered, "I didn't even know that was gonna happen. Eric simply told me he'd take care of the situation. It must've been his idea." Suddenly, Patrick grabbed Sara's throat and pushed her into the wall. "Patrick, please, don't do this," she whispered trying to remove his hand, "I'm telling you, I was only trying to do the best thing for this group." "Sara, you've gone overboard with your 'concerns' about the well-being of this group. Sure, Stephanie had her faults, but I'm sure she didn't deserve to be suspended," Patrick snapped, "Consider yourself as having lost two friends." He then let her go and went back into the room. Sara gasped and rubbed her neck where Patrick had gripped it tightly. His words had hurt her to the depths of her heart. She took a deep breath and got herself together before going back into the locker room. She took her seat back in front of Andy and ran her fingers through her hair. "You don't look so good," Andy whispered. "I'll be fine," she said quietly, "Just…give me a few minutes." "What happened?" Andy asked quietly. "Please, Andy, just give me a few minutes. I'm fine," Sara whispered.

"Alright, guys, just listen up real quick. I want to read off a few of the upcoming angles," Eric said. "Sara, you're starting your new angle with Amy tonight, to culminate at 'Bash at the Beach'. Mark, you're gonna be starting in a new Hardcore angle. That should be fun to watch. Shorty, you're gonna throw a wrench into the cruiserweight scene. John, Ron, you two are gonna be put into the tag team fray. That's all angle-wise. As far as matches for tonight, Kevin, you're gonna be fighting against Jericho; Paul, you're gonna be fighting against D. J.; and, Shawn, you've got an Intercontinental title shot against Brock Lesnar." Sara could barely focus on what Eric had been saying. Patrick's words were stuck in her mind; if she went to Eric that would only make things worse. "After the show, um, I want you guys to go back to the hotel for a few hours of sleep. We've got to head over to Massachusetts. I know it's not that far away, but our morning is pretty booked up, along with the show that evening," Eric ended, "Alright, that's it from my end. Any questions?" No one said anything, so Eric ended the meeting. As soon as he did, Sara stood and headed for the balcony, followed by Andy.

Sara sat down in a seat far up, wrapping her hand around her throat. It was beginning to hurt a little bit. "Sara, what happened with you and Patrick?" Andy asked sitting beside her. Sara looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Patrick…hurt me," she whispered. "What?" Andy asked quietly, "He put his hands on you?!" Sara nodded slowly, saying, "It's not just that; he hurt my feelings. He said that, because of what'd happened with Steph, I'd lost both of them as friends." "This is so stupid," Andy said moving her hand, "Let me see what he did." There were bruises on Sara's throat where Patrick's hand had been. "I knew I should've came out there," he whispered, "Do they hurt a lot?" Sara shook her head and said, "I didn't want him to be mad at me. I didn't know Stephanie was gonna tell him what had happened." "What'd happened when?" Andy asked. "Me, Steph, Vince, and Eric had a meeting earlier, to talk about what'd happened in Rosemont. And, she came out with the short end of the stick, so to say," Sara answered, "But Vince told me to leave what happened in that room just there. I would've thought Stephanie would've done the same. But, she didn't, and now Patrick is pissed at me." "Sara, sometimes you have to make decisions in your life that won't make everybody happy. You're gonna hurt people eventually; you can't try to make everybody happy all the time. It doesn't work that way. That's just the way life is. What I suggest you do is continue working with this group, making it better, and stop worrying about Steph. Obviously, she got what she deserved in that 'meeting', so that should be the end of your involvement. Move on, okay?" Andy said quietly. Sara nodded and looked out at the empty arena. The ring was completely set up, and now the ring crew was setting up rows of floor seats.

Even from where she was, she could see Kevin in the ring practicing for his match that night. "I've got to get ready for tonight. Amy and I have worked out something for tonight to get the angle started. Thanks for the talk, Andy, I really appreciate it. I'll see you around," Sara said quietly, standing. Andy stood and let her pass. "Alright, Sara," Andy said quietly, "And let me know if you want to go to Eric about what happened." "Oh, no, I'm not gonna do that. That'll only make things worse," Sara said leaving, "Just keep it between us." Andy nodded and stretched his arms. He felt so guilty about not going out to be with Sara. _Next time, follow your instinct_, he thought.

Sara made her way down to the ring to watch Kevin practice. Even though she wasn't involved in the match, she still learned things from watching other people practice. When she got down to the ring, though, it wasn't Kevin who was practicing in the ring, but Jackie and Amy. "Hey, I was just coming to talk to you," Sara said after Amy had completed a clothesline from the top rope. "About what?" Amy asked standing. Jackie stood and took her down with a hard clothesline. "Well, since the angle with us is starting tonight, and you and Jackie are having a match, I was thinkin', 'What better way to start the angle than to have me interfere in your match?'" Sara said. Jackie picked up Amy and hit a strong DDT. "Time out," Amy said rolling onto her back. Jackie agreed and slowly stood. She and Amy had been working together for an hour, trying to prepare for their match.

"So, what's up?" Amy asked rolling out the ring. "Well, I just thought that, as an ending for your match, punishment. I would, like, grab the title and say that, after what happened on last week's RAW, I wanted a title shot at 'Bash at the Beach'. Then, next week, you could interfere in a match of mine. And, then like, the week after that, we would have a non-title match,, in preparation for the match at 'Bash at the Beach'," Sara said. "That sounds like a good plan, but what about tonight? Jackie, what do you think?" Amy asked. "Sounds good to me, but if you really wanna make it interesting, make it a triple threat women's title match," Jackie answered, "All three of us at the PPV." Sara raised her eyebrow at Jackie, and said, "You think the fans will go for that?" "Yeah, if you do it the right way. Let's say that you decide to jump Amy after the match is over, and I act like it was a plan between you and me. But, you beat me up, too," Jackie suggested. "That's a good idea; we've just got to clear it with Vince. I mean, it was his idea to have me and Amy in another angle," Sara said. "That's cool," Jackie said, "Just let us finish up this match." Sara nodded and leaned back against the black security railing.

The match was actually fun to watch for Sara. It was only going to last for about seven minutes, but it was still entertaining. Different styles were incorporated throughout the match, ranging from lucha libre to mat wrestling. When they finished, the women headed up the ramp. Sara was in the middle of a sentence, so she didn't see the looks on Jackie's and Amy's face. When she saw them staring at the top of the stage, she looked up and saw Stephanie standing there with Patrick. They shook their heads at her and headed through the curtain to the back. "What's up with her?" Amy asked. "Don't ask," Sara whispered. Her mood had been soured when she saw Stephanie staring at her with pure hatred in her eyes. They quickly got to Vince's office, while discussing other aspects of involving three women in the angle. Sara knocked on Vince's door, waiting for him to say "Come in" before opening the door and entering. Jackie and Amy followed her.

"Hey, Sara, what's goin' on?" Vince asked setting down his itinerary for that night. "Well, we just had a creative idea for the angle that we wanted to talk to you about," Sara said sitting down. "Talk to me," Vince said. "Well, I'll let Jackie explain since she came up with the idea," Sara said. Vince turned his attention to Jackie. "Well, Vince, Sara's gonna attack Amy after the match is over, and I'm gonna act like we're on the same team. Then, she's gonna attack me, too. That would give me reason to get involved in the angle," Jackie said. "Well, I've got a better idea, Jackie; it's a better way to build the angle. How about things go like you said? But instead of getting involved in the angle completely, on Smackdown!, you and Sara have a match as revenge for her attacking you," Vince said. "And, on Smackdown!, Amy, you try to get revenge on Sara for beating you up. But, then Jackie gets mad at you for interfering in her match. So, on RAW, you have a match against Jackie, and Sara somehow gets involved - we'll figure that out over the week - making for the Triple Threat match at 'Bash at the Beach'. I'm sure we can figure out a lot more ways to make it more intriguing over the next three weeks, but we'll worry about that when we get there."

Amy and Jackie nodded in agreement. "Great, Vince, thanks a lot," Sara said standing. "Actually, Sara, I wanted to speak with you," Vince said. "Okay," Sara said, "I'll see you ladies later." Jackie and Amy said goodbye and left the room. "Please, sit down, Sara," Vince said quietly. Sara took a deep breath and sat back down. "What's wrong?" she asked somewhat nervously. "I think that's the question I should be asking you. You were half paying attention when I was talking to those two women," Vince said quietly, "Did something happen after you and Stephanie left here?" Sara took a deep breath and looked away. If she told Vince what Patrick had done, he'd probably be suspended, too. If she didn't, she would be lying to Vince, who'd become like a father to her over the past four or five years. She decided not to tell him. It would only cause more problems, and that was the last thing she needed. "No, Vince, I'm fine," she said quietly, "It's just that Amy, Jackie, and I had worked in the ring earlier for about three hours straight. So, I'm a little tired." Vince looked at her with doubt written all over his face. "I don't believe that's the only thing that's bothering you. You know you can tell me anything, right?" he said quietly.

Sara lowered her head and sighed heavily. "I don't want to cause trouble, Vince. It's nothing, probably even deserved. I just want to forget about it," she said quietly. Vince came and stood in front of Sara. "Sara, how long have we known each other?" he asked touching her shoulders. "About five years," she answered quietly. "And we've been through just about everything together, right?" Sara nodded as tears suddenly filled her eyes. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Vince asked. "It's Eric." Vince lowered his head and said, "Give me a minute, Eric." He then looked at Sara and said, "If you need to talk, Sara, about anything, I'm here. Okay?" Sara nodded and forced her tears back. She felt ashamed that she was about to cry over something that seemed so petty. Vince stood and said, "Go on. I think we'll talk about this later." Sara stood and took a deep breath. She opened the door, greeted Eric, then left the room. Eric watched her leave, then stepped into the room. "Was she okay?" he asked Vince. "I don't know. I think something happened with her and Steph after the meeting, but she won't tell me. She said she doesn't 'want to cause trouble'," Vince answered. "I'll try and talk with her," Eric said shutting the door.

Sara ran down to the women's bathroom and shut herself into the farthest stall. Tears poured down her face in shame. She felt so guilty about lying to Vince. He might as well have been her father. When she finally stopped crying, she took a deep breath and wiped her wet cheeks with tissue. After flushing the toilet and washing her hands, she left the bathroom. She headed, once again, for the ring. She was going to spend all of her extra time there, avoiding everyone in the group. When she went down to the ring, Brock was practicing for his match against Shawn. Brock had already been in the WWF for almost a year now. Sara's spirits were raised when she saw how much fun they were having feeding off of each other. There was about three or four road agents around the ring helping them out, too. Sara took a spot beside Jack Lanza, and leaned against the mat. "Hey, Sara, how's it goin'?" Jack asked. "Oh, I'm fine," Sara said quietly, "Just come down to help out." "Great, these guys could use someone like you," Jack said. Sara nodded and forgot all about her problems.

The day wore on slowly. It seemed to take forever for the show to start. When it did, however, Sara got as hyped up as she usually did. With a New York City crowd, the shows were extremely exciting. After all, the WWF had had its first edition of RAW in the Manhattan Center in downtown New York. The fans there were as rabid as any. Sara perked up when Brock and Shawn had their match. She'd actually helped them to plan the match earlier that day. When Brock went to set up Shawn for the 'F-5', Shawn reversed it into a pin, getting the pin fall. Sara smiled with satisfaction, because the fans were booing like crazy. Brock and Shawn came through the curtains moments later, and Sara met them. "Hey, guys, that was a pretty good match. You really kept the fans attention. Only thing I saw was that, Brock, you need to be a little smoother in the ring. Like, that belly-to-belly suplex Shawn hit you with midway through, that could've been a little better," she told them, "It looks like you hesitated." "Yeah, I kind of did, but I'll work on that," Brock said. "Good, and Brock, you might wanna pose to the crowd just a little more. That way, you get them more involved, you know?" she added. "Thanks for the advice, Sara, I'll remember it," Brock said. "Alright, you guys go cool down," she said patting their sweaty shoulders. Amy and Jackie walked up behind Sara, touching her shoulder. Sara jumped slightly and turned around to face them.

"You okay?" Amy asked. "Yeah, just a little tired. That workout we had earlier is taking it's effect on me," Sara answered. "Oh, well, you gonna be okay to come out there?" Jackie asked. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I've been known to bounce back from things at the drop of a hat," Sara told her. "Alright, we'll be lookin' for you out there," Amy said as they headed up to the preparation area. Sara lowered her head and began to get into character. When she finally looked up, all the problems of that day had been pushed to the very back of her mind, and she was now 'Chyna'. Amy and Jackie were already in the ring, and had begun their match. Sara stood close by the entrance, as she had planned on coming out onto the stage near the end of the match. The match went very well; Jackie and Amy were both babyfaces, so it was hard to distinguish whom the crowd was cheering for more. Finally, after Jackie had hit a tornado DDT off the top rope, Sara headed out to the stage. The crowd noticed her, and booed significantly. Jackie looked up at the ring momentarily before going back to her match with Amy. Sara watched with interest as the match went back and forth for the next minute or so. At the end, Amy downed Jackie with a double-arm DDT, and climbed to the rope. She hit her patented diving moonsault, and got the pin fall. Sara ran down to the ring, slid in, and immediately pulled Amy off of Jackie. She hit her with a few hard forearms, which knocked her into the ropes. Sara hit an Irish whip, swinging Amy to the other side of the ropes, then hit her with a hard clothesline after she bounced back.

As planned, Jackie grabbed Sara's hand and held it up. Sara snatched it away and stared at her bewildered. "Yeah, you kicked her ass for me! Thank you," Jackie said extending her hand. Sara grinned evilly, and took Jackie's hand, only to pull Jackie to her and hit 'Chyna's Syndrome'. Jackie crumpled up and Sara turned her attention back to Amy. She went over to her, hit two consecutive 'Chyna's Syndromes', and added a few more kicks for effect before climbing out of the ring. "Last week was a fluke, you bitch! Don't even begin to think you can take me on," she said motioning to Amy's limp body. The crowd booed loudly as Sara smiled and shook her head. "I'm the number one woman around here," she said pointing to herself, "Not you." She finally got to the top of the stage and said, "Don't think this is the end, Lita. You've got yours comin'." She then turned and walked through the curtains, sighing happily. There was nothing like being in front of a live crowd to lift her spirits even more.

She grinned the entire way back to the locker room, where she hadn't been since almost noon. When she walked in, everyone was crowded around the television. "Good job out there, Sara," Kevin told her, "The crowd really hated the fact that you beat up both fan favorites." "Thanks, Kev, I appreciate," Sara said sitting down beside him. "Where have you been all day? I've seen about this much of you," Kevin said squeezing his index finger and thumb together as an example. Sara grinned slightly and said, "I've just been hangin' around the building. You know, getting ready for the show, and planning for what just happened, and stuff like that," Sara said quietly. "Well, you must've done a hell of a job ducking Mark, because he's been lookin' for you most of the day," Kevin said. "Really? Do you know where he is?" Sara asked. "Actually, he's got a match right now, but he should be back in about ten minutes," Kevin told her. Sara nodded and put her attention to the television screen. Mark's match was against Adam Copeland. It was pretty decent. However, at the end of the match, Adam was disqualified when Jericho ran out and attacked Mark with a kendo stick. He pulled out a ton of other weapons from under the ring and laid Mark out with each one of them. Sara grinned and said, "Oh, boy, this is gonna be a fun angle for the fans. Mark's playing a pretty decent heel. The crowd was really excited with the hit with the street sign." Kevin chuckled and said, "Yeah, it was pretty funny. He sold it good…fell right to the mat like he was knocked out."

Mark came walking into the locker room minutes later. "Good gracious, that kid's got a hell of a swing," he said rubbing his head. He plopped down beside Sara and lowered his head. "You need some aspirin?" Sara asked rubbing his back. "No, I don't have a headache," he said looking at her, "I'm just wondering where you've been all day." Sara lowered her head and said, "We'll talk later." Mark nodded as he went into the shower room to clean up. Sara left the room and went back down to the women's locker room to clean up as well. Even though she hadn't done that much, she still wanted to take a shower. When she got there, Jackie and Amy were stretching out. "Hey, ladies. Good job out there; solid match," she said as she began to undress. "Thanks, Sara. The fans seemed like they bought into your anger over my win last week," Amy said. Sara smiled and said, "Well, I couldn't have done it without you. You sold those moves really good. And, Jackie, you seem like you could be a major player in this angle." Jackie thanked her as she continued to stretch. Sara finished undressing and took a quick shower. After she got dressed, she headed up to the balcony to finish watching the show. The fans were as rabid with the main event as they were with Sara's interference with Amy and Jackie's match.

Around half past eleven, fans finally began to file out of the arena. Sara made her way to the locker rooms, and entered. Eric was standing up at the front of the room. "Sorry," she whispered grabbing a seat next to Mark. Eric continued with their schedule for the next day as Sara ran her fingers through her hair. "Where were you?" Mark asked in her ear. "Watching the end of the show," she answered quietly. "Oh, okay," he whispered. "Alright, guys, let's head out of here," Eric said, "Remember, I want you out of the hotel no later than six a.m." The group filed out of the locker room and to their respective vehicles. Sara didn't argue when Kevin grabbed the keys from her and climbed into the driver's seat of his truck. She climbed into the back with Mark, sighing when he put his arm around her shoulder. They made their way back to the hotel as quickly as possible; the traffic wasn't too pretty seeing as how the fans were also trying to get last minute autographs from anyone driving by. Kevin managed to get through the masses and onto the main street. They got to the hotel about 20 minutes later. Sara made her way to her room with her head lowered. Mark opened the door and let her in first, but she didn't get far. Mark shut the door and grabbed her shoulder. "Now…tell me what happened to you, why you were seemingly MIA the whole day, and why you look like you just lost your best friend," Mark said quietly. "Mark, I just want to go to sleep," Sara said trying to move away. "Uh-uh. You told me that we would talk later…and it's later," Mark said. Sara sighed heavily and realized that this would be one argument she wasn't meant to win.

"Fine, Steph's been suspended for one month, and it's my fault," she whispered, "If I never would've opened my mouth about her performance, everything would be fine." Mark looked at Sara in the hallway light and could tell that wasn't the only thing bothering her. "What else?" he asked. Sara lowered her head and covered her eyes, because they were starting to tear up. "Patrick told me that, because of what I had done to Steph, I'd lost him as a friend, too," she choked out, "And I never wanted that to happen." Sara then broke down in tears. "I never meant to lose him as a friend, Mark, I never meant for that to happen," she whispered. Mark put his arms around her and comforted her. "Come on, let's get some sleep," he whispered helping her into bed. Sara cried for the next few minutes as Mark held her. "I was only trying to make things better," she whispered. "Come on, baby, don't worry about it. Patrick will get over it, okay?" he said rubbing her back. Sara nodded and rested her head on Mark's chest. He put his arm around her back and held her close. They fell asleep moments later.

The next morning, Sara awoke to the alarm. "Come on, baby, it's almost 5:30," Mark said. Sara groaned and slowly made her way into the bathroom. She quickly washed her face, and then went back into the bedroom. Mark was remaking the bed, so she made sure everything else was straightened up. They made their way downstairs around quarter to six. Liz and Kevin were already down there. "Morning, you two," Kevin said. "Morning, Kevin," Sara whispered. "Alright, Massachusetts is only about three hours away. Who wants to do the driving?" Kevin said. "I'm really exhausted, Kevin. It was a long day for me yesterday. If you don't mind, I'll pass on this one," Sara said quietly. "Sure, sweetie," Kevin said, "You look really tired." "I'll take this one," Mark said holding out his hand for the keys. Kevin dropped them in his hand and said, "Alright, then, let's haul out o' here. Eric says that we don't have to be at the arena until two, so I was thinking we could get there as early as possible, and then check into a hotel for another four hours of sleep," Kevin said climbing into the backseat of the truck. "Sounds good to me," Mark said, "Let's haul ass then." Everyone grinned as Mark started up the truck. He pulled off as soon as the last door was shut. Sara, much to her own disdain, fell asleep against Mark's shoulder. She awoke as he pulled into the city limits of Worcester.

"Hey, sleepy eyes," Mark said quietly, "You feelin' any better?" Sara wiped her eyes and touched Mark's hand, which was resting on her shoulder. "Yeah, a little," she answered, "What time is it?" "It's almost eight," Mark said. "Jeez, you really put the pedal to the metal, didn't you?" Sara said with a smile. Mark nodded and said, "The hotel was calling for me." Sara grinned and asked, "You want me to take over?" "Nah, it's okay. We're only about ten minutes away," Mark answered squeezing her shoulder. "Thanks for asking though." Sara nodded and leaned her head back against Mark's arm. When they pulled into the hotel parking lot, Sara woke up Kevin and Liz, saying, "We're here." They quickly made their way into the hotel, checking into two temporary rooms. When they got to their rooms, Sara jumped on the bed and grinned when Mark lied down beside her. "I love you," she whispered kissing his nose. "Mm-hmm," Mark whispered pulling her close and closing his eyes. Sara, however, didn't feel much like sleeping, so she pulled away from him. "Where are you going?" he asked when she headed for the front door. "To take a walk," Sara answered, "Get some sleep, baby." Mark shook his head as he did indeed lie back down to go to sleep.

Sara quietly left the room and went down to Kevin and Liz's room. She knocked quietly, hoping she wasn't waking them. Liz answered the door and asked, "What's up, hon?" "I need somebody to take a walk with me," Sara said quietly, "I was just wondering, I mean if you're not too tired…" "Don't worry, honey. I've had enough sleep. Kevin's in there laid out, though," Liz said shutting the door, "Come on." The two women headed out of the hotel into the cool morning air. "So, what's wrong?" Liz asked as they headed down the street. Sara stopped and pulled her hair up to show the bruises on her neck. Liz gasped and said, "Don't you dare tell me that Mark did that to you!" "No, no, heck, no…it was Patrick," Sara whispered letting her hair go. Liz looked even more dumbfounded. "Why the hell would Patrick put bruises on you?" Liz asked as they continued down the street. "Steph was suspended for one month, and now he's pissed at me," Sara told her.

At the continued look of bafflement on Liz's face, Sara proceeded to tell her the entire story of what had happened the previous day. "Sara, you have got to tell Eric about that," Liz told her when she finally finished. They headed into a small corner diner and took a seat. "I can't, Liz. You don't understand. When I came back from training, I made it my personal goal to see that this group would change its ways. And, in the past nine months or more, I've done that. I've come so far, with everyone. But the last thing I want to do is cause in-fighting," Sara said quietly. Liz sighed heavily and said, "You'll only cause more in-fighting if you don't say something. What if Mark sees those bruises? You know his temper." Sara lowered her head and said, "I know. I've been careful not to let my neck show since yesterday. But Patrick and Steph helped me to get to where I was when I came back; without them, I don't know if I'd have even been able to do what it took to change the group." Liz touched Sara's shoulder, then forced her to look at her.

"Sara…I'm sorry, I love you like a sister, but if you don't say something….I will. I won't allow those two to cause trouble like this." Sara looked away as the waitress came to take their order. "Two orders of toast and eggs, scrambled, please, and a couple glasses of orange juice," Liz said, "Thank you." "Your order will be here in about ten minutes," the waitress said. Liz nodded and thanked her again, before turning her attention back to Sara.

"Look, Sara, take a stand for yourself. You have proof that those two are too vindictive to be in this group. Once you do something they don't like, they persecute you for it, and act like they never knew you," Liz said touching Sara's hand, "They are one in the same. They'll never change, no matter how much you want them to." Sara nodded and continued to look out the window. Their breakfast came, and they quickly ate. After eating, they paid for the food, leaving a decent tip, and left, heading back for the hotel. It was almost half past nine. "So…what are you gonna do?" Liz asked when they walked back into the lobby of the hotel. "I don't know. I'm gonna go think about it," Sara whispered. "Sara, make the right choice. Please, if not for this group's or company's sake, but for your own. You don't need to deal with people who are gonna turn on you at the drop of a hat," Liz said quietly.

"I'll see you later, Liz," Sara said before going into her room. Liz shook her head and headed down to her own room. Sara went over to Mark's sleeping body and sat down beside him. He was surely asleep, as his soft, gentle breathing indicated. She smiled down at his face, resisting the urge to run her finger over his cheek, which was growing a little stubble. _He's so gorgeous, inside and out. I love him so much, and he loves me even more_, she thought, _I really lucked out. And he cares so much about me. He's better than Roddy ever could've been to me. What took me so long to find him? Where was he hiding all those years?_ Sara came from out of her daydream to find Mark staring at her. She blushed slightly and stood. "Where do you think you're going?" Mark said grabbing her waist, "You can't look at a man like that, thinking he's not gonna respond." Sara smiled as he pulled her onto the bed and kissed her deeply. She moved her hands over his muscular arms, and managed to say, "I thought you were asleep." Mark touched her cheek and pulled up, saying, "As you can tell, I am now wide awake." She smiled as Mark slowly peeled away her clothing, as well as his own. They hadn't made love in a week, so Mark was completely obsessed with touching her again. He gently caressed each part of her body, particularly the part which brought her extreme pleasure, showing great attention and tenderness. When they finally came together, Mark waited for Sara to climax at least three times before doing so himself.

When he finished, Sara rolled him onto his back and pulled her hair over her neck, onto her chest. "What do you think, keep it long or cut it?" she asked smiling. Mark looked at her covered chest and moved her hair away. Sara smiled and shook her head. "Hopeless male," she said moving to get off of him. However, Mark put his hands on her hips, keeping her where she was. "What are you doing?" she asked as he sat up. "Be still," Mark said quietly. He went to move her hair away from her neck, but Sara pushed his hand away. "What's wrong?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Nothing," Sara said pushing away from him and climbing off. She went into the bathroom, but Mark followed her. "Come here, Sara," Mark said quietly. Sara looked at him, signs of fear written all over her face. "Why are you scared? You know I would never hurt you," Mark said looking at her. She looked like she'd cry at any moment. "I'm not scared of you, Mark," she whispered, "I have no reason to be scared of you." "Then let me see what's wrong with your neck," he said, "You don't think I didn't notice those bruises, do you? I know your body as well as my own, so I know when something's wrong." Sara trembled slightly as she went to stand in front of him.

Mark slowly moved Sara's hair over her shoulders and leaned closer. He was so close, Sara could feel his breath on her skin. "What happened?" Mark asked. When Sara hesitated, he looked back at her. She was looking at the floor with tears in her eyes. Mark looked closer at the bruises, then placed his hand around her throat. They seemed to take the imprint of a hand. Sara gasped as the tears escaped from her eyes. "Who?" he asked quietly. "Patrick," she whispered gulping. "When?" Mark asked tensely, letting his hand drop. "Yesterday…that's why I disappeared, because I didn't want to be around anybody after it happened," Sara answered looking at him. There was nothing but anger in those green eyes. "I didn't tell you because I knew you'd go off," she said quietly. Mark covered his eyes and grabbed Sara's hand, pulling her back over to the bed. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. Sara threw her arms around him and said, "I don't want to cause trouble, Mark." Mark rubbed her back and said, "No, baby, you're not causing trouble…he is." They sat there for a few minutes just holding each other.

"What are you gonna do?" Sara asked quietly. "I don't know," Mark answered honestly, "Two choices: beat the hell out of him the first chance I get, and probably get suspended myself; or…I could leave it up to you on what happens to Patrick." Sara looked at Mark and said, "You're serious?" Mark nodded and said, "Sara, you've taught me a lot about controlling myself when it comes to protecting you. You're fully capable of doing it yourself, and you don't need me to fight your battles…that is, unless you want me to." Sara grinned and kissed him hard. Mark fell back and wrapped his arms around her back. "That's why I love you," she said kissing his neck. "Yeah, I know," Mark said with a grin. Sara looked up at him, once again sitting up onto his stomach. "You're arrogant, you know?" she asked. Mark nodded and put his hands behind his head. "And pompous? And egotistical?" Sara continued. Mark continued to nod his head. "And vain?" Mark looked up at her and said, "And where is this heading?" Sara grinned and added, "And, yet, the most unselfish, giving, understanding, wonderful man I've ever known." Mark slowly sat up and cupped Sara's face. "I love you, too," he said kissing her gently. Sara touched his hands and returned the kiss.

A knock on the door interrupted them. "Who do you think that is?" Sara asked. Mark growled and slowly stood, slipping on his boxers. He looked through the peephole and sighed, saying, "It's Kevin." He opened the door as Sara climbed under the covers. "What's up, bro?" Mark asked. "Oh, well, I was wondering if you guys wanted to head to the arena early, get a little extra practice in," Kevin said. Mark looked back at Sara, who hunched her shoulders, and said, "Sure, man." "Alright, Liz and I'll be ready in about a half an hour," Kevin said, "Meet you in the lobby?" Mark agreed and shut the door. "Alright, we're headin' out of here in a half an hour," Mark said going into the bathroom. He cut on the shower, and went back into the room. Sara was still under the covers, but she was sitting still with her arms wrapped around her knees. "What's wrong, baby?" he asked touching her back.

Sara looked up at him and said, "I'm trying to decide what to do about Patrick." Mark picked her up from under the covers and carried her into the bathroom. "Think about it after we leave," he said placing her in the bathtub under the running water. Sara smiled as the warm water ran over her skin. She and Mark quickly washed each other, then got dressed to leave. When they went into the lobby, Kevin and Liz were already waiting. "Took you two long enough," Kevin said with a smile. "Let's head out o' here, please," Sara said. They then headed out to the car, excited about the day.

When they pulled into the back of the arena, no one was shocked to see fans around the parking lot waving at them. "They're pretty dedicated," Sara said, "There's no way in hell I'd be out here at ten in the morning cheering for a wrestler." All three people looked at her with smiles on their faces. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Kevin said as he parked the truck. They climbed out, waving to the fans, before making their way into the arena. It was pretty quiet, except for technicians and production crew running around. Sara and Liz made their way to the women's locker room, while Kevin and Mark went down to the group's locker room.

"Well, what happened?" Liz asked. "He saw them," Sara said quietly. "You mean you showed him?" Liz asked. "No, he saw them himself. There's no way I could've hid them, Liz," Sara said, "But…he's gonna let me deal with Patrick as I see fit." Liz stared at her in complete shock. Sara nodded her head and grinned. "He doesn't want to fight battles for me, when he thinks that I'm 'perfectly capable' of doing it myself," Sara said smiling. "Wow, that's a real shocker. What'd you drug him with?" Liz said as she got dressed for the night's show. "Nothing," Sara said, "Trust me, I wasn't expecting that answer, either. But, that was his answer." "Well, that's good. It's all up to you now," Liz said as Sara got dressed in workout clothes. Sara hesitated as she slipped on a muscle t-shirt. "Yeah, I know. I think I'm gonna go talk to Vince now," she said quietly. "Good," Liz said standing, "I'm proud." Sara stood and rotated her neck. "Here we go," she said quietly. "You'll be fine, Sara," Liz said, "The right thing to do is always the hardest." Sara nodded as she left the room and headed for Vince's office. When she got there, she took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in." Sara slowly opened the door, taking a deep breath as she entered the office. "Good morning, Sara. How are you?" Vince said. "Um, fine, I guess. I, uh, wanted to talk to you," Sara said quietly. "Sure, come sit down," Vince said motioning towards a chair in front of his desk. Sara sat down in front of him and looked down at her hands. "Well, what's up?" Vince asked. "You said, um, yesterday that I could, uh, tell you anything, right?" Sara asked slowly. "Of course, Sara, anything," Vince answered. "Well, I need to tell you something that happened yesterday," she said quietly. She then proceeded to tell Vince what had happened after the meeting, relaying the story for the third time that day.

After she'd finished, she stood and lifted her hair, to show Vince the proof of what Patrick had done to her. "Well, then, it seems this problem has gotten out of hand," Vince said quietly, "I'll speak to Patrick and Stephanie as soon as they get here." "And, when I said that I didn't want to cause trouble yesterday, I meant it. I don't mean to affect their lives negatively, Vince; I'm just doing what I think is best for your company," Sara said letting her hair go. Vince stood and took a deep breath. "Sara, if I had four or five more workers like you, then I'd be in heaven," he said honestly. Sara lowered her head in modesty. "Thank you, Sara. I really appreciate everything you do for me," Vince added. "You're welcome, Vince," she answered looking back up at him. "I'll see you around today, okay?" Vince said walking with her to the door, "I've got some business to take care of." Sara nodded as she opened the door. She headed down to the 'Corporation' locker room, feeling better already. When she went in, Mark was sitting at the table talking with Kevin. She sat down beside him, and asked, "Are you gonna go workout?" "Yeah, babe," Mark answered. Kevin looked at Sara and said, "That bastard actually put his hands on you?"

Sara looked at Mark, who hunched his shoulders, and then back at Kevin. "Yeah, he did," she answered quietly. "What happened with Vince?" Mark asked. "He says he's gonna talk to both of them as soon as they get here," she answered before standing, "Come on. I don't want to waste time sitting here thinking about them." Mark and Kevin grinned at her before standing. "You are one tough chick," he said as they headed down to the gym, "Definitely one tough chick."


	22. Consequences and Repurcussions

**Chapter 21…Consequences and Repercussions**

After a harsh workout in the gym, all three people went out to the ring to practice moves on each other. The ring was already set up for the show that evening. "So…what's up with Jackie being in you and Amy's angle?" Kevin asked as Sara dropkicked him from the top rope. "Well, we thought it would be an interesting twist into the angle," Sara answered putting him into a rear chin lock. Mark grabbed her from behind and put her in a reverse sleeper. "Well, the fans definitely like the other ladies," he said as Sara tapped his back, signaling for him to let her go. Sara swept his feet from under him, then planted an elbow right on his chest. Mark groaned and said, "Yep, they definitely like the other ladies." Sara picked him up and hit a back body drop. "There," she said, "How do you like that?" Kevin grabbed her in a headlock, but Sara pushed him into the ropes and clotheslined him down. She then ran around the ring holding her hands up in victory. "Oh, puh-lease," Mark said looking up at her. They continued to wrestle together for the next half an hour, bouncing ideas off of each other as well as moves. They were interrupted when Amy and Jackie came down to the ring. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but we'd like to practice with our opponent as well," Jackie said grinning. Kevin and Mark nodded, Mark saying, "Careful, they might jump us." Sara smiled and shook her head. "Get outta my ring," she said as they climbed out.

Amy and Jackie slid in the ring with smiles on their faces. "What's up, ladies?" Sara asked. "We just got here," Amy said, "You look like you've been here for a while." "Only about an hour, but working out with those guys will make anyone seem like they've been in the ring a while," Sara said. "I bet," Jackie said. "Alright, Jackie, tonight you and I have the match. Like Vince suggested, we're gonna have Amy interfere in the end. I want to figure the match out before we decide how you're gonna interfere, okay?" Sara said. "Yeah, that's cool wit' me," Amy answered rolling out the ring. "Alright, Sara, what's on your mind?" Jackie asked as she began to warm-up and stretch. "Well, I was thinkin' we could start off talkin' a lot of smack to each other. You smack me real good, and I just kind o' look away in shock. Then, I smack you back. Then, I want you to do a double-leg takedown on me, and start wailing away with right hands. Hop up and start kicking the shit out of me. The ref's gonna pull you off, giving me a chance to catch my breath. I'm gonna hop up and just jump on you. It's basically gonna be a fist fight the first minute. Finally, we'll get the ref to pull us apart, giving us both warnings. Finally, we'll start the match correctly," Sara said stretching her muscles herself. She and Jackie then began to practice spots they thought would be good to use for that match.

Another half an hour later, they finally focused on how Jackie would interfere. "Alright," Sara said after she'd landed on her back from Jackie's powerbomb, "Match over." Amy grinned and sat up on the mat. "Amy, you're gonna run out as soon as Jackie gets the pin fall and jump on me, getting revenge on what happened Monday," Sara said, "We're just gonna fight it out until the referees pull us apart." "Alright, what I had wanted to do was, as soon as the match was over, I run out and go up to the top rope - Amy will have slid off you by now - and hit a bodysplash. Then, I'd start beatin' on you real hard, so you could see I was really pissed off," Jackie said. "Well, that's definitely cool. It'd be good for the fans to see you take advantage of me already being tired from another match," Sara said beginning to cool down. "Yeah, it'll be fun," Jackie said. Sara slid out of the ring, saying, "I'll see you two around. I've got to go get cleaned up." "Alright, Sara, see ya later," Amy said.

Sara quickly headed to the back, towards the women's locker room. She was stopped by Shane. "Hey, Shane, how are ya? We haven't talked in a while," she said wiping her sweaty forehead. "Well, my dad wants to see you," Shane said. Sara took a deep breath and asked, "Do you know why?" "I think it's about Patrick and Stephanie," Shane told her. Sara looked down at the floor and sighed heavily. "Why do you say that?" she asked quietly. "Well, when I left, Patrick and Stephanie were going into his office. And, from what he told me yesterday, he suspended Stephanie for a month," Shane told her. Sara ran her fingers through her sweat-soaked hair, before looking back up at Shane. "Thanks," she said quietly. "You know where his office is, right?" Shane asked. "Yeah," Sara answered. "Alright, then, I'll see you around," Shane said heading down to the computer station. He was in charge of the WWF website, and had to make adjustments to it daily. Sara waited a moment, to slow her speeding pulse, before heading down the hall to Vince's office. Grabbing a towel from Janet's make-up station on her way there, she tried to wipe as much sweat from her body as she could. She then knocked on the door and waited.

"Come in." Sara slowly opened the door and stepped inside. Vince was standing in front of his desk, facing Eric, Patrick, and Stephanie. "Sorry it took me so long. I was coming from the ring," she said walking up towards them. "Don't worry about it, Sara. It's good to know you're being productive. I need you to do something for me," Vince said. "Sure, Vince," she said. "Tell Eric what you told me this morning," Vince said looking at her. Sara's heart started pounding in her chest as she looked to the floor. Vince came over to her and touched her shoulder. She looked up at him, taking a deep breath as she did. "It's okay, Sara. Just tell him what you told me," he said. Sara nodded and looked at Eric. "After our meeting, I went down to the ring to get some practice in. I stayed there for a long time, because I didn't want to run into Steph. I knew she was pretty pissed at me. When I went to the women's locker room to get cleaned up, she was there. She told me that there were times when I stand up for something, and times when I should leave shit alone, and this was one of those times I should've left it alone. After that, I came down to our locker room and Patrick asked to talk to me. Not thinking anything of it, because I knew - or should say thought - he and I were friends, I went out. He got really angry with me, blaming me for going overboard about caring for the 'Corporation'. He grabbed my neck, pushed me into the wall, and told me that I'd lost two friends," she said plainly. She was not going to be afraid of Patrick and Stephanie's anger, especially when they deserved whatever punishment they received. Just as Andy had told her, there were going to be times in her life when decisions she made just did not make everyone happy.

"Show him," Vince told her. Sara looked at him, slightly hesitating. Vince nodded his head slightly. Sara took a deep breath and went over to Eric. She grabbed her hair in one hand and lifted it up off her neck, showing Eric the bruises on her neck. They weren't as apparent as yesterday, but they were still there. Eric sighed heavily and shook his head. "Alright, thanks, Sara. I appreciate you coming here," Vince said opening his door. Sara let her hair drop and nodded. "No problem, Vince," she said. She glanced back at Patrick on her way out. His head was hanging, and Stephanie was touching his arm. She sighed heavily as Vince shut the door behind her. Now, Patrick was in trouble, and his punishment would probably be much worse than Stephanie's.

"Hey, sweetie." Sara looked over her shoulder and into the eyes of Mark. "Hey, babe," she said turning to head down the hall with him. "What was that about?" Mark asked. "Well, uh, I think Patrick is going to get into some pretty big trouble," Sara whispered, "He was in there with Eric and Vince." "Well, he deserves it. He should've never put his hands on you," Mark said tensely. "Relax, will ya? I handled the situation just like I said I would," Sara said, "It's up to Vince and Eric on what happens to Patrick." "Well, on to better topics. You and Amy got a good match for tonight?" Mark said. "Yep, it's gonna be a lot of fun," Sara said, "Jackie's gonna come down and get some revenge after it's over, too." Mark smiled as they got to the women's locker room. "I'll see you down in the locker room, okay?" Sara said opening the door. "Alright, babe," Mark said heading down the hall. Sara nodded and went into the women's locker room to get ready. Liz was standing in front of the mirror trying to fix her hair. It was all over the place, with no semblance of order. "What are you doing?" Sara asked. "Just experimenting. I'm gonna get Janet to fix it, but I was just playing around," Liz told her. "Oh, well, have fun," Sara said going into the shower room. She took a good shower, shaving stray hairs and washing her hair twice, before stepping back into the locker room. She quickly got dressed and dried her hair. After she finished, she headed down to the 'Corporation' locker room.

"Sara, wait up," Liz said running down the hall. Sara looked down at Liz, sighing heavily. "Hurry, hurry, hurry," she said with a grin. Liz caught up to Sara and took a deep breath, saying, "As you can see, I fixed my hair." It was indeed lying flat on her head. Sara rolled her eyes and entered the room. Andy was sitting at a table talking with Trish. He looked up at Sara and waved. "Hey, Sara, how are ya?" he asked. "Fine, Andy, just fine," Sara answered grinning at Trish, who blushed slightly and looked away. "I haven't seen you in what seems like forever," Andy said. "Yeah, I know. It's pretty weird," Sara said sitting down beside him, "Has Mark been in here?" "Nope," Andy said. "Oh, okay, um, I'll see ya around then," Sara said standing. Liz got her clue and stood, too. "Yeah, guys, I've got to, uh, um, go get ready for tonight," she said smiling. Sara grabbed her arm and pulled her out. "Love is in the air," Sara said in a singing tone. Liz laughed as they headed to the eating area. Sara grabbed two half-sandwiches, a few pieces of orange slices, and a bottle of water. Liz grabbed a plateful of vegetables and her own bottle of water.

"So, what'd you do with the whole Patrick-Stephanie situation?" Liz asked. "Um, well, I told Vince, and he made me tell Eric," Sara said quietly, "So, I don't know what's gonna come of it. Patrick and Steph were in there when I told Eric, though." Liz sighed heavily and bit into her carrot. "I hope he doesn't get into too much trouble," Sara said as she ate her quick lunch. "Patrick's a good guy, but he's got to learn there's a line you just don't cross," Liz said. Sara stood and picked up her food. "Will you let Mark know I'll be up in the balcony seats?" she asked. "Yeah, no problem, Sara. Are you okay, though?" Liz said. "Yeah, I just…want to be alone right now," Sara said. She headed for the balcony as quickly as possible, ignoring the looks from everyone around her. Before she could get to the balcony, she was stopped by Mark. "Eric wants everybody back in the locker room," he said solemnly. Sara sighed heavily and looked down. "Come on, you'll be fine," he whispered putting his arm around her.

They made their way down to the locker room slowly. Sara tried to regain some sort of control over her outer appearance, but when she entered the room, she was noticeably nervous. She quickly sat down beside Andy and rubbed her hands together. Mark sat down beside her and took her hands in his. "Relax, dollface," he whispered, "I told you, everything will work out for you." She nodded, but kept her hands in Mark's. Eric had yet to come into the room, so when he did, Sara couldn't help but keep her eyes on him the entire time.

"Alright, guys…I've, uh, got some bad news. Due to unfortunate circumstances, I must say, Patrick and Stephanie Reichsteiner have been removed from the 'Corporation'…on-camera and off," Eric said slowly. Sara lowered her head as tears filled her eyes. "While they are still with the company, both have been removed from this angle, and this group, for a decent period of time," Eric added. Murmurs began to start amongst the group slowly. "If you don't mind me asking, Eric," Shorty said, "Why? I mean, we were teammates. I just wanna know why, all of a sudden, they're gone." "Well, Shorty, Stephanie had already been suspended for unsatisfactory work conduct, and we were gonna see where she was after her suspension period. However, she made some comments to a fellow coworker that only made her look worse. That's why she was removed. Patrick…he put his hands on a fellow coworker, when it was completely uncalled for," Eric answered looking around, only glancing at Sara as to not draw attention to her, "And that…is why he was removed."

"Well, it's not a surprise about Stephanie," Kevin said. "Are they gonna be replaced?" Mark asked. "I don't know. Vince is gonna get back with me about a few potential replacements, but right now…I'm not sure," Eric answered honestly. "Well, then, I guess we've got to move on, right? I mean, I'm not trying to be uncaring, but if they deserved to be removed, all we can do is hope for the best for them, and go on with our lives," Shawn said. Everyone slowly agreed to those statements, except Sara. She was too overcome with guilt to say anything. "Alright, about tonight, matches: Sara's goin' up against Jackie. Mark, you're continuing your angle against Jericho. And, Steve, you've got a match against Roddy. Sara, I want you out there for Steve's match, okay?" Eric said. Sara, keeping her head lowered, nodded slightly. "Alright, guys, after tonight's show, you might want to go check into a hotel, sleep for a few hours, then head over to Detroit. We've got a couple of appearances in the morning, and one in the evening, so it's a pretty easy day tomorrow. Cool?" he added. Everyone agreed and Eric ended the meeting. "Sara, can I see you?" Eric asked quietly. Sara looked up at him, her cheeks slightly red, and nodded. She followed him out wiping her face.

"Sara, do not feel bad about what happened to Steph and Patrick," Eric said quietly, "They brought that on themselves. We can't afford to have them in this group any longer." Sara nodded and looked at the ground. Eric forced her to look at him, sighing when he saw that the guilt was still there. "Sara…I don't know what to tell you. You did what you thought - no, what you knew - was best for everyone, for yourself. You've made Vince and myself prouder than we were when you came back. You're a great worker, and we could only wish we had more people like you in this company," he said quietly. "I'm…sure I'll get over. Just…not right now," Sara whispered, "It's too soon, Eric. I can't help but know that I had something to do with this. I can't help but to accept blame for it." Eric touched her shoulders and said, "Sara…you had something to do with this. If it wasn't for you…Stephanie and Patrick probably would've gotten away with a lot more, caused a lot more trouble, and, in the end, done a lot more damage. Think of it that way. You've stopped them before the damage that they could do was irreparable." Sara nodded slightly and said, "I'm trying to think of it like that, Eric. I'm honestly trying." "Alright, hon, you're gonna be fine. Okay? Just start thinkin' about how you can make your angle better for the fans," Eric said squeezing her shoulders gently, "Start thinkin' about that, and you'll be fine." Sara nodded and said, "Thanks a lot, Eric." Eric nodded and went back into the locker room. Sara, however, went up to the balcony immediately. She needed an hour to relax her mind, relax her body, and think about what had just happened.

Mark watched Andy leave the room behind Sara, knowing that he was going with her. Mark, though, stayed in the room to talk with Kevin. "She's gonna be okay, right?" Kevin asked. "I don't know, Kev. She was scared as shit this morning to even show me the bruises. She told me she didn't want to cause trouble, but I reassured her that whatever happened to Patrick and Steph were their own faults," Mark answered quietly. He didn't want to speak too loudly, since almost no one, except for himself, Kevin, Liz, and Andy, knew it was Sara that Eric had referred to as "a coworker". "Yeah, but you know how Sara is when it comes to taking blame for something. Either she takes full blame, or she doesn't take it at all," Kevin said to him. "You taught her that, didn't you?" Mark asked smiling. "Only in trying to teach her responsibility for her actions in the case that she overreacted," Kevin said quietly, "But - from my viewpoint - she didn't overreact." "She's not thinking like that. She feels guilty for, what she believes, causing them a lot of financial and emotional damage," Mark said quietly. Kevin shook his head and added, "All she needs is some time to herself. She'll get over it." "I hope," Mark said quietly.

Andy followed Sara at a distance. He didn't want her to feel intruded upon, especially at a time when she had enough weight on her shoulders. She walked with her head down, only looking up to speak to people who passed her. Andy felt sympathetic towards Patrick and Stephanie. After all, the 'Corporation' had been their mainstay for quite a while now, and it had helped them to buy their own home after they'd gotten married. It had helped them to become quite popular amongst the fans, despite the fact that they were heels. And, it had given them financial stability, which had not been guaranteed as a non-member. When Sara finally got to the balcony seats, Andy took a seat a few rows up from where she was sitting. He hadn't been really keeping an eye on her past couple of days, but now was a time where he really needed to make sure she was going to be okay.

Sara, aware that Andy was following her, decided not to say anything to him. She knew that he was right in being able to follow her, because he hadn't done so in what seemed like forever. Instead, she tried to focus on her match later that night. It was a pretty good match set up with Amy, back and forth action as they had found the fans really liked, and even Jackie's interference was going to be fun. As a slight grin crept up on her face, Sara began to feel slightly better. Thinking about her own work always helped her forget about her more pressing problems. It even gave her a small boost in energy. She finished eating the food she'd grabbed earlier as she began to think about what she was going to do in Steve's match. Over the past nine or so months, Sara had been involved in match after match where different 'Corporation' members had faced Roddy. In fact, the angle itself had lasted for about three of those nine months, and Sara had enjoyed every minute of it. She believed she'd been at her best during that angle, simply because of the portrayed hatred between ex-husband and wife. She'd also had an angle with Adam Copeland, Chris Jericho, and a new wrestler by the name of Jason Reno. The angle with Reno had led to another angle with Copeland, because their on-screen characters were brothers. It had been a fun and eventful time for Sara.

"Sara." Sara came out of her daze and looked up at Andy. "Are you okay?" he asked sitting down beside her. "Yeah, I'm fine, Andy. It's just been a rough morning, sort of, you know," Sara answered. "Yeah, I know. I just wanted to make sure. I haven't been around you the past couple of days, and I wanted you to know that I'm still here for you," Andy said touching her hand. Sara grinned and put her hand on top of his. "Thank you so much, Andy. You're a great guy," she said quietly, "So…what is goin' on between you and Trish?" Andy shook his head and grinned. "Absolutely nothing. It's more of a hometown friendship than anything else," he said honestly, "Everybody swears up and down there's something more, but it's not." "Did you ever see it from Trish's point of view, though? I mean, you are a pretty great-looking guy, with a personality to match. I don't see why she wouldn't be interested," Sara said. "Uh, I don't know," Andy said quietly, "I mean, Trish is a beautiful woman, there's no doubt about it. But, I don't think she's my type, really." "Right now, you think that. A lot can happen over the course of time," Sara said smiling. "Well, enough about my personal life. What did Mark say about the bruises?" Andy asked. "Oh, he's fine. He didn't overreact like I thought he would. He left me…to deal with it," Sara said, pausing when she thought about Patrick and Stephanie, "Look, um, Andy…I want to go see Steph and Patrick…to apologize. Would you come with me?" "No problem, Sara," Andy said standing. Sara took a deep breath as she stood. "Are you sure about this?" Andy asked as she headed down the stairs. "Definitely," Sara told him, "I have to do this." Andy nodded and followed her down the hall.

Sara quickly made her way down to the general locker room, where everyone who wasn't a 'Corporation' member got dressed. She knocked slowly and took a deep breath. It was Stephanie who answered the door. The look on her face was anything but anger; it was defeat. She had lost at something she'd obviously tried to fight. "Um, Steph…can I speak with you and Patrick?" Sara asked quietly. "What for, Sara? You got what you wanted, didn't you? I'm out of the 'Corporation'…and so is Patrick," Stephanie said quietly, "Did you come here to gloat, huh? Did you come here to rub it in our--.' "Stephanie, please, don't do this…don't do this to me, or yourself," Sara said quietly. Stephanie sighed heavily as she looked down at the floor. "Come on in, Sara," she said moments later. Sara walked in with Andy close behind her. Sara looked around and saw that it was full of other wrestlers' luggage and bags, and then she saw Patrick. He was sitting in a corner of the room, his head down. Sara slowly went over to him and touched his shoulder. He looked up at her and stood. "What do you want?" he asked quietly.

"I came to apologize, Patrick, to both of you," Sara answered looking from Stephanie to Patrick, "You know that I love and respect both of you very much. You taught me so much more than I learned over the five years I'd been in the company. You helped me so much, and I'm so thankful for that. If it wasn't for you two, who knows where--." "Sara, did you come here to beg our forgiveness? Because it's not gonna come very easily," Patrick said. "Oh, drop this shit, Patrick," Stephanie said looking up at him, "Sara is a hell of a woman, and I respect her for coming here. If anything, Sara, it's me who needs to do the learning around here." Sara lowered her head as tears filled her eyes. Stephanie forced Sara to look at her and smiled slightly.

"Jealousy can be a real bitch sometimes, Sara, and it's about time I learned to control it. You're a great woman, and a great athlete, and you know what needs to be done," she said, "Don't feel bad for me. It's about damn time I learned my lesson. I can't make every person bend to my will. A company like this doesn't work like that. Trust me when I say that Patrick and I will be fine." A tear fell from Sara as she embraced Stephanie.

"Oh, honey, don't cry," Patrick said suddenly. Sara looked up at him and said, "Patrick, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you and Steph to get kicked out. That wasn't my intention." Patrick touched her shoulder and nodded. "Oh, I know that, Sara, more than anything. You were only doing what you knew was best for everyone. You gave us a break that we really needed, and you gave the group a break from us. Like Steph said, we've both got a few lessons to learn about teamwork. It's I who need to be apologizing to you. I should've never put my hands on you. You're a great leader, and you've got a hell of a future, in that group and in this company," he said. Sara then hugged Patrick. "I'm gonna miss you guys so much," she said quietly. "We'll miss you guys, too. Don't think we won't drop by the house for an occasional visit," Patrick said softly as he hugged her back, "Now go on and get outta here. I'm sure you've got stuff to do." Sara released him and wiped her eyes. "Thank you, guys, for everything," she said touching their hands, "I'll never forget it." "You're welcome. It's good to know that we've done something positive for someone other than ourselves," Patrick said touching her cheek. "Don't worry, we're not gone for good, Sara. This time, we're gonna earn our places into the 'Corporation', just like every other member has," Stephanie said smiling, "I'll see you around. Now go on and get outta here. Go take care of business." Sara smiled as she wiped her face, heading for the door. "Bye, guys," she said softly as Andy opened the door. She walked out with her head high, proud of what had just taken place. She now felt even better than when Mark had let her decide what to do about the situation to begin with.

When the door shut, she hugged Andy hard. "That went better than I expected it to go," she said smiling, "Way better than I expected." Andy hugged her back and said, "I'm happy for you." "Thanks so much," Sara said letting go, "Come on, let's go tell Mark." Sara then took off running for the 'Corporation' locker room, Andy close behind her. When she got there, she took a moment to calm herself before going in. The only problem was, the room was completely empty. "Ha, well, that just ruined everything," Sara said. "Maybe they're in the ring," Andy suggested. Sara nodded and headed for the ring. As Andy had suggested, indeed, Mark was in the ring practicing for his match with Jericho that night. Kevin was at ringside with Liz watching. "Hey, Kev," Sara said smiling. Kevin looked down at her and asked, "Alright, what'd you do with her?" "Who?" Sara asked. "The completely depressed woman that was here an hour ago," Kevin answered. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "She went away, Kev, she went away. I came down here to tell you guys something, but I can see you're busy. I'll just wait," Sara said as she took a place beside Liz. The match was supposed to be a non-hardcore match, but weapons would be pulled out anyway, resulting in a DQ on Mark's part. Chris Jericho was currently the hardcore champion, and so would retain his title. This would set up for a hardcore match Monday.

Mark finished up soon after Sara had come down the ramp. He had heard her voice, and so wanted to finish as quickly as possible. When he rolled out of the ring, Sara went over to him and said, "I've got some good news to tell you." "What's that?" he asked taking deep breaths. "Well, I went to talk to Steph and Patrick, to apologize, and we all made up," Sara said, "They're not upset with me at all; they actually made me feel good about what I did." "I'm happy for you, babe," Mark said turning to walk up the aisle. Sara followed beside him and said, "I just had to go say something to them, Mark. I know it would've affected how I performed if I had just left it alone." "I didn't say anything," Mark said quietly. "I know…that's my point," Sara said as they walked through the curtains, "Don't you have any more to say?" "Sara, I'm really happy for you. I am," Mark tried to assure her, "It's good that you…eased your mind, so to say." Sara grinned and said, "Thank you." "Look, I'll see ya around, baby. I'm gonna go get cleaned up," Mark said, "If you want, I'll meet you front row behind the announcers' table." "Alright," Sara said heading the opposite way through the curtains. Andy followed her down the ramp. "If you want, Andy, you can go on. I'm fine now," Sara said hopping over the security barrier. "No, that's okay. I want to stick around, watch the practice in the ring," Andy said following suit.

That night, Sara had a big audience around the monitor for her match. Mark, Kevin, Liz, Eric, and Vince had gathered around a small screen a few feet from the entranceway, as well as Stephanie and Patrick. "Good luck out there, Sara," Stephanie told her as her music hit, "You'll do great." Sara grinned slightly before heading out the curtains, boos engulfing her as she did She talked crap to the crowd, getting more boos. When she got in the ring, she grabbed the microphone from the announcer and proceeded to cut an impromptu promo. "Last week, Lita somehow managed to get a fluke win over me," she said grimacing, "And that's exactly what is was, a fluke." The fans booed and started a 'Lita' chant. "Shut up!" Sara screamed. The chant got louder, making Sara even madder. "Alright, Lita, since you think you're so tough. I'm challenging you to a rematch right now. I'm gonna prove to you, and to these idiot fans, that your luck is about to run out!" she screamed. Jackie's music hit, and the fans went wild. She had a microphone in hand. "Listen up, Ms. Chyna! I don't know what your problem was this past Monday, but I'm here to solve it tonight," Jackie said angrily, "On Monday, Chyna, you got involved in somethin' you shouldn't have. So tonight, I'm gonna teach you a hard lesson in respect!" Sara jumped out of the ring as Jackie finished talking. They got into a fist fight right in the middle of the ramp, with the fans cheering wildly for Jackie. Jackie got the upper hand on the fight, and grabbed Sara's hair, hitting her with a few knees to the stomach. Sara fell to the ground and grabbed her midsection, groaning in pain.

Jackie smiled and grabbed another fistful of hair, pulling Sara up. She hit were a few stiff forearms in her chest, which caused Sara to back up towards the ring. Jackie continued to swing with the forearms, steadily knocking Sara back until her back hit the corner of the ring. Jackie then turned her around and threw her in the ring, sliding in after her. The ref pulled Jackie back, telling her to wait until Sara stood so they could start the match. Sara rested on all fours, taking deep breaths. She was glad that Jackie had improvised so well on the ramp. The ref came to check on her, but she pushed him back as she stood, glaring at Jackie. Jackie glared right back as she headed towards the middle of the ring. Sara slapped Jackie hard. Jackie hit a double-leg takedown and climbed on Sara's stomach, hitting her in the face with right hands. Sara reversed it and hit her with right hands of her own. The ref pulled them apart again, forcing them apart until he signaled for the bell to ring.

The bell rung and Sara and Jackie circled the ring glaring at each other before starting the match with a collar-and-elbow tie-up. Sara took the advantage by pushing Jackie back into the corner, then nailing her with a few stiff punches and kicks. She Irish whipped her to the opposite corner, running after her and hitting her with a hard clothesline. Jackie fell to the mat, but Sara picked her right back up, hitting her with a hard vertical suplex. She kept her vertical for almost half a minute, walking around the ring as she did, before dropping her. Jackie grabbed her back and screamed in pain. Sara smiled as she stomped on Jackie's "injured" back. Jackie screamed as Sara did this. Sara began to focus on Jackie's back. She put her in a camel's clutch and kept the pressure taut, even lowering her hands from Jackie's chin to her neck, producing a chokehold. The ref saw this and forced Sara to break the hold.

"Fine," Sara said as she went to pick Jackie up. However, Jackie rolled her up into a small package, only getting a one-count. Sara broke the pin and hopped up. "You bitch!" she hissed picking Jackie up. She went to swing, but Jackie ducked and hit Sara with a crucial belly-to-back suplex. She didn't let go, though. She then hit Sara with a brutal dragon sleeper suplex, which brought 'oohs' from the crowds. Sara grabbed her neck and groaned in pain. Jackie stood up, holding her lower back, beckoning for Sara to stand. When Sara stumbled to her feet, Jackie dropkicked her right back down and went for the pin fall. Sara managed to kick out at two, but Jackie covered her again. Sara kicked out at two again, but Jackie was persistent and went for yet another pin. When Sara kicked out again, Jackie groaned in frustration. She slowly stood up and picked Sara up, grabbed a handful of hair, and threw her across the ring. The fans cheered when Sara rolled out of the ring. Jackie raised her hand and screamed, "Yeah!" Sara slowly stood and Jackie hit her with a baseball slide, causing Sara to hit the security barrier face first. The fans cheered loudly as Jackie stood and looked at Sara, who was sprawled on her back. Jackie stepped through the ropes, staying on the mat, and hit a leg onto Sara's throat. The fans cheered loudly as Jackie stood. Sara grabbed her neck and rolled over, trying to crawl away.

Jackie shook her head, grabbed her tights, and picked her up. She beat her head against the security railing before throwing her into the steps. Sara groaned loudly and grabbed her back as she hit the floor hard. The crowd cheered loudly. The ref finally came out of the ring and pulled Jackie back, warning her. Jackie, getting more into character, pushed the ref aside and went over to Sara. Sara, seeing her coming, hit her in the stomach with a strong right hand. Jackie groaned, but grabbed Sara's hair. Sara pushed her hand away and hit her in the stomach a few more times, then landed a crucial uppercut which sent Jackie flying back. "Take it to the ring, Chyna!" the ref said to her. Sara picked Jackie up and threw her back into the ring. She slid in and stood up, circling Jackie's prone body. She decided to go for a pin fall, but she pulled Jackie's head up at two. "What are you doin', Chyna? Come on," the ref said. Sara grinned evilly as she pulled Jackie up and hit two snap suplexes in a row. Jackie grabbed her lower back and groaned loudly.

The fans began a 'Jackie' chant, trying to get her psyched up. It worked. Jackie got a surge of energy and, when Sara pulled her up, managed to find the energy to hit a belly-to-belly suplex. The fans cheered louder as Jackie signaled for her famous split-legged moonsault. She headed for the ropes slowly, grabbing her back. When she got to the top rope, the fans were in a frenzy. Sara was lying prone in nearly the middle of the ring. Jackie turned around, and hit the move precisely. The fans went crazy over the move, and counted with the referee when Jackie went for the pin fall. When Sara kicked out, the crowd groaned and began to boo. Jackie sat back on her knees and sighed heavily. She picked Sara up and Irish whipped her into the ropes. When she came back, they knocked each other out with a double clothesline. The referee began the count to '10'. Sara groaned as she slowly rolled onto her stomach at 'four'. Jackie was still on her back. Sara slowly crawled over to Jackie and went for the pin fall. The ref fell to the mat and began to count. "One…two--!" Jackie kicked out yet again; the fans burst into cheers. Sara groaned as she slowly stood, picking Amy up and signaling for 'Chyna's Syndrome'.

She picked up Jackie in a move similar to the vertical suplex, then dropped her on her neck in front of her. Jackie groaned as Sara went for the pin fall yet again. However, she kicked out right before the referee hit three. Sara screamed and began to get angry. She picked up Jackie and hit her with a strong DDT, then picked her up and went for an Irish whip, but Jackie reversed it, hitting Sara with a brutal spear when she bounced back. Jackie picked Sara up and put her head between her legs, signaling for her finishing maneuver. She then hit Sara with a powerful jackknife powerbomb. The crowd burst into cheers as Jackie got the pin fall over Sara. As soon as she got the pin fall, Amy ran down the ramp. She slid in the ring and attacked Sara's prone body. Jackie smiled and did the same. They hit Sara with a double suplex, before sliding out of the ring and high-fiving each other. Sara lied in the ring with her eyes closed, as the cheers of the fans surrounded her. _What a great match_, she thought. "Chyna!" the referee said snapping his fingers in her face, "You okay, there?" Sara opened her eyes and nodded slightly. She rolled out of the ring on her own, a look of defeat and anger mixed on her face. She made her way to the back limping, directly to the interview station. "Alright, we'll be back from commercial in three…two…one," the cameraman said.

"Chyna, what an amazing match out--." Sara cut off Coachman, grabbing his microphone and pushing him away, then staring straight into the camera. "Jackie, I see you've got luck on your side, too. You actually beat me…," she said holding her lower back, "And…after that fact, you got your little friend there to help do some more damage. Alright, we'll settle this," she said angrily, "This Monday, I want both your asses in a handicap match. Sure, you're thinkin', "Oh, I already kicked her ass. Against two people, she'll have no chance." We'll see about that. You show up on RAW, and I guarantee you I will show you and Lita more punishment in that one match than you've seen in your entire careers!" She then threw the microphone onto the floor and stormed off camera. Her back was killing her from when she hit the steps. She grabbed an unopened bottle of water from a table nearby and quickly downed half of it in moments. She caught her breath and wiped her sweat-soaked face with the back of her hand. "Great match, baby! The fans absolutely loved it," Mark said as he walked up to her. "Yeah, Sara, the crowd was caught on every move," Vince said, "Good job out there." Sara nodded and put her hand on Mark's. "Help me up," she whispered. Mark put her arm around his neck, and helped her stand. "You okay?" he asked. "Yeah, I think so. Those stairs weren't really that comfortable," she said with a smile. Amy and Jackie walked up with bottles of water in their hand. "Good job out there, Sara," Jackie said taking a swig of her water. "You, too, sweetie," Sara said quietly, "But if you don't mind, I wanna go get my back checked out real quick. I'll see you soon." Amy nodded and patted her arm. "I'm lookin' forward to Monday," she said grinning. "Yeah, me, too," Jackie said. Sara nodded as she and Mark headed down to the trainer's room.

When she got there, Mark helped her get on the table. "I see you lost the fight with the stairs," Bruce said. Sara grinned and said, "Yeah, they kicked my ass. Could you ice it down?" "No problem, Sara," Bruce answered putting a couple packs of ice on the bruise on her lower back, then wrapping a long ace bandage around it. "There you go," Bruce said, "Come back when those packs start to melt. I'll put some more up there if it's still hurtin' you, okay?" Sara nodded and, taking Mark's hand, hopped off the table. "Thanks, pal," she said as she left. She went back to the 'Corporation' locker room to cool off and watch the rest of the show. Before she got there, she was stopped by Stephanie. "How do you feel?" Stephanie asked. "Sore as hell," Sara answered. "Well…I'm proud of you. I could only hope to have a match as good as you did," Stephanie said quietly, "Maybe if I can get my matches up to par with yours, I'll get put back into the group." Sara hugged Stephanie and said, "If you really want to come back, Steph, you'll do what you need to." "Thanks, Sara. I appreciate that," Stephanie said hugging her back. "Well, I'll see ya around, babe, okay?" Sara said letting go, "You take care of yourself." Stephanie nodded and headed down the hall.

Sara went into the locker room and sat on the floor in front of the screen. She began to stretch her muscles as she watched the rest of the show. She was joined shortly by Eric and Shawn. "How do you feel?" Eric asked looking at her back. "Oh, it's nothing," Sara said, "I'll be fine. I just wanted to ice it down so it wouldn't bruise too badly." "Good, good," Shawn said, "You had a great match out there. All the boys in the back were impressed." "Thanks, Shawn," Sara said stretching out on the floor. Mark's match was next. Sara finished stretching as she watched his match. Steve's match was next to last on the show that night. By the time it came around, Sara had visited Janet to have her hair and make-up redone, as well as visiting Bruce to get the icepack and bandages removed.

When Steve's music hit, Sara rotated her neck and followed him out. They were met by half-boos, half-cheers. Steve was becoming somewhat of a babyface to the crowd. He walked to the ring and slid in, Sara going over to the side of the ring. Roddy came out moments later. Sara sneered at him as she paced around her side of the ring. The match went by faster than Sara had expected it to. Steve held the offense for the majority of the match. However, at the end of the match, Roddy reversed Steve's "Stunner", and hit Steve with his own finishing maneuver, the "Bag Pipes". He would go to powerslam his opponent, but wouldn't let the person hit the mat. Instead, he would let the feet hit the mat, then execute a critical reverse DDT. Roddy pinned Steve, standing up and raising his arms in victory. Sara slid in the ring and attacked Roddy from behind, knocking him down to the mat. She kicked him hard in the back several times, giving Steve time to stand up. "Pick that son of a bitch up!" Steve told her. Sara picked Roddy up and threw him to Steve, who stunned Roddy as he had planned to do. For the "Stunner", all Steve did was kick his opponent in the stomach, grab their head and put it on his shoulder, and then sit down forcefully. Their neck would be driven into his shoulder, knocking them out.

Roddy fell to the mat hard. Sara kicked him in his stomach, then grabbed his legs and kicked him in the groin. Roddy grabbed his crotch and rolled over. Steve added his own punishment by lifting Roddy slightly and locking on the cobra clutch. Sara added kicks to his stomach as referees poured into the ring to pull them off. A few moments later, Steve released Roddy, who fell to the mat seemingly passed out. Sara climbed out the ring as Steve rolled out. She patted his back and raised his arm as the fans booed loudly. Steve talked more crap as he walked up the ramp. When he got to the top, he faced the ring and glared at Roddy, who was standing with the help of the referees. He gave him a double middle finger, which had fans cheering slightly, before storming through the curtains. Sara followed him through, heading towards the women locker room to get cleaned up. She took a good shower, massaging her back as best she could. It was still tight from her match. _I'll get Mark to massage it tonight_, she thought. When she got out, she got dressed in her street clothes, packed up her duffel bag, and headed to the 'Corporation' locker room.

"Sara, hold up a minute." Sara saw Roddy running down the hall and stopped. "Hey, sweetie, what's up?" she asked when he got to her. "I was wondering if you wanted to go get a bite to eat after the show," Roddy said. "Um, let me get back with you," she said quietly, "We're driving a lot on this tour, so let me get back with you." "Sure, hon, I'll be in the other locker room," Roddy said touching her shoulder. Sara went into the 'Corporation' locker room and took a seat beside Andy. Her back had tightened up again, and it was paining her. She lowered her head and took a few deep breaths. "You okay?" Andy asked. "Yeah, I'm fine," Sara said. Mark came in a few minutes later and sat down beside her. "Hey, um, Roddy wanted to know if we wanted to grab a bite to eat after the show," she said in his ear. "Do you wanna go? I don't have a problem with it, but I know you're pretty tired," Mark answered softly. "Yeah, but it couldn't hurt. I mean, we don't have to stay out that long," Sara told him. "It's cool with me," Mark said. "Alright," Sara said quietly. After the last match, Eric held a post-show meeting. "Alright, listen up. You guys had a pretty good night tonight. The matches were strong, and you really appealed to the crowds. Mark and Sara, your angles are building up nicely, so keep it up. Now, like I said before the show, I suggest you check into a hotel and get some sleep. Our first appearance tomorrow isn't until eleven, but I do suggest you leave here early to make sure you don't get there late," he said, "We're gonna meet at the Golden Corral in Detroit at 10:00, so don't be late. Alright, go on and head outta here. I'll see you all tomorrow morning." Sara picked up her duffel bag and headed out with Mark towards the general locker room. Roddy was heading down the hall with Dallas and Steve. "Hey, hon. I guess we're goin' to get somethin' to eat," Dallas said hugging her. "Careful of the back," Sara whispered hugging him. "Oh, sorry, sweetie," Dallas said loosening his grip.

"So, where are we headed?" Mark asked. "Well, I was thinkin' Denny's," Roddy said. "Alright, but we can't stay for too long. We've gotta drive to Detroit," Sara said as they headed out the back door. "Hey, where you guys goin'?" Kevin asked Mark and Sara. "Don't worry, Kev. We won't be long. We'll see you tomorrow morning," Sara said throwing her bag in the back of his truck. Mark did the same. "What time?" Kevin asked. "Uh, let's say five o' clock," Mark said. "Alright, then. We'll meet in the lobby," Kevin said climbing into the truck. "Bye," Liz said climbing in beside him. "Bye, guys," Sara said as she followed Roddy to their rental car. She and Mark climbed into the backseat, Roddy sat in the driver's seat, and Dallas sat in the passenger's seat. "We're outta here," Roddy said pulling off.

They got to Denny's about ten minutes later. Sara ordered a small breakfast platter, but everybody else ordered a steak and eggs combination. "So, how have you been? It's been too long," Roddy said. "Oh, everything's great. I've been working hard--." "As usual," Dallas said with a smile. Sara grinned and said, "Yes, as usual. I've been really trying to get into angles where I can help out newcomers, you know." "Do you ever relax? Just hang out?" Roddy asked. "Now, you know me. I don't relax unless I have to," Sara said grinning. Mark chuckled and said, "Ain't that the truth." Sara nudged him in the ribs, smiling when he put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder. "Anyway, let's see…the last time we had a nice, long break…was right before 'King of the Ring'," Sara said, "So it wasn't too long ago." "That was the one you told me about?" Roddy asked. "Yeah. That was a nice break," Sara said sighing. The food came about 15 minutes later. "So," Roddy said, a mouth full of steak, "The angle with Amy is shaping up nicely. And throwin' Jackie into the mix will probably make it even better." "Yeah, we had a damn good match out there. I like workin' with her because she's got about as much energy as I do in the ring," Sara said grinning, "It's gonna culminate at 'Bash at the Beach'." "That's good. I've been watchin' you, and you seem like you're getting better," Dallas said. "Well, I would hope so," Sara said winking at him, "What about you, Dallas? How's life treatin' you?" "Pretty good, I guess. Kim and I are gettin' engaged. We're probably gonna have the wedding in December," Dallas said grinning slightly. "That is awesome, Dallas. I'm really happy for you," she said touching his hand. "Thanks, Sara. After all, you did introduce us, didn't you?" Dallas said. Sara grinned and said, "I knew there was somethin' there as soon as you guys looked at each other. It was really somethin'."

Around quarter to twelve, Mark and Sara finally said they had to leave. "We'll drop you guys off," Roddy said as he dropped his money on the table. "Are you sure, Roddy? We can take a cab," Sara said as she paid for her own food, shaking her head when Mark offered to pay. "Sara, it's fine," Roddy said, "Come on, I know you guys have to get back soon." "Thanks so much," Sara said following him out. Roddy quickly headed to the hotel where Mark and Sara were saying. When they pulled into the parking lot, Mark shook Sara awake; she'd fallen asleep soon after they'd left the restaurant. "Thanks a lot, man. I appreciate it," Mark said quietly, "Come on, Sara." "No problem, Mark. We'll see you guys around," Roddy said as they climbed out. "Bye," Sara whispered before they pulled off. "Come on, baby," Mark said helping her in. "Mark, would you give me a massage when we get to the room? My back is acting up," Sara whispered as they entered the hotel. "Sure, baby, no problem," Mark said. When they got to the room door, Mark opened the door and let Sara in. Sara stumbled to the bed and laid down on her stomach. Mark carefully removed her shirt and asked where it hurt the most. "Probably where the bruises are," Sara said quietly. Indeed, there was a small patch of blue bruises on Sara's lower back. Mark gently placed his hands on the bruises, removing them when she gasped. "No, go ahead. I'll deal with it," she said quietly. Mark took a deep breath and put his hands on her back. He let his hands move deeply over her entire back, loosening her muscles as best he could. When he finally finished, 15 minutes later, he saw that Sara was fast asleep. He grinned and turned off the lamp light, pulled the covers over himself and Sara, then closed his eyes and fell asleep as quickly as possible, Sara's warm body assisting him in that pursuit.


	23. Injured

**Chapter 22…Injured**

Mark awoke to the sound of the alarm. "4:30," he whispered to himself. He sat up and rubbed his face, then looked down at Sara, who was still fast asleep. "Come on, baby, wake up," he said quietly, turning her over onto her back. She mewed softly and put her arms around his neck. Mark grinned and said, "Oh, no, we're gettin' up, right now." He removed her arms and lifted her into a sitting position. Sara gasped at the sudden pain in her back. "Goddammit," she whispered grabbing her lower back. "What's wrong, baby?" Mark asked concerned. "Nothing…it's nothing," Sara whispered moving off the bed, grimacing in the dark. Mark moved to the other side of the bed and put his shoes on. "I'll take your bags for you, okay?" he said quietly.

"Right," Sara said going into the bathroom. She relieved herself and washed her face and hands. The pain in her back increased, bringing a few tears to her eyes. She gripped the counter and tried to breathe deeply. "Sara, you okay, baby?" Mark said from inside the room. "Yeah, Mark," she answered slowly, "I'm alright." She forced herself to stand up straight, and told herself, "Get over it; you'll be fine." She walked out of the bathroom, and saw Mark sitting on the bed. "You ready?" she asked grabbing her duffel bag, wincing slightly. "Yeah, I'll have to come back for some stuff, though," he said grabbing both their suitcases. "No, don't worry about it; I'll get my suitcase," she said taking hers. "Are you sure?" Mark asked. "Yeah, babe. Stop being so courteous," she said, "They put wheels on this thing to make it easier to carry. I've got it." Mark shook his head and grabbed his duffel bag from the floor. "Alright, then, let's go," he said. When they got down to the lobby, Kevin and Liz were just checking out.

"Mornin', you two," Kevin said signing his bill. "Good mornin'…I think," Sara whispered grinning slightly. "You okay?" Kevin asked. "Yeah…I'll be alright," Sara said before looking at Mark, "You wanna check out?" Mark nodded and said, "I'll meet you guys at the car." Sara followed Kevin and Liz out the doors. Sara dropped her duffel bag in the back of the truck, waiting for Mark to come out to lift her suitcase up. "Is your back bothering you?" Liz asked quietly. "A little," Sara said, "I just need to relax it a little bit, get some ice on it or somethin'." "Are you sure?" Liz asked. "Yep," Sara whispered. Mark came out a few minutes later. "Be a doll and get that for me," she said pointing to her suitcase. "Sure thing," Mark said as Sara climbed into the driver's seat. "You sure you can handle this drive?" Kevin asked. "Give me the keys, Kevin," Sara said smiling. "Alright, just don't crash this baby," Kevin said climbing in the back seat. Sara started up the car and leaned out the window. "Come on, Mark, we're waiting on you," she said grinning. Mark lifted Sara's case into the back, saying, "Yeah, well, if you hadn't packed half your stuff in this suitcase, I would've been there already." When the suitcase was secure, Mark closed the trunk and went around to the passenger's side. Sara sped off as soon as he climbed in the car.

The drive to Detroit was excruciating for Sara. Her back was extremely sore and her muscles were tight, despite the massage Mark had given her. When they stopped at a rest station, Sara struggled to get out the driver's seat. Mark ran over to her side and opened the door. When he saw the tears in her eyes, he put his arms around her and helped her out. "You're gonna be okay, baby. Can you walk?" he said quietly. "I think so," Sara whispered. She took a step forward and grabbed at her back. "Guess not," she said forcing a grin. "Do you need to use the bathroom?" Mark asked. "No, I just wanted to stretch my legs out," Sara said standing up straight. Mark put his hands on her waist to hold her steady. "Well, if you two are through messing around, we'd like to get out." Mark looked up at Kevin and grinned. He helped Sara move to the front of the car as Kevin and Liz climbed out. "We'll be right back," Liz said when she jumped out of the truck. Mark nodded as Sara wrapped her arms around his neck; he placed his hands on her back and began to massage the tight muscles.

"I suggest you don't try to show the steps how strong you are next time," he whispered in her ear. Sara heard the smile in his voice and grinned. "Sure thing, babe," she said quietly. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. "Mark?" she whispered. "Yeah, dollface?" Mark answered. "Thank you," Sara said looking at him. "Anything for you, hon, anything," he whispered kissing the tip of her nose. Sara grinned and placed her head back on his chest. She focused on nothing but relaxing her muscles while Mark massaged them. When Kevin and Liz finally emerged from the bathrooms a few minutes later, Sara's back was looser and in less pain. "Nothin' to snack on until we get there?" Kevin asked. "No, it's not that much further," Sara said, "Only about an hour." "You can handle the rest of this drive?" Mark asked. Sara lowered her head and took a deep breath. "I'll drive," he said quietly, taking the keys from her loose grip. He opened the front door for her and helped her in. Sara sighed as she slid over; she couldn't help but feel like a cripple. Mark climbed into the car and shut his door, Kevin and Liz following him. "Alright, guys, just look forward to warm, fluffy eggs, and buttermilk pancakes, and--." "Drive!" everybody yelled at him. Mark chuckled as he pulled off.

"We're here," Mark said when he pulled into the parking lot of Denny's. The rest of the trip hadn't taken that long; it was only nine o' clock. Mark parked and climbed out of the car, helping Sara out. "Do you think anyone is here yet?" Sara asked. "Probably Eric and his group," Kevin said as he and Liz climbed out. "I think you're right. That's probably Shawn's rental car," Mark said pointing to a Cadillac with Pennsylvania license plates. "I guess they're setting the example," Sara said gripping Mark's arm for support. "You gonna be okay?" Mark asked. "Yeah, just gotta sit down," Sara said, "It doesn't hurt so much when I'm sitting." Mark nodded and they headed inside. Just as Kevin had said, Eric, Shawn, and Bret were sitting at a small table eating breakfast. "Good mornin'," Eric said when he saw them. Shawn and Bret turned and also spoke. "I didn't expect anyone to start gettin' here until 9:30," Shawn said. Sara quickly grabbed a seat at the table next to Eric as Mark paid. "I see you're paying for attacking the steps, huh?" Shawn asked with a grin. "You could say that," Sara said forcing a smile. "Will you be okay by eleven?" Eric asked. "Don't worry about me, Eric, I'll be fine," she answered as Mark came to sit beside her. "What'd you order?" she asked him. "Breakfast buffet," Mark answered. Sara shook her head and grinned.

"Alright, so what's this morning?" Kevin asked. "Well, we're gonna make a special appearance at the Joe Louis Arena, for the Detroit Red Wings. They're having a game today, so we're basically going to support them, to endorse them, or whatever you want to call it," Eric said, "That's at eleven. Then, we've got an appearance at one at a children's hospital. I'm kinda lookin' forward to that." "You mentioned an appearance this evening?" Sara said quietly. "Oh, we're gonna go help kick off the opening of a new, high-profile comedy club," Eric said rubbing his eyes. Sara nodded, then asked, "What time?" "Around ten," Eric said, "We're not gonna stay for longer than an hour, though, because we have to be in Grand Rapids tomorrow morning by ten." "It's a pretty easy day, then," Liz said. "Yeah, I can catch up on some sleep," Sara said standing, "I'll be back." She grabbed one of the plates off of the table and went to load up. She filled her plate with light, fluffy eggs (as Mark had said on the way there), as well as a couple of pancakes. She went light on the syrup, though. Grabbing a glass of orange juice, she headed back to the table. When she sat down, she saw that John, Ron, Trish, and Andy had joined them. "When did you guys get here?" she asked taking her seat. "Actually, a few seconds before you walked over," Trish said, "Mornin'." "Mornin', sweetie. You guys didn't have too rough a trip, did you?" Sara answered. "No, not at all," Trish answered. "Good, good," Sara said before digging into her food.

The rest of the group began to file into the restaurant within the next half an hour. Eric stood up as everyone was eating. "Alright, guys, listen up. We've got to go to the Joe Louis Arena at eleven, for a Red Wings game. Then, at two, we've got an appearance at a local children's hospital," he said, "And, tonight at ten, we're gonna help open this high-profile comedy club. You have the choice of how late you want to say. Just know that we have to be in Grand Rapids by ten a.m. tomorrow." Everyone nodded and then went back to their own conversations. Eric sat down and looked at Sara. She was now only digging around in her food. He touched her shoulder and squeezed gently. "Are you okay?" he asked. Sara looked at him and sighed. "I'm trying to make these spasms go away," she said quietly. "You don't need a doctor, do you?" Eric asked her, his voice filled with concern. Sara shook her head hastily, saying, "No, no, it's not that bad. It's just a bit overwhelming right now." "Alright, but if it gets any worse, you let somebody know," Eric told her. Sara nodded and slowly began to eat the remainder of her food. Finally, around quarter to eleven, Eric informed everyone to head to the arena. It was only five minutes away from the restaurant, which was why he'd waited.

Mark helped Sara to stand, waiting for everyone to leave before he headed out. He didn't want her to be bombarded when they tried to leave. When they got to the car, Liz and Kevin were already inside. "I thought you'd gotten lost," Kevin said winking at Sara. She forced a smile, then grimaced when she slid into the car. "As soon as we get home, you'd better get your back looked at. I don't think you should be in that much pain," Kevin said. Sara nodded and put her head in her hands, to hide the tears. Kevin was right; she shouldn't be in that much pain. She could barely move now, and the occasional bump in the road didn't help her. "We'll just get this road trip over, and then I'll look into it," she whispered.

The road trip passed by slower and slower each day. Sara had to wrestle three or four of the seven days each week, so the pain in her back progressed until she was crying herself to sleep. She couldn't even stand to have Mark make love to her. To make it worse, she put her all into each match that she had with Amy and Jackie, not wanting their push to suffer because of what had started out as a small ache. When 'Bash at the Beach' rolled around, Sara was barely able to walk. She had to change her workout schedule to accommodate for the pain, which really didn't set too well for her. "Sara, I don't really want you involved in tonight's match," Vince told her when she got to the arena the day of the pay-per-view. "Vince, don't do this. Don't take this away from me," she begged him, "I've worked my ass off to make this angle successful. I can't just quit on it now." "Sara, you're gonna kill yourself out there," Vince said softly, "I know you love what you do…but you've got to think about your health. You can barely walk now." Sara looked up at Mark, who had a steady arm around her waist to help her stand. He merely hunched his shoulder. Sara sighed heavily and looked at the floor. "Just this last night, Vince. I've got to go out there, and do what I can to get those ladies over. I owe it to them," she said quietly. Vince grinned slightly and touched her shoulder. "Just don't overdo it, okay?" he asked. Sara smiled and nodded. "Alright, I'll see ya around," Vince said as she and Mark walked away.

"Sara…Vince is right. You're gonna permanently injure yourself out there," Mark said quietly as they headed to the 'Corporation' locker room. "Mark, don't start," Sara whispered. Mark had been on her case for the past week, especially after she'd taken a couple of powerbombs from Jackie, and had to be carried to the back. "Sara, listen to me for once. I don't think I can take hearing you cry yourself to sleep one more night," Mark said quietly, "You've got to ease up in your matches." Sara pulled away from Mark and glared at him. "Do I complain when you come back bleeding buckets? Do I complain when you come back barely able to move? Do I complain when you get carried to the back on a stretcher?" she snapped. Mark lowered his head and shook it gently. "Then don't tell me to ease up," she said before limping the rest of the way to the locker room, keeping a hand on the wall for support. When she got to the locker room, she set her bag down and grabbed her workout outfit, then headed to the women's locker room, ignoring Mark's stares. When she got there, she plopped down in one of the chairs and groaned softly. The pain was almost blinding in its intensity. She was having trouble focusing on anything else. However, that would not stop her from going out and doing her best. She changed into her shorts and t-shirts as fast as possible, then made her way to the ring. Amy and Jackie were stretching out for practice. Sara rolled into the ring and spoke. "Are you feeling any better?" Amy asked. "Nope," Sara said grinning, "But this comes along with what we do, right?" Amy forced a grin as she watched Sara stretch. "Sara…is it worth it?" she asked suddenly.

Sara looked up at Amy and took a deep breath. "Is what worth it?" she asked slowly. "Is this angle really worth that much to you?" Amy asked. Sara took a deep breath and looked at Jackie. "Are you wondering the same thing?" she asked. Jackie nodded as she stood to stretch her legs. "You've put yourself through a lot o' shit just for us, Sara. I've seen you when you walk down the aisle for practice; you can barely get in here. Yet, you get in this ring night in and night out, and put your body through hell…just for us. What's up with that?" she said. Sara closed her eyes and leaned back against the ropes, wincing slightly. "I guess I'm punishing myself for being so damn close-minded over the years. I have never, ever wrestled against a female before I started with you two. I didn't believe it would be quality entertainment for the fans," she answered, "But…I've found that the females offer more than the males do at times. This is one of those times. And…I'm trying to teach myself to put over everybody, not just the males. Because the females are as important as the males are, if not more." "Sara, you've helped us out more over the past month than I think any of our angles have. It's helped show the fans that the WWF Divas aren't just divas; we can kick ass as much as the males, and look good doing it," Amy said touching Sara's hand, "I don't think you know just how thankful we are. You don't have to sacrifice your body any more than you already have. We've built the angle up to be more between Jackie and I, so you don't have to be as involved tonight." Sara wiped a tear from her eye and shook her head, saying, "Amy…don't try to take this match away from me. I've got to finish this angle the way I started it." Amy sighed heavily and stood. "Alright, Sara, it'll be an equal offense between the three of us, and an equal defense. Nobody gets any more than anybody else," she said. "Thank you," Sara said quietly. With that said, the women began to practice for their match that night. With a time limit of 15 minutes, they had a lot of leeway to do what they wanted. Their practice session only lasted for an hour. Sara didn't take as many bumps as she would've liked, because Amy and Jackie refused to let her.

"This better not happen tonight," Sara said as they headed up the ramp, "I'll see you guys around." She headed straight for the trainer's room. The little bit of practice she'd done had torn her to pieces. When she removed her shirt and climbed on top of the table, Bruce took one look at her and shook his head. "You're gonna kill yourself," he whispered putting ice all over her back. "Is that the phrase of the day or something?" Sara asked grinning. "With what you've been doing, it should be the phrase of the month," Bruce said. Sara chuckled softly and shook her head. Everyone in the company cared so much about her, and it made her feel good about what she was doing to herself. A half an hour later, Bruce removed the icepacks and began to gently massage her muscles. They were so tight, Bruce had stretch his hands several times to prevent them from knotting up. "Alright…there," Bruce said an hour later. Sara sighed as Bruce placed icepacks over her back, tying them down with ace bandages. Sara put her shirt back on with the help of Bruce, then stood. "Thanks a lot, pal. I guess I'll see you after my match," she said winking at him, leaving. Bruce nodded and laughed to himself.

Sara headed to the ring to watch the other wrestlers practice. When she got there, D. J. was practicing with Adam Copeland for their match that night. Adam's character had been antagonizing D.J.'s character for the past couple weeks. On Smackdown, D. J. had challenged Adam to a match at the pay-per-view, putting Adam's European title on the line. Adam was going to win, cementing his accomplishments as a singles' wrestler. He had been in a tag team for almost four years, having a total of seven tag team championship reigns, and now he was trying to prove he could make it as a singles' wrestler. Sara grabbed a seat beside Steve Lombardi, a long-time WWF employee and road agent, and watched the practice match. "I see you're icing up your back again," Steve said when she sat down. Sara grinned at him and said, "Don't. I've heard enough of everybody's concerns for the day." Steve hunched a shoulder and went back to analyzing the match in the ring, as Sara did the same.

That night, Sara was pretty prepared for her match. She had alternated between icepacks and massages from Bruce the entire day, so when it came time for her match, her back wasn't bothering her bit. Then again, it could've been the anticipation of having a high-quality Triple Threat match with the Women's Championship on the line that made her pain seem to disappear. When Sara's music hit, all her problems flew out the window. She only focused on her match. She went out in front of almost 30,000 fans, followed soon by Amy and Jackie. All three women gave a stellar performance, using almost every move in their personal arsenal. The match timed in at 11:30. Jackie had won the Women's title with a submission from Sara. The fans cheered loudly when Sara struggled to get to her feet, then grabbed Jackie's hand and raised it in the air. Sara had never been more proud of any match she'd ever had in her career. She had shown the fans, and more importantly herself, that she was capable of working with anyone, and making the entire scheme a huge success. Amy came over to her and shook her hand, getting an even louder response from the crowd. "Thank you," Amy mouthed through the cheers. Sara nodded as she mouthed the same words. All three women climbed out of the ring, Sara holding her back, and made their way up the ramp.

When Sara got through the curtains to the back, she groaned suddenly and fell to the floor; her head hit the concrete hard. "Sara!" Amy said as she dashed to her side. Sara's head was spinning, her back was on fire, and she couldn't focus on anything. Amy screamed for help as she dropped down beside Sara. Sara was lying on her stomach twitching; her eyes were closed and her breathing was harsh. A couple of EMT's came running up with a gurney as Amy slowly helped Sara to her feet. "What happened?" the male asked. "I don't know. I mean, she was fine coming up the ramp. As soon as we got through the curtains, she collapsed," Amy said. Sara looked at Amy and asked, "What the hell is wrong?" Amy looked at her dumbfounded. "Sara…you just collapsed," Amy said quietly. Sara rubbed her throbbing head and took a deep breath. Vince came running up moments later. "What happened here?" he asked looking at Sara's sweaty face. "She collapsed about two seconds after we walked through the curtains," Amy said. Sara shook her head slowly and said, "I don't know what she's talking about. Just get me to a damn chair, for crying out loud." Vince put Sara's arm around his neck and helped her to the closest chair.

"Somebody get her a bottle of water," he said when Sara was seated. "Sara, I want you to sit right here for the rest of the show. Don't move from this spot, do you hear me?" he said quietly. Sara nodded as she wiped her face with a towel. "Fine, whatever you say," she whispered. Vince sighed heavily as he headed back to the control booth. "Make sure she doesn't move," he told a security guard. Sara watched him leave before turning her attention to Amy. "What the hell happened? Why's everyone freaking?" she asked. Amy pulled a chair in front of Sara and sat down. "You honestly don't remember falling?" she asked. Sara shook her head as she took a long swig of the cold water, then splashed the rest on her face. "Do you remember the match?" Amy asked quietly. Sara looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Of course I remember the match," she said, "I remember…being powerbombed…and thrown out of the ring on more than one occasion…and even meeting up with those stairs a few more times. Yep, I remember the match clearly." "Yeah, the fans dug the match," Amy said grinning. "I hope so," Sara whispered as tears filled her eyes. She lowered her head and whispered again, "I really hope so." Jackie walked up to Sara a few minutes later and kneeled down beside her. "Are you okay, honey?" she asked rubbing Sara's sweaty forehead. "I…I think so," Sara whispered. There was a big bruise on the side of Sara's head from where it had hit the floor, not to mention the countless other bruises all over the rest of her body.

"Here you go, Sara," Bruce said when he finally came over to her. A bag of ice was in his hand. "What's that for?" Sara asked. "That big ass knot on the side o' your head," Bruce answered. He placed it on the bruise, sighing when he saw tears spill onto Sara's cheeks, and wrapped an ace bandage around it. "Like I told you earlier…you're gonna kill yourself out there," he whispered wiping the tears from her eyes. Sara nodded and said, "I guess I'll listen to you next time." Bruce grinned and patted her shoulder. "Just cool off and stretch it out. Don't want your muscles to get any tighter than they probably already are," he said before going back to the designated trainers' room. Amy and Jackie were still with Sara when the show ended. They weren't leaving until she was okay. An EMT had taken her blood pressure and heart rate several times. They determined that when she'd fell, and her head had hit the concrete, she'd suffered a slight concussion. "The first of my career," she said quietly, "That I know of." That was meant to get a chuckle out of everyone, but they only stared at her in concern.

"Sara, I want you to rest up this week. Don't come to RAW tomorrow; if you do, you're not going to wrestle. I'm giving you the rest of the week off, okay?" Vince told her as technicians started to break down the different sets after the last of the fans had exited the building. Amy and Jackie had long gone for the night, but Sara was left sitting there. Mark, Kevin, and Liz had joined her a half an hour after her fall, and hadn't left her side. Sara nodded and sighed heavily. "God, you would think I was permanently handicapped," she said to herself. "You almost were. What is it going to take for you to realize when it's time to ease up?" Mark said sternly, his hands gripping her shoulders. Sara bit her bottom lip and forced back tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Mark sighed harshly and threw his arms around her. "I'm so sorry, dollface," he whispered in her ear, "That was the last thing you needed to hear." "Go on, get outta here, guys. I'll see you in San Jose," Vince said touching Sara's shoulder, "And remember Sara, you're not wrestling for a week." Sara looked up at him and nodded. Mark helped her stand, putting her arm around his neck. When they got to Kevin's truck, Mark picked Sara up and set her in the front seat. She lowered her head, removing the icepack and ace bandage, as Kevin and Liz climbed into the back. "You okay, hon?" Liz asked touching her shoulder. Sara nodded slightly and sighed heavily. Mark quickly climbed into the driver's seat and pulled off.

The trip to the hotel was quiet. No one wanted to mention what had happened to Sara, so they just didn't talk, because what had happened at the arena was the only thing on their minds. Mark pulled into the hotel parking lot only ten minutes later. He had wanted to get there as soon as possible. Kevin and Liz slowly climbed out as Mark pulled Sara into his arms. "You're gonna be okay, baby. Okay?" Mark whispered touching Sara's cheek. Sara nodded slightly and yawned. "No, come on. You gotta stay awake…just for a little while, dollface," he said gently shaking her. "Mark…relax," she whispered yawning again. Mark climbed out of the truck and carried her all the way to the room. He wasn't going to even let her get down so he could open the door. "Mark…you're being ridiculous. It's not that bad," Sara whispered moving against him. Mark opened the door and walked in, kicking it shut with his foot. He carefully laid Sara on the bed, then sat down facing her. Sara gasped when she saw tears fill his eyes. She put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him gently. "Sara…I was so scared," he whispered against her lips. "Mark, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I don't remember what happened," she said quietly. "I know, I know…that's what scares me the most," he whispered touching her shoulders. Sara saw only one way to make Mark realize she was going to be fine. She unbuckled the bra to her set and removed it, as well as the black shorts. She lied back and watched his eyes wander over her, craving entering in bursts.

"Mark…touch me…however you want. I want you to see that I'm not hurting as much as you think I am," she whispered pulling his hand to her waist. Mark took a deep breath and leaned down to kiss her gently. Sara moved her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer. Mark stretched out beside her and slowly moved his hands over her muscled form. "Oh, baby," he whispered kissing her nose, her eyes, her forehead, and everywhere else on her beautiful, flawless face. He moved down to her neck and used his tongue and mouth to cover it with sensual kisses. Sara moaned softly and wrapped her fingers in his thickened hair. Mark traced a trail with his tongue up Sara's neck, until he was kissing her mouth again. His hands continued to caress every part of the front of her body, moving from her rippled shoulders and forearms, down to her bountiful breasts, and even lower to her womanhood, gently stroking and caressing until Sara's sounds of pleasure filled his ears, making him smile. He moved his lips down to her left breast and took it into his mouth. Sara moaned loudly and moved her hands down to Mark's shoulders, gently massaging them. Mark groaned as he flicked his tongue across her nipple, taking it between his teeth and gently pulling on it. He then planted a kiss around the round edges of her breast, circling it until his mouth was once again suckling on her nipple. Sara giggled softly when he moved to her other breast and did the exact same thing.

"God, I love you," Mark whispered moving his mouth down to lick and nip at her sculpted stomach. Sara smiled and relaxed her head against the pillow. She wasn't focusing on the pain in her body, only the pleasure Mark was causing her. She closed her eyes and moaned softly when Mark's tongue flicked over her navel. Mark chuckled softly as he massaged her thighs gently, his mouth slowly inching southward on her belly. Sara let out a soft yelp when she felt Mark's mouth on her privates. Mark laughed deeply as he moved his tongue back and forth over Sara's entrance. He spread her lips apart and stuck his tongue inside her, moving in and out as he would with his own manhood. "Oh, god!" Sara whispered repeatedly, "Oh, god!" Sara's sweet taste poured into Mark's mouth like water, and he savored each drop. Unknown pleasure filled Sara's body like never before; Mark was taking her on a newfound exploration of what he could do to make her feel good, and she enjoyed every moment of it. Her body was like a lake that Mark had dropped a pebble into; the ripples were going through her body without any sign of stopping. Suddenly, an explosion went off inside Sara's body, and waves of pleasure crashed through her body. She moaned loudly and squeezed Mark's head with her thighs, jerking against his mouth. She quivered as he spread her thighs and continued to manipulate her insides with his tongue. "Mark…oh, Mark," she whispered through clenched teeth, "Keep goin', baby, keep goin'." Mark groaned and did exactly that. Flicking his tongue against her womanhood, and sucking on it, and nipping on it, Mark kept going until Sara reached her peak of pleasure three more times. When he finally pulled up, Sara had a smile on her face that couldn't have been removed for anything.

Sara stretched her arms and laughed aloud. A peacefulness had taken over her body that she couldn't describe. Mark sat up and removed his shirt and jeans. Sara scooted up to him and placed her hands on his muscular chest, moving them around over his freckled skin. She leaned her head back and laughed. "What's so funny?" Mark asked touching her hands and moving them to his waist. "It's funny to see a grown man with freckles," she answered pulling him down on top of her. Mark kissed her deeply, spreading her thick hair over the covers. Sara moaned softly and wrapped her hands around his neck, moving them over his broad upper back muscles. "You're gorgeous," he whispered kissing her earlobes, "You're so gorgeous." Sara grinned and ran her tongue over his smooth cheek. He'd just shaven that morning, and she loved to rub any part of her body over the smoothness of his skin. She moved from his cheek to his neck and began to suck on it. Mark groaned as he slowly pulled his boxers down and eased inside her. Sara grinned as Mark rubbed his hands across her arms, down her sides, and pulling her right leg around his waist. "Come on, baby," she whispered brushing her lips across his. Mark grinned and began to move inside her, his thrusts long and deep. Sara moaned as Mark gently kneaded her right breast, taking the nipple into his mouth. "Yes, baby, yes," she whispered to herself, "Keep goin'." Warmth spread through Sara's body slowly with each stroke that Mark made, both inside and outside her body. The spark of pleasure inside her soul was now a raging fire throughout her whole body, and she was happy that Mark had started it. Mark trembled as his strokes got shorter and harder. He was on the verge of letting go, but he was determined to let Sara have the most pleasure out of this experience. He was excited that Sara had finally allowed him to touch her, so he wanted to make her not forget it. Sara moans reached a fever pitch as she flew over the cliff of passion; Mark's groans filled the room as he finally was able to climax. He and Sara gripped and clung to each other. They didn't want to let go of the moment.

"Mark?" Mark looked up and into Sara's big brown eyes. "You're squishing me," she said kissing his nose. Mark grinned and rolled off of her onto his back. "See?" Sara said climbing onto his stomach. "What?" Mark asked rubbing her thighs. "I told you I wasn't as bad as you thought I was. In fact," Sara said stretching her arms, drawing Mark's eyes to her breasts and a chuckle from her, "I don't feel anything like I did at the arena…you did that. Not a doctor, not a masseuse…you did. Thank you, baby." Mark grinned and ran his fingers up and down her sides. "You're better?" he asked. "Definitely. I could even wrestle tomorrow night," she said smiling enthusiastically. "Oh, don't even think about it," Mark said pulling her off of his stomach, "When Vince said you're off, he means you're off." Sara groaned and crossed her arms. "You're gonna agree with him, Mark?" she said, "I could've convinced him tomorrow easily." "Sara, whether you realize it or not," he whispered grabbing her hand, "You scared the shit out of a lot of people tonight. Amy and Jackie, Bruce, Vince…me." He kissed the back of her hand and put it against his cheek. "God, you scared me. I can't tell you how helpless I felt," he said looking up at her. Sara swallowed and caressed Mark's cheek. "Mark, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she whispered lying down beside him. Mark put his arms around her and squeezed tightly. Sara put her arm around his waist and closed her eyes. "I love you, Mark," she whispered yawning. "I love you, too, dollface," Mark whispered as he too lost himself to sleep.


	24. Reckless Abandonment

**Chapter 23…Reckless Abandonment**

Mark awoke the next morning to a ringing phone. He reached over Sara's sleeping, curled body and grabbed the receiver. "Hello?" he said quietly. Sara sighed heavily and turned to face him, putting her hand on his chest. "Hey, buddy. How's it goin'? How's Sara?" Kevin said. "Oh, she's better. A lot better, man," Mark answered rubbing his fingers through her hair. "Good, good. She gave us all a big scare last night," Kevin said quietly. "Yeah, I told her that God knows how many times," Mark commented. "Well, uh, it's almost seven. When are we gonna head out today?" Kevin said. "Oh, shit. Sara and I'll be ready in a half an hour. We'll meet you in the lobby at 7:30, okay?" Mark said moving away from Sara and sitting up. "Alright, bro, see ya there," Kevin said. Mark hung up and picked up Sara's sleeping body. "Come on, dollface, wake up," he said going into the bathroom. He cut on the shower and stepped inside with Sara still in his arms. When the water hit her skin, she sputtered awake and seemingly panicked. "Sara, baby, relax," Mark said trying to keep her still. Sara's arms locked around his neck, and didn't let go, until she realized where she was. "What is with you and waking me up with water?" she asked breathing fast. "I'm sorry, dollface, I won't do it again," Mark whispered wiping her face. She looked up at him, and saw the fear in his face. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, "That really wasn't called for. I don't even know where that came from." Mark nodded, then let her down and began to soap up her body.

"What time is it?" she asked holding her arm out. "It's almost seven. I told Kevin we'd be in the lobby in a half an hour," Mark whispered continuing to lather her body. His hands moved smoothly over Sara's body, gently kneading and caressing different pleasure points, moving on when Sara began to moan softly. "I hate it when you do that," she whispered smiling. "Why?" Mark asked. "Makes me feel like agreeing to anything," Sara answered winking at him. "Anything?" Mark asked with a raised eyebrow. Sara chuckled as Mark finished washing her, then rinsed off. "Alright, hurry up," she said as she stepped out. Mark smiled as he washed his own body. When he finally went back into the room, Sara was getting dressed in a pair of jeans. She was moving like nothing in the past 24 hours had happened. There weren't even any bruises from her match, and Mark had watched her take some brutal bumps during that match. "Weird," he whispered. "What?" Sara asked turning to face him. "Oh, um, you don't have any bruises. And you're acting like nothing happened last night," Mark answered as he dried off. Sara took a deep breath and rubbed her hands on her sides. "Well, the pain was there last night, I can tell you that," she said walking up to him and touching his wet forearms, "But thanks to you…it's all gone. It honestly is. I don't know why, or even how, but it is." Mark kissed her forehead and said, "That's great, baby. It really is." Sara went back over to the dresser and ran her fingers through her hair. "Yeah, it is," she whispered sighing, "Kind of a miracle, really." Mark grinned as he began to get dressed. "Hurry up," Mark said after he'd finished. Sara was brushing her hair to untangle it. She dropped the brush in her duffel bag and said, "There, I'm done." They left the room in all smiles. When they got to the lobby, Kevin and Liz were waiting for them.

"How do you feel, sweetie?" Kevin asked. "Well…I feel great," Sara said smiling. Mark touched her back before going to check them out. "Really?" Kevin asked. "Yeah…it's kind of a miracle. I was expecting to not be able to move this morning…but there was nothing," she said with a grin. "You really scared us last night, Sara," Liz said hugging her gently. "Oh, don't worry about me. I'm fine now," Sara said hugging her back. "Good, good," Liz said touching her arm and pulling her towards the door, "So, why is it that nothing's wrong with you?" Sara blushed slightly and grinned. "Well, last night…Mark was so scared - he almost started crying - I had to show him that I wasn't in as much pain as he thought…so I let him make love to me. It was great…for both of us. And, afterwards, there was no pain, absolutely nothing. I slept like a baby," she said smiling. Liz winked at her and said, "I figured it was something like that. I'm happy for you. I can't tell you enough how worried Kevin and I were." "I know, I know," Sara said touching her arm, "But you can rest assured that I am the complete opposite of what I was last night." "Great. You better enjoy this break while you can," Liz added as Mark and Kevin walked up, "It'll go by quickly." "You ladies ready?" Kevin asked. "Yep," they both answered heading out the door.

"Alright, here's the plan," Kevin said on the way to the airport, "We're gonna leave the car here for the entire week, and come back to get it on Sunday, driving for the next trip. Then, next Sunday, we'll drive from Missouri to Venice, to get ready for the next trip." "Wow, you got it all planned out, don't ya?" Sara asked from the back seat, a smile on her face. "Of course, baby girl," Kevin said winking at her in the rearview mirror. "So you're not feeling any pain, Sara?" Liz asked turning around in the front seat to face her. "Nope," Sara said looking at Mark, "None at all." "I can't tell you what a relief this is for us," Liz said touching her knee. Sara looked back at Liz and said, "I appreciate your concern, Liz. And you, too, Kevin." "Oh, it's nothing," Kevin said as he pulled into the airport parking lot, "You know I care for you like a sister." Sara grinned and touched her heart. "And you're the brother I never had," she said chuckling. Kevin quickly parked the car and they all climbed out. "We'll buy the tickets; you ladies can wait for us," Mark said pulling out his suitcase and duffel bag. "Cool with us," Sara said pulling her own belongings from the cab of the truck. Mark and Kevin headed to the purchase counter, while Liz and Sara went to the restroom. "You look happy," Liz said when Sara came out of her bathroom stall. "I can only thank Mark. I don't know what I'd feel like if Mark hadn't have…," she paused with a slight grin on her face, "You know." Liz chuckled and nodded. "He really cares about you," she said washing her hands. "Yeah, he does, doesn't he?" Sara said as she ran her hands over her eyes. When she and Liz walked out, Kevin and Mark were waiting for them. "Why do women always go to the bathroom in packs?" Mark asked Kevin. Sara grinned and playfully punched his arm. "Come on, you two," she said picking up her duffel bag.

The flight took off at nine o' clock precisely. All four people were in coach, but spread out in the seating area. When they finally arrived in San Jose, Sara was on her last nerve. The woman beside her had a child who had cried for almost the entire plane trip. Sara's patience had run thin after the first hour. When she exited the plane, she let out a long sigh and shook her head. "One more minute, and I would've snapped," she said to herself. Mark, Liz, and Kevin exited the plane minutes later. "Doesn't look like you had a nice trip," Kevin said. "Did you hear that baby? God, it wouldn't shut up," Sara said running her fingers through her hair. "Well, it's almost noon. I was thinkin' of goin' to grab a bite to eat, then heading to the arena," Kevin said. "That's cool with me, but do you think we should rent a car, or just take a cab?" Sara said. "Well, we should probably rent a couple of cars. I mean, we've got all this luggage and shit," Kevin answered. "Alright, then, that's taken care of. Where are we gonna eat?" Mark said. "Just somewhere quick. We can eat on the way," Kevin said. "Okay, let's go," Mark said.

Everyone arrived at the arena about 45 minutes later. They'd stopped at a Chick-Fil-A before heading towards their final destination. Sara grabbed her duffel bag out of the trunk of the Dodge Intrepid she and Mark had rented, purely out of habit. "What are you doin'?" Mark asked looking down at her, then at her duffel bag. "Can I work out?" Sara asked. "Do you need the whole bag?" he asked crossing his arms. "Oh, Mark, please," she said winking at him, "I won't step one foot in the ring, okay?" Mark sighed and grabbed his own duffel bag. "Fine," he whispered putting his arm around her shoulder as they walked in. As soon as they'd gotten through the door, Sara was met by an entourage of people, all asking the same question: "Are you alright?" Sara smiled, even chuckling. "Everybody, I'm fine. Please, go back to work. What would Vince say if he all saw you here like this?" she said grinning. "I'd tell them 'good job'," Vince said walking up to her. Sara took a deep breath and looked up at him. "But she's right. Go back to work, people. We've got a show to set up for," he said looking at the crowd of people. "Come on, walk and talk," he said turning his attention back to Sara, "First off, I thought I told you not to show up." "Vince, you can't really expect me to not come to the arena. It's too much a part of me," Sara said walking beside him. Mark had headed for the locker room to let Eric know they were there. "Yeah, I should've known better. Alright, then, what's with the duffel bag? I told you, you've got the week off," Vince commented. "Well, I just wanna work out," Sara answered. "After the beating you took last night, you're actually gonna step back in the ring?" Vince asked with a raised eyebrow. "No, I promised Mark I wouldn't step foot in the ring this whole week. I'm just gonna work out in the gym," Sara told him. "Really? Not a foot in the ring the whole week?" Vince asked, "You wanna bet on that?" Sara chuckled and said, "No, that's okay. If I made a promise to Mark, I'm gonna stick with it." "Fine. If you say so," Vince said grinning at her. "Are Amy and Jackie here yet?" Sara asked. "Yeah, they're in the ring practicing. That's my third question, though," Vince answered, "I see no sign of pain, no sign of bruises, no indication that you were in one of the most physical matches of your career…What happened?" "Oh, um, well…a miracle," Sara said looking down at the floor. "What kind of a miracle?" Vince asked. "A miracle named 'Mark'," Sara said looking back up at Vince. Vince grinned and said, "That's one hell of a miracle, then." "Yeah, he is," Sara said smiling. "It's good to see that you're okay, Sara, it really is. You scared the hell out of me last night," Vince said as they got to the entrance to the ring. "I know, Vince. I'll try to avoid that next time," Sara said, "I'll see ya around." Vince nodded and headed through the curtains.

Sara took a deep breath as a sudden urge to go through the curtains herself arose. She took a step towards the curtains, but Mark's voice stopped her. "Ah, ah, ah, don't even think about it," he said. Sara sighed heavily and faced him. "I was only going to go say hi to Amy and Jackie," she said. "Right," Mark said grinning. "Was Eric in the locker room?" she asked. "No, but John and Trish were," he answered as they headed through the curtains. "How were they doin'?" she asked. "Fine. Concerned about you," Mark said winking at her. Sara shook her head and said, "I think I should wrestle tonight…just to show everybody I'm fine." "I told you. When Vince said you're off, he meant you're off," Mark answered. When they got to ringside, Amy had just suplexed Jackie. Amy saw Sara and said, "Time out," before going over to the ropes. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked leaning down. Sara smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," she answered. "Are you sure?" Amy asked. "God, do you want me to prove it?" Sara asked with a smile. "No, I believe you. It's just…I worried about you all night," Amy said quietly. "She's not the only one," Jackie said coming over to where they were, "You really scared us last night, Sara." "I think that's the phrase of the day this time," Sara said to her, "Ladies, believe me, if I could wrestle tonight, I would. That's how good I'm feeling." "You would wrestle even if you were still injured. Hell, you did wrestle when you were injured," Amy said, "I'm sure we can still find a way to get you on TV." "Thanks, Amy, I appreciate that," Sara said, "It's gonna be hard not to be able to wrestle, though." "I'm sure this break will do you some good," Jackie said. "I guess so," Sara said leaning on the mat, "I didn't want it. Vince kinda forced it on me." "Look, Sara, I've got an idea. Jackie and I have a rematch tonight, where I'm gonna challenge her for the title. How 'bout, near the end of the match, you come out on the stage and watch," Amy said wiping her forehead, "And when it ends, you nod in approval, or something where you give props about last night's match." Sara grinned and said, "Thanks a lot, Amy. I'll think about it." "No problem, hon," Amy said as she stood, "You ready, Jackie?" Jackie nodded and stood as well. They then went back to practicing for their match.

"You wanna go work out?" Mark asked a few minutes later. He had noticed that Sara had a sad look in her eyes, yet it wasn't showing on her face. "Yeah, let's get outta here," she said quietly, picking her duffel bag from off the floor. "You okay, dollface?" Mark asked touching her arm. "Yeah, I'll be fine," Sara said forcing a grin, "Come on, let's go." Sara sighed to herself as she walked up the ramp, trying not to look back at Amy and Jackie. She wanted to be back in the ring more than ever, and it saddened her that she couldn't do it because of the previous night. "I'll meet ya there, okay?" Sara said when they got in the back, "I've got to go change." "Alright, hon," Mark said. Sara quickly went to the women's locker room and changed in her cotton shorts and muscle t-shirt. She put her hair up into a ponytail and ran a hand over her face. This break will do you some good, Sara, she thought, You've got to give your body some rest. But then, Sara reminded herself that Amy and Jackie had gone through the same match, yet they still had to wrestle. Sara wanted to start her next storyline as soon as possible, and this break wasn't gonna help her with that. She left the locker room and immediately went to search out Vince. She found him with the production technicians setting up the control booth. "Vince, can I speak with you?" she asked. "Hold on," Vince said quickly. He was in the middle of setting up television monitors. "Vince, I want to wrestle tonight," Sara said quietly. Vince stopped what he was doing and looked down at Sara. "Finish up here for me, guys," he said walking away, Sara knowingly following.

"What did I tell you?" Vince asked when they had gotten far enough away from the technicians. "I know, but I was thinking. Amy and Jackie still have to wrestle, and they were in the same match, so why should I be the only one with the break?" Sara argued. "Yeah, but Amy and Jackie didn't collapse, and Amy and Jackie didn't suffer from a concussion," Vince said quietly. "Vince, injuries happen. It's something that can't be avoided. But I don't want to be treated any differently from anybody else. There have been a ton of other guys who have wrestled through worse," Sara said. "Yeah, but that's the point. Men can handle more than women--." "Oh, don't turn this into a sexist conversation, Vince. I just came to ask if I could wrestle. I told you I was feeling better, and that I was up for wrestling," Sara snapped, "It has nothing to do with my sex." Vince took a deep breath and said, "Sara, that's not what I meant. I'm just concerned for your well-being." Sara looked at the floor and sighed heavily. "Vince, I know that you care, and I appreciate it. But, please, don't be overprotective," she said looking back up at him. Vince grinned and touched her shoulder. "Fine. I'll talk to creative and see what we can do," he said. Sara smiled and said, "Thanks. See ya around," before running to the gym. When she arrived, Mark was taping up his hands. "What's up, hon?" he asked, noticing the smile on her face. "I may get to wrestle tonight," Sara answered. "Excuse you?" Mark asked with a raised eyebrow, "Didn't Vince give you the week off?" "Yeah, but I didn't think it was fair that Amy and Jackie had to wrestle, and I didn't. Besides, I'm feeling a lot better, Mark," Sara said sitting down to stretch. Mark kneeled down in front of her. "Sara, you had a concussion last night. Did it enter your mind that you're more at risk now?" he said quietly. "Risks are taken every night," she said simply. Mark sighed heavily and lowered his head. Sara looked away from him and started to stretch. Mark shook his head and stood, continuing to tape his hands. If Sara wanted to wrestle, he was going to let her wrestle; he wasn't going to act happy about it, though.

The workout that Sara and Mark had was filled with tension and silence. Neither talked to the other, even during sparring. When it was over, Sara sat down in the boxing ring and began to stretch out her muscles. "You're not even gonna rethink this, Sara?" Mark asked finally. "No, Mark, I'm not," she answered quietly. "And there's nothing I could say to convince you not to do it?" he added. Sara shook her head gently. Mark sighed heavily and touched her thigh, then said, "Even if I said I had a bad feeling about this?" "Do you?" she asked quietly. "Yes, I do, Sara. Honest to God, I do," he whispered. Sara swallowed and took a deep breath. "Mark, there's no guarantee I'm going to wrestle. Vince said he would check with creative and see what he could do. There may not even be time on the show for me to wrestle," she said touching his hand, "And even if I do, I'll be extra careful, okay?" Mark nodded and sat down in front of her. "Fine, just…please, be careful," he said beginning to stretch out his own muscles. Both finished about ten minutes later, just as Vince walked in. "Afternoon, Mark," Vince said, "How'd I know I'd find you two here?" Mark grinned and hunched his shoulders. "So, what's up?" Sara asked rolling out of the ring. "Well, you are going to be wrestling tonight, but it's only gonna be a short, five or so minute match," Vince said. Sara grinned broadly and hugged him. "Thank you so much, Vince," she said jubilantly, "I really appreciate this." "Just don't have as hard a match as you have been having," he said hugging her back. Mark sighed to himself and looked away. He knew this was going to happen. Usually, he would've been happy for Sara, but he had a bad feeling about her match tonight.

Sara released Vince and grabbed his hands. "Who am I wrestling?" she asked. "Well, you're gonna do a promo first, about last night's match and your match tonight. You're the second match on the card, so I suggest you do it before you go out," Vince said smiling at her. "Gosh, thank you so much, Vince," Sara said releasing his hands. "No problem, honey. Just go easy out there," Vince said, "See ya there." Sara looked at Mark and the smile disappeared from her face. "Mark, I told you I would be careful," she whispered. "I know, dollface…I'm still gonna worry about you," Mark said looking down and starting to un-tape his hands. "You always do," Sara said touching his cheek, drawing Mark's eyes to her own, "Just don't worry too much. I'll see ya around, okay, baby?" Mark nodded and looked back down at his hands. Sara sighed heavily and went to say something, then just turned and walked away. If she let Mark's worries get inside her head, she'd risk making a crucial mistake in the ring.

Sara quickly headed to the ring, to find Brock in the ring stretching. "Good afternoon," she said rolling into the ring, "What are you doin' here?" "Well, we've got a match tonight," Brock said with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, so I'm fighting you?" Sara said, "I just found out I was wrestling tonight. I was supposed to have the week off." "And why didn't you take that week?" Brock asked. "Well, Amy and Jackie were in the same match as me, and they still have to wrestle. I didn't think it was fair," Sara said beginning to stretch her worked muscles. The workout between she and Mark had invigorated her. "Talk about work ethic," Brock said grinning. "No, I just wanted to wrestle," Sara said honestly, "I mean, sure, last night was a bad night. I didn't get injured per se, but it was still a bad night. But I'm better, so I wanna work." Brock smiled and said, "That sounds like you." "Thanks for your support, Brock," Sara added winking at him, "Now can we get to work?" Brock chuckled and nodded. "I was thinkin' you could be in the ring, talking about your match from last night. And then, I could interrupt you halfway, ragging you on how you lost to Jackie," he suggested. "Well, I've got an interview after the first match, then the show is gonna go to commercial, and then I have the match," Sara said. "Oh, well, that works, too," Brock said. Sara stretched out for the next few minutes as she and Brock bounced ideas off of each other, before getting down to actually practicing moves. They finished up a half an hour later. "I'll see you around, Brock, okay?" Sara said rolling out of the ring. "Yeah, Sara," Brock said stretching his arms. Sara headed up the ramp with her hands on her hips and her head lowered. She'd gotten somewhat of a headache while practicing. When she got to the back, she grabbed a bottle of water and downed half of it in seconds. "You okay, Sara?" Janet asked when she walked past. "Yeah, I'm fine," Sara said smiling at her. She didn't want to give anyone a reason to take her out of that night's show.

Eric met Sara on his way out of the 'Corporation' locker room. "I hear you asked to wrestle tonight," he said with a raised eyebrow. "Eric, I'm fine. A whole lot better than last night, and I'm up for wrestling," Sara said calmly. Eric forced Sara to look at him, holding her gaze. "Fine," he whispered finally, "Just be careful out there. If it were up to me, I'd take you to a doctor." Sara grinned and said, "It's good to know that you care that much." Eric returned the grin and said, "What kind of boss would I be if I didn't? See ya around, hon." Sara nodded and went into the 'Corporation' locker room, where almost the entire group was sitting around a television monitor watching the pay-per-view. She took a seat beside Andy and wiped her sweaty forehead. "Hey, Sara. You feelin' okay?" Andy said touching her hand. "Yeah, Andy, I'm fine," Sara answered. "Good. You really scared us last night," he said quietly. "I know, but trust me when I say I'm fine," she whispered. Andy nodded and turned his attention back to the television monitor. When the pay-per-view tape ended, Sara went to the women's locker room to get changed for that night. She took a shower, shaving spare hairs, and washing her hair. When she stepped out, her headache was gone.

"A good shower solves everything," she whispered to herself. Quickly dressing, she headed down to the snack table, meeting up with Mark again. "How ya feelin'?" he asked touching her shoulder. "Fine, Mark," she whispered giving him a grin. Mark forced a grin before grabbing a plateful of food from the catering table. He had spoken to Brock earlier, who had told him that Sara had gotten tired after only a half an hour of training, when she could usually go two times that long without getting tired. Mark didn't want Sara to know that he was truly concerned about her, because it would only make her defy him more. They sat down together and ate in partial silence. "Training went well, I assume," Mark mentioned near the end of their meal. "Yeah, it did," Sara answered back, "The match isn't going to be that long, so Brock and I didn't have to practice as long." "Oh, okay," Mark said quietly. Sara looked up at Mark's face, and seeing the concern in his features, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You okay?" Mark asked looking back up at her. "Yeah, I'm okay," she answered as she finished up her food, "Look, I'll see you later, okay?" Mark nodded, continuing to look down at his plate. A deep despair filled Sara's insides, and she forced tears from her eyes, before she stood and left Mark sitting there, half-running to the balcony. When she got there, she calmed herself down and began to focus on her match. By doing that, she could forget about Mark's concerns…and her own.

Sara entered Vince's office an hour before RAW was scheduled to go on the air. He was in the middle of going over a last-minute itinerary of RAW with the television producer. "Vince?" she whispered quietly. Vince looked up at her and immediately stood, coming over to her. "What's wrong, Sara?" he asked touching her shoulders. "Um…I've…got a bad feeling about tonight," she whispered, swallowing hard and trying to slow her breathing. Vince sighed heavily and dropped his hands. "Kevin, give me a few moments, please," he said looking over his shoulder. Kevin nodded and left the room quickly. "Sit down, Sara," Vince said sitting down on his desk. Sara sat down in front of him and looked down at her hands, which were involuntarily squeezing each other. "What brought this on?" he asked. "Mark…and the fact that I could only practice earlier for a half an hour," she whispered. "Listen, Sara…here's a solution. You wrestle for me tonight, and I'll give you the rest of the week off…no questions asked, whether you're hurt or not," Vince suggested. Sara took a few deep breaths before nodding. "Okay," she whispered. Vince hopped off of his desk and kneeled down in front of Sara, touching her knee softly. "Relax, okay? Find a corner, and just calm yourself," he said quietly. Sara nodded and sighed heavily. Vince hugged her and said, "Be careful out there, hon. You're startin' to worry me again." Sara forced a grin and hugged him back. "Thanks, Vince," she said quietly before releasing him and standing, "I'll see you in a little while." Vince nodded as he straightened himself up.

Sara quickly left and did exactly as Vince had suggested. She found a small corner behind some of the production trunks which held pounds of cords for different electrical outlets, and began a session of meditation. She focused on her interview, and then on the match itself. When she finished, it was a half an hour later. Calmness had now settled within her, and worry had left her mind. She knew that Brock would protect her in the ring, and that helped ease her mind. Before Sara knew it, she had arrived at Janet's make-up station. She settled into the seat and looked up at Janet. "What's it gonna be?" Janet asked with a smile. "Be creative," Sara answered returning the smile. She then faced forward and closed her eyes as Janet began to work her wonders.

"There…finished," Janet finally said after she'd applied the finishing touches of Sara's make-up. Sara opened her eyes and took a look in the mirror. Her hair was twisted up into a makeshift French braid, with elegant curls spilling from the top. Her bangs were curled gently as well. Her make-up was a mix of soft red and a silver-bluish to match her set that night. "Great job, Janet. Thanks a lot," she said. "No problem, hon," Janet said touching her shoulder, "Just go out there and entertain." Sara winked at her and stood. She could tell that the show was minutes away from starting because there was an anticipation from the crowd that made the air thick and heavy. "Fire in the hole!" yelled one of the pyrotechnic assistants. Sara put her hands over her ears as the 15-second fireworks display went off. Knowing that the first match was moments away, Sara headed to the interview area and practiced during the match. Brock came over near the end, and they decided on how he would interrupt her.

"Alright, you're on in ten seconds," the cameraman said suddenly. Brock stepped aside so Sara could take her place beside Mark Lloyd. "Three…two…one," the camera man prompted before a red light on top of the camera, signaling that the show was back on, lit up. "Chyna, last night, you were involved in one of the most brutal - if not the most brutal - match you've been in since you arrived in the World Wrestling Federation. And, yet, you - someone who has only fought against males your entire career - had this match against the top females in the company. What do you have to say about that match, Chyna? And how do you feel knowing that you lost?" Mark asked. Sara sighed and grinned slightly. "You're right, Mark. I have prided myself on knowing that I'd never faced a female, at least up until a couple months ago. At "King of the Ring", Lita and I had one hell of a match; it's probably one of the greatest matches I've ever had. But last night, at "Bash at the Beach", I got to go up against the best females not just in this company, but in this business. We went out there and we blew the roof off the building," Sara said smiling. The live crowd cheered loudly to show their approval and appreciation of that statement. "And, I don't know any better way to say this," Sara said looking into the camera, "Lita…Jackie…thank you. It was an honor, and a true highlight of my career, to have been able to wrestle with you last night." The crowd cheered even louder, then burst into boos when Brock stepped into the camera's view. Sara crossed her arms and glared up at him. Brock shook his head and smirked. "You know, Chyna, I used to have a lot of respect for you. First woman in the Royal Rumble--." The crowd interrupted Brock with cheers for that accomplishment. "First woman to compete in the King of the Ring tournament--." Again, the crowd cheered for Chyna's breakthrough achievement. "Hell, you were the first-ever, and only, woman to win the Intercontinental Championship. That's one step below the Heavyweight title," Brock said. "Yeah, what's your point, young buck?" Sara snapped. Brock sneered down at her and continued. "And yet, last night, you failed to take a title that is almost as worthless as the women who compete for it," he said crossing his arms, "If you can't compete with those wannabe athletes, what makes you think you can still hang with the big boys?" "Brock, you haven't even been here a year. You have no clue of what hanging with the 'big boys' is all about. But I guarantee you, I haven't lost one bit of the edge I used to have," Sara snapped pushing him. "Oh, yeah, prove it," Brock said pushing her back slightly. "Fine. You want proof, I'll give it to you," Sara hissed before snatching the microphone away from Mark and attacking Brock with it. They fought until referees and security pulled them apart, and the cameraman signaled that the show had gone to commercial.

"Good job, guys," the cameraman said, "We'll be back from commercial in two minutes, so you might wanna head to the entranceway." Sara ran her fingers through her bangs and did just that, Brock right behind her. "You ready for this?" Brock asked when he saw Sara with her head down, as he had seen her after they'd practiced earlier that day. "Yeah, I'm fine," Sara said rubbing her hands on her arms, "Just do me a favor out there, Brock." "Anything," Brock said. "Be careful," Sara said looking up at him, "Take it easy with me." "Sure thing," Brock answered. Sara sighed heavily and looked away, trying to get back into character in the one minute that they had before her and Brock's match.

Brock's music hit first, bringing Sara from her daze. "See ya out there," he said touching her arm. Sara forced a grin and nodded at him. Brock walked through the curtains, and when he got to the stage was met by a shower of boos. Sara watched him as he antagonized the crowd by sneering at them, sliding in the ring as though he didn't care about any of them, and then flexing his muscles as though the boos were cheers. Sara shook her head as her music hit. Just be very careful, she thought to herself before heading out through the curtains.

The adrenaline rush and hype of the crowd engulfed Sara as soon as she stepped onto the stage. Ever since she'd joined the 'Corporation', she'd been a heel; and now, the fans were cheering her like an unsung heroine. She smiled and held up her arms, welcoming the new change with a sense of rejuvenation. The smile on her face was as real as any move she'd ever done in the ring. She slowly headed down the ramp, looking over the crowd as long as possible. When she climbed in the ring, though, Brock attempted to jump her. The referee stopped him as Sara grinned, heading towards the nearest corner. She climbed up to the middle rope and held her hands high again. As the fans cheered, she looked around and saw signs adorned with her name, making her smile even broader. She climbed down from the rope, heading towards the next turnbuckle, but Brock stopped her. "I should be your concern," he said pointing to himself, then to the fans and shaking his head, "Not these jerks." Sara grabbed Brock's head and hit him with several forearms, knocking him back to the corner she'd planned to go to. She followed up with harsh kicks to his ribs. To make it worse, she distracted the ref by spinning him around and kicking Brock in the groin. The fans cheered at that underhanded, yet comical tactic. "What are you doin', Chyna?" the ref asked as she headed to the opposite corner. "What are you talkin' about?" Sara asked with a grin. When she got to the corner, she faced Brock, who was leaning against the turnbuckle in apparent pain. Taking a deep breath, Sara took a step forward before launching into a handspring backflip into an elbow, which landed right in Brock's chest. The fans cheered loudly as Brock crashed into the mat face-first. Sara chuckled as she picked him up and executed two snap suplexes. Standing, Sara commented, "Now who's lost their edge?" She kicked Brock's ribs as hard as she could before picking him up and double-arm-DDT-ing him.

Brock fell onto his back as Sara went to the top rope. However, when Sara launched herself off for a Senton bomb, Brock moved, and she hit nothing but the mat. Screaming, Sara grabbed her back and turned onto her side. That one bump had brought back all the pain she'd felt the night before. "Chyna, you okay?" the ref asked kneeling down at her head. Sara nodded as Brock pushed the ref back and pulled her up. Pulling her right arm over his neck, and grabbing a hand full of her black tights, he lifted her up for a vertical suplex. Brock kept her suspended for at least 30 seconds, walking around the ring, before falling back. Sara again screamed in pain and grabbed her lower back. Brock grabbed a handful of hair and pulled her over to the corner, bashing her head into the turnbuckle a few times before turning her around and ramming his shoulder into her gut repeatedly. The crowd began a 'Chyna' chant, in an effort to revive their newest favorite wrestler. And, when Brock stepped away, Sara grabbed his head and pulled him into the corner, climbing up to the middle rope. As she began to lay into him with right hands, the crowd chanted along. "One…two…three…four…five, six, seven…eight…nine…ten!" they screamed in conjunction with Sara's swings. Sara climbed off of Brock and hit him once more with a back elbow. Once again, Sara pulled him out of the corner, this time hitting a swinging neckbreaker. Standing, Sara walked a circle around Brock's prone body, as if deciding which move to perform next. "Some bastards are always trying to ice-skate uphill," she said signaling for her finishing maneuver. When she picked Brock up, though, he pushed her hands away and quickly executed the F-5. Sara landed awkwardly, half-way on her side and back. Her head bounced on the mat, and she blacked out. Since Brock was scheduled to win, he immediately went for the pin fall and won, amidst waves of boos. The referee, seeing that Sara wasn't moving, immediately went down to her side. "Chyna? Chyna, wake up," he said snapping his fingers in front of her eyes. When there was no movement, he called for paramedics, who came running down the ramp. "Come on, Chyna, wake up," he said again, gently shaking her. Still, Sara didn't wake.

In the back, Mark had gone into the bathroom after Brock had gotten the pin, so he didn't know. When he came out, everybody was staring at the screen. Eric and Andy were now gone. "What happened?" he asked turning his attention to the screen. All he saw was Sara lying prone in the ring, surrounded by paramedics. "What happened?" he asked quietly. "It was a freak accident," Liz answered, "They think she blacked out." Mark took a deep breath as he calmly left the room, heading directly for the entranceway. When he got there, Sara was being wheeled through the curtains. Her eyes were now open, and she was talking to Eric. Mark quietly followed behind the crowd, but when they loaded Sara up into the ambulance, he pushed through the group and told the paramedics, "I'm going with her." "Mark, you've got a match later tonight. I can't let you go right now," Eric said. "Mark?" Mark turned and faced Sara, grabbing her hand. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, okay?" Sara said squeezing his hand gently, "I'm sure it's nothing." Mark nodded gently and said, "As soon as the show's over, I'll be at the hospital." "I'll be back before the show's over," Sara said winking at him. Mark grinned and touched her forehead. Even in the face of danger, she kept her sense of humor. "We'll see, dollface," he said quietly. Sara nodded as the paramedics loaded her into the ambulance, forcing her to release Mark's hand. "Come on, buddy. She'll be fine," Eric said looking up at Mark as Andy climbed in behind the paramedic, "You know how tough she is." "I told her not to wrestle tonight. I told her," Mark whispered, "If only she'd listened…" "Look, for right now, you need to focus on your match. Go relax for a while," Eric said, "I'll come get you when it's time." Mark nodded and headed towards the skybox.

For Mark, the night couldn't have gone any slower. He did his best in his match against Chris Benoit, but his mind was still on Sara. After his match, he was met by Vince. "Look, Mark, I realize that you've got a lot on your mind. Why don't you get on outta here?" Vince said quietly, "I'll let Eric know I told you to leave." "Thanks, Vince," Mark responded, "Thanks a lot." He then headed directly for the 'Corporation'. "Hey, Mark, wait up, man," Kevin said from behind him. "What's up, Kevin?" Mark asked, still half-running to the locker room. "Are you okay? I mean, I know you're worried about Sara," Kevin said quietly. "I'm about to go see her now," Mark answered coming up to the locker room door. "Really? Let her know we'll stop by to see her, okay?" Kevin said following Mark into the room. "Alright, buddy," Mark said grabbing his bag from the floor and heading right back out. He quickly ran to the parking lot and climbed into his rental car, speeding off as soon as he started it. Mark was lucky to have not gotten a speeding ticket, because he was pushed 50 miles per hour the whole way. Pulling into the lobby at 10:30 p.m., Mark jumped out of the car and ran into the hospital lobby. "Sara Roberts, please," he requested of the receptionist at the main desk. The woman looked through her records, then answered, "Room 506, sir." Mark thanked her and, instead of waiting on the elevator, took the stairs two at a time until he reached the fifth floor. Finally getting there, Mark took a minute to slow his breathing. If Sara was awake, he didn't want her to know that he'd rushed to get there. When he entered the room, Andy was sitting in a chair on the right side of the bed, away from the doorway, and talking to Sara.

Andy looked up at Mark and said, "Hey, pal." Mark returned the greeting and slowly entered the room. Sara looked up at him and smiled. "Hey, sweetie. How'd you get here so early?" she said reaching for his hand, "I wasn't expecting you for at least another hour." Mark grabbed her hand and took a deep breath. Her eyes were bright, and she was inherently happy. His eyes ran over her form to make sure there wasn't any real damage before returning to Sara's face. "Vince let me go early," he answered, "And Kevin says he and Liz are gonna try and stop by later." "That's good. I want them to know I'm okay, too," Sara said, "How'd your match go?" "It went fine, just fine," Mark answered sitting down on the bed beside her. Sara scooted over so that he could be comfortable, pushing his hands away when he went to help her. "Mark, please, I'm fine," she said smiling at him, "Can't you tell?" "That's what you said this morning. Now look where you are," Mark said quietly. Sara closed her eyes and turned her head away. "Don't, Mark…please," she whispered. Mark wasn't going to feel guilty for saying what he'd just said; Sara needed to hear the truth about her recklessness. "Sara, you need to hear this. You had the week off, and you deserved it. But you made the decision to get involved in the show performing…and you ended up in the hospital," Mark continued, "Next time, listen to those who care about your well-being. Take heed to their advice, because next time, you may not get so lucky." Sara gasped and stared at Mark. She couldn't think of a word to say to him, because she knew he was right. "And I'm not going to apologize or feel guilty for what I said…because it's got to sink into your head that I don't want to lose you, not to anything, especially a freak accident in the ring," Mark said touching her cheek. Sara nodded gently and swallowed. "I know," she whispered bringing his hand to her lips, "I'll listen to you next time, you and Vince and everybody else." Mark threw his arms around Sara and kissed her forehead gently. "I love you, dollface," he whispered in her ear. "I know, baby," Sara whispered.

"What'd the doctor say happened?" Mark asked changing the topic. "Oh, um, I got another concussion. It didn't help that it happened two days in a row," Sara answered, "He suggested a couple weeks off. But, Vince only gave me the rest of the week." "Well, you just rest your ass off this week, then," Andy said smiling at her. Sara looked down at him and said, "Thank you for that advice, Andy." "Sure thing, babe," Andy answered continuing to grin, "Got any plans for the week?" "I'll probably go back to Fresno and get Kevin's truck, and drive back to Venice. A road trip will be good for me." "Yeah, it probably will," Andy said. "Maybe I'll even go see my mom," Sara said with a grin, "It'll be good to see her again. I rarely do." Mark rubbed her shoulder and kissed the side of her head. "She'll love to see you," he whispered in her ear. Sara put her hand in his and said, "It'd be better if you could come with me." Mark nodded, but said, "Maybe another time."

Kevin and Liz walked in a half an hour later. "Are you alright, hon?" Liz asked grabbing Sara's hand, "How do you feel?" "Tired, worn out," Sara said quietly, "Exhausted, I guess, would be the right word." Mark squeezed her gently, and kissed the back of her head. He'd lied down beside her minutes before Kevin and Liz had entered the room. "I'm definitely ready for this break," Sara added resting her head against his shoulder. "Well, you deserve it," Kevin said quietly. "What happened in the ring?" Liz said, "Did you black out?" "Oh, um, when Brock gave me the 'F-5', I landed weird. I knew when I was coming down, it was not gonna feel right. I tried to straighten out, but we came down too fast," Sara answered, "My head hit the mat, and I did black out, for like 30 seconds. It was Eric that woke me up." "Good, good," Kevin said, "What'd the doctor say?" "Another concussion," she whispered, "Should take two weeks off, but Vince only gave me the rest of this week." "Well, take it easy this week, hon," Liz said squeezing her hand. "I will, guys, I will. I was thinkin' about…" Sara said quietly, "Maybe goin' to see my mom." She really was getting tired; she could barely keep her eyes open. Kevin and Liz noticed this. "We'll see you guys tomorrow morning, okay?" Kevin said placing Liz's hand in his, "We're gonna let you get your sleep, sweetie." "I'll see you guys on Sunday, then," Sara said yawning. "Alright, Sara. Sleep well," Kevin added before heading out. "I'm gonna head back, too, guys," Andy said standing, "Sara, call my cell if you need me." Sara nodded and cuddled up against Mark. She knew he wasn't going to leave her until she'd fallen asleep.

"Mark?" Mark looked down at Sara's closed eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm here, dollface," he whispered. "What time is it?" Sara asked opening her eyes. Mark checked his watch and answered, "It's almost two." "I don't wanna stay here, Mark," Sara whispered, "I can't stay here alone." Mark sighed heavily and caressed her cheek gently. "I know, baby," he said gently, kissing her forehead, "I know." Tears filled Sara's eyes as they connected with Mark's. "Please, don't make me stay here alone," she whispered. "I won't," Mark said, "I would never do that to you. We'll go check out now, okay?" Sara nodded slightly as a tear fell from her eye. Mark quickly climbed off of the bed, heading towards the receptionist desk. "I need to check out someone," he said when he got there. "I'm sorry, sir, but the patient has to check out on their own," the nurse said. "Well, then, can I get a wheelchair or somethin' so she can get down here?" Mark asked. "I'll bring it down to her. What room is it?" the nurse responded. "506," Mark said curtly. "Alright, I'll be right there," the nurse smiled. Mark nodded as he returned to Sara's room. She was sitting up changing back into her wrestling outfit. "What are you doing?" Mark asked rushing over to her when she tried to get off the bed. "I'm gettin' out of here," she whispered grabbing his arm for support. "The nurse is bringing a wheelchair. For God's sake, Sara, sit down," Mark said quietly, "You're gonna be able to leave in a few minutes." Sara slowly sat back down on the bed and lowered her head. "I just don't like hospitals," she said quietly. "You're gonna be fine, Sara," Mark said touching her shoulders, gently squeezing, "You've got a week to relax, hon. Don't spend it worrying." Sara nodded as the nurse walked in with a wheelchair. Mark helped her move towards it, but she pushed his hand away to sit down on her own.

"Alright, Ms. Roberts, I just need you to sign some paperwork down at the desk, and then you're free to go. Okay?" the nurse relayed. "Yeah, okay," Sara said as she and Mark followed the nurse out. Sara filled the paperwork out quickly, sighing in relief as Mark wheeled her out to the car. The trip back to the hotel was silent; Sara had fallen into a deep sleep after Mark had shut her door. Mark, though, kept one hand on the wheel and one hand interlocked with Sara's. When he pulled into the hotel parking lot, it was almost half past two. Sara startled awake when he shut his door. Running her left hand over her face, she opened the door with her other and stepped out. Mark rushed over to her, though, and said, "You're not walking anywhere." She grinned at him as he picked her up and cradled her. "Thank you, baby," she whispered. Mark returned the grin as he kissed her forehead. "Anything, dollface," he answered heading inside.


	25. Recovering

**Chapter 24…Recovering**

The next morning, Mark was awakened by pounding on the door. He looked over at the clock, and almost fell out the bed. It was close to eight a.m. "Shit!" he growled. He ran over to the door and opened it. Kevin was standing there with Liz. "I know, I know," Mark said quietly, "We'll be out in five minutes." "We?" Kevin asked. "I'll tell ya about it as soon as we get outta here!" Mark said quietly. Kevin nodded and said, "We'll be in the parking lot." Mark shut the door and rushed over to Sara, who was curled up like a baby. "Sara, hon, come on!" he said gently shaking her awake, "We've got to get outta here!" Sara's eyes flew open as she sat up. "What's wrong?" she asked as her pulse began to race. "We're late! We can't miss our plane, hon," Mark answered going over to her suitcase and pulling out a shirt and pair of pants, "Here, put those on. I'll go check us out." Sara nodded as Mark left the room. She quickly got dressed, then pulled their suitcases into the hallway. She knew that, despite how much pain she was in, they couldn't miss their flight that morning. Mark came running down the hall a few minutes later. "Oh, you didn't have to do that, Sara. I could've gotten them," Mark said looking at his bags. "We've got to get out o' here, right?" Sara asked quietly. Mark grinned and picked up his duffel bag and suitcase. They practically ran into the parking lot. Sara didn't lose a step as she put her belongings in the trunk – Mark put his inside the car – and climbed into the front seat. They sped out of the parking lot right behind Kevin and Liz.

Arriving at the airport, Mark and Kevin hurriedly returned the cars as the ladies headed towards the shuttle bus. Both men ran up just as the shuttle bus pulled up. "We made it!" Kevin said breathlessly. "Yeah, we did," Sara said throwing her duffel bag over her shoulder. "Which reminds me, what the hell are you doing here anyway?" Kevin asked as he put his suitcase underneath the bus. "I couldn't stay in that hospital, Kevin…I just couldn't," Sara answered climbing onto the bus. Kevin nodded as he followed her.

Luckily, everyone arrived at their gate just as it was being called for passengers to board. When Sara plopped down into her seat, she sighed heavily. "Are you okay, hon?" Mark asked as he sat down beside her. "I'll be okay," she whispered closing her eyes, "I just need to get back to sleep." Mark nodded as her hand clasped his. The plane took off a few minutes after Sara had fallen asleep. Mark managed to fall asleep as well. The seats were smaller than the "Corporation" jet, so he was a little cramped. It took him a while to get comfortable, but once Sara turned around, resting half her body on his, Mark was able to relax and fall into a deep sleep.

"Mark? Wake up, buddy; we're about to land." Kevin's words penetrated Mark's sleep-wrought mind with difficulty. It'd taken Kevin about ten minutes to get Mark's eyes to open. Mark shifted slightly in his seat as Sara woke up. "Where are we?" she asked, a look of confusion on her face. "We're about to land in Anaheim," Mark answered rubbing her face, "Remember? You said you didn't want to stay in San Jose." Sara looked around and, seeing Kevin and Liz, nodded her head. "You're not gonna leave me at a hotel, are you?" she whispered. "No, dollface. I'm gonna keep you with me," he answered. The captain's announcement came over the P.A. system, announcing that the plane would be landing momentarily, and so everyone needed to get into their seats and buckle their seat belts. Mark helped Sara move into her seat, buckling her seat belt for her. "We're gonna stop and get somethin' to eat before we go to the arena, okay?" he said quietly. "That's fine," Sara answered as she ran her fingers through her hair. What she needed at that moment wasn't food, but a good shower to wake her up. To her, the plane seemed to take forever to land. When it did, she followed Mark off, her hand wrapped around his forearm for support. Her head had been hurting since she'd gotten to the airport in San Jose, and now it was making her lightheaded. "Stay here. I'll go get the car," Mark said when they got to the lobby. "Alright," she answered quietly, slowly sitting down in the nearest seat. "Stay with her, please, Liz," Mark whispered to Liz. "Sure, Mark," Liz answered. "Keep her talking," he said quietly. Liz nodded and sat down beside Sara.

"Sara, how ya feelin', hon?" Liz asked as Mark and Kevin walked away. "Oh, I'm fine, Liz. I just want to get a shower," Sara answered yawning. "Now that you're not gonna be driving cross-country, how are you gonna spend your break?" Liz asked. "Um, I guess just spend it at the arena. I don't know what I'm gonna do yet," Sara whispered. "You sure you want to go to the arena? I mean, San Jose's a pretty cool town. Maybe you should do some sight-seeing," Liz suggested. "I don't have the strength to sight-see, Liz," Sara told her, forcing a grin, "What time is it?" "Almost ten," Liz replied after checking her watch. "Oh, okay…it seems so much later than that," Sara whispered. "I know," Liz added with a smile. She smoothed Sara's hair back, saying, "You don't look so good, Sara." Sara swallowed and said, "I don't feel good, Liz." "Come on," Liz said helping Sara up. "Where are we going?" Sara asked groaning slightly. "To the bathroom," Liz answered. She slowly walked Sara to the bathroom, releasing her when Sara ran into a stall and began to vomit. All Liz did was hold her hair up. When Sara finished, she wiped her mouth with toilet paper and flushed the toilet. "Are you okay, Sara?" Liz asked helping her to stand. And yet, when she was upright, Sara only collapsed and began to vomit again. Liz sighed heavily as she once again held Sara's hair away from her face. A couple minutes later, Sara once again wiped her mouth and flushed the toilet. "Done?" Liz asked. Sara nodded and slowly stood, gripping the sides of the toilet for support. "Have you missed your monthly?" Liz asked quietly. Sara shook her head. "I'm not pregnant," she answered quietly, "I think it's…post-concussion syndrome…after-effects of those two straight concussions." "Oh, okay," Liz said, "You ready?" "Just let me wash my face off," Sara said making her way over to the sink. She splashed hot water on her face, and rinsed her mouth out. Liz then helped her dry her face, and leave the bathroom.

Just as the two women sat down, Mark and Kevin walked up. "You feelin' okay?" Mark asked noticing Sara's pale face. Sara swallowed and slowly shook her head. "Are you sure you don't want to check into a room?" he asked kneeling down in front of her. "Yeah," Sara said quietly, "I'm sure. I'd go crazy." "Alright, but when we get to the arena, I want you to find a seat somewhere, and stay there," Mark said touching her shoulders. "Okay, baby," Sara whispered. "Come on, the cars are out front," he said putting her arm around his neck and grabbing her duffel bag, "Kevin, will you grab her suitcase?" Kevin nodded and followed them out.

Before leaving, everyone agreed to stop at a diner to grab something to eat. Mark led the way, occasionally wiping sweat from Sara's forehead. "Sara, I'm not comfortable with you being at the arena like this," he said as they pulled into the parking lot of a small diner. Sara couldn't even move; her energy was practically gone. "Fine," she whispered, barely audible, "I'll go…to a motel…or a hotel. Whatever…you want." "Alright, let's just get some food in you," Mark answered climbing out of the car. Sara slowly opened the door, groaning as she stuck her foot out of the car. Mark helped her stand up and asked, "Can you walk in on your own?" "No," she whispered looking at the ground. "Alright," Mark said quietly, placing a secure arm around her waist and walking her into the diner. They seated themselves, and Sara immediately lied her head down on the table. Kevin and Liz came in moments later and sat down across from them. "Sara?" Kevin said touching her arm, "Are you alright? You're startin' to scare me." "I just need some rest, Kevin. I'll be fine," Sara managed to say. When the waitress came, Mark ordered for himself as well as Sara. "Is all this together?" the young woman asked after Kevin and Liz had ordered. "No, hers and mine together," Mark said pointing to Sara. The woman nodded and turned to leave. "Could you bring me a cup of orange juice, too?" Sara asked suddenly. "Of course," the woman answered. The drinks were brought over almost immediately. Sara found the strength to sip on her orange juice. "So, you're gonna take Sara to a motel before we go to the arena?" Kevin asked as he drank his soda. "Yeah, it'll be best," Mark said putting his arm around Sara's shoulders and squeezing, "She'll be able to get some rest." Sara looked up at him and forced a grin. Mark kissed her forehead gently, whispering, "I love you." Sara nodded and squeezed his thigh. "I know," she whispered back.

The food came, and everyone ate quickly, except Sara. It took her 20 whole minutes to finish the soup Mark had ordered for her. When she finally did, Mark paid for their food and helped her back out to the car. "We're gonna check into the Holiday Inn down the road from the arena, okay, dollface?" he asked as they pulled off, "And you have my cell phone number, and Andy's, so call either of us if you need somethin'." Sara nodded and stared blankly out the window. She was passive to the world, so anything anyone said to her went in one ear and out the other. Mark noticed this, and slowly sped up to get to the hotel. He didn't want Sara to be out of bed any longer than she had to be. He had agreed to meet Kevin and Liz had the arena, so when they made a right turn in front of him, he didn't follow. When he finally pulled into the parking lot of Holiday Inn, Sara had fallen asleep. "Baby? Wake up, dollface," he said quietly as he parked the car. When Sara didn't wake up, he sighed heavily and went inside to check in. After he got the room key, he went back to the car and carried Sara inside. She lied limp in his arms, and that made Mark's heart rate soar. "Sara, honey, come on. Wake up, baby," he whispered lying her down on the bed. "Please, baby, open your eyes," he said as tears filled his eyes, "Sara…" After a slight period of time – it seemed to last forever for Mark - her eyes flittered open and locked with his. "What's wrong, baby?" she whispered touching his cheek. "You're _scaring_ me, dollface," Mark answered. Sara sighed heavily as she forced a grin. "Just…let me get some sleep," she said wiping away the tear that had escaped his left eye, "I'll be fine when you come back." Mark swallowed and nodded. "Go on. Stop…bein' overprotective," Sara said chuckling softly. Mark smiled and took a deep breath. She was going to be fine after all. "Alright. You've got Andy's cell phone number, and you've got mine. Call either one of us if you need us. Okay?" he said. "Alright, baby, I will," Sara said yawning, "But I'll probably be asleep all day." Mark gently pulled Sara's hair away from her face and kissed her nose. "I love you, dollface," he whispered. Sara put her arms around his waist and squeezed with as much energy as she could; her grip, though, was as weak as a newborn kitten's. "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered. Mark swallowed and forced himself to move away from her. He tucked her underneath the covers and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back before you know it," he whispered backing up. Sara, however, had already fallen asleep.

Mark made it to arena by eleven o' clock. When he pulled up, fans were already gathered around the back entranceway. He waved to them as he drove into the underground parking lot. As he climbed out of the car, he pulled his duffel bag out, then headed inside. "Excuse me, Mr. Callaway?" Mark looked up and into Brock's eyes. Mark took a deep breath and asked, "Yeah?" "Is, um, is Sara okay?" Brock said nervously, "I'm really sorry…it was a mistake; it was my fault." "Brock…she's fine. All she needs is rest," Mark said, "Get your mind on your match tonight. Okay, man?" Brock nodded and said, "Thank you, sir." "And stop bein' so damn polite," Mark said with a grin. "Alright," Brock said with a grin of his own, then becoming solemn, "Just…can you let Sara know that I really am sorry about last night?" Mark nodded and touched Brock's shoulder. "She'll be fine, man, trust me," he said, "She's too stubborn to stay down for long." Brock nodded and said, "I'll see you around, then." Mark nodded before heading to the 'Corporation' locker room.

When he entered, the room was filled. Everyone was obviously gathered for a pre-show meeting. Mark quickly looked around, then grabbed a seat beside Kevin. "Sara's straight?" Kevin asked. "Yeah, she's fine. I think she's gonna sleep for the whole day," Mark answered. "That's good. She needs the rest," Kevin said. "Alright, guys, I'm gonna give you a rundown of the show tonight. We've only got a couple matches on the card tonight, but I wanted everybody to be here to check out those matches," Eric said beginning the meeting, "Mark, you're gonna be facing Adam Copeland. Sean, you're gonna be facing Jason Reno. Oh, yeah, Paul…you're gonna be goin' up against Brock Lesnar. Liz, I want you to go out with Sean. Trish and Andy, you're gonna be goin' out with Mark. Scott, I want you to be out there with Paul. Everybody else will just sit around and watch the show." "What's the time limits on these matches?" Paul asked. "Oh, yeah. Paul, you've got seven minutes; Mark, you've got six minutes; and Sean, you've got ten minutes," Eric added, "Any other questions?" When no one said anything, Eric continued. "Alright, tomorrow we're in Bakersfield. Then, it's Las Vegas, Milwaukee, and Rosemont," he relayed from the itinerary, "Sunday's your day off, and then we have six-day tour, a five-day tour, and then a 27-day tour. So the next month and a half is gonna be pretty busy." "We're use to it, Eric," Kevin said smiling. Eric shook his head as a grin formed on his face. "Thank you for the comments from the peanut gallery," he said looking through that week's itinerary, "Tomorrow is a houseshow; Las Vegas is a few appearances; and, the other two are houseshows as well." "Anything else, o masterful one?" Kevin said, trying to keep snickers to himself and failing. "No, servant, there is nothing else. You're dismissed," Eric said with a playful wave of his hand. Kevin grinned, lowered his head, then burst into laughs, as did the rest of the group. Their meetings were never as serious as Eric wanted them to be, because someone would always make a mockery of him. He had no choice but to play along. "Alright, seriously, though…make sure you guys get plenty of sleep when you get the chance," Eric said, "See you guys around." Mark stood, as well as Kevin and Andy. "Oh, Mark, let me see ya real quick, pal," Eric said as Mark headed towards the door. Mark took a deep breath and went over to Eric. He knew that Eric was going to ask about Sara, so he prepared himself.

"How's Sara, buddy?" Eric asked quietly, "I didn't get to stop by the hospital last night. Is she still in San Jose?" "No, she didn't want to stay. She's gonna make this trip with us," Mark answered, "I've got her checked into the Holiday Inn down the road, actually. She's not feeling too good." "Well, with two concussions in two straight days, I didn't think she'd feel too good. But I know she'll get better," Eric commented quietly, "She's too tough to let something like a concussion get her down." "Yeah, I know," Mark said quietly. "Well, just let her know we're all thinkin' about her, okay?" Eric said. Mark nodded and said, "Definitely." "I'll see ya around, man," Eric said, "Go get your mind off of her." Mark grinned and turned to leave, heading towards his original destination: the gym. When he got there, Kevin was in the boxing ring with Scott. "Hey, there, Mark," Scott said looking over at him. This move, however, opened him up to a right hook from Kevin. "Ooh," Mark said grinning when Scott hit the mat, "That had to hurt." Kevin helped Scott up, grinning as he did. "You alright, man?" he asked. "Yeah," Scott said, "I've been hit harder than that in my time." Mark headed into the bathroom and changed into his workout clothes, then came out wrapping his hands in tape.

"Do ya mind, Scott?" he asked looking in the ring. "No, no problem, Mark. I've been gettin' my ass kicked for too long now," Scott said rolling out. "It's been ten minutes, wimp," Kevin said smiling. "I would like to work out elsewhere, bro," Scott said returning the smile, "I'll see you guys around." Mark climbed in the ring and stretched out his arms. "So, what's up, man?" Kevin asked. "I'm just…worried about Sara," Mark said quietly, "I didn't want to leave her there alone." "You said she's sleeping, right?" Kevin asked. "Yeah, I know…but still. It took me a minute or so to wake her up…That minute seemed to take forever," Mark whispered. "It's okay, man. I know you've heard this a dozen times already, but Sara's too strong for this. She won't stay down, especially from a concussion," Kevin said kneeling down in front of Mark. "I know…it's just…I wanna be there for her, and I can't," Mark said quietly. "This day's gonna be over before you know it, man," Kevin said standing back up. Mark nodded his head, but inside, he knew that was going to be far from the truth.

Mark walked into his hotel room at quarter to twelve. He'd spent the entire day working out, planning his match, and helping others plan their matches. When it came time for his match, he was mentally exhausted. He did have a decent match – it wasn't the best technical match on the card, but it was a good match because the fans were entertained – but his mind definitely wasn't fully on it. All he could think about was trying to get back to Sara. However, after the taping of Smackdown was over, Eric wanted to have a post-show meeting, to review matches and such, and discuss the next day's agenda. That lasted for another hour and a half. Then, when he was getting into his car, he was stopped by Andy. Of course, Andy had wanted to ask about Sara. Mark tried to tell him that Sara was fine, but Andy wanted to see her. Mark's patience was already running thin, so when Andy kept badgering him, he snapped. "Look, man, I told you. She's fine. Just back off," he'd told Andy, "Stop following her around like a goddamn prison guard. She's a grown woman, and she can take care of herself." At the look of shock on Andy's face, though, Mark had immediately apologized. "It's been a really long day, man. I'm sorry," he'd said. "Just tell Sara that I'll see her in Bakersfield," Andy had said before walking away.

At the sight of Sara's sleeping body, Mark dropped his duffel bag and climbed into bed beside her. She smelled of hotel soap, indicating that she'd taken a shower not too long ago. "Dollface?" he whispered rubbing his nose in her slightly damp hair. Sara groaned slightly and turned to face him. "Don't tell me I have to get up," she whispered. "No, no, not at all," Mark said, "How are you feeling?" "Better, now that I've had a shower," Sara answered quietly, "My body's sore as hell, and is…refusing to move anymore." Mark grinned to himself before kissing her nose. "Everybody asked about you at the arena. You should've seen how scared Brock was when he talked to me. He wanted you to know that he's…," Mark paused as he tried to recall Brock's exact words, "really sorry, that last night was a mistake, and his fault. Every time I saw him, he looked so…upset. When you see him, let him know you're fine, okay?" Sara yawned and nodded her head. "What about Andy?" she asked, "I know he's worrying his head off." "Actually, I, uh, I snapped at him," Mark admitted. "What?" Sara asked looking up at Mark, "Why?" "It had really been a long day. I mean, I didn't get a break the _entire_ day, Sara. From workin' out, to planning matches, and all that shit, I was just mentally exhausted and ready to leave. Andy comes up and starts badgering me about you, literally. He wouldn't back off, and so I snapped. I didn't mean to," Mark answered. Sara sighed heavily as she rested her head on Mark's arm, placing her own arm around his waist. "I'll talk to him tomorrow. Bakersfield, right?" she whispered. "Yeah, but don't think you're gonna be doin' much," Mark said rubbing her back. "Oh, I know," Sara whispered before drifting into her comfortable world of sleep, "I know." Mark smiled and gave her a gentle squeeze before falling asleep himself.

Early the next morning, Mark awoke alone. He shot up in his bed, noticing that Sara wasn't anywhere to be seen. He scrambled out of the bed and looked around. He checked on the balcony, and in the bathroom. As soon as he opened the door, though, Sara walked in with her duffel bag. "Jeez," Mark whispered throwing his arms around her. "What's wrong?" Sara asked as he squeezed. Mark took a few deep breaths to slow his heart rate before releasing Sara. "I just…panicked," Mark whispered, "I didn't know where you were." Sara grinned and punched his chest. "I thought I told you to stop being overprotective," she said. Mark grinned as Sara walked past him into the bathroom. Hearing the shower running, Mark lied back down on the bed. It was only a little after six, and they didn't have to be in Bakersfield until around noon; it only took a couple hours to get there.

Sara came out of the bathroom twenty minutes later dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. She climbed into bed beside Mark and sighed heavily. Even though she'd caught up on her sleep, and rested her body for almost a full day, she still wasn't feeling well. "You feelin' any better?" Mark asked quietly. "A little bit," Sara admitted, "But not too much." "Are you sure you just don't want to go back to Venice?" Mark asked, "It's not even an hour away from here." Sara took a deep breath and hunched her shoulders. "I don't know, Mark. I would rather stay with you than be alone," she answered. "Sara, you're gonna be in the hotel all day. You wouldn't be more comfortable at the house, with Duchess?" Mark said with a grin. Sara smiled and buried her face in Mark's chest. He knew how much she loved her dog. She'd had her for almost two years now. "I guess so," she said quietly. "Alright. We'll take you back, and then head to Bakersfield. It's not like it's out of the way or anything, Sara," he whispered. "I know…I just…I love you so much," she said kissing his chest softly. Mark grinned and squeezed her again. "Sleep, dollface," he said kissing the top of her head. Sara nodded and slowly fell back asleep. Mark, however, stayed awake holding her. He didn't want to be apart from her any more than she wanted to be apart from him. For the next two hours, he kept moving his hands over Sara's back, and through her damp hair. Just the feel of her warm body snuggled up against his made him warm inside, and a smile emerged on his face. It was moments like these – where he could just hold the love of his life in his arms – that would stay etched in his memory forever.

The alarm rang at eight o' clock precisely. Mark opened his eyes and yawned, reaching over to shut it off as he did. He looked down at Sara's sleeping body and let out a deep breath. Her eyes were slightly dark and puffy, and her cheeks were partially red. Still, she was the most beautiful woman he'd laid his eyes on, and he loved her. "Hon," he whispered moving his arm from under her head. Sara mewed softly and turned her back to Mark; the last thing she wanted to do was get up. Mark grinned as he went into the bathroom. After taking a quick shower, he went back into the room and got dressed. Then, he took his and Sara's belongings to the rental car. Kevin and Liz were eating the continental breakfast offered when he came back inside. "Hey, man. How's Sara?" Kevin asked. "Still sleeping. Do you mind if we drive through Venice and drop her off? It's only about a half an hour away," Mark answered. "Sure, man," Kevin said, "No problem. Is she gonna be okay being at the house by herself, though?" Mark hunched his shoulders and said, "She'll be able to rest easier. No interruptions, you know. I'm gonna go get her now, and then we can check out." "Alright, we'll be here," Kevin said as Mark walked away. Entering the room, Mark made sure everything was straightened back up, before pulling Sara into his arms. She curled up against him and sighed. "Where are we going now?" she whispered. "I'm taking you back to Venice, and then me, Kevin, and Liz are headed on the rest of the road trip," Mark answered grabbing the key off the dresser. "I don't wanna go to Venice, Mark," Sara said quietly. Mark sighed heavily and said, "Sara, you agreed last night to go back. It'll be less of a hassle for you. You can rest better." "But--." "No, Sara. You're going back to Venice, and you're gonna get your strength back, you hear me?" Mark said leaving the room. Sara slowly opened her eyes and went to say something, but thought against it. "Okay," she whispered. Mark took Sara to the car and slowly put her in the front seat. "I'll be right back, hon," he whispered pulling her hair out of her face. Sara nodded and turned her head the other way as Mark shut the door. Liz had followed him out. "I'll stay with her," she told Mark. Mark nodded as he went back inside to check out.

Liz opened the car door and leaned down. "Sara?" she said quietly, "You okay?" Sara opened her eyes and looked up at Liz. "Yeah, I'm fine," she whispered with a grin, "Mark's gonna take me home." "Yeah, he told us," Liz said touching Sara's hand. Sara sighed heavily and said, "I don't want to go home." "Sara, you need your rest. You can't do that on the road," Liz replied. Sara rolled her eyes slightly and shook her head. "But I can't do it without Mark, either," she said quietly. Liz lowered her head and took a deep breath. "You're gonna be just fine, Sara. You know he'll call you everyday," she said. "I know…it's not the same," Sara whispered. "You're not gonna change his mind, honey," Liz said. Tears filled Sara's eyes and she turned her head away from Liz. "It's not fair, Liz. Why won't he listen to me?" she said quietly. "Because he cares so much," Liz answered, "He only is doing what he thinks is best for you." "If that's the case…why doesn't he see that I get my strength from him?" Sara whispered as a tear fell from her face. Liz forced Sara to look at her. "He knows that, honey, more than anything. Don't ever think that he doesn't know that," she said wiping away the tear, "He just wants you to be somewhere safe. He doesn't feel comfortable leaving you at a hotel all day. With you being at the house, with security, and Slasher, and _Duchess_, he knows that you're safe." Sara sighed and said, "I guess I didn't think of it that way." Liz smiled and rubbed Sara's arms. "You'll be fine," she said as Mark and Kevin walked up. "Is she okay?" Mark asked kneeling down to look at Sara. "Yeah, she's fine," Liz answered looking at him. Mark gently touched Sara's cheek, and said, "I love you, dollface." Sara grinned and said, "And I love you." "You guys ready?" Mark asked straightening up. "Yep," Liz answered looking back at Sara, "You'll be fine, okay?" Sara nodded slightly. "Alright, I'll lead the way," Mark said, "Since you guys led the last time." Kevin grinned and shook his head. "Whatever you say," he said putting his arm around Liz, "You ready, hon?" Liz nodded and followed Kevin to their own car. Mark went around to the driver's side of his and climbed in. As he pulled out of the hotel parking lot, Sara linked her hand in his and squeezed. Mark looked at her and grinned, winked, then turned his attention back to the road.


	26. Re Energized

**Chapter 25…Re-Energized**

Sara found that being at the mansion for her break was more beneficial than anything. She got to lounge around all day, if she wanted, play with Duchess, and sleep as much as she wanted. She talked to her mom for an hour everyday. She talked to Mark for at least a half an hour each day as well. While he would call her at the most inopportune times (while she was watching a movie, in the shower, or even sleeping), she enjoyed hearing his voice. This break energized Sara like she never thought possible. When she awoke Saturday night to find herself in Mark's arms, she smiled and climbed on top of his stomach. Mark woke up and stared at her dumbfounded. "What are you doing?" he asked quietly. Sara laughed and hunched her shoulders. Mark closed his eyes and shook his head. "Woman, if you don't get off of me…," he said quietly. "What are you gonna do?" Sara said leaning down to his face. Mark cupped her face and kissed her deeply. Sara slowly stretched out beside him and rubbed her hands over his chest and powerful, solid arms. "That," he whispered pulling away from her. Sara sat up and cut on the night lamp beside the bed. "Sara…come on now," Mark said sitting up. "I'm not sleepy," she said grinning. Mark sighed heavily and asked, "And why not? It's four o' clock in the morning." Sara bit her bottom lip and smiled. "Because you're here," she said. "Well, we share the room, Sara. Where else am I gonna go?" Mark said. "That's my point. I mean, I'm too happy to sleep," she said standing. Mark shook his head and turned over to go to sleep. He'd only gotten to the mansion a couple hours beforehand, and he was exhausted.

Sara turned to face Mark and sighed happily. Energized after two months of non-stop, sacrificial work, she was here with the person who made her love life. She cut off the lamp and left the room quietly. Going downstairs, she met up with Duchess in the hallway. "Hey, girl, how ya doin'?" she whispered rubbing her dog's muzzle, "Wanna go running, huh, girl?" Duchess whined and headed towards Sara's room. "I guess not," Sara said going into the kitchen, and out through the deck door. It was late-June, and so even though the sun had yet to rise, the temperature was already reaching 70 degrees. Sara stretched out in one of the lawn chairs and stared up at the starry sky. _It's not as good as my mother's roof, but it'll do_, she thought putting her hands behind her head.

The next three hours passed by quickly. Sara didn't even notice how much time had passed until she saw the sun peeking over the house. She stood and stretched her arms, yawning as she did. "Now's a great time to get tired," she said to herself. The door opened and Mark walked out with Duchess and Slasher. "I was wondering where you'd gone," he said coming over to her. He picked her up in his arms and twirled her around. "I missed you," Sara said wrapping her arms around his neck. "I missed you, too," he whispered kissing her neck. Sara chuckled and squeezed slightly. "I love you so much. Thank you," she said in his ear. "Why?" Mark asked, "What'd I do?" "I don't think I could've gotten as much rest as I did here, if I would've gone with you guys," Sara said as Mark let her down. Mark cupped her face and said, "Sara, I love you…and I only wanted to do good for you." Sara nodded and touched his hands, "I realize that. That's why I'm thanking you." Mark shook his head and said, "Don't thank me. You know I'd do anything for you." When Duchess moved between Mark and Sara, Sara chuckled. "I think that's a sign," she said. Mark nodded and chuckled. "Let's go feed 'em," he said putting Sara's hand in his. Sara nodded and headed inside, the two dogs following close behind.

Kevin walked into the kitchen minutes after Sara and Mark came from outside. "No surprise you two are awake together," he said grinning, grabbing a bowl and spoon from respective drawers. He poured a bowl of cereal, then sat down beside them. "You look good, Sara," he said scooping some into his mouth, "Definitely rested up, huh?" Sara grinned as she looked down at her plate of toast and eggs. "Yeah, I'm feelin' great," she answered quietly. "Good, good," Kevin said, "I suppose you're anxious to get back on the road, then?" Sara smiled and nodded. "Well, we missed ya, hon," Kevin said before focusing on bowl of cereal. "You finished?" Mark asked in her ear. "Yeah, I'm done," she said putting her dishes in the sink. "We're gonna go pack. I'll see ya around, Kev," Mark said putting his own dishes in the sink. "Alright, man," Kevin said with a mouthful of cereal. Mark chuckled as he and Sara headed out of the kitchen.

Sara opened the door and let Mark in, then mischievously shut it behind him. Mark turned to face her and grinned slyly. "Are you thinking," he whispered pulling her into his arms, "what I'm thinking?" Sara looked at him innocently and answered, "I don't know. What are you thinking?" Mark leaned down and kissed her deeply, moving over to the bed slowly. Sara moved her arms around his neck, holding on when she felt herself being laid onto the bed. "I guess you _are_ re-energized," Mark whispered looking into her eyes. They fell to her mouth, which Sara teasingly licked with her tongue. "Oh…baby," Mark whispered, "Do that again." Sara did just that, this time moving her tongue sensually over her top lip, then her bottom lip, kissing Mark's chin after she did. She giggled when Mark captured her mouth and kissed her softly. "What a beautiful mouth," he whispered tracing it with his own tongue, "Beautiful nose. Beautiful eyes. Beautiful face." Sara grinned as Mark's lips went to each place he named, slowly connecting each spot with his tongue. Mark gently caressed Sara's arms, moving them up around his neck, and sliding his hands down her sides. "I've missed you so much, dollface," he whispered as his mouth moved over her neck, "I haven't touched you…I haven't kissed you…I haven't loved you…in what seems like forever." Sara arched against his mouth as her heart began to pound. "Love me then," she said grinning. Mark smiled and peeled away her clothes, taking his time to stroke her gently. When they finally came together, Mark allowed Sara to experience her own height twice, before both of them soared together. "I love you, baby," Sara whispered smoothly rubbing his damp back. "And I love you, dollface," Mark whispered kissing her neck.

Mark slid off of Sara and lied on his back. Sara climbed on top of his chest and smiled. "What now?" Mark asked placing his hands on her hips. "Nothing," she whispered, "I just…like looking at you." Mark grinned and put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "Look your fill, dollface," he said quietly. Sara bit her bottom lip as she did just that. Her eyes wandered from his pert nose to his bountiful mouth, down his broad upper body, resting on his belly button. "Mark?" Mark opened his eyes and locked them with Sara's. "What's wrong, dollface?" he asked. "Nothing, hon, nothing at all. I just wanted to see your eyes," Sara said quietly, leaning over his face. Sara was entrapped in Mark's eyes, so when his arms moved over her back, she didn't notice. "They're so beautiful," she whispered, "I could get lost in those babies." Mark squeezed gently, bringing Sara closer to him. Sara's lips met his, and their love-making began all over again. After finishing again, Sara collapsed on top of Mark and kissed his neck. "We should head outta here, honey. Kevin was talking about flying to Rosemont to pick up the rental car, driving to Pittsburgh, and then flying down to Richmond. We can do that today, and still be able to sleep," Mark said. "What about next Saturday?" Sara asked running her tongue up across his Adam's apple. Mark gasped, then said, "We'll fly back…from St. Louis…everybody's meeting back here…to go to Canada." He couldn't speak clearly because Sara was licking and nipping at his Adam's apple. "Woman, what are you doin'?" he asked smiling at her. Sara laughed as she climbed off of him and heading into the bathroom. "Teasing," she answered cutting on the shower water. Mark chased her into the bathroom, and climbed into the shower behind her. "Don't dish it out if you can't take it," he whispered pulling her close to him with his left arm, and moving his right arm down the front of her body, resting it against her womanhood. "Oh, Mark, don't," she whispered. "Uh, uh, uh, I told you," Mark replied beginning to fondle that little point which drove her over the edge so very easily, "Don't start…what you can't finish." Sara moaned quietly as she began to go limp against Mark's body. When she started trembling, Mark removed his hand and kissed her ear. "I love you, dollface," he said innocently. Sara spun around and grinned at him, then playfully punched his chest. "You play rough," she said as she began to wash her body. "I know," Mark said embracing her, forcing her to wash his body as well. After washing both herself and Mark, Sara stepped out of the shower and went into the room, quickly dressing. If they were going to drive down to Richmond from Pittsburgh, they needed to get to Pittsburgh no later than one o' clock. She pulled out a small suitcase and packed a few pairs of pants, a few pair of shorts, and seven t-shirts.

As she was packing, Mark walked out of the bathroom. "What time is the flight?" she asked. "Eleven," Mark answered as he pulled on his pants. Sara stopped her packing immediately. "And what time is it now?" she asked putting her hands on her hips. Mark glanced at his watch, grinned, and said, "Eight o' clock." Sara looked at her suitcase and shook her head. Mark chuckled to himself as he continued to get dressed. "I'm going downstairs," she said looking back up at Mark. "You should finish packing first," Mark replied slipping on a t-shirt. Sara smiled sarcastically and said, "You would say so." Mark winked at her before putting on his jeans. Sara shook her head as she packed her duffel bag, then sat down beside Mark on the bed. "There, done," she said lying back. Mark looked down at her, slowly leaning over her. "I love you, dollface," he said running his finger over her smooth cheek. Sara smiled and said, "Yeah, I know." A knock on the door interrupted their moment. Mark sighed and went to answer it. Eric was standing there when he opened it. "Good morning, Mark. I just came to see Sara," Eric said. Mark stepped aside so Eric could enter. Sara stood and straightened her clothes. "Good morning," she said coming over to him. "I haven't seen you since Monday. How are you feeling?" Eric said. "Oh, a lot better. Definitely rested up," she answered. "Good, good," Eric said looking her over, "This week will be kinda busy, so I just wanted to see if you're up for it. I can talk Vince into giving you another week off if you need it." "No, I'm fine," Sara said smiling, "This week was all that I needed." "Alright, but just know that you probably won't be wrestling again until next week," Eric said turning to leave, "Oh, yeah, since Kevin says that you guys are leaving this morning to go to Philadelphia, we're gonna go ahead and have a meeting right now. Down in the kitchen." "Alright, we'll see ya down there," Sara said. Eric nodded and left the room.

Mark quickly packed his own suitcase and duffel bag, then followed Sara down to the kitchen. Everybody was seated at the kitchen table, and if there wasn't room, they stood around the edge. Sara found an empty place beside Andy and sat down beside him, while Mark took a place standing beside Kevin. "Alright, guys, I know some of you plan on doing a lot of traveling today, so I'll keep this short. Tomorrow, be at the arena by ten a.m. We'll talk about your matches there," Eric said quickly, "I do suggest that you get to Richmond as early as possible today, and get some rest, because this week is houseshows for all of you. Alright, I'll see you guys in Richmond." Sara stood, but was stopped by Andy. "I'm gonna be comin' with you guys, okay?" Andy said quietly. "Yeah, no prob. Do Kevin and Mark know?" Sara said. "Do we know what?" Mark asked walking up with Kevin. "Andy's comin' with us," Sara said smiling. "Oh, cool deal. We won't be doing much driving anyway, so I'm sure we can accommodate," Kevin said. Andy nodded and asked, "When are you guys leavin'?" "Within the next half an hour," Kevin asked, "We've got a shitload of traveling to do today, man, so I hope you're ready for it." "Oh, yeah, got about 10 hours o' sleep," Andy said grinning. "Good, we'll meet ya out front," Kevin said. Andy nodded and headed up to his own room to pack. "So, we've got a long day, huh?" Sara asked. "Yeah, the flight leaves at eleven, but we've got to drive down to Fresno," Kevin said, "We're gonna take that rental car back to Pittsburgh – that's another eight hours – and then, fly down to Richmond. God, two flights in one day. It's too much!" Sara chuckled and said, "It'll work out. We'll rest up on the planes." "True, true," Kevin said.

"Hey, we'll meet ya out front, Kevin, okay?" Mark said, "I want to talk to Sara." "Alright, man, see ya in a few," Kevin said turning and walking away. "What's wrong?" Sara asked as Mark led her outside. "I just want to sit with you," Mark said quietly, "I mean, this week is gonna be hectic. Better enjoy this while we can." Mark sat down in one of the lawn chairs and grinned when Sara sat down in his lap. "So, you've been up since, what, four a.m.?" Mark asked wrapping his arms around her. "Yeah, I just couldn't sleep anymore," Sara said leaning her head against his shoulder, "I'd been averaging at least ten hours of sleep for those past five days. I couldn't sleep that much anymore. Can't really make that a habit." Mark nodded as he rubbed her back.

"Sara, I missed you so much," Mark whispered in her ear, his grip slightly tightening around her. "Yeah, it was pretty lonely without you, too," Sara answered kissing his cheek, "How'd your match go on Tuesday night?" "Just fine. Adam's comin' along real good, real fast," Mark answered, "He's got potential to elevate to main event status within the next year." "That's awesome. It's refreshing to see the young guys take the ball and run with it, ya know?" she said quietly. "Yeah, it is. I wish you could've been there for it. I could've used some feedback," he whispered. "Don't worry. I'll be back to my usual self in no time," Sara said smiling at him. "I know," Mark said running his fingers through her loosened hair. "I almost don't want to leave," she said leaning her head back against his shoulder, "This week has just been so much fun." "I'm sure it was," Mark said continuing to run his hands over her back. "Hey, guys." Sara looked up at Kevin and asked, "What's wrong?" "Nothin', sweetie. Just wanted to let you know we're headin' out in about ten minutes. I didn't know if you guys had already packed the car?" Kevin said. "Oh, that's right," Sara said standing. She and Mark followed Kevin back into the house, before separating and going to their respective rooms. "You ready for this?" Mark asked as Sara picked up her duffel bag. Sara smiled and said, "More ready than you know." Mark nodded as he picked up his own bags and headed out of the room, Sara following close behind him. They met up with Kevin, Liz, and Andy down in the car garage. "What's up, Andy?" Sara asked as he threw his suitcase and duffel bag into the bed of Mark's truck. "Not much, Sara. I should be askin' you that. How are ya, sweetie?" Andy asked leaning against the truck. "A lot better, Andy. A _lot_ better," Sara answered putting her own baggage in the bed. "Good. It was kinda lonely without you on the road," Andy said as he climbed into the backseat of Mark's extended cab truck. "Gee, thanks, Andy. I can't wait to get back on the road. It got rather boring after the first few days," Sara said. "Well, everyone was askin' about you everyday," Mark said as she climbed up into the front seat beside him. "Yeah, that's the truth," Kevin said, he and Liz climbing into the back with Andy. "Well, I guess I've got a pretty good welcoming to look forward to, don't I?" Sara asked with a grin. "Oh, yeah," Kevin answered, "Alright, let's get outta here, Mark." Mark nodded and started the truck up. "Here we go," he said beginning to back out of the garage, "Back to the wonderful world of performing." Everyone laughed as Mark pulled out of the driveway into the neighborhood traffic.


	27. Forgive and Forget

**Chapter 26…Forgive and Forget**

"Sara, honey, wake up." Sara opened her eyes slowly, yawning and stretching her arms in her plane seat. "What time is it?" she asked quietly. "It's almost two," Mark answered as he stretched his own arms. "All I want to see is a bed," Sara said as his hand locked with hers, "A nice, warm bed." "Yeah, it was a rough day," Mark whispered, "But it's worth it." The pilot's voice came onto the P.A. system, announcing that they would be landing in Richmond in approximately ten minutes, and informed everyone to buckle their seat belts. "Do you guys wanna go get somethin' to eat before we go to the hotel?" Kevin asked from across the aisle. Mark looked down at Sara with raised eyebrows, and when she nodded, turned his attention back to Kevin. "Sure, man. Who knows if we'll have time later on today?" "Alright, cool," Kevin said as Liz rested her head on his shoulder, "We'll stop by somewhere we can eat in." Mark nodded and leaned his head back against his seat.

After landing at the airport, the group rented a couple of cars for the day. "Andy, you'll ride with us, buddy," Mark said as Sara threw her belongings in the trunk beside Mark's. "Cool deal," Andy said as he climbed into the backseat. Kevin pulled out first, and Mark followed him. On the way to the rental station, they'd agreed to go to the nearest IHOP restaurant. They pulled into the parking lot about ten minutes later. "Sara, come on, baby. We're here," Mark said as he parked. Sara had lost some of her excitement during the eight-hour drive to Pittsburgh, and so had become prone to falling asleep. "I'm sure I'll be fine before we get to the arena," she said yawning slightly. "Thought you said you couldn't fall into the habit of sleeping too much?" Mark asked grinning. Sara winked at him as she placed her hand in his. "Yeah, I did," she said quietly. "Well, we should get to the hotel in about an hour. That'll give us about five more hours to sleep, before we have to be at the arena," Andy said from behind them.

"True," Sara said as they walked into the restaurant. Seated moments later, Sara picked up her menu and stared at it blankly. She'd slept from the time they'd arrived in Rosemont, until Mark drove into Pittsburgh, and she even slept most of the time on the flight to Richmond. She needed something to perk up her energy. "I need a good run," she said to herself. "What's that?" Mark asked looking down at her. "I was just thinkin' that I need somethin' to pick up my energy level, so I figured what better way than a good run," she answered reading the menu. Mark smirked and put an arm around her shoulder. "You'd say somethin' like that, wouldn't ya?" he asked with a grin. Sara winked at him and nodded. Everyone ordered their food a few minutes later, then sat back in the seats to wait patiently. "So, Sara, what'd you do this week?" Kevin asked. "Slept," Sara said with a grin, "I definitely slept." "Well, I'm sure you did, with a whole week to yourself and all," Kevin replied back. "Yeah. I just hung out around the house. I didn't really go out and do anything. Duchess kept me company," she smiled. "Good. I know you're glad to be back, though," Kevin said. "Definitely. By Friday, I was ready to be back," she said with grin. Mark put his arm around her and squeezed softly. "I should've known," he said with a smile. Sara looked up at him and winked. "Anyway, I had thought about going to the movies, but I decided against it," she said turning her attention back to Kevin. "Why?" he asked her. "Just wasn't motivated enough to get out of the house," she answered, "Besides, there are plenty of movies in the house." "True, true," Kevin said. "Well, the guys have been talkin' about you at work, Sara," Andy said over his plate of eggs, bacon, and toast, "You'd think you'd been gone for months." Sara grinned and said, "Well, it kinda seemed like it."

The early morning breakfast ended soon after, and everyone piled back into their cars to head to the hotel. "Won't take me long to fall asleep," Sara commented on the drive there. Mark grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. "What was that for?" Sara asked. Mark hunched his shoulders and answered, "Urge." Sara chuckled to herself and closed her eyes; Mark locked his fingers with hers and smiled to himself. The little signs of affection that he showed to Sara were amazing. They brought them so much closer to each other. When they arrived at the hotel, Mark went inside to check in as Sara pulled their suitcases out of the trunk with the help of Andy. She and Andy began to make plans for a workout as they headed inside. "I'll wake up at around nine-ish, and we can head out by 9:30," Sara said. "Yeah, that'll give us around five and a half hours of sleep. That's cool with me," Andy said as Mark walked up. "What's this about sleep?" Mark asked grabbing his duffel bag from Andy. "Oh, we're just planning a workout," Sara said. "We're gonna head to the gym around 9:30," Andy said. "Well, that's cool," Mark said. "Of course it is," Sara said winking at him. Mark shook his head, simply saying, "Let's go." Sara followed him into the elevator as Andy walked down the hall to his own room.

Sara awoke bright-eyed at quarter to nine. Even though she'd only gotten about five hours of sleep, she was too excited to be tired. Today was her first day back to work since she'd suffered from a second concussion. She dashed into the bathroom to take a quick shower; Mark was still fast asleep. She quickly washed her hair, shaved her legs, and washed up. When she climbed out, Mark was leaning over the sink washing his face. "Morning," she said brightly as she headed into the room. Mark shook his head with a smile on his face. He felt Sara's excitement as she'd walked into the room; she had a bounce in her step. He could hear it in the way she spoke to him. He relieved himself, washed his hands, and went back into the room. Sara was slipping into a t-shirt; her back was turned to him. Mark put his arms around her waist and lifted her up slightly. "Ah! What are you doing?" Sara said as Mark carried her over to the bed and gently laid her down. Mark turned her over and began to kiss her damp neck. "Mark…we have to get to the gym," Sara said as her eyes drifted shut. "I know," Mark said moving slowly over her neck, his left hand slipping underneath her shirt. Sara moaned softly, rubbing her hands over Mark's forearm, up over his bared chest. "Mark…," she whispered, "Come on now." Mark grinned as he captured her lips with his, squeezing her breast gently through the sports bra fabric. Sara quit her fighting and pulled Mark closer, wrapping her legs around his waist. "Why do we have to go to the gym to get a workout?" he said kissing her ear, "When we can get one right here…right now…in this room…together." Sara chuckled and squeezed Mark's neck, saying, "Because that's not the kind of workout I wanted." "Yeah, I know," Mark replied running his hand up her smooth thigh, in between their bodies. Sara had only put on panties, so there was no real obstruction. He slipped a finger inside her, slowly and teasingly. Sara moaned a little louder, gripping Mark's shoulders. "Oh…geez," she whispered, "Mark…I'm not gonna have any energy--." Mark placed his lips on Sara's, parting them easily with his tongue. He hadn't touched her in over a week, so he wasn't going to let her words affect him. Sara began to tremble more and more as Mark continued to move his finger in and out of her body. She began to kiss him feverishly, her hands running through his hair, when he flicked his finger over her womanhood. Sara clenched her legs against his waist and moaned against his lips. Mark had managed to bring her, once again, to a climax without even penetrating her. When the orgasm was over, Sara collapsed against the bed, sighing happily. "What was that for?" she asked when Mark finally moved from atop her. Mark hunched his shoulders as he stood and went into the bathroom. Sara leaned up on her elbows and sighed, a smile creeping up on her face. That was Mark's way of welcoming her back to the road, and she knew it. She would return the favor later that night, but for the time being, she needed to finish getting dressed.

Mark and Sara walked into the lobby hand in hand. Andy was already there, eating from the continental breakfast table. "Kevin and Liz aren't coming?" Sara asked. "Nope. They're gonna meet us at the arena," Andy answered sipping on his cup of coffee. "Well, alright, then. Let's go," Mark said. They arrived at the gym about twenty minutes later. It was just opening, so they were among the first ones inside. Sara slowly stretched out, seeing as how she hadn't been inside a gym for a week. She didn't want to risk injuring herself. After stretching out with Mark for about 15 minutes, they immediately headed for the treadmills. Sara wanted to get a lot of cardio work in for the day, since she hadn't wrestled all week. Wrestling four days a week gave her plenty of cardiovascular work, so when she didn't do it, she had to make up for it in the gym. "How long are you gonna run?" Mark asked. Sara set up her treadmill quickly, saying, "About 30 minutes. Why?" "Just asking," Mark said. "You don't have to run, Mark. You've been wrestling all week," Sara said. "I know," Mark replied. Sara shook her head as she started off at a rigorous pace on the treadmill. She ran fairly hard for the first ten minutes, then bumped up the pace for the next fifteen, taking it down to a light jog for the last five. When she stepped off, her t-shirt was half-soaked with sweat and her legs felt like Jell-O.

"Was that necessary?" Mark asked as he stretched out beside her. He'd also run for a half an hour, but his pace was nowhere near as hard as Sara's. As soon as he'd asked his question, though, he already knew the answer and the reason for it. Sara simply looked at him. "Don't answer that," he said with a grin. Sara shook her head and begin to stretch out her exhausted leg muscles. After doing that, she stretched out her arms, and headed over to the free weights. She spent the same amount of time lifting weights, as she did running on the treadmill. When she, Mark, and Andy finally finished up their workout, it was almost eleven. "You ready to get to the arena?" Andy asked as Sara wiped sweat from her body with her towel. "Yeah, _that's_ an understatement," Sara answered with a smile. Mark grinned as he and Andy followed Sara to the car. Sara reached for the keys, but Mark held them away. "I don't think so, darlin'. With your adrenaline goin' the way it is, I don't think we'd make it there in one piece," he said winking at her. Sara chuckled as she climbed into the passenger side seat. "Thanks for your vote of confidence," she said. Mark pulled into traffic moments later, weaving in and out safely, getting to the arena as fast as he could while doing the speed limit. When they pulled into the back parking lot, a grin came on Sara's face. "It feels so good to be back," she whispered to herself. Mark squeezed her hand gently and said, "Everybody's gonna be glad to have ya back."

Sara practically ran into the arena once she was out of the car. Her first stop was going to be Vince's office. She waved hello to everyone she saw on the way. When she got to the door marked as Vince's office, she knocked. There was no answer. "Of course. He's around here somewhere. It's too early for him to be in the office," she said to herself. Heading towards the seats, Sara ran into Shane. "Hey, Sara, how's it goin'? You feelin' any better?" Shane asked. "I'm fine, Shane. I mean that this time. That break really did me some good," Sara answered, "Where's your dad?" "Helping to set up production equipment," Shane answered. "Thanks, Shane. I'll see ya around, man," Sara said heading towards the open arena. "Sure, Sara. Take it easy, hon," Shane said, "Don't work too hard this time." Sara chuckled to herself, before dashing off. She found Vince exactly where Shane said he was. "Hi, Vince." Vince turned around and grinned. He threw his arms around Sara and squeezed gently. "Glad to see you're okay," he said in her ear. "Yeah, I'm definitely better," Sara said hugging him back. "You enjoy your break? Mark told me he had to force you to go back to Venice," Vince remarked. "Yeah...but I'm glad he did," Sara said grinning, "I'm raring to go now." "Well, that's good. Go check with Eric to see what you're doin' tonight," Vince said letting her go. "Alright, cool. Thanks, Vince," Sara said heading towards the locker room. "No problem, Sara," Vince said as he went back to work with the production crew.

Sara met back up with Andy and Mark outside of the locker room. Mark had Sara's duffel bag in his hand. She winked at him as he tossed it to her. "Thanks, hon," she said walking into the locker room. "No problem," Mark said following her. When Sara walked through the door, she saw that everyone was gathered for the usual preliminary meeting. She also saw that Kevin and Liz were already there. She sat down beside Liz and grinned. "Glad to be back, I see," Liz said to her. Sara chuckled and nodded. Eric came into the room moments later with a small packet of paper. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," he said with a grin. Everyone returned the greeting in unison with a joking tone: "Good morning, Mr. Bischoff." Eric shook his head and chuckled. "Alright, straight to be business," he said, "First of all, I'd like to welcome back a crucial part of our team here, Sara." Everybody clapped hard, and smiled at Sara, causing her to blush slightly. She didn't expect Eric to make such a big deal of her return. It wasn't like she'd been out for an extended period of time. "Sara, I can see by the look on your face that you don't think you deserve that. But, honey, without you around here, it's just not the same," Eric said grinning. Sara chuckled to herself as Trish whispered to her, "It's true, hon. We missed ya." "Alright, seriously, down to business," Eric said.

The meeting lasted for about the usual half an hour, maybe a few minutes over. Sara was going to be interrupting Brock's match against Mark, exacting revenge over Brock for his win against her last week. Since that match was second to last, Sara had a good deal of time to spend around the building. After the meeting was over, she immediately went to the women's locker room to shower. Since she didn't take the time to do it at the gym, she was starting to feel grimy. She washed her hair, before washing her body twice. When she stepped out, Amy had just walked into the room. Amy ran over to Sara and threw her arms around her, ignoring the fact that she was soaking wet. "Well, it's good to see you, too," Sara said returning the hug. "Oh, my gosh, are you alright? I mean, are you feeling okay?" Amy said frantically, "Sara, two concussions in two days--." "I'm _fine_," Sara said with a smile, "I promise. I'm not even going to be wrestling tonight." Amy took a deep breath and replied, "Well, that's good to know." "Yeah, Mark made me stay home for the week, against my requests," Sara said. "Of course," Amy added. Sara chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, and I got a lot of rest, so I was ready to come back. I think Vince isn't gonna let me wrestle until either tomorrow or maybe even next Monday," she said. "Well, that's good. You could use a break from wrestling," Amy said as she began to change into her wrestling gear. "I guess so," Sara said looking at the ground. At a raised eyebrow from Amy, she laughed a little and said, "I'm kiddin'...gosh. I'll be the first now to admit that I need a break." "Oh, _now_ you'll admit it?" Amy asked grinning. Sara shook her head as she quickly dressed. She hadn't seen Brock since last Monday, and Mark had told her on numerous occasions that he was worried about her. "I'll see ya around, okay, Amy? I've got to take care of some business," Sara said as she headed out. "Alright, sweetie," Amy replied.

Sara headed down the hall, but was stopped by everyone she passed. They all wanted to know that she was okay, so it took her longer than she would've liked to make her way to the locker room of the rest of the wrestlers. While she got impatient with being stopped, she was always nice and responsive to the questions posed to her, and cheery with the workers, because she knew they were honestly concerned about her. When she finally got to the men's locker room, which was right down the hall from the women's locker room, it was almost 10 minutes later. She knocked quickly, opened the door slightly, and said, "Female entering." She opened the door more moments later and stood there staring at everybody. The looks on the men's faces was priceless. There was a mixture of surprise and excitement. "It's nice to see you guys, too," she said smiling, "Now where's Brock?" Brock emerged from his cubby hole and took a deep breath. Sara motioned for him to follow her, and he did just that. The door shut quietly behind him.

"So, how have you been this week?" Sara asked him as he walked beside her. "Okay...worried about you. I'm so sorry, Sara, it was a complete accident. I shouldn't have been so--." "Brock, hush. I'm fine. I got a week off. I've rested my body. I'm not wrestling again until next week…now, freak accidents happen in the ring all the time. There's nothing we can do to prevent them," Sara said stopping and looking at him, "That's why they're called accident." Brock sighed heavily and leaned against the wall. "I didn't come to visit you that night because I felt so bad, Sara. I'm sorry, I should've...it would've been the professional thing to do," he said quietly. "Look, Brock, this isn't the first time, and it probably won't be the last, where I'm accidentally hurt. Don't stress over it, because it'll affect your performance, and that's the last thing the fans need. I'm fine...I'm a hell of a lot better than I was Monday night. And I'm happy to be back here. So let's move on, and give these fans a storyline to remember. What do ya say?" she said touching his arm. Brock grinned and said, "Yes, ma'am...I mean, of course, Sara." Sara winked at him before they headed down the hall towards the ring, where Mark had told her to meet him with Brock.


	28. Learning

**Chapter 27...Learning**

As Mark and Brock worked out their match in the ring, Sara took a seat behind the barricade and watched diligently. While she longed to be in the ring, practicing more for her own storyline with Brock, she wanted to give Brock as much time as he needed to work with Mark. Mark had about a year's more experience than Sara had, plus he'd worked the independent circuits before coming to the WWE, so he had a lot more knowledge than Sara. And she wanted Brock to soak up as much knowledge from Mark as possible. When Vince sat down beside Sara, she didn't even notice.

"Sara?" Vince asked tapping her shoulder. Sara looked at him and grinned slightly. "Sorry, Vince," she said. "It's fine. Are you feeling alright?" he asked. Sara smiled and nodded. "I have no urge to get in that ring," she said. Vince looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Alright, I do, but I know that I can't," she said chuckling slightly, "Even though I'm rested up, it's too soon to get back in the ring." "You know just what I wanna hear, don't ya?" Vince asked patting her shoulder. Sara chuckled and said, "Nah, I'm just saying what I should've said last week." Vince nodded and hugged her gently. "I'm glad you're okay, Sara. I really am. Don't you _ever_ scare me like that again," he said quietly. "Yes, sir," Sara said returning the hug. "Alright, I'm gonna get outta here," Vince said standing, "I've got people to see, things to do, and a show to plan." Sara nodded and turned her attention back to Mark and Brock.

A half an hour later, Brock rolled out of the ring and went over to Sara. "What do you think?" he asked, "Does it seems like it'll be a good match?" Sara stood and stretched her arms. "Brock, you'll do fine. Now, come on. It's my turn with you," she said smiling. "I thought you weren't gonna get in the ring?" Brock asked confused. "I'm not, Brock," Sara said winking at him, "Just because I want to talk to you doesn't mean we're automatically getting in the ring. Come on and walk with me." Brock hopped over the banister and headed behind Sara. Sara went up to the balcony, by habit, and took a seat. "So, what'd you have in mind?" Brock asked sitting down beside her. "Well, the way it's supposed to go is I'm going to interfere in the match, attacking you to exact revenge against what happened last week. Mark, of course, is gonna get disqualified, which gives _you_ a win over a "Corporation" member," Sara said smiling. Brock grinned and lowered his head. "I guess that's cool," he commented. "You bet your ass it is. Now, I think that you're gonna be attempting the last pin fall of the match, so I'll jump in the ring and kick you, interrupting that fall. The referee will call for the DQ, and I'll pick you up and start wailing you with punches. You'll stagger back to the nearest corner, and I'll lay into you with some boots. Mark's gonna try to pull me off of you, but I'm gonna just push him back and keep laying into you. Then, I'm gonna get out of the ring, and bring a chair back in. Mark's just gonna stay out of it, since he knows that I'm pissed that you got the win last week. You're gonna manage to stumble out of the corner, but as soon as you stand up, I'm gonna knock you back down with a huge chairshot. You still with me?" Sara said. She'd said her plan in all of 10 seconds, but the look on Brock's face said that he'd heard and understood every word. "Good, after the chairshot, I'm gonna grab the microphone and say a few nasty thoughts before attacking you again with the chair. This time, Mark is gonna pull the chair away, and gonna say somethin' like, 'That's enough'. I'm gonna glare at him, then look back at you, moving towards you. I'm gonna grab the microphone and lean down to your face and be like, 'You've pissed off the wrong one', or somethin' along those lines. Is that cool?" she said a little slower. Brock nodded and said, "It's gonna be good to have you back, Sara." Sara grinned slightly. "Thanks, Brock," she said quietly, "It's good to be back." Sara then stood and said, "Alright, I've got to wrap up more stuff, so I'll see ya around tonight, ok?" Brock nodded and sat back in his seat. He'd come to love sitting in the balcony. It was a quiet place where he could collect his thoughts, go over match sequences, and focus on ways everyone told him he could improve. He wanted to be the best, and taking into account everyone's analyses of his performance was one step to getting there.

Sara headed back to the "Corporation" locker room, but she found herself stopped by Roddy. "Long time no see," he whispered. "It hasn't been that long, Roddy," Sara said. "I've been worried out of my mind, Sara," Roddy said embracing her tightly. Sara grinned slightly and hugged him back. "I appreciate your worry, Roddy, I really do. But I'm fine," she said quietly. "Yeah, of course you are. You wouldn't let this hold you down," he said releasing her. Sara smiled at him as they headed down the hall side by side. "So, how are you really feeling?" Roddy asked. "I'm definitely better than I was last week. I was sick for a day or so at home, but that should've been expected. After the second day, though, I began to feel a lot better. Not having to wrestle, I think, was a big load off. I didn't have that pressure, ya know," she answered honestly. "Well, I'm glad you got to rest up. I was getting really concerned that you were gonna really hurt yourself out there, darling," Roddy said. "Everybody was. I guess it took me a while to realize how over the board I really was going," Sara said. "At least you realized it before you _seriously_ got hurt," Roddy commented as they walked up on the "Corporation" locker room. "Yeah, definitely. I'll see ya around, Roddy," Sara said touching his arm before going into the locker room. Roddy sighed to himself and whispered, "Yeah…see ya around," before heading towards the general locker room.

The time until the show passed by rather quickly for Sara. Her adrenaline had died down a little a few hours before the show, but once she was told there was only an hour until the show came on the air, it went right back up. Throughout the day, she'd kept herself busy by walking around, visiting the ring several times to help plan matches, and talking with several of her co-workers. Those she hadn't seen earlier when she'd gotten to the arena she spoke to now that she had free time. She also spent an hour in the balcony seats, simply collecting her thoughts about her spot with Brock. The fireworks exploded right at nine o' clock. Sara took a deep breath as she sat down beside Andy to watch the beginning of the show. Mark wasn't performing until the top of the second hour, so she decided to sit with Andy until then. "So, how are you feelin'?" Andy asked. "I'm a lot better, Andy. I promise. Everyone's been askin' me all day. I got my rest…I'm not wrestling until next week; I'm fine," Sara said touching his arm. "Well, I haven't seen ya in a week, so how do I know you didn't go working out all over the place?" Andy asked playfully. Sara chuckled softly and shook her head. "I get no trust, I tell ya," she said grinning. Andy smiled back and said, "Mark kept me up to date on how you were doing, so I know you're rested, Sara." "Well, good," she said turning her attention back to the screen. A new women's competitor, whom Sara had yet to meet, was debuting tonight; her name is Lisa Marie Varon, but she was going under the character name of "Victoria". Sara knew that she could someday be performing with this woman, so she made sure to watch the match carefully.

"Sara? You ready?" Mark asked ten minutes before his match. Sara took a deep breath as she looked up at him, a smile creeping onto her face. "I've been ready for a week," she said. Mark rolled his eyes playfully as Sara stood. "I'll be back in a little bit, Andy," Sara said following Mark out. Andy nodded and turned back to the television. "Where's Brock?" Sara asked Mark. "He's already at the entranceway," Mark answered. "Cool, I need to go over our sequence one more time," Sara said. "You've been thinking about it all day; I'm sure you know it like the back of your hand by now," Mark said winking at her. Sara chuckled and said, "I just want to be sure _he_ knows it like the back of _his_ hand." When they arrived at the entranceway, Brock was there sitting in a chair with his head lowered. He'd obviously just finished a warm-up, telling by the slight gleam of his skin. "Hey, there," Sara said. Brock looked up at Sara and said, "How are ya?" "Excited, nervous…I can't really decide," Sara said smiling. Mark touched her shoulder and squeezed gently. "You'll be fine, dollface," he said quietly. Sara nodded and commented, "Yeah, I know. But still…the butterflies are definitely there."

The three stood there conversing about the match until Suzy came up and gave them their two-minute warning. Sara had been warming up while they were talking, so when Suzy gave them the warning, she told Mark and Brock to head up the ramp so she could be alone. "I'm just gonna clear my mind real quick," she said. Mark and Brock nodded before they headed towards the ramp. Sara sat down in the chair Brock had been sitting in and lowered her head. She went over the sequence once more before clearing her mind and beginning to get into character. It was the sound of Brock's music that brought her out of her trance. She stood and quickly headed up the ramp. Mark saw her and said, "I was wondering if you were coming." Sara grinned and punched his arm. Mark's music started moments later, and Sara took a deep breath. The fans had now begun to cheer for certain "Corporation" members, so when Sara and Mark walked through the curtains and were met by loud cheers, neither was surprised. Sara looked around the crowd with a grin on her face, noticing all of the "Welcome Back, Chyna" signs, as well as signs supporting Mark's character. Mark stayed focus on Brock in the ring. He hadn't gotten used to the fans cheering for him as easily as Sara had, since he'd been a heel his entire career.

As Mark slid into the ring, Brock went for the attack, but the referee pulled him back. Mark grinned at Brock before facing one side of the crowd and raising his arms. The loud cheers brought a full smile to Mark's face, and he raised his arms to the opposite side. Sara stood outside the ring and watched Mark bask in the cheers. They'd had many a talk about him loving being a heel. _Being a face is an addiction, though_, Sara thought, _once you get your first cheer, you do what you have to do to get more_. The match started off quite fast-paced, with Mark and Brock going back and forth with technical moves. Finally, Mark gained the advantage with a tornado DDT off the top rope. Sara clapped at the side of the ring, watching as Mark pulled Brock into the corner and laying into him with his fists. The fans cheered in approval as well; they were still upset over the injury sustained by Sara at the hands of Brock. After the fist assault, Mark brought Brock out of the corner, and clotheslined him down with power. Brock landed so hard that even Sara gasped slightly. Mark kneeled down and picked Brock up by the throat, bringing him to his feet, before picking him up off the mat, and chokeslamming him. Sara grinned evilly, and clapped even harder. Mark went for the pin fall, but Brock kicked out after two. Sara grimaced and began to pace the side of the ring. The match continued on, with Mark having the advantage for a good amount of time. Suddenly, when Mark went for his finishing maneuver, a jackknife powerbomb, Brock reversed the momentum with a headscissors takeover. The match was drawing near an end. Brock picked up Mark, and executed the F-5. As he went for the pin fall, Sara slid into the ring and jumped on Brock as planned. The referee called the bell as Sara pulled Brock up and beat him into the corner. Her kicks landed precisely and with impact. The cheers of the crowd at the sight of her revenge pushed Sara even harder. Her hits came faster and harder, Brock failing to block them. When Sara felt Mark grab her arm, she spun around and said, "I owe this son of a bitch! Back off!" Mark grinned to himself and took a few steps back as Sara slid out of the ring. She pulled a chair from under the ring, and quickly slid back in the ring. Brock was already stumbling out of the corner, Sara's eyes narrowed as she swung the chair hard, connected right with the side of Brock's head. He crumpled to the mat and Sara threw the chair down, then grabbed the microphone from the announcer. "This little bastard thought he was tougher than me!" she hissed, "He thought that I couldn't get down and dirty; he thought that I'd lost my mean streak! Ha! What a joke!" The crowd cheered as Sara paced around Brock's beaten body. "I'm gonna have to teach you a hard lesson in respect, Brock. You're going to learn, like so many before you, that you just _do not_ mess…with the '9th Wonder of the World'." Sara then dropped the microphone and picked up the chair, hitting Brock's upper torso with much impact. Referees ran down to the ring, trying to stop Sara, but Mark held them back. Finally, after four or five hits, Mark grabbed Sara's arm. "That's enough," he said quietly, "You're killin' the poor kid." Sara took a deep breath and looked down at Brock, who was curled up, and dropped the chair. "Fine," she said climbing out of the ring, "Hope he learned his lesson."

When they reached the back, Mark stopped Sara. "You feelin' alright?" he asked. "Yeah, hon. It felt so good to be out there again," she answered smiling. "Sara…you beat the hell out of that kid. You didn't realize that?" he said quietly. Brock came limping through the curtains as Sara took a deep breath. She looked over at him, noticing that there was a nice-sized bruise on the side of his head. "When I said you were killin' him, you _were_," Mark whispered. Sara sighed heavily and went up to Brock. "How are ya feelin'?" she asked quietly. Brock smiled and said, "Hey, it comes with the business." "I'm sorry, Brock. I guess I made the same mistake as you…too into the moment to realize the damage I was doing," she said quietly, looking down at the floor. "We all get that way sometimes," Brock commented, "Like I _didn't _do last week, don't think on it." Sara grinned and said, "You're taking this pretty well, Brock. Get some rest, okay?" Brock nodded and headed back towards the locker room area. Sara went up to Mark and said quietly, "We all make mistakes…" Mark nodded and said, "At least you guys worked it out, though." They headed down the hall as well.

After RAW went off the air, Sara joined the others in their locker room. She'd taken a shower after Mark's match, then went and talked some more with Brock, fully explaining her actions. She told him she'd been in somewhat of a trance as soon as she slid into the ring. "I was just _so_ excited to be out there again. I can't tell you what it's like to be away from the crowd, the cheers, all that adrenaline…you can't put the feeling you get from that into words. And to not be able to do it is torture," she'd said. "It's fine, Sara. I completely understand. I'm looking forward to this angle, though," Brock told her, "Working with the same person I worked with in my first television match is gonna be pretty cool." Sara grinned before saying goodbye. The meeting was pretty short. Eric told them their schedule for the next few days, and said, "It's gonna be hectic, guys and gals, so rest up tonight." After the meeting, Sara headed to the car. Her adrenaline had worn out, so she was exhausted now. Mark caught up to her and asked, "Hey, what's the rush?" "I'm actually a little tired," Sara said putting her hand in his. "Really?" Mark said, "A little while ago, you were bouncing off the walls." Sara chuckled softly and looked at the ground, yawning slightly. "I guess you are tired," he said quietly.

Andy met them at the rental car. "Good job out there tonight, Sara. The fans were definitely glad to see you back in the ring," he said putting his duffel bag in the trunk. "Yeah, they were. I heard 'em," she said grinning, tossing her own duffel bag into the trunk as well. "Are we heading to Norfolk tonight?" Andy asked Mark. "I don't know. I have to check with Kevin. Since it's only an hour and a half or so south, we could get solid sleep tonight, and still get to the arena on time tomorrow," Mark said. Kevin walked up with Liz and asked, "So, what are our plans? Drive now or tomorrow morning?" "It's only an hour and a half, guys. We can drive tomorrow morning," Sara suggested. "Doesn't really matter to me, guys," Kevin said. "Alright, it's settled. We'll drive tomorrow," Sara said climbing into the car. Everyone grinned and shrugged their shoulders. "We'll meet in the lobby tomorrow morning at seven, okay?" Mark said opening the driver's door. "Yep. See ya in the morning," Kevin said as he and Liz headed to their rental car. Andy climbed in behind Mark. "Did you hear that, Sara? We're going to meet in the lobby at seven," Mark said pulling out. "Yeah, that's fine," Sara answered resting her head in her arms.

Arriving at the hotel about ten minutes later, Sara sighed to herself. She still had her mind on what had happened in the ring with Brock. If Mark had thought she'd done damage, what had Eric, or her co-workers, or _Vince_ thought? "Sara…you feelin' ok?" Mark asked for the second time that night. Sara looked at him and nodded. "I'll be alright," she whispered climbing out of the car. She quickly headed to the room, to take another shower and fall into bed. When she got in the room, Mark stopped her. "Sara…quit worrying about what happened tonight. Obviously, since neither Eric nor Vince said anything to you, you're fine," he whispered touching her cheek. "But Mark…I feel so bad. I mean, what if I did go overboard? You're always supposed to be aware of what you're doing in the ring…and for once, I wasn't," she said quietly. Mark gently pulled Sara into an embrace, rubbing her back. "Let's get some sleep," he said kissing her forehead. Sara sighed heavily and nodded slightly. Sara stripped down to her underclothes and climbed into the bed, Mark right behind her. She curled up against his body and sighed heavily. "Dollface…I love you," Mark whispered putting his arm around her waist and kissing her ear. "Thank you, baby," Sara whispered, "Thank you." They then both succumbed to the world of sleep.


	29. Ripple Effects

**Chapter 28…Ripple Effects**

The next month and a half went by without incident for Sara. No one, including Vince or Eric, ever questioned her actions against Brock. It was news the Monday before the _War Games_ pay-per-view that brought Sara out of the daze she'd been in recently. "Shawn is going to be winning the World Heavyweight Championship this Sunday, ladies and gents," Eric announced in the pre-show meeting, "We're finally going to have a second Heavyweight champ in this group." Paul had been the first, reigning for just over two months the previous year. Everyone broke out into loud applause, happy for Shawn. He'd been in the "Corporation" for almost two years, and he'd been busting his ass in the company for the previous four. "Now, how long he's to be champ is still up in the air, but I can tell you it will be a fairly lengthy run, even longer than Paul's," Eric said. Sara looked over at Mark and Kevin, hunching her shoulders. The three of them knew how power hungry Shawn was, and while being happy for him, they knew that this run as champion would only increase his selfishness and greediness. After the meeting was over, Sara, Mark, and Kevin headed out the door. "Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy," Kevin commented, "This is gonna be interesting." "That's an understatement," Mark added. "Guys, I really don't think this is gonna be as bad as we think it'll be," Sara said quietly, "Only time will tell." "If what my gut is telling me now comes true, Sara…," Mark said stopping and staring down at her, "This is gonna be a lot _worse_ than we expect…for everybody." Sara sighed heavily; she hated when Mark had gut feelings about things…because he was always right. "Let's just see how things go," she whispered from Mark to Kevin, "Okay?" Both guys hunched their shoulders and agreed. "Now come on. Let's go plan this tag match," Sara said smiling. They headed to the ring, having agreed to meet their opponents, Brock Lesnar and Chris Benoit, there.

The match planning went well. Everyone was satisfied with how it would progress, and even end. They had a match at _War Games_ together, where the Tag Team titles would be on the line, and since Lesnar and Benoit were going to continue their title reign until the October pay-per-view, Mark and Kevin were going to win tonight. "It'll be good to win here," Mark joked as they headed back to the locker room. "Why?" Sara asked. Kevin shook his head, answering, "Hometown, Sara." Sara rolled her eyes and snickered. "Silly man," she joked as they arrived at the "Corporation" locker room, "I'll see you two in a bit." She then headed to the women's locker room to change. She dressed in a tight pair of leather shorts that dipped just below her belly button, and a matching leather bra with thin chain straps. The set was designed by the company's fashion department to accentuate Sara's abdomen. After dressing, Sara headed back to the ring area to help others practice. She was stopped by Eric as she passed the "Corporation" door. "Hey, Sara," Eric said quickly, "You're gonna be out there with Shawn tonight. Get with him, okay?" "Yeah, okay, do you know where he is?" Sara asked. "He should be in the ring practicing. If not, he's in the gym," Eric answered. "Alright, I'll go find him," Sara said heading to the gym first. Shawn was more than likely in the gym. He'd been the last to come around in Sara's attempt to get the group talking with the other wrestlers, and he was still wary about it. Just as she thought, Shawn was in the gym. She walked up to him as he completed a set of crunches.

"Hey there, Sara," Shawn spoke. "Hey Shawn," Sara responded, "Eric said you have a match tonight." "Yeah, yeah," Shawn said. "Have you planned it out yet?" Sara asked. Shawn looked at her with a raised eyebrow, then said, "I'll get around to it." "Shawn, it's almost six o' clock…" Sara mentioned. "I said I'll get around to it," he snapped. "Fine…," she whispered. "What do you want me to do out there, then?" she asked. "Maybe we'll just go with the flow," Shawn said hunching his shoulders. "Are you trying to get somebody hurt, Shawn?" Sara asked tensely, "Do you realize--." "You watch yourself, Sara," Shawn said angrily as he stood, "Watch who you try to go ordering around." He then pushed past her, heading to the locker room to clean up.

"What was that all about?" Sara turned around at the sound of Andy's voice. "Shawn's being himself," she said shaking her head. "Are you okay?" Andy asked walking up to her. "Yeah, I'm fine," she answered, "It takes more than heated words to rile me up." Andy shook his head and asked, "So, what do you think about Shawn becoming champ?" "He deserves it, but I hope it doesn't cause too much trouble," Sara answered quietly, "Come on, let's go sit up in the balcony for awhile." "Alright," Andy answered, "What do you wanna talk about?" "Nothing. I just need to think about some things," Sara said quietly. Mark's ominous words about Shawn seemed to be coming true already. The confrontation with Shawn hadn't bothered her on the surface, but when he pushed passed her, her stomach seemed to lurch. Upon arrival in the balcony area, Sara took a seat as far up as possible. "So, what's on your mind?" Andy asked sitting beside her. "I said I just wanted to sit, Andy," Sara said quietly. "Well, I can't just sit, so let's talk about what's bothering you," Andy responded. Sara sighed heavily and looked out at the lit arena. The crew was running around in the lower part, making last minute adjustments as wrestlers practiced in the ring. "It's just something Mark said earlier…about Shawn being champ," she commented, "I hate his gut feelings, Andy, I swear I do." "You're gonna be fine," Sara. We're all gonna be just fine," Andy said quietly, touching her hand reassuringly. "Andy?" Sara whispered, "Promise you'll always be there for me…to protect me." Andy took a deep breath and said, "Sara…I thought we'd moved past that wall a long time ago. I don't want you to just see me--." "I'm asking you as a friend," Sara said continuing to look out at the arena. "Okay…I promise," Andy said. "Thank you…I'll hold you to that," she whispered. Andy smiled and asked, "You haven't performed in a while. Do you miss it?"

Sara grinned slightly and said, "It's only been a couple weeks. It's nice to have a break." "I suppose with Shawn being champ, you'll be doing a lot more managing," he said. "Oh, pish posh. I can still wrestle and act as bodyguard," she said grinning, "Look at me; I've done it for over a year now." "Yeah, you have," Andy said chuckling, "Remember when we first met?" "Yeah, I hated your guts…for about two or three days," she said smiling, "You're lucky I can't hold a grudge. I probably would still hate you." "You're too nice to hold a grudge," Andy said honestly. "Well, before Kevin's little course in anger management, I was very much able to hold one. I held a grudge against an ex-boyfriend in college for a year and a half," Sara said. Andy laughed deeply and leaned back in his seat. "I could see you holding a grudge for something like that," he laughed. "I was young and immature," Sara said. "What are you now, old and wise?" Andy joked. "Screw you, Andy. I'm still young…just not so dumb," Sara said smiling. "I think the crew's about to clear out of here," Andy commented a few minutes later. "Alright, let's head back," Sara said standing, "I need to go to Janet anyway." The two stood and quickly headed to the back, separating as Sara headed towards hair and make-up. She met up with Liz there. "Hey, girlie, how are you?" Liz asked. "Just fine, actually," Sara answered, "How 'bout yourself?" "Okay, I guess," Liz said as Janet finished curling her hair. "What's the problem, hon?" Sara asked noticing Liz's hands twisting around each other. "We'll talk about it later, okay?" Liz said quietly, then rushing past Sara.

Sara watched Liz walk away as she sat down in Janet's chair. "Did she say anything to you, Janet?" she asked. "Nope," Janet answered, "But she was more than a little rattled when she sat down here, hands shaking…and I would've sworn I saw tears in her eyes." "I'll be back, Janet," Sara said, half-running to check on Liz. However, she wasn't in the women's locker room, the "Corporation" locker room, or in the balcony. Sara went down to the ring and found Kevin. "Hey, have you seen Liz?" she asked quickly. "Nah, I haven't seen her since the meeting. Why?" Kevin answered. Sara took a deep breath and hunched her shoulders. "I just wanted to talk to her," she said. If Kevin didn't know Liz was upset, she didn't want to worry him. "I'm sure she's around here somewhere," Kevin said. "Yeah…you're right," Sara said turning to head back up the ramp, "See ya in a little bit, Kev." Kevin nodded and went back to his conversation with the referee of his match. Sara headed back to Janet to get her hair and make-up done. She had to accompany Carlos out during the pre-recorded show _Velocity_, before going out on RAW.

The next hour passed by quickly. Sara had successfully helped Carlos win his match, and came back to the locker room to relax before the show. Moments after she walked in, Liz came in as well. Sara watched as she went and sat down beside Kevin, locking her hand in his. Kevin looked down at her, holding her gaze, until Liz looked away. Sara wanted to go talk to Liz, but she didn't. She would wait until after the show.

After returning from Mark and Kevin's match (she'd been heavily involved at the end, getting in a tussle with Brock, then helping Mark and Kevin jump on Chris), Sara was stopped by Shawn. "I know what I want you to do tonight," he said. "Good…I was starting to get worried I would just be standing out there," Sara said half-seriously. Shawn chuckled, missing the cryptic message Sara was trying to send. "Alright, since the match is against Dwayne…we agreed for it to be short…basically a 'no contest'," Shawn said quietly. "Who came up with that idea?" Sara asked, "You or him?" "Me…why?" Shawn answered narrowing his eyes. Sara took a deep breath and simply said, "I would think the fans want to see a little more than that…at least a kind of preview match of what'll happen at _War Games_." "Look, I lost track of time. It was the best I could come up with in the few minutes before RAW went on the air," Shawn said heatedly. "You know, as champion, you're gonna have to learn a little more time management," Sara said boldly. Shawn sneered and grabbed her arm, pulling her to the side. "What'd I tell you earlier?" he growled, "Watch that know-it-all attitude of yours. It's gonna get you into trouble one of these days." Sara narrowed her eyes and pulled away. "I will _not_ be threatened, Shawn…not by anyone," she said before heading back to the locker room, "Especially you."

_I cannot believe that arrogant bastard_, she thought angrily, her muscles tensing up, _If he's this bad before he gets the title…what's he be like afterwards?_ Sara was so distracted by her thoughts, she had walked more than four doors past the "Corporation" locker room before realizing it. "See what happens when you lose your temper?" she said to herself, grinning as she walked back and entered. He temper cooled quickly when she sat down beside Andy. "Glad the night's almost over?" Andy asked. "Yeah, actually," she whispered. "Wow…that's a first," Andy commented, "You feeling okay?" Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm alright, Andy," she said quietly, turning her attention to the television screen. She wanted to pay attention to the last couple of matches – one with the newest female Lisa Marie against Amy, and a cruiserweight match between Rey Mysterio and Matt Hardy – before having to be on-screen again.

"You ready?" Sara had been staring at the screen so hard (her anger had been coming back in spurts), she didn't notice that time had zoomed by. She looked up at Shawn with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah," she answered. Shawn turned and headed for the door, Sara following with her jaw clenched. She didn't see Mark looking at her, slightly bewildered. Dwayne was already waiting at the entranceway. "I was starting to think you forgot," he said with a smile. Shawn returned the smile and shook his head. "So, to go over what we're gonna do one last time," Dwayne began, "Shawn, you'll go out first. I'll come out. And we just duke it out. Whenever the referee tries to separate us, we're gonna push past him and keep on fighting--." "And on the third time, we're both gonna punch the referee, then take the fight outside, over the announcer's table, up the aisle and back down again," Shawn continued, "Before getting back in the ring. I'm gonna knock you out on the announcer's side--." "And we're both go for chairs, not seeing the other, of course, until we get back in the ring. We're both gonna swing, and the chairs are gonna hit each other, and you drop yours, giving me the chance to swing and knock you out," Dwayne finished. "And that's where _you_ come in," Shawn said looking at Sara. She had been standing there in shock. The brawl had been very well coordinated and discussed, which was not the impression Shawn and given her. She came out of her daze and perked up quickly. "You get in the ring and check on me. Seeing that I'm 'knocked out', so to speak, you're gonna go after D.J. He's gonna be hesitant to hit you with the chair, and you're gonna take full advantage. Take the chair I had and swing; knock him down with it. Give him a few good kicks and punches for good measure. Then, the referee will pull you off, and me and you are gonna head to the back," Shawn said as his music hit. "Got it," Sara said before they headed out.

A barrage of boos met Shawn as he walked to the ring, along with a chant of "Asshole! Asshole!" Shawn scowled as he headed down to the ring. Climbing in the ring, Sara noticed how agitated Shawn truly seemed. She walked over to him and whispered, "You alright?" "Yeah," he snapped, "I'm just ready to get this shit over with. Now get the hell outta my ring." Sara hid her surge of anger as D.J.'s music hit, and she climbed out of the ring. D.J. jetted down to the ring as planned, and as soon as he slid in the ring, Shawn jumped on him. He got in a few kicks to D.J.'s ribs before the referee pulled him away, forcing him into the far corner as D.J. stood. He ran towards Shawn, jumping over the referee to attack him. The fans cheered at this attempt by their favorite, but booed when the referee separated the two men again. However, Shawn and D.J. both pushed the ref back, engaging in their brawl for a third time. D.J. pulled Shawn out of the corner and vertical suplexed him, before picking him up and throwing him out of the ring. The fans cheered loudly, and D.J. began posing to their liking. Sara attempted to help Shawn stand, but a baseball slide from D.J. hit Shawn squarely in his jaw, causing him to fall into the announcer's table. Shawn ducked a swing from D.J. and headed around the side of the ring, Sara following as well as D.J. D.J. grabbed Sara's arm, spun her around, and knocked her to the ground with a clothesline. She groaned as she took an unexpected bump. She grabbed her back as the fans cheered even more. D.J. then turned his attention to Shawn, who was halfway up the ramp now. He ran after him and put a forearm directly in the back of Shawn's head, and knocked him to the metal aisle. "Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!" the crowd chanted loudly. D.J. smiled as he picked Shawn up and threw him back down the aisle. Sara had managed to get to her feet and was now glaring at D.J. If looks could kill, he'd be withering in the spot where he stood; the one thing Sara hated the most was not being told about a bump she was supposed to take. Shawn bounded back after a missed punch of D.J.'s, and threw him over the top rope on the announcer's side.

"Get me a chair!" Shawn demanded of Sara. Sara nodded as she reached under the ring for a steel chair. She hurried to hand it to Shawn, seeing D.J. slide into the ring with his own chair. Both men turned around and glared at each other. D.J. was a hair quicker, swinging his chair first. The vibrations forced Shawn to release his chair, and D.J. swung a second time, hitting Shawn directly on the top of his head. The fans screamed their delight as Shawn crumpled to the mat. D.J. smiled and dropped his chair, once again appealing to the fans. Sara sneered as she slipped into the ring, crawling over to Shawn. His eyes were closed, and there was a dribble of blood on his forehead. Sara grabbed the chair near Shawn and stood. D.J. was still appealing to the crowd, seemingly unaware that they were now shouting warnings of the impending attack by Sara. As soon as he turned, Sara whacked him hard with the steel chair. D.J. slumped just as Sara had, and Sara sneered in satisfaction. "Arrogant son of a bitch," she hissed turning her attention to Shawn. She dropped her knees beside him and tapped his cheek. "Shawn? Come on, let's get out of here," she said helping him roll out of the ring. She put his arm over her shoulder, and helped him to the back. When they got through the curtains, Shawn pulled away from Sara hastily.

"Who told you to try to follow me up the fucking ramp?" he sneered. "Excuse me?" Sara asked. "You tried to follow me up the ramp. That was not part of the plan. You could've fucked it all up," Shawn said angrily. "Look, I was just 'goin' with the flow'," Sara snapped back, "That didn't give D.J. the right to force me to take a bump I wasn't ready for. "Well, if you had just stayed by the ring, it wouldn't have happened!" Shawn growled. "You are unbelievable, Shawn. It's a wonder how you've managed to get to the top, as selfish, ignorant, and egotistical as you are!" Sara hissed. She knew she'd hit a sore spot when Shawn stopped and faced her. He stepped towards her until she backed up and hit the wall. "Don't _ever_ talk to me like that again…you have _no idea_ what kind of influence I have, Sara. I will make your life a _living hell_," he said menacingly, grabbing her jaw. He squeezed hard, getting struggles from Sara until tears came to her eyes. "I had you broken once, Sara. If needs be, I'll do it again _myself_," he said before storming to the locker room.

Sara stood where she was, her breathing harsh and fast. "Sara?" Her name had been called by two different people from two different directions. She looked to her left first, and spotted Dwayne. "Yeah?" she answered. "Hey, I wanted to apologize for that clothesline. It was the first move that came through my mind," he responded coming up to her. "It's fine, D.J.," Sara said trying to slow her breathing. "Are you sure you're okay? I didn't mean to catch you off guard like that," D.J. said. Sara swallowed and nodded slowly. "Rest easy, D.J. I think the match Sunday is gonna be a little hardcore," Sara said offering her hand for a handshake. Dwayne took it and said, "I'll see ya Sunday, then," before heading to the general locker room. "Sara?" Sara turned around and faced Andy. "Hi, Andy," she said quietly. Andy took Sara's hands and held them gently. When they started trembling on their own, he looked at her. "What happened?" he asked. "Nothing," Sara answered snatching her hands away. She tried to pass him, but Andy blocked her. "Look, Andy…this bodyguard stuff is getting old," she whispered. "I saw Shawn storming down the hall; I see you moments later about to hyperventilate…I just put one and one together," he said quietly. "You're sometimes too good, Andy. I'm just gonna let this go, okay? It's not worth causing a ruckus," she said heading into the women's locker room, "I'll see you in a little bit." Andy went to object, but he knew Sara needed to hurry and clean up.

Sara took more time in the shower than necessary, mainly to calm herself down. _I had you broken once. If needs be, I'll do it again myself._ Shawn's words echoed in her mind as she walked into the "Corporation" locker room. Eric had just begun the post-show meeting; Shawn stared at her as she sat down beside Liz. "Alright, good showing tonight, guys. Everyone did a real good job. The next four weeks are gonna be fast-paced, with matches four days a week, and appearances the other three. Tomorrow night, we're in Dallas for the Smackdown taping. And since it's getting late, we're gonna head back to the hotel now. Get as much sleep as you can; you're gonna need your energy," Eric said, "Meet in the lobby at eight a.m. sharp. See ya tomorrow." Sara stood to leave, but Liz stopped her. "I've been meaning to talk to you, Sara…since earlier," she said as everybody bustled out. Sara looked around at Mark, motioning to him that she would meet him at the limo. Sara slowly sat down as Shawn walked out, throwing Sara one last look.

"So, what's up?" Sara asked. "It's something that happened earlier…with Shawn," Liz whispered. "What'd he do?" Sara asked, her temper renewed. With all of the lessons Kevin had taught her, she was suddenly finding it very easy to lose control. "He made a pass at me…forced a kiss when I told him no…c-could've gone far-farther…if D.J. hadn't walked up," Liz said quietly, her hands beginning to twist around each other. Sara stood and stormed out. She didn't have to go very far; Shawn had been taking his time leaving, so Sara caught up to him at the exit door. "You slimy son of a bitch!" she hissed. "Excuse you?" he said wheeling around and facing her. "You heard me! How dare you do that to Liz, you…you-you…" Sara's speech had slowed as Shawn backed her into the nearest wall. "Sara, Sara, Sara…," Shawn whispered touching her cheek. Sara trembled slightly, pushing his hand away, as she saw anger sweep throughout Shawn's face. "Don't fuck with me, Sara…what I did to Liz was nothing. It was a kiss," he said, a malicious grin on his face, "You uptight, snotty little bitch…I could have my way with you if I wanted. Or I could do a lot _worse_." Sara blinked as she looked away, her breathing suddenly becoming shallow. That was the second time in one night that Shawn had threatened her. This time, however, sounded even worse, and more serious, than the first. "I see you are _finally_ taking me serious," Shawn said gripping her jaw, "Trust me, Sara…I will do _whatever it takes_ to remove obstacles from my path to the top. But I will do even more to stay there. So don't fucking test me!" He then left Sara standing there, feeling suddenly very fearful, lost in a daze.

"Sara…come on," Liz said moments later. Sara took a deep breath, nodded when Liz handed her duffel bag over, and followed her to the limo. "I was gonna come lookin' for you if you took any longer," Andy said as they walked up. Sara forced a smile as Liz hurriedly climbed in. "Sara…something happened again, didn't it?" Andy asked quietly, stopping Sara by grabbing her arm. "Forget it, Andy," Sara answered. "How am I supposed to protect you if you don't tell me anything?" Andy asked quietly. "How are you supposed to protect me if you're not there?" Sara whispered suddenly, then sighing, "I'll tell you later." She then climbed in beside Mark. "What took so long?" he asked in her ear. "Just a little girl talk. Sorry about that," she whispered touching his knee. "Somethin' happen?" he asked as Andy climbed in and shut the door, the limo pulling off. "No, Mark…stop worrying so much, will ya?" she whispered leaning against him. She suddenly felt very cold, but her face was dotted with sweat. When she started trembling against Mark, she forced herself to stop.

When they finally arrived at the hotel – it had been a quiet ride – Andy helped Sara out. "Come here, Sara," he said pulling her to the back of the limo so that she wouldn't block the door. "Sara, you can't--." "He threatened me, Andy," she whispered. "Who?" Andy asked. "Shawn," she answered, "Twice." Sara saw Shawn climb out of his own limo, and lowered her gaze. She didn't see the conquering look Shawn gave her as he entered the hotel, but Andy did. "Sara…just go up and get some sleep. I promised you I'd protect you…I won't break it," he whispered. Sara sighed heavily and did as she was told. Mark was waiting for her in the lobby. "Are you okay?" he said quietly, "You haven't been yourself all evening." Sara nodded and whispered, "Sleep." Mark nodded and grinned. "You and me both," he said.

When they finally got into their room, it was quarter to twelve. Sara changed into a t-shirt and shorts as Mark climbed into bed. She lied down beside him, but couldn't sleep. She felt deprived…Shawn had chipped away a bit of her pride, and she hated him for it. Mark's gentle breathing indicated his sleep, and it brought Sara back to reality. She climbed from underneath him and went out onto the balcony. The cool September air whipped around her, yet there was a little humidity in the air. The cloudless sky showed a perfect, full moon shining down on Houston. Shawn's words crept back into her mind, and she shivered. _He meant it…he honestly meant it_, she thought. The fear she felt in the arena coursed through her veins again. Provoking Shawn could put her in harm's way…but neither Andy nor Mark would let that happen.

"Sara?" Sara gasped and spun around. "What are you doin' out here, dollface?" Mark asked walking up to her. Sara was at a loss for words now. If she told Mark about Shawn's threats, he'd try and beat Shawn to death. If she didn't, she'd have to deal with the fear on her own. "Fresh air," she heard herself say, "I just…needed…some fresh air." Mark put his hands on her shoulders, feeling her flinch. "What in the world is wrong with you, Sara?" Mark asked, cupping her face gently, "You haven't been this jumpy since…Patrick bruised your neck." Sara shook her head and just said quietly, "Let's go to bed." Mark hesitated, but Sara pulled him inside. She lied down, and Mark climbed in behind her, putting his arm around her waist protectively. "Nothin', and _nobody_, will hurt you as long as I'm here, dollface," Mark said quietly. Sara didn't know how Mark knew that she was scared, but she was thankful. "I love you, Mark," she whispered. "Sleep well, baby," Mark whispered kissing her ear. Sara nodded and closed her eyes, Mark's body heat and deep breathing finally pulling her into the world of sleep.


	30. Concerned

**Chapter 29…Concerned**

Sunday came sooner than Sara would've liked. She had managed to get through the week without anymore confrontations with Shawn. Then again, Andy had made a point to stay by her side wherever she went, unless she was in her room. Usually, Sara would've been annoyed by this constant following, but for once, she was truly grateful. Even when Mark was able to be by her side, Andy was there as well. At one point, as they lie in bed, Mark questioned Andy's seemingly watchdog tactics. "Andy's been keeping a mighty close watch on you lately. What's up with that?" he'd asked. Sara had tensed up slightly, even felt her face flush, but forced her muscles to relax. "Nothing is wrong, Mark, jeez," she'd whispered, "You're the biggest worrywart I know."

Sara awoke Sunday morning around seven a.m. She quietly climbed out of bed, attempting not to wake Mark. They didn't have to be up for another two hours, but she wasn't tired. "Sara?" She turned around and saw Mark turn to face her. "Go on back to sleep, hon. It's quarter to seven," she whispered. "Well, why are you up so early then?" Mark asked sitting up. "Go back to sleep, Mark. I'll be out in a bit," she answered softly before going into the bathroom. She took a hot shower, taking twice as long as usual to wash her hair a couple times and bathe. When she stepped out, she felt a little refreshed, but there were still butterflies in her stomach. Tonight was going to be a big night. Even though she wasn't wrestling, Eric had told her she was going to be a big part of Shawn's match. "Sara, what are you doin' in there?" Mark asked suddenly, "It's half past seven!" "Nothin'. I'm almost finished," she answered wrapping herself in a towel. Opening the door, she found Mark standing there looking exhausted. "Are _you_ feeling okay?" she asked touching his cheek, "Did you not sleep well?" Mark looked away before Sara could make contact with his eyes; he wouldn't admit that _her_ tossing and turning had kept him awake most of the night. "I'm fine, Sara. Now will you get outta here so I can take a piss?" he answered. "Watch your mouth, mister!" Sara said moving past him and swatting his head. She laughed as he reached for her, pulling her into his arms. His lips brushed past her several times without actually kissing her. "Is my mouth really that dirty?" he asked, his mouth again drifting towards hers. "Of course not, baby," she said pulling away. Mark chuckled and shut the bathroom door.

Sara dressed in a pair of loose sweatpants and short-sleeved t-shirt. She called Andy on his cell phone. She didn't trust calling his room number – he roomed with Shawn, and Sara couldn't stomach speaking with Shawn if she didn't have to. "Hello???" a groggy voice answered. "Andy? I'm sorry to call so early," she said quietly. "Nah, it's no problem," Andy answered, waking up more fully, "What's wrong?" "Nothin'. I just wanted to go on a little walk before we left for the arena," Sara responded. "Alright. 20 minutes?" he said. Sara agreed before hanging up her phone. She'd just recently gotten a cell phone (beforehand having hated them with a passion), but she needed one now. Mark came out a few minutes later in a towel. "I'm goin' on a walk with Andy. You wanna come?" she asked stretching out on the bed. "Nah, I'm gonna try and get a little more sleep," Mark answered dressing in his own comfortable sweats and t-shirt. He lied down beside Sara, taking a deep breath when she faced him. "I'm sorry I kept you awake last night," she whispered suddenly. Mark sighed heavily and touched her cheek gently. So she knew after all. "Mind telling me what upset you so much?" he asked quietly. Tears came to Sara's eyes as she simply said, "Nightmares…really horrible nightmares." Mark's arms wrapped around her and pulled her closer. "You're safe, baby. You're always gonna be safe. You've got me…you've got Andy…don't be afraid of anything, okay?" he told her. Sara nodded slightly as Mark held her close. Mark yawned slightly before closing his eyes and drifting into a deep sleep.

A knock on the door drew Sara's attention away from Mark's comforting arms. She climbed out of bed very carefully, not waking Mark this time, and ran to the door. She opened it and saw Andy was about to knock again. "Sorry," she whispered, "I'll be right out." She shut the door and put on her tennis shoes, kissed Mark's forehead, then left the room as quietly as possible.

"So…more nightmares?" Andy asked as they headed out their hotel. Sara had first told him of the nightmares Tuesday morning on the plane ride over to Dallas. Each was different, but with the same theme: her wrestling career ended suddenly after some tragic even occurred. Sara swallowed and scanned the early morning streets of Chicago. There were a great number of people on the sidewalks; then again, it _was_ Chicago, and there _was_ a pay-per-view that night. "You think they're premonitions?" she asked quietly, dead serious. Andy laughed and put his arm around her neck, giving her head a playful rub with his other hand. "And I thought Mark was the paranoid one," he joked, "You're turning into a psychic, then, you suppose?" "You're not helping, Andy," Sara said quietly, but Andy heard the relief in her voice. "I'm just trying to help you ease up," he responded, "If you don't calm down, you're gonna give yourself _and_ Mark a breakdown." Sara sighed heavily and looked at her feet. She hadn't realized how much Mark _was_ being affected by her stress. This morning had shown her a glimpse of it. He was beside himself with worry about her, but he knew there was nothing he could do to protect her from her own fear.

"Excuse me, Chyna?" Sara turned around and looked down at this little boy holding a piece of paper, pen, and a camera. His head was covered in short, copper-colored hair, his eyes were a bright green, and his smile was tarnished only by a missing tooth in the front of his mouth. "Sure, kid," she answered immediately, kneeling down as he handed the paper and pen to her. "What's your name?" she asked. "Stephen," the kid answered. Sara signed her stage name neatly, adding the message, "Thanks, Stephen, for being a fan," before handing it to Andy for him to sign as well. "You want a picture, too?" she asked pointing at the camera. "Pretty please," Stephen answered, smiling sweetly. Sara grinned as a woman who looked to be the mother walked up. "Thank you so much," she said to Sara. "No problem," Sara said as she picked up the boy. "Smile big for me, now," she said pinching his cheek. A smile as wide as Sara's four fingers spread across his face. The mother took the picture, then Sara let the boy down off her hip. "Are you going to be at the pay-per-view tonight?" Sara asked. "Yeah, it's his sixth birthday, and he's a really big fan," the woman answered, "Front row, actually." "Awesome! I hope you enjoy the show," Sara said, before holding her hand out to the little boy, "Happy birthday, Stephen. I guess I'll see you tonight, then?" Stephen nodded his head furiously, and shook her hand. "Have a good day, ma'am," Andy said smiling, "I hope you enjoy Chicago." "Thank you both so much," the mother said again. Sara nodded as she and Andy turned to walk away.

"That was really nice of you, Sara," Andy commented quietly. "I'm a sucker for a cute kid," Sara responded, "If I ever have kids, I want 'em to look just like that." "I'm sure you'll be a great mom," Andy said. "Gee, thanks, Andy," Sara said as they crossed the street. They walked up a couple more blocks before finally turning back. Sara felt it easier than ever to open up to Andy. His personality just matched so well with hers. It was amazing how they'd progressed in just a year's time.

"Thanks for walking with me, Andy," Sara said when they walked into the hotel lobby. "Will you stop thanking me for the small stuff? This morning was nothing. Thank me when I do something major," Andy said smiling. Sara stopped and faced him. "I guess I just feel…safe…with you," she said honestly, "Kind of like I do when I'm with Mark." Andy sighed and looked down at her; he was at a loss for words. "Now that's a compliment." Sara spun around and found herself face-to-face with Shawn. She backed up into Andy, and he touched her shoulder reassuringly. She calmed down a little and said, "He deserves it." "Are you excited about tonight?" Shawn asked, changing the topic. "Yeah, it should be fun," Sara answered. "It will be fun," Shawn commented, "Do you have any ideas for what you wanna do out there?" "No, I haven't really thought about it yet," Sara said quickly. She wanted to leave, but she knew Shawn wouldn't let her until he wanted to. "Well, maybe we can get with D.J. when we get there, if he's there," Shawn said quietly. "Yeah, I'm sure he'll be there," she responded. "Hate to cut this short, Shawn, but we have to get our stuff," Andy said quietly. Sara felt relief flood through her body. Andy knew exactly when to step in, it seemed. "Right, right. See ya in a bit, then," Shawn responded as Andy pulled Sara away. "Oh, my God, thank you," Sara whispered as they headed to the elevator. "I do what I can," Andy answered, "You better calm down before you go in your room. You still look rattled." Sara nodded and rubbed her hands across her eyes. She'd never been afraid of any man, and the fact that Shawn _could_ scare her angered her greatly. "Why can he do that to me, Andy?" she asked in the elevator, "How can he make me feel so…so vulnerable?" "I don't know, Sara…but rest assured that _someone_ will always be looking out for you. You, me, Kevin, and Mark are not the only ones wary of Shawn," Andy said quietly, "I just think some of the others are waiting to see how out of control he'll get before they say something."

The elevator doors opened on Sara's floor, and Andy walked her to her door. "Thanks again, Andy, for steeping in down there," Sara said unlocking the door, "That was right on the money." "I'll see you downstairs," Andy said winking at her. Sara smiled and entered her room. Mark was still laid out on the bed, deep asleep. Sara sighed to herself, realizing again it was her fault Mark was so exhausted. She quietly packed their things up, straightened up the room and bathroom, and then went over to the bed. She gently touched Mark's cheek before kissing his lips softly. "I'm so grateful that I have you, Mark. You truly are a blessing in every way. God…I can't fathom where I would be without you," she whispered. Mark didn't move, so she continued. "You're a great man, Mark…you really are," she whispered. "A man could move mountains if he heard that when he woke up." Sara smiled as Mark's eyes opened and locked with hers. "Where did that come from?" Mark asked quietly. "I don't know. It just came to me when I saw you sleeping," Sara answered sitting down beside him. Mark turned on his side, rested up on his elbow, and took Sara's hand in his own. "Sara…you're worried about something. What it is, and why you won't tell me, I don't know. And it's killin' me that I can't protect you from it more," he said quietly, "Just please understand that I love you…and I don't wanna see you like this." Sara felt so guilty for keeping her fear of Shawn from Mark, but she knew that if she told Mark, it would only cause more trouble. She gently kissed him once more, before saying, "I don't like to see you worried so much about me. So like you did with Patrick, let me handle this…please." Mark sighed heavily and looked away. "Come on, we have to get downstairs," Sara said standing, "I've already packed and cleaned everything up." "Alright, I'll meet you down there," Mark said. "Alright," Sara whispered grabbing her duffel bag and suitcase. She knew Andy wasn't ready yet, and she didn't want to be in the lobby alone with Shawn, but she knew she had to face her fear. If not, Shawn would continue to believe he'd defeated her.

Sara spotted Shawn as soon as she stepped out of the elevator. He was sitting at one of the tables eating a small breakfast from the continental breakfast counter. She sat down a few tables over and turned towards the television. She only looked at it so as to not make eye contact with Shawn; she could feel his eyes all over her. "I see you're without your watchdogs," she heard him say, "That's a big step." "I am not afraid of you, Shawn," she said quietly. "Oh, I'm sure of that, Sara, believe me. You're a unique woman, you know that. You're not one to be intimidated. I admire that," he said coming over to her. Sara tensed up when he sat down beside her. "Even when you first came to this group…without knowing it, you changed the dynamics of it. It used to be less open, more clique-y. And now…it's different, all because of you," he said quietly, pushing her hair away from her face. "What's your point?" she asked, her breathing harsh. "I just wanted to apologize…for how I've treated you this week," Shawn answered. Sara looked at Shawn, her eyes narrowed. "What are you playing at, Shawn? You threaten me…twice. You sexually assault one of my best friends. You try your hardest to scare me into submission. And now I'm supposed to forget all that, and just be friends with you?" she snapped. "I don't know, Sara…that's your decision," Shawn answered, "I just don't like this tension…it's not healthy." At that moment, Andy walked up and touched Sara's shoulder. She jumped and looked over her shoulder at him.

"You okay?" Andy asked. Sara looked at Shawn, who'd stood up. "I hope we can talk about this later, Sara," he said before walking away. Sara sighed as Andy sat down where Shawn had been. Her heart was pounding in her throat, and her skin was flushed. "Take a few deep breaths…in through your nose, out through your mouth," Andy whispered taking her hands in his and massaging them gently. Sara nodded her head and did as she was told. She managed to calm herself down before everyone came pouring into the lobby. "Better?" Andy asked quietly. "I think so…yeah, I think so," she whispered. "You wanna tell me what you were thinkin', comin' down here alone…knowing he was down here?" Andy asked. "I just…needed to show him, and myself…that I wasn't afraid of him," Sara answered. "And you see what happened?" Andy said quietly. Sara glared at him, angry at him for the first time in a long while. "Andy, I'm not a child…I knew what the risk was, and I took it…and I'm just fine," she snapped standing. "Sara, you know that's not what I meant," Andy whispered. "I don't like being demeaned, Andy…not by Shawn, and sure as hell not by you!" Sara hissed before going over to sit with Liz. She knew that Andy was only looking out for her, but his words had offended her.

"What's wrong, hon?" Liz asked when Sara sat down beside her. "Just…nothing, Liz. I'll be fine. How are _you_ feeling?" Sara answered quietly, "He hasn't tried anything else, has he?" "No, he hasn't. But Kevin's been really concerned about me, keeping an eye on me and whatnot," Liz answered. "That's good, though, Liz. Don't let him get too stressed out, though, okay?" Sara said. "Yeah, yeah, he's easing off a little bit," Liz said, "Shawn seems to have calmed down a little over the past few days." Sara sighed and lowered her head. "I hope so," she whispered. Mark walked in a few minutes later, with Eric. "Everyone here?" Eric asked. "Yeah," Shawn said. "Alright, let's roll outta here, then," Eric said heading out the front door. Sara waited for Mark, not moving until he came over to her. "You okay, dollface?" he asked in her ear. "Yeah, I was just waiting for you," she answered standing. Mark put Sara's hand in his before heading out to their limo. Andy was standing there waiting for them. "I'm sorry, Andy," she whispered after Mark had climbed in, "I know you're only trying to look out for me." When Andy didn't say anything, she sighed heavily and climbed inside.

The ride to the arena wasn't quiet. Kevin and Mark were busy talking about their match that night, and things they wanted to do. Scott was talking to Liz about his match that night; she was going to be accompanying him. Sara tried to get Andy to talk to her, but he wouldn't. She'd offended him, and his pride, and it was going to take him a while to get over it. When they got to the arena, Andy was as polite to her as ever, but his behavior was obviously forced. "Sara?" Sara had been following Mark into the building, but Shawn had called her from behind. Andy had continued walking, leaving her there to fend for herself. "What do you need?" she asked. "Well, I was just wondering if we could go somewhere, continue what we were…talking about at the hotel?" Shawn asked. "_We_ weren't talking…you were," she said quietly. "Sara…I'm tryin' here. I'm tryin' to be a good person. But you gotta meet me halfway," Shawn said. Sara took a deep breath and looked over her shoulder. Eric, the last person out of his limo, had just walked into the building, and Sara was now alone with Shawn. "Will you?" Shawn asked again. "Fine," she whispered. "Thank you," Shawn said quietly, "I'll meet you at ringside, then, in an hour?" "Yeah…an hour," she answered before turning and going into the building. She couldn't believe that she'd actually agreed to meeting Shawn. When she walked through the door, Andy grabbed her arm and pulled her down the hall.

"And what the hell is this about?" she gritted. "We need to talk," Andy said simply. "Look, Andy…I apologized, alright. I'll do it again: I'm sorry!" she said stopping and pulling her arm away. "Sara, you know that you mean a lot to me…I don't want to see you put in danger…so if that means that I have to protect you from yourself, I will," Andy said quietly. Sara took a deep breath and tensed up. "And what does that mean?" she asked, her voice heated. "I know that you think Shawn is turning a new leaf, but he's not. I've heard him on the phone. With who, I don't know, but he damn sure brags about how he's putting on this new face so everybody can get off his back," Andy said quietly, "So I will _not_ let you meet with him alone…at any time. If I have to tell Mark what it is you're so afraid of, I will. Maybe he can do something." "Mark doesn't control me, Andy! As close as we are, don't you ever think that he controls me!" Sara snapped, pushing Andy back, "And you don't either! You should've learned by now that I don't react well to threats!" Andy sighed heavily and shook his head. "Why do you always read into things, Sara? I'm not trying to baby you, dammit! I'm trying to protect you. You always get on my case about how I'm never there, and then when I try to be, you jump down my throat!" Andy said, getting angry as well. "You sure as hell didn't bother to stick around a few minutes ago!" she spat. "You want to take risks so much, I thought you'd want to take another one," Andy said back. "I don't like being around Shawn, Andy. I never have, probably never will. But I will do what's necessary to show someone I'm not afraid of them," she said quietly, calming down slightly. "That's fine and dandy, Sara, but sometimes…you just need to stay away from some people…and Shawn is one of those people," Andy responded touching her shoulders, "Now what exactly did he want outside?" "To meet with me…to continue his little rant from the hotel," Sara answered. "When?" Andy asked. "In about an hour…at ringside," she whispered, "I didn't have a choice. He gave this sob story about wanting to be a good person, and me having to meet him halfway in order for it to work. I agreed just to get him off my case." "Alright. I'll be down there with you. I'll sit a few rows back, but I'll be down there," Andy said releasing her. "Thank you," Sara whispered looking down at the ground. Andy forced her to look at him, and then said, "Sara…I care about you, okay…it goes beyond the whole 'bodyguard' thing. We're friends now, and have been for a while, and friends look out for each other." Sara nodded before saying, "Let's go down to the locker room. I'm sure Mark's worried about me." Andy nodded in agreement and followed behind her.


	31. Mistaken

**Chapter 30…Mistaken**

Sara did indeed meet Shawn as she had agreed. The morning meeting had taken a little longer than usual, but Sara had kept her word. Andy had also kept his word, heading out to ringside ahead of Sara, and sitting five rows back. The ring crew had yet to arrive to set up, so Andy realized he was going to have to sit in the regular seats. Shawn sat down in the front row of the seats, not seeing Andy. When Sara walked down the stairs beside Andy, he grabbed her hand. She mouthed "Thank you" before heading down to where Shawn was. "Thanks for comin', Sara," Shawn said as she sat down. "Let's just get this over with," Sara whispered. Shawn took a deep breath and looked away. "Look, Sara…this is as hard for you as it is for me. I'm not used to this," he said. "Used to what?" Sara asked. "Conceding," he answered. "And just what are you conceding to?" she asked. "Being the person that everybody wants me to be," Shawn answered, "Considerate…helpful, ya know. It's not easy when you're at the top to see yourself as equal to the people below you." Sara smirked and said, "You're no better than any person in this company, Shawn. You just happen to have the right attention focused on you. And because of the way you act, when that focus begins to change, you're gonna be stuck in a loop. Unless you change." Shawn, determined to maintain control of the conversation, changed the topic immediately. She was beginning to bruise his ego, and if he wasn't careful, Shawn would end up attacking her. "So, in order for me to change, I thought I would start with our relationship. I mean, everyone around here seems to look up to you so much," he said quietly, "Maybe if they see you warming up to me…" "Then they'll get off your case so much?" Sara asked quietly. Shawn looked away and clenched his jaw. "Look, Shawn…the only way you're ever gonna change…is if you really want to. And with you becoming champion tonight, you better want to. People will only put up with you for so long," Sara said before standing and heading up the stairs.

She stopped at Andy and grinned slightly. "Thanks for the tip on Shawn. You were right," she whispered. Andy stood and touched her shoulder. "Told you I only want to look out for you. Now come on. Maybe you can find somethin' to do around here until Shawn gets the motivation to find D.J.," he said quietly. Sara chuckled as Andy led the way up the stairs. When she glanced back at where Shawn was sitting, she noticed the stiffness of his body. She knew she'd angered him, but she didn't care. It was time he was put in his place, and Sara felt that that was the right opportunity for her to do so.

Mark met her at the top of the stairs with his arms crossed. "What's wrong?" she asked. "And just what were you doing with him alone?" Mark asked, referring to Shawn. "Andy was there. Nothin' was gonna happen, Mark, jeez. I thought I told you to stop worrying so much," Sara said walking past him. "Yeah, I told her earlier. She's not gonna be around Shawn alone, Mark, ever," Andy said reassuringly. Mark took a deep breath. "That guy is sketchy, Sara. I don't trust him one bit," Mark said quietly heading down the hall beside her. "Neither do I, Mark. Until he shows me otherwise, I won't trust him," she said, "Now can we change the subject?" "Come on, let's go get a workout in real quick," he answered. "Good idea. I'll go change, and meet you in the gym," she said. Mark nodded and separated from her and Andy. "Good way to ease his mind," Andy commented. Sara chuckled and nodded. "He's a physical guy. What better way to let out frustration than a workout," she said smiling.

Andy walked Sara to the women's locker room, waited for her to change, and then accompanied her to the arena gym. He could get a workout in while Mark and she trained together. Andy started first on his cardio. He didn't wrestle as much as everybody else had been in the least amount of angles, so he did a lot of cardio in the gym. The treadmill worked best for a cardiovascular workout, so Andy spent most of his time on that machine. He finished up about 45 minutes later; Sara and Mark were sparring in a corner of the gym. It was a small workout room, so there was no boxing ring. Andy chuckled as he stretched out his legs, and prepared for his weight workout. To maintain the thin, muscled look, Andy did high reps of low weights. He also did a variety of abdomen exercises to sculpt his stomach, which had been given to him when he'd become a bouncer in Toronto.

"Andy, you finished yet?" Sara asked an hour later. She'd finished working out a half an hour before Andy, so she approached him in the middle of his abdomen workout. "Yeah, give me a few minutes," Andy answered. "I'll meet you back in the locker room, I'm gonna go take a shower and change," she said. "Alright, that's fine," Andy said. Sara smiled as she headed out of the gym, towards the women's locker room. On her way there, she saw something that shocked the hell out of her: Shawn and D.J. were sitting down, laughing their heads off. Shawn saw her and waved, motioning for her to come over. Sara took a deep breath as she walked over to them. "Hey, Sara," D.J. said. "Hey, D.J., how's it goin'?" she asked. "Good. Did you know that Shawn has a sense of humor to match mine?" D.J. said with a smile. Sara looked at Shawn with raised eyebrows. "No, I didn't," she said quietly. "Yeah, I don't show it often," Shawn said grinning, "But it's time I opened up, huh?" Sara grinned slightly and nodded. "I suppose so," she said quietly. "Tell her the one you were just tellin' me, man," D.J. said chuckling. "Sorry, D.J., but I gotta get cleaned up," Sara said, still looking at Shawn, "I'll meet you guys later." "We'll be at the ring, more than likely," Shawn said quietly. "Good. See ya later," Sara said before walking away. The look in Shawn's eyes stayed with her until she did make her way down to the ring. It was a look of actual happiness, of a comfortableness that she'd never seen before. It had looked as though Shawn truly wanted to change, and was on his way down that path.

"So, what do you think?" Sara blinked a few times as she came back to reality. Her mind had been drifting the past few minutes; she'd been in the ring with Shawn and D.J. for well over two hours, bouncing ideas and choreographing their match. "It sounds really good, Shawn," she answered, "You guys are gonna surprise a lot of people tonight, fans and boys alike." Shawn looked at her and grinned. "Yeah, we are," he commented. "Alright, I'm gonna head back to the locker room," D.J. said rolling out of the ring, "I'll see ya at lunch, Shawn." "Yep," Shawn said as he laid on his back beside Sara. D.J. headed up the ramp as Sara stood. "You really do wanna change, huh?" Sara asked quietly, kneeling down beside his side. "Yeah, I do, Sara," he said sitting up, "This act is getting old. You showed me that." Sara took a deep breath as her eyes once again locked with Shawn's. He was a good guy, deep down inside; over the years, he'd become calloused and uncaring. Sara, however, was slowly beginning to see what he hid: a good-hearted man with as many faults as the next. Who was she to judge him, when she had her own set of faults. "Sara?" She broke her contact with Shawn and looked over her shoulder. Mark was standing at ringside with Andy. "Hey, baby, what's up?" she asked standing. "You busy?" he asked. "Nah, we just finished," she answered. "Can we talk?" Mark asked quietly. "Sure," she said climbing out of the ring, "I'll see ya later, Shawn." Shawn grinned slyly as the trio walked up the ramp towards the back. Shawn had managed to dupe Sara; he didn't know he was that good an actor. _God, I'm good_, he thought rolling out of the ring.

"You spent quite a while in the ring, didn't you?" Mark asked Sara as they headed to the catering room. It was going on noon, so they wanted to grab a bite to eat. "It's a big match, Mark. Of course it's gonna take a while to plan," Sara countered. She knew that Mark wasn't concerned with how long she'd been in the ring, but the fact that she was there that long with Shawn. "You know what I mean," Mark said quietly. "Mark, will you get off of Shawn's case? At least he's putting some effort in to planning this match," she said. "And when did you start sticking up for Shawn?" he asked looking down at her. "I'm not sticking up for him…," she said quietly, her voice failing at the realization that it sounded like she _was_ sticking up for Shawn. "Well, if you weren't, what do you call it?" Mark asked. "Get off my case, Mark, geez," Sara snapped suddenly, heading in the opposite direction towards the balcony, "And Andy, don't follow me." Andy looked at her back in surprise. He hadn't even said anything; he was actually on Sara's side, which was weird considering his ominous warning about Shawn just that very morning. "You're not gonna follow her?" Mark asked. "Look, Mark…I don't know what Shawn's up to, but he's got Sara convinced he's changed. I watched him in the ring with D.J….and he's damn near got me convinced," Andy answered quietly, "So until Sara calms down…no, I'm not gonna follow her." Mark sighed exasperatedly and stormed away after Sara, muttering under his breath. Andy continued towards the catering room; his stomach was growling loudly, and he was going to satisfy his hunger needs.

"Sara, wait up!" Mark called. Sara's stride was long, as she was very angry right now. Mark caught up with her and stopped her. "Sara, stop!" he said grabbing her arm. "Let me go!" she hissed snatching away. "What is your problem?" Mark asked. "_My_ problem?! I don't have the problem, Mark, you do! For once, will you let me use my own judgment? As far as I can tell, Shawn is genuine in wanting to be a good champion. Now whether that lasts for long, I don't know. But for right now…back off of me, and back off of him," she said heatedly. Mark took a few deep breaths as he tried to comprehend what she'd just said. Standing before him was the same woman who said hours ago that she didn't trust Shawn, and now she was standing up for him like his number one fan. "Don't look at me like that, Mark," Sara said quietly. "And why not? What did he do to you to make you change your thinking so extremely?" Mark asked. "He's showing effort…and when someone does that…that person earns my respect," she answered softly, "As much as I hate it…I admit that I've gained a little respect for Shawn." "Well, then…," Mark said after a moment's pause, "You're a smart woman. Go with your own judgment, then." He then turned and walked away without saying another word. Sara sighed as tears came to her eyes. She hated going against Mark; she didn't like him to be angry at her. However, this situation was just one where their opinions differed. Sara turned and headed to the balcony as originally planned, letting her mind drift away to thoughts of everything non-wrestling related.

Only an hour passed before Sara headed back to the locker room. Andy had heeded her semi-command and not followed her, for what reason she did not know. When she got to the locker room, it was mostly empty, except for Liz and Eric. Liz was sitting in the corner closest to the door with a book in hand. Eric was flipping through his briefcase, as he was accustomed to doing. "Hey, chica," Sara said quietly sitting down beside Liz. Liz put her book down after a moment and said, "Hey, what's up?" "Mark and I got into an argument," Sara said quietly. "You wanna walk and talk?" Liz asked. "Yeah," Sara answered, then following Liz out of the room. "Now what happened?" Liz asked. Sara told her what had happened from the morning walk with Andy until her and Mark's blowup. "Well, then…" Liz said quietly. "Yeah…I know…I'm so confused, Liz," Sara said quietly, "On the one hand, I do have a little more respect for Shawn…and yet, Mark distrusts him so much that I can't help but feel a little apprehensive as well." "You're in a pickle, alright," Liz said smiling a little to ease Sara's tension. Sara returned the smile, but said, "I don't want Mark to be angry at me, yet at the same time, I want to show that I can think for myself." "Well, you can absolutely think for yourself, Sara…but don't put yourself at risk to prove a point," Liz said after a minute, "You know how much Mark cares about you. And he would never say or do anything to try to hinder you, no matter how it looks to you. When he gives you warnings about Shawn…it's only because he doesn't want to see you hurt." "But don't you think he can go overboard sometimes?" Sara asked. "I told you that before you went on your first date…Mark is overprotective, _very_ overprotective…but that doesn't mean that his heart isn't in the right place," Liz answered. Sara sighed and looked down at the floor. "Look…think on it, Sara, but not too much," Liz said quietly, "Just remember that Mark loves you…very much. But in a relationship, you need as much independence as you need unity." "You should be a counselor or something, Liz," Sara said smiling. Liz chuckled and said quietly, "It just comes from experience."

"Come on, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving," Sara said. "Well, I've already eaten, but I'll sit with you," Liz answered. "Thanks, I could use the company," Sara said heading towards catering. When she got there, the room was near empty. Shawn was sitting with D.J., and Mark was still there with Andy. Sara tried to remain calm as she put food onto her plate, but nervousness ran through her when she turned around. Mark was staring at her, and there was anything but happiness in those eyes. They seemed to penetrate her down to her very soul. She held his gaze as she walked over to the table where he was sitting. "May I?" she asked quietly. "You can do anything you want," he said before standing and leaving. Sara sighed heavily as she set her plate down on the table, then going after Mark. "Mark…please, wait," she called as he headed down towards the locker room. Mark was so angry that Sara had not heeded his warnings about Shawn that he fully ignored her voice. Sara ran to catch up with him and touched his arm. "Please, Mark…," she whispered, "I can't stand for you to look at me like you did back there." Mark stopped and glared down at her. "And just how did I look at you?" he asked heatedly. "Like…like you hate me," she whispered backing up. The anger that Mark had felt dissipated a little. He saw, and felt, the sadness that Sara was holding inside. "You know I could never feel that way, Sara…I love you too damn much," he said quietly. "But you're still angry…," she said quietly. "You're damn right. You know what I think about Shawn…and I don't understand why you're ignoring it," he said before walking away, "Go eat. Your food's getting cold."

Sara sighed heavily and headed back to catering. When she got there, Andy and Liz were both still sitting. "What happened?" Andy asked. "His damn stubbornness is kicking in," Sara said angrily. Andy grinned and said, "He'll be fine, Sara. Don't worry." Sara shook her head and ate her food slowly; she hated when Mark tried to control her. She loved him dearly, but his level of control could get to be too much for her. The rest of the day wore on slowly for Sara. She managed to do some photo shots for magazine ads, as well as – to her surprise – hang out with Shawn. D.J. was right: he did have an uncanny sense of humor. He had her laughing at the most simple of things before long. When the show finally started, Sara's mind was eased. She hadn't even thought about Mark since she left from lunch. She met up with him as the fireworks sounded the start of the show. "Did you and Kevin get your match planned out?" she asked him as they headed towards the locker room. "Yeah," Mark answered shortly. He'd kept a watch on her as she'd been with Shawn, and he was now even angrier. The ease with which she took to him had hit a nerve that went beyond jealousy. "I'm sorry I wasn't there," Sara said. "Yeah, well, it's gonna be a good match. A lot of ideas were put together from all of us," Mark said. "That's good. The fans aren't gonna be too happy that you're taking the titles from their favorites," she said forcing a smile. "Well, that's what we want, isn't it? The 'Corporation' isn't really up there on the 'most-liked' list of the fans," he commented. "Well, not all of us," she returned. "Oh, yeah, we can't forget you. The fans just _adore_ you," he sneered. Sara scoffed and said simply, "I don't determine whether or not they like me. I just do what's necessary to get a reaction either way." "That's what wrestlers do," he said walking into the 'Corporation' locker room. Sara shook her head and went to sit beside Andy.

"He's still pissed," she said quietly. Andy took a deep breath and looked down at her. "You aren't exactly trying to ease his mind, hanging with Shawn and all," he said quietly. "Well, I can do what I want, Andy, and that includes hanging out with other people," she responded. "I never said you couldn't hang out with him," he said. "Just that I _shouldn't_," she returned. "I'm only--." "Looking out for me," Sara said with a smile. Andy returned it and touched her hand. "Don't stray too far from Mark's advice, Sara," he said quietly, "You're killin' him…" Sara sighed and let her eyes drop. Maybe she was pushing Mark's patience, but she needed to show him that he only had so much control over her.

Right before Mark's match, Sara went up to him and asked if she needed to be out at ringside. "No," Mark answered. "Why?" Sara asked. "You weren't there at the match-planning, so we didn't put you in," Mark answered. Sara looked at Kevin questionably, but he just hunched his shoulders. "You didn't think I'd _want_ to be out there?" she asked. "Nope," Mark said, "You're in the main event. What do you need to be out there for this one for?" "Because it's _your_ match," she said quietly. "Well, there's always the next one. See ya when I get back," Mark said before heading up towards the entranceway. Kevin stood there and looked down at Sara. "You hurt him, when you weren't there for the match-planning. He saw you up in the balcony with Shawn…it really got to him," he said quietly. Sara was at a loss for words; even when she wasn't at a match-planning, someone always found a way for her to get involved anyway. "Look, we'll see ya when we get back. I've got to catch up with him. When he's mad, he tends to walk a little fast," Kevin said. "Yeah…he does," Sara said, "Go on. Have fun out there." Kevin winked at her before running towards the entranceway. Sara had the urge to go back to the locker room. Instead, she went to the entranceway after Mark and Kevin had walked out, then sat down near a monitor to watch the match. As usual, Mark and Kevin made the match power-based. However, Mark shocked the hell out of the fans and Sara alike when mid-match, he jumped clean over the top rope to land on Benoit and Lesnar outside the ring. The action went back and forth, with Lesnar and Benoit maintaining offense for most of the match. Near the end, though, Mark distracted the referee, allowing Kevin to grab a chair from outside and knock both Brock and Chris out. Kevin threw the chair out quickly and covered Lesnar, getting the pin fall. Sara cheered slightly, getting looks from the wrestlers and crew around her.

Mark and Kevin came through the curtains a few minutes later. They'd done an after-match beating which had last a little while, so it took them longer to get to the back. Sara met them as soon as they walked into the back. "Good job out there," she commended. "So you were watching?" Mark asked. "Of course," Sara said grinning. "No corrections?" he asked. "No…it was a well-planned match, obviously," she answered. "Well, you seem to know everything, so I was expecting criticism," he said. Sara's jaw dropped slightly at the comment, and she took a step back. "Mark…" Kevin said quietly. Mark ignored him as he glared down at Sara, then walked away suddenly. Sara plopped down in the closest chair and covered her face. Mark could be downright cruel to her when he was angry. "Sara? You okay?" Kevin asked kneeling down in front of her. She nodded slightly, but kept her face covered. She was forcing the tears away from her eyes. Kevin touched her knee and squeezed softly. "You know he didn't mean that," he said quietly. "No, Kevin…I don't know," she said quietly. "Look…just try to calm him down…ease his mind a little bit. He took a little bit of his frustration out on Brock tonight," he said as Brock and Chris came through the curtains. They both spoke to Sara, but she only waved in acknowledgement. She noticed that Brock was limping unusually, and understood that Mark had beaten him unmercifully in the ring. "Well, he won't talk to me without saying something nasty…I can't talk to him when he's like that," she whispered. "You're gonna have to," Kevin said, "It'll be the only way to get through to him." Sara nodded and forced a grin. "Thanks, Kevin. I appreciate it," she said as Andy walked up. Kevin nodded and headed to the locker room to clean up. "I was wondering where you'd gotten to," he said as she stood. "I wanted to watch the match out here. Sorry," she responded. "Don't worry about it. If I was worried, I would've come looking," he said grinning. Sara chuckled as she headed back to the locker room. Shawn's match wasn't for another hour, and she wanted to relax a little bit beforehand.

"It's time." Sara looked up at Shawn and smiled slightly. "Yeah, it is," she said standing. "Let's go do this, then," he said letting her leave the room first. "Mark's pretty mad at you. I've never seem him like that," Shawn said as they headed down the hall. "Yeah, well…he'll get over it," she commented. "Brave woman…to want to face that kind of anger," he said quietly. "He won't stay mad for long. He loves me too much," Sara said confidently, then realizing that Mark had been cold to her the entire day. That was the longest he'd ever stayed mad at her. They'd always found some way to mend whatever argument they'd had within hours. "I hope so…you guys are good together," Shawn said, interrupting her thoughts. "Thanks, Shawn," she said quietly. They arrived at the entranceway moments later. D.J. was already waiting for them. "Hey, buddy, you ready for this," D.J. asked. "Oh, yeah," Shawn said with a smile. "Good. The fans are itching to see you get your ass kicked," D.J. said grinning. "Well, we'll just have to disappoint them a little, won't we?" Shawn asked chuckling. D.J. broke into a chuckle and nodded. "Good competition never hurt anybody," Sara inserted.

Shawn's music started suddenly, interrupting their conversation. "Well, here we go," he said, "See ya out there." D.J. nodded as Shawn and Sara headed out through the curtains into a midst of boos. Shawn struck his trademark pose – kneeling down to the right in a side lunge, and flexing his arm muscles – as fireworks went off behind Sara. Shawn's cockiness shined through like never before. He did his hardest to get as much boos as he could. When D.J.'s music hit, though, the attention of the fans snapped to the top of the ramp. D.J. came out moments later carrying the World Heavyweight title over his shoulder. The sudden cheering made by the crowd was so loud would've led someone to believe a small explosion had occurred. D.J. was, and had been for a while, the biggest face of the company. No one could entertain the fans the way D.J. could; he had a natural-born talent to control emotions. He could make the crowd, no matter where the show happened to be for the night, laugh, cry, cheer, or boo. And it only took one creative sentence. D.J. was a ring psychology genius. As D.J. walked down to the ring, hyping the crowd up with each step, Shawn and Sara went over her role one more time. Sara climbed out of the ring as D.J. climbed in. When D.J. climbed up onto the nearest corner turnbuckle to hold up the World title, Shawn jumped up behind him and hit a sneak superplex. And that began their match.

D.J. dropped the title when he took the superplex from Shawn. The referee had picked it up from out of the corner, but Shawn had seen him and snatched it away. He held it up and said, "It's gonna be mine! All mine!" The crowd booed loudly, making Shawn smile even more. He tossed the belt to the side and laid into D.J. with kicks to the ribs. D..J. tried to stand, but Shawn continued to lay into his ribs. When D.J. flipped onto his back, Shawn climbed on top of his chest and punched his jaw several times. "Come on, Shawn, get off of him!" the referee yelled, "One, two, three--." Shawn stood before the ref got to four. "Alright, already," he said grinning. D.J. had a hard time standing. His ribs were sore, and he was trying to catch his breath. When he stood in the corner, Shawn came charging. D.J. moved at the last minute, and Shawn ran into the corner. When he stumbled out, D.J. hit a reverse neckbreaker. The crowd burst into cheers quickly as D.J. pranced around Shawn's prone body. "This jabroni," he said, using the nickname for anybody he wrestled, "thinks he can go one…on one…with the Great One!" The fans cheered even more when he put Shawn into the Sharpshooter: he crossed Shawn's leg across his right one, stepped over his body with his left leg, and twisted around, wrenching back on Shawn's legs. It was a submission maneuver made famous by Bret Hart's family. Shawn screamed in agony as his muscles were pulled back further. "Come on, Shawn! Come on!" Sara yelled from ringside. Shawn continued to groan as he used his upper arms to push himself up, then used his leg strength to break free of the Sharpshooter, pulling his legs apart with difficulty. The fans booed at this accomplishment, but lightened their response when Shawn hobbled into the far right corner.

D.J. stood and smirked at him, raised his right hand, and motioned for Shawn to come out of the corner. "Come on, you long-haired, spoiled _bitch_," he said smiling. Shawn sneered and charged after D.J., but D.J. caught him in a hip toss. Shawn got up again to charge, but D.J. hip tossed him again. Three times in a row Shawn was hit with the hip toss, and he rolled out of the ring after the third. Sara ran over to his side and helped him up. "Slow it down a little," she whispered. Shawn nodded as he rolled back into the ring. The ref came to check on him, but he pushed him away, standing with the aid of the ring ropes. He and D.J. circled each other as the crowd cheered. They moved towards each other and came together in a collar-and-elbow lock-up. Shawn tried to get the offense, but D.J. was a little too strong for him. D.J. forced him back into the corner, which brought the referee into the picture again, pulling D.J. away. Shawn acted as though he wasn't going to swing, but D.J. assumed correctly that he was, so when Shawn went for a right hook, D.J. blocked it and hit Shawn with three or four right jabs. Shawn fell into the corner, and D.J. attacked him further with boots to the chest. "Come on, ref, get him back!" Sara yelled pacing a little. The small ref counted to four, managing to get D.J. back before he hit five. Shawn breathed hard as he clutched his midsection.

When Shawn finally stood, the match suddenly hit overdrive. He and D.J. charged after each other, holding nothing back. There was an air of true competition that not only the crowd, but Sara, sensed. The fans cheered harder and harder for D.J. to win as the match wore on, and D.J. seemed to struggle more and more. Shawn's speed was wearing him down, and he found it harder to keep up. Sara's role was going to be saved for the last few minutes. After D.J. hit a brutal spinebuster in the middle of the ring, he stood at Shawn's head. The fans cheered loudly in anticipation for his patented "People's Elbow". He hit the rope opposite Sara first, jumped over Shawn's body, and went towards the other rope. Sara grabbed his foot and tripped him up, smiling when he fell face-first. The ref immediately climbed out of the ring and berated Sara. "Oh, get off my case!" Sara yelled pushing him. The ref pushed her back, and Sara went to swing. "You do it, and you're outta here, Chyna!" he yelled. "Look, you little bastard," she sneered grabbing his shirt. During this little argument, Shawn had grabbed a chair from outside the ring and been beating D.J. unmercifully. When Sara finally let the referee go, Shawn tossed the chair outside the ring and covered D.J. "One, two--." D.J. kicked out as the ref went for the final count. Sara groaned as Shawn picked D.J. up.

"Come on, Rock," Shawn said smirking, "Give it up, you son of a bitch. Give me my title!" He hit him with four left jabs, but D.J. blocked the fifth one. Instead, he grabbed Shawn's arm, swung it behind his neck, and quickly executed his signature move, the Rock Bottom. The fans cheered loudly as D.J. pinned him. At this time, Sara climbed up onto the mat. The referee saw her and stood. "Get down, Chyna!" he yelled. "Hey, Rock. You little bastard! Yeah, I'm talking to you," she said, ignoring the referee. D.J. turned around and stood. "You ain't nothin', Rock!" she screamed pointing at him. D.J. grabbed Sara's head and arm, then pulled her into the ring. She landed directly on her butt, which brought laughs from the crowd. "Hey, Rock, come on," the ref said trying to get in between him. Sara stood up and went to swing, but D.J. blocked it and nailed her in the jaw with right fists of his own. She fell into the corner closest to the announcers' table, and D.J. kicked her in the ribs until she fell to the mat screaming. Shawn sneaked up behind D.J. and tried to pin him with a roll-up, but D.J. kicked out as Sara rolled out the ring. "That arrogant little fuck," she hissed as she prepared for the final phase of the match.

Shawn hopped up and went into the nearest corner, close to Sara, and hit the mat with his foot. This signaled _his_ signature maneuver, a superkick aptly named "Sweet Chin Music". When D.J. stood, Shawn went for the superkick, but D.J. ducked it and hit Shawn once again with the "Rock Bottom". Sara groaned and paced in front of the announcers' table. He went for the pin yet again, but Shawn kicked out, bringing a cheer from Sara. "That's right, Shawn, fight!" she yelled pounding on the mat. D.J. pulled Shawn up in anger, letting his temper get the best of him. He swung Shawn into the ropes near Sara, but Shawn held on instead of bouncing back, so D.J. ran towards him. Just as planned, Shawn ducked and D.J. flew over the top rope right in front of Sara. She grinned evilly as Shawn quickly distracted the referee. She picked D.J. up and threw him into the pole on the right. D.J. smacked into it loudly as the fans booed Sara. She laughed as she picked him up and threw him into the stairs. She quickly grabbed a chair from underneath the ring and, when D.J. managed to stand, holding his back, she swung with all her might and connected with the side of D.J.'s head. She dropped the chair as the referee turned around. "What the hell are you doin', Chyna?" the ref asked climbing out of the ring. Sara chuckled and hunched her shoulders. "I'm innocent, man, I swear," she said with a smile. "Back it off! Get away from him," the ref said angrily. Sara smiled and went around to the side of the ring. D.J. slowly climbed into the ring and used the ropes to get to his feet. When he turned around, Shawn's foot connected directly with his jaw. "Come on! Get on him, Shawn, get on him!" Sara screamed, jumping up and down in anticipation. Shawn slowly climbed on top of D.J., counting with the referee: "One…two….three!" The bell rung, sounding the end of the match, and bringing a wave of boos along with it.

Sara climbed into the ring and snatched the World title away from the referee. She went over to Shawn and practically lifted him onto his feet. "You did it, man!" she said smiling. She handed him the title and said, "You did it!" Shawn raised the World title with his right hand, and Sara raised his left. "Yes, I have," he said quietly, a smile on his face. The fans booed louder, and actually began to throw trash into the ring. "Come on, let's get outta here before they actually hit us," Shawn said leaning on Sara. She helped him out of the ring, and when he leaned on her again, she knew it was for support. "That was one hell of a match," she said as he limped up the ramp. "Yeah, D.J.'s a good wrestler," Shawn answered honestly. When they got to the back, Shawn finally stopped and leaned against the wall. D.J. came by moments later. "Hey, man…you kick a lot o' ass," Shawn said holding his hand out. D.J. took it and shook it. "Same to ya, Shawn. Enjoy your title reign," he said. "Thanks, man…for everything," Shawn said quietly. "Hey, we'll meet again down the road," D.J. said smiling. Shawn returned the smile and released D.J.'s hand. "See ya around, Sara," D.J. said heading towards the main locker room. Sara stared in amazement at Shawn. To thank your opponent after the match is something the very few members of the group had actually started to do until recently. She didn't know that Shawn had started as well.

"Sara, can I ask you something?" Shawn said on the way back to their locker room. "Sure," Sara answered. "I'm goin' out tonight…to celebrate," he said quietly, "And I was wondering if you'd come along." Sara took a deep breath and looked away. She and Shawn had come a long way from the beginning of that day, but there was still Mark's voice screaming "No!" in the back of her head. "Shawn, it's gonna be pretty late when we get back to the hotel," she answered. "We'll only stay out for a little while. Scout's honor," he said smiling. Sara rolled her eyes playfully and agreed. "2:30 at the latest?" she asked. "Agreed," Shawn said going into the 'Corporation' locker room, Sara following him. The group cheered loudly when he walked in, patting him on the back and punching his chest playfully. "Look at the big man," Paul said with a smile, "All grown up now." Shawn laughed as he headed into the bathroom. Sara looked around and noticed that Mark, Andy, and Kevin were sitting in the back of the room, the only ones not celebrating. Instead, they were talking among themselves. Sara's eyes met with Mark's as she headed to the door, and she still saw simmering anger inside them. She quickly left and headed down to the women's locker room to clean up.

When she got back to the locker room, Eric was just finishing the post-show meeting. She quietly sat down beside Andy and lowered her head. "Andy, I need to talk to you after this," she whispered. "Okay," Andy responded. The meeting ended moments later and everyone scrambled for the door. Sara stayed behind with Andy, watching as Mark snatched up his bag and left the room without her. "So what's up?" Andy asked her. "Um…I know this is gonna sound strange, but…I'm going out with Shawn tonight," she said quietly. "Excuse me?" Andy asked with raised eyebrows, "Are you sure about this?" "That's why I'm mentioning it to you," she answered, her eyes on the ground, "I want you to come, but not make yourself too obvious." "So you want me to trail you?" he asked. "Just…keep a watch. I don't know what Shawn is up to just yet, but my heart is telling me something isn't right," she said. "So why the hell are you going?" Andy said, "This is going a little bit too far. Have you thought about what Mark is gonna say?" "Look, Andy, are you gonna watch out for me or not?" she snapped. Andy sighed heavily and looked away. "You're pushing it, Sara, you really are," he said quietly. "Fine…don't come, then," she said grabbing her bag and heading to the limo. Andy sighed heavily as he headed out of the locker room behind her.

The limos pulled in front of the hotels around midnight. Sara met Shawn as he walked into the lobby. "I'm gonna change; I'll meet you back down here, okay?" Shawn said. "Yeah, I'll go change, too," she answered stepping into the elevator. When she walked into her room, Mark was already laying down. "What took you so long?" he asked. "Does it matter?" she asked back. Mark's jaw clenched and he turned his back to her. Sara scoffed as she pulled out a pair of denim jeans with sequin flowers at the bottom of the right pants leg, and a sleeveless silk shirt with a butterfly design. She pulled off her sweatpants and t-shirt, and pulled on the denim pants. Mark heard her moving around and turned to face her. "Where the heck are you going? It's midnight," he said tensely. "I'm going out with Shawn," she answered. Mark stood quickly and was in front of her in two steps. "The hell you are," he growled. "Look, Mark, you've got a big issue with control. You may have it over some people, but you don't have it over me," she snapped putting on her shirt. "You're not going," he said grabbing her arm. Sara's temper peaked and she slapped Mark with all her might. "You don't own me, you arrogant bastard! I will go where I please, with whom I please!" she hissed as he released her arm. "Sara, for God's sake, listen to reason," he said quietly. "Reason, my ass! You need to sleep off whatever attitude it is you have. I'm going out and I'm gonna have a good fucking time," she said grabbing her wallet. "This isn't--." Sara cut Mark off by holding up her finger. "I do have a mind of my own, Mark. And for once, will you just fucking let me use it!" she said heatedly before storming out of the room.

Shawn was waiting for her in the lobby. He was dressed in a pair of loose black dress pants and a silk, button-up shirt. "You're ready?" he asked. "Yeah, let's go," Sara answered running her fingers through her hair. "You okay?" Shawn asked. "Yeah, I'm fine. We're gonna have a good time, right?" she said smiling. Shawn grinned and nodded his head. "Yeah, we are," he answered. Sara kept a smile on her face, but there was something in Shawn's tone that sent off alarms in the back of her mind. "Where are we going?" she asked when they climbed into a taxi. "Just a little club that's pretty popular here in Chicago, the Excalibur. It's fairly urban, you know, the latest hits and whatnot," Shawn answered, "It's not too far from here." Sara sat back and leaned against the door. When they arrived at the club, Shawn climbed out first before helping her out. They could hear music blasting from inside, and the cacophonous noise of everyone packed inside. "Does it have a bar?" she asked Shawn. "Yeah," he answered. "Good…I need a drink," she whispered. They quickly made their way inside, trying to keep as low profile as possible. They managed to get to the bar, after maneuvering through about 50 people. Sara quickly ordered a shot of tequila, and then another, and then another. After drinking the third shot, she grabbed Shawn's hand. He had only taken a few swigs of his beer. "Come on, let's dance!" she yelled over the noise of the music. Shawn grinned as Sara turned her back to him. He came up behind her and put his hands around her waist. _Ah, so this is what Mark has been having fun with_, he thought rubbing his hands up her sides as she grinded against him. The alcohol had quickly gone to Sara's head. After dancing to a few songs, Sara went back to the bar. She ordered a couple of vodka tonics and drank them quickly as well. "Geez, Sara, you drink with the best, don't you?" Shawn asked in her ear. Sara grinned and once again pulled him back to the dance floor.

This cycle of dancing and drinking continued for over two hours. Sara had completely lost track of time after her second vodka tonic. Shawn, however, had watched her every minute of every hour that passed by. With each drink, Sara became more and more unaware of her surroundings. She laughed more easily, and danced more vigorously. _She's making this easier than I thought_, Shawn thought in particular as the third hour went by. His hands had begun to travel more freely, passing over Sara's curves with ease. As 3:30 passed, Shawn went for what he'd been hoping for the entire night: a chance to kiss Sara. When his lips connected with hers, she put her arms slowly around his neck, as though hesitating, then pulled him closer. He smiled as he explored her mouth with his tongue, and her body with his hands. Shawn backed Sara into the nearest wall, continuing to explore her body. He kissed her neck softly, wrapping his fingers in her sweaty hair. "You're gorgeous, you know that," he said in her ear. Sara grinned and said drunkenly, "I hear that a lot." Shawn kissed her once again, more feverishly. His hormones were getting out of control, and he wanted Sara more than anything. Suddenly, Sara came to her senses. She realized where she was, who she was with, and what exactly she'd just done. "No!" she exclaimed trying to pull away. Shawn grabbed her arms and held them to her side. He'd been drinking as well, but nowhere near as much as Sara. The alcohol in his system made him more aggressive, angrier, and more daring. His mouth traveled over Sara's exposed neck and over her face. Sara's struggles were useless. Her energy had been sapped by all of the alcohol she'd consumed. Tears filled her eyes as she realized that no one could hear her, no one was paying attention to her, and no one was going to help her. _Please, God, don't let this happen to me_, she thought as tears fell. Shawn laughed as he saw the tears. "You fell for it, hook, line, and sinker, you ignorant bitch!" Shawn sneered in her ear, his true colors showing, "I can't believe you actually thought I was trying to change. You're stupider than I thought!" He chuckled again as he licked her cheek, wet with both her tears and sweat. "Please, Shawn…don't do this," she cried. "You're pathetic, Sara. You were all over me for three fucking hours. What were you doing, teasing?" he growled pressing his hips against hers.

Suddenly, an arm came around Shawn's throat and tightened. "You're drunk, Shawn. I suggest you let her go _right now_, before I do something you're gonna feel a lot more when you're sober." Sara's eyes opened and she let out a cry of relief. Andy was standing there, angrier than she'd ever seen him. His eyes bulged with pure venom, and he had a grip on Shawn that the 'Jaws of Life' couldn't break. "Okay, okay," Shawn choked out. He released Sara and watched as she fell to the floor. Andy threw Shawn down and immediately picked Sara up. "Come on, baby doll," he whispered, "Let's get outta here." She nodded and followed his lead out of the club, tears coming freely down her face. When they were out into the cool air, Sara's head began to spin. "Andy, can we sit down somewhere?" she asked quietly, grabbing his arm. "Sure," he whispered. They quickly sat down on a bench, and Sara put her head in her hands. "I can't face him. I can't look at him. I can't…," she whispered, still crying. Andy rubbed her back gently, trying to comfort her. "Come on, we gotta get back. It's late as hell," he whispered putting her arm around his neck and calling for a cab. The trip back to the hotel was silent, except for Sara's cries. She was completely unaware of anything, until she found herself in front of her hotel room door.

"He hates me. He's so angry, Andy. I can feel it…," she whispered trying to back up, "I can't…I can't be in there...I'm scared..." Andy reached up and knocked quietly. Sara's voice trailed as the door opened, and her eyes went to the ground. Andy didn't say a word as Mark looked over Sara, then to him. He shook his head slightly, trying to tell Mark not to argue with Sara. She felt enough shame, and she didn't need him berating her. Mark had never been more relieved to see anybody than he was to see Sara. He had lied down after she'd left, but he couldn't fall asleep. He wasn't going to sleep until he knew Sara was safely back in the room with him. After the first hour and a half had passed, he'd begun to pace the room. The next hour passed, and Mark got worried like never before. He'd dialed Andy's cell phone and found that Andy was searching for Sara in the nightclub he'd followed her to. "I'll bring her back, man, as soon as I can find her," he'd told Mark. And since that call, Mark had been sitting on the bed, facing the door, waiting…waiting…waiting.

"Thank you, Andy," he whispered. He touched Sara's chin, tilting her head up. She trembled against his touch, and her eyes would not meet his. They shifted from left to right, and down towards the floor, but never looked into his own. "Come on, dollface," he whispered gently pulling her towards him. She hesitated for a while, and then collapsed into his arms, her face buried in his chest, as she whispered, "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry." Mark gently stroked the back of her head, his hand smoothing her sweat-soaked hair. "You really are a lifesaver, Andy," he whispered, "I'll see ya in a few hours." Andy nodded and headed back to his own room, hoping that he would fall asleep before Shawn came in. He was going to ask Eric for a roommate switch as soon as he woke up.

Mark quietly shut the door behind him and Sara, then cut on the hall light. Her face was completely red, and her eyes were getting swollen. He couldn't decide whether to be angry and yell at her, or to be downright joyful and hold her in his arms and not let go. "Are you okay?" he finally asked. Sara swallowed a sob, and nodded slowly. Mark tilted her head up again and stared into her eyes, but pulling away when she trembled against him. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Bathroom," she whispered starting to sway. Mark quickly directed her to the toilet, and held up her hair as she vomited. "That's it," he whispered rubbing her jerking back, "Get it out of your system." Sara threw up for nearly 45 minutes; she'd never been able to handle her alcohol well.

Mark's eyes drooped, but he forced them open. "You finished?" he asked quietly. Sara nodded and placed her hands on the stool. "Come on," he said helping her over to the sink. He gently washed her face as she started crying again. "Hush, now, dollface," he whispered as he brushed her teeth, "Everything's okay." Sara rinsed her mouth out and slowly faced Mark. "I'm sorry, Mark. I swear it," she whispered looking down. Mark finally managed to get Sara to look at him, but it was only for a small time. "I love you, Sara. Okay? I _love_ you. And no matter how angry I seem with you…I will always love you," he whispered kissing her forehead, "Now come on. It's bedtime." Sara nodded as he picked her up and carried her to the bed. "I'm gonna get you undressed, dollface," he whispered slowly pulling off her shirt. Sara unbuttoned her jeans and leaned back so that Mark could slip them off as well. "What time do we have to be up?" she asked quietly. "Seven," Mark answered, "Limos pull out at 8:00." Sara sighed heavily, watching as Mark cut off the hall light, bringing complete darkness in the room. Mark lied down behind her and put his arm around her waist. _Thank you, God, for bringing her back to me_, he thought before falling into a deep sleep. Sara's eyes closed as well, and, despite a pounding head and spinning room, she was asleep in moments.


	32. Dangerous Scare

**Chapter 31…Dangerous Scare**

"Sara? Sara, come on, wake up." Sara's eyes slowly opened, and squeezed shut immediately. The room seemed to be lit like the sun itself. "Come on, baby, it's almost half past seven," Mark said caressing Sara's cheek gently. He'd awoke a mere two hours after falling asleep, at 6:30. He'd then taken a shower, packed his and Sara's belongings, then taking them down to the limos. "Why is it so bright?" Sara asked quietly, groaning as she forced herself to sit up. "The curtains are open, and the sun is up," Mark answered, "How do you feel?" "Like I got ran over by a train," she whispered. "Come on…bath time," Mark whispered picking her up. Sara grinned slightly as Mark carried her into the bathroom. The tub was already filled with steaming water. "Mark?" she said quietly. "Yeah, baby?" he answered setting her on the stool. She hesitated as she tried to figure out what to say about the previous night. "Um, about last night…I--." Mark put his finger on her lips to quiet her. "It's over and done with. It can't be changed. Let's just move past it," he said quietly. He gently removed her underwear, his hands gently caressing over her naked skin. Sara grinned as her hand went to his shoulders. "You're amazing, Mark," she said kissing his forehead softly. Mark removed her bra and kissed her cheek. "Come on, in the tub," he whispered taking her hand. Sara slipped into the water and a smile came to her face. Mark was going to wash her clean, clean of the filth, of the dirt that Shawn had left behind. At the thought of Shawn, Sara suddenly tensed up and gasped.

"What is it?" Mark asked as he wet her hair. Sara swallowed and closed her eyes. The memory of last night was one huge swirl of color. The nightclub, the dancing, the groping…and Andy's save. "Sara??" Sara opened her eyes and looked into Mark's wide green eyes. She touched his cheek and whispered, "I'm fine." "Do you remember anything that happened last night?" he asked quietly. Tears came to her eyes with such quickness; Sara didn't realize it until one slid down her right cheek. "Sara…let it out," he whispered running the washcloth over her skin. "We danced…and…I drank a lot," she whispered, her bottom lip starting to tremble. Mark remained calm, and tried to keep Sara the same way. Something had happened – more so, Shawn had done something to her – that scared the hell out of her. "What else, baby?" he asked gently. "I…I…" Sara couldn't bring herself to admit that she'd kissed Shawn first. "Sara…I told you, last night was last night," he said quietly, "I'm over it." "I let him kiss me, Mark," Sara blurted out as the tears came free as well. Mark's jaw dropped and he let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Mark. I was drunk, I barely remember it!" she cried touching his hand. Mark closed his mouth and touched her wet cheeks. "That's it?" he inquired. "No," Sara said, barely audible. Mark closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing. How much worse could it have gotten? "He took advantage…he groped me, put his dirty hands all over me," she whispered. She grabbed the washcloth from Mark and began scrubbing her skin vigorously, trying to clean herself. "Sara…Sara, stop!" Mark said rather loudly, grabbing the rag from her. Sara threw her arms around his neck and sobbed. "I felt so dirty, Mark…so ashamed of myself," she cried into his shirt. Mark gently hugged her and wrapped his fingers in her hair.

Anger, pure hatred, ran through his veins; Shawn had dared to touch the person most precious to him. Sara, feeling Mark's sudden tension, looked up at him. "Andy saved me, though, Mark," she said quietly, "He was there for me…to protect me…like I made him promise." Mark sighed to himself and once again began to wash Sara's skin. It was slightly red from when she'd scrubbed it, but he was gentle. When he finished, he helped her out and wrapped a towel around her. "Can you get dressed?" he asked helping her into the room. "Yeah…why?" she said. Mark merely looked away; he was going to teach Shawn a brutal lesson in respecting women. "Mark, please…don't hurt Shawn…you said it yourself: last night was last night," she said touching his forearm. "Get dressed," he said quietly, "I'll be back." Sara grabbed his arm and begged, "Don't go, Mark. Please…don't." "I can't let him get away with this, Sara," he said tensely. "He didn't get away with anything. Andy stopped him!" Sara argued. "The fact that he _touched_ you, Sara…that's something that _I_ need to deal with," Mark growled. "Goddamn your possessiveness, Mark!" she said heatedly, "Andy brought me back, safe and sound. He scared the shit out of Shawn! It's done! Nobody needs to know about this. And if you hit Shawn, even _once_, everybody will know about what happened last night!" The argument drained Sara's remaining energy and she suddenly fell to the ground flat on her stomach.

Mark rushed to her side and gently turned her over. "Sara, baby, I'm sorry," he said wiping her face, not wet with water, but sweat. Sara's breathing was shallow, and her chest rose and fell weakly. "Sara! Come on, dollface. Wake up, baby," he said, fear coming over him. A knock on the door brought Mark's attention away from Sara. He rushed to open it, and pulled Andy in when he saw him standing there. "What's wrong?" Andy asked, then spotting Sara. He dropped down beside her and touched her face. It was clammy and chilled. "She's dehydrated," he said quietly, "She needs to go to the hospital…right now." Mark picked Sara up and headed out the door. "You're not gonna dress her?" Andy asked quickly. "No. If she needs to go to the hospital, she's going," Mark answered, "Now grab the rest of our stuff, will ya?" Andy obliged and searched the room for the rest of their stuff. It wasn't much: a couple of duffel bags, and their wallets.

When Mark walked out of the elevator with Sara in his arms, everyone was heading out the front doors. Kevin turned around and spotted him. "What the hell happened?" he asked as Mark pushed through everyone. "She's dehydrated," he answered, "She's going to a hospital." Andy followed Mark and hailed a cab. A cab stopped immediately at the curb, and Andy opened the door. Mark slid in quickly, yet carefully, and let Andy in. "City hospital, please," Mark said wiping Sara's face with trembling hands. Eric walked out of the hotel with Shawn as the cab pulled off. "Where's Mark going?" he asked. "To the hospital," Kevin answered, "Sara's dehydrated. She looks bad." Shawn looked at the cab speeding away and took a deep breath. He'd come into his room at around 5 a.m., drunk beyond belief. Luckily, Andy had fallen asleep already, because Shawn was raving mad at how Andy had roughed him up at the club. He'd meant to put him in his place. What did not cross Shawn's mind was Sara's condition, and now he could care even less.

"Look, we gotta pull outta here. We can't be late to Peoria," Eric said, "Everybody in the limos!" Kevin pulled out his cell phone and called Andy. When Andy answered, it was in a hurried voice. "Hey, man, we're heading to the airport. Unless Mark brings Sara there now…he's gonna miss the plane," Kevin said quietly, "Eric's gonna leave without him." There was silence as Andy relayed the message. "GODDAMNIT!" Kevin heard Mark yell. Still more silence as Andy and Mark talked. "Fine…we'll meet you guys there," Andy said, "But be warned, Mark's angry as hell and scared. Do me a favor and make sure there's somewhere for Sara to lie down." "Will do, buddy," Kevin answered hanging up. "Is Sara okay?" Liz asked, her voice full of dread and concern. She'd seen Sara injured before, but she'd never seen her look so sickly. Her skin was pale, almost gray-looking, and she was sweating unbelievably. "No…she's not. But Mark's gonna take care of her," Kevin said reassuring her.

The cab Mark, Sara, and Andy were in made it to the airport a mere 15 minutes after Kevin had called Andy. Mark had made a stop at a little food store, and bought a few bottles of water and orange juice. During the trip to the airport, he'd forced Sara awake and practically forced the liquid down her throat. When they pulled up to the airport, Sara was awake but barely. Luckily Andy had grabbed their duffel bags, because it gave Sara something to wear. She went into the bathroom with Mark and dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Mark, still worried, picked her up and carried her to the gate of the group's private plan.

"I was worried you weren't gonna make it," Kevin said when they walked on board. Mark sighed and said quietly, "If I wasn't so worried about Sara getting in trouble with Eric, I would've went on to the hospital." Kevin looked down at Sara and touched her arm. She opened her eyes slightly and grinned. "Hey, bud," she whispered. "You feelin' okay?" he asked quietly. "No…I feel like shit," she whispered looking down. "You'll tell me why, won't you?" he asked. Mark interfered and said quietly, "Not right now, Kevin. It's not the time…or the place." Mark then headed to the seats and set Sara down. "I'm cold, Mark," she whispered. "Yeah, but you're sweating like a racehorse," he said quietly. He grabbed a blanket from the overhead compartment and wrapped her in it. "As soon as we take off, you can lie down," he said quietly, rubbing her arms with his hands. "Water," Sara whispered, "I want water." "Alright, baby, I'll go get it," he said standing. Sara bent over and rested her head in her hands. She felt so dizzy, and sick. If she moved again, she would throw up.

Mark came back minutes later, water in hand, but he was seething. "What happened?" Sara asked weakly. "Eric…that S.O.B. bitched at me and Andy for trying to take you to the hospital…said we could've dealt with it on the plane," he said heatedly, "Went so far as to say it was your fault." "Well, wasn't it?" she asked. "No…it was mine," Mark whispered lowering his head, "If I hadn't acted so stupid at the arena…you wouldn't have gone out." "Hey, thought we were past last night?" Sara asked touching his hand softly. Mark looked at her and grinned slightly, then kissed her forehead. "You're right," he said quietly, "I love you." "Ditto, baby," she said linking her hand with his, "Now, where's that water?" Mark chuckled as the plane took off, not seeing the glaring stare of Shawn.

After take-off, the lights were cut off, and everyone went to sleep…except for Sara. She made three trips to the bathroom, holding on to anything her fingers would grip. After the third trip, Sara managed to drink a few tall glasses of water, and hold them down. She made her way slowly back to her seat and carefully climbed into Mark's lap. He was sleeping like a log, having only had a couple hours of sleep. "Looks like someone can't hold their liquor." The cabin was dark, but Sara looked towards Shawn's voice, which came from right in front of her. When she didn't say anything, Shawn continued. "You know, for someone so bold and brave…and always in control of everything – or so you thought – you look kinda pathetic running back and forth to the bathroom," he whispered, "It's actually quite funny." Sara stayed silent; she was very weak, and she didn't want to wake Mark up to this situation. When she felt Shawn's hand on her cheek, she shuddered, longing to reach out and slap his worthless face. When Mark's arms tightened around her, she smiled slightly. "You better get outta here, Shawn," she whispered, "Because if Mark wakes up, you're gonna eat your words…and I'm not gonna be able to stop him." When no response came, Sara sighed heavily and leaned her head against Mark's chest. The cover Mark had wrapped her in before take-off came up over her shoulders, and she jumped. "It's okay, dollface, I got ya," Mark whispered in her ear. He'd woke up when Sara had climbed into his lap, but had not said anything. He didn't want to blow up a situation that Sara was trying her hardest to diffuse. He gently kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I love you." Sara nodded against his chest and closed her eyes, succumbing to a dreamless sleep.


	33. Revelations

**Chapter 32…Revelations**

The plane touched down shortly later. Mark, Sara, and Andy were the first ones off. Mark had Andy get Sara's duffel bag before they left. "Where are you going?" Eric said as they headed away from the gate. "To the hospital," Mark said spinning around with Sara in his arms, "Which I would've done in Chicago, but you felt it _so_ necessary to get here as soon as possible." There was an air of resentment in Mark's voice, and Eric backed up a little. "Just…make sure you're not late at the arena," he said quickly. Mark raised an eyebrow before turning around and heading towards the exit.

"Where's he going?" Shawn asked walking up to Eric. "To take Sara to the hospital," Eric said quietly, "She looks pretty bad. What the hell happened to her last night?" "She drank too much," Shawn said simply, "It's not my fault." "Yeah, but you probably didn't try to make sure she didn't drink too much," Eric said looking at Shawn. Shawn merely looked away. "Just…watch who it is you try to overrun. I don't need any tension in this group. It's fragile as it is…and I don't know how much longer I'm gonna be able to keep it together," Eric added quietly as everyone walked by, "The guys are getting a little antsy." "Alright, alright, geez," Shawn said punching Eric's arm playfully, "Chill out, Eric." Eric forced a grin, but inside, he was himself was having doubts about Shawn being champion.

At the hospital, Sara had an IV put into her arm, and it began pumping nutrients immediately. Mark sat at her bedside, holding her hand, Andy on the other side. A couple hours later, Mark's cell phone rung. "Hello?" he answered. "Hey, Mark, it's Vince. Eric told me Sara had to be taken to the hospital. Is she alright?" Vince asked on the other end. Mark sighed and answered, "Yeah, she's gonna be just fine." "What happened to her?" Vince asked. "Dehydration," Mark said curtly. "She's been working that hard?" Vince asked. "Yeah…apparently," Mark said quietly. "Well, tell her I hope she gets better soon. Are you guys gonna be here tonight?" Vince asked. "I will. Andy's gonna stay here with Sara, if he doesn't have to work," Mark said. "Well, I need him out there with Shawn tonight, to replace Sara," Vince answered. "Alright, I'll let him know," Mark said. "Alright, thanks, Mark. Let Sara know I called," Vince said, "Bye." Mark said the same before hanging up. "Looks like we both have to go to the arena," Mark said putting his phone away. "Great," Andy said sarcastically. He didn't want to leave Sara alone in the hospital anymore than Mark, but they had to.

"What's wrong?" Sara suddenly asked. She'd been asleep since she'd checked into the room, but Mark's voice had brought her out of that sleep. "Nothing, nothing at all, sweetheart," Mark answered touching her forehead. Sara went to sit up, but Mark wouldn't let her. "You need to rest; you're not going to the arena today," he said instinctively. "You're damn right I'm not going," Sara said quietly, "I just want to sit up." "Oh," Mark said grinning. He helped her into an upright position, and Andy fluffed up her pillows for her to rest on. "So if I get drunk every night, will I get this royal treatment afterwards?" Sara asked with a smile. The smile on Mark's face, however, disappeared. "That's not funny," he said quietly. Sara closed her eyes and lowered her head, saying, "Sorry." "Do you feel any better?" Andy asked. "Yeah, a little. Is there any water here?" Sara answered. "Yeah, I'll get ya some," Andy said quietly. As he went to get the water, Mark gently rubbed Sara's arm. "Do you seriously feel better?" he asked softly. "Yeah, Mark…I'm alright. All that throwing up on the plane got rid of most of the alcohol, I think," she answered. "Yeah, and it made you even sicker," Mark added. Sara sighed and hunched her shoulders. "That alcohol sure wasn't gonna stay down," she said as Andy handed her a cup of water, "Thanks, Andy." She drank the water slowly, until the last drop had slid onto her tongue.

"So, who was that on the phone?" she asked. "Vince…he asked about you," Mark answered. "What else?" Sara asked. "Me and Andy have to go back to the arena," he said quietly, lowering his head. "I'm gonna be just fine, Mark. What's gonna happen to me in the hospital?" Sara said touching his hand. Mark looked up at her suddenly, and there was sadness in his eyes that only Sara saw. "Do you want me to come to the arena?" she asked squeezing his hand, "So you can make sure nothing happens?" "I don't know, Sara…I can't really keep an eye on you there every moment," he said quietly. "That's what Andy's for," she said jokingly, looking over at Andy. He grinned and winked at her. "Do you feel up to it?" Mark asked quietly. "No, not really, but I'll deal with it if it'll make you feel at ease," Sara answered truthfully. "I'll feel better with you here, actually," Mark said looking down. "No, you won't," Sara countered. "That's not the point," Mark argued. "Yeah, it is. You didn't get any sleep last night…because you were worried about me. It's gonna bother you more tonight, when you need to concentrate even more," Sara said with a raised eyebrow.

"Look…Sara, just stay here tonight. Mark's right; you need to rest up," Andy interrupted, seeing her getting worked up for another argument. Mark and Sara both stared at him. "We'll come back to get you right after the after-show meeting," Andy assured her, "Promise." Sara sighed heavily and leaned back against the pillows, saying, "Fine." There was no way she was going to win an argument with Andy. She knew he was going to do what was necessary to protect her – from herself if necessary, as she recalled him saying. "You act like we're leaving you here forever," Andy said smiling. "It'll seem like it," she said quietly, "You guys better head to the arena. If Vince knows you're coming, he'll be expecting you to be there soon." "You gonna be okay?" Mark asked. "I suppose so," Sara said looking down. Mark tilted his head to the side and touched her chin, bringing her eyes to his. "I'll be fine, Mark," she said smiling, "I'm gonna try to eat something, get some food in my stomach. I'll be bouncing off the walls by the time you two get back." Mark smiled and got up off of the bed. "Alright. Your duffel bag is here, but it doesn't have much in it," he said as Andy headed to the door. "I'll manage. Now stop stalling. Get outta here," she said. Mark leaned down and kissed her forehead, saying, "I love you." "I love you, too, baby," she whispered, "Now get outta here." Mark smiled and gave her one last peck on the mouth before leaving behind Andy.

Mark and Andy took a cab to the arena, and arrived 20 minutes later. When they climbed out, fans in the parking lot above cheered for them. The men both waved before heading inside. "Now that's a welcome," Mark commented with a smile. Andy laughed and agreed. Shawn met them right before they got to the locker room. "Sara okay?" he asked, a slight grin on his face. Mark sneered and stepped towards him, but Andy stopped him. "She's just fine," Andy answered literally pushing Mark into the locker room. "I'm gonna rip his fucking head off," Mark growled throwing his bag down onto one of the tables. "Calm down, man. Sara wouldn't want you to do that," Andy said. "And why not?" Mark asked. "It only makes everything worse," Andy answered, "For everybody." Mark sighed heavily and sat down, opening his duffel bag and pulling out his half of the Tag Team Championships. "At least Shawn's not the only champ in this group," he said, more to himself than Andy. "At least you don't have to be out there with Shawn tonight, like me," Andy said sitting down next to Mark. "Yeah, that's true," Mark said smiling, "I'd probably break character and beat the hell out of him on TV. The fans would get a kick outta that." He and Andy enjoyed a good laugh over that. "Alright, let me get to work. Gotta go hunt for Kevin," Mark said standing. "He's in the gym." Mark turned around and looked down at Liz. "Hey, Liz. You okay?" Mark asked. "Yeah…just worried about Sara," she said quietly, "I know Shawn had something to do with it…" Mark looked at the floor for a moment before looking back at Liz. "Yeah, he did…but there's nothin' we can do about it," he said quietly, "We just have to let it go." "I just hope he doesn't come after me again," she whispered. "What'd he do to you?" Mark asked, his eyes narrowed. "It's nothing. I just…I don't like him," she said before leaving the room quickly. Mark and Andy looked at each other quizzically before heading out themselves.

Back at the hospital, Sara managed to find strength to get to the bathroom. She relieved her bladder, washed up, and changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, then climbed back into her hospital bed. That small level of exertion had exhausted her, and she fell into a deep sleep, waking up only to watch RAW.

Mark and Andy walked into the hospital room around midnight. Mark's match had been in the first hour of the show, but neither man could leave until after the group's post-show meeting. Mark wasn't shocked to see Sara fast asleep, still connected to an IV pump. He walked over to the bed and carefully sat down beside her. She groaned softly and pulled the sheet up over her shoulders. "I hope she can get outta here before we take off," Mark said quietly, "I really don't want to leave her here." "Why don't you like hospitals so much?" Andy asked quietly. Mark took a deep breath as his gaze shifted to Andy. "My mother…died in a hospital a few years before I came here…I had to wait with my father to hear of her condition…she'd been dead for a half an hour before they told us anything," he whispered painfully. He suddenly took Sara's hand in his own and put it against his cheek, seeking comfort in its warmth. Sara stirred slowly, and her eyes focused on Mark's face. The room was dark except for the light spilling through the doorway from the hall. "What's wrong?" she asked softly. "Nothing, dollface…go back to sleep," he answered. Sara woke more fully and sat up. She could feel the sudden pain that Mark was holding in. She gently wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed. "I'm not going anywhere, baby…I'm staying right here with you," she whispered in his ear. Mark swallowed as he carefully pulled her away. "You need sleep," he said forcing her to lay back down. "Are you gonna stay here with me?" she asked turning onto her side to face him. "Yep," he said pulling a seat up in front of her. "I'm gonna head back to the airport, Mark. I'll give you a call an hour before we leave, okay?" Andy said standing. "Yeah, thanks, Andy," Mark answered quietly, staring at Sara's peaceful, sleeping face.

The hours of the night passed by slowly for Mark. He hated hospitals, and he hated the fact that the woman he loved was inside of one. When seven a.m. rolled around, Sara finally awoke. "You feel any better?" he asked sitting on the bed beside her. He'd had a restless night, with very little sleep. "Yeah, I am. Are we leaving today?" Sara asked as Mark helped her to sit up. "If the doctor clears you. If not, you may…." Mark's voice trailed at the thought of leaving Sara behind. He knew there was no way he could get the day off, but he also knew he didn't want to leave Sara behind in the hospital. "Have to stay?" Sara whispered completing his sentence. Mark simply nodded. "You know, Mark, I've been in hospitals before. And I've come out fine every single time. So if I have to stay for another night, I have no doubts I will come out fine yet again," she said taking her hand in his. Mark lowered his eyes and he stretched out his body beside hers, resting his head on her lap. "I love you," he whispered closing his eyes. Sara sighed heavily and placed her fingers in his loose hair. She gently ran her fingers through his hair, leaning her face down to his ear and whispering soothing words into his ear. She'd felt the tenseness in his body when he'd lied down beside her. When he finally relaxed, Sara lied back on her pillow and fell asleep. She awoke, though, screaming her head off. Mark, who'd been sleeping as well, was awakened by her screams. He panicked and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. "Sara, what's wrong?" he asked at the sight of her tear-stained cheeks. Sara's eyes came into focus and she threw her arms around Mark's waist. "Baby, what is it?" Mark asked feeling her trembling violently.

The dream was etched in Sara's mind; the most violent dream she'd ever had. Blood was everywhere she looked, seeming to coat her very eyes. She'd been walking down the top hallway of the mansion, when she came to a mirror. Looking in it, she saw that she was covered in dark, red blood, oozing from cuts on her arms and legs, and even her face. She saw Shawn behind her, laughing and gripping her shoulders tightly. She couldn't move anymore once she got to that mirror, no matter how hard she fought, and that's when she woke up.

Mark's cell phone rang suddenly, and he fumbled to answer it with shaking hands. "Hello??" he answered quickly, trying to rub Sara's back with his free hand. "Hey, Mark, it's Andy. You okay?" Andy asked on the other end. "No…Sara just woke up screaming…scaring the shit out of me," Mark said quietly. Sara had a death grip on his waist, and wasn't letting go. "Why? Did she say why?" Andy asked. "No…she's scared as hell, man. She's trembling like crazy, and she won't let go of me," Mark answered. "Try and get her to tell you what's wrong," Andy said calmly. Mark took a deep breath and looked down at Sara. She had her face buried in his T-shirt, her body jerking from tears. "Dollface?" he whispered trying to maneuver her away from him. She merely shook her head and kept her hold on him. "Come on, dollface. You're fine. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere," he whispered. Sara was too afraid of what she'd seen to move anywhere. "She's not moving, Andy," Mark said quietly. "Alright. Let me talk to her," Andy said. Mark placed the phone to Sara's ear, holding it there.

"H-Hello?" Sara said, her voice trembling. "Sara, baby doll, it's Andy. You wanna tell me what's wrong?" Andy asked. Sara's jaw clenched and she started trembling even more. "Come on, Sara…you're worrying the hell out of Mark, and you're starting to worry me, too," he said quietly. "You…you weren't there," Sara whispered, "Like you promised." She then turned her head into Mark's chest and started crying. Mark pulled the phone away and asked, "What was that about?" "I don't know," Andy answered, "Look, we're leaving in about an hour. If you guys are coming, you better head here." Mark took a deep breath and looked down at Sara. "Alright," he said quietly, "I'll see ya when I get there." Andy agreed and hung up. Mark clicked his phone shut and put it down on the bed. He wrapped his arms around Sara's upper body tightly, trying to comfort her. Instead, it only made her tremble more. He loosened his grip and ran his fingers through her hair. It took about 15 minutes, but Sara finally began to stop trembling and crying. "Look, I'm gonna go get the doctor, dollface, okay?" Mark said climbing out of the bed, "I'll be right back." Sara nodded and slowly released her grip on his shirt. Mark hurried down to the desk and asked if Sara could be released that morning. "We want to keep her for another day or two, just to make sure she stays stable," the doctor answered looking at Sara's chart. Mark looked at the floor and sighed. "Thank you," he said quietly before going back to Sara's room. She was lying on her bed, curled in the fetal position, and even at the distance from the bed to the door, Mark could see that she was still shaking.

"Dollface?" he whispered walking up to her. Sara turned over just enough to see Mark walking towards her. "I have to stay here, don't I?" she asked quietly. Mark nodded slightly and swallowed. Sara turned her face towards the window as tears came again. The last thing she wanted was to be alone. Mark slowly sat down on the bed and put his hand on her hip. "Sara…there's nothing I can do. If I could make you better myself, I would," he reasoned, "You know that. You have to get better before you can come back." When Sara didn't show any acknowledgment that she'd heard him, Mark leaned over her face. Her face was stained with fresh, silent tears. He forced her to look at him, his heart wrenching at the pain in her eyes. It made it harder for him to have to leave. "Sara…I-I…Look, I'll call you whenever I can," he whispered standing, "I have to go." Sara pulled her chin from Mark's grip and stared at the window. Mark went to say something else, but he just climbed off the bed and walked out the door. He wasn't going to argue with Sara about her health. The doctor thought she was in bad condition, and Mark wasn't going to argue with the doctor.


	34. Healing

**Chapter 33…Healing**

Sara was released on Thursday afternoon, and she was allowed until Sunday for medical leave, just to make sure. Instead of flying back to California, Sara flew to Daytona, to spend the time with her mother. When she walked out of her gate at the airport, her mother was there to meet her. "How are you feeling?" Lucy asked grabbing for Sara's carry-on bag. "Mom, I got it. I'm fine," she answered. Mark had called Lucy on Tuesday afternoon to let her know about Sara's condition. He knew Sara wasn't going to tell her; Sara didn't want her mom to worry about her health, because she'd taken care of Sara for so long before Sara graduated from college. "Look, Sara. You're my daughter. I'm going to worry about you…no matter how much you don't want me to," Lucy said quietly. Sara sighed and looked at the floor, following her mom silently to the car. The trip home was just as silent. She allowed her mom to help her get her suitcase, and carry it into the house. "You want something to eat?" Lucy asked taking the suitcase up to her guest room. "No, mom," Sara answered going into the living room and lying down on the couch. The dream she'd had Monday morning was still bothering her. Lucy came down and saw Sara lying down. She sat down and placed Sara's head on her lap. "What's wrong, Sara?" she asked rubbing her head gently. "I had a real nightmare on Monday morning…and it's still bothering me," Sara answered quietly. Lucy took a deep breath and asked, "You wanna tell me about it?" Sara hesitated and rubbed her eyes with her hands. "I…I was walking down the hallway…of the mansion. And there seemed…to be blood…everywhere I looked," she started. Her voice broke, and she stopped, trying to slow her breathing. "Go on, baby," Lucy coaxed. "I stopped at this mirror…and the blood was coming from me. I was…covered," Sara said painfully, "And there was someone behind me…holding me there…laughing." "Who?" Lucy asked. Sara looked up at her mom and answered, "Shawn." A look of shock came across Lucy's face. "You mean…Shawn in your group?" she asked hesitantly. Sara nodded and swallowed. "It's his fault I was in the hospital. He convinced me to go dancing with him Sunday night after the pay-per-view, and got me drunk," she said quietly. Lucy looked up and sighed. There was silence between the two women for almost five minutes.

"Mom?" Sara whispered finally, "Say something…please." Lucy looked down at her daughter and touched her cheek. "Did you learn a lesson from that?" she asked. Sara nodded quickly as tears came to her eyes. "Then that's all that you need to remember. You learned a lesson, and you won't make the same mistake again," Lucy said smiling slightly. Sara let out a sigh of relief as the tears freed themselves. Lucy wiped them away and said quietly, "I don't judge you, Sara. You're old enough to make your own decisions. You're old enough to learn from your mistakes." Sara nodded and closed her eyes. She was tired from her flight, and she simply wanted to sleep, knowing that her mom would let her. "Uh-uh! Go on up to that guest room if you wanna sleep," Lucy said moving Sara's head from her lap. Sara smiled and stood, hugging her mom tightly. "I love you, mom," she whispered in her ear. "I love you, too, baby," Lucy responded, "Now go on up and get some rest." Sara let her mother go and headed upstairs. When she got inside the room, she stripped down to her underwear and climbed underneath the covers, falling asleep in minutes.

Lucy checked in on Sara all throughout the afternoon and evening. There were a few times when Sara started tossing and turning, mumbling in her sleep, but Lucy didn't wake her. Sara finally woke up early Friday morning. It took her a few moments to realize that she was in her mother's house. _I shouldn't have told her about that dream_, Sara thought as she went into the bathroom. She took a nice hot shower before going back into the room and getting dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a small T-shirt Mark had bought for a few months back. Sara wanted to go back to sleep, but she'd slept enough to last her a couple of days. Grinning to herself, Sara made her way downstairs quietly. It was only eight a.m., so she assumed her mother would still be sleeping. When she found Lucy in the kitchen, she was slightly shocked. "What are you up this early for?" Sara asked walking in and sitting at the table. "I'm always up this early. I watch TV, and do laundry, and—and why am I explaining myself?" Lucy answered. Sara smiled and poured a glass of orange juice. "You sleep okay?" Lucy asked sitting down with a cup of coffee. Sara swallowed slightly and sighed. "Not really. I mean, for the most part, yeah. But there were a few times…," she said quietly. "A few times what?" Lucy asked soothingly. "I just seemed to be trapped in this room, and I couldn't get out. There was something, or someone, holding me there," Sara said softly. "Have you dreamed like this before you joined that group?" Lucy asked, her voice completely serious. "We all have nightmares, mom," Sara answered. "You know what I mean," Lucy said. Sara lowered her head and whispered, "No." "Exactly," Lucy commented, "That group is bad stuff, Sara." Sara looked back up and locked eyes with her mother. "Not everybody is, mom," she said quietly, "Just…just Shawn." "Well, you better stay away from him. I don't want you to get hurt, Sara," Lucy warned, "I'm old friends with Vince, but I will unleash all hell on him if you get hurt by _anyone_ in that group." Sara forced a grin, but she knew her mother was completely serious. "I came here to relax, mom, not worry about work," she said, the grin still on her face. Lucy raised her eyebrow before sighing.

"Come on, let's go outside," Sara said standing. "You're avoiding the topic," Lucy said quietly. "You're right, mom. I don't want to talk about this. I don't want to talk about the nightmares, or the fears, or the threats, or the assault, or the regrets. I don't want to talk about any of it!" Sara said heatedly. She then went back into the living room and lied down on the couch, forcing tears back which were trying their best to escape from her eyes. She was not going to allow Shawn to break her; she refused to succumb to the ton of pressure that was on her heart, and getting heavier by the day.

"Sara?" Sara looked up and into the worried eyes of her mother. "Mom…please, don't put me on a guilt trip," Sara whispered. Lucy shook her head and sat down beside her daughter, smiling down at her. "I raised a beautiful, mature, independent daughter," she whispered, tears in her eyes. Sara looked away as the tears escaped her own eyes. Lucy pulled Sara into a sitting position and hugged her tightly. "Mom, I'm so scared…," Sara whispered into her shoulders as the tears freed themselves, "I can't control this…and I'm so scared of what's gonna happen." "Sara, you shouldn't be afraid of anything, or anyone," Lucy said quietly, "You know how to defend yourself against any attack. And…I know you never would expect to hear this from me, but…you've got Mark. That man loves you so much, he'd die for you. I see it every time he looks at you when you're here." "I miss him," Sara said quietly, wiping her tears away, "I just…I miss him so much. And it's only been a few days." "That's what love does to a person," Lucy said with a smile. Sara smiled and blushed slightly. "You still up for goin' outside?" Lucy asked. Sara nodded slightly and followed her mom out into the back yard. They pulled out a couple of lawn chairs and began to talk, talking well into the afternoon hours.

Around four p.m., Sara got the urge to call Mark. She ran upstairs and brought her cell phone back outside. It rang as she went to make her own call. "Hello?" she answered. "Hi, dollface," Mark said on the other end. Sara smiled broadly and said, "I was just about to call you!" "Ironic, huh?" Mark asked her. He loved it when their needs coincided. "Yeah, I'd say so," Sara answered, "So, how's everything goin'?" "Good. Andy's been keeping me from ringing Shawn's neck," Mark said. Sara chuckled slightly, saying, "Good ole' Andy. Now he's watching out for both of us." "Yeah, he's a good-hearted guy. That, and he doesn't want to have to deal with Shawn alone if I get suspended," Mark said, a smile in his voice. Sara laughed and agreed. "How's everything else?" she asked. "Good. I had to do some photo shots, and pre-tape some promos for the show," he answered, "And I got in a workout with Andy this morning." "Cool. I can't wait to get back to work," Sara said. "I miss you, baby," Mark said quietly. "Yeah, I miss you, too," she said softly, "I can't get past that nightmare…" "You never told me about it, remember?" Mark asked. Sara sighed softly and closed her eyes. Mark had been worried about her before the nightmare, and he was even more worried now. "Dollface?" she heard after a few moments of silence. "Yeah, I'm still here…," she said quietly. "What's on your mind?" he asked. "How do you know I'm worried about something?" she asked. "Number one: I hear it in your voice," Mark answered, "Number two: I can feel it." "Jesus, Mark…you just gotta lay the guilt trip down on me, don't ya?" she asked. "If it'll make you tell me what's wrong, then I guess so," he answered.

"Fine," Sara said softly. She'd told her mother the dream; she might as well tell Mark. It took her only moments to relay the dream to Mark, but afterwards, she felt even worse. _This isn't going to help anything_, she thought, _He's just gonna get more worried…and more overprotective_. "Well…it was only a dream, right?" Mark asked when Sara had finished. "Yeah…it was," she said. "So why stress? If I've told you once, I've told you a million times...you have nothing to be afraid of," Mark said quietly, "I'd do anything to keep you from getting hurt, Sara…and Andy would, too. You don't have to worry about Shawn." Sara smiled to herself, because she knew Mark was fully confident in his beliefs. "You're right," she said, "I'm sick and tired of being afraid of him." "That's a girl," Mark said smiling. "I love you, Mark," Sara said softly, "I really do." "And I love you. Besides, you know that if I ever think you've been down for too long, I'll be there to force you back on your feet," Mark responded. Sara laughed and said, "Yeah, that's what you do best.." "Alright, baby, I gotta go," he said, "I gotta get back to work. But I love you, and I'll see ya soon." "Okay, hon, bye," Sara said before hanging up.

Standing up and stretching, Sara entered the house with a huge smile on her face. She hadn't noticed her mom leave, but she saw her sitting on the couch watching television. "Finished?" Lucy asked. "Yeah. Mark helped me relax a lot," Sara answered. "Good, now we can go have some real fun," Lucy said smiling, "Let's go out to dinner, or a movie, or something." "Are you sure? We can hang out here. It's Friday night, so places are gonna be packed," Sara argued. "I haven't been out in forever. Come on, Sara. You're finally upbeat, so let's do something upbeat," Lucy argued back. "You and Mark are a trip, I swear," Sara said, "I'll be down in a little bit. You better be ready." "I _better_ be?" Lucy asked. Sara stuck her tongue out and ran upstairs.

An hour later, Sara and Lucy were on their way to a movie theater 30 minutes outside of Daytona. Sara relayed what Mark had assured her. "That's good. I told you he'll look out for you," Lucy said smiling. Sara chuckled as she watched the road pass by. "Ya know, mom…I want to spend the rest of my life with him," she said quietly. "How do you know he doesn't feel the same?" Lucy asked. "I just…I think he's waiting until things calm down with the group. Us being engaged would put us in Shawn's spotlight even more, and I don't think either one of us want that to happen," Sara answered. "That's logical, Sara…but I also believe that you shouldn't let someone stop you from being happy…no matter who it is," Lucy argued. "I know, mom…I know," Sara said quietly. The rest of the ride to the theater was quiet. When they got there, though, mother and daughter were talkative, laughing, and happy. No one bothered Sara for a photograph, or an autograph, or any type of attention, and that made Sara even more comfortable. It was good for her to finally not be worried about her safety.

After the movie, Lucy treated Sara to dinner at Paul's. Even though it was a Friday night, the restaurant wasn't as packed as usual. "What's goin' on, Sara?" Paul asked when he saw Sara and her mom sitting near the back. "Nothin' much, Paul. I've got a few days off, so I came here to hang out with my mom," she answered. "That's great, Sara. We sure miss ya here," he commented. "I miss this place, too, Paul," she responded. "Well, enjoy your dinner. I just wanted to come say hi," he said, "If you need anything, don't hesitate to give me a holler." "Thanks a lot, Paul," Sara said smiling. Paul walked away and Sara focused back on her mom. "You do miss it here, don't you?" Lucy asked. "Yeah, I kinda do. I mean, I love being on the road and all…but it's way stressful sometimes," Sara answered honestly, "I sometimes have to force myself to keep going, instead of just giving up." "That's how I've raised you, though. No matter what, don't ever give up on anything you've busted your ass to get," Lucy said quietly. Sara grinned and looked down at her plate. "I'm the luckiest daughter in the world, to have a mom like you," she said quietly, "I don't know where I'd be without you, mom." Lucy chuckled softly and said, "I'm lucky to have a daughter like you."

After dinner, Sara decided that she would drive back. "I need to get in the habit of driving, and you need to rest," she argued when her mom wouldn't turn over the keys. "Fine," Lucy said tossing the keys to Sara. Sara climbed into the driver's seat and started the car. Her cell phone rang as she pulled out of the parking lot. "Hello?" she answered. "Hi, baby," Mark said quietly. "Hey, sweetie. What's goin' on?" Sara said smiling. "Nothing. Just wanted to hear your voice," he answered. "You're silly. Was it a long day?" she asked, keeping her attention on the road. "Yeah, you could say that," Mark answered. "What happened?" she asked. "Just…I'm lonely. It would've been a lot more fun with you here," he said. Sara smiled to herself. "You miss me that much, huh?" she asked. "Sara…I was doing appearances the whole day…with Shawn, of all fucking people," Mark said quietly. "Geez, Mark. Was Andy there with you?" she said. "Nope. Eric had him with, uh, John and Paul and…Trish," he answered. "You didn't kill him, did you?" Sara asked with a smile. "Nah, but he was damn sure trying to provoke me," he said heatedly, "Every chance he got, he'd say something about that night at the dance club, or about how weak you were, or somethin' like that. He knew which buttons to push, I'll tell ya that." "You must've been struggling pretty hard not to do anything," Sara whispered. "Yeah…that's an understatement. He's such a sneaky little bastard. He knows when and how to manipulate people, and get under their skin," he answered. "You don't have to tell me twice," she whispered. "I'm sorry, babe. I don't want you to get stressed out over this. I just wanted to vent a little bit," Mark said assuredly. "Don't worry about it, Mark. I just…I hate that we're in this situation to begin with," she said looking over at her mother, who was fast asleep. A chuckle escaped from her mouth, and Mark asked, "What's so funny?" "Nothin'. My mom was so intent on driving here, but I convinced her to let me do the driving. And she's already fast asleep," Sara answered looking back at the road.

"You dreaming okay?" Mark asked, changing the topic. "A little better," she said quietly. "What now?" he asked. "It's nothing. I just…don't dream well when I sleep alone," she answered. "Or when you're worried about something," Mark said. "You know me so well," she said simply. "Like the back of my hand," Mark said smiling. "I think I'm gonna fly back to Venice tomorrow," Sara said. "Why? Hang out with your mom. You never see her as it is. Why cut a visit short?" Mark argued. "Well, I haven't seen Duchess in a while," Sara said jokingly. "And you'd choose your dog over your mother?" Mark asked. "Of course not, Mark. I'll stay here," she said quietly. "Good. Anyhow, we got an early day tomorrow. I'm gonna try to get some sleep, okay?" Mark said softly. "Alright, babe. I love you," Sara said. "I love you, too, dollface. See ya on Sunday," he returned. "Bye," Sara said. Mark said the same before hanging up. The rest of the trip for Sara didn't last as long. She was tired, and ready to go to sleep. When she pulled into her mother's driveway, it was past midnight. She woke her mom up, and they headed inside. "Thanks, mom…for tonight," Sara said after she'd changed into shorts and a white tanktop. "Sara…I don't get to see you that often. I may as well make the most of when I do," Lucy said, "Now go get some sleep. We still got a full day to enjoy each other's company." Sara kissed her mom's cheek and whispered, "I love you, mom," before going upstairs to bed. It had been a good day for her, after all.

The next morning, Sara woke up bright and early, unusually energized and happy. She took a nice, hot shower and stepped out feeling refreshed. She dressed in a pair of khaki Capri pants, with a short-sleeved, tight-fitting white T-shirt. The shirt had a Harley-Davidson emblem on the front, with "Live Free" written on the front and "Ride Hard" written on the back. Sara had become more and more comfortable with wearing Harley-Davidson shirts, by Mark's influence. When she went downstairs, her mom was in the kitchen cooking breakfast. "Morning, mom," she said hugging her from behind. "Hey, sugar. I'm just making a little somethin' to start the day off," Lucy said as she finished scrambling eggs. "So you already have plans for today, then?" Sara asked sitting down at the table. There was already food laid across it: a plate of bacon, a bowl of biscuits, a plate stacked with pancakes, a little saucer with syrup, and a pitcher of milk. "How long have you been up, mom? This must've taken forever!" she commented. "I do what I can when my child comes over," Lucy said with a smile, scooping the eggs into their own bowl.

Breakfast went by quickly. Sara ate until she could eat no more. "I must've gained a few pounds right there," she said patting her belly. "You'll burn it off in no time, so hush your mouth," Lucy said piling empty dishes into the sink. "Look, mom, you cooked…I'll clean up," Sara said standing. "Sara, stop it. If I want to pamper you, I can. So go in the living room and relax," Lucy said facing her daughter. "But mom, you know I think you've worked too hard trying to take care of me. Let me do something for you," Sara argued with a smile. "You. Living room. Now," Lucy said simply. Sara sighed and did as she was told. After cleaning the kitchen, Lucy went and found Sara watching a tape of her childhood, when her father was still around. The look in Sara's eyes was one of longing, and pain hidden over the years. "Sara?" Lucy said quietly, sitting down beside her. Sara looked at her mother with tears in her eyes. "I wanted a dad…just like all the other kids had," Sara whispered, "I wanted to be a part of a normal family." "I know, honey," Lucy whispered touching her daughter's cheek, "And I'm so sorry that you didn't have one." Sara forced the tears away and smiled. "I love you, mom. And I couldn't ask for any better," she said quietly. "You ready to go have some fun?" Lucy asked. Sara chuckled and nodded.

The women spent the day hanging around the beach of Daytona. Sara had never enjoyed living by the ocean, but she had fun nonetheless. She even took a dip in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean alongside her mother. They walked the boardwalk for hours, Sara doing tons of souvenir shopping. "Where are you gonna fit all that stuff?" Lucy asked as they headed back to her car. "That's a very good question!" Sara said with a laugh, "Think it'll fit in my carry-on?" They laughed together, strolling along the sidewalk. It was early evening when they got home. "Order-in tonight?" Lucy asked as Sara headed up the stairs. "Sure. You've done enough cooking for one day," Sara answered, "I'll be down in a little while. I need to pack." "Alright, sweetie," Lucy said. She took a shower, and dressed in silk pajamas, then ordered from a delicatessen not too far from her house.

Sara came down an hour later, bathed and in her nightclothes. "So, are we gonna watch a movie, or just hang out?" she asked. "We can sit in the backyard for a little while," Lucy said grabbing a blanket from the closet, "Grab the phone for me, too." Sara snatched the phone off the hook as she walked out behind her mother. They stretched out in the middle of the yard and looked up at the sky. It was getting dark, but no stars could be seen just yet. "You ready to get back on the road?" Lucy asked. "No…it's peaceful here, mom," Sara said honestly. "True…but you also love what you do," Lucy countered. Sara smiled and closed her eyes. Her mother was right – she absolutely _loved_ what she did, so much that it bordered obsession. "What time are you leaving tomorrow?" Lucy asked. "Early in the morning, like seven. I called the airport while I was packing, and the lady I talked to said there's a flight to Venice leaving at 9:30," Sara answered quietly. "Is it going to be a busy schedule when you go back?" Lucy asked. "It's always busy, mom," Sara joked. "You know what I mean," Lucy fired back. Sara chuckled and said, "Yeah, mom. It's gonna be hell. We're working for about three weeks straight, then we get a couple days off." "Geez, Sara," Lucy said quietly. "Hey, it's what I love, right?" Sara asked. "Yeah…it's what you love," Lucy agreed, "That, and you finally get to see Mark again." Sara blushed and turned her head towards Lucy. "I haven't seen him since Monday morning, mom," she said quietly, "That's too long." "You'll see him soon enough. Why don't you go call him?" Lucy suggested. "You just said it: I'll see him soon enough. I want to spend this time with you," Sara countered with a smile.

The phone rang at that time, and Lucy answered it. "Okay, thanks a lot," she said after a moment, then hanging up. "Who was that?" Sara asked. "Food," Lucy answered standing. Sara followed suit, picked up the blanket, and followed Lucy inside. The food came minutes later, and the women sat down to watch _A League of their Own_. Afterwards, with a full stomach and a rested mind, Sara headed off to bed. "I'll be up around 6:15, okay, Sara?" Lucy said at the bottom of the steps. "Why?" Sara asked coming out of the bedroom she'd been sleeping in. "To take you to the airport. Duh!" Lucy said smiling. "I'll take a cab," Sara said. "No, you won't. I'm taking you, and that's that," Lucy said before going into the living room, leaving Sara standing there. Sara merely shook her head and went to bed.

The alarm blared at exactly 5:45 a.m. Sara sat straight up and tried to slow her breathing. She'd been dreaming of being ripped away from Mark, despite her struggles. "Now's not a great time to start having nightmares again," she whispered cutting the alarm off. She took a hot shower, washing her hair and shaving, before stepping back into the room. She dressed in a pair of loose jeans, with a Nike T-shirt. She lugged her suitcase and duffel bag down the stairs at approximately 6:20. Walking past her mother's room, she'd heard water running and knew her mother was in the shower. Sara fixed about six slices of toast, and scrambled eggs, for her and her mother to eat. Lucy walked in moments after Sara had finished cooking. "What's this about?" she asked. "You cooked for me. I wanted to cook for you," Sara said pulling out plates and silverware. Lucy smiled as she fixed her plate. "I didn't know you could cook," she joked. Sara's jaw dropped and she groaned. "That was a low blow," she said grinning. "I'm just picking," Lucy said. Sara's cell phone rang in the middle of breakfast, and she scurried to answer it. "Hello?" she answered. "Good morning, dollface," Mark said on the other end. "What are you doin' up this time of morning?" Sara asked quietly. "Well, we flew into Lafayette a few minutes ago, and I knew you were thinking about flying back to Venice," Mark said, "But Eric wants you in Lafayette today." Sara sighed heavily and whispered, "Damn him." "Look, I'll be waiting for you at the airport. Just call me when they announce your plane departure time," Mark said quietly, "It won't take you long to get here." "Well, that depends, Mark. I told the airport ticket lady that I was going to Venice tomorrow, and there were seats available for that flight. I don't know if there are going to be seats available to Lafayette. And even if there are, who says it'll be a straight shot?" Sara said quietly. Mark took a deep breath; he hadn't thought of that. "Look, just go to the airport, and see what's what. If there are flights available, take the earliest one. If there aren't, then that's not your fault, is it?" he said quietly. "Yeah, but you know I don't like to be late anywhere," she whispered. "Don't worry about it, dollface. You'll be fine. But you better leave soon, though," he said quietly. "Yeah, mom's about to take me to the airport," she told him. "Good. Call me when you find something out, okay?" he said. "Sure thing, baby. Bye," Sara said before hanging up.

Going back into the kitchen, Sara saw her mom cleaning up the dishes. "You never stop, do you?" Sara asked. "What'd Mark want?" Lucy asked, ignoring Sara's comment. "Oh…I'm not going back home. I'm going straight to Lafayette. I just hope there's a flight available," Sara answered. "When did this change happen?" Lucy asked. "When Eric decided he wanted me back on the road as soon as possible," Sara said quietly. Lucy dropped a plate in the sink, accidentally breaking it. "Geez, mom," Sara said coming over to the sink and removing the broken pieces carefully. "I should've known," Lucy said quietly, "You know I can't stand him, Sara." "Mom…let's not end on a bad note, okay?" Sara responded, "I've had a great time with you. I love coming to visit you. But now it's time for me to go back to work." Lucy sighed heavily and hugged her daughter, saying, "You just be careful, you hear me?" Sara nodded and returned the hug. Her mom had always been protective of her growing up, and now, it had seemed to escalate a little – often times rivaling with Mark.

The ride to the airport was quiet, except for Sara's voice on the phone. She managed to find a flight heading to Lafayette at 8:15 a.m., but there was a connection in Atlanta, so she wouldn't actually arrive there until two o' clock that afternoon. "Thank you, ma'am, I'll be there shortly," she said hanging up. She then called Mark and relayed the flight information to him. "Well, at least you know there's a flight coming in," Mark joked. "Yeah…last freaking minute," Sara said quietly. "Look, dollface…I'll be waiting at your gate when you walk out. Me _and_ Andy, 'cause he's dying to see you, too," Mark assured. "Good. I miss him, too," Sara admitted. "Hmm. Am I gonna have to start keeping an eye on him?" Mark asked smiling. Sara chuckled to herself and answered, "No, Mark." Mark laughed into the phone, and said, "I was just joking, baby." "I love you, baby," Sara said suddenly, "I missed you a lot." "You know I missed you, too. It tore me up to leave you on Monday," Mark said quietly. "I know…I felt it," Sara whispered, "But I knew you had to go…that's why I was so mad." "I'm so sorry, Sara," Mark said honestly. "No…it's my fault. My fault I went out, my fault I got drunk, my fault I ended up in the hospital," Sara said slowly. "Sara…don't. Don't put a guilt trip on yourself that's not necessary. Shawn's the one at fault here, and you know it. Don't blame yourself for what that son of a bitch did," Mark responded. "I can't help it, Mark. I'm so fucking gullible, no matter how hard I try not to be. And he saw that," she whispered painfully. "Listen, dollface…you're gonna be just fine when you get back here. Okay?" Mark said assuredly. Sara sighed heavily and looked down at her lap. "Okay, baby? You've had almost a week to relax. Stay that way," Mark said quietly. "Alright, baby," she conceded. "Promise?" he said quietly. "Promise," she said. "Alright, I'll see you when you get here, okay?" Mark asked. "Yep. Can't wait to see you," Sara answered. "Bye, hon," Mark said. Sara said the same before clicking her phone shut.

"You okay?" Lucy asked. Sara nodded and sighed. "He's gonna meet me when I get off the plane," she said quietly. "Well, that's good," Lucy said, "You won't have to wait to see him." Sara laughed and leaned her head back against the seat. "Is it okay if I sleep until we get to the airport, mom?" she asked quietly. "Yeah, go ahead, sweetie," Lucy answered. Sara closed her eyes and was asleep in moments. The dream she'd had earlier came back in full force. It was more in depth this time. She and Mark had been sitting in a white room at a table, talking, when suddenly Sara was forced on her feet. There were iron grips on both arms, and they were pulling her out of the room. She screamed for Mark to help her, but he sat there, doing nothing. The door slammed in her face, and Sara's eyes flew open. Her mom was pulling into the airport parking lot. "You okay, hon?" Lucy asked looking over at Sara. "Yeah, mom. I'm fine," Sara answered tiredly, "I'm just ready to get back in his arms." Lucy smiled and parked the car. "I'm sure he can't wait to hold you again, either," she said quietly. "Come on. Let's go on inside," Sara said climbing inside. She grabbed her duffel bag out of the back seat, while her mother grabbed her suitcase. They quickly went to the ticket information desk, purchased a ticket to Lafayette, and headed to get her bags checked. Looking at her ticket, she realized it was a straight shot to Lafayette. She would arrive a couple of hours ahead of schedule. She quickly got out her cell phone and dialed Mark's number. When he picked up, she relayed the information quickly. Mark was ecstatic that she would be arriving early. "I'll definitely be there now," he said with a smile. "Alright, love. See ya in a bit," Sara said softly. She hung up as her bags were checked, and then headed over to her gate, her mother still at her side. "So, I guess we will end on a good note, huh?" she asked winking. Lucy smiled and nodded. "I'm so glad you came to see me, sweetie. I miss you unbelievably," Lucy said quietly, "Call me as soon as you land. I'm gonna head back to the house now." Sara hugged her mom tightly, whispering, "I love you," in her ear. Lucy nodded and rubbed the back of Sara's head. "Take care of yourself," she said before walking away. When Sara boarded her plane, it was eight o' clock. She fell asleep right after take-off, and slept peacefully the entire plane trip.


	35. Lessons Learned

**Chapter 34…Lessons Learned**

The plane landed at 12:25 p.m. approximately. Sara headed off the plane, and found Mark and Andy waiting for her just as she'd expected. She ran into Mark's open arms and planted her lips to his. Mark's arms tightened around her and his mouth ravished hers. After a few moments, Andy cleared his throat. Sara managed to pull away from Mark, a huge smile on her face. "Hi, Andy," she said facing him. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. "I missed you, too," she said in his ear. "Good. I was beginning to feel unloved," Andy said hugging her back. She laughed and stepped back. "So, I take it you're well-rested now?" Mark asked taking her hand in his, leading her to get her suitcase. "Yeah, I had a lot of fun with my mom. I always do," Sara answered. "What'd you guys do?" Andy asked. "She pampered me, for lack of a better phrase. She wouldn't let me do anything for myself," Sara said smiling, "She did it on purpose; she knows how much I hate that." "Well, you needed it," Mark commented winking at her. Sara squeezed his hand gently. "Did Eric say why he wanted me back today?" she asked quietly. "Nope," Mark answered. "I think he wanted you back just so he could make sure you were okay," Andy suggested. "Yeah…sure," Mark said heatedly, "He knew why Sara was sick in the first place; he wouldn't even let her go to the hospital until we'd flew to the next city. I don't think he really wants to see if she's okay." "Look, guys, I'm not in the mood for tension. I've had enough of that to last me for a long time," Sara interjected. "Sorry, Sara," Andy said quietly. Sara looked up at Mark, waiting for his apology. "What?" he asked innocently. Sara raised her eyebrows and stopped where she was. "Fine…I'm sorry," Mark growled facing her. "Like you mean it," Sara said pulling him close to her. Mark grinned and kissed her nose. "I'm sorry, dollface," he said quietly. "Better. Now let's get outta here," she said smiling. They arrived at the hotel 20 minutes later.

Sara grabbed her bags out of the trunk, and headed inside. She was anxious to get to her room, and just lie down. Mark led her down the hall to room 115, and opened the door. "I've been rooming with Andy this week," he said, "But I think Andy will give us time alone for a little while." Sara grinned as Mark shut the door behind them. She dropped her bags and launched herself into Mark's open arms. "I can not tell you how much I've missed you, dollface," he whispered as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Sara's lips traveled over his freshly-shaved face, and her hands explored his chest and muscular arms. "Oh, I think I know how much," she whispered biting his earlobe. Mark growled and grabbed a handful of her hair, bringing her lips to his. Their tongues twisted, and dueled, and tasted of the other. With very little effort, Mark removed Sara's shirt. He made his way over to the bed, stepping over suitcases and various clothes. As soon as he'd laid her down, their love-making turned semi-violent. Clothes were removed with ferociousness, and they explored each other with no sensitivity whatsoever. When Mark finally collapsed on top of Sara, they were both covered in sweat, scratches, and bruises. "Jesus, Mark," Sara whispered caressing his back. "What's wrong?" Mark asked immediately, lifting up onto his elbows.

"Nothing at all," she said caressing his cheek, then noticing the scratches all over his upper body. Mark looked down at his chest and laughed deeply. "Sorry," Sara whispered with a smile. Mark leaned down to kiss her, but a knock on the door interrupted him. "Who is it?" Mark asked loudly. "It's Andy. Can I come in my room yet?" he asked with a laugh. Both Sara and Mark laughed and went into the bathroom. "Come on in, Andy," Mark said before shutting the bathroom door. He and Sara took a long, hot shower, making love once more while doing so. "I never knew water could feel so good," Sara said after stepping out. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her, then rung her hair out in the sink. Mark came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you so much," he whispered kissing her earlobe. Sara smiled and placed her hands on Mark's forearms. "You're the best," she whispered back. Mark's mouth began to travel from Sara's ear to her neck, causing her to lean back against him. "Again?" she asked, biting her bottom lip. "Only if you want to," Mark said, grabbing her ear with his teeth and pulling gently. Sara turned and faced Mark, placing her lips on his chest. Random kisses found their way all over, bringing a grin to Mark's face.

"Sara?" Sara looked at the bathroom door and sighed. "Yeah, Andy?" she answered. "Eric wants to see you. He just called the room," Andy said. Sara took a deep breath and hesitated. "Alright, I'll be out in a little bit," she said. "I'll go get your clothes," Mark said quietly. Sara pulled his face down to hers and kissed him softly. Mark deepened the kiss and curled her hair around his fingers. "I gotta go see Eric," Sara whispered against his lips. "Eric can wait," Mark countered pulling her closer. "No…he's already probably pissed that I got a week off," she said seriously, "Go get me some clothes, please?" Mark sighed and submitted. "Thanks, babe," she said with a smile. Mark groaned and left the bathroom wrapped in a towel. He brought back a pair of shorts, and one of his own Harley Davidson t-shirts. "This isn't mine," Sara commented holding the t-shirt up. "What's mine is yours," Mark whispered stealing one more kiss before shutting the door. Sara quickly dressed herself and put her hair in a tight bun, hoping it wouldn't frizz up. Andy was waiting for her in the room.

"Where'd Mark go?" she asked putting her dirty clothes in her suitcase. She'd have to find laundry mat soon, since she didn't believe in having the hotel staff wash them. "To the gym. He'll be back in a couple of hours," Andy answered. "Why does Eric want to see me?" she asked slipping on a pair of Addidas sandals. "He never tells me why; he just tells me he wants to see you," Andy answered. Sara sighed and said, "I'm following you." Andy nodded and headed out the door. They went up a couple of floors, and Sara finally found herself in front of room 319. "He and Shawn share a room now, just so you know," Andy said in her ear. Sara tensed up immediately. "I don't want to have to deal with him right now, Andy," she said quietly. "Look, I'm gonna be in there with ya…don't worry about a thing," Andy reassured her. Sara nodded and knocked on the door. It was opened moments later, and Sara walked in with Andy. "Hey, Sara," Eric said from a table in the corner. Sara looked over her shoulder and saw that Shawn had opened the door. She sneered at him before turning her attention back to Eric. "Hi," she said curtly. "Come on over here. I want to talk to you about last Sunday night," Eric said honestly. Sara's heart rate suddenly skyrocketed, and she slowly headed to the table. "What about it?" she asked quietly. "I need you to tell me your version of what happened," Eric said. "What do you mean, my 'version'? As if there's really another side to the story. Shawn knew what he was doing, and he did it on purpose," she said quietly, her voice full of bitterness. Shawn scoffed and sat down across from her.

"Look, Sara…just tell me what happened. I want you to start from the time you woke up that day, until you fell asleep," Eric said sternly. Sara tried to slow her breathing; she couldn't believe that Eric was mad at _her_ for what happened that night. Andy gently touched her arm and squeezed slightly. She calmed down and began to relay that day. Everything was clear until she'd began drinking, then it turned into one big blur. She remember dancing, and she remember Shawn groping her, and then she remembered her room, and passing out in her bed. Shawn was so angry, he'd started shaking. "Well, now that we've got that out in the open…it's time to work things out," Eric said slowly. "Work things out? Work things out?! This isn't something that you just _blow over_," Sara hissed, "That son of a bitch--." Shawn stood and grabbed at her, but Andy stepped in front of her. "Touch her, and you'll regret it for a long time," he growled. "This is my fight, Andy," she said stepping from behind him, "This piece of shit wants a piece of me, then bring it on!" "No, dammit!" Eric yelled. Sara took a deep breath and tore her eyes away from Shawn's, which were blazing blue and full of fury.

"Look, you two…this situation needs to be over, and over _now_. You _both_ made a lot of mistakes that night. Now I'm ordering you both to get over that night before tomorrow. If you don't, there's gonna be hell to pay!" Eric said angrily. Sara looked back at Shawn, who had a conquering look on his face. "I'll rip your fucking head off!" she screamed lunging at him and knocking him down. She punched his jaw a couple of times before being pulled back. "No, dammit! Let me go!" she screamed, struggling with all her might. Eric grabbed her arms and slapped her down. Sara groaned as she hit the floor. Andy was immediately by her side, helping her onto her feet. "You okay?" he asked in her ear. She looked down at the floor and clenched her jaw. She wasn't okay, not at all. Shawn was the one who should be in trouble, not her. "Calm down," Andy whispered, "You hear me? Calm down." Sara nodded and took a few deep breaths. Andy stepped to the side, and Eric stood where he'd been. "You got that temper under control?" he asked folding his arms. "Yes, sir," she answered quietly. "Good, because if you have another outburst like that, you're gonna get fined," Eric said. Sara closed her eyes and suppressed her growing anger. "Yes, sir," she managed to say. She glanced at Shawn, who was just getting on his feet. "Now what do you have to say for yourself, Shawn?" Eric said facing Shawn. "Excuse me?" Shawn said rubbing his jaw. "You provoked her, and you damn well know it. You manipulated her last Sunday, and you're making it worse today," Eric said stepping up to him, "And I'll let you know right now, champ or not, you're still a member of this group, and I am still the boss! And I will not let _anybody_ tear this group down." _It's a little too late for that_, Sara thought.

Shawn tensed up even more than Sara, and even started shaking. He'd never had to be scolded for his actions before. "Am I understood?" Eric asked, looking from Shawn to Sara. Sara nodded and grinned. "Perfectly," she said. Eric looked at Shawn, waiting for an answer. Shawn sneered and pushed past all three people, slamming the door behind him when he left. "Jesus," Eric whispered plopping down at the table. Sara slowly sat down across from him. "Are you alright, Eric?" she asked slowly. "Running this group is so hard…egos clash, some people cause more trouble than others, and some…just get out of control," Eric said quietly. Sara looked up at Andy, who was standing with a look of pure confusion. "Eric…look, I don't know what's going on with Shawn. I do know that…you can't let him get to you. You can't let him get control. It'll just make things worse," she said looking back to Eric. "You're such a leader, Sara. You know that? I couldn't have guessed that you would ever come this far," Eric said with a slight grin. "Well…thanks, Eric. I just do the best I can," she said modestly. "Always the modest one, aren't you?" Eric asked. "Well, I try to stay that way. I don't want to end up like Shawn," Sara blurted out, then lowered her eyes. Eric tilted her chin up, forcing her eyes to meet his. "Don't regret saying that. Nobody should want to be like that. I'll make a deal with you. You help me keep control of this group, and I'll look out for you," he said quietly. Sara took a deep breath and looked at her hands. "That's a big responsibility, Eric," she whispered. "Well, you've earned it," he commented, "A lot more than Shawn has." Sara's heart pounded in her chest, so hard that she could feel it in her throat. "Please, Sara…I could use someone like you by my side," he pleaded. "Okay," Sara heard herself say, "I'll do it…I'll help." "You're an angel," Eric said. Sara forced a smile and asked, "Can I go now?" "Yeah, go ahead. I'll get with you later," Eric said standing. Sara stood and followed Andy out.

Once in the hallway, Sara's knees buckled. Andy caught her and helped her down to the floor. "I thought you said you rested up at home?" he asked touching her forehead. "I'm not sick, Andy, I'm in shock," Sara whispered. "Why?" he asked. "Who would've thought that that would've went the way it did?" she asked in a soft voice, "Why did Eric want me to help him out?" "Come on, let's get back down to the room. You can relax there," Andy said helping her up. "I can't relax now, Andy. This is big…Eric was right, it's hard to run a group like this," she argued. "No, you're not gonna stress about this your first day back. You can think about it tomorrow. We have the day off, and we're gonna relax," Andy said with a raised eyebrow. Sara saw the eyebrow and grinned. "Let's go out to the pool," she suggested. Andy smiled and agreed. Sara hurried down to her room and changed, while Andy waited outside the door. She'd dressed in the bathing suit she'd worn back at home, a simple one-piece spandex suit with white barb wire running across the middle. She also tied a towel around her waist.

"You ready?" Andy asked when she opened the door. Sara nodded and followed him to the pool deck. It was an inside pool, in the basement, but it was fairly large. Sara saw Liz and Kevin at the other end and ran over to them. "Hi, hon!" Liz said with outreached arms, "I missed you!" "Aw, I missed you, too!" Sara said hugging her tightly. "So you enjoyed your break, I hope?" Kevin asked. Sara smiled and hugged him as well. "Yeah, I did," she said standing back up and removing her towel. She slid into the water beside Liz and leaned onto the side. "Sara…why'd you have to go in the hospital in the first place?" Kevin asked quietly. Sara looked down and sighed, then quietly relayed the story of last Sunday night. "I knew it…I knew it," Liz whispered blanching. Sara touched her arm and squeezed gently. "I'm just fine, Liz, ok? Mark took care of me, Andy took care of me, and my mom _definitely_ took care of me," she said with a smile, "And trust me…I don't have to worry about Shawn anymore." "Speak of the devil…" Kevin whispered. Sara looked over her shoulder and saw Shawn enter the pool deck, towel in hand. He looked a lot less angry, and a lot more defeated; his shoulders were slumped, and he was looking at the ground as he walked. "I've never seen him like that," Kevin said quietly. "Probably because he's been shot down, and he never thought he would be," Sara said with a smile. Suddenly, Sara felt very horrible for Shawn; he _had_ busted his ass to get where he was, and he _had_ put a lot of work into having a good match on Sunday, and he _had_ shown the qualities of a good leader. "What's wrong, Sara?" Kevin asked tapping her shoulder. Sara had been staring at Shawn, a look of pity in her eyes. No matter how much she wanted to hate Shawn for what he'd put her through, she just couldn't find it in her.

Slowly, she eased her way out of the pool. "Where are you goin'?" Andy asked when she wrapped her towel around her waist. "Don't, Andy," she said quietly, before heading over to where Shawn was sitting. She saw Andy stand to follow, but she shook her head. Shawn saw Sara come over, and locked eyes with her until she was standing right in front of him. "Come to gloat?" he asked quietly. "No…that's not part of who I am," Sara answered, "May I sit down?" Shawn swallowed and nodded. Sara took the chair beside him and crossed her legs. "If you didn't come to gloat, what did you come to do? Order me around? Tell me how to be a good champ?" he asked bitterly. Sara simply shook her head. "Well, spit it out," Shawn demanded. "I'm sorry that it had to come to this, Shawn…," Sara started, "That you and I ended up in this situation. Honestly, I think that underneath this act you put on, you're really a cool guy. D.J. was right; you have an awesome sense of humor. Personally, I think you should show it more often…" Shawn was flabbergasted; the last thing he expected was for praise from Sara. "Well, uh…thanks," he said quietly, "Look…about last Sunday…I'm really, really sorry. I swear…I'm not that kinda guy at all." Sara looked at the floor and closed her eyes. She didn't really remember much of that night. "We live and we learn, right?" she asked after a moment of silence. A grin came to Shawn's face and he nodded. "You're right," he answered, "I guess I was just so damn jealous of you…your friendship with all the guys, all the qualities you have that I _thought_ I had, your…strength." "I'm no better than any other person, Shawn. Don't make me out to be this superwoman, because I'm not," Sara said quietly, "I have just as many faults, and weaknesses, as anybody else." "You think we could start over?" Shawn said with his head lowered, "I mean…for real, this time." Sara put her finger on Shawn's chin and forced him to look at her; there was pleading in them, and hope, and a need for acceptance. She sighed and nodded. "I don't give people second chances very often, Shawn," she whispered, "Please, _please_…don't make me regret this." "You won't," he assured her, "You still swim?" "Yeah, why?" Sara asked with a smile. "I'll race ya," Shawn said standing. Sara chuckled softly and said, "Good competition never hurt anybody." She stood and threw her towel down on the chair she'd been sitting in.

"Andy!" she said loudly. Andy came strolling over, looking from Shawn to Sara with a cautious eye. "Yeah?" he asked slowly. "We need a referee," Sara said. "For what?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. "We're racing," Sara said going to the edge of the pool, near the exit doors. "Are you serious?" Andy asked. "Are you gonna judge or not?" Sara asked tilting her head. "Fine," Andy said hunching his shoulders. Everyone who was there gathered on either side of the pool; those rooting for Sara were on her right side, and those rooting for Shawn were on her left side. It was pretty evenly divided, too. "You ready?" Andy asked standing at the corner. Sara forced her hair into a bun and nodded. "Three…two…one…GO!" Andy said slowly. Sara and Shawn hit the water at the same time, pumping their arms and legs with speed and force. Sara hit the other end first, flipped over, and headed back. She didn't see Shawn come up beside her. He reached the finish a second before she did. She came up out of the water, and wiped her eyes. "Almost…," Shawn said with a grin, "But not quite." Sara chuckled and looked at him. "You won by an inch," she said with a smile.

"CANNONBALL!!!!" Sara looked just in time to see John jump into the pool. Water splashed everywhere, soaking everyone around the pool. "John!" people screamed, "Not funny!" John came from under the water and said, "Thank you! Thank you!" Sara laughed as she pulled her hair out of her face. "They're all nuts, I tell ya," she said to Shawn. "I see that," he commented quietly. "Didn't I tell you to open up? You'll make yourself, and everybody else, a lot happier," Sara said before climbing out of the pool. She went over to get her towel, Shawn following her. "There's a hot tub here, too. I'm gonna go sit in it for a little while. Do you wanna come?" he asked quietly. "Maybe some other time, Shawn, okay? I'm gonna go take a nap right now," she answered facing him. "That's cool," he said quietly, "I understand." "Why don't you hang out here with the guys?" she suggested. "I kinda feel like an outsider with them. It's always been like that," he answered quietly. "Well, change the way it's been. I did it; you can, too," she said. Shawn grinned slightly and nodded. "You're right," he said. "Just don't kill anybody," Sara said punching his arm. Shawn laughed slightly and agreed. Sara then went over to Andy to get the room key card. "I'm gonna go take a nap," she told him. "Alright, I'll see you later," Andy said turning over the card. Sara nodded and left for her room. On her way out, she saw Shawn sitting at the edge of the pool, his back to her. She silently walked over, then shoved him in. Laughing, she ran out of the pool deck, not seeing his look of embarrassment and humor.

Mark entered his room that evening with anger flowing through his veins. Andy had relayed Sara's encounter with Shawn on the pool deck. He threw his bag down beside the dresser and looked towards his bed, on which Sara was lying on her back, fast asleep. Mark sat down beside her and sighed, moving her hair from her face. She looked absolutely peaceful. Sara sighed audibly in her sleep and turned on her side, her back towards him. _We'll talk about it later_, he thought standing and going into the bathroom to shower. After showering, Mark climbed into the bed behind Sara. He wasn't tired, he just wanted to lie beside her. Sara awoke at the feel of his body behind hers. "Hi, hon," she whispered as his left arm came under her head. "Hey, dollface," he whispered in her ear. "You okay?" she asked quietly. "Yeah, I'm alright," he answered. Sara faced him and looked into his eyes. She could sense anger, and feel it in the tenseness of his body. "What'd I do now?" she asked. "Andy told me about your little…encounter…in the pool," Mark said straightforwardly. There was no sense in avoiding the topic. "With Shawn?" she asked. "Yeah…with Shawn," he continued, "Monday, you were in the hospital because of him. And today, you're all buddy-buddy with him. What the hell is that, Sara?" Sara sat up and climbed out of the bed. "I'm not in the mood for this, Mark. You don't understand; you weren't there," she said quietly, putting on her Addidas sandals. Mark stood and grabbed her arm. "Explain, then," he demanded. Sara snatched her arm away and pushed Mark back. "Don't," she sneered, "Don't start ordering me around!"

"Sara…we went through this last weekend," he said quietly. "Yeah, and you were just as pigheaded then as you are now," she said heatedly, "I didn't wake up so I could deal with whatever it is you have against Shawn. You weren't there, Mark. You didn't see how defeated he looked; you didn't see how alone he was. You try being alienated by 20 other people that you have to travel, and live, and sleep with, and see how you like it!" "Sara, this isn't about alienation. This isn't about my grudge with Shawn. This is about your safety," he argued back. "Mark…Eric basically told me I was co-manager of this group," Sara countered, "He told me I'd earned it a lot more than Shawn. And that's why I talked to Shawn, because he looked like he needed a friend. So, I'm sorry that I'm too compassionate for your tastes. I'm sorry that I associate with who you would call the enemy. I'm sorry that my heart is a lot softer than yours!" Mark looked at the ground and closed his eyes. Tears came to Sara's eyes immediately. "Mark…," she whispered. He shook his head and left the room without a word. "Dammit!" she said to herself, plopping down on the bed.

Andy came into the room moments later, and found Sara curled up on her bed crying. "Baby doll, what happened?!" he asked sitting down beside her. "I didn't want to come back for his shit!" she said facing him, "He's so…dominating! Why can't he just lay off sometimes?" Andy sighed and knew that she and Mark had been arguing. He touched her cheek with his hand, wiping away the tears. "He cares too much. I'd be the same way if I had a woman like you with me," he said before he could stop himself. Sara sucked in a breath and tried to breathe deeply. "Why does everyone think I'm some bionic woman?" she said quietly, "I'm not. Look at me: I'm bawling my eyes out like a fucking baby." "You're a lot more confident than any other woman any of us have ever seen, Sara. You don't take shit from anybody, even those close to you. Sure, you cry. But you do it when nobody but your closest friends can see it. You have this image of this superwoman that everyone expects of you now, so you do what you have to in order to maintain that image," he answered quietly. Sara lowered her head as more tears came. She tried to force them away, but they wouldn't stop. "Sometimes I get sick of that image, Andy. I don't want to be a leader all the time," she whispered as the tears flowed down her cheeks. Andy took a deep breath and forced her to look at him. "It's too engrained in your mind," he said quietly. Sara smiled and said, "You're right. I couldn't be lazy if I wanted to."

The door opened and Sara gasped; she didn't know if she could face Mark just yet. She quickly wiped her cheeks. Mark walked in and took one look at Andy sitting so close to Sara, then turned on his heel and left the room again. "What the hell was that?" Sara asked. "I don't know," Andy said standing, "I'll be right back." Sara put her knees up, and wrapped her arms around them. Minutes later, the door opened again. She expected Andy to walk in, but it was Mark. He sat down in front of her and just stared at her. "What?" she whispered. "Nothing. I guess I just realized that I'm the luckiest man in the world," Mark said quietly. "Why's that?" she asked. The corners of Mark's mouth turned up, and he answered, "Because I have a woman in my life who doesn't take shit from anybody…especially me." "You mean that?" she whispered, tears coming to her eyes again. Mark put his arms around her body and rubbed his face in her hair. "I wouldn't change anything about you for all the money in the world," he whispered in her ear. Sara climbed into his lap and cried into his shoulder. "Mark, I don't wanna hurt you…ever," she whispered through the tears, "I didn't mean what I said earlier. I love you, I swear." Mark sighed and caressed her back "I know, dollface. You hungry?" he asked in her ear. Sara's stomach growled right after he asked. "I'll take that as a 'yes'," he said smiling. Sara laughed softly and looked at him. "How'd I get so lucky?" she asked. "No…how'd _I_ get so lucky?" he whispered kissing her gently. "Food," Sara said breaking the kiss and standing. Mark chuckled and stood, their hands interlocking, and walked out, the door clicking shut behind them.


	36. Responsibility

**Chapter 35…Responsibility**

Dinner was a strained one, more so for Sara than anyone else. No one knew what had happened in Eric's room except for those present, and no one knew about Sara's semi-promotion within the group. She tried to converse with everyone at her table (Mark, Andy, Kevin, Liz, and Trish), but they could see her mind was elsewhere. After dinner, Sara decided to go on a walk with Andy. "I'll be back soon," she told Mark before heading out the front door of the hotel. "What's on your mind?" Andy asked quietly. "How am I gonna help Eric do this?" Sara whispered, "It's hard enough being a member, let alone a leader of this group." "Sara, you've been a leader from the moment you stepped into this group. You didn't accept the traditional rules; you changed them to better everyone. And that's what you've got to keep doing. Don't get so stressed out; you'll end up sprouting little gray hairs," he said quietly, smiling at his last statement. Sara chuckled softly and said, "You make everything so logical, Andy." "Well, one of us has to," he said grinning, "Did you dream okay at home?" "A little…I mean, it was so-so," Sara said quietly, "I've had better…" "Hopefully, they will get better," Andy said. "Yeah…_hopefully_," she commented. "How's your mom?" he asked. "Good. She's always happy to see me. She doesn't get to do much in the house, since she lives alone. So when I come over, she pampers the hell out of me, so she can feel…useful, I guess," she answered quietly. "I'm sure she does it because she loves you so much," he suggested. "Yeah, I know. I just…she worked so hard when I was growing up. I want her to stop working so much," she said quietly. "Don't we say that to you a lot?" he said smiling. Sara rolled her eyes playfully and punched Andy's arm.

The walk lasted for another 15 minutes, with Sara walking up the street about three blocks before deciding to turn back. When they walked back into the hotel lobby, Eric was waiting for Sara. "Time for business?" Sara asked quietly. Eric nodded and asked, "Can you handle it?" Sara looked up at Andy, who merely grinned at her. "Sure I can," she said to Eric. "Alright, let's go. We're gonna talk in my room. Shawn's in there, just so you know," Eric said quietly. "That's fine. We worked everything out," Sara said. Eric stopped and stared at Sara. "You _did_?" he asked. Sara nodded and relayed what had happened between her and Shawn. "Good job, Sara," Eric said smiling, "I'm proud of you." "It's nothing, Eric," Sara said quietly. "Well, that's a signs of a good leader," Eric said. Sara stayed quiet, until she got inside Eric's room. Shawn was indeed sitting at the table reading a sheet of paper.

"Eric, look, I think we should talk," she started. "You're right. I need to get you situated about your new duties, and schedules, and all that good stuff," Eric said picking up his briefcase. "Well, that's the thing…I've been thinking about this. I really don't want to take this position now; Shawn's busted his ass too much to get it, and I don't want to take anything away from him," Sara said slowly, looking over at Shawn. His eyes locked with hers, and he stood. Sara took a deep breath and looked back at Eric. "Sara…you've earned this," Eric argued. "Maybe so…but not as much as Shawn has. We all make mistakes, Eric, and we all learn from them. And…I think that you're taking from Shawn…the only thing that really makes him happy," Sara said boldly. Sara glanced at Shawn, and he looked completely dumbfounded. "Why?" Shawn asked coming over to them, "Why are you doing this?" "I just don't feel right taking this," she answered, "I've been thinking about it since we talked in the pool deck." "Sara, you already have the job," Eric said stepping in between her and Shawn. "But I don't want it!" she argued. "Look, Sara, obviously we're going to have to discuss this alone. Why don't you go ahead to your room? We'll talk tomorrow at the arena," Eric said. Sara went to argue, but Andy pulled her back. Sara's jaw clenched and she allowed Andy to lead her from the room. She didn't say a word until she was in her room.

"What were you trying to do in there, Sara?" Andy asked shutting the door behind him, "What _exactly_ were you going for?" "I don't want the fucking job, Andy! That's what. Shawn's been here a lot longer than I have, and he's done a lot more than I have," she hissed plopping down on Mark's bed. She had no idea where he was. "No, that's not it. You don't want the responsibility," Andy said angrily, "I always thought of you as someone who wasn't afraid of a challenge. And you've got the biggest challenge staring you in the face, and you don't want to take it." Sara lowered her head and snarled, "Don't judge me, Andy. You have no idea why I did what I did!" "Then tell me why," Andy demanded, "Why do you want Shawn to have all that power?" "It's not about power, Andy!" Sara said standing, "It's about teaching him what real responsibility is. It's about damn time I turned it over to someone else." "And you actually think that he's gonna do right just because you sacrificed for him?" Andy asked quietly. "We'll just have to see, won't we?" Sara responded lowering her head and sitting back down. Andy kneeled down in front of her, and forced her eyes to meet his. "Don't sacrifice too much, Sara…it gets people in a lot of trouble," he said quietly. "Well, I've got you to watch my back, don't I?" she asked forcing a smile. Andy sighed heavily and nodded. "Yeah, you do," he answered. "Good. Now do you know where Mark went?" Sara said. "Nope. But I'm tired," Andy said heading for the bathroom. "It's only nine p.m.," Sara argued. "Yeah, and I should get as much sleep as I can. We work the next two and a half weeks straight," Andy countered. "Great," Sara said sarcastically. "Yeah, exactly," Andy said, "I'm taking a shower. You close your eyes when I come out." Sara laughed as the bathroom door shut.

When Andy came back into the room, Sara was underneath the covers asleep. "Now who's tired?" he asked himself. The room door opened and Mark strolled in. "Where'd _you_ go?" Andy asked quietly. "Just out for a walk. I like to walk, too," Mark answered, "Is Sara asleep?" Andy nodded and motioned to Mark's bed. "Good, she needs some rest. She has too much on her plate, as usual," Mark commented kicking off his boots. "Yeah, ain't that the truth?" Andy said quietly, "You goin' to bed, too?" "Yeah, I'm worn out," Mark answered removing his shirt and climbing into bed behind Sara. It wasn't a tight fit, since the bed was queen-sized. Sara immediately faced him and buried her face in his chest. "Where were you?" she whispered. "Walking. Can't I walk, too?" Mark answered in her ear. Sara grinned to herself before falling back into a comfortable sleep, Mark's arms tightly wrapped around her.

The alarm rang the next morning at seven a.m. exactly. Sara woke up first and reached over Mark to shut it off. He was fast asleep, as was Andy, so Sara went into the bathroom and took a quick shower. When she went back into the room, Mark was sitting up in bed rubbing his eyes. "Morning, hon," Sara said quietly. "You better hurry back into the bathroom, before Andy starts getting ideas," Mark said with a grin. Sara stuck her tongue out as she grabbed clothes from her suitcase. She did hurry back into the bathroom, shutting the door as Andy awoke. "What time do we have to be outta here, man?" Andy asked sitting up. "I think at nine," Mark answered cutting on the television, "We're goin' straight to the arena, and taking all our stuff, so we can head for the airport afterwards." He packed up his belongings, and set his and Sara's suitcases by the room door. Sara came out of the bathroom as he was making the bed. "About time," Mark said slyly. "Oh, shut up," Sara joked as she put her dirty clothes into her suitcase. "I'm gonna have to wash soon," she said. "Why don't you just get the hotel to do it?" Mark asked heading into the bathroom. "Because they shouldn't have to wash _my_ clothes," Sara pointed out. "Well, if they offer it, you should take it," he countered. "Well, I don't want to. Now go ahead and take your shower. Andy's gotta take his, too," Sara ordered. Mark shook his head and said, "Yes, ma'am." Sara winked at him as he shut the door.

"So…are you gonna take the job or not?" Andy asked once he heard the shower running. "Andy…it's too early to get into this," Sara said quietly, trying to find something to do. "Well, you're gonna be talking about it in a couple of hours, so you might as well start early," Andy said standing. He walked over to her and forced her to look at him. "No, I'm not gonna take it, Andy," Sara said backing up. "Why?" Andy asked curtly. "Like I said to Eric, I don't _want_ it," she answered. "Why?" Andy asked again. "Look, Andy…it's too fucking early for this," Sara snapped. "Why can't you answer me?" Andy inquired. Sara looked down at the floor and sighed. "I don't know, Andy…I don't know, okay?" she said quietly. "Well, you better figure something out, because I'm sure Eric is gonna ask you the same thing," Andy said assuredly. "You think I don't know that?" Sara asked quietly. Andy took a deep breath and put his hands on Sara's shoulders. "I'm just trying to help you make the right decision, you know that, right?" he asked. "I know, Andy," Sara answered, "It's just…complicated. I'm having mixed feelings about this. Like, if I take the job, what'll happen to relationship I have with all the guys? If I don't, what'll happen to the relationship I have with Eric?" "Look at it this way…if you take it, Shawn doesn't have as much influence over this group, because he'll more than likely have to go through you to get to Eric," Andy reasoned, "If you don't…Shawn's got a direct connection with Eric, and who knows what he'll do with it?" The shower cut off right after he said that. "Think about it, okay?" Andy whispered. Sara nodded and went out onto the balcony, just to be alone. She wanted to cry because of how frustrated she was, but she wouldn't let herself break so easily.

"Dollface?" Sara lowered her head and forced the tears away. "Yeah?" she asked quietly. "You okay?" Mark asked coming up beside her. Sara nodded, but continued looking down. Mark touched her shoulder and she swallowed. "I'm here, Sara…you know that," he whispered. Sara nodded, only because she couldn't find her voice; she was trying so hard to keep from crying that she couldn't speak. Mark slowly pulled Sara towards him and wrapped his arms around her. "Talk to me, dollface," he said in her ear, "You're killin' me…I hate seeing you like this." Sara had tensed up when Mark had pulled her close; she didn't feel like now was the time for her to be feminine. "I'm fine, Mark," she managed to say, trying to pull away. "No…you're not," he said quietly, keeping his arms around her. "Let me go, please," she whispered. Mark shook his head and looked into her eyes; they were completely blank. "Why are you being so hard this morning? What's goin' on in that mind of yours?" he asked touching her cheek. "Too much," she responded softly. "So why hold it all in?" he asked. Sara's bottom lip trembled slightly, and she burst into tears, burying her face in Mark's shirt. "It's so much," she cried, "I can't take all this pressure." Mark kept quiet, simply standing there and consoling her. Sara cried for a few minutes before stepping away from Mark and wiping her cheeks. "Better?" Mark asked quietly. Sara grinned slightly and pulled Mark's face down to hers, kissing his cheek softly. "That's why I love you," she whispered in his ear. The room door opened from the inside, and Andy stood there.

"Is it time to go?" Sara asked. "No, I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Andy responded. "I'm fine, Andy," Sara answered, "Really, I am." "Good, because Eric wants to see you before we leave," Andy said quietly. Sara sighed heavily and leaned against the balcony rail. "Right now?" she asked quietly. Andy nodded and looked at the ground. "Alright…let's go, then," Sara said pushing herself away from the rail. Andy let Sara into the room, and followed her out. "Do you have something in mind to say to him?" Andy asked. "Yep," Sara said with a smile. Andy raised his eyebrow, asking, "Well? What is it?" "Don't worry about it. I just got an idea…," Sara said, her smile broadening. She was going to ask Eric to keep Shawn as co-manager, as long as she could be co-manager with him; that way, she would still be helping to manage the group, but she would also be giving Shawn equal power. When they got to Eric's room door, Sara knocked quietly. The door opened slightly and she squeezed in. The door shut behind her, and Sara saw Shawn standing there. "Morning," she said politely. Shawn nodded to her in acknowledgment. "Where's Eric?" she asked. "He'll be right out," Shawn answered, "You wanna sit down?" "Yeah, sure," Sara said. Shawn led her to the table in the back corner of the room, and let her sit down first. Eric came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, obviously fresh out of the shower. "Good. You're here. Let's get right to business. I don't know what your deal was yesterday, but--." "I'm sorry about that, Eric," Sara said quietly. Eric paused and took a deep breath.

"What am I gonna do with you?" he asked with a smile. Sara grinned slightly and answered, "I don't know." "Alright, business. I really would like for you to reconsider being co-manager," Eric said sitting down across from her. "I actually have a better idea…I was thinking about it this morning," Sara said slowly. "Shoot," Eric said. "Well, Shawn would stay on as the main co-manager…but I would help him out with some of the responsibilities," Sara said. Eric tilted his head and thought. "That's a really good idea, Sara," he said after a few moments of silence. Sara let out a deep breath and grinned slightly. "You'll seriously consider it?" she asked. "I think that's the route I'll take. But that means that you two have to work together," Eric said quietly, "Not only for each other, but for the benefit of everyone else." Sara looked at Shawn, who nodded. "I think we'll manage just fine," she said looking back at Eric. "Good. Now that that's taken care of, it's time we got out of here. Everybody needs to be down in the lobby no later than 8:45. Sara, you'll be in charge of everyone on the first floor; Shawn, you've got the third floor. Sara, I'll get you a list of who's where when we check into hotels, so you can keep track. And I'll give you a copy of the itinerary for the events for the next seven days. Just make sure you keep up with everyone, make sure they're doing what they're supposed to when they're supposed to be doing it," Eric relayed, "And you'll probably be working with Shawn a lot more now. No one knows this, but Shawn and I come up with a lot of story angles for everyone, and now you're gonna be in on it, too. We give those ideas to Vince maybe once every month, and he decides whether or not to keep them. We have a lot of input as far as our storylines go."

Sara nodded and breathed deeply. "You sure you can handle all this? I know it's a lot at once," Eric said. "Yeah…I'm cool," Sara answered with a smile. "Good. I'll let you go back to your room, then. But you do have to be downstairs at 8:15, not 8:45, just to keep track of who comes down," Eric said standing. Sara stood and nodded. "Alright. I'll be there," she said. Shawn walked her to the door, but didn't open it. "Thank you," he said quietly. "For what?" Sara asked. "For helping me to stay where I am," Shawn answered. "Hey, we all deserve second chances, right?" Sara asked quietly. Shawn grinned and opened the door. "See ya in 30," he said quietly. "Yep," Sara said leaving the room. Andy had been waiting for her outside.

"What happened?" Andy asked as they headed to the elevator. "I'm co-manager," Sara answered simply. "Well, good," Andy said quietly, "We'll finally have a real leader." "I'm working with Shawn, Andy," Sara relayed. "Excuse me?" Andy asked in slight shock. "Shawn and I are both co-managers," she answered, "I'm actually looking forward to it." "And why on Earth is that?" Andy asked with a raised eyebrow. "Because Andy…I can make sure that Shawn _doesn't_ abuse his power," she answered slyly. Andy shook his head and sighed. "You're too smart for your own good, I tell ya," he whispered. Sara smiled broadly and chuckled softly. "I just think things through," she responded, "It's a lot of responsibility, there's no doubt about that…but I think I can handle it." "Good. I have no doubt about _that_," Andy said grinning. Getting back to the room, Sara found Mark fast asleep. She shook her head and grinned, then sat down at his side, brushing his hair out of his face. "Should I leave?" Andy asked grinning. Sara stuck her tongue out and stood, saying, "No, actually, I think I'm gonna go ahead downstairs." "Why? It's only ten 'til eight," Andy said quietly. "Just to think," Sara answered, "You can wait up here. I'm sure I'll be fine." "You sure?" Andy asked. Sara nodded and grabbed her belongings, "See ya in 30." Andy nodded as she left the room.

Sara grabbed a croissant and cup of orange juice from the continental breakfast table, before sitting down in the back of the lobby. She was having doubts about her decision to help Shawn with his duties; her heart was telling her something was still wrong. _I hope this doesn't blow up in my face_, she thought, _Please God, don't let this have been a mistake_.


	37. Anger & Jealousy

**Chapter 36…Anger & Jealousy**

The next three months flashed by for Sara. She was always constantly busy; her duties as co-manager took up more time than she assumed they would. She only saw Mark when they were in the same locker room, or in the same hotel room. Shawn had become an even better leader in her eyes, simply because she never realized exactly how much work he did. In addition to defending his championship on every other RAW, and pay-per-views, he also even wrestled in main-event style matches at houseshows. Sara had stepped up her services when it came to planning his matches for pay-per-views. She was now not only helping Mark, and Shawn, but the entire group. She was responsible for at least three matches a night, four nights a week. At times, especially getting close to a pay-per-view, Mark and Sara began to argue. He'd point out how much time she was spending with her duties, and she would counter with how much more new responsibilities she had. A week before Christmas, the argument nearly turned violent. Mark had been drinking, and Sara had come into the hotel room after a long day of working with Eric and Shawn on beginning-of-the-year storylines.

"Hey, baby," Sara said quietly, her voice filled with exhaustion. Mark mumbled a greeting as he flipped through channels. Sara sighed heavily as she kicked off her shoes and set her duffel bag down beside the dresser. "You feeling okay?" she asked coming over to sit beside him. "Just fine," Mark answered heatedly, "Not like you care." "What's that supposed to mean, Mark?" Sara asked crossing her arms. "I haven't spent time with you, Sara, in nearly three months…three fucking months," he growled glaring at her, "You care more about your job as _co-manager_ than you do me." "That's not fair, Mark. I've told you time and time again how much work this involves," she said quietly. "Excuses, excuses. Shawn gets breaks whenever he feels like it; why can't you?" he asked standing. Sara smelt the alcohol on Mark's breath as he stood. "I'm not having this argument," she said standing as well, preparing to leave the room. Mark grabbed her arms and sneered, "Oh, yeah, we are…I've been waiting a long time to have this…_argument_. It's time you faced reality." "What the hell are you talking about? I think the only person who needs to face reality is _you_. You're paranoid as hell, Mark, and it's starting to get on my very last nerve," she said as calmly as possible, "Now let me go right now…" "Or what?" Mark growled squeezing. Sara's face flushed and she started shaking. "Let me go…_right now_, goddammit," she said quietly. Mark's jaw clenched and he growled, "You're my girlfriend, Sara…_mine_. I don't think you realize what that means…" "Why don't you fucking tell me, then?" she hissed trying to move away from him. Mark's grip on her upper arms, though, was very tight; there was a chance she'd be bruised.

"That means…that you have at least listen to what I have to say; listen to when I try to warn you. But you haven't done that. You've dived straight into the fire!" Mark growled, "And I'm not gonna stand for anymore!" Sara managed to pull away from Mark, and reached back to slap him. Mark sneered and blocked her arm, grabbing her jaw at the same time and shoving her into the wall. "Mark…," she gasped out, her breathing quickening as sudden fear coursed through her body. Mark was more powerful than any man she'd ever known, but he had a controlled strength. When he drank, however, that strength could be unleashed in an unrestrained manner. A knock on the door brought both of their attention away from the situation. Mark purely meant to ignore it, but Andy's voice came through the door. "You guys in there?" Mark sneered and released Sara, who stumbled to the door. She slightly opened it and looked up at Andy.

"Yeah?" she asked quietly. Mark sat back down on the bed, anger still flowing through his veins. "Eric needs to talk to you real quick," Andy answered. "Jeez," she whispered, "We just talked for, like, ten hours." "Sorry, Sara," Andy said quietly. "No, it's fine," she countered, "I'm just a little tired." "You feelin' okay?" Andy asked softly. Sara sighed and nodded. "I'll be right out," she whispered. "You want me to come in and wait?" Andy asked, sensing a fear in her voice. Sara swallowed and nodded slightly. She turned and went into the room to grab her shoes, Andy following behind her and shutting the door. "Where are you goin'?" Mark growled. "Eric needs to see me," she whispered. "See, this is the shit I'm talkin' about, Sara…," he started. "Mark…please, don't," she pleaded. Mark stood and asked, "Why not?" Sara ignored his voice and pulled her binder out of her duffel bag, which held all information about 'Corporation' members and storylines and agendas. It was getting nearly full, so Sara would have to buy another one soon. She quickly put on her shoes and said to Andy, "I'm ready." "Oh, no, you're not goin' anywhere," Mark growled. Sara swallowed and looked up at Andy, pleading with her eyes. "Come on," he whispered putting his arm around her shoulder. Mark grabbed her arm to stop her, but Andy pushed him back. "You better back off," he said quietly, and calmly. Mark sighed and headed out onto the balcony of his room.

"You okay, baby doll?" Andy asked quietly, gently touching Sara's shoulder. Tears had formed in Sara's eyes, but she forced them away. "Yeah," she whispered, "Let's just go see Eric." Andy nodded and opened the door. "What happened in there?" Andy asked once they were in the hallway. "His fucking attitude again. I keep trying to tell him how hard it is to be co-manager, and he won't listen to me," she whispered. "He's frustrated because he can't see you as much, huh?" Andy asked slowly. Sara nodded and looked at the floor. "I want to see him more, too, Andy. I miss him a lot when I'm with Shawn and Eric…but work is work," she whispered. "Have you considered asking for a break?" Andy suggested. "We're about to get a two-week break, Andy, for Christmas," she countered, "I'll be fine once that starts." "Do you want me to stay with you, for that break? I mean…do you feel safe around Mark?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and stopped in the middle of the hallway. "I trust Mark, Andy…not to hurt me. He gets angry at me…but I trust him," she whispered. Andy nodded, but said, "If you change your mind, let me know." "Nah, I'll give you these two weeks off," Sara said with a smile. Andy returned it, and they continued talking until they arrived at Eric's door. "You go on to bed, Andy. I don't want you losin' sleep over me," she said quietly before knocking. Andy grinned, but said, "If he starts up again, you leave…okay? You can come straight to my room." Sara nodded slightly as the door opened. "Goodnight, Andy," she whispered before going inside.

Eric was sitting at a small table covered with papers, wearing reading glasses. "Sorry about that, Sara. I don't mean to keep you up late," he said looking up at her. "No, it's fine, Eric," she said sitting down across from him, "What's up?" "I forgot to give you the itinerary for the rest of the week, up until break," he answered as Shawn sat down at the table as well. "It's gonna be real busy, I bet," Sara said quietly. "Yeah, we have RAW tomorrow night, and then recordings until Saturday. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are for RAW. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday are for Smackdown. That's six shows," Eric answered. "Is everybody gonna be wrestling?" Sara asked quietly. "Pretty much. Not everybody on the same show, though. Vince is gonna try to split it up," Shawn answered. Sara rubbed her eyes and sighed. "You doin' okay?" Shawn asked, "I know we've been running you like crazy." "I'll be alright. I just need to get some sleep," she said softly. "You sure? We don't want you to break down," Shawn said quietly, touching her shoulder. Sara grinned softly and nodded. "Alright, here's the schedule, Sara," Eric interrupted, pushing a few sheets of stapled paper towards her, "I guess you can look over it tonight, or tomorrow morning. Just be familiar with it, ya know." Sara nodded and opened the binder, inserting the papers into the front. "I wish I could be that organized," Shawn said grinning. Sara chuckled softly and glanced through the sheets. "Jeez. Three matches on each show," she whispered, "This should be fun…" "Remember, Shawn will be there to help you plan," Eric said. Sara nodded and whispered, "I know…Is that all?" "Yeah, that's it," Eric said standing, "Just be downstairs in the morning by nine. We're pulling out of here by 9:30." Sara nodded as she closed her binder and stood. Eric walked her to the door and opened it. "You try and get some sleep tonight, ok?" he said as she walked out. "I'll try," she whispered heading down to her room. She was sure Mark was still awake, waiting for her to return.

When she entered her room, it was completely dark. Sara hesitated to enter, but cut on the bathroom light upon entering. The bed was empty, and there was no one on the balcony. "Where the hell did he go?" she whispered to herself. She dropped her binder on the dresser and kicked off her shoes. She then noticed that Mark's bags were gone. "Oh my God…," she whispered. She ran down to Andy's room and knocked. The door opened quickly and Andy's face appeared. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Mark's gone…his stuff's gone, he's gone, and I don't know where the hell he went," she said quietly. Andy sighed to himself and asked, "Did you call his cell?" Sara shook her head. "I think he's too mad to want to talk to me right now," she whispered. "Try and call his cell. Keep calling until you get through," Andy suggested. Sara's face paled slightly, and she whispered, "I don't know where he could've gone." Andy came into the hallway and touched her shoulders. "I'm sure he's just fine, baby doll," he whispered, "Mark's got a temper, but he knows how to keep it in check." Sara trembled slightly and swayed. Andy put her arm around his neck and walked her down to her room. "You need some sleep. You're gonna break down soon if you don't slow down," he whispered. Sara nodded as exhaustion came over her in waves. "I don't wanna go to sleep until he comes back," she whispered, "So I can make sure he's okay." "Sleep. You've already been missing out on it for a while now. You don't need this," he argued. Sara pulled out her keycard and opened the door, letting Andy help her into bed. "I'll see ya tomorrow morning, ok?" Andy said quietly, pulling the covers over her, "I'm sure Mark is fine." Sara tried to sit up, but Andy stopped her. "Sara…listen to me. You're not doing yourself any good by tryin' to stay up. Your body's gonna fall out from underneath ya if you keep up this workaholic act," he argued. Sara took a deep breath and nodded, lying back on the pillow. Andy shook his head, and left the room. "Goodnight, Sara," he said before shutting the door.

The next morning, Sara awoke alone. She cut off the alarm and sprang up. Mark still wasn't back, and she had no idea where he was. Quickly dialing his cell phone, she listened to it ring several times before the voicemail service picked up. "Goddammit, Mark…I don't know where you are, but you better have a damn good excuse for leaving in the middle of the fucking night," she started, before her voice started shaking, "You better be okay, too. Please…call me back…I love you so much. Remember that…I love you with all I am." She hung up the phone before bursting into tears. Fear ran through her, because she had no idea where he was, or whether or not he was okay. A knock on the door brought her attention to the present. She looked at the clock and saw that it was a few minutes after nine. She ran to the door, and opened it. "Sorry," she said to Shawn, "I'll be out in a few minutes." Shawn nodded and said, "I'll be in the lobby." Sara quickly showered and grabbed her bags; she didn't realize they'd already been packed.

Andy was waiting for Sara in the lobby. "Did he ever come back?" he asked quietly. Sara shook her head and ran her hand over her eyes. "I got his voicemail, so I left a message," she said sitting down beside Shawn. "What's wrong?" Shawn asked. "Nothing," Sara answered softly, "Long night." "You _sure_ you're alright, Sara?" Shawn asked. Sara nodded and forced a grin. "Sorry I was late," she said quietly. "No biggie," Shawn said quietly, "Did you get enough sleep?" "A little more than usual," she answered. "Good," he said quietly. "Where's Eric?" she asked. "Still in the room. He'll be down in a few minutes, though," he answered. Everyone filed into the lobby within the next 15 minutes. Sara and Shawn had made sure to collect keycards so they could be returned. Mark's had been left on the dresser, so Sara had a feeling he'd left town. She returned the keycards, made sure all the rooms were checked out, and wrote a check to pay for them. Afterwards, she finally headed to the main limo with Shawn, Eric, and Andy.

"We'll get the match-list when we get to the arena," Eric said, "As far as I know, only Paul, John, and Bret have matches tonight. You guys can go ahead and plan that after we know for sure." Sara nodded, but her mind was still on Mark. If he didn't show up for the show tonight, he was going to be in big trouble. Regardless of who was wrestling, every member was required to attend pay-per-views.

Arriving at the arena a few minutes later, Sara climbed out and grabbed her duffel bag. Maybe a good workout would get her mind off of Mark, and back onto work. Generally, she worked out with Mark. Today, though, she would have to work out with someone different. "You gonna workout now?" Shawn asked when they got to their locker room. "Yeah…hopefully, it'll give me some energy," she said quietly. "You need a partner?" he asked. Sara nodded and said, "Yeah, I could use one." Shawn grinned and said, "I'll meet you in the gym in 15." Sara agreed and headed to the women's locker room to change. When she got to the gym, Shawn was already there stretching. "How do you work out?" he asked. "Cardio first. I don't wrestle on a regular basis, so I have to keep my cardio up. Then weight workout for an hour or so," she answered. "Alright, then. So what do you do for cardio?" he said. "Spar…usually," she answered hesitantly, "But I think I'll just run today." "I can spar pretty well," Shawn suggested, "I'm sure I can hold my own against you." Sara grinned and hunched her shoulders. "I'm a tough cookie, Shawn," she said grinning. "Yeah, that's the truth," he agreed, "Come on. Let's go a few rounds." Sara sighed and agreed. She taped up her hands and stretched out for 10 minutes, before going to an open area in the gym with a padded ground. "I guess it'll have to do," she said to herself.

She and Shawn did indeed have a good sparring match. Shawn had obviously watched her box with Mark, because he ducked a lot of her blows. When his fist connected with her jaw, she hit the ground hard. "Jeez, Shawn," she whispered rubbing her jaw. Even Mark hadn't hit her that hard. "Oh, come on. I barely touched you," Shawn said smiling. "Whatever," she whispered. "Oh, suck it up," Shawn teased. Sara looked up at him and tilted her head. "I think that's enough of that for today," she said slowly standing. "Sara…," Shawn started, but she turned and headed for the weights. Sara completed her weightlifting routine in less time than she wanted. The hit from Shawn had given her some sort of extra energy, perhaps anger. When she finished, she felt physically energized, but her mind _still_ strayed to Mark. She quickly took a shower and then headed to the parking lot with her cell phone, dialing Mark's number on the way. Yet again, she got his voicemail. "Mark…if Eric or Shawn find out you skipped town like this…you're gonna get in a lot of trouble. Especially on the day of a fucking pay-per-view. All I know is that you better be here tomorrow night in Baton Rouge," she said heatedly, before hanging up.

She turned to walk back inside, but Andy was standing there. "Not picking up, is he?" he asked. Sara shook her head and looked at the ground. "If he went back home, it's probably nine a.m., so he'd be asleep probably. But that's not the point. He should be _here_," she said quietly, "I cannot believe he left." "Just keep trying to call him throughout the day," Andy suggested. "Yeah. But I'll be so busy for the rest of the day. And I'm sure Eric and Shawn are gonna notice he's not here. Thank goodness he doesn't have to wrestle tonight," she said quietly. Andy nodded to himself and forced her to look at him. "I keep telling you this. Mark knows how to handle himself; I know this wasn't the right thing to do, but maybe he needed a day away. We've been going now for about three weeks. Everyone has a breaking point," he said quietly. "Yeah, but I've been going for three months. I don't have a day off," she argued, "If anyone needs a break around here, it's me." "Why don't you say that to Eric?" Andy asked tilting his head. "I want to show him I can handle responsibility," she said quietly. "I thought Shawn was supposed to be the one learning responsibility?" Andy asked. Sara sighed heavily and looked back down.

"I'm just realizing how much work it is he actually does, Andy…it's a lot," she said quietly, "No wonder he's thinking about work all the time. It's the only thing there is. He really is a lot more responsible than I thought." Andy sighed heavily, just as Sara's phone vibrated in her hands. She flipped it open and answered, "Hello??" "I'm at home," she heard Mark say, "I'll be in Baton Rouge tomorrow morning. I need someone to pick me up from the airport." "Why'd you leave, Mark? You have no idea how worried I was," Sara said quietly. "Look…just make sure someone picks me up tomorrow," Mark said before hanging up. Sara looked at her phone in shock. "Damn him!" she hissed shoving her phone into her pocket, and turning to go inside. "Where is he?" Andy asked. "Home. He needs someone to pick him at the airport in Baton Rouge tomorrow," she answered, "Then he hung up." "You want me to try to talk to him?" Andy asked. Sara sighed and shook her head. "I guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow. I don't have time for his shit," she said quietly, "Let's go on back inside."

The day inched by for Sara. She managed to help Paul, Bret, and Steve plan their matches, and not think so much about Mark. At the end of the night, Sara, Shawn and Eric prepared for the post-show meeting. "Have you seen Mark around?" Eric asked Sara quietly, as Shawn looked through the itinerary for RAW the next night. Sara looked down and closed her eyes. "Where'd he go?" Eric asked simply. "Back to Venice," she whispered, "He'll be in Baton Rouge tomorrow morning." Eric raised his eyebrows and asked, "Really? What if we'd needed him here tonight?" "I know, Eric. I didn't know where he was until he called me this morning," she admitted. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? You didn't think I'd notice him not being around?" he asked. "I'm sorry, Eric…," she whispered, not wanting to try to excuse Mark's actions. "It's not your fault, Sara…he did this on his own," Eric said touching her hand. "We're flying into Baton Rouge tonight, right?" Shawn asked from across the table. "Yeah, we are," Eric answered, "We'll sleep on the plane starting tomorrow, because it's not worth it to pay for hotel rooms." "Alright, then," Shawn commented making notes on his paper.

The meeting last for ten minutes, before everyone headed to the airport. The plane pulled off after one a.m., and landed not too long afterwards. Everyone was still awake, so Eric relayed the message of them sleeping on the planes. "It's just not worth it to spend a few hours in a hotel room, when we can save money by sleeping here," he reasoned. When they got to the hotel, Sara quickly dialed Mark's number. His phone rang several times, but he picked up. "Who the hell is it?" he answered groggily. "It's your girlfriend," Sara said quietly, taking a seat on the bed. There was silence on Mark's end, so Sara thought he'd hung up. "Mark? Are you there?" she whispered. "Yeah…I'm here," he answered, "What's wrong?" "I think I should be asking you that…do you have any idea what you've done?" Sara said. "Yeah, I know what I did. I'm not gonna make any excuses for it, either. I had to leave," he answered. "Eric is so fucking pissed, Mark," she said quietly. "Like I give a damn about what Eric thinks," he spat. "Well, you better. He can make your life hell, Mark, and you know it," she argued. "Are you sticking up for him, then?" he asked. "Mark…don't spin it like that. You fucked up here, not Eric," she said heatedly, "_You_ left town…on the day of a fucking pay-per-view. Are you crazy?!" "I knew I wasn't wrestling, Sara. I didn't have to be there," he countered. "Everybody has to be at a pay-per-view! We've got a two-week break coming up in six days! Why pull this shit now??" she hissed, "Eric could make your break a lot longer, and a lot less happier." Mark groaned through the phone. "Sara…do you know the real reason I left? Do you?" he asked. "No, I don't," she said simply. "Because I was so fucking angry at you…I was gonna snap as soon as you came back. I wasn't gonna hold back," he said quietly, "And it would've gotten physical." Sara swallowed and allowed her head to drop.

"Are you guys checking into a hotel?" Mark asked slowly. "Yeah…um, we're in a hotel right now. Just for tonight, though," Sara whispered, "We're gonna be sleeping on the plane for the rest of the week to save money." "Oh…ok," Mark responded, "My flight will be there by nine a.m. Are you gonna come get me?" Sara sighed heavily and agreed. "I'm sorry, Sara…I'm sorry I lost it," he whispered. "I just hope that Eric doesn't make a really big deal out of this," Sara said quietly. "Look, I've got to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning, ok?" Mark said. Sara agreed and hung up, tossing her phone on the nightstand. She set the alarm for eight a.m., stripped down to her underwear, and climbed into the cold bed. "Rather leave…than hit me…no matter the consequences," she whispered to herself, a slight grin on her face, "Now that's love." Sleep consumed her body in minutes.

The alarms awoke Sara sooner than she would've liked, but she sprinted out of bed, dressed, and left the room. Her cell phone vibrated in her back pocket, and she answered. "Hey, you on your way?" Mark asked. "Yeah…you're early," she responded. Sara stopped in the lobby when she saw Eric. "I gotta go, baby. I'll be there as soon as possible," she said quietly. Mark sighed and said, "Alright, see ya in a bit," before hanging up. "Good morning, Eric," Sara said walking up to Eric. "You goin' to get Mark?" Eric asked. Sara nodded and looked away. "Good…just be back as soon as you can. We're leaving here in a couple hours," Eric said quietly, "We'll deal with his situation tonight." Sara nodded, but couldn't look Eric in the eye. "It's not your fault this happened, okay, Sara?" Eric tried reasoning. "I know…," she whispered. Eric forced her to look at him and said, "Responsibility is something that's learned over time…even the best of us slip up occasionally." Sara grinned slightly and agreed. "Go get your boy," Eric said quietly, "I know he's waiting."

Sara smiled and left Eric, jumping into the nearest taxi. She arrived at the airport about 15 minutes later; Mark was already waiting outside. When she saw him, she slowly walked up to him. "Sorry it took so long," she said quietly. "It's fine," Mark said softly. "Do you feel okay?" she asked looking down. Her heart had been pounding in her throat since she stepped out of the cab, and now she felt her face turning red. Mark took a deep breath and put a finger on her chin, tilting her head up. "I'm fine," he whispered looking into her eyes. Sara gasped at the softness of his words. "Let's go…I'm sure Eric's pissed enough," he said quietly. She nodded and put her hand in his, leading him to the waiting cab. The trip back was quiet, but Sara and Mark held hands. When the taxi stopped in front of the cab, Sara hesitated to get out. She had a feeling Eric was still waiting for her in the lobby. "Come on, dollface…," Mark whispered getting out, "We'll deal with this." Sara nodded and climbed out her side slowly, Mark grabbing his bags from the trunk. Mark paid the cab driver and went around to Sara's side, placing her hands in his. She slowly looked up at him and smiled slightly. "I love you," he whispered. She nodded and said, "Let's go."

In the lobby, Eric was indeed waiting…with Shawn. Mark tensed up slightly as Eric headed towards him and Sara. "I sure hope you're feeling better," Eric said heatedly. "I am," Mark said matter-of-factly. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Shawn interjected, stepping towards Mark, "You can't just skip town like that!" "Don't you say a goddamn thing to me, you son-of-a-bitch," Mark growled pulling his hand from Sara's grip. "I'm gonna do more than that," Shawn said, "You're out of your fucking mind, you know that?" Sara stepped between them and put a hand on each man's chest. "Guys…don't cause a scene. This isn't the time or the place," she said quietly. Mark pushed her hand away and tried to make a move to grab Shawn, but Sara pushed him back. "You're in enough trouble, Mark," she said quietly. Mark sneered and rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you," he growled. "Look, we're leaving for the arena in an hour. Be back here by then. We're gonna talk about this later," Eric said staring at Mark. "Fine," he said grabbing Sara's arm. She didn't fight him when he pulled her to the elevator, because her room was on an upper floor. When they were inside, though, she snatched her arm away. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Mark? You're gonna try to cause a scene in the middle of a hotel lobby?!" she hissed hitting the button corresponding to floor three. "He deserves it, Sara," Mark growled. "That's not the point!" Sara screamed, "Your temper is unbelievable!"

Mark kept his mouth shut as he followed Sara out of the elevator. She unlocked the door and stormed in, Mark quietly shutting the door behind him. Sara spun around and sighed heavily. "You gotta pick your fights, Mark…this isn't one you can win," she said quietly. "How do you figure?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "Because you're tryin' to go against the leaders of this group. And those people can make your life a living hell," she answered. "Yeah…and you're one of those leaders," he shot at her. Sara rolled her eyes and went to leave the room, but Mark stopped her. "You're one of those leaders, right?" he asked. She turned her back to him and shook her head. "You're taking it too far," she whispered. "But you _are_ a leader of this group, are you not?" Mark asked again. "That's not the point," she tried arguing. "Oh, I think it's completely the point! You tell me to stop making a stand because you're concerned about the powers-that-be, and yet you're one of those people you're warning me about!" he snapped. Sara spun around with tears in her eyes. "How dare you accuse me of trying to threaten you… of trying to hold you back… of being a control freak!" she said slowly, "I love you…more than anything! I would never try to hurt you like that!" "Oh…here come the tears," Mark said coldly, "This isn't the time to get your emotions involved." "You cold-hearted, selfish bastard," she whispered narrowing her eyes, then pushing past him and leaving the room. She wiped her tears away and headed down to the lobby. She just hoped Eric and Shawn weren't there.

When she arrived, Andy was sitting at the far table. She plopped down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. "What's this about?" he asked quietly. "Mark…what else?" she whispered. "Oh, so you picked him up already?" Andy asked. "Yeah…and the first thing he does when he gets here is try to start a fight with Shawn in the middle of the lobby," she said quietly. "That's Mark's temper for you. If you don't mind me asking, why'd he leave in the first place? I know he told you," Andy said quietly. Sara shuddered and sat up in her seat. "We…were arguing. And he grabbed my arms when I tried to leave…he shoved me into the wall…he told me on the phone last night that when I came back from talking to Eric…the argument would've turned physical," she whispered rubbing her arms with her hands, "That's why he left. So that he could avoid letting it go that far." Andy sighed and looked down at his cup of coffee. "How are things going now?" he asked slowly. If Mark had dared to lay a finger on Sara maliciously, Andy would take it upon himself to beat some sense into him. "Not physical…just words. Painful words…but just words," she answered. "You gonna be alright?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "I need my binder for tonight, but I don't wanna go back in there," she said quietly. "I'll go get it," Andy said standing. Sara simply handed over her keycard.

Shawn and Eric joined Sara before Andy returned. "How are you doin'?" Shawn asked quietly. "I'll be alright," she whispered. "Where's your binder and stuff?" Eric asked. "Andy went to get it for me," she answered. "Mark's pretty pissed off, huh?" Shawn asked. Sara stared at him and said, "You didn't help the situation, Shawn." "I'm not the one who skipped town," he snapped. "You didn't have to call him out on it! He knew what he did. He didn't need you pointing it out!" she snapped back. "Hey, you two! I don't need you guys arguing!" Eric interjected. Sara rolled her eyes and looked at Eric. "Look…we're gonna go to the arena, we're gonna have RAW tonight, and we're gonna talk about this mess afterwards. So stop arguing!" Eric said quietly. "Fine," Shawn conceded. Sara nodded and looked down at her hands. "Who's wrestling tonight?" she asked. "Paul and Steve have rematches, and Shawn's gonna be starting a new feud with Glenn. Tonight will end Paul's and Steve's feuds, since Paul's gonna win his match, and Steve's gonna lose," Eric relayed. Andy walked up a few moments later with Sara's binder in hand. "Thanks a lot, Andy," she whispered when he handed it to her. "No problem," Andy said going to sit at another table. Sara placed the itinerary for RAW in the front of the binder and flipped through it.

"You gonna be able to concentrate tonight?" Eric asked quietly. Sara had been staring blankly staring at the page with matches on it for several moments. "Yeah," she answered closing her eyes, "I just need a few minutes to get myself together." "Alright…the group's gonna start headin' down here in about 10 minutes, so you have until then," Eric said quietly. Sara nodded and closed her binder, then went over to sit beside Andy. "What took you so long?" she asked. "Just tried to calm Mark down. He's really angry…about this whole situation," he answered. Sara sighed heavily and lowered her head. "I didn't do anything, Andy…I haven't done anything except my job," she whispered. "I think that's why he's so angry. Your focus is off him, and he's jealous of the attention you're putting on being co-manager," he said quietly. "Jealous…so that's what this is all about," she whispered to herself. "I think it's more than mere jealousy," Andy suggested, "He doesn't like Shawn…honestly. It goes beyond Shawn being champion, or even co-manager. He hates Shawn the person." "It's not like I can just stop working with Shawn, Andy. I mean…I took on this position so I could help to change the image that people have of Shawn," she whispered, "Not so people could hate him more." "I know…I just wish Mark could see the good you're trying to do," Andy said quietly. A few minutes later, everyone started entering the lobby. Sara went back over to Shawn and Eric and opened up her binder. She studied the show's order, and began to plan a basic outline of the member's involvement. She saw Mark walk in last with two duffel bags, his and hers. He dropped hers at her feet before going over to sit with Andy. "Alright, that's everybody. Let's head outta here," Eric said standing. Sara followed behind he and Shawn to the lead limo as she had been doing for the past three months. Walking past Mark, she glanced at him, only to see pure anger hidden in his eyes. She looked away quickly, her eyes staring at the ground.

The limos arrived at the arena ten minutes later. Sara followed Eric into the arena, relaying ideas for the matches of the night. When they got to the locker room, the trio prepared for a morning meeting. "I'll let you do the talking," Eric said to Sara. "Really?" she asked with a smile. "Yeah," Eric answered. "Cool deal," she said with a grin. Everyone entered the locker room and took seats wherever they could find them. "Alright, guys, settle down," Sara said standing up, "Let's go ahead and get this over with." The group quieted down rather quickly, without any humorous quips, which surprised Sara. "Alright, John and Steve, you guys have rematches tonight, just to end out your feuds for the year. Shawn's gonna be startin' up a new feud, and that'll take him through the end of the year. A few of you guys are gonna be involved in those matches…Mark, you and Paul are gonna be workin' with John and his match," she said slowly, "Chris and Bret, you guys are gonna be workin' with Steve and his match. Tonight, RAW is live. But for the rest of the week, the shows are gonna be recorded. Tomorrow night and Thursday night are Smackdown. Wednesday night and Friday night are RAW. Saturday is gonna be appearances pretty much _all day_. It's gonna be a busy week, so don't plan on getting' any free time." "Any questions?" Shawn asked standing beside her. "Yeah…how long do each of us have to work with on the show?" Mark asked. Sara looked down at her RAW outline and searched for John and Steve's matches. "Eight minutes for John…and…eight minutes for Steve," she answered, "John's match is in the first half an hour of the show, so you guys might wanna start planning after this meeting." She looked up at Mark, and still saw anger in his eyes. "Anything else?" she asked.

"Yeah, what about the other show, Velocity?" Carlos asked, "Are those being prerecorded before every RAW this week? And who's wrestling on those?" "Oh, I completely forgot about those," Eric said flipping through his papers. "Carlos, you and Andy are wrestling on that show each day before RAW," Sara answered. Eric looked up at her and winked. "Carlos, you've got John Cena tonight, and that show's gonna start being recorded at 7:30," she added. "Good job," Eric said to her. She simply smiled and hunched her shoulders. "Alright…anymore questions? Last chance," he said to the group. When no one said anything, he told them, "You've got until 7:30, then, to get your matches planned, and handle whatever business you need to. You're free now." Everyone laughed at that last statement, but stood to head out of the room. "You really did a good job just now, Sara," Eric said as Sara stood. "Thanks, Eric," she said quietly, "I'll see ya around, ok? I'm gonna go help these guys with their matches." "I've got Carlos and Steve, so that leaves you with John, ok?" Shawn said standing. "You don't need any help for your segment?" Sara asked. "Nope. It's only a few minutes long, so it's no big deal," he answered. "Alright, then," she said before leaving the room in search of John.

John, Mark and Paul had all went to the gym to work out together. "So what's goin' on with you and Sara?" John asked as they stretched out. Mark sighed heavily and answered, "We're havin' some problems…" "Yeah, no kiddin'," John answered, "You looked like you wanted to murder her in the locker room." "Well, I'm mad as hell at her, if that's what you mean. I haven't had any time alone with her since she took on that co-manager job. It's frustrating…I miss her. Even though we practically live together…it's like a void fills the room whenever we're in the same space," he said quietly. "You try talkin' to her about it?" John asked. "Yeah…but I get so fucking angry that it doesn't do any good," Mark answered. "You need to get that temper under control. I don't know if you see it, but Sara's having a harder time doin' her job than you realize," John said quietly, "I don't know how much longer her mind can hold up to the pressure, ya know. She's a damn strong woman to have lasted this long. And it doesn't help her to have you pissed off at her all the time." Mark looked at the floor and closed his eyes. John's words rang true, and he knew it.

"Hey, guys, how ya'll doin' this morning?" Mark heard Sara's voice and looked up at her. "Morning to you, too," John said with a smile. Sara smiled back and took a seat in front of them. "Hate to interrupt your workout, but we need to go ahead and talk about the outline of your segment," Sara said pulling out a blank sheet of paper. She'd been writing down ideas for matches, and different spots, since she started as co-manager. "Where's Adam?" John asked. "I don't think he's here yet," Sara answered. "Don't you think we should wait for him?" Mark asked. "We're just throwing out ideas, Mark…it's not like this is gonna be exactly how it is tonight," Sara answered quietly. "I don't think that's a smart idea. It's too much of a hassle to have a bunch of great ideas that work for me, John, and Paul, and then have them not work with Adam," Mark countered. "Well, too bad. We're going to get this out of the way, and then you guys can go ahead with your workout," Sara snapped back, with more heat than she meant. "So you're Ms. Boss Lady now, huh?" Mark asked sarcastically. Sara stared at him for several long moments before John's voice drew her eyes away from him. "Look, Sara…just let us get our workout out of the way, okay? We'll let ya know our ideas afterwards, okay?" he said as politely as possible. "Fine," she said standing and snapping her binder shut, "You come find me, then." She then stormed out of the gym.

"Mark, what the hell's your problem?" Paul said suddenly, "She's just trying to do her job." Mark stood and headed out of the gym, in search of Sara. He found her in tears just outside of the 'Corporation' locker room. "Dollface…," he whispered walking up behind her, "I'm so sorry…" Sara spun around and glared at him. "You're such an asshole, you know that? You're making things a lot worse than they have to be!" she spat. "Sara…please, I-I don't know what came over me," he said quietly. "Oh, that's bullshit! You've had this attitude of yours for over three months! And I'm sick of it!" she hissed, "You get your act together, goddammit! I have way too much shit to deal with when it comes to trying to do my job…and I don't need your fucking attitude to make it worse!" "Sara?" Sara quickly wiped her cheeks and turned around. "Are you alright?" Eric asked walking up to her, "I thought you were goin' to help John plan his match." "Yeah, I'm fine…I'm just gonna wait until he and Paul…and Mark…finish working out," she answered looking at Mark, "I suggest you go work out now…and have some pretty damn good ideas for tonight afterwards." Mark's jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed slightly before he turned and walked off.

"Sucks being in charge, doesn't it?" Eric asked as Sara lowered her head. "Yeah…at times, it does," she said quietly. "How long has he been acting like that?" Eric asked. "Since I started," she whispered, "It gets worse and worse everyday." "Look, why don't you and Mark go talk this out? Over lunch or something, away from the arena. I'll help John and Paul," he suggested. "I can't…I have too much work to do," she countered. "I'll handle it, Sara. I want you to get away from this for a couple hours. You've been pushing yourself harder than necessary," he said. "I can't talk to him…," she whispered. "You're gonna have to. Everyone can tell just how worn out you're getting, especially when we need you the most," he said touching her shoulders, "It's okay, Sara. Just be back by noon." Sara nodded her head in agreement as she handed over her binder, then went in search of Mark. She found him in the gym, and pulled him aside.

"Meet me in the parking lot in an hour," she said quietly. "Why?" Mark argued, "Obviously you're too busy to talk to me." "Eric gave me a few hours away, so will you just meet me in the parking lot?" Sara said tiredly. "Fine…see ya in an hour," Mark said before walking away.


	38. Breakdown

**Chapter 37…Breakdown**

Sara paced the parking lot as she waited for Mark. It was going on 10:30, and she'd been waiting for 15 minutes. The back exit door suddenly swung open and Mark walked out in sweatpants and a jacket. "Hi," she whispered when he walked up to her. Mark studied Sara's face in the chilly Baton Rouge air. Her cheeks were pink, and her eyes were brimmed with unshed tears. His anger had taken its toll on her over the past couple months, just as everyone had said to him. "Hi," he finally said, "I guess we're goin' to eat, then?" Sara nodded slightly and lowered her head. "I just…wanna clear the air. I can't take this…tension…anymore," she said softly, "I'm sick of arguing. I'm sick of being angry. I'm sick of--." Mark interrupted her by gently embracing her. Tears spilled down her cheeks freely as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm an idiot, dollface. A selfish…idiot," he said quietly, "Come on…let's go eat somethin'." Sara nodded against his chest and sniffled. Mark cupped her face and wiped away her tears. "I love you…," he whispered caressing her cheek softly, "Please tell me you realize that." Sara nodded slowly and said, "I know…I love you, too." Mark gently kissed her lips, keeping his hands on her cheeks. Sara smiled when he finally pulled away; she hadn't been kissed so softly, yet passionately, in the past two months. "Come on," she said putting her left hand in his right one. "You're leading," Mark said quietly.

Sara indeed led the way, down the street into a coffee shop. She ordered a small cup of hot chocolate, while Mark ordered a mug of coffee. She spent the next half an hour explaining to Mark all of her daily responsibilities, as well as any extra duties that she might have on a pay-per-view night. "It's a lot of work, Mark. There's not a lot of free time available for me. Shawn doesn't get off as much as you think he does," she said quietly. At the mere mention of Shawn's name, anger filled Mark yet again. "Of all people that you'd willingly work with, why Shawn, Sara? I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw his sorry ass," he said heatedly. "He's not who you think he is, Mark. He's a hard worker. He doesn't accept anything less than perfection. And sure admits when he's made a mistake," she shot back. "Oh, so I'm the one making mistakes around here?" he asked narrowing his eyes. "You've made a few more than Shawn has," she said, trying to stay calm. "I didn't put you in the hospital," he said with raised eyebrows. Sara lowered her eyes and cleared her throat. As she went to argue, a little boy walked up to the table. "Excuse me…may I please have your autographs?" he asked. Mark stood and put a $10 bill on the table. "Sorry, kid…maybe next time," he said before leaving. "I'm sorry, kid. He's not feeling too well today. You still want mine?" Sara said taking the kid's hands in her own. He nodded and grinned slightly. Sara signed her name on a napkin, and handed it to the boy. "Thanks, Chyna," the kid said before walking over to a teenage-looking girl. Sara nodded before heading out of the shop, looking for Mark. She spotted him walking quickly towards the arena. She ran to catch up with him, and grabbed his arm.

"That was really rude, Mark," she said forcing him to stop. "Look, Sara…I'm sorry I even brought it up. That's just been on my mind a lot lately, that you would wanna work with someone who endangered--." "I'm not talking about that…you didn't see the look on that kid's face when you just walked away," she said quietly. "I wasn't in the mood to sign anything…for anybody," he said slowly. Sara sighed heavily and said, "Fine…did we at least get somewhere with your issues with my job?" "My 'issues'? They're not issues, Sara…they're concerns. I'm _concerned_. There's a big difference," Mark said continuing to walk towards the arena. "I didn't mean it like that. I was just saying…do you realize now just how busy I am?" Sara pointed out. Mark sighed heavily and stuck his hands in his pockets. Sara's schedule was twice as busy as his, and yet, he still wanted her to find time to spend with him. "I miss you, Mark…I really mean that. I miss what we had; we were closer before…," she whispered. "Yeah, before you became co-manager," he slipped in. Sara's voice caught in her throat, and she didn't say anything else. There was no getting around the fact that problems began the day she accepted responsibility as co-manager. They walked in silence the rest of the distance to the arena. When they got there, Sara switched back into work mode. "Tell John and Paul to meet me in the ring in 10 minutes. I've got to make sure this match is planned, so I can move on with what I have to do for the day," she said before heading towards the 'Corporation' locker room.

Eric was in the locker room with Andy when Sara walked in. "Where've you been?" Andy asked coming over to her. "Not now, Andy," she whispered, "Please…not now." Andy took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright, but I'm here if you need me," he said quietly. Sara forced a grin before going over to Eric. "Everything straight?" Eric asked her handing over her binder. "Nope," she answered quietly. "Jeez, Sara," he said softly. "I'll get it straightened out after the break…I've got work to do now, and I can't put it off," she said, "Did you talk with John?" "He and Adam are in the ring now with Paul," he answered. "Good. I'll see ya later, then," she said before heading out of the room, followed by Andy.

Mark had found his way down to the ring already, so Sara went straight into ideas about the match. "Let me know what you got so far," she said rolling into the ring. "We were just fillin' Mark in, so you came right on time," John said with a smile. Sara smiled back and leaned against the ropes. "Since John is going to lose tonight, we've decided to have him lose by DQ," Adam said, "That's where Mark and Paul come in. It's gonna be back and forth the whole way, between John and I." "You guys already have spot ideas?" Sara asked. "Yeah, we talked about that already, but we're gonna go through 'em again," Adam answered. "Good deal," she commented. "Yeah, it's gonna be a good end-of-the-feud match, I guess," John said. The match discussion continued for the next half an hour before Sara exited the ring to head to Vince's office. They'd been having weekly meetings for the past two months, for Sara to voice opinions of the way the 'Corporation' was being ran, and discuss her own concerns and views of how her job was going. When she got to the office marked for Vince, she knocked quietly and waited.

The door opened moments later and Vince stood there. "How are you, Sara?" he asked letting her into the room. "Okay. Same old, same old," she answered taking a seat on the small leather couch present for decoration. "So…how are things with the group?" he asked sitting down beside her. "Good, good. Everyone is getting a chance to wrestle, and establish themselves. That's what I'm always pushing for, I guess. Exposure," she answered. "You're doin' a really good job managing things, Sara. You're not focusing on just one person in the group; that's what being a leader is all about – giving everybody an equal chance whenever they can get it," Vince said. "Thank you, Vince. I really appreciate that," Sara said. "When's the last time you had a break?" he asked. "Eric gave me a couple hours today to relax and…," Sara said, hesitating to reveal her problems with Mark. "And what?" he asked. "Mark…he's just really frustrated with me being so busy…," she said slowly, "I tried to tell him how busy I was…but he just doesn't understand." "I wish I could give you some advice, Sara, I really could. It's a tough thing to do, be in charge. You have a lot of people competing for your attention, and a lot of bad feelings harbor when some get more attention than others," he commented. "Yeah, no kiddin'," Sara whispered. "What are your Christmas plans?" he asked. "Spend it with Mark…just take a vacation from it all. I'll go to my mom's for Christmas, but I really want to spend most of the time with Mark," she answered, "He doesn't know it, of course, since I don't get the chance to talk to him about personal stuff…" "Well, at least you're going to spend time with him. You work really hard, and even the most passionate workers need breaks," he said. "Thanks a lot, Vince," she said quietly, "I just wish Mark could see how hard I'm working…I don't want him to think that I'm purposely staying away from him."

"Christmas Break will give you plenty of time to catch up, and make up for all the time you've missed with him, I'm sure," he said. "Yeah…I hope so. I just hope it's not too late, then," she said quietly. "Why don't you go on back to work. I'm sure you still have a long week," Vince said standing. "Yeah, I do…as usual," Sara said with a smile. Vince led her to the door, but didn't open it. "Sara…if you ever need me for anything…even if it's just to vent, I've got an ear for ya," he said quietly. "Thanks, Vince. I appreciate that," she said quietly. Vince opened the door and said, "See ya when you get back from break." Sara nodded and headed down to the locker room. Now that she was done with match-planning, and done with her meetings, she could go workout.

The gym was empty, so Sara quickly climbed onto the treadmill and began to run. She zoned out quickly, her mind wandering to random things such as where she would go for her Christmas Break, and all of the things she would do with Mark, and what she would get her mother for Christmas. She didn't see Shawn walk in, but when he stood in front of the treadmill, she came out of her zone. "Hey, what's up?" she asked, "Is something wrong?" "Nah. Just wanted to see if you were doin' okay. Eric told me he gave you a couple hours off earlier to talk to Mark," Shawn answered. "Everything's fine, Shawn," Sara said shortly, "Why do you wanna know?" "I just want to make sure you can work as efficiently as possible," Shawn said. "I'm fine. I can work as well as I have been," she said. "I'm sure you can," he commented. "What's on your mind, Shawn? Is there something wrong with the way I've been doing things?" Sara asked, continuing to run. "Yeah, actually…I think you're being a little easy on Mark. He skipped town yesterday. That kinda stuff gets people suspended around here, damn near fired," Shawn answered. Sara cut off the treadmill and climbed off, stepping into Shawn's face. "Look, Shawn. I don't know what it is you have against Mark, or what he has against you. I don't really care. All I know is that you better get your mind on normal business," she snapped. "I do have my mind on business. You can't afford to be soft in the role you're in. You've got to be a hard-ass in order to maintain control," Shawn said heatedly, "And if you can't do that, then you're not suited for co-manager." "I have a lot more control than you think, Shawn," Sara hissed, "So mind your own goddamn business." She then grabbed her water bottle off the treadmill and walked out of the gym. She wasn't going to be able to concentrate on a workout now, so she went back to the locker room, showered, and changed into warm clothes.

"Alright, so about this meeting," Eric said to Sara. They were on their way back to the hotel after a very hard day. The show had gone well, but Eric had noticed tension between Shawn and Sara the entire day. "Yeah, we've got to tell 'em about the schedule for tomorrow. We're flying into Lafayette tomorrow morning, so we've got to be out of the hotel _early_--." Sara was cut off when Eric cleared his throat. "I mean about Mark, Sara," Eric said. Sara sighed heavily and asked, "Are you gonna do the talking?" "Yeah, I'll do the talking. He's gonna be pretty pissed when I point him out," Eric said. "He shouldn't be. He knew what he did was wrong, so he deserves any backlash he gets," she said quietly. "Do you really believe that? Or are you saying that because you know that's what Eric wants to hear?" Shawn asked heatedly. "Fuck you, Shawn," Sara spat, "You have no idea the situation I'm in right now. So don't judge how I'm acting." "You keep this up, and one day, either you're gonna have to quit or break up with Mark," Shawn argued back. "Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you? You get a kick out of ruining people's lives!" she hissed. "Hey! Goddammit, stop!" Eric yelled, "If the guys see we're not being cohesive, they're gonna break loose!" Sara looked at the floor of the limo and sighed. "Look, I'll try to keep Mark calm while you talk, okay?" she said quietly. "And if things get outta hand, Shawn, just get everybody out of the room, and we'll talk to Mark alone," Eric said. "That's fine with me," Shawn said. The limo stopped in front of the hotel moments later, and Sara climbed out first, to wait for Mark. They had told the group that the meeting would be held in Eric and Shawn's room (a small suite on the fifth floor).

Mark climbed out of the third limo a few minutes later. He spotted Sara and walked up to her. "You okay?" he asked as everybody headed inside. Sara nodded, but kept her eyes lowered. "Come on, dollface. Only five more days…and we can relax all we want," he said leading her inside. They went straight to Eric's room, and found a spot near the back of the room. Sara locked her fingers with Mark's and tried to breathe deeply. She knew Mark was going to blow up for being called out; he didn't like being reprimanded in front of people. "Alright, guys, let's settle down. It's late, and we want to be up as early as possible tomorrow morning. Sara?" Eric said when the room door shut. Sara stood and headed to Eric, the itinerary for the next day in hand. "Alright, guys. Tomorrow's gonna be long as hell, and it's only the beginning. We've got appearances all over Lafayette, from ten a.m. to two p.m. Scott and Shorty, you two have an autograph session. Trish, you and Ron have a radio interview. Paul, you and Shawn are gonna be selling tickets for the next show in Lafayette coming up in a couple months," she said, "On Smackdown, Paul, Ron, and Shorty are wrestling. That's all for me." She quickly sat down with Mark as Eric stood.

"Alright, guys…we'll just get this outta the way, since I don't like to beat around the bush. I don't know how many of you know, but somebody left town yesterday…on the day of a pay-per-view," Eric started. Sara looked over to Mark, whose body had gone suddenly stiff. "Now, for whatever reason, I don't care. One thing you don't ever do is leave town on the day of a pay-per-view. Mark--." "Don't fucking point me out, man," Mark growled standing. "You put yourself in this position," Eric said heatedly, "You fucked up real big by pulling a stunt like that." Mark came over to Eric and grabbed his shirt, saying, "You have no idea why I left…so don't fucking point me out." Shawn quickly hurried everybody out of the room as Sara got in between Mark and Eric. "Mark…please," she whispered, "Let him go." "Get outta the way, Sara," Mark growled, keeping his eyes on Eric. "You better listen to her, before you find yourself in an even bigger hole than the one you're in now," Eric said assuredly. "Eric, shut up…," Sara said quietly, "Mark…you can't do this. You're gonna get into more trouble if you hit him." Mark's jaw twitched as he clenched and unclenched it. "Mark, listen to me. I'm not doing this to hurt you, or pick on you, or make you feel bad. Please, just let him go…I don't want to see you get into anymore trouble," she said slowly. Mark's eyes went down to Sara's, which were glistening with tears. "Please, baby…do this for me," she whispered. "Why? You've done nothing but be a hard-ass since you started this job," he said quietly.

Sara went to answer, but she heard a soft thud, and Mark suddenly fell forward. He would've hit the ground, but Sara caught him, and hit the ground instead. Sara groaned loudly as she caught all of Mark's weight on her body. She moved from under him, and saw Shawn with a small bronze statue in hand. "What the fuck did you do that for??" she screamed, "I had that situation under control!" "My ass!" Shawn growled, "_Now_ it's handled." Sara turned her attention back to Mark, who was lying face-first on the floor, knocked out. "Mark?" she whispered, her face paling. When he didn't answer, she ran out of the room to grab Andy. He was standing outside the door with Kevin. "What happened?" Andy asked catching her on the way out. "Just help me," she whispered pulling both men in. Andy and Kevin hurriedly went over to Mark, and wrapped both of his arms around their necks. "One…two…three!" Kevin said before lifting Mark up. Sara led them down to her room, two floors below, and opened the door. "Just put him on the bed," she whispered grabbing her ice bucket and dumping the ice into a towel.

"What the hell happened to him, Sara?" Kevin asked as Sara sat down at Mark's side. "Shawn…hit him in the back of the head…with a fucking bronze statue," she said slowly. She pulled Mark's hair away from his neck, and spotted a fist-sized bruise at he base of his neck. She placed the ice on the bruise as tears sprung to her eyes. "Do you think we should take him to the hospital?" Andy asked. "No…he'd hate me even more for taking him there," she whispered, "I've got him. I'll take care of him." "You sure?" Andy asked touching her shoulder. Sara nodded and gently caressed Mark's head. "Call either one of us if you need something, ok?" Kevin asked. "Yeah…thanks, Kevin," Sara said quietly, "I'll see you guys in the morning." Sara heard the door click shut, then burst into tears. "I'm sorry, Mark. I'm so sorry. You have to be okay…you have to be okay," she cried softly, "I love you so much." The ice melted in only 20 minutes, so Sara ran down to the ice machine to get more. When she came back, Mark hadn't moved an inch. She poured half of her ice into another towel, and put it back on Mark's neck. She then laid down beside him, holding the ice on the bruise. "Please, please be okay," she whispered in his ear, "Please, baby, be okay." Mark's body heat drew her unwillingly into sleep.

Sara awoke in the middle of the night, Mark's arm around her waist, her body spooned against his. She tried to face him, but he whispered, "I'll be alright." "Mark, please, let me check," she whispered back. Mark's grip on her waist loosened, and she faced him quickly. She'd forgotten to cut off the room light, so she could see him clearly. Mark turned onto his stomach, and Sara pulled his hair away from his neck. The bruise had gotten bigger and darker. "I'm so sorry," she whispered gently touching it. Mark groaned into the pillow as she put a little pressure on it. "It's all knotted up," she said quietly. "Yeah, I can feel it," he said painfully. "You want me to put more ice on it?" she asked. "Nah, just cut off the light. I'll sleep it off," he answered quietly. "Are you sure?" she asked. "Yeah…I should've known Shawn would do somethin' like this," he said. "Mark, I didn't know about it, I swear. I wanted to kick his ass so bad," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I know, dollface. I trust you on that," he whispered, "Come on to bed." Sara hesitated, fearing that Mark harbored ill feelings towards her. "I'm not mad, Sara, if that's what you're worried about. Not at you, at least," he said quietly. Tears filled Sara's eyes suddenly, and her breath quickened. Mark turned over to face her, groaning slightly, and touched her cheek. "I love you, dollface, very much. I'm not gonna go rip anybody's head off, so don't worry, okay?" he said softly. "I'm sorry," Sara whispered again. Mark sat up and pulled her into his arms. Sara trembled in his arms, her body jerking slightly. Mark pushed her back slightly, and saw that her face was pale and stained with tears. "I was so scared…I was so scared you were seriously hurt," she whispered. "Well, I'm fine. Okay, baby…I'm fine," he whispered. Sara cut off the light and climbed into bed beside Mark, curling up against him. "I love you," she whispered into his chest. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered before they both succumbed to sleep.

Sara woke up only a few hours later. They were checking out of the hotel at 6 a.m., so they could fly to Lafayette. She hurriedly straightened up the room, and made sure all of her and Mark's belongings were packed. A knock on her door startled Sara, and she quickly went to it. "Who is it?" she asked quietly. "It's Andy, Sara," Andy answered on the other side. Sara opened the door slightly. "Is he alright?" Andy asked. "Yeah, he's asleep. I've got to take our stuff downstairs, though. Can you help me?" she answered. "Yeah, no problem," he answered. Sara let him in and grabbed her duffel bag and suitcase, Andy grabbing Mark's. When they got downstairs, half the group was already in the lobby. Kevin came over to Sara and said quietly, "How's Mark doin'? Everybody knows what Shawn did to him, so they're all worried." "He'll be alright, I think. His neck's all knotted up, but he won't tell me anything more. Just let everyone know he's alright," she said, "I've gotta go try and wake him up." "You think he can walk?" Kevin asked. "Yeah. He won't let Shawn get to him like that; he's too proud," she answered, "Besides, Andy will be there to help him if he needs it." "Alright, then. I'll see ya in a few minutes. Eric said we're gonna pull out in about 15 minutes," Kevin said. "Thanks, Kevin. I'll be right back," she said, "Come on, Andy." Andy followed Sara back up to her room, where they found Mark kneeling over the edge of the bed.

"Mark!" Sara gasped kneeling down beside him. "Hmm?" he asked quietly. "Are you okay? What happened?" Sara asked. "Just a little dizzy. I stood up too fast," Mark answered. Sara put Mark's arm around her neck, and whispered, "We gotta get downstairs, Mark. Eric said we're pulling outta here in 15 minutes." Mark groaned as he got to his feet. His neck muscles were so tight, he couldn't turn his head; even if he wanted to, his brain seemed to be sloshing around inside his skull. Andy got on his other side and slung Mark's other arm around his own neck. "When we get down there…I'm walkin' in on my own," Mark said as they headed out of the room. "Whatever you say, Mark," Andy said with a smile.

Mark did indeed walk into the lobby on his own, though. Everyone was heading outside to leave, but Kevin saw Mark and came over to him. "How ya feelin', man?" he asked. "Like I got hit in the head with a sledgehammer," Mark answered. "You gonna stick out the next five days?" Kevin asked. "Of course. Shawn would love to see me try and get an early break because of this," Mark answered, "But I'll show that little bastard…" "Let's just get outta here, Mark," Sara whispered placing her hand in his. Mark looked down at her and squeezed her hand gently. "Okay," he answered. All four of them headed out to the last limo, but Eric stopped Sara. "I need to have a talk with you," he said. "It can wait," Sara snapped, "I'm riding to the airport with Mark, so I'll talk to you after we take off." Eric hesitated to respond, long enough for Sara to climb into the waiting limo, followed by Mark, Andy, and Kevin. "I wouldn't expect any other response," he whispered to himself as he headed to the lead limo and climbed in.

"Where's Sara? She has to ride with us," Shawn said when the door shut. "No, Shawn, she doesn't. She _chose_ to ride with us. For three months, she put her life on hold…to help us out. And last night was her breaking point. So don't you say a word to her anymore unless you're planning a match, or talking schedules, or brainstorming storylines. You understand me?" Eric said heatedly. Sara was, hands down, the best worker Eric had ever had the honor of supervising. Her work ethic was limitless, even when her energy wasn't. She'd sacrificed time and time again to help the group become more cohesive and efficient. Now, though, she had nothing left to give, and Eric had seen that when she climbed into the limo to leave. Shawn sneered slightly and said, "If I'd have pulled somethin' like what Mark did, my ass would be gone faster than anyone can blink. But because he's _Sara's boyfriend_, he can get away with murder. That's not fuckin' fair, Eric." "Mark has nothing to do with this conversation. _I'll_ deal with him, not you. _I_ run this group, not you. _I_ make decisions…_not you_. You need to get that through your head, buddy, and real quick," Eric snapped. Shawn smirked and snapped back, "Showing favorites isn't an easy way to gain respect." "Watch it, Shawn. The only reason you're champ right now is because of me. There are a lot of guys in this group who could cause a lot less trouble, and be a lot more efficient…so watch it," Eric said heatedly. Shawn's jaw clenched, and he said, "Fine…whatever."

Once aboard the plane, Sara went back to the infirmary and grabbed a couple icepacks, a couple of towels, and a pillow for Mark. She turned to leave, but was stopped by Eric. "What do you want?" she asked quickly. "Sara…I'm sorry about what happened to Mark. I really am," Eric said quietly. Sara looked at the floor and took a deep breath. "You didn't do this, Eric. Shawn did. I told him three months ago…don't make me regret trusting him again. And he did. I'm sorry, but I can't continue to do this. I can't work with him as co-manager," she said slowly, looking back up at Eric. Eric sighed and touched Sara's shoulders. "Don't make any rash decisions, Sara. I really need you. Shawn…it's just that you make up for a lot of the slack that he does," he said quietly. "I can't do that anymore, Eric. I was already breaking down before last night, physically and mentally. Last night…I broke," she whispered. "Please…just hold up until Christmas break. After Saturday, you'll be done," Eric pleaded. Sara swallowed and sighed heavily. "Fine…five more days, and I'm done," she said quietly, "Now if you don't mind, I've got to take care of Mark right now." Eric nodded and let Sara past. For the last three months, it had been mainly him and Sara running the group, with some input from Shawn. Now, he'd have to go back to running it with Shawn, which was going to be a very daunting task. Shawn was the kind of person who wanted everything his way, or no way at all. "This isn't going to be fun," he whispered before going to take his seat.

Sara wrapped the icepacks in one towel, placed it on Mark's bruise, and held it in place with the other towel. "Once we take off, you can lie down, okay?" she whispered in his ear. "Yeah…where are you gonna sit?" Mark asked. "You can rest your head on my lap. I'll be fine," she answered. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly. "Don't argue," Sara said with a smile. Mark looked down at her and grinned slightly. "I shouldn't have doubted you," he whispered. "No…you shouldn't have. You come first to me, Mark," she whispered back, "Always." Mark kissed her forehead softly as the pilot announced for take-off. She helped Mark to sit as comfortably as possible, before buckling her own seatbelt. Mark's hand clasped hers tightly as the plane took off into the morning sky.

After making sure everyone who had an appearance was up and gone, Sara went back to her seat to check on Mark. He'd fallen asleep moments after the plane had taken off, and she'd had to wake him to get him to lie down on her lap. His legs had stuck out into the walkway, but everyone was asleep, so it wasn't a problem. Now, he was still asleep, half-dangling off of his seat. "Mark?" she whispered kneeling down at his side, "You okay?" Mark didn't make any movement to show he'd heard her, so Sara touched his cheek. "Mark?" she purred in his ear. He groaned quietly and opened his eyes. "You feelin' okay?" Sara asked softly. Mark nodded and forced himself into a sitting position. "What time is it?" he asked as she sat down beside him. "Quarter to ten," she answered checking on the bruise. "I'm starving," Mark said quietly. "I'll bring you back some food," she said, "You don't need to be walking around unless necessary." "Well, it's necessary that I get something to eat, right?" Mark countered. Sara chuckled to herself and slowly agreed. "Good, so let's go get somethin' to eat," he suggested. "Will that make you feel better?" she asked with a smile. "Maybe," Mark said facing her, "But there's somethin' else that'll make me feel better, too." Sara grinned and shook her head. "You haven't lost a beat," she said quietly. "Of course not," he said smiling, "Food...please, nurse." A smile came to Sara's face and she agreed.

Andy followed them off the plane, asking, "So, where are we headed?" "Mark's hungry, so I'm taking him out to lunch," Sara answered. "You feelin' any better, Mark?" Andy asked. "A little," Mark answered, "I'll be better once I get some food in me." "Alright, we're goin', we're goin'," Sara said with a smile. "Don't go too fast. I'm still a little dizzy," Mark said quietly. Sara stopped where she was and looked up at Mark. His eyes were slightly glazed, and unfocused. "You need to rest, Mark," she said quietly, "I can bring you back something." "No…I'm not staying on that plane," he said stubbornly. Sara closed her eyes and shook her head. "You're unbelievable," she whispered, "Come on." She placed her hand in his and walked out of the airport.

They found a small diner a couple blocks down from the airport, and ordered their lunch. Mark got a club sandwich and a glass of water, Sara ordered a small breakfast platter (scrambled eggs, two sausage patties, and a couple pieces of toast), and Andy simply ordered a mug of coffee. "What time do we have to be at the arena?" Mark asked before biting into his sandwich. "Well, I don't think you're goin' anywhere near the arena, buddy. I'm gonna ask Eric if you can just stay on the plane to rest," Sara answered. Mark put his sandwich down and stared at Sara. "Don't do that…do use your power like that," he said after swallowing the food in his mouth. "Why not? I haven't used it for anything since I got the job. Shawn used his all the time. I think it's about time--." Mark cut her off by touching her hand softly. "Don't become that," he said quietly, "The guys have a lot more respect for you _because_ you haven't been like Shawn. And I love you just the way you are, so don't go and change because of _him_." Sara sighed and locked her fingers with his. "I just hate him, Mark…I can't believe I gave him my trust a _second_ time. I should've known he was full o' shit," she whispered. "We live and we learn, dollface," he whispered back. Sara grinned slightly and locked her eyes with Mark's. "I love you," she said quietly. "I love you, too," he responded.

Lunch continued with uninterrupted small talk for the next 20 minutes. Once done, Sara paid for the bill (despite Mark's arguments), and led the two men out of the diner. They headed down the street to do a little souvenir shopping. Sara bought Mark a small gargoyle statue from a pawn shop, and Mark bought her a 16-month calendar of Doberman pinscher dogs. They headed back to the airport around midday. Those who didn't have appearances that morning were entertaining themselves with card games, movies on the plane's projector screen, or magazines. "Sara," Eric said coming up to her. Sara sighed heavily and asked, "Yeah?" "Um…we need to talk about tonight," Eric said slowly. "What about it?" she asked. "The schedule of things, and…Sara, you know what we have to do," he said quietly. Sara sighed and looked up at Mark. "You gonna be okay?" she asked. She'd told him at lunch about her quitting her co-manager position after Saturday. "Yeah…go ahead, dollface. I've got Andy to keep me company," he answered. Sara forced a grin and squeezed his hand gently. "Be back as soon as I can," she whispered. Mark kissed her forehead softly and said, "Countin' the seconds." Sara smiled and followed Eric to the back of the plane.

Walking into the small conference room, Sara spotted Shawn with an open briefcase at the far end of the table. Her jaw clenched tightly as she recalled the look of pleasure in his eyes the previous night. "Let's just get this over with," she snapped sitting down. "So…how's your boy?" Shawn asked maliciously. Sara stood and told Eric, "This is bullshit, Eric. I'm not gonna sit the next five days while this sorry son of a bitch provokes me every chance he gets." "Shawn, shut the fuck up, and let's get some work done around here!" Eric snapped, "Sara…sit down." "I can't, Eric…I can't do this," she whispered. "You're gonna have to," Eric said quietly, "I told you…Saturday, just 'til Saturday." Sara sighed heavily and slowly sat back down in the seat, taking the itinerary for Smackdown, and realizing that the next five days were going to be hell.


	39. Finishing Up

**Chapter 38…Finishing Up**

Saturday morning, Sara finally got a small break in the middle of the day. The entire group was free for a few hours, and decided to go to the local gym in Seattle. Mark had been getting better each day, and even had a scheduled match for that night. Sara had been keeping a close eye on him, though, just to make sure he wasn't lying to her. When he and Andy stepped into the boxing ring near the back of the gym, Sara had asked him, "Are you sure you can handle this?" "Sara…now who's being overprotective?" he said with a smile. Sara sighed to herself and stood a couple feet away from the ring. She couldn't help but worry about him; it was embedded in her.

A few rounds into the sparring match, Andy hit Mark with a stiff right hook. Mark fell against the ropes and held his jaw. "Are you okay?" Sara asked coming closer to the ring. Mark stumbled forward, mumbled something, and then went crashing face-first to the mat. Sara immediately slid into the ring as Kevin and Eric ran over. "Mark, baby," she said touching his shoulder. His skin was sweaty from the workout, but Sara felt the coldness as well. "Help me turn him over, Andy," she said quietly. Andy did as he was told and said, "I didn't think I hit him that hard." "I don't think it's your fault. I think he lied to us about how he was feeling," she said softly. Mark's face was pale, and his eyes were closed. Sara forced his eyelids open, and said, "Mark, wake up." Mark groaned and pulled his face away from Sara's hands. "Is he okay?" Eric asked. "Mark…honey, can you hear me?" she asked touching his cheek. Sara noticed Mark's eyes flickering, and realized they were going into the back of his head. "Let's get him the hell outta here," she whispered to Andy. Andy helped her roll him out of the ring, then put one of Mark's arm around his shoulders, trying to support his weight. "Sara, is he okay?" Eric asked again as Sara followed Andy and Mark out. "What the hell do you think?" she hissed over her shoulder before leaving the building.

Andy climbed into an empty taxi, Mark slowly followed, and Sara climbed in last, slamming the door shut. "City hospital, please," she said as Mark leaned against her. The taxi driver nodded and screeched off. Sara forced Mark to lay his head on her lap, and began to wipe his sweaty face. "You're gonna be just fine, baby," she whispered in his ear, "I won't let anything happen to you." Mark started trembling against Sara, and she realized he was crying silently. He hated hospitals with a passion, but she had no choice. The cab pulled into the hospital parking lot a few minutes later, and Sara climbed out, gently coaxing Mark with her. Andy paid the fare, and then climbed out as well. When Mark saw where he was, he tried to pull away. "No…Sara, please," he whispered. "Come on, buddy," Andy said quietly, putting one of Mark's arms around his shoulder. Sara gripped Mark's free hand tightly and whispered, "I won't let anything happen…I promise." Mark swayed slightly and Sara headed inside, practically pulling Mark with her. They didn't have to wait long before Mark was carried into the back on a stretcher, a couple of doctors beginning to check his vital signs. "He's gonna kill me," she said to Andy as they sat down in the waiting room. "No, he won't. He knows you love him, and that's the only reason he's here," Andy said quietly, touching her hand. Sara lowered her head as a tear slid down her cheek. "If I wasn't so naïve, he wouldn't be here in the first place," she whispered. "Sara, don't blame yourself, okay? Some people are just manipulative, plain and simple," he said putting an arm around her shoulder. "I know…I'm just usually able to pick out those people," she said sniffing.

"Ma'am?" Sara looked up into a nurse's face. "Yeah?" she responded. "I need you to fill out some paperwork for the man you just brought in," the nurse answered, handing Sara a clipboard. "I don't know all of this stuff," Sara said looking through the few sheets of paper. "Just fill out as much as you can, and we'll get the rest once he wakes up," the nurse clarified. "Wakes up? Is he okay?" Sara asked with dread in her voice. Andy squeezed her shoulder gently for comfort. "I don't know that for sure, ma'am. I'm going to have to check back with the doctor who's looking at him," the nurse said. Sara's breathing quickened, her eyes dropping to the floor. "He's gotta be okay…he's gotta be," she whispered. "Thank you, nurse. She'll get this back to you as soon as possible," Andy said taking the clipboard and pen from Sara. The nurse nodded in acknowledgement before walking away. "Calm down, baby doll," Andy said placing the clipboard on the floor and taking Sara's hands in his own. Sara looked up at him with teary eyes. "I'm scared, Andy. I told him I wasn't gonna let anything happen to him…I promised him. I can't break that promise," she whispered. "And you won't. You're not gonna fail him, so don't worry. Go ahead and fill this stuff out, and see how long it's gonna be 'til you can go back there with him," he said calmly.

Sara took a deep breath and nodded, picking up the clipboard. Her hand shook as she filled out much of the information (except for Mark's social security number, health insurance company, and policy number), then took the board to the main desk. "Um…how long until I can go back and see him?" she asked slowly. "They're doing a CT scan on him right now, so it may be awhile," the nurse answered. Sara tried to slow her racing pulse and quick breathing, but she couldn't. "Ma'am, are you okay?" the nurse asked. "How long…is it gonna take?" Sara asked slowly. "Another 30 minutes, at least," the nurse asked. "I want to be notified as soon as he has a room," Sara whispered. "Yes, ma'am, you'll be the first to know," the nurse said. Sara nodded and went back over to Andy. "Did she say how he was doing?" he asked when she sat down. "CT scan…he's getting a CT scan," Sara whispered holding her head in her hands. Fear for Mark's health coursed through her veins. "I'm sure it's just a concussion, Sara," Andy said quietly. "Not from you, though…from that son of a bitch, Shawn," she said heatedly, "When I get my hands on him…he's gonna pay for this." "You're gonna do no such thing, Sara," Andy said grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look at him. "And why not? I'm not gonna let him get away with this," she hissed. "And you're also not gonna stoop to his level," Andy said quietly.

Sara burst into tears, putting her face in Andy's shoulder. "It's okay, baby doll," he whispered hugging her tightly. "I can't help him…I told him I could help him, and I can't," Sara cried. "Just bein' here for him is help enough, darlin'," Andy whispered. Sara stopped crying after a couple of minutes and put her head in her hands, resting her elbows on her knees. "I can't even get revenge on Shawn for this," she whispered, "That hurts a lot worse." "Yes…you can," Andy said touching her shoulder. "How?" Sara asked. "Show him that you can't be broken, that Mark can't be broken," he answered. "How?" Sara asked, slightly confused, "I know you're not telling me to stay on as co-manager…" Andy shook his head with a grin. "Continue to be a coach to the guys. Continue to be a leader to them. They'll come to you more and more, and Shawn will see that he's losing whatever control it is he has over this group. Where it goes from there…who knows?" he said smiling. "It'd be awesome to have him kicked out…I hate him that much," she whispered, smiling slightly. "Good, cheer up. Mark doesn't want visitors who are in a bad mood," Andy said hugging her tightly. "You're amazing, Andy. Ya know that?" she whispered in his ear. Andy grinned and said, "Thanks, Sara. I do what I can."

An hour passed by before the nurse finally came back. "Mr. Callaway is asleep at the moment, but you can go see him now," she said. "Is he okay, though?" Sara asked standing. "The doctor will let you know that information," the nurse answered, "I'll take you to his room, if you'd like." Sara nodded, and she and Andy followed the nurse. Mark was in a single room on the third floor of the hospital. The nurse left them once they got to the door. "The doctor will be here shortly," she said before leaving. "Thank you," Sara whispered before slowly entering the room. As the nurse had told her, Mark was asleep. He was hooked to an IV machine, heart monitor, and a few other machines that Sara didn't recognize. She went over to the bed as tears filled her eyes. He was so still, and pale. "I'm sorry, Mark," she whispered looking at the floor, "I didn't know it would go this far." She took his hand in her own and sat down on the bed beside him. Mark's eyes opened and focused on hers. "I'm sorry…I know you hate hospitals--." Mark cut her off by putting his finger on her lips. "I love you, dollface," he whispered, "I'm glad you're the first person I see when I wake up."

Sara smiled and said, "I'm glad that you're awake…the nurse scared the hell outta me when she said you were getting a CT scan." "Damn…don't remember that," Mark said closing his eyes. "What do you remember?" she asked quietly. "Getting out of the cab…comin' in here…that's about it," he answered. "How do you feel now?" she asked. "Tired as hell…Andy gave me a good workout," he said with a grin. Sara chuckled slightly as Andy walked up. "Thanks for the compliment, man," he said, "How ya doin', Mark?" "I'll be alright," Mark answered putting his hand back in Sara's and squeezing. Sara's cell phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out. "Hello?" she answered. It was Shawn. "How's Mark?" he asked. "He's got a concussion," she answered. "Is he gonna be able to perform tonight?" Shawn asked. Sara paused and looked at Mark. "What?" Mark asked. "Shawn…wants to know if you…can perform tonight," she whispered. She knew he would agree, simply because he didn't want Shawn to have any satisfaction at putting him in the hospital. "Yeah, I'll be there," Mark answered. Sara's heart clenched and she looked away. "He says he'll be there," she told Shawn. "Good. I'll see you guys tonight then. Be at the arena by five p.m.," he said before hanging up. Sara sighed as she clicked her phone shut. "What's wrong, baby?" Mark asked turning her face towards him. "Why'd you do that? You're in no condition to wrestle…," she whispered. "I've wrestled through concussions before, Sara," Mark said quietly. Sara closed her eyes as tears formed, trying to force them away.

Mark squeezed Sara's hand gently, forcing her to look at him. "I'm gonna be okay, Sara. We've got this break startin' tomorrow, and I'll be more than happy to let you pamper me the whole time," he said quietly, a grin on his face. Sara chuckled softly and laid across Mark's stomach. "Don't worry, dollface, okay? Just one more day, baby…just one more day," he whispered putting his hand on her shoulder. Sara let out a sigh and nodded. "What time is it?" she whispered. "Almost two o' clock," Andy answered. "You take a nap, okay?" Sara said climbing off the bed, "I'm gonna go make sure you can get outta here." Mark nodded and let his eyes droop close, weariness consuming him. Sara headed down the hall to the third floor nurses area, and saw a petite but robust, black-haired woman sitting at the desk. "May I help you, miss?" the nurse asked. "Yeah, nurse…Betty," Sara said looking at the woman's nametag, "I was wondering who I needed to talk with to check the condition of Mark Callaway." "I can page the doctor for you right now, miss," Betty answered. "Thank you. I'll just wait here," Sara said taking a few steps back.

The doctor walked up a few minutes later. "May I help you, ma'am?" he asked. "Yeah, I need to know if Mark Callaway can be released by 4:30," Sara said curtly. "Are you of relation to Mr. Callaway?" he asked. "I'm his girlfriend. We've been together now for…a year and a half now," Sara answered slowly, "Why?" "Well, technically, I can't release any of Mark's medical information to you. You either have to be his spouse or a relative of his for me to do that," the doctor said. Sara looked at the ground, shaking her head. "Well, you can tell Mark, right?" Andy asked. "Yes, of course," the doctor agreed. "Well, let's go, then," Andy said putting his arm around Sara's shoulders and taking them back down to Mark's room. Mark had turned onto his side, and was now facing the window of the room. Sara went over to his front side, gently touching his cheek. "Mark?" she whispered moving her thumb in a caressing fashion. Mark groaned slightly as his hand went to the back of his neck. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Headache," he answered touching her hand on his cheek, "What do you need?" "The doctor said he can't tell me what's the deal with whether you can leave or not, because I'm not your wife, and I'm not a relative. He needs to tell you," she said quietly. Something flashed through Mark's eyes when he heard the words "your wife", and his heart swelled with love, but Sara didn't see or sense it. "Where is he?" he asked. Sara motioned behind Mark and he turned over slowly, his face contorting in pain. "So, doc, can I leave or what?" he asked sitting up. "Well, the CT scan did reveal a concussion. Personally, I'd like to see you stay for a couple days…just to make sure you're stable and whatnot. However, I know that your profession won't allow that. So, yes, you'll be free to go in a couple hours," the doctor said before leaving, "I'll draw up the necessary papers and bring them back as soon as I can."

"Good," Mark said quietly, "Sara, can you grab my clothes? I think they put 'em in the bathroom." "Uh-uh, buddy. Sleep for you," she whispered forcing his onto his back, "The doctor said a couple hours…so sleep for those couple hours." Mark grinned slightly and moved over slightly, asking, "Will you join me?" Sara rolled her eyes playfully and climbed onto the bed, lying on her side with her right arm and leg flailed over Mark's body. "You don't have to stick around, Andy. We'll meet you back at the arena," he said looking over at Andy, who was leaning against the room door. "You sure?" Andy said, "I'm not sure I wanna even go to the arena right now…I'm none too excited to be around Shawn." Sara sighed and rested her head on Mark's shoulder, saying, "I completely understand." "Well, unfortunately, we are gonna have to be around him in a couple hours," Mark whispered putting his arm around Sara's shoulder. "Who do you have to wrestle tonight?" Andy asked taking a seat near the bed. "Brock, I think," Sara answered, recalling the show's itinerary. "This is gonna be a long night," Andy said quietly. "Why?" Sara asked. "I recall you fighting Brock injured, and coming out with a second concussion," Andy answered, "I don't think Mark wants the same thing to happen to him." "That was an accident, Andy, a complete accident," Sara said sitting up, "Brock didn't intentionally drop me." "I'm not saying that he did. This situation is just a little too familiar," Andy said quietly.

"Sara…lie back down…please," Mark whispered. Sara looked back and saw Mark's eyes were drooping, and sleep was overtaking him. "Andy, will you wake us up around quarter after four?" she whispered. "Yeah, sure. I'm gonna go for a walk, but I'll be back in time," Andy said quietly as he stood. Sara nodded as she curled up against Mark. His arms encircled her and squeezed tightly. "You give me strength, dollface," he whispered, "It's not so scary with you here." Sara sighed and placed her hand over his heart. "I love you, Mark…and I'll always be here for you…no matter what," she said slowly. Mark sighed heavily and pulled her even closer. Sara wasn't very tired, but Mark's body heat and gentle, rhythmic breathing lulled her into a dreamless sleep.

"Sara, come on, wake up!" Sara's eyes shot open as Mark's voice penetrated her sleep. "What time is it?!" she asked scrambling off the bed. Mark grabbed her shoulders with a smile, saying, "It's only four o' clock. Relax, dollface." Sara dropped her head and ran a hand through her thick hair. "The doctor said you can leave?" she asked as Mark slipped on his boots. "Yeah. Apparently that nap calmed me down enough for his satisfaction," he answered. "I guess that's good then," Sara said quietly. "Dollface…just think, in about six hours, we're gonna be flying to Daytona. And we've got nearly two weeks to ourselves," he whispered coming over to her. "I know…I'm just ready to be away from all this for awhile," she said softly. Mark sighed heavily and cupped her face, kissing her softly. "Everything's gonna be fine, baby, ok?" he whispered resting his chin on the top of her head, hugging her. Sara nodded and put her arms around his waist. "You two up already, huh?" Andy said as he walked in, a cup of coffee in his hand. "Yeah…the doctor released me about 15 minutes ago," Mark answered releasing Sara. "And you're ready to get to the arena?" Andy asked with a grin. "Yeah…six hours, man…six hours and we're home-free!" Mark answered with a smile, "Let's get the hell outta here!" Sara could only smile as she and Andy followed Mark outside, grabbed an unoccupied cab, and headed off to the arena.

Upon arrival, the trio was met by Vince. Sara took a deep breath as he walked up to them. "Calm down, dollface," Mark whispered putting his arm around Sara's shoulders. "Mark, we need to have a little talk," Vince said. Mark nodded and asked, "When?" "Right now, before you get really busy," Vince answered. "I know what I did was wrong, Vince," Mark started. Vince interrupted him and said, "We're gonna talk this out in my office. Obviously something's going on in that group that I need to know about. You seem to be the second most affected – other than Sara – and I want another point of view." "Alright, then," Mark said before turning his attention to Sara, "I'll meet you in the locker room, okay?" She nodded before following Andy inside the building, while Mark followed Vince.

"Take a seat, Mark," Vince said upon entering his makeshift office. Mark sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. He knew he was in big trouble for leaving last Sunday morning. Eric had tried to deal with it himself, but Shawn had injured Mark instead. Now, he was having to deal with Vince himself. "So…what's goin' on?" Vince asked. "Look…I, uh, I know that leaving wasn't the right thing to do last Sunday. If you could just let me explain what happened," Mark said slowly. Vince motioned for Mark to continue. "Sara and I had been arguing lately…every day, it seemed. And, uh, it all came to a head last Saturday night. She'd been gone all day with Eric and Shawn, working, and when she finally walked into our hotel room around midnight…I confronted her. She didn't want to argue, of course, since she'd been working so hard. But I'd been drinking, and I was definitely angry. It, uh…it didn't mix too well," Mark said with his head lowered. "Go on, Mark," Vince said. "Well, Vince…Andy came to our room as I was…about to, uh…hit Sara," Mark said quietly, "He said that Eric needed to see Sara. Of course I didn't want her to go, and I tried to stop her, but Andy…good ole' Andy…he pushed me away from her and took her out of the room. While she was gone, I packed my bags, and hers, and got the hell outta there before I made a mistake I'd regret for the rest of my life." Vince sat down in the chair behind the desk and shook his head. "I usually don't get involved in any of my employees' personal lives, Mark…until it starts to affect business. Number one: you leaving is unacceptable, no matter the situation. You could've easily checked into another room in the hotel, or changed hotels, or somehow stayed in the city. There is no excuse to leave on the day of a pay-per-view, if you're a member of that group. You _know_ the requirements," he said sternly, "The fact that you left leaves a very bad impression on young wrestlers within the company, as well as your fellow members. And for that…I'm going to have to fine you $5,000." Mark lowered his head, nodding slightly. That was going to leave quite a dent in his checking account.

"About your situation with Sara…Sara's been like a daughter to me since she first got here. I care about her safety very much. I very much hope that you've got your situation with her smoothed over. I don't want to have to refer you to a professional counselor, maybe for anger management or something of the like," Vince continued. "No, Vince…everything's fine now," Mark assured him. "Now…about this little internal conflict between you and Shawn," Vince said quietly, "What's goin' on in that group that I should know about, Mark? Sara isn't telling me everything, because she's trying to handle everything herself. She doesn't realize that no one can take on as much work as she has, no matter how hard she tries to." Mark sighed and looked at the floor. Vince obviously had no clue about Shawn's habits and actions. "It stays between me and you, Mark…unless I feel Eric needs to know in order to better maintain control," Vince said. Mark slowly began to talk, telling everything from the real reason Sara had had to go to the hospital the day after Shawn became champion, to why Mark had been in the hospital that very day. When he finished, he was agitated and angry; there was nothing he could do to get revenge for Sara, let alone himself.

"So…there _is_ trouble in paradise, then," Vince said once Mark finished. "Oh, yeah," Mark answered quietly. "I _am_ going to talk to Eric about this, Mark. He's the head of that group, so he needs to do a better job controlling everyone…even Shawn," Vince admitted, "Now…considering you were in the hospital today, I really don't want you to wrestle tonight. I think you should just go on home." "You don't understand, Vince. If I don't wrestle, it'll just boost Shawn's ego that much more. And I don't want him to have that satisfaction," Mark said quietly, his voice full of bitterness. "Mark, your pride is not something that concerns me tonight…your health does," Vince countered. "Those fans paid to see me," Mark argued. "Yeah…you and the other 15 guys on the card tonight. They can do with a substitute for one night," Vince reasoned, "I've got someone lined up already for Brock to wrestle, so it's not that big a deal." Mark ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. He wasn't going to convince Vince to let him wrestle. "Okay," he said defeated. "Good. If you want, I can let Sara go tonight, too. From what I hear, after tonight, she's no longer co-manager," Vince said quietly. "Nah, that's okay. I'm sure she'd want to finish out her duties as completely as possible," Mark answered. "Alright. That fine will come to the mansion within the next couple of days, and you'll have 10 business days to get it paid. Other than that…I really hope your break goes well, and things get better in the group," Vince concluded. Mark thanked him before exiting the office, heading for the balcony seats. He didn't want to see anyone at the moment; he just wanted to be on his own to relax his mind.

Sara had just climbed into the ring to help Steve to plan his match with Brock, when she looked up in the balcony seats, and saw someone plop down. No one ever really sat up there, besides Mark, Andy, and herself. She squinted her eyes a little and made out Mark's figure. _I hope everything went okay with Vince_, she thought before turning her attention to Steve and Brock. "So, guys, what's goin' on tonight? A power match, technical match, or just all-out brawl?" she asked sitting down in one of the corners, and opening her binder. "Probably a mix of all three," Brock answered. "Yeah, we wanna give the fans somethin' to remember since they won't see us for a good little while," Steve added. "Good choice," she said winking at them. The match-planning continued for the next hour, until Sara was satisfied with the amount of information she'd written down. She thanked both men for their help, and then headed off to the balcony. She'd noticed Mark was still sitting there when she'd ended her session in the ring. She hurried up to where she'd seen Mark, stopping at the stairs to catch her breath. Mark was still sitting, his head hung down. She slowly made her way down to where he was sitting.

"Mark?" she whispered. When he didn't answer her, she sat down beside him and put her hand in his. His fingers tightened around hers, but he still didn't say anything. "I told you at the hospital…I'll be here for you, no matter what," she said quietly, "Whatever happened with you and Vince…we can get through it." "I got fined $5,000 for leaving Sunday," he whispered. "Can you cover it?" she asked quietly. "Yeah, that's no problem. Luckily, I don't spend my money frivolously," he answered. "Well, that's good," she commented. Mark nodded and looked down at Sara. "He took me out of my match tonight," he added. Sara sighed and asked, "Because of last Sunday…or because you were in the hospital?" "Hospital," he answered, "He was gonna give you the night off, too, but I asked him not to. I figured you'd want to finish out your duties as co-manager." Sara grinned slightly and said, "There's not much to do. Only Steve had a match, so I'm done for the day…all I have to do is turn in my binder to Eric." "Ya know, I always wondered what you kept in that thing anyway," Mark said raising an eyebrow. Sara shook her head, a grin still on her face, saying, "Confidential, buddy." Mark looked away for a moment before grinning slyly. He let go of Sara's hand and tickled her unmercifully. Her laughs echoed across the arena, and even drew stares from the crew below.

"Stop it!" she said as she scrambled away, the notebook still in hand. Mark headed after her, and she ran up the stairs, towards the locker room. She ran face-first into Eric as she rounded a corner, dropping her binder. Mark came up behind her, laughing and out of breath. "Sorry, Eric," she whispered picking the binder up off the floor. "I'll tell ya somethin', Sara…," he started. Sara looked at the floor, preparing herself to be reprimanded. Eric tilted her head up with a finger, smiling when her eyes met his. "It's good to see you smiling again," he said quietly. Mark came up behind Sara and put his hands on her hips. "Yeah, it is," he whispered in her ear. "Look, uh, Eric…I actually was coming to turn this in," she said slowly, handing the binder to Eric, "I'm not gonna need it anymore." Eric sighed and nodded. "You guys can leave as soon as the show's over. No post-show meeting tonight," he said quietly, "If I don't see you before then, have a good break, okay?" Sara nodded and touched Eric's hand. "Thanks, Eric…for everything. I did have fun working as co-manager," she said, "I wish I could continue…but--." Eric shook his head, interrupting her. "Don't explain yourself. It's not necessary. I already understand," he said quietly. "Thank you," she whispered. "Go on. Go relax somewhere," Eric said with a smile. Sara interlocked her hand with Mark's, and headed towards catering. Her stomach was growling, and she knew Mark hadn't eaten all day, either.

The night passed quickly for Sara and Mark after dinner. The recording of Smackdown went extremely well, and everyone was excited to be getting away for a while. Andy had hugged Sara goodbye at the arena, wishing her and Mark a very happy Christmas as well as a Happy New Year. "I'm gonna miss you, Andy. I know it's only 10 days…but, uh, I guess I'll see ya on January 4th, then," she'd said before climbing into an empty cab. Mark grasped Andy's hand tightly, saying, "Thanks, Andy…you did a lot for us this past week. You're a great friend, man." "No problem, Mark. Now go on and get outta here. Enjoy your break!" Andy had said, hurrying Mark into the cab, "I'll see you guys next year!" Sara and Mark waved goodbye through their open windows. Their flight was a late flight to Daytona, but Lucy knew they would be arriving. She'd have a key for Sara under the mat on the front porch.

When Mark and Sara were dropped off in front of Lucy's house, it was almost four in the morning. Both were exhausted, and dying to get into a bed. Sara lifted the mat on the porch, grinning when she saw the key. "I love my mama," she whispered opening the door as quietly as possible. She let Mark in with their luggage, then shut the door behind her, and locked it. Of course, all the lights were off except for the hallway light. They quietly made their way up to Sara's old room, luggage in stow, before shutting the bedroom door. Sara stripped down to her panties before climbing into bed. Mark did the same, and climbed in behind her, pulling her close. "You're an amazing woman, Sara Roberts," he whispered in her ear. "I love you, too, Mark Callaway…now go to sleep," she whispered back. Mark kissed her cheek and closed his eyes. Sara fell asleep with a grin on her face.


	40. Celebration

**Chapter 39…Celebration**

Sara didn't wake up until that evening, around six p.m. She sat up as the door opened. "It's about time you woke up," Mark said with a smile. Sara bit her bottom lip and looked at the covers. "I haven't slept like that in a while," she said as Mark sat down beside her. "Well, if anybody needed to catch up on some sleep, it's you," he said touching her cheek. Sara looked up at Mark and leaned forward, kissing him softly. Her mouth opened instinctively, allowing Mark's tongue to slide inside and explore. She moaned softly and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Mark's hands slipped down to Sara's waist and squeezed gently. They hadn't made love in nearly two and a half months, and he so badly wanted to take her then and there. However, he had too much respect for Sara's mother to do that in her house. "Your mother's waiting to see you," he whispered against her lips. Sara slipped her hand in Mark's open shirt, caressing his chest. "Yeah?" she asked, rubbing his nipple softly. Mark groaned quietly, kissing Sara more feverishly. "Yeah," he answered after a few moments, "You should get cleaned up…and come downstairs." Sara smiled and kissed the tip of Mark's nose, then climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom in her room. Mark shook his head and headed back downstairs. He'd been awake since roughly one p.m., and been keeping Lucy company since.

"Is she finally awake?" Lucy asked from the kitchen. "Yeah. She should be down here in the next 10 minutes," he answered. "She must've been trying to make up for some serious lost sleep," Lucy said with a smile. Mark came into the kitchen and sat down at the table. "Yeah, she was. The past three months haven't been that easy on her," he said quietly. "I know she's co-manager. She told me about it a while back," she said sitting down in front of Mark. "Well…_was_ co-manager. She quit. She held on as long as she could, though," he said. "Why'd she quit?" Lucy asked. Mark sighed and looked down at his hands. He had been the reason she'd quit; she'd sacrificed her happiness in helping others improve their skill in the ring, just because he wasn't her main focus anymore. He couldn't believe he'd been that selfish. _You should want her to be happy, and she _was_…she had a good time doing what she did_, he thought, _But you couldn't take it, could you? You couldn't take having her attention on so many other people, instead of you_. "Mark?" Lucy whispered touching his hand. "It was because of me," he said sadly, "I forced her to give up her own happiness…just because I wasn't the center of her world anymore. We argued so much…every single day was something new that I hated about her doing her job. It got so bad…I risked suspension by leaving on the day of a pay-per-view, just so I wouldn't lose my temper with Sara. Lucy…I would never hurt your daughter. I love her…very, very much."

"She told me a lot of what you just said, Mark, which is why I'm not as angry with you as you would expect," Lucy admitted, "But I'm very glad that you decided to be honest with me. That shows a lot about who you are as a person." "Thank you," he whispered, his head still lowered. "So…when did she decide to quit?" she asked. "Monday morning," he answered. "Why?" she inquired. "Well…Sunday night, Eric confronted me about leaving…in front of the entire group. Now I don't like being called out, especially when I did something wrong. That's the kind of thing to be handled in private, not to be made an example. And I told Eric that. The problem was…I grabbed his collar when I said it," he said quietly, "Shawn rushed everybody out of the room, while Sara got in between me and Eric. She tried so hard to get me to let him go, but I wanted to take my frustrations out on Eric, and she knew it. Shawn did, too, and nailed me in the back of the head with some sort of statue. I get knocked out, and don't wake up until around three in the morning." "What'd Sara do?" she asked. "Well, she got me back to our room, how, she didn't tell me. She had put ice on the bruise, but it only helped a little bit. She was so…afraid, worried that I was mad at her. She was torn up over the fact that Shawn had hit me from behind. It was then, when I saw the worry in her eyes…I knew that her love for me was greater than any sense of duty to being co-manager ever was," he answered, "Eric managed to convince her to remain co-manager until our Christmas Break, though." "I bet she didn't like that," Lucy said grinning. "She made due. She didn't half-ass it, though, to her credit. She's a hard worker, and she's dedicated to doing the best she can. The guys have a hell of a lot more respect for her than they do for Shawn, which says a lot considering Shawn was, and is now again, sole assistant to Eric," Mark said grinning, "She earned their respect, every single bit of it."

"Well, that's the way I was taught." Mark grinned and looked over his shoulder at Sara. Sara walked into the kitchen and hugged Mark from behind, kissing his cheek. "Good evening to you, too," Lucy said with a grin. Sara smiled and went over to her mother, hugging her tightly. "Hi, mama," she whispered kissing her cheek. Lucy returned the hug and kiss, saying, "It's good to see you awake." "Yeah…sorry about that," Sara said as she sat down between Mark and her mother. "It's fine, sweetie. I want you to rest up as much as you can while you're here," Lucy said, "I know how much you work. You better relax while you can." "You're probably right," Sara said quietly, "Things tend to get very hectic at work after the New Year." "Hey, no work talk in this house," Lucy said smiling. Sara returned the smile and said, "I can deal with that." "You hungry?" Lucy asked. "Starving," Sara answered. "Well, go on in the living room with Mark. I'll put somethin' together real quick," Lucy said standing. "Mom, you don't have--." A raised eyebrow from her mother shut Sara up instantly. "Yes, mother," she conceded standing. Mark followed her into the living room, grinning slightly when she sat down in his lap. His arms wrapped around her, and he squeezed gently.

"It feels good to be home," she whispered resting her head against his shoulder. "You only see your mom on holidays, right?" Mark asked kissing her earlobe. "Pretty much. I wish I could see her more. We talk once a week, but it's not the same," she said quietly, "I really miss her when I'm on the road. I worry about her being here all alone." "I bet she misses you, too, which is why she tries to spoil you rotten while you're here," he said kissing her cheek. "I think _you_ try to spoil me rotten," she said grinning. "Damn skippy," he agreed, his mouth searching for her own. Sara gently kissed Mark's lips, her hands resting on his shoulders. Mark coaxed her mouth to accept his searching tongue, caressing her lips and teeth with the tip, before exploring the caverns of her warm, exquisite mouth. His hands moved over her back, and into her thick hair. "God, I love you," he whispered against her lips. "Yeah…same here," Sara whispered back, her mouth searching for his. Her hormones were raging, and she wanted Mark like never before. "We can't, Sara," he whispered. "Why not?" she asked, grinning sly, "You know what I want…I know what you want. So let's satisfy our wants together." "I can't do this in your mom's house," he said touching his forehead to hers, "I have too much respect for her." "Ya know…that's what I love the most about you," Sara whispered looking into his eyes. "What's that?" Mark asked. "You are the utmost gentleman. You've got this rough-and-tumble exterior…but inside, you've got the biggest heart of any man I've ever known," she answered, "Everyday, I realize that you love me even more than the day before. It…it feels good to see that, and to know in my heart, that I have a man who loves me beyond my wildest dreams." It was at that very moment that Mark made the decision to ask for Sara's hand in marriage. He wouldn't do it on Christmas Day, but on New Year's Day. Now, all he had to do was buy the ring; he just hoped he could find something worthy of Sara in the next seven days.

"Look, I'll be back in an hour, okay?" he said, moving Sara from his lap to the couch. "Where on Earth are you goin'?" Sara asked leaning back on her elbows. "Christmas shopping," Mark said simply. "Two days before Christmas, Mark? Stores are gonna be packed!" Sara exclaimed. "Who said I was goin' anywhere in Daytona?" Mark asked with a smile. He grabbed his coat from the hallway rack, and headed out the front door, shutting it quietly. Sara merely shook her head as her mother walked into the living room with a steaming plate. "Where'd he go?" she asked setting the plate on a placemat in front of Sara. It was a large serving of spaghetti with meatless sauce. "According to him…Christmas shopping, which is nuts considering it's two days before Christmas. No matter where he goes, the stores are gonna be packed. He's gonna cause a riot, I tell ya!" Sara answered as her belly growled. "Eat. He'll be fine, sweetie," Lucy said smiling. Sara sighed as she ate her first home-cooked meal in months. "What were you guys talking about when I walked in?" she asked after her first bite. "You, of course," Lucy answered, "Mark was telling me about you quitting as co-manager. Why didn't you tell me?" "I thought we weren't talking about work while I was here," Sara answered with a grin. "Okay. Tell me how you and Mark are doin', then," Lucy responded.

Sara took a few more bites of her food before sitting back on the couch. Things had been getting better since the day she decided to quit; her attention was slowly getting back to Mark, which made both of them happy. "Better, mom. It sucks that I had to give up being co-manager. But Mark means a hell of a lot more to me than that job," she answered, smiling slightly. Lucy sighed heavily and looked down at her hands. "What, mom?" Sara asked. "Nothing. I just hope you're making the right decisions when it comes to your personal and professional life," Lucy answered, "Quitting just because of Mark isn't that good of a reason." "Mom…you know how much that man means to me," Sara said softly. "That doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your job satisfaction because he can't control his jealousy," Lucy argued. Sara shook her head and focused on her food. "Sara…I'm just trying to tell you that you shouldn't let a man control your life, and what you do with it, no matter who he is," Lucy said quietly. "Why can't you just be happy for me, mom? I've found a man who loves me more than I can explain, and I feel the same way about him. I'd do anything for him, and I know that he would do the same for me. He's a good man, mom, with a good heart. He's got his faults, but he doesn't hide 'em. I know this sounds cliché, but mom…I honestly believe he's my soulmate," Sara said softly. She was disappointed that her mom couldn't be happy for her. All through her college years, she'd sacrificed personal happiness to satisfy her mother. Now when she was finally doing something to please herself, and not her mother, it seemed her mother was trying to fill her head with doubts. Lucy scoffed and said heatedly, "I didn't raise you to believe in that type of nonsense. You're a woman who can do for herself, and you don't need a man to give you anything."

Sara stood and took her plate into the kitchen, before coming back into the living room. "I'm not like you, mom. I'm not cynical, I'm not skeptical of men, I don't have this wall of distrust. Maybe if I hadn't have met Mark when I did, I _would_ be like you. Luckily, Mark showed me that love does exist. He showed me what it means to have a real relationship, and what it means to work at having that relationship. I love him, mom. I'd _die_ for him. And I know he feels the same way. So if you can't accept that, I'm sorry. This is something that I feel in my soul is right. And no one, _no one_, will ever change that…not even you," she said quietly, her cheeks stained with tears, before heading back upstairs to her room. She shut her door behind her and lied in bed, silently crying, wishing that Mark was there to comfort her. In the past year and a half that she and Mark had been together, she'd discovered feelings she never knew existed: love, hate, desire, loathing, and everything in between. In her mind, she'd finally become a complete person: enjoying her tomboyish nature as well as celebrating her femininity. Before marrying Roddy, Sara had never been able to do that – her mother accepted no feminine qualities whatsoever. Sara couldn't remember crying before marriage, she couldn't remember screaming. She had always been the aggressive, take-control, stand-up, brutally honest person…until she met Mark. Even while she was married to Roddy, her personality had often times clashed with Roddy's. She never told her mother about arguments between herself and Roddy, because she didn't want her mom to say, "I told you so. I told you men aren't good for anything." However, when Mark came into her life, he treated her like a porcelain doll, a princess, goddess-like even. He adored her tomboy qualities, but he also loved the fact that deep inside, she was very much a woman. They were perfect for each other, and they both knew it. Before Sara knew it, she'd drained her energy from crying, and was exhausted. She curled up under the covers and escaped into the world of dreams.

Mark entered the house a few hours later, with only two bags in hand. He'd driven around much of Daytona, trying to find a jewelry store that didn't look full of people. When failing to find one, he drove over to the surrounding area of Port Orange, as well as Ormond Beach. He'd finally found a fairly empty store back in Daytona Beach, called "Gordon's Jewelers". He'd purchased a necklace with a small 14-carat diamond pendant for Sara, and a blue sapphire pendant necklace for Lucy. He'd also purchased a silver-linked bracelet for Sara, to match his own silver-linked necklace. When he walked into the living room, Lucy was sitting with a cup in one hand, the television remote in her other. "Where's Sara?" he asked. "In her room," Lucy answered quietly. "Is she okay?" Mark asked. Lucy sighed heavily and hunched her shoulders. "What happened?" he asked concerned. "I hit a nerve when we were talking. And she broke down," she said quietly. Mark turned and ran upstairs, bursting into Sara's room. He let out a deep breath when he saw that she was sleeping. He set the bags down on the dresser, cut on the little lamp beside the bed, and sat down at her side. Her eyes were red and puffy, obvious signs of crying. "Oh, dollface," he whispered kissing her cheek softly. Sara stirred and her eyes fluttered open. "Mark…," she whispered as tears filled her eyes again. "Oh, don't cry, baby. You're gonna be just fine," he said softly, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand.

"You wanna tell me what happened?" he asked as she sat up. Sara's bottom lip trembled and she shook her head. "That's fine. But you know I'm here, right?" he said quietly. Sara climbed into his lap, whispering, "Please…hold me." Mark closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her, rocking slightly. "She's so…cynical," Sara whispered after a few minutes, tears streaming down her cheeks, "She was hurt…so she takes it out on every male she meets, even the ones I love." Mark kept quiet, waiting for Sara to feel comfortable enough to disclose what her mother had said. "I can't stay here, Mark. I can't be under her roof, knowing she feels like she does about me," Sara continued. "Sara…it's Christmas. You need to celebrate it with your mom," he said quietly, "I know she hurt you…but I'm sure she's only trying to look out for you. She seems like a very protective mother, so she doesn't want to see you hurt. That's probably why she said whatever it is she said, because she's being protective." "Mark…I'm 26 years old. I can make decisions for myself. Being with you was a decision I made willingly, and I'm not gonna change my mind about that…even for my own mother," she whispered. "I'm gonna go talk to her, okay?" he asked. "Right now?" Sara asked back. Mark nodded and said quietly, "I don't want Lucy to even let the thought fester that I would hurt you…in any way. I don't want her to let the idea in her head that I'd even put you in harm's way. Just because I'm a jealous man doesn't mean that I want to stop you from doing what you love. You wouldn't let me get away with it. How many times did you wrestle when I told you it wasn't safe? How many times did you do what you wanted to, regardless of what I thought? You're an independent woman, and that is just one more thing that I love about you. You know what you want out of life, and how to have fun with or without me, and you're gonna do what you want to do when you wanna do it, no matter what I think. You listen to my opinion, but if it doesn't match with yours all the time, it's not a big deal to you. You're very, very unique, Sara…and I love you. And I want your mother to know that."

A knock on the door brought both Sara's and Mark's attention to it. Lucy was standing there, her hands clasped over her chest. "Can I…come in?" Lucy asked quietly. She'd just heard Mark spill out his thoughts to Sara, and realized that she was being just a little too overprotective of her daughter. "It's your house, mom," Sara whispered climbing out of Mark's lap, back onto her bed. "It's your room…always has been, even when you're not here," Lucy countered. "Come in, mom," Sara said softly. Lucy walked into the room and sat down at the foot of the bed. "Sara…I want to apologize to you, both of you. I have no right to question your relationship. Sara…you _are_ 26, and it's about time I realized that you became self-sufficient a long time ago. Mark…I don't doubt your love for my daughter anymore. I don't doubt what there is between you two. Sara, you're right…I am a cynical woman…but that doesn't mean that I have to take it out on my very own daughter, or the man that she's in love with. I'm very, very sorry for how I acted earlier, Sara. I can only hope that you forgive me," she said quietly. Sara sniffed and wiped her wet cheeks. She slowly nodded her head and said quietly, "Mom…we're different, you and I. And I only ask that you accept those differences, accept that I…can lead my own life. I value your opinion, very much, but it doesn't rule my life. No one's opinion completely rules my life, not even Mark's. I love you, and I do strive for your respect and approval constantly. But there comes a time where…I just need to live life for myself." "I understand that now, Sara…I honestly do," Lucy conceded. "Okay. Fresh start, then?" Sara said quietly. "Yeah…fresh start," Lucy answered before leaving the room, "I'll see you two tomorrow morning. We've got a lot to do to prepare for Christmas."

"See?" Mark whispered as the door clicked shut. Sara smiled slightly as she leaned over and kissed Mark, her hands reaching to take his shirt off. "What are you doin'? Your mom's right down the hall!" he said trying to push her hands away. "Yeah…and she knows we're adults who love the hell outta each other, too," Sara said continuing to try to remove Mark's shirt. "I thought…I told you earlier. I can't – stop it!" Mark said standing, his breathing fast. Sara saw the only way to bait Mark. She stood up and stepped in front of him, pushing him back onto the bed. "Sara--." Sara shook her head as she turned on the small radio on her bookshelf, inserting a smooth jazz CD into the CD player. As the soft notes flowed through the air, Sara proceeded to perform a strip tease for Mark. Her clothes came off piece by piece, until she was bare-naked in front of him. "You did that on purpose," he groaned quietly, his body tight with desire. Sara put her hands on her hips, cocking her head to the left. "Maybe," she said smiling. Mark stood slowly; walking was going to be a task. He made it over to Sara and drew her into his arms, his lips claiming hers in a feverish kiss. His fingers wrapped into her hair, pressing her face upwards into his own. Sara wrapped her arms around his waist, tugging gently at the hem of his shirt, until Mark groaned softly and allowed her to remove it. Sara slipped the shirt over his head, then pushed him back until the back of his legs hit her bed, and he fell onto it. She smiled wickedly, straddling his waist and taking his left nipple in her mouth, gently twirling her tongue over it until it was a hard nub. Mark covered his mouth with his hand and groaned. Sara continued her torture on his right nipple, getting even more groans from Mark.

When she was satisfied with her own level of pleasure, she continued a trail of kisses down Mark's belly, over his "B.S.K. Pride" tattoo. Her hands worked to undo Mark's belt buckle, then his pants. She could see his erection straining to be released, and it made her own skin even more heated with desire. "Sara…please, I'm begging you, dollface. I can't hold back--." "I didn't ask you to," Sara whispered as her hand reached into Mark's boxers, gripping his engorged member. "Good God, woman!" he moaned quietly. "I haven't done anything," she said innocently. "That's the…problem," Mark whispered, his voice thick and husky, "You're killin' me here…" "Well, you're the one sending mixed messages," she said, her hand squeezing and releasing Mark's cock, "First, you act like you want me, then you don't. I don't know which message to take as the truth." "Sara, you know…I want you. Just…oh!" He was cut off at the feel of her warmth mouth covering him. Her tongue circled the tip of his manhood, before he felt her throat tighten on him. Sara's hands squeezed his jean-covered legs as she slowly bobbed her head, taking as much of him as she could on each down stroke. When he felt her hand squeezing his base, he started trembling. He was on the verge of releasing right in her mouth, something he didn't think Sara liked, even though she'd done it before. When he realized that's exactly what Sara wanted, it became harder and harder to hold back. Sara suddenly gripped his scrotum, and he bit down on his fist, groaning as he came. After jerking for several moments, Mark finally collapsed, drained completely. Sara ran her tongue over Mark's limp cock, easily bringing it back to life.

"I didn't say I was finished with you," she whispered removing Mark's jeans and boxers in one sweep. She snatched each of Mark's boots off, threw them over her shoulders, and then slid his jeans and boxers off, leaving him completely naked. She kissed from his feet, up his long, muscle-bound legs, over his stomach, until her lips met his once again. Mark sighed contently as her lips moved away from his, covering his face and neck. Her hands caressed over his upper torso, particularly finding their way down to his chest, her fingers tightening over his already-erect nipples. He tried to touch her, to return the pleasure, but Sara shook her head, pinning his hands down beside his head. "I'm in control right now. You just lie here," she whispered before taking his earlobe in her teeth and pulling. She used her tongue to trace the outer part of his ear, blowing over the wetness afterwards and getting more moans from Mark. When she felt Mark pulsating against her crotch, she closed her eyes and moaned softly. "You want me, Mark?" she asked kissing his ear again. "Yeah, dollface," he groaned, straining to keep his hands at his head. "You sure?" Sara whispered kissing his nose. Mark nodded as his lips searched for her own. She avoided kissing him, though; instead, she suckled on a patch of skin at the base of his neck, biting down to increase the pleasure she was giving. "Sara…I can't take this much longer," he whispered. Sara put a finger on his lips, quieting him, as she continued to suck on his skin. She moved her crotch against his own, yet refusing him entrance inside her. "You want me to beg, Sara?!" he groaned.

Sara bit his skin harder, lifting her head when Mark flinched in pain. "Sorry," she whispered, her lips finally locking with his. He could taste himself on her lips, a salty tang somewhat. Sara released her grip on Mark's wrists, and his hands automatically went to her waist, squeezing. They seemed to kiss forever, only taking moments in between each one to catch a breath. "Are you ready?" Sara asked after a few minutes. "Ready for what?" Mark asked, his hands moving to cup her swollen breasts. "To stake your claim," she answered, continuing to kiss him. "I have no claim on you, Sara. I wouldn't…want to insult you…by saying I've got claim to you," he whispered against her lips. "Well, I'm claiming you, then," Sara said before moving herself over Mark's manhood, and easing him inside her. She sat up and locked her fingers with his, squeezing his hands as she started to ride him. Mark groaned at her tightness; he didn't know that a woman not having sex on a regular basis would tighten up like that. Sara let her head fall back, her hair cascading down and touching Mark's thighs. "You are mine, Mark Callaway…understand that?" she gasped. "Whatever you say, dollface," he answered trying to focus on pleasing her. "No…say you understand," Sara said looking down at him, "You're mine! I'm yours! It'll always be that way…please, say you understand…" Mark's eyes locked onto Sara's, and he saw something – a desperateness, a need to _be_ claimed and to _have_ claim – that he'd never seen before. He nodded and whispered, "Yes, dollface…always." At that exact moment, Sara climaxed, and he felt her passage tighten around him. He came with more force than the first time, and slammed up into Sara, pouring his seed inside her. He also felt a connection with Sara that had never been there before, a spark of pure, white love that could, from that night forward, never be broken. Sara collapsed against his chest, sated and out of breath. Mark's arms enclosed around her and squeezed.

"What just happened, Sara?" he asked as she climbed off of him, stretching out beside him. "I don't know, Mark. You tell me," she whispered, her voice full of exhaustion. Mark didn't comprehend it fully, so he just kept quiet. His fingers wrapped themselves in Sara's sweaty hair, enjoying the feeling of happiness that was radiating from her. "I'd say that...I just realized who it is I want to spend the rest of my life with," he whispered. He looked down at Sara, smiling when he saw that she was already fast asleep. "Sleep well, dollface," he whispered kissing her cheek, then reaching over to turn off the lamp. Exhaustion soon set in for him, too, and he was asleep before he knew it.

Sara awoke the next morning alone. She stretched her limbs, yawning loudly. Smells of different food drifted up her nostrils, and she smiled. Her mother had started cooking for Christmas early. She took a nice long shower, washing her hair a couple times, before dressing in a pair of cotton shorts and a baby tee. _He took a piece of my soul last night…and I took a piece of his_, Sara thought as memories from the previous night invaded her mind, bringing a smile to her face, _It won't be the same now. Nothing can break us now._ "Morning, mom," Sara said walking into the kitchen and putting on an apron, "Where's Mark?" Lucy hummed happily as she mixed batter for a sweet potato pie. "Mom?" Sara asked washing her hands. "Venice," Lucy answered. Sara cut the water off abruptly and stared at her mom. "What?!" she exclaimed, "For what?!" "Christmas shopping," Lucy said, humored by her daughter's state of shock. "Wow…he had to go all the way across the country just to go 'Christmas shopping'?" Sara said suspiciously. "My lips are sealed," Lucy said smiling, "Now if you're gonna help me, don't just stand there." Sara's jaw dropped and she huffed. "Mom!" she whined, "Come on! Don't leave me in the dark!" "Stop whining. Don't worry, you won't be disappointed," Lucy said continuing to stir, "Now come on and help me." Sara sighed and hunched her shoulders, saying, "Fine."

Mark had awoken early that morning, around six a.m., and quickly decided he needed to go back to Venice to find an engagement ring. He was going to leave a note telling Lucy where he'd gone, but she had already been awake and starting to cook. "Where on Earth are you goin' at this time of morning?" she questioned. "Lucy…I'm asking your permission to ask Sara to marry me," he'd answered. "Really?" Lucy said with a grin. "Yes, ma'am. I love your daughter, and I can't tell you that enough. I'd die for her, Lucy. I want to be with her forever, beyond this life. I want us to be connected not only on Earth, but in time. Life just won't be right for me without Sara as my wife, so yes…I'm asking your permission," he said quietly. "I'd be proud to have you as my son-in-law, Mark. There's no doubt in my mind that Sara wants to marry you," she'd answered. "Thank you, Lucy. I'm actually going back to Venice. I looked around yesterday for an engagement ring, but I didn't see one that would do for her. So, I'm goin' back to Venice to search. And to bring back her dog," Mark explained. "That's awfully sweet of you, Mark. I won't tell her why you left, but she's gonna bite my head off if I don't tell her _where_," Lucy said quietly. "Thanks a lot, Lucy," Mark said before leaving the house, "I'll be back probably _early_ tomorrow morning."

"Well, did he tell you when he was coming back?" Lucy looked up from basting the turkey. They'd been working for nearly six hours now, and the evening hours were creeping up. Sara had been distracted all day from thoughts of Mark, and Lucy had had to keep her distracted by giving her task after task. "He'll be in late tonight, in the morning hours," she answered with a grin, "You'll probably be asleep by the time he gets in." "You wanna bet?" Sara asked. Lucy chuckled softly and put the turkey back into the oven. "I'm gonna take a break, mom. Is that okay?" Sara said wiping her sweaty forehead with her hand. "Yeah, hon. You've been working pretty hard. Tryin' to impress someone?" Lucy said grinning. "Mark knows I can cook," Sara said simply, removing her apron and draping it over a chair. She quickly went upstairs and showered again. She was feeling very icky, and so wanted to clean herself. _If he's out Christmas shopping, then I need to get him something, too_, she thought as she washed herself, _I hope mom doesn't mind if I leave for a little bit._ She put on a pair of jeans, and her favorite Harley Davidson t-shirt, then slipped on a pair of low-cut boots. When she came downstairs, she found her mother in the living room asleep. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's tired," Sara whispered putting a cover over her mother's sleeping form, then grabbing her mom's car keys. "Be back as soon as I can," she whispered in her ear, then heading out to shop.

There were very few shops in Daytona that Sara actually liked, even though she'd lived there most of her life. Not finding any satisfaction on the boardwalk of the beach, Sara drove to the neighboring city of Ormond Beach. She traveled up and down the boardwalk, looking at the bright neon letters of signs, ranging from hippie shops to T-shirt shops to gothic décor shops. A neat, small little sign on one window stopped Sara. It was in a fancy, deep blue cursive writing, and white lights glared from inside. It was a tattoo shop called "The Ink Spot." Sara had never before thought she would adorn her body with ink. There were so many things that could go wrong. Sanitary issues, keeping in shape as to not distort the picture, and even disliking the picture in the future were major concerns of many. Sara dismissed her concerns, though, and realized she'd stopped in front of that shop for a reason. She took a deep breath, and crossed the threshold into the store.

The walls were decked in every picture Sara could think of. Cherubs, valentine hearts, vampires, ghosts, moons, weapons, tribal designs; Sara was shocked at the amount of designs there were to choose from. "May I help you, ma'am?" a man asked from behind the counter. He was about 5'6", a bit on the muscular side, and had a full head of jet black hair. He couldn't have been more than 30 years old. His bared skin – arms, chest, and back – were covered in tattoos. "Could I get a few minutes, please?" Sara asked, a bit nervous. "Sure thing, ma'am. Just holler for me when you're ready," he answered, "I'm Mike, by the way." "Nice to meet you, Mike, I'm Sara," she replied. "Just a bit of advice, if I may?" Mike asked. "Sure," Sara said quietly. "Don't get yourself so worked up. It's not as bad as people make it out to be," Mike said with a grin, "I'll be in the back." Sara blushed hard as her eyes dropped to the floor. She didn't realize she was showing how nervous she felt. She went straight past the gothic designs, walking up to the counter. There was a white binder lying there. Carefully, Sara flipped through each page, staring at each design. Near the end of the book, Sara finally found a piece that embodied what she wanted. It was a black-colored angel, the crimson wings spreading wide from the angel's shoulders. It was holding a silver shield covered in very intricate lines as well. It was also small enough for Sara to hide under clothing, roughly 2½" X 4". Sara smiled as she thought, _Mark is my angel, my shield…this is perfect._ Sara looked through the last few pages, just to make sure there was nothing better, then smiled as she turned back to her choice.

"Umm…Mike?" she called. "Yep. On my way," he answered, coming from the back of the store. Sara pulled out the design from the notebook, and smiled down at it. "Didn't take you long…you must've known exactly what you were looking for," Mike commented as she handed him the seat. "No, actually…it's just a perfect fit for…," Sara said, her cheeks reddening. Mike smiled, saying, "You don't have to explain. It's a really good design. Not many people appreciate its beauty. This guy must be really special." Sara nodded and asked, "Where are you gonna put it?" "Wherever you want me to," Mike answered. Sara thought for a minute, closing her eyes to visualize where it would suit her best. "The top of my back…centered," she answered, "And…if you could, in cursive letters or something elegant…the initials 'MLC'." "Sure thing. If you'll follow me, I'll take you back and get this done. Now mind you…it's gonna take about an hour, maybe longer," Mike said. "I've got time," Sara said grinning. Mike smiled and headed to a small, curtained-off booth. "I'm gonna need you to take off your shirt," Mike said preparing his instruments. Sara took a deep breath and slowly removed her shirt, keeping her back to Mike. He was nice and all, but she didn't undress in front of strangers, and she suddenly felt self-conscious. She lied stomach down on the bed-like structure, her heart pounding. She tried to will her muscles to relax, but it wouldn't work.

Mike put his hand at the bottom of her spine, saying, "Let me know where you want it," before moving his hand up. When he reached a point Sara felt comfortable with, she said, "There." "Alright. You have to relax. If you're too tensed up, it'll fuck up the tattoo," he said bluntly. "I'm trying…," Sara said quietly. Mike leaned down in front of her, smiling slightly. "You love this guy?" he asked. Sara trembled slightly and nodded. "So don't worry about a thing. I'll make sure it turns out perfect," he assured her. Sara let out a deep breath and smiled slightly. "Thanks, Mike," she whispered before finally relaxing her entire body. The first prick of the needle caused Sara to grit her teeth, but the humming of the needle working, along with Mike's soft touch, distracted her from the continuous pricking. An hour and a half later, Mike was covering the tattoo with a gauze bandage and informing her of how to take care of it. "It'll be red for about a week, until it scabs over. Whatever you do, don't scratch it. And make sure to put that ointment on it at least twice a day for the first couple weeks," he said as she slipped her shirt on, wincing. "Oh yeah, wear loose fitting t-shirts, so that they don't irritate the tattoo," he added. Sara nodded and followed him to the front of the shop, where there was a group of "boys" (they looked about 19 to Sara, and that was very young to her) looking through the same notebook Sara had searched.

"That'll be $85, Sara," Mike said going to the cash register. Sara pulled out a $100 bill and handed it to him, saying, "Keep the change, Mike. You really helped me through this." "Wow…you're Chyna, aren't you?" one of guys in the group, wearing a WWE shirt, said suddenly. "Yeah, kid. That's me," Sara said, wishing inside he wouldn't bug her for an autograph. "Oh, man! Wait 'til I tell my friends I saw Chyna in a _tattoo shop_!" he exclaimed grabbing at his friends, "Guys, it's Chyna!" "Look, kids…you mind giving me a break? It's Christmas Eve," she said as the group stared at her. "Sure…I'm sorry, we didn't mean to bother you," one answered. "Maybe you'll catch me on a better day," she said softly, the pain of her new tattoo suddenly hitting her. "Merry Christmas, Sara," Mike said, "Glad I could help you out tonight." "Thanks, Mike. You have a good Christmas, too. Later, kids," Sara answered before exiting, tears coming to her eyes once she was outside. "How did Mark take this pain? This shit hurts!" she whispered to herself. She wiped away the tears that had escaped and continued on her way down the boardwalk. She stopped in a Harley Davidson store, smiling at the sight of the miniature motorcycles. She bought a couple of matching male-female t-shirts, a sterling silver belt buckle, and one of the black miniature motorcycles.

"Alright, that's enough. I hope he likes this stuff," she said after exiting that store, "Now…to shop for mama." Sara drove back to Daytona, this time going into the mall to find something. She walked through the mall for an hour before finding a small statue store in the corner of the east wing. Sara smiled to herself when she spotted a 3-foot ivory statue of a woman in a Victorian-style dress, cradling a baby draped in a emerald-colored clothe. She went up to the register, pointing out the statue to the clerk. "How much is that statue, please?" she asked. The young lady went over to the statue, tilting it back to look at the price tag on the bottom. "$650, ma'am," she answered. "Wow…," Sara whispered. She didn't think statues cost that much. "Is that pure ivory?" she asked. "Yes, ma'am," the woman answered. "What about that emerald color?" Sara asked. "It's jade, ma'am," the woman answered. "No wonder it costs so much," Sara commented. "Would you like to look around more?" the woman asked. "No…I'll take it," Sara answered. "Alright. I'll just take this in the back real quick, so that it can be gift-wrapped for you," the woman said. Sara nodded and searched the aisles until the woman returned. "Cash, check, or charge," she asked handing Sara the box the statue was in. "Check," Sara answered. She didn't like writing checks, but she just didn't have that kind of cash on her. Mark's gifts had left her wallet nearly bare. Sara completed the transaction, then picked up her mother's gift, finally deciding that it was time to head back home.

Sara pulled into her mom's driveway around nine p.m. She brought the bags inside, heading straight upstairs to her room, but noticing that her mom was still asleep on the couch. "Good. I've got time to wrap these things," she said setting the bags down on her bed. She ran to her mom's room, grabbed the wrapping paper and Scotch tape, then went back down to her room, shutting the door quietly. After removing her shirt very gingerly, she tossed it in the nearest corner and sat on the floor. Wrapping everything like she wanted took another hour and a half of her time. She was now purely exhausted. "I've still gotta put up the tree, though," she whispered as she carried the gifts downstairs. Walking into the living room, Sara saw that the Christmas tree had been put up while she was gone. All she had to do was put lights on it, and other decorations. She quickly knocked that task out of the way, and set the gifts underneath it. It was going on nearly midnight when Sara finally woke her mother to take her upstairs. "Wow…you finished the tree," Lucy said quietly. "Yeah, mom…now it's bedtime," Sara said tiredly. "Thought you were gonna wait for Mark to come back?" Lucy asked grinning slightly as they headed up the stairs. "Yeah, but I didn't expect to spend all day cooking, and shopping," Sara said quietly, a smile on her face. The two women shared a laugh before separating to go to their respective rooms. "I'll see ya in the morning, mom," Sara whispered. "Goodnight, hon," Lucy responded closing her room door. Sara nodded and went back to her room, took a third shower (which was soothing and painful at the same time, due to her tattoo), and dressed in a silk, thigh-length nightgown. When she slid under her covers, she was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

A lapping tongue pulled Sara from her deep sleep. She wiped her face, but the tongue continued lapping. "What the hell?" she whispered opening her eyes, "DUCHESS!!" She threw her arms around her dog and squeezed. Duchess barked her approval, and Sara rubbed her belly quickly. "Oh, girl! How'd you get here, huh? Did you come with Mark? Did ya?" Sara said as Duchess lied down on her side, making it easier for Sara to rub her belly. "Oh, girl…wow, this is awesome! I missed you, girl! Yeah, I did!" Sara said continuing to rub. Duchess barked a few more times before dropping her head back down on the bed. Sara's room door opened, causing her to look up. "Merry Christmas, dollface," Mark whispered. "This…is really special, Mark. I never would've thought you'd bring Duchess cross-country just for me," she said, tears in her eyes. "She sure as hell wasn't gonna let me leave her there," Mark said with a smile, leaning down at the edge of the bed. Sara wrapped her hand in Mark's, squeezing gently. "Thank you," she whispered. "No problem, dollface," he said, "Now come on downstairs. Your mom's waiting for you so we can open gifts." Sara stood, patting her thigh as a command to Duchess, and followed Mark out, Duchess right on her heels.

There was a small vegetable platter on the coffee table, as well as a pitcher of hot tea and three mugs. Lucy was on the couch, a blanket draped over her knees and a book in hand. "What time did you get in?" Sara asked Mark as she sat down beside her mom. "Around one," Mark answered. "I had just gone to sleep around midnight," Sara said grinning. "Yeah, you looked like it. I slept down here, but Duchess slept right beside you," Mark admitted, "She saw you and went to jump on you, but I calmed her down. When I told her you were dead tired, she simply jumped up on the bed and lied down beside you, resting her head on your stomach. It was a sight to see, I'll tell ya that." "Duchess is protective of me…always has been," Sara said scratching Duchess' head. "Well, sir, did you find what you flew across country to find?" she asked crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow, staring at Mark. "You'll just have to see, won't you?" Mark said kissing her nose. "What time is it?" Sara asked. "Almost two o' clock," Lucy answered, "I'd wanted to wake you up, but Mark…highly suggested…we let you rest." "More like, refused to wake you up," Mark said smiling, "Luckily, your mom didn't bite my head off." "If you'd seen her in here working up a storm for six hours straight, you'd want her to rest up, too," Lucy said grinning. Sara blushed and poured herself a cup of tea. "I guess we can go ahead and open gifts, then," she said looking over the rim of her cup. She went over to the tree, grabbed the box of her mom's statue, and handed it to her. "You first," she said grinning.

"Sara…you didn't have to," Lucy said quietly. "I wanted to, mom," Sara whispered. Lucy sighed as she slowly unwrapped the box, then opened it. Tears came to her eyes as she removed the statue. "Oh…Sara," she whispered at the sight of it, a tear escaping from her left eye, "Wow…this is beautiful." "Just a little something to say…I'll always be your baby girl," Sara whispered. Lucy set the statue on the floor beside her, and opened her arms. Sara hugged her mom tightly as Mark pulled one of the boxes with Sara's name on it from under the tree. "You next," he said sitting down beside her. Sara tore the paper away, taking a deep breath at the sight of the thin velvet box. "Mark…," she began. "Just open it, dollface," he said quietly. Sara's hands shook as she flipped open the box, gasping at the sight of the diamond pendant. "You're too much," she whispered, tears filling her own eyes. Mark stood and removed the necklace, placing it around Sara's neck and clipping the ends together. Sara had flinched when he'd moved her hair, and Mark saw it. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Your Christmas present," she whispered. Mark's jaw dropped as he realized what she meant. "Pick up your jaw, baby, and check it out," she said smiling. Mark went behind the couch, moved Sara's hair, and very carefully removed the gauze.

The skin was very red, but Mark made out the design…more importantly, the letters above it. "Wow…," he managed to say. Sara turned to look up at him, but he whispered, "Don't move." He was in complete shock that Sara would get a tattoo, much less his initials. "Wow…," he whispered again. "I wanna see," Lucy said. Sara turned her back to her mother, taking a deep breath at the sound of her mother's gasp. "Is that an angel?" Lucy asked quietly. Sara nodded slightly, praying silently that her mother wouldn't get angry. "It's gorgeous," Lucy said after a few moments of silence. Sara faced her and smiled in relief. "You really think so?" she asked. Lucy nodded with a smile. "There's no doubt about it," she said quietly. "It'll look even better when it clears up," Mark said as he grabbed another box from under the table, handing it to Lucy, "This is for you…from me." Lucy smiled slightly as she took the box. It was similar to the length of the box Sara's necklace had been in. "If it's anything like hers, Mark…I won't accept it," she said with a grin. "Just open it," Mark said softly. Lucy sighed and peeled away the paper, then flipped open the box, smiling at the blue sapphire pendant. "How'd you know?" she asked quietly. "Know what?" he asked. "That the sapphire is my favorite," Lucy answered. "Sara told me a while back. I thought you'd like it," he said quietly. "I do, Mark…very much. I just haven't received anything like this in a long time," Lucy said, tears in her eyes. Sara touched her mom's hand, smiling slightly. "You deserve it, mama," she whispered. "Hold on to this man, Sara…he's the kind that only comes along once in a lifetime," Lucy said quietly, staring at the necklace. Sara looked at Mark, winking and grinning. "Alright…time for your other gifts, Mark," Sara said going over to the tree again. She picked up his boxes and handed them over. "Sara…you already gave more than enough," he whispered. "And I still wanna give more…so take 'em," she said smiling. Mark grinned and conceded, opening the boxes and smiling at the sight of the Harley Davidson sign. "I've got a matching shirt, just like yours," Sara said as he pulled out the t-shirt. Mark smiled even broader at the sight of the miniature motorcycle and belt buckle. "Very nice," he whispered.

"There's still a few gifts under there," Lucy said looking under the tree. "I'll get 'em," Sara said standing. She pulled the boxes out and sat on the coffee table in front of Mark. "They're for me…," she whispered looking at him. Mark's mouth curved up slightly, and he nodded. She set two of the boxes down, and opened the flattest one. It was a picture frame, with pictures of Sara and Mark together, pasted in a collage form. Sara read the phrase at the bottom aloud: "Maybe some women aren't meant to be tamed. Maybe they just need to run free until they find someone just as wild to run with. Thank you for having faith enough in me to allow me to run beside you." Tears escaped her eyes, and she suddenly couldn't find her voice. Mark wiped the tears away and kissed her gently. "I love you, dollface," he whispered against her lips. She nodded and gripped the frame, not wanting to let it go. "Go on…open the other one," he said quietly. Sara swallowed and set the frame to the side. The second box was square, but thin. She tore the paper off and opened the box. It was a silver-linked bracelet. She grinned and held it up to his necklace. "Perfect match," she whispered. "That's what I thought when I saw it," he responded putting it onto her wrist. Sara smiled as she picked up the third gift; it was thin, and very light. "What is it? I don't know if I can take much more…," she said quietly. "Just open it," Mark said quietly. Sara tore off the paper, opened the box, and picked up the envelope lying in it. She looked up at Mark, but he just smiled. Sara pulled out a plane ticket…her jaw dropped slightly at the destination: Toronto! "Mark…you're killin' me here," she whispered. "It's for New Year's, technically, not Christmas. I mean, that is if Lucy doesn't mind us cutting our visit short," Mark said looking over to Lucy. Lucy shook her head and said, "You two have as much fun as you can." Sara broke down in tears and threw her arms around Mark's neck. "I love you!" she exclaimed smiling. "Whew! At first I thought you were gonna say you didn't wanna go," Mark said jokingly. Sara laughed and kissed his cheek several times. "Thank you, baby, thank you!" she said quietly. Mark put his arms around her, wary of her tattoo, and said, "Anything for my dollface."

Dinner that night was the best Sara had ever had. Not only was the food good, but Sara was the happiest she'd ever been. The three of them talked well after dinner, into the early morning hours. When Sara finally collapsed into her bed, it was almost three a.m. It wasn't a restful sleep, though; nightmares plagued her. When she sprung up after the last dream, Mark woke up. "Dollface, what's wrong?" he asked. He could feel her body trembling, and even see sweat drops glistening in the moonlight pouring through her bedroom window. Sara swallowed, trying to slow her breathing. The last nightmare had been the same one she'd had when she was in hospital for dehydration. "Come here, baby," Mark whispered pulling her onto his lap. Sara couldn't stop shaking; her stomach felt queasy, and she felt chills through her body. Mark rocked her gently, singing a soft lullaby in her ear, trying to get her to relax. He looked over at the clock, noting that it was only six o' clock; they hadn't been asleep for very long. "I'm gonna go take Duchess for a walk," Sara whispered trying to move off of Mark's lap. "It's six in the morning…you're not going anywhere," he whispered back, caressing her arms, "Relax, dollface. I'm not goin' anywhere this time." Sara looked at Mark with tears in her eyes. "I'm scared, Mark," she said softly. "Of what?" he said quietly, "You know that I'm here. I'll always be here." She nodded, whispering, "Just…hold me." Mark sighed and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Don't let go," she added as they laid back down, "Please…don't let go." "I won't, dollface, I won't," Mark assured her. Sara closed her eyes hesitantly, and fell back asleep, this time resting comfortably against Mark's body.

Sara and Mark left for Venice on December 28th, so they could take Duchess back. They were actually the only ones in the mansion; everyone had gone out of town for Christmas. They were going to rest for two days before flying up to Toronto. "Hey, we should give Andy a call!" Sara said as Mark brought a bowl of popcorn into the living room, "He lives around that area." Mark dropped his eyes to the bowl as he sat down beside her. "What?" Sara asked. "Well…I wanted to spend the break with you…just you, without Andy always watching over you," he answered slowly. Sara chuckled and placed her hand in Mark's. "You've still got somethin' against Andy, don't you?" she asked with a smile. Mark hunched his shoulders, answering, "Not really…I just want this New Year's to be really special…for both of us." "And it will, Mark…it will," Sara said with a smile, "Just a couple of hours, come on!" "Okay…but the rest of the time is mine?" he said. Sara nodded and grinned. "Thank you," she said simply. "No problem," he said grabbing the television remote, "So…what are we watching?" "I don't know, you pick," Sara said pulling his face down to hers and kissing him gently. Mark smiled against her lips, setting the remote down and pulling her onto his lap. "Is TV really necessary?" he whispered running his hands over her back. Sara flinched slightly; she was still recovering from her tattoo. "Sorry, dollface," Mark said quietly, "We'll just relax for tonight, ok?" Sara kissed his nose and sat back down on the couch, keeping her legs on his lap.

They watched a couple of made-for-TV movies before going to bed. Mark helped Sara put ointment on her tattoo before covering it with gauze. "You think it'll be cleared before we have to go back to work?" she asked. "Yeah, it should…it's not that big of a tattoo, so it won't take that long to heal," he answered gliding his hands over her shoulders, "In fact…it should be clear by tomorrow." Sara faced Mark with a big smile. "Really?" she asked. She had yet to see it, because she was waiting until it cleared up. Mark returned the smile and nodded. "Why didn't you look at it right after you got it?" he asked. "I don't know. I didn't think of that," she answered. Mark laughed softly and patted her head playfully. "My little Sara," he said softly. Sara hit his arm before lying down, Mark climbing in behind her. "What are we gonna do in Toronto?" she asked. "I don't know…sightseeing, I guess. It'll be packed because it's New Year's, but we'll make due," he answered, "Sleep…you're gonna need your energy for New Year's." Sara chuckled, but indeed fell into a comfortable sleep minutes later.


	41. A Very Happy New Year

**Chapter 40…A Very Happy New Year**

Mark and Sara flew into Toronto the afternoon of the 30th. They quickly checked into their hotel, dressed warmly (it was about 10 degrees Fahrenheit), and headed out to sightsee. Sara had been to Toronto a couple times earlier in her career with the WWF, but had never had time to sightsee. Even though it was beyond her definition of cold, she still enjoyed herself as much as possible. Mark took her up the CN tower, which had a glass floor. They walked around the city for about four hours, stopping in the little souvenir stores to shop. Around 7:30, Sara gave Andy a call. "Hi, buddy," she said when he answered. "Sara?" Andy asked. "Yep!" she answered. "Hey! What's goin' on?" she asked. "Well…Mark and I are in Toronto right now. We're here for New Year's. Are you in town?" she said happily. "I'm actually in Hamilton, about an hour away," Andy said. "Well, is there any way you could get away for dinner tonight?" she asked. "Um, yeah, sure. I can only get away for a little bit, a few hours," he said. "That's plenty of time," she said looking up at Mark, a smile on her face, "We'll be glad to see ya." Mark raised his eyebrows, then winked down at her. "Where at?" Andy asked. "I don't know. You tell us," she answered. "Well, there's a good high-class restaurant in the center of the city, Cyrano's. You usually have to have reservations, but I'm sure they could fit us in somewhere considering who we are," he answered. "Should I call now, just to make sure?" she asked. "Nah. I'll take care of it," Andy answered, "Just meet me there around 9:00, okay?" Sara agreed before hanging up. "Well?" Mark asked as she put her hands in her jacket. "We've got an hour and a half to chill out, then we're meeting him at this place called Cyrano's," she answered. "We passed that place earlier…looked pretty fancy," he commented. "That's what he said, but he also said he'd make sure we could get in. We just have to meet him there at 9:00," Sara said smiling. "You wanna go back to the hotel? I'm freezing," he asked. "Sure, baby," she answered.

They took a cab back to the Westin Harbour Castle, where they were staying for the rest of their break. Sara kicked off her boots and jumped on the giant bed. She buried her face in the pillow and sighed happily. She knew this would be the most memorable New Year's to date. "You okay?" Mark asked stretching out beside her. "Mmhmm," she answered, her face still in the pillow. Mark touched the back of her head, caressing her silky smooth tresses. "What is it, dollface?" he asked. Sara looked at him with a huge smile. "You are goin' all out this year," she whispered kissing his nose, "I just can't believe how lucky I am." Mark leaned over and kissed her softly, coaxing her mouth open. Sara moaned softly at the feel of his tongue in her mouth, pulling him closer until he was practically lying on her. His hands moved under her sweater, gently caressing her muscled belly. "I'm the lucky one, dollface," he whispered against her lips. Sara smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, undoing the band holding his hair in a ponytail, letting his cascade down onto her face. "Ya know, I'm kinda jealous of your hair. What shampoo do you use?" she asked as Mark planted kisses over her face. He chuckled softly, Sara feeling the vibration of his chest against hers. Sara rested her hands on Mark's biceps, taking in his strength. "Like I said…you're a big teddy bear inside," she said before his lips met hers once more. Mark groaned as Sara's legs spread underneath him. "Do we have time?" he asked nibbling on her ear. "I'm sure we could manage…an hour and a half is more--." Mark cut her off by kissing her more feverishly, taking control of her senses. They made love slowly and luxuriously, for 45 minutes straight, before taking a shower together and getting dressed. "I love you," Mark whispered in Sara's ear as she brushed her hair smooth. Sara smiled and asked, "You'll never get tired of saying that, will you?" "Nope…," he said with a grin, resting his chin on her shoulder and staring at her reflection in the mirror, "Look at us…it's a great sight, isn't it?" "Yeah…it is," Sara said softly. "You know…your tattoo is cleared up now," he said quietly, "I saw it earlier in the shower." Sara removed her shirt as fast as she could and tossed it on the floor. There was a handheld mirror on the dresser and she picked it up, turned her back to the mirror, and positioned the mirror in her hand until she could see her tattoo. "Wow…you were right, it does look good," she whispered. The letters Mike had put on her skin were in Old English text font, so they looked royal almost. "You know…you're not gonna be able to hide that that easily on TV," Mark said quietly. "Who cares?" Sara said smiling, "I love it, you love it…that's all that matters." "You're right," Mark said, "I do love it…very much. I can't say that enough." Sara felt her cheeks turn red and looked down at the floor. "What's that blush for?" he asked. "I'm just happy you like it," she whispered. "Come on, dollface. We need to go ahead down to that restaurant," Mark said handing over her jacket before putting on his own. Sara nodded and followed him out into the freezing Toronto air; they were in front of the restaurant in 15 minutes.

"Sara!" Andy said when she climbed out of the taxi. "Andy!" she exclaimed running up to him with her arms spread. Andy caught her and spun her around a couple times before setting her down. "Geez, it's only been a week," Mark said with a grin when he walked up. "Hey, man, what's goin' on?" Andy said shaking Mark's hand. "What's up, man? How was your Christmas?" Mark answered. "Real good. It's nice to see my family for longer than two days, ya know," Andy answered. "That's good, man. Did ya get anything good?" Mark said jokingly. Andy chuckled and said, "Nah…it's no biggie, though. I got my mom a few sweaters. But the whole family's up at the house now. We're gonna have a good time the next couple nights." Mark laughed and said, "That's the way to do it. Enjoy the time while you can, ya know." "Guys, can we head inside? I'm freezing my ass off!" Sara said rubbing her arms. Both men laughed at her, but headed inside. "So, you managed to get reservations, huh?" Sara asked. "Yeah. Turns out my mom's an old friend of the owner; she used to come here all the time when she was younger," Andy answered. "Cool. What kind of restaurant is it?" she asked. "Steak and seafood," he said looking up at Mark, who was now smiling, "I figured you'd like that." Sara looked up at Mark and laughed. "Come on, let's get out of this freezer," he said wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Andy opened the door and let them in first, before walking in himself.

They were seated quickly in the back of the restaurant, at a curtained-off booth. "You were right, Andy, this is a really nice place," Sara said as she picked up a menu. "I haven't been in this place in a couple years, but it doesn't look like it's changed much," Andy said. A waiter came over moments later and asked what they would like to drink. All ordered a mug of hot tea. The waiter left and they each read over the menu. "So much to choose from…I'm in heaven," Mark said softly, chuckling. "Well, the waiter will be back in about five minutes, so choose quickly," Sara joked nudging him in the ribs. "It all looks so good," he said grinning. "Yeah, it does," she added. Sara finally picked a lobster dinner, Mark chose a sirloin steak dinner, and Andy chose a shrimp dinner. When the waiter came back, they placed their orders, then resumed their conversation.

"So, Sara, what'd you get for Christmas?" Andy asked. Sara blushed slightly and looked at the table. Mark grinned slightly and touched her hand. Sara smiled up at him and whispered, "More than I ever could've wanted." She pulled the pendant from under her shirt, and bared her wrist. "Wow…those are gorgeous," Andy said. "He also got me a, uh…picture collage of us together," she said quietly, "It was really amazing, Andy." "Yeah…who would've guessed you were such a romantic, man?" Andy said grinning at Mark. "Don't even, man," Mark warned with a smile. "What'd you give him, Sara?" Andy asked. "Not much…a Harley Davidson t-shirt, and a miniature Harley motorcycle, and a belt buckle," she answered slowly. "Show him, dollface," Mark whispered. "You sure?" she asked quietly. "He'll see it sooner or later," he answered. Sara pulled her shirt up over her shoulders, and turned as much she could to give Andy a look. "Holy shit!" Andy exclaimed at the sight of the angel. "What?" Sara asked, "What's wrong with it?!" "Nothing, nothing…it's just a shock," Andy said quietly, "You didn't seem like the tattoo kind of person." "You'd be surprised who gets tattoos, Andy," Mark said kissing Sara's forehead. "It looks great, Sara, don't get me wrong," Andy said. Sara put her shirt down and turned around. "Thanks, Andy," she said quietly. Mark squeezed her thigh under the table, bringing her eyes to his. He winked at her and gently moved his hand over her thigh. Sara grinned slightly and put her hand on his. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom, guys," she said quietly. Mark moved from the table so Sara could get out, asking, "Are you okay?" "Yeah…I'm alright," she whispered. Mark watched her walk away, then looked at Andy.

"God, man, she was already nervous about it," he said quietly. "I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean any disrespect," Andy said, "It's nice, it really is." "She shocked the hell outta me, I'll tell ya that," Mark said quietly. "So everything's better then?" Andy asked. "Yeah…a hell of a lot better," Mark answered. "That's good, man," Andy said. "Yeah…in fact, um…I'm gonna propose to her," Mark said quietly. "Really?!" Andy said, "Congratulations!" "Well, she hasn't said 'yes' yet--." "Oh, don't even! You know she's gonna say yes!" Andy said smiling, "When are you gonna ask her?" "Tomorrow night…as the New Year rings in," Mark answered. "Good idea!" Andy exclaimed, "I'm happy for you guys, man…this is awesome!" "Thanks, Andy…I just hope this is a sign of things to come, ya know," Mark said quietly, "Sara had more of her nightmares the day after Christmas…it was like when she was in the hospital." "Nobody's gonna come between you guys, Mark. You know that…Sara knows it…and so does everybody else. There's a bond there, man, that's…beyond description," Andy said, "You just gotta have faith that…whatever happens, you know that you guys will get through it." Mark let out a sigh as Sara walked up. She scooted in beside him and leaned against his body. "You okay?" he asked again. "Yeah…just a little tired," she answered. "Well, we'll eat and then get outta here, okay?" Mark said softly.

The waiter came over with their food after 20 minutes. They ate slowly, savoring the taste and environment. When they finally finished up, Mark left money for all three of their meals, saying, "Consider it a Christmas present, Andy." Andy laughed, standing. "Well, thank you," he said bowing ridiculously low, "I'm honored." Mark smiled and shook his head. Sara slid from the table and stretched out, rubbing her tummy. She was stuffed! Mark hugged her from behind and whispered in her ear, "I love you." Sara smiled and rested her hands on his forearms. "Come on…let's go back to the hotel. I'm exhausted," she whispered before slipping on her jacket. Mark nodded and followed suit, as they exited the restaurant as quietly as possible. When they were outside, Sara hugged Andy tightly, saying, "I can't wait to see ya again, Andy. I hope your New Year's is fun." "Yeah, same to ya, Sara. It's weird not seeing you everyday," he said hugging her back. Sara released him and climbed into an unoccupied cab. Mark shook Andy's hand, and said, "I'll see ya in a few days, man. Have a good New Year's." "Yeah, you, too," Andy responded. Mark released Andy's hand and climbed into the cab. The cab slowly made it's way through traffic; there was snow and ice on the ground, so it took a little longer than usual. They arrived at their hotel a half an hour later. "I'm gonna sleep in tomorrow, ok?" Sara asked as they entered their room. "You can do whatever you want to, dollface," Mark answered taking her hand in his and squeezing. "God, I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too, baby," he whispered back. Sara pulled her hand away slowly before going into the bathroom. She washed her face, stripped down to her panties, then went back into the room. "A sight to behold," Mark said grinning at her. He'd already stripped down to his boxers, and was getting under the covers. Sara simply smiled and climbed into bed, resting her head on his shoulder. "Goodnight, dollface," Mark whispered. "Goodnight," she whispered before falling into a deep, comfortable sleep.

Sara woke up the next afternoon at four o' clock exactly. Mark was sitting at the table watching the New Year's Countdown on television. "You did let me sleep in," she said sitting up. Mark looked over and smiled. "I told you that last night," he said. Sara grinned and went into the bathroom. She took a quick shower before coming back into the room. "So what special plans tonight?" she asked dressing in a pair of sweatpants and her Harley Davidson shirt that matched Mark's. "We've got a reservation at the Toula's restaurant upstairs at 11:00. It has a view of the city, so we'll get to see the fireworks go off at midnight," he answered, "They're shooting them off from the Air Canada Center, the Skydome, and the CN Tower. It's gonna be quite a show, I hear." "Are we gonna relax here until then?" she asked sitting down beside him. "It's your day, Sara…whatever you wanna do, we can do," he answered. "Really?" she asked happily. Mark nodded and touched her hand. "I want you to be able to relax as much as possible before we go back. So if that means that you chill here all day, for the next few days…it's your choice," he said quietly, "I love you, Sara. And I want to see you happy again. I'm so sorry for making you miserable the past few months. I was stupid to think my jealousy would make you think you were doing something wrong. I only want you to be happy, with whatever you're doing. And if sitting in this room makes you happy, it makes me happy." Sara smiled, leaned over the table, and kissed him softly. "I love you, too, baby," she whispered before going back over to the bed. "Sleep?" he asked. She nodded and climbed under the covers, closing her eyes for a quick nap.

When Sara woke up, she heard the shower running. She looked at the clock and grinned. "Almost 9:30…wow, he really meant it was my day," she whispered climbing from the bed and running her fingers through her hair. She knocked on the bathroom door and then opened it. "You up, hon?" Mark asked from the shower. "Yeah…why'd you let me sleep so long?" she said using the bathroom. "Because you wanted to," he answered. Sara chuckled softly and rubbed her hand over her eyes. She was very much well-rested now. "What time do we have to be at the restaurant?" she asked. "11:00," he answered. "How much longer you gonna be?" she asked. "About ten minutes. I just got in a little bit ago," he answered. "Alright, then. I'll go pick out somethin' to wear," Sara said cleaning herself and standing. "Already got you something," Mark said with a smile. Sara smiled and flushed the toilet, then exited. On the back of one of the chairs was a simple black, silk gown. The straps were string-thin, and Sara knew it would cling to her in all the right places. "He knows my body so well," she whispered holding the dress in front of her. The hem stopped at her calves, and it was lined with a silver fabric. She set the dress down and saw there were shoes in the chair. They were black as well, with straps and two-inch heels. She smiled and turned on the television to watch the countdown. There was coverage on all channels, so Sara put it on a broadcast channel and dropped the remote in the chair her dress was on.

Mark came out 15 minutes later in a towel, drying his hair with a hand towel. "Hey, babe," he said with a smile. "The dress is gorgeous, Mark," she said grinning up at him. "I thought you'd like it," he said leaning down and kissing her deeply. Sara's hands went to his shoulders and squeezed. "I love you so much," she whispered. "You might wanna go get ready," he said kissing her again, "I know how long you women can take." Sara slapped his chest playfully and slipped into the bathroom. Mark was right; for an occasion like this, she wanted to look her best. She took a nice, long shower, shaving as well as she could and washing her hair twice. When she got out, she plucked her eyebrows, then blow-dried and brushed her hair until it was silky smooth and shining. She turned her curlers on and went back into the room. It was quarter after ten. "See…told you women took forever," Mark said as he buttoned up the shirt to his suit. "Lookin' crisp there, hon," Sara said sticking her tongue out. She quickly massaged lotion into her wet skin, then put on her panties. She didn't want to wear a bra, so that the straps wouldn't show. "If you don't hurry, we're gonna be too preoccupied to go to dinner," Mark said quietly. Sara's cheeks turned pink, and she dashed back into the bathroom to curl her hair. It took another half an hour, because her hair was so long; she only curled the ends, though. She then put on her makeup and went back into the room. Mark helped her into the dress, sliding his hands over her body to make the dress smooth. "Stop it," Sara whispered. "Why?" Mark asked kissing her neck. Sara giggled softly and sighed happily. Mark continued to kiss her neck, running his hands over her clothed body. Sara's eyes drifted shut and she leaned back against Mark, moaning softly. "Come on, dollface. It's five to eleven," he said squeezing her shoulders gently. Sara mewed softly, but strapped on her shoes, smoothed her dress, and said, "I'm ready." Mark slipped on his jacket and said, "So am I." They left the room holding hands.

The line to Toula's was very long, almost to the elevator, but Mark guided Sara up to the front, meeting the maitre d'. "Good evening, Mr. Callaway. I'll show you straight to your seats," he said. Mark looked down at Sara, who was shocked that he could get in past everyone in line, and winked. Sara could only shake her head in disbelief. They were seated in the back, in a small booth with a large window. Sara could see the Skydome, the CN tower, and the Air Canada center. There were huge flood lights shining up from all three buildings. "Wow…this view is beautiful!" Sara whispered. Mark smiled and touched her hand. "_You're_ beautiful, dollface," he said quietly. A waiter brought over two menus, and asked, "What can I get you to drink?" "A bottle of Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, please," Mark asked. "Certainly, sir," the waiter responded before leaving. Sara picked up the menu, grinning at the Italian cuisine. "This all looks good," she whispered. "Get whatever your heart desires," Mark said picking up his own. Sara looked up at him, a smile on her face. "You won't stop giving, will you?" she asked softly. Mark shook his head and winked, then looked back down at his menu. When the waiter returned, he quickly uncorked the bottle and poured two glasses. "Have you decided on what you would like to eat, Mr. and Mrs. Callaway?" the waiter asked. Sara blushed hard and looked at her plate. "We're not married," Mark said quietly. "Oh, my apologies, sir. I just assumed--." "It's fine," Sara said smiling, "And yes, we've decided." "Proceed when you're ready," the waiter said. "I'd like the Pork Filettino," Sara said taking a sip of wine, "Instead of the bell peppers, I'll have…the Garden-Fresh Salad." "And I'll have the Tuscan T-bone entrée," Mark said. "I'll be back as soon as I can," the waiter said before departing.

Sara and Mark talked until the waiter returned, a full half an hour later. Sara had had three glasses of wine before he came back. Wine didn't affect her as much as alcohol, and she was with Mark, so she felt comfortable enough to indulge. "Your orders, Mr. Callaway," the waiter said setting down their plates, "One Pork Filettino with Garden salad, and one Tuscan T-Bone entrée." "Thank you, sir," Sara said picking up her fork. She hadn't eaten all day, and she was starving. "If you need anything, just call for me," the waiter said. Sara was too busy eating her food to acknowledge him, so Mark said, "Sure thing. Thank you." When the waiter walked away, Mark smiled at Sara. "Slow down, baby," he said touching her hand, "We've got an hour and a half left." Sara finished chewing the food in her mouth and smiled. "Sorry…my stomach was growling for attention," she said looking down. "It's alright, baby. I just wanna savor this time together," he said locking his fingers with hers. Sara looked up into Mark's eyes and smiled at the love she saw. It was radiating from his body – the way he sat, the dark green look of pure passion and white love in his eyes, the way he touched her hands so softly. Everything about him told her how much he loved her. "I love you, too, darlin'," she whispered. "Ladies and gentlemen, there are ten minutes until the New Year's! If you'll all proceed to the dance floor, we're going to dance our way into the New Year!" the maitre d' announced. Sara smiled and moved to get up. Mark grabbed her wrist, saying, "Please…I don't want to celebrate this with everybody else…I want to share it with just you." Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, Mark," she whispered.

Mark's heart was pounding in his chest, his forehead was sprouting little beads of sweat, and his hands were feeling hot and sticky. He knew Sara would accept his proposal…if he said it the right way. He didn't want to stumble, or say the wrong thing. They finished their meal with five minutes left until the New Year. When the maitre d' gave the one minute warning, Mark took a sip of wine and swallowed, calming himself as much as possible. "Sara?" he whispered. "Yeah, baby," Sara answered looking out the window. "You know that I love you, right?" he asked slowly. "Yeah, hon," Sara answered, staring at the window. "Sara," Mark said tilting Sara's face towards his, and staring into her eyes, "I love you…more than anything. The past two years that I've known you have been the best of my life. I've never felt so complete." "You know I feel the same way," she said touching his hand. "I know. And I can't tell you how grateful I am that you've put up with me. I've put you through a lot in the past year and a half that we've been going out, most of it undeserved. And still, you stuck by me," he said. "Mark…I don't 'put up' with you. I love you…and when you're in love, you work together so that the relationship works," she said grinning. "Sara…when I gave you that picture collage with the quote on the bottom, about you allowing me to run beside you…I meant that. I'm so glad that you are with me, and that you've allowed me to be with you. You're an amazing woman that I cherish more than life itself," he continued. "What are you trying to say, Mark?" Sara asked.

"30 seconds!" the maitre d' shouted into the microphone. "Sara…I'm asking you to allow me to be with you forever, to be connected to you not only here in this time, but in eternity," Mark said pulling a shiny black velvet box from his pants pocket, "Will you be my wife? And allow me to be your husband?" Sara gasped as Mark opened the box, revealing a gold ring with four diamonds encircled by silver dolphins. Her heart pounded so hard, she could feel it in her throat. In front of her sat the man of her dreams, the man she'd been searching for, the man who was her other half. She loved Mark in ways that no woman could love a man. Their love went beyond mere physicality, down to the soul itself. Here he sat in front of her, asking permission to be her husband, to truly be her soulmate. Tears came to her eyes, spilling from the corners, as Mark pulled the ring from the box and took her left hand in his. "Will you marry me, dollface?" he asked. "Yes, Mark…I will," she managed to say, her voice filled with true happiness. Mark slipped the ring onto Sara's ring finger, his hand shaking. He stood from the table and pulled Sara up with him, into his arms. "I love you, dollface," he whispered before kissing her deeply. "Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One!" they heard in the background, "Happy New Year!" Balloons and confetti fell from the ceiling of the restaurant, and party favors went off loudly. Fireworks shot off from the CN Tower, Air Canada Center, towards the Skydome, lighting up a 50-foot tall "Happy New Year" sign. Mark pulled away from Sara and whispered in her ear, "Happy New Year." Sara hugged Mark hard, tears still streaming down her face. He led her to the dance floor as a soft, romantic ballad began playing. "I can't believe this is happening," Sara said quietly, looking into Mark's eyes. "What?" he asked. "This moment…here, right now, with you. It's my dream come true and more," she answered, "Thank you." Mark wiped her wet cheeks with his thumbs and kissed her again. They continued dancing for another half an hour, before finally going back to their table.

Mark seated Sara first, before sitting down in front of her. The ring fit perfectly on her hand, and only made her even more beautiful. "We can leave whenever you're ready," he said softly. "I'm kinda tired, actually. I don't know why, either…this night is so perfect, I should cherish it while I can," she replied. "We've got a lifetime of nights to spend together, dollface. If you want to go to bed, you can," he said locking his hand with hers. Sara smiled at him before looking out the window. She could see people outside celebrating the New Year, but knew that none of them were as happy as she was right now. Mark called for the waiter, paid the bill, and then took Sara's hand in his. "Let's go, dollface," he whispered. Sara nodded and allowed him to lead her from the restaurant. In the elevator, she leaned against him, smiling as his arms encircled her. When they got inside their room, Sara kicked off her shoes, stripped down completely, then went into the bathroom to shower. She stood there for nearly 10 minutes simply looking at the engagement ring on her finger. _It's happened…I've found true love…I've found my soulmate_, she thought several times. "Dollface, you okay in there?" Mark called through the door. "Yeah…I'll be out in a few minutes," she answered. She quickly washed her body, then stepped out and wrapped herself in one of the hotel towels. When she opened the door, Mark was standing there with a smile on his face. "What?" she asked. "Nothing, baby…nothin' at all," he answered kissing her gently, "I'll be out in a bit." Sara nodded and went into the room, changing into one of her silk nightgowns. She climbed into bed and continued to stare at the ring. Mark quickly showered and came back into the room, putting on a pair of boxers. He climbed into bed behind her and pulled her close. "When do we have to go back?" she asked quietly. "In a couple days…to L.A.," he whispered, "Do you wanna go back to Venice tomorrow?" "Yeah…that'd be fine," she answered. "Alright, dollface. I'll call the airport when we wake up…see when the next flight is," he said quietly. "Okay…goodnight, Mark," she whispered, "I love you." "I love you, too, Sara…goodnight," Mark said before sleep consumed them both.


	42. An Equal Chance

**Chapter 41…An Equal Chance**

Mark awoke the next morning alone. He groaned softly as he turned to look at the clock; he'd rested up during the break, but nowhere near as much as he wanted. He'd wanted to spoil Sara as much as possible, giving her nearly free reign over how they spent their time together. "9:30…it's early as hell," he whispered, "Wonder where she is." A grin came to Mark's face as he recalled the events of the previous night. Sara's excitement of the restaurant, her curious gaze of the city view, her look of shock at his proposal…the pure love in her voice as she accepted. Mark laughed loudly as he thought of Sara as his wife. "Whoo! Goddamn, my life is great!" he exclaimed hopping out of bed and strutting into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and shimmied out of his boxers. "I'm in love with that woman, and she's in love with me! We're perfect for each other, and the world's gonna see! We're gonna be married someday soon! And that's gonna shoot us way past the moon!" he sang climbing into the shower, "Nothin' can break us apart! We've been through so much! And she still loves me like I love her, which is a whole bunch!" Mark laughed at the childish nature of his impromptu song, realizing that he was happier than ever before. This break would be something that would be branded in his memories, never fading. When Mark finished his shower, he dried off and dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a white tanktop. He knew Sara was out somewhere exploring, and that they wouldn't be leaving until tomorrow. He lied down in bed, turned on the television, and flipped through the stations until finally settling on a New Year Day celebration parade.

Sara walked into the room around noon with a few bags in hand. She'd awoken early that morning, roughly eight a.m., with no more exhaustion left in her body. She couldn't lie there while Mark slept, so she'd got out of bed, dressed in warm workout clothes and went jogging around downtown Toronto. It was beyond freezing, so Sara only ran for about 30 minutes. She then came back to the room, cleaned up, dressed warmly again, and left to souvenir shop a little. She'd found cute little trinkets to put in her room back in Venice, and a few stuffed chew toys for Duchess, and even a couple T-shirts for Mark. When she entered her room, she chuckled softly at the sight of Mark's huge body strewn across the bed stomach-down, fast asleep. "So innocent-looking…when he's asleep," she said quietly setting her bags down. She knew Mark hadn't rested up as much as she had during that break, so today she was going to let him do just that. They could leave for Venice tomorrow morning. She kicked off her boots and hung her coat on the bathroom doorknob. She began humming as she kicked off her blue jeans, long-john underpants, and black knee-high socks. She'd been fingering her ring all morning, simply to make sure it was always there. She then removed her three shirts, the last one long-sleeved, and threw those on the floor as well. Finally, she freed her long hair from its high ponytail, and climbed into bed beside Mark, gently prying the remote from his loose fingers.

"Hmm…what do you think you're doin'?" Mark asked quietly. "Go back to sleep, hon…you need it," she whispered kissing his ear. "Where were you, dollface?" he asked as Sara rested her upper body on his back. "If you go to sleep, I'll give you a back massage when you wake up," she whispered with a grin. Mark chuckled softly and sighed heavily, before indeed falling back asleep. Sara carefully moved from atop him and piled up pillows behind her back to rest against. She flipped from the parade to a movie channel and sat back to watch _Scrooge_. After that movie went off, _A Miracle on 34th St._ came on, and Sara decided to watch that as well. Her stomach was growling, though, even though she'd eaten like a pig during their time off. She ignored her stomach's callings until halfway through the movie. She picked up the phone and dialed room service, ordering a breakfast of eggs, toast, a bowl of cereal, and a tall glass of orange juice. Mark would have to order his own food when he finally woke up. Sara looked over at Mark's exposed upper body as she hung up the phone. He looked absolutely peaceful, and it brought a soft smile to Sara's face. She ran her left hand over his back in soft circles, and even through his thick hair, occasionally stopping to smile at the ring he'd given her last night.

A knock on the door a half an hour later brought Sara from her daydream. She quickly dashed from the bed, slipped on a robe, and opened the door. "Your breakfast order, ma'am," the bellhop said with a smile. "Thank you very much," she said quietly, slipping him a $10 bill as a tip, "Have a good day." "Thank you, ma'am," he said as Sara wheeled the cart into her room. Sara nodded and shut the door. She wheeled the cart as quietly as possible over to the bedside and removed the cover. "Smells good," Mark whispered from behind her. She looked over her shoulder and grinned. "_Now_ you wake up," she joked. Mark yawned loudly and stretched out, then sat up. "You didn't order me anything?" he asked in mock sadness. "I'm sorry," Sara said, "You can have some of this." "Nah, it's okay, dollface," he whispered scooting up towards her, "You owe me a back massage." Sara laughed softly as she poured milk into her cereal. "You're right…after I eat," she said smiling. Mark smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head, whispering, "Love you, too, dollface." He stood to go to the bathroom, Sara smiling at his back as she crossed her legs Indian-style on the bed. She devoured her cereal before Mark even exited from the bathroom. When he finally came out, she was putting eggs on a slice of toast.

"Here," she said holding it up to Mark. "I told you I'd order something," Mark said sitting down beside her. Sara raised an eyebrow, much like her mother did to her when she tried to disagree, and said, "Open up." Mark rolled his eyes playfully and did as he was told. Sara fed him the entire piece, smiling more and more as he ate. When he had the last little bit in his mouth, Sara wiped her fingers off and began to pile eggs on the second piece. "You're so cute when you eat," she said softly. "Only when you feed me," he added kissing her cheek. She handed him the second piece to feed to himself, then handed him the orange juice to gulp down. When he finished the orange juice, Mark went back into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Sara scooted the tray over to the door before lying back down on the bed. _Hmm…it's only 4:00. What to do for the rest of the day?_ Sara thought to herself. Mark came out and laid down beside her, pulling her close. "Did you call the airport when I was gone?" she asked caressing his forearm. "Nope. I fell asleep," he answered rubbing his face in her loose hair. "You better call," Sara said trying to get up, "You said you would!" "I will, baby, I will," he whispered holding her down. "Mark, come on! We need to go back to Venice tomorrow! We've got to drop all this stuff off, 'cause I sure as hell can't take it to L.A.!" she exclaimed. "I said I would, baby," he said softly, kissing from her cheek down her neck. Sara tried to struggle, but Mark was taking over her senses. His mouth traveled all over her neck, down her bare chest, and back up to her mouth. "Besides…you owe me a back massage," he whispered kissing her gently. She laid there with a silly smile on her face, then laughed. "You did that on purpose," she whispered squeezing his massive shoulders. Mark simply nodded and kissed the tip of her nose. "I'll call…as soon as I get that massage. Promise," he said caressing her cheek with his thumb. Sara sighed and merely shook her head. "Unbelievable," she said with a grin, "I can't believe you negotiated for a back massage."

Mark smiled and lied face-down, saying, "I'm ready whenever you are." Sara could only smile down at him. She climbed onto his back, resting on his buttocks, and placed her hands on his lower back. Gently, she moved her hands in small circles from his lower back, over his spine, to his shoulders. She went from the top down more roughly, making sure to knead out the tightness as much as possible. She went up once more gently, and came down the same way. She finished almost a half an hour later; Mark was fast asleep. She sighed and simply climbed off of his back, then picked up the telephone to call the airport. The receptionist was really nice, and helped Sara a lot. She told her there was a flight leaving for Fresno, California, that night, as well as one for the same airport early the next morning around five a.m. Sara thanked the woman before hanging up the phone. She'd written down the flight numbers, gates, and prices to tell Mark when he woke up. She slowly packed all their belongings, making sure to clean out all the drawers and the bathroom as well as straighten up the room. When she finished, it was nearly seven o' clock. She knew that Mark didn't want to leave that night; if they were going to make the eleven o' clock flight, though, they would have to check out that night.

"Mark?" she whispered sitting down at his side. His dark hair was covering his face, moving slightly as he exhaled deeply in his sleep. She swept it behind his ear, and kissed his cheek. "Hon? Wake up," she whispered in his ear. Mark groaned softly and said grumpily, "I don't wanna get up." "Well, if we're gonna make this flight, you have to," she said quietly. "What time does it leave?" he asked turning onto his back and wiping his eyes. "There's one that leaves tonight at around 11, and there's one that leaves tomorrow morning at five," Sara answered laying her head on his stomach. "When do you wanna leave, baby?" Mark asked resting his hands behind his head. "Tonight…but if you wanna sleep some more, I can wait 'til tomorrow," she said quietly. "Well, we'll leave tonight, then," he said with a grin, "I can sleep all day tomorrow at home." "I've already packed, so all we have to do is take a shower and check out," she said quietly. Mark stood and picked Sara up, taking her into the bathroom. She could only smile as he undressed her, then himself, and stepped into the shower. They made love slowly, before Mark cleaned her entire body, and let her leave. Sara smiled as she dressed in a pair of loose blue jeans, and a couple of t-shirts. She slipped on a pair of snow boots as the water stopped running in the bathroom. She set their baggage by the door and made the bed. When Mark came out, he was drying his hair with one of the hotel towels. Sara sat down on the edge of the bed, motioning for him to sit down in front of her. Mark complied as Sara grabbed the towel. She finished drying his hair, then removed the band from her own hair, tying it in a low ponytail. "There…since you can never seem to do anything with it," she said patting his shoulders. Mark looked over his shoulder at her, a grin on his face. "Get dressed, baby," she whispered kissing his forehead.

Mark grinned up at her and whispered, "You're perfect." Sara shook her head and said, "Nowhere near it….now get dressed." Mark laughed and did as he was told. "Should I call a cab?" she asked. "Yeah," Mark answered. Sara picked up the telephone book and looked up a taxi number, then called and requested a cab be in front of their hotel. "It'll be there in about 10 minutes," the man on the phone answered. "Thank you. Good night," Sara said before hanging up. "We've got ten minutes," she told Mark. "Okay," he said slipping on his black boots, "Let's go." Sara grinned and climbed off the bed. She slung her duffel bag over her shoulder, its weight increased by all the souvenirs. Mark picked up his own luggage and opened the door, saying, "You're leading the way." Sara smiled and exited the room. They checked out as quickly as possible, then went outside; the cab was already there. The driver put their belongings in the trunk as Sara and Mark climbed into the backseat. "I don't really wanna go back," she whispered on the way to the airport. "We could always move up here," Mark suggested squeezing her hand gently. Sara merely laughed at the thought. "And freeze my ass off…no, thank you," she said. Mark kissed her gently and whispered, "We'll be back in the swing o' things before you know it. And you'll love every minute of it." Sara smiled and nodded, whispering, "Yeah, you're right."

The limo drove up the driveway of the mansion around midnight. Sara was asleep, because to her body, it was around three a.m. Mark carried her inside up to her room, smiling at her sleeping form. Ben had placed their belongings at the bottom of the stairs. When he set her down on her bed, she stirred. "Sleep, baby," he whispered kissing her cheek. Sara sighed and turned onto her side, falling back into her comfortable sleep. Mark took two trips to bring all their stuff upstairs; on his second trip, he found Duchess climbing into bed beside Sara. A smile came to his face when Sara's arm draped across Duchess' belly. "That is the cutest thing I think I've ever seen," he whispered setting the bags down in the corner. He tossed his jacket down beside the luggage, then climbed into bed behind Sara, wrapping his arm around both her and Duchess. "One big family, huh?" he whispered to himself. Sleep overtook his body in minutes.

Sara awoke the next morning between two warm bodies. She looked behind her at Mark, and then in front of her at Duchess. "Yeah, I missed you, too," she whispered scratching Duchess' head softly. Sara moved from the bed, not disturbing either her dog or her fiancé. "Fiancé…wow," she whispered heading out of the room down to the kitchen. The clock above the refrigerator read 8:15. Maria walked into the kitchen putting on an apron. "Good morning, Ms. Sara," she said softly. "Oh, Maria, take a break. I'll cook breakfast. It's only me and Mark here," Sara said with a grin. "Are you sure, miss?" Maria asked. "Yeah, it's okay. I won't tell anybody," Sara said sneakily. Maria smiled a little as she handed Sara her apron, then went into the living room. Sara smiled as she slipped on the apron, then washed her hands. She prepared a batch of eggs, a few French Toast slices, toast, bacon, and even oatmeal.

Mark walked into the kitchen with Duchess as Sara was setting the table. "Did you do all this?" he asked. Sara smiled as she wiped her forehead with her forearm. "See…I _can_ cook," she said softly. Mark chuckled softly and shook his head. "Go on…sit down," Sara said pointing to the table, "It's safe, I promise." Mark sat down at the table as Sara washed her hands. He piled his plate up with food, and began devouring it. He hadn't had a meal personally cooked for him since he could remember. Christmas dinner with Lucy was great; but he'd always wanted to have Sara, and Sara alone, make him a meal. Sara sat down across from him and rested her head on top of her hands. Mark didn't look at her once until his plate was clean. When he swallowed the last drop of orange juice she'd poured for him, he smacked his lips and smiled. "Now _that_…is a meal," he whispered, "It was wonderful, Sara." Sara's cheeks turned a light pink, and she looked down at the table. "I'm glad you liked it," she said quietly. "I didn't like it…," Mark said slowly, tilting Sara's face up until her eyes met his, "I _loved_ it." She smiled again and began to clear the plates. "We have to be in L.A. tomorrow afternoon," she said putting them in the sink. "I don't even know the hotel we're gonna be staying in," Mark said rubbing his full belly. "I'll give Eric a call," Sara said quietly. "You don't have to if you don't want to, Sara. I'll do it," Mark said coming over to her. "Nah, it's okay," she whispered, "It's just gonna be a little weird…not being co-manager anymore."

Mark pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Sara…I never meant for you to be unhappy," he whispered. "I know," she whispered hugging him back. Mark kissed the top of her head before undoing the apron. "I'll get the dishes," he said with a grin. "I won't say 'no' to that," she said smiling, before dashing out of the kitchen. Mark laughed softly as he ran clean water in the sink. When he finished the dishes, he set them in the drainer and dried his hands. Lucky his mom had raised him to be so gentlemanly; most men he knew wouldn't step foot in a kitchen unless it were to eat, let alone wash a dish. When he entered the living room, Maria was vacuuming the carpet. "Maria?" he called over the hum of the vacuum. "Yes, Mr. Callaway?" Maria asked cutting it off. "How'd you like the day off?" he asked. "I had a few days off for Christmas, Mr. Callaway, by Mr. Bischoff. That was more than enough," she answered politely. "Well, I want you to have today off, too. It'll be my Christmas present to you," he said with a smile. "Are you sure, Mr. Callaway? First, Ms. Sara asks me to let her cook, and then you give me the day off. Is something wrong?" she asked. "No, no, not at all. I think we just want to give you a much-needed break. You work too hard for us," he answered honestly. "I only do what I enjoy, helping," Maria said modestly. "And we appreciate it very much. Now will you take this gift from me, please?" he said quietly. Maria looked at the carpet and shifted her feet. "Yes, sir," she answered quietly. "Alright, good. I'll have Ben take you home, okay?" Mark said with a smile. "Oh, no, that is too much. I'll call a taxi. It is no problem," she said with a grin. "I knew you'd say that. Go on home, Maria. We'll see you when we get back, okay?" Mark added before heading into the kitchen. Sara was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in her hand.

"That was awful sweet of you, Mr. Callaway," she whispered looking at him over the rim. Mark sat down in front of her, taking her free hand in his own. "I wanted you to have the house all to yourself today," he said softly. "_You're_ the one who needs some rest," Sara said, "Do you have any idea how much running around you did for me?" "Yeah, I do…and I did it because it _was_ for you," he answered. "Go on upstairs, baby. Get some rest. I'm gonna keep Duchess downstairs with me," she said touching his cheek. "Are you sure? We've got the whole day to relax together," he asked. Sara nodded as she sipped on her coffee. "You've given me a lot of memories, Mark. I'm gonna cherish them. But for today, I want you to relax," she said quietly. Mark touched her cheek gently, whispering, "I'll go only if you come up with me. I don't wanna let you outta my sight until I have to." Sara smiled and blushed slightly. "Come on," she whispered taking his hand and leading him upstairs. Duchess was still asleep, lying in the middle of Sara's bed. Sara laughed softly as Mark went over to the bed and gently moved Duchess to the floor. "Come on over here, dollface," he said quietly, lying down in the bed. Sara complied and lied down, smiling as Mark's arms wrapped around her. It only took a few minutes before he was fast asleep; his grip on her, though, didn't loosen. Sara closed her eyes and allowed sleep to take her as well.

Sara only slept for a half an hour. When she awoke, Mark's head was resting on her arm, and his arm was draped tightly around her waist. She grinned slightly and ran her fingers through his hair. "I love you, babe," she whispered kissing his forehead. Mark shifted slightly, pulling her closer, whispering, "I love you, too." Sara smiled and pried herself from Mark's grip, rising from the bed. She wrapped him in covers as best she could before going over to her suitcase and unpacking all the dirty laundry. She had a few loads to wash, and it was going to take a while. While sorting her clothes, she decided to wash Mark's as well. It took her five trips to get all the clothes downstairs to the laundry room. She'd never been in there, since part of Maria's job was laundry. "Power to her," Sara whispered. There were three washers, and three dryers. Sara piled the first three loads in before heading to the kitchen. She had a lot of energy, and wanted Maria to have as little to do when she returned the next day. She cleaned the kitchen, from top to bottom, cleaning out the refrigerator, then sweeping and mopping the floor. After that, she went back to the laundry room and put the wet clothes into the dryer, and loaded another three loads of clothes into the washing machines. Then, she went to the living room and cleaned that as well. When she finally decided to take a break, it was nearly three p.m.

"Wow…how does Maria do this on her own?" she thought aloud. She grabbed a piece of fruit from the bowl on the table and headed to the backyard. Duchess and Slasher were lying together on the deck. "Oh, don't tell me you two have a romance goin' on," she said jokingly. Duchess looked up and barked once before laying her head back down. "I'll take that as a 'no'," Sara said sitting down between the two dogs. Slasher placed his head on Sara's left leg, causing Sara to grin. "You missed me, too?" she asked scratching his head. Slasher licked her forearm and stood, moving to her face. "Oh, Slasher, come on! That's disgusting!" she said laughing. Sara bit down on her apple, drawing Slasher's attention to it. "Oh, no, buddy!" she said standing. Slasher stood on his hind legs, putting his front paws on Sara's shoulders and barking. "Hush, you're gonna wake up Mark," Sara said trying to back up. Slasher didn't let her, though, and kept barking. "Okay, okay, here!" she said throwing the apple into the yard. Slasher bounded after it and plopped down when he found his treat. "Spoiled little thing," Sara said looking down at Duchess, "At least I can count on you to behave." Duchess barked again and Sara scratched her head a few times before going back in to check on Mark. The slow rise and fall of his chest, as well as the sounds of soft snores, indicating he was still sleeping. "Good…he needs it," she whispered shutting the door as quietly as possible, then heading back downstairs.

A few hours later, Sara plopped down on the couch in the living room, completely spent. She'd washed seven loads of laundry, as well as cleaning three rooms in the house. She even bathed Duchess _and_ Slasher. "Well, at least I was productive," she whispered cutting on the television, "Oh, shit…we still have to pack." She dropped the remote and headed upstairs slowly, her muscles aching. She'd been moving seemingly nonstop since she woke up from her nap. When she entered her room, Mark had just sat up. "What time is it?" he asked rubbing his face. "Almost half past six," Sara answered as she pulled out a couple of suitcases. "You let me sleep this long?" he asked. "Yep," she said with a smile, "I told you I wanted you to relax, and you did just that." Mark shook his head as he climbed from the bed. "And just what did you do all day?" he asked. "Washed clothes…and cleaned," she answered plopping down on the floor, "Moved nonstop, it seemed." Mark kneeled down and turned her face to his. Her eyelids were drooping, but there was still a grin on her face. "Now who needs to relax?" he whispered brushing his lips across hers, "I'll handle the packing." Sara nodded as her arms went around Mark's neck. He slowly picked her up and laid her down on the bed. "Sleep, dollface. I'll call Eric," he whispered against her lips. Sara, though, was already asleep. "My busy little beaver," he whispered caressing her cheek. He picked up the phone on Sara's nightstand and dialed Eric's cell phone number.

"Hello?" Eric answered moments later. "Hey, Eric, it's Mark," Mark said quietly. "Hey, Mark. How was your break?" Eric asked. "It was good…actually, it was great. I just called to ask which hotel to go to when Sara and I get to L. A.," Mark said. "You got a pen?" Eric asked. "No…hold on," Mark said before setting the phone down. He leafed through Sara's top nightstand drawer and found a pen and notepad, then picked up the phone. "Okay, I'm ready," he said. "It's the Millennium Biltmore Hotel…the address is 506 South Grand Avenue. You know you should be here by 2:30, right, since we have to be at the arena by three," Eric said slowly. "Yeah, it's right around the block, so we should be there by one o' clock, two at the latest," Mark answered. "Alright, I'll see you guys tomorrow," Eric said. "Yep. See ya tomorrow, Eric," Mark said before hanging up. He looked down at Sara, who was now curled up holding onto one of her pillows. He leaned down and kissed her cheek softly before pulling the covers over her shoulders. "Sweet dreams, angel," he said softly before starting to pack their suitcases. He finished a couple hours later, and took the bags downstairs. He went back upstairs to their room and cracked open the door. Sara was still asleep, her left arm draped over her eyes. "Dollface?" he whispered going over to the bed and sitting down. Sara turned onto her side, her back facing Mark, saying, "Just a few more minutes." Mark chuckled softly and touched her shoulder. "I don't wanna eat alone," he said kissing her cheek. Sara sighed heavily as she faced Mark. She grinned when she saw that he was pouting.

"That's cute," she whispered touching his cheek. "What's cute?" Mark asked kissing her softly, caressing her lips with the tip of his tongue until her mouth opened to accept it. Sara moaned softly as Mark laid down beside her, moving his hand under her shirt and caressing her belly. Mark pulled up and whispered, "You were saying?" Sara chuckled softly and said, "Your pouting…it was cute." "I don't pout!" he exclaimed. "Oh, buddy, you pout," she said pushing him onto his back and straddling his waist. "Not when you do that," he whispered putting his hands on her waist and squeezing. "Where's dinner?" Sara asked crossing her arms. "Huh?" Mark asked. "Dinner…you said you didn't want to eat alone. Now where's dinner?" she asked grinning. "Oh, yeah…uh, it's…it's--." "Not downstairs," Sara said climbing off of him and going into her bathroom. She took a hot, soothing shower, washing her hair and shaving her legs. When she came out, there was a tray on her bed, with a white sheet of paper beside the silver cover, as well as a bucket of ice on the floor, a bottle of champagne clearly visible. She slipped on her bathrobe and picked up the note. "Your dinner as requested, dollface. I'll be up with mine in a few minutes. Love, Mark," she read softly. Sara kneeled down, removed the cover and gasped at the sight: a succulent steak, mashed potatoes, and cut green beans. "Wow," she whispered, "He couldn't have done all this while I was in the shower." The door creaked open and Mark walked in with his own tray. "You're right…dinner was started about an hour before I even woke you up," he said winking at her.

"Should I get dressed for this?" Sara asked with a grin. "Not too much," Mark said with a grin of his own. Sara went over to her dresser, pulled off her bathrobe, and slipped into one of her favorite black nightgowns. It came down to her calves, but it clung to her body like latex. "Will this do?" she asked facing Mark. "Sure," he whispered setting his tray on the floor beside Sara's. "Where's Duchess and Slasher?" she asked. "In the kennel with the rest of the dogs," Mark answered pouring two glasses of champagne. "Did you feed them?" she asked. "Sara…the dogs are fine," he said quietly, "Come sit down, baby." Sara smiled and sat down across from Mark. "Before we eat…I wanna make a toast," he whispered lifting his glass. "Okay," Sara said with a smile, lifting her own. "A toast…to you. You have changed my life, Sara, in more ways than I'll ever be able to count. I feel more blessed each and every day I wake up. This break…no words will do it justice. I can't tell you how happy I feel going into the new year, especially with the thought of you as my wife," he said softly, "I don't think I've ever feel this complete...and I don't want those feelings to ever end." Tears spilled down Sara's cheeks and Mark reached across to wipe them away. "I love you, dollface…always and forever," he whispered. Sara nodded and said softly, "I'll drink to that." They both chuckled before digging into their food.

A half an hour later, Sara was swallowing the last drop of champagne of her fourth glass. "That was great, Mark," Sara whispered scooting her tray away and leaning against Mark's chest. Mark sipped on his own champagne before planting a kiss on her bared neck. Sara gasped and looked up at him. "What was that for?" she asked. "Because I love you," he whispered kissing her nose. "What time are we leaving tomorrow?" she asked. "Probably around 1:00. It's right around the block basically, so we'll be there in no time," he answered squeezing her shoulders, then moving to massage her neck, "You're too tense. You want a massage?" "As soon as these dishes are clean," she answered standing. They took their trays down to the kitchen, Mark washing and Sara drying everything. When they finally decided to head upstairs, it was a few minutes after eleven. "I'll carry you," Mark whispered picking Sara up. "You're gonna strain your back," Sara whispered wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're light as a feather," he said kissing her lips softly. "Whatever. I ate so much over this break, I probably gained about ten pounds," she said as Mark headed up the stairs. When he finally got to her room, Sara was already falling asleep. "You still need that massage?" he asked in her ear. Sara shook her head as Mark cut off the lamp light, and climbed into bed behind her. "I love you, baby," he whispered kissing her earlobe. "I love you, too, Mark," she responded before sleep overtook her.


	43. A Nice Surprise

**Chapter 42…A Nice Surprise**

Just as Mark said, they did leave the house quarter after one. They pulled up to the Biltmore just as Kevin, Andy, and Liz walked out. Sara climbed out and waved as Mark paid the driver. "Sara!" Liz exclaimed running over to her. Sara spread her arms and embraced Liz tightly. "I missed you, too!" she said smiling. "How was your break?" Liz asked stepping away and grabbing Sara's hands. "You better come get your bags, Sara, before they end up on the curb!" Mark said before Sara could answer. "I'll tell ya later," Sara whispered winking. "We're headed to lunch. You want us to wait?" Kevin asked. "Sure, we'll be right back," Sara answered throwing her duffel bag over her shoulder. "Well, it's chilly out here. I don't know about you two, but I'm gonna wait inside," Andy said following Mark and Sara inside. "I'll go check us in, okay?" Mark said setting his bags down and giving her a quick kiss.

"So…I believe congratulations are in order," Andy said quietly. Sara blushed slightly and grinned. "How'd you know?" she asked softly. "Mark told me at Cyrano's in Toronto," he answered. "Why, that sneaky, little--." "Oh, don't even. You know you loved it," he whispered touching her chin. "You're right. It was magical, Andy. He couldn't have done a better job if he tried," she whispered smiling. "Well, you definitely look a lot more rested, and a hell of a lot happier," Andy said pulling her into a hug, "I can't tell you how good that is to see." "It sure _feels_ good, Andy," she whispered hugging him, "I can't tell you just how good it _feels_." "Are you gonna make the announcement, or let us spread the word?" he asked releasing her. "Once lunch is over, I think everyone will know before we even get to the arena," she answered grinning. Andy nodded in agreement as Mark came back.

"We're on the fifth floor," he said to Sara, "514." "Alright, be right back, Andy," Sara said grasping the handle of her suitcase. She and Mark took their belongings to their room, and walked into the lobby hand-in-hand. Kevin and Liz had joined Andy in the lobby. "So you two are finally getting hitched, huh?" Kevin asked when they walked up. "What do you mean 'finally', Kevin?" Sara asked. "I mean it's about time he popped the question," he answered with a smile, "Way overdue, if you ask me." "I was waiting for the perfect moment, Mr. Criticizer," Mark said half-seriously. "Don't worry, baby, it _was_ perfect," Sara whispered squeezing his hand assuredly. "I'm just joking, man. I'm really happy for you, and you know that," Kevin said holding out his hand, "Congratulations, man." Mark shook it and said, "Thanks, Kevin." "And my baby girl is all grown up now," Kevin said hugging Sara. Sara chuckled softly and returned the hug. They headed outside, Liz and Sara falling to the back to let the men walk ahead.

"So tell me all the details," Liz said quietly. "Starting with Christmas?" Sara asked. Liz nodded, grinning when Sara cracked her knuckles. Sara told her everything, from the preparation of Christmas dinner, to the presents exchanged, to Mark's proposal in Toronto. She only left out the fact that she got a tattoo. Liz would just have to see it when they went to the arena. "Sounds like you had an exciting break," Liz said grinning. "Unforgettable," Sara whispered watching Mark talk with Kevin and Andy, "Absolutely unforgettable." They finally stopped at a little diner two blocks away from the hotel. Everyone ordered a cup of hot chocolate. They discussed their breaks, Mark and Sara getting the most attention. She showed them the necklace, the bracelet, and the engagement ring. Luckily, Mark didn't pressure her to show her tattoo. When they finally headed back to the hotel, it was nearly 2:30. Sara walked into her room and leaped onto her bed, sighing happily. She giggled when she felt Mark's hands move under her shirt.

"Your hands are cold," she said with a smile. "You wanna warm 'em up for me?" Mark whispered kissing her earlobe. Sara slowly turned over and grinned. "Is that _always_ on your mind?" she asked quietly. Mark looked down at her innocently, hunching his shoulders. Sara wrapped her fingers in his hair, pulling his head down until his lips met hers. At that moment, the phone rang. Mark groaned and dropped his head to Sara's neck. "I'll get it," she whispered kissing his ear. Mark moved from atop her, and Sara picked up the phone on its third ring. "Hello?" she answered. "Happy New Year, Ms. Roberts…or should I say Mrs. Callaway?" Shawn said on the other end. Sara shot up and asked, "What do you want?" "Aren't you excited to be getting married again? I mean, your first marriage went _so_ well…especially the end," he said coldly. "That's none of your fucking business. What do you want?" she hissed. "Who is that?" Mark asked sitting up. "Oh, come on, Sara…play nice. It's a new year, sweetie," Shawn said maliciously, "Can't we all just fucking get along?" "No, we can't, you heartless son of a bitch. Now what the hell do you want?" she spat. "What else, dear Sara…you, of course," he whispered. Sara gasped and slammed the phone down. "Who the hell was that?" Mark asked, forcing Sara to look at him. Her eyes were brimmed with tears, and she was visibly shaken. "Who, dollface? Some crazy fan?" he whispered caressing her cheek. Sara shook her head and tried to breathe deeply. The phone rang again and Sara jumped, staring at it. "I'll get it, baby," Mark said grabbing her hand. Sara nodded and continued to stare at the ringing phone. Mark picked it up and asked, "Hello?" "Hey, Mark, how's it goin'?" Eric asked. Mark let out a breath of relief, looked at Sara and whispered, "It's Eric, hon." Sara nodded and climbed off the bed, going into the bathroom.

"Mark, you there?" Eric asked. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, Sara just got a creepy phone call, so she was worried it was the same person," Mark answered. "Is she okay?" Eric asked. "I don't know. What can I help you with?" Mark answered. "Just wanted to let you know we're pulling out in about ten minutes. You should be down in five, okay?" Eric said. "No problem, Eric, see ya in a bit," Mark said quietly. He hung up the phone, and went to the bathroom door. "Sara, honey, you okay?" he asked. He heard Sara crying softly and opened the door, his jaw dropping at the sight. Sara was sitting in between the tub and the toilet, her eyes swollen with tears, her mascara running down her cheeks, and her hair tangled from her gripping and pulling. "Dollface?" he whispered kneeling down in front of her. Sara looked up at Mark and sniffled. "I must look a total mess," she whispered back. Mark grinned and touched her cheek. "You look as gorgeous as ever," he whispered kissing her. Sara smiled against his lips, putting her hands on his shoulders. "I love you so much," she whispered. "Come on, you gotta get cleaned up. We have to be downstairs in five minutes," he whispered helping her to her feet.

Sara quickly washed her face, put on a little make-up, then allowed Mark to brush her hair until it was smooth enough to put into a ponytail. When she took one last look in the mirror, a slight grin came to her face. _Almost like nothing happened_, she thought, _Almost…_ "You ready, hon?" Mark asked quietly. "Yeah, let's go. I can't _wait_ to get back," she said smiling. Mark handed over her duffel bag and opened the room door. "Lovely lady first," he said softly. "Always the gentleman," she whispered. Mark winked at her as she walked out, then followed her and shut the door quietly. Down in the lobby, Sara took a seat by Andy. "Who'd you tell?" she asked leaning towards him. "About you and Mark?" he asked. Sara merely nodded her head. "Well, Kevin and Liz when we were in the lobby…Kevin called Shorty and Scott…Shorty told me that he told Carlos, who told Chris, who told Bret and Steve, and Steve told Shawn, who told Eric," Andy said counting off on his fingers. Sara looked down and let out a deep breath. "Is everything okay? Somebody give you crap about being engaged?" he asked softly, a smile in his voice. Sara looked up at him, a single tear flowing down her cheek. "Who?" Andy asked seriously, quickly wiping away the tear. "I, uh…I think Shawn is starting up again," she whispered. "You were gone from my sight for all of five minutes, and you were with Mark. How'd he get to you?" Andy said quietly. "Phone call…I asked what he wanted, because he was being a dick about my engagement…finally, he said, 'What else, dear Sara…you, of course.' It scared the hell out of me, because he said it in this creepy ass voice, like a stalker," she whispered, "I went into the bathroom and puked up lunch…it just gave me the chills." Andy rubbed her upper arms and whispered, "You're gonna be fine." Sara nodded and took a few more deep breaths.

"Everybody here?" Eric called out moments later. He looked around with a smile. "Damn, I'm glad to see you guys again! Let's get to the arena. We'll have our pre-show meeting as soon as we get there, then you guys can go on about your business," he said loudly. They all piled out of the hotel lobby and into the limos. By the time Sara arrived at the arena, she'd been congratulated more times than she had fingers. She climbed out of her limo red in the face, laughs coming from inside the limo. "If you guys keep it up, you're not gonna be invited to the wedding," she threw over her shoulder as she walked into the building with Mark. They went to the locker room, and Sara dropped into the nearest chair. "Are you feeling okay, hon? You still look a little shaken up," Mark asked sitting down beside her. "I'll be alright. I just need to get a little workout in," she answered. "You sure?" he asked touching her hand. Sara linked her fingers with Mark's and nodded. The locker room door burst open and everyone came piling in. "Aw, look at them. It's so sweet," Kevin said loudly. Sara chuckled softly and turned pink. "Can you be serious at all?" she asked. "Not if I can help it," he answered winking at her. Sara shook her head and looked at Mark. "That's your friend," she said with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah…not if he keeps that up, though," he said quietly, a grin on his face. "I heard that," Kevin said smiling. "I meant for you to," Mark said back.

"Alright, guys, let's go ahead and get started. Show starts in nine hours, and four of you got matches. Sara, you're gonna be goin' up against Lisa. Mark, you're gonna be facing Jericho. Trish, you're gonna be facing Stephanie. And Shawn's gonna be defending the title against D.J. Any questions so far?" Eric said standing in front of them. "Nobody's wrestling on _Velocity_?" Andy asked. "Nah, not this week," he answered, "We've got a pay-per-view this Sunday. The shows we recorded before break, plus RAW and Smackdown this week lead up to it. Okay?" Everyone nodded, and Eric continued. "Good. Now that business is out of the way, it seems we have an announcement to make. I don't know how many of you know, but it's come to my attention that Sara and Mark are now engaged to be married," Eric said smiling. Sara covered her face as the group exploded in cheers. "You know I don't mean to embarrass you, Sara, but I thought it'd be good for the group to know just how good things are goin' for ya," he added. Sara looked at him, her face crimson red, and said sarcastically, "Thanks, Eric…a lot." "No problem, Sara. Now you guys go on and get outta here. I'll see ya around," he said. Sara picked up her duffel bag and headed for the door, but everyone stopped her to congratulate her. She didn't get out of the room for about ten minutes.

When she finally got out the door, she immediately went to the gym, and changed into a pair of spandex shorts and black sports bra. She began stretching as Mark walked in. "Someone's in a hurry," he said grinning. "Oh, shut up, you. Number one: I just got called out in front of 20 other people, even though it was a good announcement. And number two: I ate enough for four people over break, and I didn't work out the whole time! The _whole time_!" she said stepping onto the treadmill. "Okay, okay, I get it," he said, "I'll just meet you in the back in a couple hours. We'll spar a little," he said. "We'll see," she said beginning to run. "What do you mean, you'll see? We always spar…that hurt," he said. "I was kidding, Mark!" she said smiling, "Meet ya there in an hour and a half, okay?" "Alright, dollface, I'll be back," he said before leaving. Sara continued her run for 45 minutes, before completing a full-body weight workout in nearly the same amount of time. When she began to stretch out for her boxing with Mark, he walked back into the gym. "Finished?" he asked. "What'd you do while I was in here?" she said. "Talked with Andy, planned my match with Jericho, got more jokes from the guys…even Shawn seemed happy for us," he said rolling into the ring, "Stopped me on my way here and congratulated me, even shook my hand." Sara swallowed and let out a sigh. "What's wrong?" Mark asked. "Nothin'…nothin'," she whispered going back to stretching. "You still thinkin' about that phone call?" he asked. Sara closed her eyes and stretched out her legs with deep lunges. "No, Mark…let's just box a little, okay?" she said quietly. "Alright, dollface," Mark said standing and stretching his arms.

They spent the next half an hour boxing and wrestling around. When they finished, it was nearly five o' clock. "You should go find Lisa. I'm sure she's looking for you," Mark said as Sara rolled out of the ring. "Oh, man, I forgot all about her!" Sara said dashing out of the gym to the women's locker room. When she got there, she ran in to find it empty. "Damn!" she muttered, "Where the heck could she be?" She ran down to the catering area, but didn't find Lisa there, either. Walking down the hall, Sara was lost in thought when she bumped into someone. "I'm sorry," she said looking up. Her voice caught in her throat and she backed up. "How are ya, Sara?" Shawn asked with a grin. "Just fine," she whispered crossing her arms. "Good. How was your break?" he said. "Just fine," she whispered again. "Anything exciting happen?" he asked, a grin still on his face. "Shawn, I've got more important things to do than stand here and listen to you mock me," she said heatedly. "What's more important than talking to me?" he asked. "Planning matches, and helping people, and giving a damn about someone other than myself," she hissed trying to move past him. Shawn grabbed her arm and pushed her into the wall. "Watch it, Sara. I'm just tryin' to have a little friendly conversation," he growled. "You don't know anything about the word 'friendly,' so don't even try that route," she hissed. "You're too arrogant for your own good," he whispered sneering, "You're no better than anybody around here." "I didn't say I was. Now if you don't mind, I've got a fucking match--." Shawn grabbed her jaw and squeezed. "Don't talk to me like that, Sara," he growled. "Get the hell off me, Shawn," she whispered trying to pry his fingers away. Shawn narrowed his eyes and looked down the hall. He released Sara when he saw Carlos and Shorty walking towards them. "Talk to ya soon, Ms. Sara," he whispered walking the opposite way.

Sara stood there and tried to slow her breathing. "Sara, you okay?" Carlos asked when he and Shorty reached her. "No…not really," she whispered. "What is his deal?" Shorty asked quietly, referring to Shawn. "I don't know, Shorty, but I'm real sick of him," she answered. "You tell Mark about him?" Shorty asked. "No way…that'd just make the situation a lot worse. We already dealt with enough of his bullshit before break, and we sure don't need it now," she answered, "Mark and I have too much goin' for us to let Shawn bring us down." "That's the way to look at it. You excited about getting married?" Carlos said with a smile. Sara finally smiled and nodded her head. "Actually, I'm running behind schedule. Have you guys seen Lisa?" she said taking a deep breath. "Yeah, she's in the ring warming up. She asked about you," Carlos answered. "Alright, I'll see you guys later," Sara said dashing towards the ring area. When she got down there, Lisa was bumping with Amy and Jackie. "What's up, ladies?" Sara asked rolling into the ring. "Congratulations, Sara," Lisa said standing and wiping her forehead. Sara merely smiled and thanked her. "Don't be modest, Sara. That's gonna be the biggest day of your life," Amy said stretching out on the mat. Sara turned pink and said, "Can we focus on this match?"

Just as Sara began to talk about spots for the match, Eric came running down the ramp calling her name. "What's wrong?" Sara asked hopping out of the ring. "Nothing. I've just came to tell you personally about a change of plans for you," Eric answered with a smile. "What is it?" she said, "I was kind of looking forward to working with Lisa again." Eric smiled and said, "I think you'll like the change." "Well, what is it?" she asked impatiently. "Ladies," Eric said looking at the three women in the ring, "Say 'hello' to the soon-to-be--." "Eric, they already know about the engagement," Sara interrupted. "Will you let me finish?" Eric asked touching her shoulders. "Okay, okay," she answered. "You're gonna be the Intercontinental champion again," he said in her ear. Sara's jaw dropped before a smile plastered itself on her face. "Are you serious?" she asked softly. Eric nodded and said, "Vince just came to me with the news. He said you earned it for all you did for the group the last three months." Sara covered her face and slowed her breathing. "What about tonight? I still want to wrestle Lisa," she asked. "You're gonna wrestle her. But Adam's gonna come out and interfere, leading to a match between you two that's gonna happen at the Rumble, with you winning the belt," he answered. "Oh, man, Eric…thanks so much!" she said hugging him tightly. "You earned it, Sara," Eric said returning the hug, "I'll see ya later, okay?" Sara released him and nodded. "Thanks again, Eric," she said before climbing back into the ring. Eric nodded and headed back up the ramp.

"So…what's the news?" Lisa asked. "You are looking at the soon-to-be Intercontinental champion," Sara said smiling. "Shut up!" Lisa exclaimed. "I'm not kidding! I'm gonna win it from Adam at the Rumble," Sara said, "This is…unbelievable…I haven't had that title in about three years." "Well, you're definitely champion material," Amy said, "Congrats! I'm totally jealous!" "This means I won't be wrestling you guys for a while," Sara said quietly. "Don't worry about us, girl. You've done a lot for us already," Jackie said smiling. "Alright, let's go ahead and plan this match out. We've only got about five minutes of the show," Sara said. Ideas bounced back and forth between Sara and Lisa for the next 20 minutes, with input from Amy and Jackie, before they finalized the match. Afterwards, Sara rolled out of the ring and pulled her hair off her neck into a makeshift ponytail. "Holy shit! When'd you get that?!" Amy asked spotting the angel tattoo. Sara lowered her head and sighed. "Christmas," she answered turning around. "Let us see!" Amy said jumping out of the ring, followed by Lisa and Jackie. Sara grinned and turned around, crossing her arms. "Are those Mark's initials?" Lisa asked quietly. Sara nodded and felt her cheeks turn red. "You guys are that close?" she asked. Sara nodded and said over her shoulder, "You guys are the first to see it, other than Mark and Andy." "Why aren't you showing that off? It's beautiful," Amy said quietly, admiring the detail of the shield. "I don't really wanna make it a big deal. It's just something between Mark and I, ya know," Sara answered honestly. "Understandable," Amy said, "Are you gonna get anymore?" Sara chuckled softly and faced the women. "I don't think so," she answered. "Well, that one has enough character and meaning behind it. I don't think you _need_ another one," Amy said quietly. "Thanks, Amy. I'm gonna go get changed. I'll see you ladies later," Sara said smiling. "Alright, girl. We'll see ya around," Lisa said leaning against the ring.

Sara went to the women's locker room and took a good, hot shower to relax her muscles, then dressed in her outfit for that night: a pair of tight, black leather, low-cut shorts and matching halter top. She then headed to Janet to get her hair and makeup done. "Off your neck, Sara?" Janet asked when Sara sat down. "Nah, you can leave it down," Sara answered. "Okay," Janet said. Sara closed her eyes and nearly fell asleep as Janet brushed her hair until it was sleek and shiny, then used a straightening iron to smooth it even more. Janet curled her bangs and the ends of her hair, before proceeding with her makeup. She used black eyeliner to outline Sara's eyes, and a mixture of dark violet and red to accentuate Sara's eyes. She used crimson red lipstick on Sara's mouth, and shined it with glittery lip gloss. When she finished, Sara stretched her neck and thanked Janet. "No problem, hon," Janet said, "By the way…nice tattoo." Sara blushed slightly and said, "Thanks, Janet. See ya later." Janet nodded and cleaned up her area. Sara stood and headed back down to the locker room. When she entered, Andy was sitting with Mark playing cards. "Don't you guys have something more productive to do?" she asked sitting down beside Mark. "Like?" Mark asked laying down a card. "I don't know, maybe planning your match," Sara said. "Done it," Mark replied. Andy laid down his own card, smiling when he won that play. "What are you playing?" Sara asked. "I Declare War," Andy answered. Sara rolled her eyes playfully, and shook her head.

"What's this I hear about you getting an Intercontinental title shot at the Rumble?" Mark asked putting down another card. Sara smiled and said, "Not just a title shot…I'm gonna win." "Are you serious?!" Mark asked setting his cards down and staring at her. Sara only nodded. Mark threw his arms around her and squeezed. "I am so proud of you!" he said in her ear. "Eric told me Vince just made the decision today, too," she said hugging him back, "He thinks I deserve it for everything I did for the group the past three months." "That's great, dollface! All your hard work paid off," he said kissing her ear. Sara nodded as tears of happiness came to her eyes. "Yeah, it did," she said quietly, her voice shaking slightly. "Are you okay?" Mark asked looking into her eyes. Sara blinked the tears away and nodded. "I've just been waiting a long time to get another title under my belt. Who knew it'd end up being the Intercontinental title? This just brings more credibility to my character," she answered. "That's awesome, Sara, congratulations!" Andy said. "Thanks, Andy, I appreciate it," she said grinning, "Can I get in on this game?" "Sure, I'll re-deal the cards real quick," Andy answered shuffling the deck.

The next few hours passed by quickly; Andy, Mark, and Sara played two games of "I Declare War" (Sara won one, and Mark won the other) before the group poured into the room. Mark put away the cards and grabbed a couple bottles of water from the cooler by the television. He handed one to Sara and sat down beside her. "Thanks," she whispered. "No problem, dollface," he said putting his arm around her. The show started a few minutes later, and everyone gathered around the TV to watch. Amy and Jackie had the first match on the card, and Sara paid close attention to it. She'd been helping the women's division more and more near the end of the year, and had seen the company sign on a few more women yet to have television debuts. She noted Amy and Jackie use several high-impact moves in the short time they were wrestling, and made a note to herself to remind them to ease up. Fans loved high-impact moves, but doing too many in too short a time will desensitize them faster, which will only result in making it harder to keep their attention. Next up was a promo by Adam. Sara grinned slightly when Adam appeared on camera, donned with a pair of ridiculously big sunglasses. "He's…unique," Sara said quietly. Mark chuckled and said, "That he is."

"Edge, you've come a long way since you debuted with the WWF three and a half years ago. Multiple-time tag team champion, and now the Intercontinental championship rests on your waist," Coachman began. "Let me just interrupt you right there, Coach, because you're right…I have come a long way. I had a great time running around with Christian, and beating the hell out of the Hardy Boyz. But there comes a point in every wrestler's career when he has to think for himself," Edge said, "And in being the Intercontinental champion, I'm now associated with some of the greatest men in the world who've also held this belt. Men like The Honky Tonk Man, Curt Hennig, and our current World champion, Shawn Michaels. Each of those men have achieved greatness in our business, as will I." "Now, Edge, don't you think you're leaving out someone very important in that list of great Intercontinental champions? Chyna was the first, and only, woman to ever hold this title. Don't you think she deserves a lot of your respect as well?" Coach argued. "Coach, Chyna left a bitter stain on this championship. Women have no business holding men's titles, and Chyna's no exception. Luckily, I can erase that stain, and give more credibility to this great championship," Adam answered. Sara smiled and shook her head. "He sure knows how to tear a girl down," she said jokingly. "Well, Edge, you're gonna be goin' up against your old E & C partner, Christian. Do you think Christian's a bit jealous of your success?" Coach asked. "Of course. Who wouldn't be jealous--." Adam was interrupted when he was attacked by Jason from behind. They fought as the show went to break.

"Sara?" Eric said. "Yeah, Eric?" she answered. "Vince wants you out there for the end of Adam's match, to distract him, to set up for the Rumble," Eric said as the guys talked amongst themselves. "Sure thing," Sara said standing. "Your match is right after Adam's, too, so you don't need to come back here until afterwards, okay?" Eric said. Sara nodded and headed to the entranceway. She got there as the show came back from commercial, and Adam and Jason were in the ring. She watched their match from the monitor near the entranceway. When she heard Vince give her the cue to go out, she took a few deep breaths before heading through the curtain. The crowd burst into cheers when they spotted her, but Sara was focused on Adam. His words had been just that, words, but they had still hit something deep inside her heart. She'd worked her ass off as Intercontinental champion, and was damn glad to be getting the shot again. No one was going to tear down what she'd done in the past, or how far she'd come since her title reign. Adam was fighting Jason in the corner, so Sara went over the announcer and snatched the Intercontinental belt. She hopped up onto the ring mat and yelled, "Hey, Edge, I got your precious little title!" Adam turned around and glared at her. Jason grabbed the referee's shirt, pretending he was hurt, as Adam went over to Sara. Adam swung at Sara, but she ducked and nailed him in the head with the belt before hopping off the mat. Adam sold the hit well, falling straight onto his back. Jason scrambled over and covered him for the win. Sara climbed into the ring with the belt and a microphone afterwards, and leaned over Adam. "If you _ever_ think you'll get away with disrespecting me, Edge, think again! I'll kick your ass any day of the week, and I'll take back this title just as easily!" she hissed before dropping the title on his chest, and letting the microphone drop to the mat, then climbing out of the ring. "You're nothing, Edge! You'll never be as good as me!" she said heading backwards up the ramp, "That title was mine way before it was ever yours!" When she got through the ramp, she ran her fingers through her hair and took a seat by the entrance. Lisa was already there.

"Hey, girl, you ready for this?" Lisa asked. "I'm always ready," Sara said winking at her. Adam came through moments later and stopped to talk to Sara. "You nailed me, Sara," he said rubbing his head. "Sorry, bro. I won't hit you so hard on Sunday," she said winking at him. "Oh, I'll be expecting some hard hits then," he said smiling. Lisa's music hit as Sara and Adam continued talking. "I'll see ya out there, Adam. Got my match for you to interfere in, don't I?" Sara said doing some last-minute stretching. "Yeah, I do. You gonna be ready for it?" Adam replied. "Sure thing," she answered right before her music hit, "See ya out there." Sara rotated her arms and neck once more before heading through the curtains, the cheers of the crowd welcoming her. She stood at the top of the stage with her hands on her hips, smiling out at the passionate fans surrounding her. Heading down the ramp, she spotted Lisa sitting in the farthest corner rocking back and forth. Her character was a psychotic woman, who suffered from uncontrollable fits of rage, and Lisa played the character perfectly. Sara climbed into the ring and stood in the center of the ring, raising her arms and smiling. The fans cheered loudly, until Sara was hit from behind by Lisa. Sara groaned and fell to the mat. Lisa picked her up by her hair and nailed her with a few hard right punches, knocking Sara back to the corner she'd been sitting in. Sara screamed with each punch, rocking back to sell the hits as much as she could. Lisa grabbed two handfuls of her hair, took two steps back, and slung Sara across the ring. Sara screamed in real agony and grabbed her scalp. Lisa definitely took out some hair with that move. Lisa laughed maniacally and picked Sara up again. She wrapped Sara's arm around her neck, placed her other hand on Sara's waist, and picked up her up for a delayed vertical suplex that kept Sara in the air for at least 10 seconds. When Sara landed, she grabbed her back and turned to her side. Delayed vertical suplexes allowed blood to rush to the head, making one dizzy and slightly incapacitated.

Lisa jumped around the ring in celebration, getting more boos from the crowd, allowing Sara a few moments to recollect herself. Sara managed to get to her hands and knees before Lisa headed towards her. Sara rolled her up in a small package, but only got a two-count. "Chyna! Chyna! Chyna!" the crowd chanted. Sara used the ropes as an aid to get to her feet, and Lisa got to her feet as well. Sara knocked her down with a harsh clothesline, feeding off the energy of the crowd. She climbed onto Lisa's stomach, and hit her with three right punches, then picked her up. She threw her into the rope, and when Lisa bounced back, Sara speared her hard. Lisa hit the mat and Sara went for the pin. Again, Lisa kicked out at two. "Come on, ref!" Sara screamed. "Only two, Chyna, only two!" he said to her. Sara hit the mat in frustration, but refocused on Lisa, who was laid out in the middle of the ring. She went for the pin fall again, but Lisa kicked out at two. She went for the pin once more, but Lisa kicked out after one. Sara screamed and picked Lisa up, nailing her with two forearms and a stiff uppercut, knocking Lisa back down to the floor. "Give it up, you crazy bitch!" she screamed kicking her in her ribs. Lisa screamed and tried to back away, but Sara just kept kicking.

"Come on, Chyna, back off!" the ref yelled after the fourth kick. Sara did back off and went to the other side of the ring, mumbling to herself. Lisa had managed to get to her feet; when Sara turned around, Lisa kicked her in her stomach and DDT-ed her into the mat. Both women were now laid out on the mat. Lisa got to her feet first and dragged Sara to the closest rope, putting her neck on the second rope and choking her with it. Sara screamed as the referee counted; Lisa backed off when he hit four. Sara rolled away from the rope and grabbed her throat. Lisa smiled slyly and picked Sara up, kicked her in the stomach, and went for a powerbomb. Sara countered with a swinging headscissors takeover. Lisa flipped and grabbed her back in pain. Sara flipped her over and put on a camel clutch, wrenching back Lisa's head. Lisa screamed and tried to move towards the rope, but Sara had a tight grip. "Chyna, come on! Let up!" the ref yelled. Sara threw Lisa's head into the mat and rubbed it on the mat, then legdropped the back of Lisa's neck. She pulled Lisa to her feet and launched her into the farthest corner with an Irish whip. Sara went to the opposite corner and executed a clean handspring back elbow. Lisa fell to the mat clutching her chest. "That's it!" Sara screamed motioning for the Syndrome. Adam ran down the ramp and hopped onto the ring, distracting the referee. Lisa slid out of the ring, grabbed the ring bell, and slid back into the ring. Sara slowly got back to her feet and saw Adam. "What the hell are you doin' out here?!" she screamed trying to hit him. The referee stayed in between them, trying to get Adam off of the mat. Lisa smiled broadly as Sara faced her, then swung the bell, hitting Sara in the side of the head and knocking her down. She threw the bell out of the ring and covered Sara. "Hey, ref, come on!" she screamed. The ref turned around and dropped to the mat, counting the pin fall. Lisa stood and hopped up and down, screaming in joy and pulling her hair. "Woohoo!" she yelled, "Woohoo!" Adam slid in the ring and pulled Sara up. "Look at you, Chyna, absolutely pathetic!" he yelled before executing his finishing move, a reverse Russian leg sweep, called the Downward Spiral. Sara laid facedown trying to slow her breathing as Adam grabbed a microphone from ringside. He climbed back in the ring and turned Sara over, leaning over her face. "Chyna, the fun and games are over. Edge is here, and he's here to stay. Since you think you're such great championship material, I'll put my title on the line! I'll see your ass at the Royal Rumble!" He then threw the microphone down at Sara's side and climbed out of the ring.

Sara rolled onto her side and sighed heavily. She hadn't wrestled in nearly three months, and that one match had taken a lot out of her. "You okay, Chyna?" the ref asked in her ear. "Yeah, I'm alright," she answered. She then rolled out of the ring and headed up the ramp, the cheers of the fans bringing a slight grin to her face. When she walked through the curtain, Vince said, "Sara, Lloyd is gonna do a quick interview with you as you're walking to your locker room. Just real quick, okay?" Sara nodded and headed back. As told, Mark Lloyd came running up to her, calling her name. "Chyna! Chyna, can I have a moment?" he said. Sara turned around and glared at him. "What do you want?" she snapped. "Edge just offered you a shot at the Intercontinental title at the Royal Rumble. Are you going to accept?" he said. Sara sneered, looked in the camera, and said slyly, "After the Rumble, Edge…that title's finally gonna be back where it belongs, around the waist of a champion who can do it some good. See ya there." She then pushed Lloyd away and continued her trek to the locker room. She met Mark as he headed out. "Good match out there," he said. "Thanks. It's gonna take me a while to get back into wrestling full-time," she said quietly. "You'll do just fine. Especially since you're gonna have a title to defend," he said smiling. Sara smiled and nodded. "Where are you headed?" she asked. "To the entranceway," he answered, "After the next match, Jericho and I are wrestling." "Alright, I'll see ya when ya get back here, then," she said softly. Mark kissed her quickly before walking off to the entranceway.

Sara wiped her forehead and went into the locker room. She plopped down beside Andy and stretched out her legs. "How ya feelin'?" he asked. "Tired as hell," she whispered, "We were only out there for four or five minutes tops, and I feel like I got ran over by a Mack truck." "You'll get used to it again," he assured her. "Yeah, that's what Mark says. I _am_ getting stoked about being the Intercontinental champion again," she whispered. Sara said it quietly because she didn't want anyone to know about her becoming champion until Sunday night after she won her match. "You do realize that's one step below the World championship, don't you?" Andy said in her ear. "The day a woman is World champion, Andy, is the day monkeys fly out of my ass," she whispered smiling, "I'm content with being Intercontinental champion. It's history-making in itself." Andy rubbed her hair and smiled, shaking his head. "What?" Sara asked trying to smooth her sweaty locks. "Nothin'…just wanted to do that," he answered turning his attention back to the screen. Sara raised an eyebrow, grinned slightly, and did the same.

Mark's match was a little longer than hers, but he spent most of the time on the mat. They were having a technical-based match, and Jericho had a little more experience at that than Mark. It was obvious to everyone except for Shawn that Mark was trying to get Jericho over more than himself. The entire match, Shawn grumbled about how Mark needed to keep the focus more on himself than his opponent. Sara could only shake her head at his selfishness. "Eric, can I talk to you?" she asked after the match was over. "Sure, Sara," Eric answered following her out of the locker room. Sara shut the door behind him and asked, "Does Shawn know that I'm going to be the Intercontinental champion after Sunday?" "Why?" Eric asked. "I just need to know," she answered. Eric sighed and answered, "No, Sara…he doesn't. It was something that Vince wanted to be just between me, you, and him." "That's what I thought," she said quietly. "Why do you ask, Sara?" he asked again. "I just had a feeling that Shawn wouldn't want me to have such a high-ranking title," she answered honestly. "Well, it's not about what Shawn wants. It's about what's best for this group. And right now…Vince feels that you being IC champ will do the group some good," he responded, "Maybe raise morale a little by letting them see that someone other than Shawn can get gold." "And he chose me?" she asked quietly. Eric nodded and touched her shoulders. "Sara…you sacrificed a hell of a lot more than I've ever seen from anyone in a _long_ time," he said assuredly, "Don't ever let anybody tell you different. Besides, I wouldn't have it any other way." Sara looked at the floor and breathed deeply. "Thank you, Eric. This really means a lot to me," she said softly. "No problem, Sara. Now go get cleaned up; we've got a post-show meeting before we head off to the airport," he said with a smile. Sara nodded and went down to the women's locker room. She took a quick shower and dressed in a pair of sweatpants and her Harley-Davidson t-shirt that matched the one she'd bought Mark for Christmas. She put her hair up into a tight ponytail, then packed all her stuff up in her duffel bag. She finally headed back to the group's locker room about 20 minutes later.

When she walked into the room, Eric was walking to the front of the room. "Just in time, Sara," he said with a smile. "Sorry," she whispered smiling as well, quickly taking a seat beside Mark. He put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed gently. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, let's go ahead and have this meeting so we can get the heck outta here. Tomorrow is Smackdown taping in San Diego. Since we're a stone's throw away from home, we're gonna go back there tonight," Eric said once everyone quieted down. Everyone cheered for a few moments, except Mark and Sara, who'd already been home for the past couple of days. "Now, we have a decision to make as a group. San Diego is only two hours away, so it'd be a waste of gas and money to fly. However, it's your decision as to whether we should fly or drive," Eric said slowly. This was the first time he'd put a real decision in the hands of the members. "How many want to fly?" he asked. Shawn, Bret, Paul, Steve, and Trish raised their hands. Sara shook her head. _Spoiled little brats_, she thought. "And how many are willing to drive?" Eric continued. Everyone else raised their hands. "Well, that solves that," Eric said, "As far as who's driving, I think I'll leave that up to you guys to decide amongst yourselves. Just know that we have to be in San Diego tomorrow morning by eleven, because we have a few autograph appearances to do." "Who's gonna be signing?" Mark asked. "Me, Sara, and Paul have one at Sea World; you, Trish, and Liz have one at Westfield Shoppingtown Horton Plaza; and Kevin, Scott, and Andy have one at the Del Mar racetrack," Shawn answered looking at the itinerary for the next day, "They all overlap, too. The first one is noon to three, the second is one to three, and the third is two to four." "Where are we gonna be meeting at when we get there?" Paul asked. "At the Brockton Villa restaurant. It's not too hard to find," Eric answered, "If we all leave from the mansion at the same time, you guys can follow me there. Anymore questions?" No one said anything so Eric concluded the meeting, saying, "Alright, guys, we're checking out tonight. So when we get back to the hotel, pack your stuff, and come straight downstairs." Everyone agreed and headed out to the limos.

Sara was headed out the back door when she heard a familiar voice call her name. She turned around with a huge smile on her face. Roddy was in the back of the group, waving his arms. Sara pushed through everyone, and when she got to him, she jumped into his arms. "Hey, baby!" she said in his ear, "Long time no see!" "Yeah, I know! It's been, what, a month and a half?" Roddy said squeezing his arms around her before setting her down. "How's things going? I haven't seen you wrestle in a while," Sara said quietly. "I'm retiring, Sara," Roddy said quietly. Sara's jaw dropped and she covered her mouth with her hand. "My contract runs out after Superbrawl, and Vince said that he doesn't want to renew," Roddy added, "So…I'm gonna retire, move out to Portland…maybe get a few dogs or horses. I'm gonna need somethin' to occupy my time." "I'm so sorry, Roddy," she whispered. "Nah, it's okay. I've been doin' this for a long time anyway," he said quietly, "It's been a fun ride, but I guess the ride's over." Tears came to Sara's eyes, because she heard the sadness in Roddy's voice. "Ah, don't cry, sweetheart. It ends for us all eventually," he whispered touching her cheek. Sara hugged him again and rubbed his back. "I'm sure gonna miss you around here," she whispered. "I'm gonna miss you, too. You've been doin' a great job with that crazy group o' guys Vince has you with," he said hugging her back. "Speaking of which, I have to head outta here. They're probably wondering where I am. I'll give you a call tomorrow when I get to San Diego, okay?" she said gripping his hands. "Yeah, sure. We'll do lunch?" Roddy said softly. Sara nodded and hugged Roddy yet again, kissing his cheek softly. "See ya tomorrow, hon," she whispered in his ear before releasing him and heading out the door.

"You were about to get left," Andy said as she walked up to the limo. "Sorry about that," she said quietly, then climbing in. "How's Roddy?" Mark asked when Andy shut the door and the limo pulled off. "Can we wait until we get home to talk about that?" she asked softly. "Sure, dollface," he answered linking his fingers with hers. When they arrived at the hotel, everyone rushed to their rooms, and was back down in the lobby in a matter of minutes. "You guys must've known we'd be going home tonight," Eric said as everyone filed out of the hotel. The trip home was silent for Sara and Mark. Sara was very upset that Roddy was retiring; he'd helped her to grow in so many ways in the time that they'd been together, and in a way, prepared her for the future she would have with Mark. When Mark pulled in front of the mansion, tears were threatening to spill from her cheeks. She quickly pulled her bags from the trunk, rushed into the house, and ran upstairs to her room. When she got inside, she shut the door and fell onto her bed crying. Mark came in moments later and set his bags down by the door.

"Sara?" he whispered sitting down beside her. Sara was curled into a ball, her body jerking slightly from crying. "Sara, baby, what's wrong?" he whispered leaning over her face. Sara took a few deep breaths and wiped her cheeks dry. "Nothin'," she relied softly. "Nothin' doesn't make you run up two flights o' stairs. Nothin' doesn't make you cry your eyes out when you get to your room," he countered. Sara faced him and said, "Roddy told me he was retiring after Superbrawl." Mark touched her cheek, asking, "Why?" "His contract runs out then…and Vince…doesn't want to renew," she answered quietly, "So he's just gonna retire." "He's been wrestling for a long time, hasn't he?" he asked. Sara nodded and closed her eyes, sighing heavily. "He's gonna be able to have a great retirement, Sara. If he's made the decision to do that, then he believes he's financially stable enough to do it," he tried to reassure her. "I know he is…it's just…I'm gonna miss him, Mark," she whispered, "He did a lot for me…hopefully, I did a lot for him, too." "He's not gonna forget you, Sara. How could he?" he said gently caressing her cheek. Sara nodded and forced a grin. "Bed?" he asked quietly. Sara nodded slightly and Mark lied down beside her, pulled her close to him, and stroked the back of her head. The feel of Mark's fingers through her hair put Sara to sleep in mere moments.

The next morning, Mark awoke first. He looked over at the clock and sighed. It was quarter past seven. "Sara?" he whispered rubbing his fingers through her hair. Sara was lying half on top of Mark, her right arm and leg draped over his body, as she usually ended up, no matter how she fell asleep. "What?" she whispered. "It's time to get up, dollface," he said quietly. "Come on, just a few more minutes," she argued. "Uh-uh. We gotta follow Eric to San Diego," Mark said moving from the bed, "I'm gonna go see what time he's leaving." Sara groaned into her pillow before sighing heavily and rolling out of bed. "That-a girl," Mark said with a smile. "Oh, piss off," she whispered going into the bathroom and shutting the door. Mark shook his head and went downstairs, looking into the kitchen. Eric was already there eating breakfast. "Mornin', Eric. Just wanted to know what time you were gonna pull outta here," he said. "Probably no later than 8:30," Eric answered. "Alright, thanks," Mark said before heading back upstairs. He heard the shower running and grinned, stripping off his clothes and entering the bathroom. "Dollface?" he called out. "Yeah, what's wrong?" Sara asked from the shower. Mark pulled open the curtain and asked, "Mind if I join you?" Sara blushed slightly before grinning. "Why not?" she whispered as Mark stepped in. She slowly slipped her arms around his neck and pulled his face down to hers, kissing him softly.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier," she whispered as Mark's hands moved over her wet body. "Were you mad at _me_?" he asked in her ear. "No…it's just that Roddy's retirement…and having to do that with autograph session with Shawn today…it had me a little cranky," she answered softly. "Completely understandable, which is why I didn't say anything back," he responded with a grin. "What time is Eric leaving?" she asked. "In an hour or so," he answered. Sara took a deep breath and asked, "Would you be okay with me spending a little time with Roddy after my autograph session?" "_Should_ I be worried?" Mark asked in return, taking Sara's left hand and kissing the engagement ring, bringing a slight smile to Sara's face. "I love you so much," she whispered running her fingers through his now-soaking wet hair. "We gotta get cleaned up," Mark said beginning to wash Sara's body, "And I love you, too, sweetheart." Mark's hands washed her body, but at the same time, gently massaged her tightened muscles. "Did your match last night get you this tight?" he asked as he rinsed her off. Sara nodded, saying, "I didn't wrestle as co-manager, remember? That was three straight months that I didn't wrestle, so it's gonna take a little while to get back in the swing o' things." "You'll be just fine, hon," Mark whispered planting kisses over her neck. Sara sighed contentedly and leaned back against him. "With you doin' that, there's no doubt about it," she whispered. Mark smiled and kissed her cheek. "Go get dressed. I'll be out in a bit," he whispered in her ear. Sara nodded and exited the shower, wrapping herself in one of her thick towels. She quickly rubbed her hair with another towel, then finished drying it with her blow-dryer. When she finished, Mark was stepping out of the shower.

"Maybe you should cut your hair if it takes that long to dry," Mark said jokingly. "Cut my hair?! Are you nuts?!" she exclaimed, "I love my hair!" Mark smiled and agreed, "I love your hair, too, dollface. I was just kiddin'." Sara rolled her eyes playfully and went into the bedroom, pulling out a pair of jeans and a Tommy Girl t-shirt from one of the drawers. She and Mark quickly dressed, then made sure everything they needed for the road trip was packed up. When they headed downstairs to the kitchen, it was nearly eight o' clock. Kevin, Andy, Liz, and Scott were already there. "You guys following Eric, too?" Mark asked setting his bags down next to the table. "Yeah, it's a lot easier than tryin' to find our way their on our own," Kevin said with a smile. "With your sense of direction, Kevin, who knows where you'd end up," Sara said pouring a glass of orange juice. "Good mornin' to you, too, sweetheart," Kevin responded with a smile. Sara grinned and sat down at the table. "Who else is following Eric?" she asked taking an apple from the basket in the middle and biting into it. "I think everybody is," Kevin said. "Where are they, then? It's eight o' clock, and he's gonna be pulling out soon," she said. "They're comin', they're comin'," Kevin answered, "Why so impatient this morning?" "I don't know, Kevin…I don't know," she whispered sipping on her orange juice. Mark put his arm around her shoulder and rubbed slightly. "Just think about Sunday, dollface," he said quietly. "What's happening Sunday?" Kevin asked. Sara looked up at Mark, her eyes saying, "Good job, genius." Mark smiled and hunched his shoulders. Sara quickly recovered and looked back at Kevin. "You'll just have to see, won't you?" she said with a grin. Kevin narrowed his eyes for a moment, then said, "Fine…keep your little secrets."

Sara smiled as Eric, Shawn, Paul, and Trish walked into the kitchen. "Mornin', guys," Eric spoke. Everyone at the table returned the greeting. "Everybody else is in the living room, so we're gonna go ahead and head out, okay?" Eric said. "We're ready whenever you are," Kevin said. "Let's go, then," Eric said heading out. Everyone stood, grabbed their belongings, and followed Eric to the car garage. "Me, Liz, and Scott are gonna ride in my truck, okay?" Kevin said piling his suitcase and bag into the cab of his truck. "No problem," Mark responded, "We'll see you guys there." Sara climbed into the driver's side of Mark's truck and held out her hand for the keys. Mark's jaw dropped and he whispered, "Are you out of your mind?" "No time to argue, pal," she whispered wiggling her fingers. Mark sighed heavily and dropped the keys in her hand. Eric had already pulled out of the garage. Sara grinned slightly and started up the truck, pulling out slowly when Mark and Andy had shut their doors. "Just…be careful, please," Mark said cautiously. "Oh, hush, baby. I'll take care of him…or her…or it," she responded touching his knee, "However you refer to this thing." Mark chuckled slightly and linked his fingers with hers, squeezing gently.


	44. A Plan

**Chapter 43…A Plan**

After her autograph session, Sara quickly dialed up Roddy's cell phone. When he answered, she asked, "Are you free for a little mid-afternoon lunch?" "Hey, Sara," Roddy said with a smile. "Hi, sweetheart. How're you feelin'?" she responded. "I'll be alright. The next month and a half should fly by," he said quietly. "Are you free for lunch?" she asked again. "Yeah. Where should I meet you?" he answered. "The Brockton Villa restaurant," she said. "Oh, I know where that is. I'm right around the block from there," Roddy said. "I'm just finishing up an autograph session. I'll meet you there in about ten minutes, k?" she said quietly. "Yeah, sure, hon," Roddy said, "See ya in a bit." "See ya," Sara responded before hanging up. Security showed her, Shawn, and Paul to their limo, and shut the limo door once they were all inside. Sara went up to the glass separating the driver from them and knocked. The glass slowly came down and the driver asked, "May I help you, ma'am?" "Yeah, can you drop me off down the street from the Brockton Villa restaurant?" Sara asked. "Sure thing, ma'am. I'll just let you know when I'm there," he responded. Sara nodded and went back to her seat beside Paul. "What's at the Villa?" Paul asked. "I'm having lunch with Roddy," Sara answered. "Why? Thought you two didn't talk since the divorce," Shawn said with a slight grin. "If you must know, Shawn, we're having lunch together," Sara said quietly. She didn't like being so close to Shawn ever since the previous night. The fact that Andy wasn't there, because of the session schedule conflicts, made being around him even worse. "And we talk on a regular basis, thank you very much," she added. "Interesting. What's Mark think about that?" Shawn continued. "I'm not gonna talk about Mark with you…now, or ever," she said heatedly. "Don't hold a grudge, Sara. Didn't Kevin teach you that in your training?" Shawn said menacingly. "Yeah, you made sure o' that," she whispered.

"Okay, so Shawn, where do you wanna eat?" Paul interjected. The tension inside the limousine was about to drive _him_ crazy. Shawn tore his eyes away from Sara and looked at Paul. "Wherever," he answered before looking back at Sara, "Now, Sara, where were we?" "Absolutely nowhere," she snapped. "Oh, yeah, your dear ex-husband. How is he nowadays?" Shawn said smiling. "He's retiring after Superbrawl. Are you happy now?!" she hissed. "Too old to stay in the business, huh? Been overrun by good, young talent like me and Paul?" Shawn pushed. "Leave me outta this one, man," Paul said staring out the window. He didn't understand Shawn's disdain of Sara, with the exception that Shawn saw Sara as a threat to his power hold on the group. "You are the most selfish, cocky son of a bitch there is, Shawn. The business would be a lot better off if it didn't have guys like you around," she hissed, "And you'll never be as good, or as respected, as Roddy is. You'll _never_ have anything near it." Shawn narrowed his eyes and snarled, "Watch it, Sara. You're stepping way beyond your boundaries. And good ole' Andy isn't here to protect you from big, bad Shawn." Sara swallowed and crossed her arms. "Don't fuckin' threaten me, Shawn. I'm not gonna put up with you pushing me around like you did last year," she hissed. "Oh, really? Ms. Sara went and got herself a backbone over break, then, huh?" he spat. "I've also got a foot I'm gonna put up your ass if you don't leave me alone!" she screamed.

Shawn grabbed her arm and went to punch her, but Paul stopped him. "Driver, stop the goddamn limo!" he screamed. The limo screeched to a halt moments later, and Paul threw open the door. "Let's go," he said helping Sara out. He then looked back in at Shawn and said, "You're really getting low, Shawn," before slamming the door shut. Sara tried to slow her breathing as tears came to her eyes. "You okay?" Paul asked quietly, touching her shoulders from behind. Sara snatched away and headed down the street. "Sara!" Paul called. Sara had headed nearly 50 feet when she realized she had no idea where she was. San Diego was a huge city. "You ready to catch a cab now?" Paul asked from behind. She faced him and sighed heavily, nodding her head. "Thank you," she whispered, "For helping me in the limo." "I didn't know he would go so far, Sara," Paul replied quietly, "He's afraid of you, ya know." "He should be," she hissed, "I can play dirty, too!" "Come on, let's get you to the Villa," Paul said hailing a cab. One stopped in front of them, and Paul let Sara in first before climbing in behind her and shutting the door. "Brockton Villa restaurant, please," Sara said calmly. "Are you gonna tell Mark about what happened?" Paul asked as the silence between them became uncomfortable. "Bear witness to this, Paul…if it's the last thing I do, I'm gonna make sure that Shawn loses every bit of power he has. Whether it's in a week, a month, or a year, he won't be champion or head of this group for much longer," Sara said softly, meaning every single world she'd just said. "Isn't that being a bit bold, Sara? Borderline irrational?" he asked. Sara glared up at him and said menacingly, "I invented the word 'bold'." She then turned her attention back to the passing scene outside her window.

The cab pulled in front of the restaurant a few minutes later. Sara went to pay for her part of the fare, but Paul shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Sara," Paul said, "Have fun with Roddy." Sara thanked him before heading inside the restaurant. She spotted Roddy in a booth near the back and headed over to him. Roddy stood as she walked over, and embraced her when she reached him. "It's good to see you, hon," he whispered in her ear. "You see me all the time, Roddy," Sara said with a smile, but returning his hug just as tightly. "I mean, outside of work," he said slowly releasing her. "I know," Sara said smiling. She sat down first, and Roddy sat down across from her. "So, how are things?" she asked. "Pretty good. I've been looking at property in the Portland area. I may actually build my own house instead of buying one," he answered taking her hands in his own as he'd done so many times during their marriage. Sara felt the contact, but didn't move her hands away. "You've got enough money for that kind of project?" she asked. Roddy smiled a little and nodded. "All those times spent pinching pennies has finally paid off, I guess," he answered. "Well, that's great, Roddy," Sara whispered. Sara looked into Roddy's eyes, and saw the profound love that he still felt for her blazing brightly in his brown eyes. Silence came over them, and they sat staring at each other for several moments.

"I do still love you, Sara," Roddy whispered moments later, "I never meant for things to happen the way they did. Personal lives and professional commitments get so mixed up sometimes in our business…and I hate that our relationship ended just because of this business." "I know you love me, Roddy," Sara whispered, "I do still love you, too…very much." Roddy leaned forward slowly and kissed her, softly and full of the deep love that was bursting in his heart. Sara accepted the kiss without hesitation, smiling to herself when she felt Roddy's hands squeeze hers. Sara's vibrating phone interrupted them, and Sara quickly answered it. "Hello?" she answered. "Hey, dollface," Mark said on the other end. "Hi, baby," she said quietly. "Are you already with Roddy?" Mark asked. "Yeah…I just got here," she answered. "How long do you think you'll be?" he asked. "I don't know. We're gonna have lunch, and maybe walk around a bit," Sara said looking at Roddy, who was now staring out the window. "Well, just so you know, Eric wants us all at the arena by 5:30," he said. "Okay, baby," Sara said softly. "I love you, dollface," Mark said, "I'll see ya in a couple hours." "Love you, too. Bye," Sara said before hanging up.

"I'm sorry about that," Roddy said quietly. "About what?" Sara asked. "I shouldn't have kissed you. It wasn't my place to do that," he answered softly. Sara sighed and touched Roddy's hand. "It's not a big deal, Roddy," she said. Roddy looked down at her left hand and smiled. "He popped the question, huh?" he asked with a smile. Sara smiled in return and nodded. "New Year's," she answered, "In Toronto…it was perfect." "I'm glad you're happy again," he whispered. "Let's not talk about Mark, okay? I want to share this time with you," she said, putting a slight emphasis on 'you.' Roddy nodded as the waitress came up. "I'll be your waitress today. My name's Lucky. If there's anything you need, just holler for me," she said placing two menus on the table, "Can I bring you anything to drink?" "Yeah, a couple mugs of hot chocolate will be fine," Roddy answered. Sara looked down at the menu, deciding to order a ham sandwich and a side order of salad. "I'll be right back with your drinks," Lucky said. Lunch continued between them uninterrupted, with the exception of Lucky making sure they had everything they needed. 45 minutes later, Sara and Roddy headed out of the restaurant. They decided to walk around and sightsee for a while.

"So about this house o' yours. Have you got any ideas down yet?" Sara asked as they headed down the street. "Not on paper. I think I'll get in contact with a good architect first. I do know that I want a log house...big, open living room...a big porch that maybe goes around the whole house," Roddy answered as Sara placed her hand around his arm. "A log house should fit in perfectly in Oregon," she said smiling. "Yeah, it should," he said quietly. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Ah, nothin'. I'm just thinking of the house," he answered. "How many bedrooms do you want? How many bathrooms? Do you need a big garage? Those are the questions you need to ask. The most important one is how much land you're going to buy," Sara said. Roddy smiled down at her and chuckled softly. Sara looked at him and asked, "What?" "I'm supposed to be the one excited about this house," he answered grinning. "You know me, always up for a new challenge," she said smiling. "So the details of this house. I'm thinking about 50 acres. That should be plenty of space for the horses," he said putting his arm around her shoulders. "Okay. What about the house?" Sara asked. "Four or five guestrooms, and my master bedroom. A bathroom for each guestroom. And a bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub for the master's bathroom," Roddy said excitedly, "I want a big living room, too: a bunch of couches, a few coffee tables, an entertainment system, and stuff like that. I want a small library, too. And I want a nice, open kitchen. I want to learn how to cook, so I'm gonna need a nice kitchen, right?" "Yeah, hon. Question: how long have you been saving up for this?" she answered.

"Since I started wrestling," Roddy answered. Sara smiled and placed an arm around his waist. "I'm proud o' you, baby," she said quietly. "Thank you, Sara," he responded. "No, I really mean that. You've come a long way, and you've earned every little thing you have," she said softly, "Don't let anybody tell you different." "Are you feeling okay?" he asked. "Yeah, I just want you to know I'm proud of you, of what you've done in _and_ out of the ring," she answered, "I think you should hear that as much as possible." Roddy sighed heavily and squeezed Sara's shoulder gently. They continued to talk for the next hour, about anything that came to Roddy's mind. Sara answered all of his questions in depth, not wanting there to be any secrets between them. She even talked about her ups and downs with Mark. "Christmas Break was amazing, Roddy. The connection that we have...I can't put it into words," Sara said as 5:00 rolled around. "I'm glad you're happy again, Sara. I mean that from the bottom of my heart," he responded quietly, "I'm gonna miss you." "You can call me, hon," she said quietly, "Just because I'm getting married again doesn't mean I'll have to stop talking to you. I wouldn't even allow it." Roddy grinned down at her, saying, "You always were a headstrong woman." "I try," she responded with a smile. Sara's phone vibrated in her back pocket and she pulled it out. "I'll be right back, Sara," Roddy whispered. Sara nodded and answered her phone.

"Hey, baby, where are you?" Mark asked. "Still with Roddy. I think we're about to head to the arena, though," she answered, "Are you already there?" "Yeah, a bunch of us are. Look, Paul filled me in on the limo incident," Mark said quietly, "How soon can you get here?" "I really don't want to talk about that right now, Mark," Sara said quietly. "Sara, red flags are up all over the place, and this is the biggest one so far," he argued. "Who knows about what happened?" she asked. "Me, Paul, Andy, Kevin, Liz, Scott, Shorty, Carlos, John, and Ron," he answered, "I think Paul's more on our side now." Sara lowered her head and asked, "Do you really think we can do something about him, Mark?" "Sara, when Paul told me what happened...it took three of the guys to keep me from punching Shawn's face in. Andy and I have already had run-ins with him. All the other guys are way too protective of you to be level-headed," Mark said quietly. "What does that mean, Mark?" she asked. "Dollface, you have the patience and willpower to lead this thing. With you winning the IC belt in a few days, you'll be even more of a leader to the guys," he said confidently, "We'll follow you anywhere, and you know it." Sara sighed and smiled slightly. "Just get here ASAP, okay? The guys wanna talk to you before the pre-show meeting," Mark said. "Okay, baby, I'll be there soon," Sara answered. "Alright, dollface...bye," Mark said. "Bye," Sara said before hanging up.

"Everything okay?" Roddy asked from behind her a few minutes later. "Yeah, I need to head to the arena now, though," she answered. "Okay. Can I give you something first?" he said holding up a brown plastic bag. Sara took the bag and pulled the box out. "What is it?" she asked. "Just open it," he answered. Sara flipped open the box and inhaled sharply. A gold heart-shaped locket with silver swirls on a thin herringbone necklace stared up at her. "Roddy...this is beautiful," she whispered. "It's got four spaces for pictures, so...one for you, Mark, your mom, and Duchess, I guess," he said quietly. "I don't think I'll be wearing my dog around my neck," she said laughing. "So you'll just have an empty space?" he asked. "Of course not. As much as I do cherish Duchess...you're a lot more important to me," Sara said hugging him, "Thank you, Roddy." Roddy embraced her tightly and lifted her up. "No problem, sweetheart," he whispered kissing her softly. Sara placed her hands on Roddy's shoulders and gently pulled away. "I'm sorry, but--." "No, it's my fault. Guess I'm still attracted to you," Roddy said setting her back down, "But of course...who wouldn't be?" Sara turned slightly pink and looked down. "Come on, let's get to the arena," Roddy said stepping to the curb and motioning for a taxi.

When the taxi pulled up to the back of the arena, Sara saw Mark and Andy talking near the exit door. She climbed out and ran up behind Mark, jumping onto his back. "What the--!" Sara laughed and kissed his ear. "What are you screaming for?" she asked. "Took you long enough to get here," he said as she climbed off, "Come on, the guys are waiting for ya." "Alright, hold on," Sara said going over to Roddy. "Thanks a lot for today, Sara. I've missed talking to ya," Roddy said quietly. "No problem, Roddy. You know I love talking to you. Thanks for the locket...I'll wear it everyday," Sara responded. Roddy took her hands in his and squeezed. "I'll see you around, okay? Good luck with everything," he said quietly, "Professionally _and_ personally."

"Sara!" Sara looked back at Mark and nodded. "I gotta go," she whispered to Roddy, "I'll see ya around." Roddy nodded and released her hands. Sara headed over to Mark and quickly followed him and Andy inside. "Have you checked in with Eric?" she asked. "Sara, we've been here since our autograph sessions ended," Mark answered, "Eric wanted us here as soon after as possible." They came to a door that said "Do Not Enter", and Mark opened the door, allowing Sara and Andy to enter first before shutting the door behind himself. Just had Mark had told her on the phone, every person he'd listed was sitting there before them. "So you finally decided to show up, huh?" John asked with a smile. "Oh, hush," Sara commented. "Guys, we only have ten minutes 'til we have to be back in the locker room," Mark said, "We need to talk business, and talk fast."

"Well, apparently, I'm in charge o' this thing. Any disagreements about that?" Sara said. "Nope," John answered. "Alright, then. Just one rule: Shawn cannot find out about this. We've got to keep this thing secret," Sara said. "Yeah, Shawn's already anal about how much power he has. If he finds out two-thirds of the group is trying to usurp him, God only knows what he'll do," Paul said. "Shawn's only one person; what can he do to all of us?" Liz asked. "He may be one person, but he's one person with a hell of a lot of power," Paul argued. "He's right, Liz. Shawn will do anything...to anybody," Sara said quietly. "Sara, don't worry about anything. We're all gonna look out for each other," Paul countered. "Thanks, Paul," Sara said quietly. Nervousness was coming over her in waves. "Any other quick concerns before we go to the locker room?" she asked. "Yeah," Mark answered, "One: you or Liz are _not_ to be around Shawn alone...ever." "That'll look suspicious, Mark," she argued. "We don't care," Kevin said simply. Sara looked over at Andy, but he said, "It's more important now for me to play 'bodyguard' than ever." "What about Liz?" she asked. "I'm with these guys everyday all day, hon. Don't worry about me," Liz argued pointing to Kevin and Scott. "I'm going to worry about you, Liz," Sara countered, "I'm gonna worry about _all_ of you."

"Alright, it's time to head to the locker room," Mark said checking his watch, "Me, Sara, and Andy are always together, so we'll go in together." "I'll go first, since I don't usually hang out with anyone," Paul said quietly. "And Scott, Shorty, Carlos, Liz, and I will go in," Kevin said. "And that leaves me and Ron, huh?" John asked. Sara smiled and nodded. "Let's go," she said. Andy opened the door, and Sara and Mark walked out hand-in-hand. Mark pulled her to the side as everyone walked by. "You okay?" he asked looking down at her. Sara rubbed her arms and looked down. "I just...I..." Her voice trailed off. "What is it?" he asked rubbing her arms. "Last time I tried to lead something, Mark...our relationship...I just don't want Shawn to come between us," she whispered, her eyes glued to the floor. Mark tilted her chin up until she looked him in the eye. "Shawn's not gonna come between us...I won't let him, _you_ won't let him...and Andy sure as hell won't let him," he said quietly, a slight grin on his face. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "Come on, let's get to the locker room," he whispered. Sara put her hand in his and said, "I love you." "You know I love you, too, dollface," he whispered as they headed down the hall.

After the meeting, Sara went to the women's locker room. She was going to do a 10-minute "shoot" interview, to be shown on "Smackdown!" Thursday night. She dressed in a pair of blue Tommy Hilfiger low-rider jeans, a tight, black low-cut halter top vest, and a black leather jacket. Andy met her outside the locker room. When she entered the interview room (Andy was waiting outside), "Smackdown!" interviewer Josh Matthews was already there. "Hey, Josh," she said going over to him. "Oh, hi, Sara," Josh responded standing, "Thanks for coming." "No problem. I enjoy these interviews," she said shaking his hand. "I was just going over the questions. We've got nine and a half minutes of actual talk time, and I've got about ten questions. Okay?" Josh said. "Are they all related to the Rumble match?" she asked. "Pretty much," he answered, "They're all open-ended, so feel free to answer in detail. I'll make sure to make it go smoothly. And we've got a half an hour to get the package done, so--." "Yeah, I got it, Josh. No mistakes," Sara said with a smile. "Two minutes, Josh," Becky, the floor manager, said, "You'll be looking to camera one, on the right, for the open and close. Sara, you'll look at Josh the whole time. Josh, what time signals do you want?" "A two-minute, a one minute, and then the regular countdown signals," he responded. "Hey, Josh?" Sara asked sitting down on the small couch to his right. "Yeah?" he asked looking over his questions. "Don't be so nervous, kid," she said removing her engagement ring and putting it in her left coat pocket. "I'll be cool once the cameras start rolling. I'm always this way before a production, live or taped," he responded. "We need to do a mike check, Josh," Becky said. Sara spoke a sentence or two, followed by Josh. "One minute," Becky relayed. Sara ran her fingers through her hair, then closed her eyes, putting her personality face on, but making sure to keep her personal thoughts at the forefront. "Five...four...three...two...," Becky said before giving the cue of "Speak" to Josh.

"I'm Josh Matthews, and tonight, in a rare one-on-one interview, I'm going to delve a little into the mind of the '9th Wonder of the World', Chyna," Josh began, "Chyna, thank you for taking a little time to sit down--." Sara put her hand up, cutting off Josh. "Look, kid, cut the formalities. You probably don't like me very much, which doesn't matter, because I don't like you at all. So let's just get this thing over with as fast as possible," she snapped. "Yes, certainly. First question: you were the first-ever female to hold the Intercontinental championship. How do you feel having that on your résumé?" Josh said. "Josh, I'm not just the first-ever female to hold the Intercontinental title...I'm the _only_ female who's ever done it. I overcame so many obstacles to achieve that. Personal obstacles _and_ professional obstacles. I had very few supporters when I made it my goal to become Intercontinental champion, in _and_ out of the business. However, I've set a standard now for females coming into this business: you've got to be an athlete. You've got to be able to step into that ring day in and day out, and give your all. And you've got to be headstrong, somebody who doesn't back down from a challenge. People in this company thought females couldn't hack it with the males, Josh. I made sure to show them otherwise. Sure, a woman _may_ come along and do what I've done in winning the Intercontinental title. What's important is that she remember...I did it first," Sara answered.

"Chyna, you won the Intercontinental title in front of your hometown of Daytona, in front of 25,000 people. How will you feel if you win in the Georgia Dome, in front of almost double that?" he asked. "Nothing will ever be better than winning your first major title, Josh. Like you said, I got to do it in front of my hometown, so it was double the fun. I got to make history that night. My mom and a few close friends were in the front row, so it was very special for me. The Georgia Dome may hold more fans, but when – not if, _when_ – I beat Edge, it'll pale in comparison to winning the title for the first time," she answered. "Chyna, since you became a member of the infamous 'Corporation' faction, titles have seemed to fly out of the picture for you," he said, "Did you just lose interest in having gold around your waist?" Sara chuckled and cracked her knuckles. "Once a wrestler like myself has had the taste of gold, I don't lose interest in having it again. I didn't know you were stupid enough to even think that. Getting gold has always been in the back of my mind, Josh. Sure, I've spent most of my time in the 'Corporation' managing tag teams – Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, as well as Kevin Nash and Max Payne – as well as the current World champion Shawn Michaels. Now, I love those guys to death, especially when they're wearing gold. But I think it's time for them to share the spotlight," she answered.

"Tell me, Chyna, if you beat Edge this Sunday--." "When, Josh, remember? _When_ I beat Edge," Sara said heatedly. "Of course. When you beat Edge, do you think you'll rub some wrestlers the wrong way?" Josh said. "What's that supposed to mean, Josh?" she sneered leaning forward. "Well, as a member of the 'Corporation'--." "Stop right there. Let's get this straight right here, right _now_. No one has helped me get to where I am, _no one_. I have busted my ass for five and a half years to get where I am, Josh. I live for this business, and I live for getting the opportunity to be a champion. I come to the arena day in and day out to perfect myself. I don't have to kiss _anybody's_ ass to get a title shot, and I don't count on hand-me-outs. I love what I do, and no one can question my passion. My work ethic is enough to get me as far as I want, and anyone who has doubts about that can come straight to me," she answered truthfully, "Got any doubts, Josh?" "Absolutely not," Josh said shaking his head. "That's what I thought," Sara said with a raised eyebrow.

"Chyna, you've helped 'Corporation' members, namely Shawn Michaels, win and keep gold on numerous occasions. Do you expect the same commitment from your fellow members?" Josh said. "Josh, one thing very few people know about me is that, when it comes to championship matches, I'm an honest person. I don't count on outside interference to win. I can win on my own. I don't plan on winning Sunday with underhanded tactics. In fact, I make a promise now: no 'Corporation' member shall be at ringside on Sunday, or interfere in any way. If they do, I'll forfeit the match and never attempt to win the Intercontinental title again. I'm going to show you, the announcers, the boys in the back, my fellow 'Corporation' members, and most importantly the fans that I can go blow-for-blow with the men in this company...and I can win," Sara said candidly.

"That's quite a statement to make, Chyna. However, Edge is not so honest. He won his title with the assistance of a couple low blows, not to mention a chairshot to the head of Chris Jericho. How do you plan on beating such a sneaky person?" Josh asked. Sara smiled and answered, "Edge is a sneaky guy, and yes, he did cheat to win. But remember, Josh: it's only cheating if you get caught. Edge did what he had to do to get gold around his waist. So...I guess I'll have to do what I have to do to win as well." Josh nodded and continued with his list of questions. "Chyna, as the Intercontinental champion, that would put you one step below the World championship. Have you ever dreamed of winning the World title?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and glanced down before looking back at Josh. "Josh, what wrestler _doesn't_ dream of that? I'll be honest with you. When I won the Intercontinental title in Daytona, my first thought when I got to the back was, 'I wonder if I could be World champ. Could I handle that pressure? Could I physically deal with that?' The wrestlers always say if you're not in this business to be the WWF World champion, then there's no reason to get in the business in the first place. So, sure, I'd love to achieve that goal. However, there's a difference between dreams and reality, Josh...and the harsh reality is that the powers-that-be will probably never allow a woman World champion," she answered slowly, "_But_...I've been known to break through impossible barriers." A grin came to her face, and she crossed her legs.

"Last question, Chyna: how will you cope if you _don't_ walk out of the Georgia Dome with the Intercontinental championship around your waist?" Josh asked. "Well, Josh, that's not gonna happen. I haven't had gold around my waist in about two years, and I'm itchin' for it. Every moment of my day is focused on winning that belt. My mind is set on it. I've never been this anxious, this set, this _hungry_ for anything in my life, Josh. Advice to Edge...," Sara answered looking into the camera focused on her, "Take that belt with you _everywhere you go_ for the next three days – to the gym, to the john...hell, you might even wanna sleep with it. Because after Sunday night...that baby's comin' home to mama!" She looked back at Josh and narrowed her eyes. "You finished with your petty little questions?" she snapped. "Yes-yes, ma'am," he answered nodded his head. Sara stood and ripped her microphone off, tossed it on the couch she'd been sitting on and walked off-camera. "And cut!" Betsy said moments later. Sara slipped back on her engagement ring and went back over to Josh. "Good job, Josh," she said extending her right hand. "Same to ya, Sara. It's gonna look good, especially the end," Josh said shaking her hand. "Can't wait to see it," she said winking at him, "See ya around."

Sara opened the room door and walked out, finding Andy asleep on an equipment box. She smiled and hit his let. Andy shot up and asked, "What's wrong?" "I don't know that sleeping is allowed on the job," she answered with a smile. "How'd the interview go?" he asked jumping off the box. "Pretty good. I'm really excited about Sunday now," she said as they headed towards ringside. "Good, good. Make any controversial statements?" Andy said smiling. "You know me, not afraid to speak my mind," she said as innocently as possible. Andy stopped in the middle of the hall, gripping Sara's arm. "What'd you say?" he asked quietly. "Josh asked me if I'd like to be World champion, since there's the 'possibility' of me winning the IC title on Sunday," she answered. Andy raised his eyebrows and said, "Sara...?" "All I said was I'd love to achieve that goal, and I've been known for breaking through impossible barriers," she answered pulling her arm away. Andy took a deep breath and crossed his arms. He chuckled softly, then headed on to ringside, Sara right beside him.

Trish had a match against Nora Greenbaum who played the innocent, naïve cousin of Hardcore and Crash Holly. Nora, however, was a hell of a wrestler; she'd been trained by Dean Malenko, and had had some amazing matches against the other women. Trish had just recently started to wrestle, and was improving with every match. She was very driven in being the best she could in the ring, and breaking people's stereotypes of her. Sara leaned against the black barrier around the ring and watched Trish practice moves for her match that night; a grin broke out on Sara's face. "There's a lotta spunk in her," she said to Andy. "Which one?" he asked. "Trish," she answered, "She's come a long way. I'm really proud of her." "Yeah," Andy answered grinning slightly. Sara looked up at him and shook her head. "Jeez, Andy, just ask her out and get it over with," she said quietly. "I'm workin' on it," he responded. Sara went over to the ring and leaned on the mat. When Trish executed a headscissors takeover from a standing position, Sara's jaw dropped. "Holy shit!" she whispered, "_I_ can't even do that." She watched the rest of the practice, waiting to talk to Trish afterwards. When Trish finally rolled out of the ring, Sara went over to her. "Trish, can I talk to you for a second?" she asked. "Yeah, sure. What's goin' on?" Trish said wiping her forehead. "I just wanted to let you know you're coming along fast, in the ring, ya know," Sara said, "You could be Women's champion if you worked hard enough." "Well, thanks, Sara. That's my goal, of course," Trish said. "And you're definitely on that path. Would you mind if I helped you out, with practice in the ring?" Sara said quietly. "Sure, hon. Maybe some o' your attitude will rub off on me," Trish answered. "Trish, hon...you've got plenty of attitude on your own. Just remember: it's all about aggression in the ring," Sara said smiling. "Yeah, that's what I've heard," Trish said returning the smile. "Just one more thing, Trish," Sara said leaning towards Trish. "What?" Trish asked. "When are you and Andy gonna hook up?" Sara whispered in her ear. Trish turned pink and looked at the floor. "As soon as he asks me out, Sara," she whispered before heading up the ramp.

Sara headed up behind her with Andy. When she got through the curtain, Eric stopped her. "Sara, you've got a photo shoot for some ads they're gonna use in the RAW Magazine, and for promotional pictures," he said, "They need you there in about 20 minutes." "Are they shots of me alone?" she asked. "Nah, it's you, Mark, Kevin, and Shawn," he said, "They want you guys since you and Shawn are champions, and Mark and Kevin are a tag team." "I'm not a champion yet, Eric," she said quietly. "Well, the pictures won't be used until after the Rumble, so it's okay," Eric said. Sara sighed heavily and looked at the floor. "Is there a problem, Sara?" he asked. "I just didn't want Shawn to know I was gonna be IC champ until after I'd won it," she whispered. "Sara, I told you, what Shawn thinks of you being champion doesn't matter," he said assuredly, "Besides, that title will look good around your waist." Sara grinned and said, "Well, I better go change." "Alright, I'll see you back in the locker room," Eric said. Sara headed to the women's locker room, her head spinning.

"You okay?" Andy asked quietly. "No, Andy. After what happened between me and Shawn today, I don't want to be anywhere _near_ him," she whispered, "He's so sneaky...and temperamental...he's always trying to get under my skin, and most of the time...he succeeds. He just...he makes me nervous." "I'd like to see him try it with me, Kevin, _and_ Mark watching him," Andy said quietly. "Yeah, I know, Andy," Sara whispered as they walked up to the women's locker room, "I'll meet you there, okay?" "Nope. I'll wait right here for you," he argued. Sara smiled and hugged him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered, "I won't be long." Andy nodded and sat down as Sara entered the room. Sara changed into a pair of black leather low-rider shorts, and put on her black buckle-up combat boots. She decided to keep the halter top on; it matched her shorts and boots well. She brushed her hair up into a high ponytail, leaving out bangs and tendrils to shape her face more. When she left the room, Andy was sitting with the Intercontinental championship belt. "Adam dropped it off; he said he'll be in the ring for you to give it back," he said standing. "Okay, cool," Sara said as he handed it to her. "I've got to go to Janet real quick, okay?" she asked. "Sure," Andy said.

Sara hurried down to Janet, who curled the ends of her ponytail, straightened her bangs and tendrils, then did her make-up. She used dark reddish-black eyeshadow, black eyeliner, and crimson lipstick to complete the look. "Thanks, Janet," Sara said leaving the area. She stared at the title belt the whole way to the photo shoot; she would've ran into a few people if Andy hadn't have looked out for her. When she finally arrived, Mark and Kevin were standing together talking, and Shawn was sitting off to the side shining his belt. "What's up, guys?" Sara asked picking up an extra cloth. Mark looked down at her and grinned. "Looks good on ya, dollface," he said grinning. "I guess it does, huh?" she whispered. Rich, one of the photographers for RAW Magazine, walked up moments later. "Hey, guys," Rich spoke. Mark, Kevin, and Sara returned the greeting. "This shouldn't take long, maybe a half an hour," Rich said fixing his camera. "You tell us the pose, and we'll look as menacing as possible," Mark said going over to the blue curtain with a smile. Rich chuckled and answered, "Deal."

"So...new Intercontinental champ, huh?" Shawn asked Sara. Sara looked up at him and raised her eyebrow. "Yeah," she answered simply. "Congratulations," Shawn said tightly. "Thanks," she said just as tensely. "Sara?" Rich called. Sara looked back and saw Mark and Kevin staring at her. "Coming," she answered before looking back at Shawn, "Excuse me." She stood and went over to Mark and Kevin. "Alright, first pose. Mark, get on the right, Kevin on the left. Sara, you get in the middle and put your belt on your waist," Rich ordered. The trio did as they were told as Rich got behind the camera. The took about ten pictures in that pose, with different facial movements. "Next pose: Mark and Kevin, get down on one knee. Sara, stand behind their knees and put a hand on each shoulder. I won't need your belt in this pose," Rich said. Sara removed her belt and handed it to Andy. They took a few pictures like that, Sara smiling for all of them. "Okay, now Mark and Kevin alone," Rich said. Sara stepped off and stood beside Andy. Mark and Kevin posed and made faces for the next few minutes. When they finally finished, Sara was chuckling to herself. "What's so funny?" Mark asked stretching his jaw. "Nothing. A few times, I thought your face was gonna get stuck," she answered. Mark winked at her and whispered in her ear, "I can think of a better position to have my face stuck." Sara gasped and punched his chest. "Ow!" he exclaimed. "That's what you get," she said smiling.

"Sara, need you next!" Rich called, "And bring your belt!" Andy handed over her belt, and Sara went over to Rich. "I'll do some shots with the belt on each shoulder, and on your waist, with different facials, okay?" he said. "Cool deal," she answered. Sara was photographed for nearly 10 minutes before Rich brought Shawn over. Sara had to take a few deep breaths before Rich started photographing. She had to stand face-to-face with Shawn, as well as front-to-back, back-to-front, and kneeling down in front of him. One time, Rich asked Sara and Shawn to put an arm around each others' waist, and Sara hesitated. "You okay, Sara?" Rich had asked. "Yeah, I'm fine," she lied before complying. When Rich finally told her she was done, she practically ran off the set. She handed the belt to Andy and squeezed her hands. "You okay?" Mark asked squeezing her shoulder gently. "I'll be alright," she whispered. "The show starts in an hour. You wanna go eat?" Mark asked. "Well, I ate a lot with Roddy. Besides, I'd mess up my lipstick," she said grinning. Mark stopped and pulled her to him, planting a kiss right on her lips. "Oh, come on, not on the job!" Andy said laughing. Sara slowly pulled away and grinned. "Yeah," she whispered turning pink, "Not on the job." "Come on, dollface, I'm _starving_," Mark said putting his arm back around her shoulder. "Be back real quick. Gotta return this to its owner," she said as Andy handed her the belt. "Alright, I'll meet you in catering, then," Mark said. "Okay, see ya there," Sara said. Mark kissed her once more before heading down the hall with Kevin.

Sara jogged down the ramp while Andy waited for her at the top. Adam was in the ring chatting with Jason, his opponent for the night. "You got my property there, Sara?" he asked with a smile. "Maybe," she answered returning the smile. "I guess it's only mine for the next five days, though, right?" he asked. Sara chuckled and handed him the belt through the ropes. "What's up, Sara?" Jason spoke. "Sorry, Jason. How's it goin', buddy?" Sara answered. "Great...never thought I'd be fighting against Adam here," Jason said with a smile. "You just gave me an idea for Sunday. I said in an interview for Thursday that no 'Corporation' members would interfere in Adam and mine match. But _you're_ not a member, Jason," Sara said, "It'd add fuel to you guys' feud." "Good idea, Sara. We'll talk about it later, though, okay?" Adam said, "Show starts in an hour, and they're gonna start letting people into the building in about 15 minutes." "That's cool. I'll see you guys later," Sara said before going back up to Andy. "You finally ready?" Andy asked with a grin. "Yeah, sorry, got a little idea about the match Sunday," she answered following him through the curtain. "You're gonna be thinkin' about that match all week, aren't you?" he asked. Sara pulled her hair from its ponytail and shook her head to loosen her hair. "Of course," she answered with a smile.

After eating, the trio headed back to the locker room. "You think the pictures will turn out okay?" Sara asked sitting at one of the tables. "With me in the pictures, they'll be great!" Kevin answered smiling. Sara sighed and shook her head. "How the hell does Liz put up with you?" she asked with a grin. "That's a good question," Kevin said smiling, "I ask her that at least once a week, ya know." "And what does she say?" Sara asked. "That she just goes with the flow," Kevin answered. Sara chuckled and turned her attention back to Mark. "How'd the interview go?" Mark asked. "Good. I love doin' interviews like that. I mean, we're in character so much. I just love being able to speak _my_ mind, not Chyna's mind, ya know," she answered. "And how I love that mind," he said kissing the side of her head. "Will you stop it?" she whispered turning pink. "Does PDA annoy you?" he asked moving his hand up her thigh. Sara slapped his hand away and crossed her arms. "That's workplace harassment, ya know," she whispered. Mark's jaw dropped and he placed his hands on the table. "Can't risk a lawsuit, now can I?" he asked quietly. Sara smiled and gently caressed his forearm. She looked up him, an innocent grin on her face. "You keep doin' that, and you're gonna get more than a little PDA," he whispered in his ear. Sara bit her bottom lip, placed her right hand in his left hand, and said in his ear, "Who says I'm not lookin' for that?" Mark smiled broadly and put his arm around her, bringing her closer. "I sure do love your spunk," he said quietly. Sara smiled and whispered, "Love ya right back, baby."

After the taping was over, Eric called the group together for the post-show meeting. "Today was a good day, guys. The autograph sessions went very well. Everyone was on time, so good job. Trish, good job against Nora tonight. Your in-ring skills are getting better and better. Sara, we're gonna watch your interview on the plane tomorrow, when we get the completed package. Tonight, we're driving back to Venice; you should get back by one a.m. The rest of the week is pretty easy, just houseshows. Oklahoma City tomorrow, Albuquerque on Thursday, and Baltimore on Friday. Saturday, you've got off," he reported, "Any questions?" "What time are we leaving tomorrow?" Paul asked. "Nine o' clock," Eric answered, "We'll get into Oklahoma City around eleven, and you'll have a couple hours to relax before we have to be at the arena." "Who's wrestling tomorrow?" Carlos asked. "You, Chris, and Sara," Eric said. "That's it?" Carlos asked. "Yep," Eric answered, "Any other questions?" "Can we go home now?" Kevin asked. Everyone laughed at that comment. "Yeah, Kevin, you can go home now...drive safe, and remember: limos pull out at nine a.m. sharp," Eric said closing his briefcase, "Go on, get outta here!" Sara, Andy, and Mark waited until the room was empty to approach Eric; Kevin and Liz were heading home with Scott.

"What's up?" Eric asked. "Shawn is what's up, Eric," Sara said simply. "What now?" he asked. "He's provoking me every chance he gets, Eric. You heard that our autograph session went great, but what you don't know is what happened in the limo _afterwards_," she said quietly. "Sit down, Sara," Eric said taking a seat. Sara sat down across from him and crossed her legs. "What'd he do?" he asked. "He bashed Roddy when I told him Roddy was retiring. When I told him to back off, he told me to watch myself because Andy wasn't there to protect me. He would've hit me if Paul hadn't stopped him," she answered. "What are you gonna do about this, Eric?" Mark asked tensely. "Look, I'll talk to him, Sara," Eric said quietly. "Talk to him? Talk to him?!" Mark exclaimed. "What do you want from me, Mark?" Eric asked standing. "I want for my fiancée to feel safe without me or Andy around, that's what I want!" Mark snapped. "Mark, stop," Sara said quietly. Mark sighed and looked down at her. "I'm sorry," he whispered kneeling down beside her. "Eric, I really hope you'll take care of this. I put up with a lot of Shawn's crap," Sara said quietly, "Patrick and Steph caused less trouble than this, and they were gone within a _week_." "I can't just kick out the World champ, Sara. Shawn's got a clause in his contract: he cannot be removed from this group unless one of two things happen: (1) this group is disbanded, or (2) his in-ring performances continuously fail to meet a standard set by Vince himself," Eric argued. "This is bullshit!" Mark sneered, pulling Sara up, "I'll tell ya this, Eric. That son of a bitch puts his hands on her _one_ more time, and I'll make sure he fails those standards!" "Guys, go home...get some rest. I'll do what I can," Eric said quietly. Mark scoffed and pulled Sara out of the room, followed by Andy.

"Mark, you're hurting my arm," Sara whispered when they got to the exit door. "I'll meet you guys out there," Andy said quietly. Mark nodded and released Sara's arm. "I'm sorry, dollface," he whispered once Andy walked through the door. "It's okay. I understand why you're mad," she said softly, "I just don't know if what we're trying to do will work now." Mark sighed and looked down at the floor. "Don't lose hope, dollface. Eventually, Shawn will fuck up big-time...and Eric won't be able to hide the facts anymore," he said quietly. "Is that what you think he's doing?" she asked. "Yeah, to save his own ass," he answered. "Mark...I helped Eric for three months, remember? It's a lot to handle, a lot of pressure and responsibility. I don't think he's trying to hide anything," she said quietly. "That may be so, dollface, but priorities are out of whack, in my opinion. The safety and chemistry of this group should be number one," he argued, "You and I, and the others, see that...but I don't think Eric does. And he should." "Mark, let's just go home," she said softly, "I'm drained...physically _and_ mentally." Mark grinned and said, "I'm sure I could do something about that." "You're hopeless," she said smiling. "That's why you love me," Mark said as they headed to the truck. "Among other things," Sara said with a smile.

When they got there, Andy was waiting patiently. Mark and Sara tossed their bags in the back and climbed in. "Ready to go home?" he asked. "You know it," Sara answered. Mark put his free arm around, pulled her close, and headed towards the highway. An hour and a half later, he was pulling into the garage. Andy was fast asleep in the back seat. "Should we leave him here?" Mark asked quietly. "Mark!" Sara said quietly. "I'm just kiddin'!" he responded. Sara woke Andy, while Mark pulled their things from the cab. "Took ya long enough to get here, Mark," Andy whispered. "Just lock the door when you leave," Mark said handing Sara her bags. "See ya in the morning, Andy," Sara said following Mark inside.

When Sara got to her room, she threw her bags next to the dresser and plopped down on her bed., "Are you gonna pack tonight?" Mark asked setting his bags down beside hers. "I should," Sara answered. "Yeah, you should," he agreed, "Come on, baby, it won't take long." "For you," she said dragging herself out of bed. "We'll be in bed in less than 20 minutes," he said. "Whatever you say," Sara said pulling a suitcase from the closet. "I'll make a deal. Pack in 15 minutes or less, and I'll pamper you all day Saturday," Mark said touching her hips, "One second over 15 minutes, though, and you get to pamper _me_." "Deal," Sara said before bounding away. She never moved so fast in her life. She pulled out four t-shirts, a couple pairs of jeans, underwear, and nightclothes in just over five minutes. She dashed into the bathroom and piled all the things she needed into her arms. When she went back into the room, Mark was looking at his watch. "Six minutes to go," he said with a smile. Sara cocked her head to the right, grinned a little, and sat down on the floor. She moved as slow as she could, folding each piece of clothing neatly before placing it in the suitcase. "One minute," Mark said as she began to lay her bathroom products on top. Sara smiled and moved even slower. "Time's up," Mark said kneeling down beside her. "Great," she said looking up at him. "You know what this means, don't you?" he asked. Sara nodded and finally zipped up the suitcase. "I get to spend a whole day treating you like a king," she answered looking up at him, a spark in her eye. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" he asked. Sara nodded and got to her feet. Mark looked up at her and asked, "Why?" "Mark...you pampered me for nearly two weeks," she answered touching his cheek, "I want to give a little back." Mark pulled her close, hugging her waist. "I love you so much," he whispered. Sara kissed the top of his head and said in return, "I love you, too, hon. Ready for bed?" "I'll be to bed in a little bit," he answered standing, "I have packing of my own to do now." Sara grinned and nodded. She changed into a long nightshirt and climbed into bed, waiting for Mark to finish. When he climbed in behind her 20 minutes later, she was already asleep. "Goodnight, dollface," he whispered cutting off the lamp and pulling her closer, succumbing to the world of dreams.


	45. Pampering

**Chapter 44...Pampering**

When Saturday finally came, Sara was bubbling with excitement. On each day after her deal with Mark had been made, she'd managed to convince Andy to let her go out alone with Liz shopping. She'd purchased black and navy blue lingerie (Mark's favorite colors), as well as massage oils. She even bought scented bath oils and bubble bath solution. Mark didn't know it, but she planned on not letting him leave the hotel room until the next morning when they had to leave for the arena. Mark and Sara, as had much of the group, had decided to fly straight to Atlanta from Baltimore after the houseshow; the show was an early one, ending at around 7:30 p.m. So, immediately afterwards, Mark and Sara had headed straight to the airport. The taxi pulled up to their hotel in Atlanta at ten p.m. Sara grabbed her bags from the trunk and led the way into the hotel, Mark not too far behind her. "You better rest up tonight, hon," Sara said once they were in their room. "And why is that?" Mark asked hugging her from behind, planting kisses all over the right side of her neck. "Because," Sara answered facing him, "As of the moment you wake up, you are _all mine_." Mark kissed her lips softly at first, then more feverishly. Sara complied, allowing him to lead her to the bed. "But for tonight, dollface, you are all _mine_," he whispered in her ear.

"But you wrestled tonight, Mark," Sara said softly, "You need to--." Mark cut her off by kissing her again, pulling her to him. Sara put her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. Mark laid her down and continued to kiss her, using his hands to remove her pants and underwear. "I always loved your body," he whispered caressing her legs from the inner thigh down to her toes, "It's perfect, ya know." Sara grinned and removed his jacket and shirt. "I love your arms the most," she whispered placing her palms on his biceps, "So strong...and so gentle, all at the same time." Mark chuckled softly and kissed her nose. "Such a perky nose...a curvy mouth...beautiful eyes," he whispered kissing each part. Sara wrapped her fingers in his hair, pulling his face down to hers. "I always was jealous of your hair," she whispered back. Mark rolled onto his bottom, and slowly removed her shirt. "Small waist...toned arms...slender neck...gorgeous face," he said moving his hands sensuously over her nearly bared body. Sara pushed Mark onto his back and scooted down, unbuckling his pants and pulling them off. "Tall legs...big feet," she whispered grinning at him. Mark laughed aloud this time, watching Sara crawl back up until she was face to face with him. She kissed him hard, and Mark returned the pressure. "I love the way you kiss me," she whispered straddling his lap. Mark groaned as she moved her hips, grinding against his crotch. He flipped her over and said, "You'll get your time tomorrow...let me have mine now." Sara bit her bottom lip and giggled softly. Mark smiled and kissed her again, removing her bra, the last piece of clothing on her body. "Like I said..._all mine_," he whispered grinning.

Sara spread her arms, then placed her hands behind her head. "Do with me what you will," she said softly. Mark raised his eyebrows and began planting kisses everywhere, from her shoulders over her breasts down to her sculpted abs. When he stopped just above her navel, Sara was squirming slightly. Mark began to massage her thigh muscles, moving his hands from outside to her inner thighs. Sara moaned softly and struggled to keep her hands behind her head. She so much wanted to touch him in return. When he inserted two fingers inside her, she moaned loudly and gripped his shoulders. Mark put his hand behind her neck and pulled her face up to his, kissing her feverishly. When he felt her inner walls tighten around his fingers, he removed them. Sara groaned and whispered, "Come on, Mark...no teasing." Mark smiled and asked, "Why not?" "It's not fair," she whispered as his tongue swirled over her nipples, bringing them to rosy peaks. Moaned filled his ears, and he moved up to her neck, leaving a dark red hickey at the base of her neck. "That's gonna be hard to cover up," he whispered running his index finger over it, bringing giggles from Sara. "I'll just have to wear a turtleneck all day," she said softly. "And hide this body? I don't think so," he argued nipping at her earlobe. Sara sighed happily and moved her hands over his damp upper body. Mark continued to ravage her neck and shoulders, nipping and suckling on different spots.

When his index finger moved against the folds of her womanhood, Sara went from moaning softly to groaning, pulling him closer to her. "You're gonna...pay...for this...tomorrow," she whispered breathlessly. Mark chuckled deeply and slowly entered her. "Oh really?" he asked squeezing her left breast gently. "OH! Yeah!" she moaned moving her hips up towards his. Mark groaned and began to move in and out, using his index finger and thumb to tease her womanhood. Sara groaned and pulled his face to hers, kissing him with renewed passion. Her leg muscles tightened around his waist as she felt an orgasm coming on. "Mark, oh...Mark...it's – here!" she screamed before exploding in ecstasy, her body trembling violently. Mark didn't stop, though. He led her through two more orgasms before his own overtook him. "I love you," he whispered in her ear before releasing inside her. Sara kissed him softly and whispered, "I love you, too." Mark collapsed beside her and rested his hand on her cheek. Sara looked up at him and grinned.

"Satisfied now?" she asked softly. "Like you wouldn't believe," he answered with his own grin, "I've been waitin' for that since Monday." Sara laughed and stretched out her limbs, then scratched her belly. "I'm gonna be way energized to take care of you tomorrow now," she said wiping her forehead with the back of her right hand. Mark chuckled and said, "Darn...I'd hoped you'd be too tired. I can take care o' that, ya know." Sara shook her head as she pulled the cover over them. "Nope. I lost fair and square," she countered. "No, you didn't. You lost because you wanted to," he argued. "Yeah, I _wanted_ to. I've never _wanted_ to lose, Mark, but you know what?" she whispered caressing his cheek. "What?" he asked. "I'm glad I did," she answered, "Now sleep...tomorrow's gonna be a long, luxurious day for you." "Luxurious, huh?" he asked pulling her close, "That's a mighty big word." "Hush up and go to sleep," Sara whispered pinching his left nipple. Mark gasped and grabbed at her own breast. "That doesn't feel good, ya know," he said tickling her instead. Sara laughed and scrambled from the bed. "Mark, come on! I'm sleepy!" she whined. Mark grinned slightly and climbed out of bed, chasing her around the room, both of their laughs filling it. When Mark finally caught her 15 minutes later, both were fully exhausted. "Are you happy now?" Sara asked breathlessly. The pillows and covers from the bed were tossed all over the room, and a couple of pillows had been burst in a spur-of-the-moment pillow fight. "Yep," Mark answered lying back on the bed. Sara tossed a couple of pillows over his face, and pulled a sheet from the floor. "Good. Sleep," she commanded spreading the sheet over them, resting her head on his chest. "Yes, ma'am," he whispered kissing her sweaty forehead. Sleep conquered their bodies in minutes.

The next morning, Sara awoke first. She slowly climbed from the bed, trying her hardest not to wake Mark. When his right eye peeked open at her, she sighed. "What time is it?" he asked stretching his arms and yawning. "Ten o' clock. Go back to sleep," Sara answered pulling the sheet from around his waist and wrapping it around her own body. "I'm cold now," he said pretending to shiver. Sara grinned and tossed him the cover from the floor, smiling when he turned onto his stomach and fell back asleep. She went over to her suitcase and pulled out the black lingerie, her razor, moisturizing lotion, and hairdryer, then dashed into the bathroom. She took a long, hot shower, showing stray hairs away and washing her hair with the hotel shampoo. Afterwards, she stepped out of the tub, and dried off quickly. She lotioned her smooth skin, then dried her hair, brushing it through until it was silky smooth and shiny. When she finished that, she finally slipped on the lingerie. It was a black lace, matching bra-and-panty set, with a black satin nightie to go over it. The nightie had thin straps, was low-cut so that the roundness of her breasts showed, fitted tightly around her waist, with the hem barely reaching her mid-thigh. She took a deep breath and smoothed the camisole over. "This should be an interesting day," she whispered. She took another deep breath before exiting the bathroom.

Mark had awoken while Sara was in the shower. He'd cut on the TV and turned towards it, his back facing the bathroom. When he heard the bathroom door open, he said over his shoulder, "About time." Sara smiled and cleared her throat. Mark looked over at her and inhaled sharply at the sight. "Dollface...," he whispered sitting up. Sara walked over to him and crawled up his legs, kissing him hard and forcing him onto his back. "What are you doing?" he asked as she kissed his neck. "Starting your day," she whispered nibbling on his earlobe. She moved down to his right shoulder, tracing the tattoos with her tongue. She straddled his waist and brought his right hand to her mouth, sucking on each finger. Mark groaned and placed his free hand on her waist. Sara took that hand and sucked each finger as well. When she finished, she proceeded to kiss his left arm. Mark bit his bottom lip and groaned again. When she finished, she sat up on his waist and smiled.

"Why'd you stop?" he asked huskily. "Just wanted to make sure you were cleaned up before breakfast," she answered reaching for the phone. Mark chuckled and pulled her back to his waist. "Who said I was hungry for food?" he whispered moving his hands up her sides. Sara giggled and pushed his hands away. "Stop it," she said smiling, "We've got all day for that." "Really? All day?" he asked grinning boyishly. Sara shook her head and climbed off his waist, picking up the phone. "What do you want for breakfast?" she asked. "Hmm...eggs and bacon...toast...and a nice tall glass of orange juice," he answered. Sara dialed room service and placed the order while Mark went to use the bathroom. She ordered plenty for him, and only a little for herself. When Mark emerged from the bathroom, Sara had remade the bed and was in the midst of picking up the results of their pillow fight. "Shouldn't we leave that for housekeeping?" he asked coming up behind her. Sara grinned and answered, "Nope...we're not leaving this room all day." Mark kneeled down beside her and touched her shoulder. "Come lay down with me...please?" he said softly. "The food will be here in a little bit," she replied. "We can lay down 'til then," he countered standing, holding a hand out to her. Sara looked up at him and shook her head. "You are a relentless man, Mark Callaway," she said placing her left hand in his and standing, "But I love you for it."

Mark scooped her up and carried her over to the bed. "Always and forever?" he asked laying down with her still in his arms. "You know it," she answered wrapping her arms around his neck. Mark's lips came to hers, and they gently kissed until a knock on the door interrupted them. Sara pulled away and dashed over to the door. "Aren't you gonna put a shirt on or somethin'?" Mark asked as her hand touched the doorknob. "What? Don't want anyone else to see this?" she said looking over her shoulder and grinning. "Nope!" he answered sitting up. Sara rolled her eyes and said, "Millions of people see me every week, Mark." "Not like this," Mark countered. Sara chuckled and picked up Mark's shirt off the floor, slipped it on quickly, and opened the door. "Good morning, Mrs. Callaway, I have your order here," the bellhop said with a smile. Sara smiled and said, "I'm not Mrs. Callaway...yet, but thanks for being so quick with the food." The bellhop nodded and apologized. "It's fine, kid. Thanks," she said before shutting the door. She rolled the cart over to the edge of the bed and uncovered it. "Your meal, sir," she said winking at Mark. "Let's eat on the balcony. I know you ordered something for yourself," he said standing. Sara agreed and followed Mark out onto the large balcony with the cart. She set his tray down in front of him, before sitting down beside him. Mark removed the cover from the tray and set it to the side. "Uh-uh-uh, you're not doin' a thing today," Sara said unfolding a napkin and setting it on his lap. Mark grinned Sara began feeding him his food. She truly meant to pamper him. She scooped the eggs and pieces of bacon onto small pieces of toast, put them into Mark's mouth, and allowed him to even suck on her fingers each time until they were clean. When he finally drank down his orange juice, Mark was completely satiated. "Well, that was fun," he said softly. Sara chuckled as she began to eat her own food. "That's what it was meant to be," she responded. Mark reached over and ran his fingers through her shiny hair. "How long did _this_ take?" he asked with a smile. "What?" Sara asked. "Gettin' all this hair dried," he responded. Sara stuck her tongue out at him in response. Sara finished her breakfast slowly, allowing Mark to relax and enjoy the morning air.

When she finished, they went back inside and laid down together. "So...what do you wanna do?" Sara asked. "Let's talk," he answered. "About what?" she asked. "Anything. I've always been able to talk to you about anything, right?" Mark said kissing her cheek. "Of course," she answered snuggling against his body. "How'd you find this little get-up?" he asked fingering the straps of her camisole. Sara grinned and buried her face in his chest. "I convinced Andy to let me and Liz go shopping alone. We found a Victoria's Secret in Baltimore. I knew you liked black, so I got it," she answered. "Andy let you go out alone? How'd you pull that one off?" he continued. "I just told him it was me and Liz, and we weren't goin' anywhere dangerous. Besides, I can take care of myself," she answered. Mark chuckled softly and kissed her forehead. "Yeah, you definitely can," he whispered hugging her tightly. "Mark?" she whispered looking at him. "Yeah, babe?" he said softly. "When are we getting married?" she asked. Mark smiled and kissed her forehead. "I was wondering when you were gonna ask that," he answered, "When do _you_ wanna get married?" "After _Wrestlemania_," she answered, "In the Spring time...it can be a beach wedding." "You want a big wedding?" he asked. "No, no way. Just you, me, the preacher, and a few friends," she said softly. "How many is a "few"?" Mark asked grinning. "Oh, hush. I really mean a few, 25 people max," she answered. "That _is_ a few," Mark answered continuing to grin. "You really think so?" she asked. "Yeah, definitely. I was expecting you to say around 100," he answered. "I don't think I _know_100 people, other than the wrestlers...and I don't want all o' them at my wedding," she said smiling. "At least some of 'em," he countered. "Yeah...Andy, Kevin, Liz, Scott, Shorty, and Carlos, I guess...and Roddy, too," she answered, "I'd want him to be there. Would you?" Mark took a deep breath and looked down at her bright eyes. "Whatever you want, dollface," he whispered kissing her nose. Sara smiled and reached up, touching his cheek. "I love you so much," she whispered, "I don't know where I'd be without you, Mark." Mark kissed her forehead again and said softly, "Ditto, baby."

Their talking continued for the next hour and a half, before Mark decided he wanted to watch television. "I'm sure there's a football game on, or somethin'," he said flipping the television on. Sara chuckled as Mark sat on the edge of the bed, flipping through channels. He found a game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers, and dropped the remote on the floor. "You can't like any of those teams, Mark," Sara said scooting up beside him. "Nah, but it's football," he answered. Sara smiled and laid out on the bed to watch as well. The game lasted for a little over two hours; Mark had caught it just as the first quarter had ended. Falcons won the game, 30-27. Afterwards, Mark laid back beside Sara and scratched his belly. "Hungry now?" she asked. Mark looked over at her and grinned. "A little," he answered. "For food?" she asked tracing his strong jawbone with her right index finger. Mark broke into a smile and said, "What do you think?" Sara chuckled and climbed onto his waist, eliciting a groan from him. His hands went to her waist and squeezed gently. "I got an idea," she said softly. "Oh, do tell," he said grinning. "Let me give you a massage," she said moving her hands over his bared chest. "Like a back massage?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, "Isn't that kinda simple?" "No, Mark...a full-body massage," she answered grinning, "I bought massage oils, and I practiced on Andy, so I got a--." Mark sat up with a bewildered look. "You practiced on _Andy_?!" he asked. Sara laughed and kissed the tip of his nose. "Of course not, Mark. You're such a jealous man, you know that?" she whispered. "That's not funny," he said quietly. "Mark, Andy and I are close, but we're not _that_ close," she said hugging his neck. Mark sighed and kissed her bared shoulder. "Good," he said kissing her earlobe. "So, you up for it?" she asked. "Sure, why not," he answered as she climbed from his waist. He turned onto his stomach as Sara went to her suitcase. She pulled out the massage oils and went back over to the bed. "Do I need to get naked for this?" he asked looking over his shoulder at her, a grin on his face. "No, you're fine," she answered. "Damn," he said smiling fully. Sara rolled her eyes playfully and sat down at his right side. "Just relax...this may even put you to sleep," she said softly. Mark chuckled softly and rested his head on the pillow.

The massage started with Mark's right arm. Sara went from caressing his skin with her finger tips to using the palm of her to massage little kinks out of Mark's muscled body. She moved over his back, which took a long time to cover, not just because it was so much space, but because Mark had wrestled the past two nights. When she finished his back, she moved to his other arm. After that, she moved down his legs, gently massaging those as well. When she finally finished, a little over an hour later, Mark was fast asleep. "Told ya it'd put you to sleep," she whispered putting the massage oils back into her suitcase. She grabbed a fiction book from her bag and went out onto the balcony to read it. The next few hours flew by for Sara, and the chilly evening air sent her inside sooner than she wanted. Mark was still asleep on the bed. She smiled and sat down beside him, continuing to read her book. It was a fantasy book, J.R.R. Tolkien's _Lord of the Rings_ trilogy. It had been made into a trilogy movie series years ago, but Sara wanted to read the book first.

Around nine o' clock, Mark finally stirred. Sara looked down at him from her book and smiled slightly. "You slept for a while," she said softly. Mark looked up at her and said, "You let me." "You needed it, obviously," she said quietly, her eyes scanning the portion of the book where she'd last read. Mark slowly took the book away from her and closed it, tossing it off the side of the bed. "I was reading that," she said looking down at him. Mark grinned and grabbed her knees, pulling her until she was lying down. "What are you doin'?" she asked as he leaned over her. "Shh," he whispered kissing her softly. His hand went up her thigh, reaching underneath the silk camisole. Sara closed her eyes as Mark's hand caressed her abdomen. He slipped his fingers inside her panties, tugging at the elastic band. "These have been on long enough," he whispered kissing her ear. Sara bit her bottom lip and touched his hand at her waist. "I guess I was saving the best for last," she whispered, "Wanted to make sure you were rested." Mark smiled and slipped his hand inside her panties, inserting two fingers inside her. Sara gasped and arched up against him, groaning softly as he began to move them in and out. "Well, I'm definitely well rested," he whispered kissing the side of her neck. Sara moaned softly and ran her hand up his thick forearm, squeezing tightly. When she began to tremble and twitch against him, he ran his thumb back and forth over her womanhood, continue to suck on the side of her neck. "Mark...Mark," she moaned gripping his bicep. "Just let go, baby," he whispered taking her earlobe into his mouth. Sara moans came at a faster pace and higher pitch as Mark continued to finger her. Her walls tighten and she began trembling even more. Moments later, she moaned loudly and squeezed her thighs together against his hand. Mark removed his fingers and inserted them into his own mouth. "Mmm," he moaned, "Sweetest taste on this Earth." Sara smiled and picked her head up, nipping at Mark's neck. Mark groaned and touched her cheek, looking into her eyes.

"You are such an amazing woman," he whispered stroking her cheek with his thumb. "You flatter me too much," she whispered back. Mark kissed her gently, bringing her arms around his neck. "You deserve it," he said quietly. "I was supposed to be pampering _you_, not the other way around," she said kissing him. "Yeah, well...that massage was worth a whole day's pampering," he whispered kissing her face and neck. "So you liked it, huh?" she asked as Mark slipped the straps of her camisole over her muscled shoulders. "You bet your sweet bottom I did," he said softly, "For the first day in three months...I'm not in any pain...no aches or anything." Sara smiled slightly and hugged his neck tightly. "That was the goal," she said kissing his cheek. "Well, you definitely achieved it," he whispered moving his hands down her lengthy body. Sara grinned and kissed his chin, down his throat, to his muscled shoulders. "I love you," she said softly. Mark wrapped his fingers in her silky hair and grinned slightly. "I love you, too, baby," he whispered kissing her neck gently. Sara moaned softly and laid her hands at her head, enjoying being pampered. Mark slipped his hand under her camisole once again, removing the lace panties. "Now that those are outta the way...," Mark whispered moving his hand up Sara's inner thigh. Sara moaned and twitched slightly, anticipating what was coming next. He grinned and kissed down her neck, pulling the camisole down over her breasts, and down her legs. "A sight to behold," he whispered looking over her bared body. Sara smiled slightly and sat up, planting kisses over Mark's chest.

"Indeed," she whispered running her hands over his arms and muscled torso. Mark pressed her back down to the bed with his body, pulling her legs up around his waist. "Just lie there, dollface," he whispered squeezing her right breast gently. Sara groaned, arching up to give Mark easier access. When his mouth crashed down on her nipple, she moaned loudly, wrapping her fingers in his hair. Mark groaned and inserted two fingers inside her. "Mark, oh Mark!" she whispered trembling against him. Mark ravaged her breasts with a barrage of kissing, suckling, and nipping, all the while moving his fingers in and out of her womanhood. Sara climaxed after only a few minutes of this wondrous torture. "Tired yet?" he asked removing his fingers slowly. Sara grinned lazily and answered, "Not in the least." She flipped Mark onto his back and climbed onto his waist. Feeling his erection against her pulsating crotch, she licked her lips and raked her nails over Mark's damp skin. "Seems like I'm the only one getting rewarded here," she whispered climbing off of his waist, and moving down his legs. She slowly pulled Mark's boxers down, freeing his stiff member. She gripped it at the base, and licked up the bottom side, then blowing softly. Mark groaned softly and gripped the sheets tightly.

Sara grinned and continued to tease him by licking the length of his shaft and blowing. "Sara, come on....I didn't tease you that bad," Mark groaned after a few minutes, "I don't know how much longer I can last." Sara bit her bottom lip and crawled back up Mark's body, before easing him inside her. She set a slow, torturous pace, sucking at his neck as she did so. Mark groaned and placed his hands on her waist, trying to get her to go faster. "Is this...part of your...pampering?" he whispered. "You know it," she answered kissing him gently. Mark groaned again and wrapped his fingers in her hair, kissing her harder. Sara moaned against his lips and began to increase her tempo. Mark slowly rolled her over, starting his own pace. "Why do you get to be in control?" she whispered gripping his hair. "Because...I like to be," he answered kissing her slender neck. Sara laughed as Mark continued to move inside her. Mark gripped her right breast and gently squeezed, causing Sara to moan and arch up against him. She moved her hips up against Mark's, meeting his every thrust. "I...love...you," she moaned as a final climax racked her body. Mark groaned and thrust into her once more. "Ditto, dollface," he whispered before collapsing beside her. "Enjoy your day of pampering?" Sara asked facing him. Mark wiped the sweat from her face, then kissed her gently. "_Loved_ it," he whispered, "I'll have to return the favor sometime soon." "Maybe tomorrow night...Adam and I are gonna have a really tough match," she said grinning, "I'll need a good massage." "Count on it," he said pulling the covers over them, "You should probably get some rest." "Yeah, I should...I'm gonna need all the energy in the world to pull off the kind of match I want to tomorrow night," she said softly, "I want to...earn the respect of the fans...and my peers even more." She yawned as sleepiness came to her. "You've got the respect of everyone in that locker room, Sara, and you know it," he whispered kissing her forehead. "Yeah...but being IC champion is something only very few have earned the right to say," she said quietly, "And I want people to understand that I earned the right to hold that title." "Sleep, dollface," Mark said softly, wrapping his arms around her, "Tomorrow night's gonna be a piece o' cake for you." Sara grinned and kissed his chest, before falling into a comfortable sleep.


	46. No Pain, No Gain

**Chapter 45...No Pain, No Gain**

Sara awoke the next morning alone. She looked over at the clock and grinned. It was only 10:30, and they didn't have to be to the arena until noon. She heard the shower running, and smiled fully. Memories of last night came to her mind, and she chuckled softly. "I love that man," she whispered climbing out of bed. She wrapped the cover around her, then went into the bathroom. "You finally awake?" Mark asked from the shower. "Finally?" Sara said smiling, "How long have you been awake?" "A few hours," he answered, "I slept all day yesterday, remember?" "Yeah, I know," she answered. Mark peeked out from behind the shower curtain with a grin on his face, and said, "I bet you do." Sara turned pink and touched his cheek. "I love you so much," she whispered. "I love you, too, baby," he said softly, "Come join me." "How long have you been in there?" she asked. "Just finished washing my hair," he answered. Sara smiled and said, "And you know how much I love that hair." Mark winked at her as she dropped the cover. He pulled back the curtain, helping her to step in. He pulled her close and kissed her lips softly. "Thank you so much for yesterday," he whispered, "I needed that." "I know," she said softly, running her hands over his wet skin. She grabbed the soap bar and began to run it over Mark's upper body. "Ah, ah...," he whispered taking the soap from her. "What?" she asked grinning. Mark simply smiled and began to lather her body, caressing her skin with his fingertips. When she was finally covered in soapsuds, he put her in front of the shower head and rinsed her off.

"You forgot something," Sara whispered wetting her hair. "You want me to wash all that?" he asked, his jaw dropping slightly. "Oh, shut up," Sara said punching his chest, "It doesn't take _that_ long." "You're used to it," he argued back, picking up the hotel shampoo. Sara smiled as Mark lathered her hair, then gently massaged the roots. Sara moaned softly and closed her eyes. "That's nice," she whispered leaning her head back. Mark grinned and washed her hair down to the ends. She just stood there, barely able to stand on her own. He finished a few minutes later, rinsing her hair completely. "There," he said finally. "Only once?" she asked grinning. Mark raised an eyebrow and cupped her chin, kissing her softly. "Breakfast time," he whispered. "Okay," she said softly, a slight frown on her face. "That's not gonna work," he said stepping out. Sara smiled and snapped her fingers. "Darn," she said stepping out behind him. "What do you want to eat?" he asked shaking his head. "Food," she answered simply. Mark chuckled and went into the room, saying, "Fair enough..." Sara smiled and wrapped a towel around her body, then blow-dried and brushed her hair smooth. When she went back into the room, Mark was stretched out on the bed watching TV. "Did you order breakfast?" she asked pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from her suitcase. "Yeah, it should be here any minute," he answered watching her dress. Sara slipped on her t-shirt, then put her hair in a ponytail. "When are we going to the arena?" she asked facing him. Mark grinned and motioned for her to come over to him. Sara smiled slightly and walked over to him, laughing when he pulled her on top of him. She kissed him gently, resting her hands on the sides of his head. "So...what time?" she asked quietly. "I don't know," he answered running his hands up her sides. "How about after breakfast?" she asked kissing him again. "Fair enough," he responded. "You better get dressed then," she said climbing off of him and grabbing the remote from the nightstand. Mark had been laying there in his boxers. A knock on the door came moments later, and Sara ran over to the door, swinging it open.

"Your order, ma'am," the bellhop said smiling. Sara smiled back and thanked him. "Have a good day, ma'am," he said winking at her. Sara shook her head as she rolled the cart in, then shut the door with her foot. "Food's here," she said looking over at Mark, who'd just slipped on a pair of jeans. "Good, I'm starving," he said pulling out a shirt. Sara uncovered the food and smiled: two plates of pancakes, an omelet, a few slices of ham, and four slices of toast, accompanied by two glasses of orange juice. "This looks good," she said rubbing her hands together. "Yeah," Mark said sitting down beside her. "Come on...balcony," she said standing and rolling the cart outside. Mark grinned and followed her, sliding the door shut behind him. Sara sat down and took a plate of pancakes, a couple pieces of toast, as well as the omelet, setting it down in front of her. "What do you think you're doin'?" Mark asked reaching for the omelet. "I'm eating," Sara said brushing his hand away. "That's mine," he said reaching again. "We'll share," Sara said smiling, cutting the first piece and putting the fork in his mouth. Mark couldn't argue, only chew. Sara grinned and took her own bite. "This is good," she said taking another bite. "Yeah, it is," Mark said taking his own fork and cutting a piece away. "You can have it," she said taking a sip of her orange juice. "Are you sure?" Mark asked. Sara winked at him, and took a slice of ham. "I don't eat as much as you do, remember?" she said smiling. Mark smiled and nodded.

They finished breakfast 20 minutes later, and Mark rolled the cart inside. Sara quickly brushed her teeth, then packed up her duffel bag. A pit was in her stomach, and she couldn't seem to get rid of it. _Something's not right about this day_, she thought as Mark packed his own bag. "You okay, dollface?" Mark asked putting on his boots. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just nervous about tonight," she answered honestly. "Ah, don't worry. You're gonna have the match of your life," Mark said touching her hand, "And then, you're gonna be the Intercontinental champion." "You're jealous, aren't you?" she asked winking at him. "Of course," he said pulling her to him and kissing her softly, "But you deserve it." "Come on, let's go," she said standing and slinging her bag over shoulder, then pulling Mark out of the room. Mark closed the door with a smile on his face.

They arrived at the arena just a few minutes later. The hotel was right down the street, so they walked there. When Sara walked into the locker room, she was met by Andy. "Hey, baby doll," he said coming up to her, "You excited about today?" "You know it!" she exclaimed smiling. "You should be. This has been a long time comin'," he said quietly. "Yeah, that's what Mark said earlier this morning," she responded quietly, "I'm a little...I don't know, I just have this pit in my stomach." "You gonna go workout?" he asked. "Yeah, maybe that'll help," she answered. "You wanna talk afterwards?" he asked. "Yeah, sure," she said setting her bag down in a chair. Mark walked in moments later. "Are we the first ones here?" he asked dropping his bag beside Sara's. "Yeah," Andy answered, "Eric's around here somewhere, of course." "Cool. You gonna work out with us?" Mark said pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a muscle t-shirt. "Nah, I probably won't workout for a while," Andy answered. "Alright. Sara, I'll meet you there," Mark said before leaving the room. Sara took a deep breath, looking down at the floor. "Sara, what is it?" Andy asked touching her shoulders. "I'm just...worried about this match tonight," she whispered, "I have this feeling that something's gonna go wrong." "You're paranoid, Sara. Nothing's gonna go wrong. You're gonna go out there, and bust your ass, and everybody's gonna love you and respect you even more," he said quietly. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I'm just worried about making a mistake," she said still looking at the floor. "We'll talk after your workout, okay?" Andy said forcing her to look at him, "I'll meet you up in the balcony in, say, an hour and a half?" "Make it two hours," she said putting her bag back on her shoulder. "Okay...two hours. I'll be waitin' for ya," he answered. Sara nodded and headed down to the arena gym. She quickly changed clothes and stretched out with Mark, trying to get her mind off of the sinking feeling in her heart.

All through the workout, Sara's mind was obviously elsewhere. When, during sparring, Mark caught her with a sudden right jab and knocked her down, she stayed there trying to catch her breath. Mark kneeled down at her head and asked, "Where's your mind?" Sara took a few deep breaths and looked into his bright green eyes. "Not here," she whispered. "That's pretty obvious. What's the problem?" he asked. "Something's wrong...I can't put my finger on it, but this day is just...not right," she answered slowly, her voice quivering. Mark helped her to her feet and sighed heavily. "Let's call it quits. We've been goin' for a while anyway," he said softly. Sara nodded and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "I'm gonna go find Andy," she said as her heartbeat slowed to a normal pace, "We'll meet up in an hour for lunch, ok?" "That's fine," he answered as they left the gym and separated.

Sara found Andy waiting for her in the balcony. "You're late," he said as she plopped down in a seat beside him. "Lost track of time," she said back. "So, what's on your mind?" he asked. Sara looked out into the empty arena, trying to figure out what was wrong. "I can't figure it out, Andy," she answered after a minute of silence, "After breakfast with Mark...I just got this horrible pit in my stomach...like somethin' horrible is gonna happen tonight." "With Shawn?" he asked. "I don't know. I don't even have anything to do with him tonight, so it's not him," she answered. "Do you think it's your mom?" he continued. "No. I talked to her Friday evening. She's as happy as ever. She got a little Doberman Pinscher puppy, so she's excited about that," she answered. "Maybe you should call her just in case," he suggested. "It's not her, Andy," Sara said again, "It's something about this match tonight." "Sara...if you go into this match worried about something going wrong...it probably will. I know that doesn't make you feel better, but being paranoid just takes your mind off of the match, and increases the risk of you, or Adam, making a mistake," he said quietly. "I know, Andy...I know," she whispered. "Have you seen Adam since you've been here?" he asked. "No. I went straight to the gym after I got here," she answered. "Maybe you should go find him...start throwin' some ideas together for the match," he suggested. "I need to calm down a little bit before I see him," she countered. Andy nodded and touched her hand softly. "Don't worry, okay, Sara? You're gonna be fine," he said with a grin. Sara looked at him, a grin slowly coming to her face. "I can always count on you, Andy," she said. "Yeah...you can," he agreed.

After talking for another half an hour, Sara's nerves were calmed. She found Adam as he headed out to the ring. "Hey, Adam," she spoke. "Hey, Sara," Adam said quietly. "You okay? You're not hurt, are you?" she asked concerned. "Other than the regular aches and pains, I'm fine," he answered as they headed through the curtain. "What is it?" she asked. "Nothin', Sara, I promise," he said smiling at her. Sara took a deep breath, and forced a grin. "Okay," she said hunching her shoulders. They rolled into the ring, and began their session.

After the session, which lasted an hour, Sara felt a lot better about the match. She'd made sure to be as detailed as possible. She went into the back and took a nice, hot shower, washing away her still-present worries along with the sweat. When she finished, she dressed in her set for the night. It was a pair of black, low-cut, latex shorts which hugged her skin tightly, accentuating her curves. She pulled on the matching low-cut halter top, smoothing it over and adjusting it where necessary. _Why skin needs to be shown so much, I'll never understand_, she thought looking at herself in the mirror. She exited the women's locker room, heading down to catering. She grabbed a chicken sandwich, an apple, and a bottle of water, and headed back to the locker room. When she entered and found only Shawn there, she turned to leave. "It's rude not to speak," Shawn said grinning. Sara stopped and glared back at him. "I don't speak to assholes," she spat. Shawn stood and came over to her, his jaw clenched. "It's rude to insult people, too," he responded heatedly. "I'm leaving," she snapped heading out. "Wait...," Shawn said slowly. Sara hesitated and took a deep breath. "What?" she asked. "Good luck out there tonight," Shawn said. Sara faced him and narrowed her eyes. "I don't need your fake support, Shawn...I've got enough real support from people who actually care about me," she hissed. "I just hope nothing goes wrong," Shawn said cryptically before walking back to his seat, "Accidents happen, ya know?" Sara swallowed and left the room, her pulse racing. _I knew there was something wrong...and Shawn's right in the middle of it, that bastard_, she thought heading down the hall. She ran into Mark on her way to the balcony. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing her flushed skin. "Nothin'," she whispered trying to move around him. "What is it?" he asked blocking her way. "I need to clear my mind," she answered looking up at him. Mark tilted his head to the left and asked, "Who?" Sara closed her eyes and sighed. "I don't wanna talk about it, Mark," she whispered. Mark tilted her chin up, and saw the unshed tears. "Come on," he said putting his arm around her shoulder and leading her up to the balcony seating.

Sara ate her food slowly, staring blankly at the ring as Mark sat beside her. When she finished and went to stand, Mark stopped her. "What?" she asked. "You haven't spoken one word," he said quietly, "Not one. I don't know what you were thinkin' about, but you didn't look too happy. So tell me about it." Sara swallowed and looked away. Mark gently pulled her back down to her seat, placing his arm around her shoulder. "I've had this pit in my stomach since this morning, that something is wrong with today, somethin' bad is gonna happen," she said softly, "That's why I was out of it when we worked out." Mark squeezed her shoulder in comfort, silently urging her to continue. "Adam and I talked out our match...I made sure to go over every detail, to make sure there was as little room for mistake as possible. After that, I was feeling okay...I wasn't worried as much...but...," she said softly, looking down. "But what, dollface?" he asked rubbing her arm. "But then I ran into Shawn," she whispered. "What'd he say?" he asked calmly. "He said...'I hope nothing goes wrong...accidents happen.'...and it just made that pit in my stomach even deeper," she said softly. Sara felt Mark's body tense up, and felt the growing anger inside him.

"Don't," she whispered. "Don't what?" he asked quietly. "Don't go say anything to him," she answered, "I don't want him to know that he got to me..." Mark took a deep breath and looked down at her. She was looking up at him, her cheeks stained with tears. He wiped them away and nodded. "Okay, baby," he whispered hugging her. Sara cried silently into his chest, her body jerking slightly. Mark simply rubbed her back, comforting her without words. He was calm on the surface, but inside rage churned in his heart. Shawn was doing his best to make their lives a living hell...and succeeding. _He's not gonna quit until he breaks her...and I can't let him do that_, he thought, _But I can't say or _do_ anything now...because she doesn't want me to_. After a minute or two, Sara finally wiped her eyes and pulled away from his grip. "A little better?" he asked wiping her cheeks with his thumbs. "No...but I'll be alright," she whispered. "Maybe you should call your mom. Maybe she can help you calm down a little," he suggested. Sara sighed and closed her eyes. "Yeah, you're right," she whispered. "Come on, dollface," he said standing. Sara picked up her trash and placed her free hand in his. Mark led her down to the locker room, opening the door slowly. When he saw that Shawn wasn't inside, he let Sara in.

Sara quickly went to her duffel bag and pulled out her cell phone, then left the room. She followed Mark outside, then quickly dialed her mother's number. "Hi, Sara," her mother answered, "How's it goin'?" "Not good, mom," Sara answered softly. "What's wrong, baby? Today should be a celebration for you," Lucy said. "I know, I know...but ever since I woke up this morning, I've had a bad feeling...and it hasn't gone away. Are you doin' okay?" Sara said taking a seat on the curb, Mark sitting down beside her. "Yeah, I'm perfectly fine, hon. What's wrong with you?" Lucy asked. Sara held back tears as she relayed what the pit in her stomach was about, and what Shawn had said to her. When she finished, she was trembling. Mark put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. "That bastard is gonna ruin your life, Sara...but only if you let him," Lucy said after a few moments of silence. "But it's so hard, mama...he seems to know exactly how to get under my skin," Sara said quietly. "I know it's hard, Sara...but you've got to fight him, not with your fists but with your mind. You're a brilliant woman, a strong woman, and you know how to stand up for yourself, even if it's not a physical confrontation," Lucy argued. Sara sighed heavily and let her head drop. "What about everybody you told me who wants him out of the group as much as you do?" Lucy asked. "We haven't really talked in a couple weeks," Sara answered. "Maybe you should get that back up...you've got support, Sara, and a heck of a lot of it. Mark isn't the only one there who's concerned about you," Lucy said. "I know, mama," she whispered. "Good, baby. Perk up, okay? You've got some gold comin' your way," Lucy said with a smile. Sara cracked a small smile and sighed. "Yeah, you're right," she said quietly. "I know you've got a busy day, so I'll talk to you later, okay?" Lucy said. "I love you, mom," Sara said softly, "I'd be lost without you." "I love you, too, Sara...you know that," Lucy said, "Now go on...get to work, and don't worry about Shawn. He'll get his comeuppance for what he's putting you through." "Thanks, mama...I love you," Sara said again. "I love you, too, baby. Call me after your match, okay? Just to make sure everything's okay," Lucy said. "Will do. Bye, mom," Sara said. "Bye, baby," Lucy said before hanging up. Sara clicked her phone shut and smiled a little. "Better?" Mark asked. "Yeah...thank you," Sara said looking up at him. "I love you, dollface, and I don't like seeing you so upset...especially by that son of a bitch," he said kissing her forehead. "Come on. I need to go talk to everybody. Will you help me find them all?" she said standing. "All of who?" Mark asked standing as well. "Paul, Andy, Kevin, Liz, Scott, Shorty, Carlos, John, and Ron. It's time to get this thing into gear," she answered heading inside. Mark smiled and nodded. "Indeed," he said linking his fingers with hers.

It took them nearly an hour, but Sara and Mark finally all nine people in an empty locker room. "So, what's up, Sara?" Paul asked when everyone quieted down, "We haven't met like this in a week." "Well, Paul...I honestly thought that maybe this wouldn't work...until today. Shawn is up to something, and I don't know what it is. Today, he said to me, about my match tonight, 'I hope nothing goes wrong...accidents happen.' And that sent off alarms in my own head. How would you take that?" she answered. "How'd he say it?" Paul asked. "Like he knew something about my match that I didn't...which is weird because I talked that match out with Adam for an hour, goin' over every little detail I could," she said crossing her arms. "Sara, you shouldn't even have been alone with Shawn. Thought we agreed to that. Where were you, Andy?" Mark said looking over at Andy. "I was in the gym. We separated so she could go work with Adam, and I could go work out. I didn't know she'd be finished in an hour," Andy argued. "You should've waited until after she got done with Adam to work out, then she wouldn't have had to be alone with Shawn for him to say that shit to her," Mark said heatedly. "Guys, stop...it's no one's fault," Sara said crossing her arms, "It's happened, and I think it's gonna be in our favor. Shawn's making these little mistakes, and he doesn't realize he's just giving us more stuff to use against him." Mark sighed and sat back in his seat. "So what are we gonna do about it?" he asked. "That's a group decision. I think it's too soon to make a stand just yet. I want you guys, especially you Paul, to keep an eye on Shawn. We need to note any odd behavior, and out-of-line statements he might make. Every little thing helps," she answered, "We're gonna meet up again Wednesday, okay? I really want you guys, and girl, Liz, to keep your eyes open. We're taking this bastard down, and we're gonna have to help each other in order to do that. Any questions?" "Yeah," Liz answered. "What is it, Liz?" Sara said. "Is it true you're winning gold tonight?" she asked. Sara turned pink and looked at the floor. The room broke out into cheers, making Sara blush even more. "Party tonight! My room!" Kevin said, "I'll bring the drinks, but you guys gotta bring your own food!" Sara laughed and shook her head. "Let's get outta here, guys," she said smiling. She opened the door and headed out, followed by all ten people.

The rest of the day went a lot better for Sara. She sat out at ringside helping people plan their matches, and even got a massage from Mark to loosen up her muscles. Around seven p.m., she went to Janet to get her hair and makeup done. While she was sitting there, Adam walked by. "Adam, hi," Sara said getting his attention. "Hey, Sara," he said quietly. Sara noticed that he wouldn't look her in the eye. "Adam, what is it? You've been like this since I saw you this morning," she said touching his arm. "Just nervous...about tonight," he answered. "Why?" she asked. Adam looked down at the ground and swallowed. "Adam...talk to me, man," Sara said softly. "I just don't wanna mess anything up for you. This is a big night for you, and I don't wanna mess it up," he answered. "We're gonna be just fine, Adam. Nothin' bad is gonna happen, okay? We've got this thing memorized like the back of our hands, so we'll be fine," she said smiling. Adam forced a grin and nodded. "Okay, Sara. Thanks. I'll see you in a little bit, okay?" he said. "Yep," Sara said as Janet continued curling her hair. Janet finished up a half an hour later; Sara thanked her, and headed to the locker room. She found Andy, Liz, and Kevin sitting at the back of the room, and went over to them. "Hey, Sara," Liz spoke. "Hey, hon," Sara responded. "So this was the secret you were keeping from me? That you were getting gold?" Kevin asked smiling. Sara grinned and nodded. "I actually wasn't going to say anything until I got back from the match, but oh well," she answered, "I don't think anybody really expected me to get gold, especially the Intercontinental title. And that was why I wanted to keep it a secret." "Well, you definitely deserve it," Andy said quietly, "A lot of people are jealous, but you deserve it." "What time is it?" Sara asked. "About time for the show to start?" Kevin answered. "Where is everybody?" she asked. "Probably somewhere around the building," he said. "Have you seen Mark?" she asked. "Nah, not for a while now," he answered. "I'm gonna go find him. I should be back in a little bit," she said standing. Andy stood and followed her out.

"Hey, I wanted to apologize for Mark drilling you at that meeting," she said as they headed out into the hallway. "It's no problem. He was right, I should've been with you," Andy said quietly. Sara looked up at him and grinned. "You're great, Andy," she said. Andy grinned down at her and said, "Thanks, baby doll." Sara was stopped moments later by Vince. "Hey, Sara, we're gonna need you for a quick promo in a few minutes, by the entranceway," he said. "Okay, no problem. What about?" she answered. "Just about the match tonight. Edge is gonna show up, and you two are gonna have a staredown, then we'll cut to break," he said. "Great," Sara said smiling. "Okay, see ya over there," Vince said before walking away. "So much for finding Mark," she said looking up at Andy. "He's around here somewhere," Andy said smiling. They headed over to the interview area, and Sara went over to Josh and Adam. "What's up, boys?" she said with a smile. "Hey, Sara, we were actually talking about you," Josh answered. "Well, I'm here," she said smiling. "Okay, we've got about ten minutes before the camera starts rolling, so it's up to you what you're gonna say," Josh said. "I guess that depends on the question," she responded. "Basically about tonight, your game plan, and then Adam's gonna step in and say his piece," he told her. "Okay, cool," she said after a few moments, "I guess I gotta think of what my game plan is." The two men chuckled at her and shook their heads.

When the camera started rolling, Sara was in character. She crossed her arms and glared down at Josh. "Chyna, tonight, you're goin' one-on-one with the current Intercontinental champion, Edge. The past six days have seen you two fighting like bitter enemies. Let's take a look at some footage," Josh said. The TV beside them played a video piece of her and Edge costing each other matches from RAW, as well as fighting backstage before Edge's match on "Smackdown!", in which Sara brutally attacked his left knee. When it cut back to Sara, she was grinning deviously. "I did a number on that piece of trash, didn't I, Josh?" she said. "Yes, you did. Tonight, you finally will be able to get your hands on Edge, with no referees to pull you apart. What's your plan for tonight, Chyna?" Josh said. "Simple, Josh: beat Edge's ass until he can't take it anymore, and gives me back my title," she answered smiling. "Well, Chyna, Edge isn't going to just lie there and take your beating. He's going to fight back--." "I know he's gonna fight back, you simpleton," she snapped grabbing his collar, "But the thing is, I'm going to move faster, and hit harder, than anything Edge has ever experienced in his career. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve that I'm not telling anybody about...not even Edge." She released his collar and straightened his shirt roughly. "Josh, tonight will be Edge's last as the Intercontinental champion, I can promise you that," she said confidently. Adam walked into camera view and glared down at Sara. Sara smiled as she heard the chants of "Asshole!" from the fans inside the arena. "You hear that, Edge? The fans think you're an asshole, and I have to say I agree," she said smiling up at him. "Chyna, you need to learn your place, and your place is not in the ring with me, and definitely not in my presence. This Intercontinental belt is mine, and will be for a long time. You're setting your goals a little too high, and tonight, you're gonna leave the ring a pathetic, broken bitch...and I'm going to continue my reign as the greatest Intercontinental champion ever ," he sneered with an evil grin. Sara's jaw clenched and she narrowed her eyes as the camera faded to black. "Alright, you're done," the cameraman said. Sara shook her head and sighed. "That was fun," she said looking up at Adam, "But did you really have to call me 'pathetic'?" Adam chuckled and gave her a high five. "I knew that'd get under your skin," he said smiling. "You guys go on in about an hour," Josh said before walking away.

"You wanna go talk the match one more time?" Sara asked Adam. "Sure," Adam said as they headed to find a quiet corner. They found a spot near catering, and sat down to talk. After a half an hour, they both felt prepared. "This is gonna be awesome," Sara said as they headed to the entranceway. "Yeah, the fans are gonna be impressed," Adam added. They stretched out for twenty minutes before a stagehand came up. "You're up in ten," she said. "Thanks, kid," Sara said before sitting down in a chair. "I'll see ya out there, Sara," Adam said leaving her to relax before the match. Sara nodded and lowered her head, getting into character. Mark walked by and touched her shoulder. She flinched and looked up at him. "You broke my concentration," she said. "Sorry, babe. You okay?" he said kneeling down beside her. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just trying to get ready for this match. We're up in a few minutes," she answered rotating her neck. "You're gonna be great. I'm gonna watch by the entranceway, too," he said touching her thigh. "Aw, that's cute," she said grinning. Mark kissed her cheek and said, "I'll see you afterwards." Sara nodded and stood, heading for the entranceway. Adam was already there waiting. "You ready?" Adam asked. "No doubt," she answered smiling. "30 seconds," said Stephanie from the TV table. Sara nodded and did a little deep breathing before her music hit. "Here we go," she said shaking her arms and rotating her arms.

The cheers of the crowd made Sara smile broadly. She stopped atop the stage and held her hands, then went to each corner and held up one arm. As she headed down the ramp, Adam came from behind and hit her with a stiff forearm. She fell to the steel, eliciting loud boos from the crowd. Adam grabbed a handful of hair and rubbed her face in the steel. Sara screamed and flailed her arms, trying to get him to release her. He picked her up and chopped her chest loudly. She stumbled back, holding her chest. Adam chopped her again before slinging her into the ring. She groaned and grabbed her back, falling to her knees. "Just where you belong!" Adam sneered hitting her with a right punch. Sara's head snapped to the side and she fell to the floor. "Come on, Edge, get it in the ring!" Mike Chioda, the referee for the match, screamed from inside the ring. Adam smiled and picked Sara up by her hair, flinging her into the ring. Sara rolled into the middle as Adam climbed in. Chioda held him back until Sara was on her feet. "Look at you, Chyna, you're pathetic!" Adam screamed as she slowly straightened. "Come on, you son of a bitch!" she sneered as Chioda stepped to the side, and signaled for the starting bell to ring.

Sara walked to the center of the ring, and stood nose-to-nose with Adam. "I'm gonna kick your ass so bad, Edge!" she whispered grinning, "You're not gonna know what hit ya!" "You're a cocky one, Chyna...but today ain't your day," Adam said smiling. Sara stepped back and cracked her knuckles, preparing herself for the onslaught to come. She took a swing at him, but he ducked and hit a back-to-back suplex. Sara groaned and rolled to her knees, slowly standing. Adam smirked and motioned for her to come on. She lunged for him, and locked up in a collar-and-elbow tie-up. She tried to push him back towards the ropes, but Adam overpowered her, pushing her into a corner. "Get it outta the corner!" Chioda screamed. Adam backed off before laying into her ribs with a few kicks. He then picked her up and flipped her with a headlock takeover. He cinched in a reverse chinlock, placing his knee at the top of her back. Sara screamed and reached for his head, but Adam leaned back, laughing aloud. "What do you say, Chyna? What do you say?" Chioda asked. "No way!" she screamed. After a minute or so in this position, Adam picked her up and laid into her with right punches, knocking her back. He whipped her into the ropes, and when she bounced back, he knocked her down with a harsh clothesline. Next was a legdrop to her throat. He climbed on her stomach and punched her a few more times, then rammed her head into the mat a couple times. He picked her up and hit a vertical suplex. Sara groaned and grabbed at her back. "Told you it wasn't your day, bitch!" Adam sneered picking her up and throwing her into the closest corner. He rammed his shoulder into her ribcage repeatedly, then put his right foot underneath her chin, straightening his leg and pushing back. Sara screamed as the referee gave the five-count. Adam backed off at four, and Sara fell to the mat, gasping for air. His foot had been on her windpipe, so she was struggling to breathe. Adam kicked her in the ribs twice, which forced her back into the corner. He forced her to her feet, punching her in the ribs until the referee pulled him back. Sara gasped for breath and held her ribcage. Adam had hit her a little harder than she'd expected.

"You okay, Chyna?" Chioda asked her. "Yeah, I'm fine," she whispered. She slowly stood and took a few deep breaths. Adam charged her and she ducked, sending him flying over the top rope. The crowd cheered loudly and Sara smiled. She ran to the opposite end of the ring, bounced off the ropes, and ran back, hitting a prone Adam in the face with a baseball slide. Adam bounced back into the table as Sara climbed out of the ring. She grabbed his head and bashed it into the announcer's table, then sent him flying into the barrier. "You bastard!" she hissed going over to him and picking him up. She DDT'd him onto the floor, then climbed back into the ring to break the 10-count Chioda had started. She leaned on the ropes and stared down at Adam, a grin on her face. "This is all mine," she said chuckling. When Chioda got to eight, and Adam was still struggling to stand, Sara rolled out of the ring, breaking his count. She pulled Adam up and rolled him into the ring. As she rolled in, though, Adam pounced on her. He pulled her up, kneeing her in the ribs. He pushed her back into the ropes, and whipped her across the ring. When she came running back, he kneed her in the belly, flipping her over. "Good God!" she whispered rolling onto her stomach.

Adam bounced off the ropes and dropped an elbow on her chest. Sara groaned loudly as Adam dropped two more elbows, the third landing on the right side of her ribcage. Adam picked her up and threw her into the nearest corner. When she stood, he punched her jaw then lifted her onto the turnbuckle. Throwing her right arm over his head, he went to execute a superplex, but Sara countered it and pushed him back onto the mat. She slowly stood and dropped a leg onto his throat. She smiled a little and picked him, chopping his chest loudly, forcing him into the corner she'd been in. She climbed onto the second rope, and laid into him with punches. The crowd counted with each one. After the tenth punch, Sara went to the opposite corner, and executed a clean back handspring elbow. The fans cheered loudly as she did this. Adam crumpled to the ground, giving her a few moments to catch her breath. She came back over to him, forced him to his feet, and executed a swinging neckbreaker. "That's it," she said going for the first pin fall of the night. Adam kicked out at two, though. Sara sighed heavily and stood, kicking his chest twice. "Stay down, you son of a bitch!" she hissed going for a second pin fall. Adam kicked out again and Sara rolled off him. "Damn," she whispered stepping back. Adam rolled to his side, and used the ropes to help him get to his feet. When Sara charged him, this time he ducked and sent her flying over the ropes. Sara landed on her back, and groaned loudly. She laid there until Adam rolled out of the ring, picking her up. He went for a vertical suplex, but switched moves and dropped Sara onto the barrier. Sara gasped as she heard a slight crack. _I hope to God that wasn't my rib_, she thought as Adam pulled her over the barrier. The pain in her ribcage intensified, though, and Sara realized it was. "Son of a bitch," she whispered as Adam pulled her up, slinging her into the ring.

Adam rolled in and picked her up, hitting her with a few knees to the gut. He then grabbed a handful of her and slung her, back-first, into the mat. "Told ya you were too cocky!" he said as he leaned over her face. Sara grabbed his neck and balled him up in a small package. She only got a two-count before Adam kicked out again. Adam got to his feet quickly and picked her up yet again, this time putting her in a surfboard. Sara screamed as the pain in her ribs intensified. "Give it up, Chyna!" Adam screamed. Sara shook her head wildly, trying to get out of the move. Adam released her, and rolled her onto her back, then stood on her stomach, using the ropes to keep his balance. Sara screamed and hit at his legs, trying to get him off her. "Come on, Edge, get off the ropes!" Chioda screamed. Adam smiled evilly and stepped off of her. She rolled onto her side, coughing and gasping for air. Adam pulled her up by her hair and bounced her off the ropes. Sara tasted the bitterness of her own blood in her mouth as she ran back towards him. They both hit clotheslines, and fell to the mat. Sara coughed a little, and wiped her mouth. There was blood on it. _Not this early in the match_, she thought. When Chioda got to six, she slowly got to her feet. She stood straight up just before he hit ten, and sauntered over to Adam. She slowly pulled him up, putting him in a front face-lock. Adam tried to power out of it, but her grip was too tight. He punched her ribs a couple times, but Sara wouldn't release him. He backed her into the rope, and slung her to the other side. Sara ran back and hit a Lou Thesz press, punching his jaw repeatedly when he hit the mat. "How do you like that?" she asked as she stood. The crowd cheered as Sara went to the corner closest to Adam. She slowly climbed to the top, but Adam ran up behind her and executed a belly-to-back superplex, then covered her. "One...two...!"Chioda screamed, but Sara kicked out right before his hand hit the mat for the three-count. Adam screamed in frustration and yanked her up, hitting three consecutive German suplexes. After the third one, he went for the pin fall again. Yet, Sara kicked out after two again. "Give it up, goddammit!" he screamed going for the win a third time. Sara powered out again, and Adam stood, pulling at his hair. Sara tried to catch her breath, but she was having trouble breathing. "You okay?" Chioda asked. Sara nodded and swallowed the bloody saliva in her mouth. _Gross_, she thought. She slowly made her way to her feet, and turned to face Adam. He speared her hard, sending her crashing to the mat yet again. This time, Sara heard another crack. _Are you fucking kidding me?_ she thought to herself, _This is not happening_. Adam went for the pin fall again, but Sara was close to the ropes and grabbed the bottom with her left hand. "Her hand's on the ropes! Get up, Edge! Her hand's on the ropes!" Chioda said hitting Adam's shoulder. "Count it, dammit!" Adam screamed. "Her hand's on the ropes!" Chioda said again. Adam grabbed Sara's left hand and said, "Count!" Chioda dropped down and went to count again, but Sara kicked out. Adam sneered and dragged her to the center of the ring. "It's over, Chyna!" he said as he went to pin her again. Sara managed to kick out at two, but it was getting harder and harder to breath.

The match continued for the next ten minutes, with Adam maintaining offense for nearly the entire time. Near the end, Sara dodged another spear, and sent Adam flying through the ropes. She leaned on the top rope and gasped for air. One, or even two, of her ribs was definitely cracked. Adam stood and grabbed her feet, pulling them from under her. Sara kicked him into the barrier, and rolled out of the ring slowly. "Get back in the ring!" Chioda yelled. Sara shook her head and climbed onto Adam's prone body. She laid into him with right jabs, busting his bottom lip. "You son of a bitch!" she snarled standing, and picking him up. She threw him into the ring, and rolled in herself. "This is it!" she said motioning for her finishing move. She dragged Adam to the nearest corner, pulling him to his feet. She slowly made her way to the opposite side, then went for another back handspring elbow. Adam moved at the last second, and as Sara stumbled out of the corner, he speared her a second time. Sara groaned as blood came flying from her mouth. Adam went for the pin fall, but Sara kicked out yet again. He picked her up and went for a DDT, but Sara pushed him into the ropes. She sent him flying into the opposite side, and when he bounced back, she locked on a sleeper hold. Adam stumbled around, trying to get out of it. Sara smiled and executed a neckbreaker. _Okay...here we go_, she thought as she picked him up. The crowd cheered loudly as Sara hit the Syndrome, pinning Adam for the win.

"The winner of this match, and your new Intercontinental Champion...Chyna!" said the ring announcer. Sara smiled as Chioda helped her to her feet, handing her the title belt. She held it high above her head, a tear escaping from her left eye as the fans cheered loudly and chanted "Chyna, Chyna, Chyna!" She dropped to her knees, staring at the shining belt in her hands. "Come on, Chyna," Chioda said kneeling down beside her. Sara sighed, still gasping slightly for air. "You okay?" he asked as she rolled out of the ring. "No," she whispered, "I think one of my ribs is broken." Chioda put her left arm over his shoulder and put an arm around her waist. "No, get off," she whispered pushing him away, "I'm walking." Chioda sighed and nodded, giving her space. Sara headed up the ramp, holding the belt in her right hand high above her head, smiling at all the cheering fans. "I did it...I did it," she whispered as she felt another tear slide down her face. When she got to the back, she headed straight to the trainer.

"I spit up blood out there. I think I broke a rib," she whispered as the pain continued to increase. Bruce sighed and touched the right side of her cage. Sara yelped and pulled away. "I gotta see, Sara," he said quietly. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. Bruce touched her again, applying a little pressure and moving his fingers up and down her side. "Well, it's not broken, but it's definitely cracked," he said moments later. "Yeah, I heard somethin' crack while I was out there. Twice, actually," she said softly. "Well, I only felt one, but you might want to get an X-ray just to be safe," he said. Mark walked in moments later. "You okay?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said softly. "You're lying," he said plainly. "I cracked a rib. No big deal," she said looking at him, a gleam in her eye, "It was worth it." She touched the belt beside her and grinned. Mark grinned and shook his head. "What's the prognosis, Bruce?" he asked. "An X-ray, just to be safe," Bruce answered, "She's got a cracked rib, but I can't tell how bad it is." "I'll be alright," she said climbing off the table. Mark went to help her, but she pushed his hand away. "I said I'm fine," she said grabbing her belt and walking out. Mark shook his head and followed her. Sara bumped into Adam on the way. "Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked. "Cracked rib, but that's nothin'," she answered. Adam looked down at his feet and sighed. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "Hey, it happens," she said touching his arm, "I took your belt, you gave me a cracked rib for it." Adam grinned slightly and said, "An eye for an eye, I guess." "Have a good night, Adam, I'll see you tomorrow," she said as they came to her locker room. "Goodnight, Sara," Adam said softly. _Somethin' is bugging him_, she thought as she opened the locker room door.

Loud cheers hit Sara as soon as she stepped over the threshold. She was taken aback at the celebration, and shook her head. Everyone (except for Shawn and Paul) was on their feet, whistling, clapping, and screaming congratulations to her. Kevin came up to her and picked her up in a big hug. "I trained this girl!" he said smiling. Sara winced as he squeezed her waist, but forced a smile. "Put me down!" she said punching his arm. "Party in my room!" Shorty said, "Bring your own drinks! I'll order the food!" Sara smiled and shook her head again. "You guys are too much," she said. "You deserve it, hon," Liz said hugging her. "Thanks, Liz. Thanks, everybody," she said, "I really appreciate this." "So there's a party in my room, right?" Shorty asked coming up to her. "Sure, Shorty," she answered smiling. He hugged her, saying, "You really deserve it, Sara, a lot more than you-know-who," in her ear. Sara looked into his eyes and nodded. "Thanks, Shorty," she said quietly.

After being congratulated by nearly every member, Sara left to get cleaned up. In the shower, she looked down at the big bruise on her right side. "Well...it was worth it," she said to herself, "No pain, no gain." After showering, Sara dressed in a pair of loose sweatpants, slipped on a Harley-Davidson t-shirt, and packed her duffel bag, setting the title belt on top. She smiled down at it, placing her hand on the big gold plate staring up at her. "Intercontinental champion," she whispered, "I have been blessed." She zipped up the bag and left the room, a smile on her face. She went down to Bruce, and got her ribs taped up. She ran into Amy on her way back to the locker room. "Congratulations, chica," Amy said hugging her. "Careful," Sara said quietly, hugging her back, "Cracked rib, courtesy of Adam." "Are you okay?" Amy asked concerned. "Yeah, I'm fine," Sara said. "Was it an accident?" Amy asked quietly. "Of course it was, Amy," Sara answered, "Why?" "Well...I saw Shawn hand him something just a little bit ago," Amy answered looking down, "It looked like an envelope or somethin'." Sara sighed heavily and looked down as well. "Look, I'm not gonna worry about Shawn. I've earned this belt, and I'm gonna take whatever he throws at me," she said softly, "Don't worry about me, okay?" Amy looked up at her and slowly nodded. "Okay, Sara. You just be careful," Amy said hugging her gently. "I will, hon, I will," Sara said hugging her back. They released each other and parted. "See ya tomorrow night," Amy said. Sara said the same as she headed down the hall.

The post-show meeting didn't last too long. Sara was once again congratulated, causing her to blush slightly, and they discussed the next day's plans. Afterwards, Sara headed to the limo. Her rib was beginning to bother her again, and she just wanted to lie down. "You okay, dollface?" Mark asked her once they were on their way back to the hotel. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just drained. I'm glad tonight is over," she said quietly. "Are you gonna go to the little party in Shorty's room?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm the guest," she answered smiling. "You don't have to stay too long. Knowing these guys, they'll be up for another three or four hours," he said squeezing her hand. Sara chuckled softly and nodded. When they got to the hotel, Sara dropped her bag off and headed to Shorty's room. Kevin, Liz, Scott, and Carlos were already there. "What's up, guys?" she asked. "Ah, the guest of honor," Shorty said coming over to her. He hugged her tightly, and Sara gasped. "What is it?" he asked. "Cracked rib," she answered quietly. "Ooh, doesn't sound fun," he said. "I'm alright," she said, "So, where's the food?" "It's comin'. Come on, take a seat," he said leading her to the table.

"What's up, superstar?" Kevin asked smiling as she sat down. "You're too much, Kevin," she said smiling back at him. "So how you feelin'? You took a beatin' out there," he said. "I'm alright. Cracked a rib, but it's all good. I earned that win, and that's all that matters," she said continuing to smile. "Yeah, you definitely earned it. Did you see Shawn? Only one not celebrating," he commented. "Yeah, I saw him. But I don't care about him. I went out and did my best, and you guys' celebration is all I need," she said, "Paul was just sitting there, too, but I understand why he wasn't goin' along with you guys, ya know." "Yeah, he's happy for you. He told me to tell you congrats, too," he said. "Well, that's good," she said as the door opened and Mark walked in with Andy. Mark sat down beside Sara and placed his hand in hers. "How are you feelin'?" he asked. "I'm fine," she answered, "How many times do I have to tell you?" "As many times as I ask," he said grinning down at her. Sara shook her head and smiled. "I hope you guys brought your own drinks," Shorty said. "Damn...knew I forgot somethin'!" Sara said laughing. Shorty laughed as well, pulling out a couple glasses of champagne. "Where'd you get these?" Sara asked as he uncorked the first bottle. "Special order from the kitchen," he answered pouring her a glass. He poured everyone else a glass, and handed them out.

"I wanna make a toast--." A knock on the door interrupted them. "I'll get it," Shorty said going over to the door. He opened and said, "Come on in, we're just gettin' started." Sara looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Aw, Paul, I wasn't expecting you," she said standing, pushing Mark's offered helping hand away. "Had to get away from Shawn. He's pissed off right now," Paul said hugging her gently. "When is Shawn _not_ pissed off?" she asked chuckling. "That's a good question," he said as she stepped away from him. "Thanks for comin', Paul...I really appreciate it," she said quietly. "Not a problem, sweetheart," he said. "Come on over. Grab a glass of champagne. The food should be here any minute," Shorty said shutting the door. Sara sat back down beside Mark, and Paul poured himself some champagne then sat down beside Andy. "So, where was I?" Shorty said as he came back over. "Toast," Andy answered. Shorty smiled and said, "Ah, yes...a toast to our guest of honor, Sara. Tonight, hon, you went out there and you took a hell of a beating. But you earned my respect three times over. Congratulations on being given a chance to be a champion, especially the Intercontinental champ, and may you reign as champion for many days to come." "Hear, hear," everyone said clinking glasses together. Sara took a sip and smiled. "Thank you, Shorty, for such a well thought-out speech. I really appreciate you guys' support. I can't say that enough. Not only with being made champion – because a lot of you deserve this kind of a shot – but with everything that we're doing together. I know I only got the belt tonight, but I want you to know that I won't forget what we're trying to do here. This isn't about me. This is about getting Shawn out of here," she said slowly, twirling her glass between her fingers. "Hey, no Shawn talk in this room!" Shorty exclaimed, "This is your night, Sara, and that's that!" "Okay, okay," she said holding up her hands in concession.

The food came ten minutes later, and everyone stayed around for an hour afterwards. When one a.m. rolled by, Sara decided to call it quits. "We've got a long day tomorrow, so I suggest you guys get some sleep, too," she said as Mark opened the door. "Yes, oh Fearless Leader," Shorty said saluting her. Sara chuckled softly and said, "Goodnight, guys. See y'all tomorrow mornin'." When she got to the room, she headed straight for the bathroom. Her rib had been bothering since she got back, and she was going to try to see if she'd hurt it again. When she lifted the tape, she groaned at the sight. Instead of a normal bluish color, it'd turned purple. "This is not gonna be good," she whispered. "You okay in there?" Mark asked through the door. Sara opened the door with tears in her eyes. "What is it?" he asked. She lifted her shirt and showed him the bruise. "Jesus," he whispered kneeling down, "It hurts, doesn't it?" "Like you wouldn't believe," she whispered as he brushed his hand over the bruise. "You sure you don't wanna go get it checked out tonight?" he asked gently placing the bandage over it. "And be stuck in the emergency room all night? I don't think so," she said going over to the sink. She brushed her teeth, and rinsed her mouth out. When she straightened up, she grabbed at her side. "Talk to me, dollface. What's wrong?" he said coming over to her. "It just hurts like hell. Not a big deal," she said trying to take deep breaths. "It _is_ a big deal, Sara. You're havin' a hard time just breathing," he said looking into her eyes. "I can't go to the hospital, Mark...I just got the belt tonight. If I go to the hospital, there's no way the doctor's gonna let me wrestle tomorrow night," she said quietly. "You don't need to wrestle tomorrow night, Sara. You're gonna break your rib completely if you do," he countered, "And that'll put you out even longer." Sara sighed heavily and looked away. "I'll go to bed, and see how I feel in the morning, okay?" she said softly. Mark took a deep breath and glanced down at her side, which she was holding her arm against. "Fine," he whispered, "But if you're not better, I'm taking you to the hospital, whether you want to go or not." Sara smiled up at him and hugged him. "Thanks, babe," she said kissing his cheek, "It's good to know you love me that much." "I love you more than you'll ever know," he whispered, "Come on, bedtime." Sara nodded and cut off the bathroom light.

She fell asleep nearly as soon as her head hit the pillow, despite the pain in her side. A little after three a.m., the phone began ringing. Mark groaned as he woke up and glanced at the clock. "Who the fuck is calling here this goddamn early?" he whispered as the phone continued ringing. Sara groaned softly and turned to face him. He picked up the receiver and said, "If the building isn't on fire, I'm hanging up." "Mark? Is Sara there?" Adam asked slurred. "Adam?! What the hell are you doin' calling here this time of morning?" Mark groaned. "I need to talk to Sara," Adam answered, "It's important, man." "This shit can wait!" Mark said heatedly, "She's trying to sleep." "No, you don't understand. I need to talk to her," Adam said again. "Who is it?" Sara asked quietly. Mark groaned and said, "It's Adam." Sara perked up slightly and looked up at Mark. "What does he want??" she asked. "What do you want, man?" Mark asked. "I need to talk to her, now will you put her on the phone?!" Adam exclaimed. Mark sighed heavily and looked down at Sara. "Give me the phone," she whispered. Mark shook his head and complied. "What?" she asked into the receiver. "Sara...about tonight," Adam began. "Adam, I told you...shit happens. You're having this guilt trip over nothing," she said quietly. "No, I'm having it for a reason. I gotta make a confession," he slurred slowly. "Have you been drinking, Adam?" she asked. "Just...listen. Shawn paid me a hundred grand to break your rib," he said slowly, "And I took it...because I needed the money." Sara slowly sat up and swallowed. "You're shitting me, right? Please tell me you're kidding, Adam," she whispered as tears pricked at her eyes. "No, Sara, I'm not," Adam whispered starting to cry, "I'm so sorry, Sara." "Why? You were the champion, Adam. You made plenty," she said softly. "I don't know, Sara...I don't know," he whispered, "I'm so sorry." Sara began gasping for air as her pulse skyrocketed. "You...put me in danger...for money?" she whispered, "That's low, Adam. I hope you enjoy it. Goodnight." She then hung up the phone and sat there in disbelief. The envelope Amy had seen Shawn give to Adam was blood money, with her blood on it.

"What is it, dollface? What'd he say?" Mark asked sitting up beside her. Sara grabbed at her rib, struggling to breathe. Mark rubbed her back with his palm, trying to get her to calm down. "Slow your breathing, baby," he whispered. Sara nodded and, after a few minutes, managed to be able to take deep breaths. "You wanna tell me what he said?" he asked again. Sara shook her head and whispered, "I just wanna go back to sleep." "Okay, baby," he said quietly, helping her to lie back down. Sara gasped and grabbed at her rib. Mark sighed and wiped at her cheek, which was glistening with tears. "You're gonna be fine, dollface," he whispered kissing her softly. Sara nodded and closed her eyes, willing her body to relax and allow sleep to come over her. Mark stayed awake until he was sure she had fallen asleep, then rested his head on his arm, sleep overtaking him as well.

The next morning, Sara awoke to find blood on her pillow. She'd apparently spit it up while sleeping. She rolled over, and her side began aching with pain. She curled up and gasped for air. It was entering her lungs in short bursts, and she got scared. "Mark?" she whispered. When he didn't answered, she slowly faced him, groaning and clutching her side. "Mark!" she said a little louder. He sprang up and stared at her, his eyes wide with fear and concern. "What is it?" he asked looking at the arm holding her side. "I can't...I can't breathe," she gasped, "And there's...blood on my pillow...I think it up last night." Mark picked up the phone and dialed the front desk, telling them to get an ambulance to the hotel immediately. When he hung up the phone, he looked down at Sara, who was curled up. "Can you straighten out?" he asked. "No," she whispered. Mark sighed heavily and said, "The E.M.S. people are gonna have to straighten you out here, or the doctors will when you get to the hospital." "I know," she whispered coughing slightly, crying at the sight of the blood stain left on her pillow from that small act. Mark went into the bathroom and wet a rag, then dashed back out to her, placing the rag at the corner of her mouth. "You're gonna be just fine, dollface," he whispered smoothing her hair back.

"Will you call Andy?" she asked softly, "See if he can go with us?" "Yeah, no problem, baby," he answered picking up the phone and dialing Andy's room number. "Hello?" Andy answered quietly. "Hey, Andy, can you come down to my room? We're gonna need you here," Mark said quietly. "Yeah, no problem. Be there in a few," Andy answered. "Okay," Mark said before hanging up the phone. Sara had managed to slow her pulse, and was now focusing on something other than the pain. Her mind wandered to the phone call she'd received from Adam only hours before. _Shawn is going out of his way to get rid of me_, she thought sadly, _I don't know if I can fight him off if he's gonna go this route_. A knock on the door moments later brought her attention back to reality. Mark opened it and let Andy, as well as E.M.S., inside. "She's on the bed," he told them. The two men rolled in the gurney and went over to Sara. "Where's the pain, ma'am?" one asked. "My rib. Cracked rib," she whispered. "We need to straighten you out before we can put you on the gurney," he told her. Sara closed her eyes and nodded. Mark came over to her and whispered, "Bite down on the rag, dollface." Tears escaped down her cheeks as she did what he said. When the two men straightened her legs out, she screamed loudly, but the screams were muffled by the rag. "What happened?" Andy asked watching from the bedside. "She can't breathe...Adam cracked her rib last night, and she can't breathe now," Mark answered as he wiped the tears away. "Sir, I need you to move," the first man said. Mark nodded and stepped away. Sara was slowly placed on the gurney, and wheeled out of the room. Mark quickly dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, then slipped on his boots, not bothering to tie them up, before running out of the room. He ran out the front door just as they were loading Sara up, Andy right behind him. "What hospital are you going to?" he asked. "Manhattan General Hospital, sir," the second man answered. "Okay, thanks. Sara, I'll meet you there," he said before they shut the doors.

Mark and Andy jumped in a nearby cab, and told the driver to follow the ambulance. When they pulled into the emergency room parking lot, Mark paid the fare and hurried out. Sara had just been wheeled into the hospital, and Mark and Andy rushed in behind her. "How long is she gonna be?" he asked. "She has to get X-rays, sir," the first E.M.S. attendant answered, "The doctor will come and get you when she's been placed in a room." "She's gotta be put in a room?" Mark asked. "Yes, sir. She's spitting up blood, so there may be internal damage. She might need surgery, if the problem is bad enough," the man answered, "And that will require her to stay in the hospital." Mark sighed and looked down at Sara, who was staring at him with teary eyes. "I'm gonna go call Eric, okay?" he said wiping her sweaty forehead. She nodded and said, "Tell him I'll be at the show tonight...no matter what." Mark grinned and said, "Sure thing, dollface." The two men wheeled Sara through the doors leading to the main hospital, and Mark went outside, dialing Eric's number as he left.

"Eric Bischoff speaking," Eric answered moments later. "Eric, it's Mark. I'm at the local hospital right now. Sara started spitting up blood, and she couldn't breathe, so I called the front desk to send for an ambulance," Mark said. "Jeez, is she okay?" Eric asked. "I don't know, Eric. But she wanted me to tell you that she's gonna be at tonight's show, no matter what," Mark said. Eric chuckled softly and said, "That's Sara for ya." "Yeah," Mark agreed, "I don't know if the doctor will let her out, though." Eric sighed and paused. "I'll give Vince a call, and tell him what happened, just to be safe," he said. "Okay, thanks, Eric. Do you need me and Andy to be at RAW tonight?" Mark asked. "I need you. You and Kevin have a match tonight," Eric answered. Mark sighed and said, "Okay, that's fine. Andy doesn't need to come?" Mark asked, just to be sure. "Nah, Sara needs somebody there with her," Eric answered. "Thanks, Eric. I appreciate this," Mark said, "I'll be back to the hotel before you guys leave." "Sure thing. See ya then," Eric said before hanging up. Mark clicked his phone shut and re-entered the hospital lobby. Andy was sitting near the television, his head hanging to the side and his eyes shut. "Hey," Mark said sitting down a couple seats from him. "What'd Eric say?" Andy asked quietly. "You can stay with Sara, but I've gotta go to RAW, because Kevin and I have to wrestle," Mark answered, "And the limos pull out in a couple hours, so I've got to be leaving soon." "Do you think I should go back and get Sara's stuff?" Andy asked. "Yeah," Mark answered. They went up to the nurse's desk, and Mark spoke. "The woman who just came in, could you tell her that her friend Andy will be back in a little while with her stuff?" he asked. "Yes, sir, no problem," the woman answered, "What's her name?" "Sara Roberts," he answered. The woman wrote down the name and message, then taped it to her computer. "I'll let her know," she said smiling up at Mark. "Thank you," he said before walking away. "I think that lady was eyeing you, Mark," Andy said quietly, a smirk on his face. "Don't even, man," Mark said quietly, smiling slightly as well.


	47. Coming Together

**Chapter Together**

Sara awoke in a hospital bed, and went to sit up. "Don't, you'll tear the stitches," a voice said from her left side. She looked over and grinned slightly. "Hey, Andy," she said quietly. "How do ya feel?" he asked as he held her left hand. "A little better...it's just a dull ache now," she answered. "Well, they had to do surgery to fix it. Turns out you _did_ crack it, but it was very close to breaking. If you'd wrestled tonight, you probably would've broken it, and punctured your lung along with that," he said quietly. "Surgery...damn it," she whispered, "I've got to start wrestling again soon...the fans are gonna think--." "Who cares what the fans think? Sara, you busted your ass last night, and you damn near killed yourself for them. If they don't respect you for it enough to give you a break, then screw 'em," he interrupted. Sara sighed and looked over at him. "You didn't have to be at RAW tonight?" she asked. "No, Eric wanted somebody to stay here with you, and Mark couldn't because him and Kevin have a match," he answered. "Well, you're the next best thing, I guess," she said with a grin. "It's nothin', Sara. I probably would've caused a ruckus if he said I had to go," he responded smiling. Sara chuckled softly, then winced. "What's wrong?" he asked, "Do you want me to get the doctor?" "Nah, it's nothin'. Just hurts when I laugh," she said quietly. Andy chuckled himself and said, "That's gotta suck." "Yeah, it does," she smirked. Realizing why she was in the hospital, Sara asked for the phone.

She dialed Adam's cell phone number and placed the receiver to her ear. The phone rang four times before he answered. "Adam?" Sara asked quietly. "Sara? Are you okay? I heard you had to have surgery...," he said quietly. "Yeah, I did...thanks to you," she whispered. "Sara, I'm so sorry," he said quietly. "You're right, you are sorry...you're a sorry person. I can't believe you did this, Adam. I had so much respect for you, and it's all gone now," she said heatedly, "Fair warning: Shawn's a sneaky, conniving son of a bitch, and he'll do anything – and use anybody, especially young, impressionable wrestlers like you – to get me out of that group. You can tell him this: I'm not going anywhere." "Sara, wait, you don't understand--." "No, Adam, _you_ don't understand," she said loudly, "I will _not_ be intimidated! I will _not_ be forced into submission! I will not back down from _anybody_, you _or_ Shawn! So fuck you, fuck him, and fuck anybody who thinks _otherwise_!" She slammed the phone down, and realized her pulse was racing. Andy wiped the sweat from her face with a cool rag and moved the phone to the nightstand beside her bed. He slowly sat down beside her, looking into her eyes. "What was that about?" he asked quietly. Sara forced the tears away and took a few deep breaths. "Just talk when you're ready," he said soothingly. Sara nodded as the tears escaped from the corners of her eyes. Andy sighed and wiped them away, but they kept coming. Sara silently cried for nearly ten minutes. "It's okay, baby doll," he whispered, "It's okay."

When she finally finished, Andy placed the rag on the nightstand beside the phone and kissed her forehead. "You're just fine, sweetie. You're just fine," he said softly. Sara sniffled and let out a deep breath. "Shawn...that bastard...he paid Adam a hundred grand to break my rib," she whispered slowly. "Jesus Christ," Andy whispered, "A hundred grand??" "Yeah...but Shawn also promised to get him the IC title back, and my spot in the group," she said quietly. "Jeez...he's gettin' desperate," he said continuing to wipe her face. "Yeah, no shit," she whispered. "Are you gonna tell Mark?" he asked. "I'm gonna tell the whole group," she said slowly, "They need to know about this, because it helps us out. I've got to talk to Adam about coming in and telling them it's the truth." "Well, you weren't too nice to him on the phone...you think he'll want to talk to you after that conversation?" Andy argued. "Well, I'm not gonna apologize...he did a really scummy thing, Andy, and he deserved every word," she said staring at the ceiling. "That's true, Sara...but I think you let your anger control what you were saying," he said quietly. "I get angry, Andy, and I say the first thing that comes to my mind," she whispered, "It was harsh...but it's a defense mechanism. As much as I try to control it, I can't. Kevin taught me, but when I get pissed enough, all those lessons just fly out the window." "If you wanna really get rid of Shawn, you can't let your anger control you, babe. You're gonna make a big mistake if you do, and it's not gonna be able to be fixed," he said quietly. "I know, Andy...I know," she said softly. "I'm not trying to get you down, babe, but I just think you need to control your anger," he said quietly. "You're absolutely right, Andy. I'm not saying you aren't right, because you are," she said touching his knee. "You hungry? You want me to get you some food?" Andy asked standing. "Ugh, just thinking about hospital food makes me queasy," she said grinning.

Andy chuckled softly and said, "I'll run down the street and get you a sandwich or something." "Thanks, Andy, I appreciate it," she said softly. "No problem. Be back as soon as I can," he said heading towards the door. "Hey, Andy, what time is it?" she asked moving the bed into an incline. "It's nearly four o' clock," he said. "Can you hand me the phone real quick?" she asked. "Sure thing," Andy said coming back over to bedside. "See ya in a little bit, Andy," she said picking up the receiver. "Yep, be back soon as I can," he answered leaving the room and cracking the door. Sara dialed Mark's cell phone number, and rested back on her pillows.

"Hello?" Mark answered moments later. "Hey, baby," Sara said quietly. "Hey, babe! How are you feeling?" Mark asked. "Fine. A lot better. Andy said I had to have surgery because the rib was close to puncturing my right lung," she answered. "Jesus, Sara," he whispered, "Andy called me this morning and let me know, but still..." "I know, Mark. Look, I'll be at the show tomorrow night," she said quietly, "Tell everyone I need to talk to them tomorrow before the pre-show meeting." "Is everything okay?" he asked. "No...it's not okay," she said softly. "What is it? Talk to me, baby," he said quietly. "I need you to do something for me first," she whispered. "Anything, dollface," he answered, "What is it?" "Promise me...no, swear to me, that you won't go kill Adam...or Shawn," she answered slowly. "Why would I do that?" he asked. "After what I'm about to tell you, you'll want to," she said quietly, "Are you sitting down?" "No, but I will...there, I'm sitting," he said slowly. Sara took a deep breath and tried to calm down a little. "Now swear to me that you won't go kill either one of those guys," she whispered. "I swear, dollface," he said quietly. "Okay...Shawn...he paid Adam a hundred grand to break my rib, and he promised to Adam the IC title back, as well as my spot in the group," she said slowly. "Are you fucking kidding me?!" Mark snapped. "Mark, you swore," she said softly. "Son of a bitch! Sara...you can't hold me to that! I'm gonna go rip that fucker's heart out right now," he growled. "You _swore_," she said strongly. Mark groaned and sighed heavily. "Alright...alright, but the guys are gonna fucking kill him for me!" he said heatedly. "No! Don't tell them," she said quickly, "I have to tell them..." "Sara, I can't hold this in 'til tomorrow," he said, his voice full of frustration. "You'll have to...you can't tell them. There'll be a semi-riot if you do," she whispered, "And I don't need that to happen." "Goddammit!" he growled. "Mark, please...I can't deal with you being this angry, because I get angry...and I can't control that anger," she whispered letting her head fall back onto the pillows.

"I'm sorry, baby. The last thing you need on your mind is the thought of me rampaging like a bull," he said quietly. "But you are a bull, Mark," she said smiling. Mark laughed quietly and said, "I love you...so much. I miss you already." "I miss you, too. I told Andy he was the second best person to have here, since you couldn't be here," she said continuing to smile. "Well, that definitely makes me smile," he said softly. "Good...I love making you smile," she said chuckling softly. "Yeah, you do...you're the only one who really knows how," he responded. "I can't wait to see you tomorrow," she whispered, "I hate hospitals, let only being in one without you." "I know, dollface...but Andy's there for you," he said quietly. "Yeah...but I'd rather have you here. I love Andy like a brother...but he's not you," she whispered as tears came to her eyes, "I hate it here, Mark...I feel so alone...especially after what's happened." "Call your mom, sweetheart. She's probably concerned to all hell about you," he suggested. "She'd freak if I told her I had to have surgery," Sara said. "Maybe...but it's better for you to let her know how you're doin', so she won't over-worry," he said. "Yeah, you're right. I love you," she said softly. "I love you, too, baby...," he responded. "Always," she began. "And forever," he finished with a smile, "Call me later, ok?" "You know it. Bye, baby," she said quietly. "Talk to ya soon, dollface. Bye," Mark said. Sara hung up the phone and sighed heavily. She wanted Mark to be there, in the room with her; she needed his strength to help her recover, because she couldn't do it on her own.

She picked up the receiver again and dialed her mother's house number. "Hello?" Lucy answered after a few rings. "Hi, mom," Sara said slowly. "Sara? How are you doin'? That match you had last night was awfully rough," Lucy answered. "I'm fine...no, I'm not fine, actually," Sara said quietly. "What happened?" Lucy asked. "I got a badly cracked rib...came really close to puncturing my lung," Sara said slowly, "I had surgery this morning to fix it." "Jesus, Sara...you really go all out for the fans," Lucy said quietly. "Yeah...I guess I do," Sara said feeling the tears burning her cheeks as they fell. "You're crying. Why?" Lucy asked. "Because it was done on purpose," Sara answered. "What?! What was done on purpose?" Lucy exclaimed. "Adam broke my rib on purpose," Sara said quietly, trying to wipe her flowing tears away. "What the hell would he do that for?" Lucy snapped. "Because...Shawn paid him off, and promised him my spot in the group, and the IC belt back," Sara answered. "I'm gonna call Vince as soon as I hang up. This shit's gotta stop, Sara!" Lucy said angrily. "Mom, don't do that. I'm working on this right now, with over half the group. I've got to do this my way," Sara said softly. "Sara, I can _not_ sit back and watch that bastard do these things to you. This is the second time you've gone to the hospital because of him!" Lucy practically shouted. "Mom, please...I'm begging you," Sara sobbed, "Mark's pissed enough...I can't take both of you being so angry!" Lucy sighed heavily into the phone. "I'm sorry, Sara...but I have a right to be pissed off, as does Mark. We love you too much to watch you get punished like this, physically and mentally," she said quietly. "I know, mom, and I love you both, too. You know that," Sara said. "I know, sweetie, I know," Lucy admitted, "Is Andy there with you?" "He went to get me some food, because hospital food doesn't set well with my stomach," Sara answered. "Hospital food doesn't set well with _anyone's_ stomach," Lucy said chuckling. Sara smiled and wiped away her tears. "Very true," she said. "Are you gonna be able to leave tomorrow?" Lucy asked. "Yeah...there's no way I'm stayin' here for another day," Sara said chuckling softly. "Okay, well, call me tomorrow," Lucy said. "I will, mom. I love you," Sara said quietly. "I love you, too, Sara. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call," Lucy said. "I will, mom, promise. Bye," Sara said grinning slightly. "Bye, baby," Lucy said. Sara hung up the phone a third time and reached for the remote. "Ouch!" she whispered as pain shot through her right side.

"Hey, don't move. I'll get it," Andy said as he walked in. "That was quick," Sara said looking up at him. Andy came over and handed her the remote, and a brown paper bag. "There was a small shop right across the street. I pretty much ran over there, and ran back," he said smiling. "Where would I be without you, Andy?" she asked quietly. "Good question," he answered sitting down in the chair beside her bed. Sara laughed softly and opened the bag, pulling out the wrapped sandwich. "What'd you get me?" she asked. "A ham and cheese sandwich, light mayonnaise, light lettuce, tomatoes, and a bottle of water," he answered. "Good deal," she said opening the sandwich. "Did you call Mark?" he asked. "Yeah...he was pissed, of course, when I told him what Adam did. So was my mom," she said before biting into the sandwich. "Of course," he agreed. Sara looked over at him and winked before continuing her lunch.

After lunch, Sara decided to take a short nap. She was feeling exhausted, even though she hadn't been awake long. She wasn't physically spent; her rib was feeling better every minute. It was the thought of Mark's _and_ her mother's anger about what Shawn had done to her that was tiring her out. When Sara awoke, it was dark outside her window. She glanced at the clock beside her bed and sighed. "I slept too long," she said to herself, "Now I'm not gonna be able to go to sleep." It was just past ten p.m. She cut on the television to RAW, and rested against her pillows. Andy was asleep in the same chair he'd been sitting in before she fell asleep. She caught the ending of Mark and Kevin's match (they were fighting the Dudley's), and cheered quietly when Mark got the pin fall over Bubba Ray. When Adam's music hit after the show came back from commercial, she perked up. She watched him climb into the ring with a scowl on his face. He grabbed the microphone from the announcer standing on the outside of the ring and began pacing a circle in the ring. "Cut the damn music!" he growled into the microphone. Sara crossed her arms and let out a deep breath.

"Last night was the most embarrassing night of my life!" Adam screamed, "I lost to a damn woman! A woman who couldn't hold my jock strap with her pinkie finger! A friggin' _woman_!" The fans cheered loudly and began a "Chyna!" chant, bringing a slight smile to Sara's face. "SHUT UP! It's not funny! I should've won that match hands down! It was a fluke, I tell ya, a fluke!" he screamed. The fans cheered even more, and even Sara clapped quietly. "But you know what? Chyna didn't come out of that match with a clean bill of health, I'll tell ya that! I broke her down, just like I said I would!" he said heatedly. "He's right, folks. Chyna had a badly cracked rib, and won't be back for a week or two," Jim Ross added over commentary. "Chyna, wherever you are, stop what you're doin', and listen closely! I'm comin' for what is mine, for what you stole from me, for what you don't even deserve! I'm comin' for my Intercontinental belt! I don't care how long it takes, I don't care what I have to do to you, I don't care if I have leave you bloody and broken, like somethin' on the side of the road! Watch your back, Chyna...that Intercontinental title will be mine again, and it will be mine soon!" Adam screamed before dropping the microphone onto the ring mat, then exiting the ring, continuing to mouth off.

Sara shook her head and sighed heavily. She couldn't tell if Adam was seriously angry or not. _I'm gonna have to call him tonight_, she thought, _I said a lot of things that were maybe too harsh_. She slowly climbed off the bed and made her way to the bathroom, relieved herself, and stood in front of the full-length mirror on the back of the door. She lifted the hospital gown in order to see just how big the cut over her ribcage would be. She carefully removed the gauze, wincing slightly as the tape tugged at her skin. The stitches were very small, and it was red with irritation. "Damn," she whispered running her hand over the black stitches. She replaced the gauze, smoothing it over, then lowered her gown. "I hope they'll let me out tomorrow," she said opening the door. She carefully climbed back into bed and let out the breath she'd been holding in. "You okay?" Andy asked from his seat. "Yeah, I'm alright," she said quietly, "I had to use the bathroom..." "How do the stitches look?" he asked. "Tiny...it's not too big, only about six inches. Hope it won't leave too big of a scar," she answered. Andy looked up at the television and saw that RAW was on. "Mark and Kevin wrestle already?" he asked. "Yeah...I caught the end of their match; I just woke up about 10 minutes ago," she answered, "How long were you asleep?" "I nodded off a few hours ago," he answered. "Have you eaten?" she asked. "Yeah, I grabbed a bite to eat an hour before I fell asleep," he said stretching his limbs. "There's a cot over there by the window if you wanna sleep over there," she said. "Nah, that thing's too small for me. Kinda sucks bein' this tall," he said laughing softly. Sara chuckled and turned her attention to the television. Shawn was wrestling in a handicapped match against the Hardy's. Sara knew it was meant to show off his skills, because Matt and Jeff didn't get a chance to mount an offense. The match only lasted about five minutes.

After the show ended, Sara and Andy spent the next few hours making small talk. Around one o' clock, Sara began to feel tired again. "Are you gonna try and check out tomorrow?" he asked as she tried to get comfortable in the bed. "Yeah. I told Mark I'd in Boston tomorrow evening, and that I want to meet with the group," she answered, "Which reminds me. Can you hand me the phone?" Andy complied and watched as she picked up the receiver and quickly dialed a number. "Who are you calling?" he asked. "Adam," she answered as the phone rang in her ear. "Why?" he asked. Sara held up a finger to quiet him as she heard a voice.

"Hello??" Adam answered sleepily. "Adam...it's Sara," she said slowly. There was a pause, and Sara heard noises of Adam moving around. "Hey, Sara," he said quietly, "What'd I do now?" "You helped me to realize that I shouldn't have been so quick to judge you, to speak to you so harshly. I, uh...I'm sorry," she answered quietly, staring down at the white sheets covering her legs. "Sara...you had a right to be that angry. I was the one who was in the wrong. I should've known Shawn was up to something when he offered me your spot in the group. He looked really desperate when he asked me to break a bone, like he wanted you sidelined for a long time. Can I ask why?" Adam said quietly. "He's threatened by me, and he damn well should be. Adam, I'm a nice person...until you break my trust. Shawn broke it...twice," she said sternly, "And that just does not set well with me. And Shawn knows that. He knows how much of a fighter I am, because he's the reason I was put off of television for three months. He wanted to break me down, break my spirit...and for the most part, succeeded...until..." Her voice trailed off, and a tear slid down her cheek as she recalled that night Shawn won the World championship.

"Until?" Adam asked bringing her back to reality. "Until he got me drunk and sexually assaulted me the night he won the World title, and then the night he attacked Mark from behind...he's a lowlife who doesn't care about anybody but himself," she said slowly. "I didn't know, Sara...I swear, I didn't know all that about him," he said softly. "Yeah...he's a good poser...he knows what to do to make everybody _think_ he's a good guy, and respect him...but when we're away from the arena, and even in group meetings, he's a power freak, who will only have things his way. And I'm not gonna just stand by and let him make my life, or everyone's lives in that group, a living hell," she said heatedly, "I just can't let him do that. And he knows it. He knows that I have as much influence as he does in that group, _and_ with Vince. That scares the living shit outta him, Adam, so he's gonna do whatever he can to eliminate the problem...including using people outside the group." "Like me...," Adam whispered. "Yeah...," she said softly, "Like you." "Sara, I'm so sorry. If I could change it all, I would," he said quietly. "You know somethin'? I'm glad it happened this way, Adam. Things happen for a reason, so I wouldn't change what's happened for anything. It taught us both a lesson, and it's for the greater good," she said slowly. "You really think so?" Adam asked. "Yeah...I do, Adam. In my heart, I know that this is gonna be one of several _huge_ mistakes that Shawn will make, and they're gonna fuck him over so hard, he won't know what hit him," she said confidently. "Well, if there's anything that I can do to help you guys out, let me know...I gotta make up for what I did," he said quietly. Sara could hear the guilt in his voice, and her chest tightened slightly. "It's okay, Adam. We live and we learn. I've made some mistakes in my own life that I'm ashamed of, so don't think that I have a right to judge _anybody_, including you," she said softly.

"Like I said, if there's anything I can do, let me know," he said again. "Actually, I need you to talk to some of the members tomorrow evening. I'm flying into Boston, and I should be at the arena no later than 4:00 p.m. I'm gonna try and get everybody together by 5:00," she answered. "What am I talking about?" he asked. "About what happened...about what Shawn did," she answered. "They'll try and rip me to pieces, Sara," he exclaimed, "You should've seen Mark today. Every time he saw me, he looked like he wanted to pound me into pulp!" "At least he didn't do it," she said with a smile. Adam laughed softly and agreed. "Yeah...he'd have had a lot of fans pissed off at him," he said with a smile. "How so?" she asked. "For ruining this gorgeous face," he answered. Sara laughed softly and shook her head. "It's good to hear you laugh again," he said quietly. "Yeah...thanks, Adam...for everything," she said, "I'm gonna head off to bed now, but I'll see you tomorrow night." "Okay, Sara. Sleep well. 'Night," he said. Sara slowly hung up the phone and rested her head on the pillows.

"Why did you do that?" Andy asked as she placed the phone on the nightstand. "Because I needed to," she answered cutting the light off, "I can't talk to people like that – except Shawn, I guess – and not feel guilty about it. And I wouldn't have been able to rest until I'd done that." Andy nodded his head in agreement. "At least you recognize that about yourself," he said quietly. "Yeah, some people don't," she whispered. "What time do you want me to wake you up?" he asked settling back into his chair. "No later than 10:00," she answered brushing her hair out of her face, "I've got to be in Boston by 4:00." "Okay, no problem," Andy said quietly, "Goodnight, baby doll." "Goodnight, Andy," Sara said before turning her back to him and falling asleep.

Andy awoke the next morning at around nine o' clock. He called the Atlanta airport, and reserved two plane tickets for a straight flight to Boston. It took a half an hour of being transferred from person to person, but he finally managed to talk to someone who could find him a flight with two empty coach seats left. After hanging up, he went to the diner across the street and picked up breakfast for him and Sara. Their plane took off at one p.m., and they would arrive in Boston at 3:30 p.m. When he walked into the room, Sara wasn't in the bed. He heard water in the bathroom, and figured she was cleaning up. He set out the breakfast and began to eat, when the bathroom door opened. Sara was dressed in a pair of loose jeans and a sweatshirt. "Good morning," she said pulling her hair into a ponytail. "Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked. "A lot better. I should be fine in two to three weeks," she answered. "Did the doctor tell you that? Or are you just guessing?" he asked with a smile. "Guessing," she answered smiling back. "I got you breakfast. Our flight leaves at one o' clock," he said quietly. "Great. What time are we getting into Boston?" she said hopping onto the bed. "Around 3:30-ish," he answered chewing his bacon and cheese bagel. "That's not too bad," she said opening the Styrofoam box with her food in it. "Thanks, Andy, for everything...for breakfast, and for stayin' here with me," she said looking up at him, "I really appreciate all you do for me." "It's nothin', Sara," Andy said quietly, staring at his food. Sara smiled slightly and ate her food. The two sat in silence as they munched on bagels.

After the short breakfast, Sara went out to the nurses' desk. "May I help you, ma'am?" the woman sitting there asked. "Yeah, I need to check out," Sara said. "I'll have to call the doctor first," the woman said, "She'll have to make sure you can leave." Sara sighed and said, "Okay, fine," before going back to her room. "What's wrong?" Andy asked as she plopped down on her bed, wincing slightly. "I have to wait for the doctor to come see if I can even leave," she said quietly. "I'm sure he'll let you out, Sara. Don't stress," he said. Sara nodded and laid back on the bed, resting her hands on her stomach. Fifteen minutes later, a female in a white lab coat walked in. "Hi, Sara, I'm Dr. Orlando. How do you feel this morning?" she said smiling. "Ready to get outta this place," Sara answered honestly. "Well, I need to check your stitches, and prescribe some pain pills," Dr. Orlando said. "No pain pills. This is nothin'. I'm used to it," Sara said. "What do you do?" Dr. Orlando asked as she lifted Sara's shirt and removed the gauze. "Pro wrestler," Sara answered quietly. "Interesting choice of profession," Dr. Orlando commented. "Indeed," Sara said with a smile. "Well, your stitches look really good. This isn't gonna leave a noticeable scar. As long as you don't take any impact to this area for the next three or four weeks, you should heal up just fine," Dr. Orlando said as she cleaned the red area, and put a new piece of gauze on it. "That's gonna be hard. I'm a wrestler, lady," Sara said quietly, "We take impact three or four days a week." "I can give you a work-release note to get you off for a couple of weeks, if you need it," Dr. Orlando said as Sara sat up. "No, that's fine," Sara said, "Can I leave?" "Yes, ma'am. I just need you to come to the nurse's station to fill out your check-out forms," Dr. Orlando responded. "Thanks, doc," Sara said jumping off the bed. She looked over at Andy, who was staring at her with a raised eyebrow. She glanced at the floor and grabbed her duffel bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

They left the hospital around 11 a.m. "So what was your deal in there?" Andy asked as they walked through the automatic doors. "What do you mean?" Sara asked. "You were kinda rude to that doctor," he said quietly. "I was just ready to leave, Andy," she answered staring in front of her, "I was ready to get out of that hospital, and get to Mark." "That hurts," he said with a smile. She smiled and let out a deep breath. "Sorry," she said meekly. They took a taxi cab to the airport, and picked up their tickets. Once aboard the plane, Sara leaned her seat back and sighed. "You okay?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired," she answered. "Does Mark know when you're getting in?" he asked. "No, I didn't call him last night," she answered rubbing her eyes, "Forgot to. After I got off the phone with Adam, I was just ready to go to sleep." "Understandable," he answered, "It's been a rough couple days." "Yeah, it has," she answered quietly, "I'm gonna take a nap, okay? Just wake me up before we land." "Okay, hon," Andy said quietly. When the plane took off, Sara was already asleep. She slept uninterrupted, dreaming of being back in her fiancé's arms, of looking into his gorgeous green eyes, and hearing his rumbling voice. When Andy stirred up from her dream, she whispered, "You just ruined a perfectly good dream." "Was it of me?" he asked playfully. "You wish," she said smiling.

After landing, Sara and Andy picked up their bags and headed to the arena. "What time is it?" she asked as the taxi pulled into the arena's back parking lot. "Around three o' clock," he answered checking his watch. "Oh, we got here early. Good deal," she said smiling. The taxi stopped and Sara climbed out, wary of her right side. She waited for Andy to get out, before heading inside. She was met by Shane. "How ya feelin'?" he asked. "Better. The surgery really helped," she answered. "Good. That was a rough match Sunday night," he commented. "Yeah, but it was worth it," she said, "I had to earn my stripes." "Well, you definitely did. We did a poll on , and your match was third best," he said smiling. "Sweet!" she said smiling. "Yeah, so just wanted to tell you good job. All the boys in the back loved it, too," he said winking at her. "Awesome!" she said smiling even more. "Well, I'll let you get goin'. Know you've got some catching up to do," he said giving her a gentle hug. "Thanks, Shane. I'll see ya around, 'kay?" she said hugging him back. "Yep," he said before releasing her. Sara and Andy headed to the locker room, talking quietly about the meeting they were going to have. When they entered the locker room, Sara sat down at an empty table and took a few deep breaths. "You okay?" Andy asked sitting down beside her. "Yeah...just hurts a little, ya know," she whispered, "That ache won't go away." "Maybe you should've taken the doc up on her offer of pain pills," he said grinning. Sara looked up at him and grinned, saying, "I don't think so. I can deal with pain just fine."

The door swung open, and Mark walked in with Kevin. She stood and ran over to Mark, jumping into his arms. "I missed you!" she whispered kissing his ear. "I missed you, too," he whispered hugging her tightly. "Careful," she said quietly, "My rib's still sore..." "Sorry, dollface," he said softly, kissing the tip of her nose, "When did you get here?" "Right before you walked in," she answered. Mark smiled and touched his nose to hers. "Sleep okay last night?" he asked . "Yeah," she answered quietly. "Good...I was lonely," he whispered. "I was, too," she said softly. When Kevin cleared his throat, Sara and Mark looked over at him. "Is there a problem?" she asked grinning. "Yeah...you're blocking the door," he answered smiling. Mark set Sara down slowly, and they sat down at the table closest to them. "You dream okay?" he asked looking into her eyes. "Yeah. I dreamt about you on the plane," she said grinning slightly. Mark smiled and linked his fingers with hers. "I guess I do know how to make you smile," she whispered. "Yeah, you do," he whispered leaning over and kissing her softly. "I mean, would ya like us to leave the room?" Kevin said chuckling as the door swung open. "Shut up, Kevin," Sara said with a smile. Shorty, Scott, and Carlos came in with plates of food and bottles of water in their hands. "So, the prodigal child returns," Carlos said setting his plate down. "Hey, Carlos," she said as he hugged her. "We missed you," he said in her ear. "Yeah, I missed you guys, too," she replied.

"How's your rib doin'?" Scott asked sitting down. "Good, it's good," she answered, "Where is everybody?" "Around here somewhere," Scott answered. "Well, we need to meet in about an hour. I've got things that I need to tell you guys," she said seriously. "Okay, after we eat, we'll round up everybody. There's an empty locker room a little ways down from here," Mark said. "Good. I'll be back," Sara said standing. "Where are you goin'?" he asked. "To talk to Adam," she answered looking at the floor. Mark stood up and said, "I'm goin' with you." Sara sighed and simply walked out the door. She found down by the ring. "I need to talk to you," she said quietly. "Okay. I'll be done in about five minutes," he said quietly. "Alright. I'll be waiting in the back," she said quietly. Adam nodded and refocused on watching the practice match between Matt and Benoit.

"Why do you need to talk to him?" Mark asked when they got to the back. "Just...because, Mark," she said quietly, "Don't kill him." "I haven't yet, have I?" he asked with a slight grin. Sara looked up at him with a grin of her own. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too, dollface," he said softly. When Sara saw Adam walking towards her, she touched Mark's forearm and whispered, "Don't say a word." "Okay, dollface," he said quietly.

"Hey, Sara...Mark," Adam said quietly. Sara smiled and looked up at Mark, who was stone-faced. She nudged him in the ribs, and he said tensely, "Adam." "Adam, I wanted to talk to you about the meeting," Sara said looking back at Adam. "Okay. I'm free for a couple hours," he responded. "Well, we're meeting up in an hour, in the locker room three doors down from the 'Corporation' room," Sara said. "What exactly do you want me to say?" he asked slowly. "Exactly what Shawn said to you," she answered simply, "His offer...and why you took it." Adam looked at the floor and sighed heavily. "And what if I can't don't know the answer to that second part?" he asked quietly. "You better know, or come up with a damn good excuse...because my guys are gonna wanna know why," she said softly, "And they're gonna wanna rip your head off for it." Adam looked up at her, his eyes filled with shame. "Don't worry. I won't let 'em. If I got this big bull not to, you don't have to worry about the others," she said smiling slightly. Mark rolled his eyes, and scoffed. "We'll see," he growled. "Mark...," she whispered. "No, Sara...it's understandable. I'd be pissed off, too," Adam said quietly, "Mark...I can't apologize--." "Don't say a goddamn word to me, Adam. Do you even understand what you did?" Mark snapped, "I swear to God, Adam, if it wasn't for Sara...I would've killed you with my bare hands last night!" Sara let out a deep breath and looked at Adam, who was meekly looking at the floor. "Adam...I'm sorry," she whispered. "What the hell are you apologizing for?!" Mark said loudly, "This pathetic piece o' shit is the one--." Sara cut him off by slapping his cheek. "For once, can you keep your fucking mouth closed!" she hissed. Mark clenched his jaw and stomped off.

Adam swallowed and whispered, "I'm so sorry, Sara." "Stop apologizing, Adam," she said quietly, "I'm sorry for Mark. I just...as much as I try, I can't control him." "I deserved it," he said softly. Sara let out a deep breath and looked at the floor. "Just be in that locker room in an hour," she said quietly, "I've got to go find him before he breaks somethin' important...like a body part." Adam smiled a little, and Sara smiled as well. "Thanks for bein' so nice to me, Sara...I really don't deserve it," he said quietly. Sara hugged him gently and touched his shoulders. "Maybe not...but I'm not too good at holding grudges, especially against nice guys like you," she said quietly. "I'll see you in an hour, okay? I'm gonna go think about what I'm gonna say to your guys," he said taking a step back. "Remember this: don't lie to them, Adam. They will see right through you, and that'll piss 'em off even more," she said softly, "Just be honest." Adam nodded before walking away. Sara sighed and went off in search of Mark. She hadn't intended to slap him at all, but his anger had radiated to her, and she did the first thing that came to mind to shut him up. When she saw someone hitting a punching bag in the gym, she stopped. _I hope he understands_, she thought as she entered the gym.

"Mark?" she whispered. Mark stopped hitting the bag and stiffened up to his full height. "What?" he growled over his shoulder. "Can we talk?" she whispered coming over to him. "What the hell about?" he growled going back to punching the bag, "You obviously don't give a shit about what I think! You don't care that all I want in life is to see you happy, and healthy, and not so fucking stressed about Shawn and what he's gonna do next to ruin our lives! You don't care that I love you more than my own fucking life, that I don't want to see you in a hospital! You don't care that I'd kill anybody who hurt you...that I'd _die_ for you!" Sara's chest tightened, and she felt hot tears sting her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice breaking, "I didn't mean to-to slap you...and I do-I do care what you think...more than you'll ever know..." Mark sighed heavily and stilled the swinging bag with his hands. "Dollface...," he whispered facing her. He saw the tears and walked over to her, wiping them away with his thumbs. "Mark, I love you...and I know you love me. I know...I know that's why you're so angry, because you want to see me happy," she whispered, tears continuing to spill onto her cheeks, "And you have every right in the world to want to rip Adam apart...but I need to make this right. I have to make sure this thing works. I have to--." Mark cut her off by kissing her softly. "I know, dollface," he whispered hugging her tightly, "I know." Sara sniffled and pulled away from him. "I'm gonna go sit in the balcony. I'll be down before the meeting," she whispered. "Are you gonna be okay?" he asked caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. "Yeah...just need to clear my mind...get focused again," she said softly. "I love you, dollface," he whispered kissing her gently. "I love you, too, Mark...I'll see you in an hour," she whispered pulling away. Mark nodded and went back to his workout.

Sara headed up to the balcony quickly, sitting down in one of the upper level areas. They were unlit, so she knew she wouldn't be bothered. _So…what now? Adam talks to the guys…then what_? she thought, _I have no idea where I want to go with this_… For the next 45 minutes, Sara went over different objectives to get Shawn released from the group. When it came time for her to leave, she was a little less confused. She stood and slowly made her way to the locker room, meeting up with Adam on the way there. "How do you feel?" she asked quietly. "Like I'm gonna piss my pants," he answered. "Understandable," she said, "Did you do some thinkin'?" "Yeah…I just hope the guys believe me," he answered. "I told you, don't lie. They're gonna see right through you," she said quietly. "It's the truth…as selfish as it's gonna sound, it's the truth," he answered. "Well, good…being man enough to admit a mistake will definitely work to your favor," she said as they came up to the door. Mark was standing there waiting for her. "Hi," he said quietly. "Hey, there…," she said going over to him, "Are they all in there?" "Yeah…," he answered quietly. Sara linked her fingers with his, then looked back at Adam. "I'm gonna come out and get you, okay?" she said quietly. "How long?" he asked. "A few minutes," she said softly. "Okay, I'll be here," he said. Sara nodded as Mark opened the door. She walked in and Mark shut the door behind him.

"It's about time you showed up," Kevin said when he saw her. "Oh, hush," she said smiling, "We ready to start this thing?" "We've been ready," he said, "What took _you_ so long?" Sara sighed and looked down at the floor. She let go of Mark's hand, walking to the front of the room. Every single person was staring at her quizzically. She looked around at each of them, letting out a heavy sigh. "Guys…I did some thinkin' before I came here, about where I want this thing to go. I realized that we've got all this stuff against Shawn, but no real plan," she said slowly, "And that bugged me, because not having a plan to achieve a goal – it's just pointless." "So what's the plan?" Paul asked. "That's something I want us to figure out together. I'm not a dictator; I'm not gonna tell you what to do, or how to do it…that's up to us as a group," she answered, "First…I want to let you guys know exactly what happened Sunday night." "We know what happened, though," Shorty said, "You got hurt, a cracked rib." "Yeah, that's right," Sara said grabbing a folding chair and setting it in front of her. She lifted her shirt, and pulled down the bandage. Everyone sucked in their breath at the sight of the stitches. "_This_…is the result of what happened in that match…surgery…nearly 25 stitches after the surgeon had to go in and fix my third rib," she said slightly agitated, "Because somebody made a huge mistake. It wasn't what happened – I've had my share of broken bones – it was _why_!" She placed the bandage back over the stitches, pulling her shirt down as she went over to the door.

"Come on," she said quietly. Adam walked in, and Sara shut the door. "Sit," she whispered pointing to the chair. Adam complied and took a deep breath. "Adam here…is the reason I was in the hospital yesterday," Sara said to the group. "But it was an accident, right?" Liz asked. Sara walked over to Mark, standing behind him and placing her right hand on his left shoulder. "Tell them, Adam, what you did to me…and why," she said quietly. Everyone's attention turned from Sara to Adam, and he shifted in the chair. "Sunday morning, I got to the Georgia Dome early. I knew it was gonna be a big night…not for me, but for Sara. About a half an hour after I got here, Shawn stopped me in the hallway by your group locker room, and he handed me an envelope…filled with a hundred grand," Adam began. Sara felt Mark tense up, and squeezed his shoulder gently. "He said to me, 'This is yours…if you'll put Sara on the shelf for a little bit. Don't let her get the title too easily.' He…he said, 'Break a rib or somethin'," Adam said slowly, "I hesitated – I didn't want to hurt Sara – and Shawn got impatient. He said he'd get me the IC title back within a month, _and_ he'd, uh…he'd get me into this group…_along_ with the money."

Everyone stood except Mark, Andy, Sara, and Liz, glaring down at Adam. "And you fucking took it?!" John snapped loudly, his Southern accent pronounced, "You little shit!" "Yeah…I took it," Adam said quietly. Kevin grabbed his shirt, pulling him up and shoving him into the closest wall. Everyone gathered around him, with arms crossed and scowls on their face. "Why, you bastard? Was the deal too good to pass up?!" Kevin snarled. Sara pushed her way through and touched Kevin's arm. "This isn't what we're about, Kevin," she whispered. Kevin slowly released Adam and sneered, "Talk." Adam looked at Sara, and she nodded. "I took it because I wanted to be in this group," he said quietly. Kevin scoffed and said, "Bullshit! Don't fucking lie, Adam, or you'll get the worst beating of your life!" "It's the truth, Kevin…everybody. All I've wanted since I came here is to be World champ…and be in this group, because it's the best of the best. And I-I know that every person who w-wants to join has to-to do whatever's asked of him…no matter how much he may hate it," Adam countered, looking at the floor, "So-so I did…what I had to do t-to get in…" "Get the fuck outta here," Kevin growled. Adam left the room quickly, keeping his eyes on the ground. Paul slammed the door and everyone stared down at Sara. "I'll be right back," she whispered leaving the room. Adam was standing in the hall, leaning his hands against the wall, taking slow breaths. "You okay?" she whispered. Adam swallowed and looked at her. His face was flushed red, and she saw spots of sweat on his forehead. "That was a little more hardcore than I expected…I've never feared for my life until then," he whispered. "I should've warned you about that part," she whispered, "I'm sorry…" "No, don't be…I learned my lesson the hard way," he said quietly, "But I'm glad I learned it." "Good…I gotta get back in there…I'll see ya around, okay?" she said touching his arm. "Yeah…see ya," Adam said before Sara went back into the locker room.

"Everyone in a circle right now," Sara said sitting down in the chair Adam had been occupying. Sara lowered her head as everyone pulled their chair into a circle around her, Mark and Andy on either side of her. "Guys…I wanted you to know what happened to me, so you could know exactly what Shawn will do to get rid of me. This isn't about me, about my personal vendetta. I want to get him out of here for _you_," she said slowly. "We know that, Sara…you don't have to explain anything to us. The reason we wanted you to lead us is because you have a cool head, like what happened just now," Kevin responded, "We all wanted to beat the shit outta that kid." Sara couldn't help but grin. "I was only calm 'cause I'd already had my words with Adam," she said quietly. "What'd you say?" John asked. "I told him he was a sorry guy, and that he'd lost my trust. I also let him know that Shawn would use anybody for his own reasons, especially young guys like him," she said quietly. "Did you cuss at him? Please tell me you cussed at him," John said smiling. "Yeah, John…I cursed…I, uh, I said, 'I'm not backing down from anybody, so fuck you, fuck Shawn, and fuck anybody who thinks otherwise,'" she answered chuckling, "But I called him back to apologize." The smile from John's face disappeared. "Why?" he asked. "I can't talk to people like that, John. It's not who I am…I say things when I'm angry that I regret later…and I regretted it, because I knew how good of a person Adam really is," she answered, "Even if you don't see it…he's a good guy. He was just too gullible for his own good." "You shouldn't have apologized, Sara," Paul said, "Shawn used him, yeah…but he made the decision." "That's true," Sara said, "I just…I couldn't have had that on my conscious, that I let my anger control me like that." "Did we pick an awesome leader or what?" Kevin said giving Sara a high five.

"Seriously, though, guys…I wanted you to know what Adam did, because it's important to us. It shows us just how low Shawn is willing to go to break us down," she said sternly, "And I, for one, won't stand for it." "And believe you me, Sara, we aren't gonna stand for it, either," John said standing, "I say we go whip his punk ass right now!" Sara shook her head and said, "Sit down, John. This thing is gonna take time, and you guys are gonna have to be willing to be patient." "That's gonna be hard, Sara. You've got the most impatient group o' guys on your hands," Kevin said. "Well, you better be patient. This whole thing could blow up in our faces if we're not careful. We've got to be wary of Shawn, make sure we don't all rush to a meeting at once…make it look casual, ya know. He's got a keen sense of when somebody's turning on him, and we've gotta put him off as long as possible, until we decide to make a final move," she said slowly, "Understand?" "Yeah," Kevin answered.

They talked for the next half an hour, with everyone throwing out ideas. Sara didn't want to leave anybody out, even Liz, who'd been sitting back somewhat shyly. Sara smiled and brought her into the discussion as well, feeling her heart swell when Liz got passionate about her own arguments. _This is gonna work out_, she thought looking at every person's face, _We're gonna take him down_.

The next few weeks for hell for Sara. Eric only gave her the rest of the week off to recover from what she'd suffered at Shawn's hands. She met everyday with every person in her own group, and they each had something new to tell her. Shawn was going out of his way to make sure, one by one, people were being taken off of television. On the February pay-per-view, only four people from the group were wrestling in substantial feuds, when usually nearly half the group was wrestling on a regular basis. The Friday after the show, Sara called a meeting Little did she know the repercussions of the one meeting would rock her life to its very foundations, and transform the lives of those around her.


	48. Fatal Attack

**Chapter 47…Fatal Attack**

Sara sat in the chair with her head down. The noises all around her were beginning to make no sense. Ever since Shawn had regained his title as sole co-manager of the group, practically giving him free reign to do what he wanted, he had gone on a power trip. His ego had grown even bigger in the past couple of months…and the group was at its wits' end. "Shut up!" she finally said when her head began to ache, "You're not making any sense!" The guys settled down quickly as they focused on their leader. Sara had been appointed one month after the first month Shawn had gotten out of control; it wasn't because she was the on-screen bodyguard of the group, but because she was the only one with a level head. She could handle any situation assertively, yet calmly. "Shawn is out of control. We know this, okay," she said calmly, "We need a plausible, concrete plan to get him out of this group. Either we confront him directly, or we go to Eric." "Eric doesn't care about Shawn's attitude, Sara," Kevin said, "Or he would've done something a long time ago. As long as Shawn brings in the money, Eric could care less what he does." "Yeah, well, we could go to Vince," Shorty suggested. "Vince gives Eric free reins over us, so we need to work this out from the inside," Mark said. "That's right," Sara agreed, "We need to work this out on the inside." More ideas came up as Sara looked at each member, sensing and sharing their feelings of annoyance and anticipation. Little did she know, this meeting was being viewed by Shawn, who was seething with anger. He had been suspicious since they had started getting together a couple months ago. Secret rendezvous, whispers amongst each other, and angry glances towards him; they were all signs of rebellion against him. _I've got it_, he thought, _Take out their leader, and that'll take care of them_. "Bring me Sara _now_," he told his bodyguards, "To my rooms…no stops." Jim and Lance left the security room and headed for the conference room. "What do you think he's gonna do?" Lance asked, "I've never seen Shawn that angry before." "Lance, we're not getting paid to ask questions," Jim said stiffly, "You'll learn that sooner or later."

The conference door opened moments later, and Sara looked up. The entire room fell quiet as Shawn's bodyguards headed around either side of the table, towards Sara. When they got there, Sara didn't spare them a glance. "Shawn wants to see you," Jim said quietly. "Can't you see I'm busy?" Sara snapped. Lance grabbed her arm and pulled her up. "_Now_," he said. Mark and Andy went to stand, but Sara touched Mark's hand. "I'll be right back," she said calmly, "This shouldn't take long. Promise." Mark nodded before taking a seat, Andy following suit. "I'll be right back, guys," she said as Jim and Lance grabbed each arm and pulled her out. The door clicked shut, and the group resumed its meeting.

When Sara finally got to Shawn's door, Jim opened the door and shoved her in. The door slammed shut behind her. "Assholes," Sara whispered rubbing her arms where they'd kept a steel grip. It was as though they didn't want her to escape. "Shawn, I'm here. Now what the hell do you want?" she said, "I've got things to do!" Suddenly, a hard blow to the back of her neck knocked her to the floor. "What the fuck?" she groaned grabbing her throbbing head. "You're not gonna be doin' _anything_," Shawn said standing above her, "For a _long_ time." Sara looked at the bat in Shawn's hand, then at his angry face, and thought, _God help me_, for there was a look of pure murder in his eyes.

Shawn first attacked Sara's legs, the hard bat leaving dark bruises everywhere it connected. By taking out her legs, Shawn ensured that Sara wouldn't get away easily. "You fucking--." Shawn smacked her across her face with the bat, opening a small cut above her right eye. When Sara saw her blood, her temper hit the ceiling. But when she stood to fight back, Shawn hit her with the bat in her stomach hard. She fell back to the floor gasping for air. Shawn kicked her in her stomach with all his might, flipping her over. The bat connected with her ribcage over and over. Sara groaned loudly with each blow. Shawn smiled as he put a foot on her bruised leg and whacked her knee several times. Sara screamed as she felt her kneecap dislocate. "Shawn, stop, dammit!" she yelled grabbing at her knee. Shawn ignored her and struck her leg several more times, stopping the onslaught only when he heard another bone break. "I'll teach you to fuck with me," he growled attacking her. It was as though he wanted to completely immobilize her. Sara screamed as Shawn put her into an armbar, keeping the pressure taut. "Do you know who the fuck I am?" Shawn growled yanking on her arm, "Huh, bitch, do you know who the fuck I am?! You can't stop me! _Nobody_ can stop me!" Shawn continued the onslaught for ten minutes, alternating between using the bat, using his fists, and using a variety of submission moves. Sara tried to fight back, but the more she did, the more damage Shawn inflicted. Lance heard the screams, and tried to go in to interfere, but Jim stopped him. "You can't let him do that to her, Jim," Lance said trying to get around him. "It's not our place, kid," Jim said solemnly.

Finally, amongst fist fights to the face, Sara managed to say, "Please…Shawn…_stop_." "Begging is music to my ears," Shawn laughed. Sara raised her limp right arm, broken in two places, and groaned. "Are you gonna stop this bullshit rebellion?" Shawn growled wrapping his hands around her neck and choking her. "Anything," Sara sputtered, "Just…stop…hitting me." Her willpower – indeed, her very spirit – was broken; Shawn had finally achieved his goal. Shawn punched her once more before standing up and spitting on her. "Get the fuck out of my room," he growled going into the bathroom. Sara cried as pain racked her entire body unlike ever before. "I said get the fuck out!" Shawn yelled, "Unless you want some more?" Sara slowly stood, though she didn't know how, because her right leg was severely fractured.

Sara stumbled to the door and slowly opened it. Jim and Lance stared at her blood- and tear-stricken face and stepped aside. "Go get Carlos, Lance, quick!" Jim said moving to help her. "Don't…touch me," Sara whispered heading for the stairs, "Don't you fucking touch me!" Jim and Lance looked at each other before going straight to Shawn. They glared at him as he stood in the bathroom. "You feeble-minded bastard," Lance growled. "He's right, Shawn. That wasn't a fucking man you beat the shit out of," Jim agreed, "It was a _woman_." "I quit," Lance said leaving, "I won't work for a worthless piece o' shit like you." "Looks like you're unprotected," Jim said following Lance, "'Cause I quit, too. I don't work for weak, pathetic men who can't pick on people their own size." Shawn watched in shock as his now ex-bodyguards stormed out. _Oh, well_, he thought, _They're not the only bodyguards in town_.

Sara made her way to the stairs inch by inch. It was the longest minute of her life. However, as she placed her foot on the first step, her right leg gave way and she let out a loud scream before stumbling down two full flights of stairs. When she landed at the bottom, the back of her head hit the cold, hard, marble floor. She groaned quietly and said, "Andy…somebody…please, help me." Her eyes rolled upwards as she struggled to stay awake. Andy, who had heard her scream from the kitchen, ran into the hall. When he saw her, he gasped and ran to her side. There was blood everywhere. "Sara…oh, my God," Andy whispered as his hands started shaking. "What the hell? What sick--." Sara started coughing up blood as Andy dialed 911. "Mark," Sara sputtered as tears fell from her eyes, mixing with the thick, dark-red blood, "Mark, where are you?" "Carlos, get your ass down here _NOW_!" Andy screamed at the top of his lungs. Carlos slowly came down the stairs wiping his sleep-wrought face. "Man, what? First those pricks, Jim and Lance, now--," Carlos said, stopping when he saw Sara lying on the floor, "Jesus Christ!" He bounded down the steps and kneeled at her side, looking over the damage. He could see that her arms _and_ legs had been severely fractured, there had to be internal damage, and there was a great chance of a neck injury. "Andy, go get the black case out of my closet," he said pulling off his shirt and wiping Sara's bloody face, "And call 911!" "I already did," Andy said dashing up the stairs. Mark walked into the hall moments later after Andy came down the stairs. He stared at the scene of chaos as the air left his lungs.

"Sara?" he managed to say, "Sara, ba-baby…wh-what--." He kneeled down beside her and reached out with shaking hands. "Mark…help me…please don't let me die," Sara coughed, more tears springing from her eyes. Mark leaned down to her face and put his lips as close to hers as possible, "You won't die, dollface. You're too strong," he whispered, "I love you too much to let you die." "I love you…I'm sorry I failed you," Sara whispered as her eyes closed and blackness consumed her. Mark's breath came slow and uneven as his heart rate shot through the roof. "Wh-what…what happened…to her?' he stuttered. "I'm not sure, Mark," Andy said touching his shoulder, "But…I think…Shawn--." Mark slowly stood up as hatred spread through his body like a wildfire. "Carlos…keep her alive," he said quietly as his muscles tensed up, "Please…save her." He then stalked up the stairs. "Where's that fucking ambulance?!" Andy snapped helping Carlos put the neck brace on as Sara slipped into unconsciousness. "Andy, I've got this," Carlos said resetting Sara's broken bones slowly, "Go keep Mark from killing that bastard…it won't do anybody any good." Andy bounded up the stairs, hoping he would get there in time. Mark stood outside the door as anger and hatred coursed through his veins like liquid. He allowed the anger to build up until it seemed like he was going to explode; it was going to be released in moments. He slowly opened the door and walked in. Maria was on the floor cleaning carpet stained with blood. A bloody bat was on the bed. Mark heard running water and went to the bathroom door. Shawn was standing there with his head lowered as blood-stained water emptied from the sink.

"You sick motherfucker," he growled. Shawn's head snapped up and his eyes widened. Mark grabbed his shirt and yanked him out of the bathroom. The first hit broke Shawn's nose. The second hit broke Shawn's jaw. He rammed Shawn into the wall several times as Maria ran out screaming. "You piece o' shit! How could you do that to her?!" Mark yelled punching Shawn in the stomach, "You worthless scumbag! I'll rip your fucking heart out!!" Shawn tried to protect himself, but it was useless. The hits came harder and faster. Andy ran into the room and tried to pull Mark off of Shawn, but Mark glared at him, saying, "Step the fuck off, man!" Andy did just that. Kevin, Shorty, and Scott ran in moments later with the rest of the group. Kevin tried to stop Mark's onslaught, but Andy held him back. "He'll kill him, man," Kevin argued. "Did you see Sara, Kevin? Did you see her?" Andy asked as Shawn's groans and screams filled the air, "_Shawn_ did that, and he's gonna pay. Mark knows how far to go."

Eric was lured into the room moments later. He pushed his way through the crowd, and, seeing Mark destroying Shawn, ran up and pulled him off. "What the hell is your problem?!" he yelled. Mark hesitated momentarily before punching Eric square in the nose. Eric hit the floor right beside Shawn. "That's it, Mark, you are suspended indefinitely!" Eric yelled holding his nose, "I'll see to it you are _fired_!" Mark kneeled down and grabbed Eric's shirt. "Fuck you, Eric! You can take this whole group, _or what's left of it_, and shove it up your scrawny ass!" he growled menacingly, "I fucking _QUIT_!" Mark then stood up and turned around. The group separated and watched him leave, followed by Andy. The two men ran downstairs as the ambulance arrived. "Andy, get my keys and bring my truck to the hospital," Mark said before climbing into the back of the ambulance, "Thanks, man." Andy slammed the doors shut right before the ambulance sped off. "Carlos…when Jim and Lance dragged her by me in the conference room…she looked at me," Andy said slowly, "There was fear…and helplessness there…like she knew something bad was about to happen…I-I should've went up there…I should've been there…to protect her. It's my goddamn _job_!" "Look, Andy, she's strong. She's the strongest woman I know. She won't let Shawn get away with this," Carlos said heading back inside, "And don't regret anything. You helped her as much as you could." Andy followed Carlos inside and helped him clean the bloody mess in the hallway. Afterwards, they cleaned themselves and headed to the hospital, along with Kevin, Scott, and Shorty. When they got there, they found Mark in the waiting room pacing.

"So…how bad is she?" Kevin asked quietly. "I don't know, man. She's been in surgery for over two fuckin' hours! The doctors won't tell me _anything_," Mark said plopping down in the closest seat, "I-I…I can't live without her…She's my life…I couldn't take it if she died…I just-I wouldn't have a reason to live." Mark lowered his head as his emotions finally released themselves. Tears streamed down his face like a flood. The woman he loved was on the brink of death, and he was helpless to protect her. "Listen, Mark, all we can do is pray," Carlos said kneeling down in front of him. Kevin, Scott, and Shorty pulled up chairs beside them and lowered their heads. They all began to pray diligently for Sara's health and recovery.

Five and a half hours later, Sara's doctor walked in. Mark was the first to stand. His chest tightened as he waited for some sign or word of his love's health. "Mr. Callaway, I'm happy to tell you that Sara has survived--." Mark let out a half-cry, half-laugh as he embraced the doctor. "Thank you so much, doctor," he said, "I don't know if I could ever truly repay you for this." He released the doctor and embraced the other five men. "Carlos…thank you so much. If it wasn't for you, Sara…she probably--." "Excuse me, Mr. Callaway, but there is more," Dr. Fuller said. Mark's joy disappeared when he noticed the grim look on the doctor's face. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly. "During the surgery, Sara slipped into a deep coma. Right now, there's a slim chance she'll make it through the night," Dr. Fuller said, "With all of the injuries she had, especially to the upper body and head area…we were shocked she survived the ride here." "Well, can I see her…please?" Mark asked. "She's in intensive care right now. Only immediate family have visitation rights," Dr. Fuller said noticing Mark's dismal look, "But I can make an exception." The six men followed Dr. Fuller to the elevator, and down to the intensive care ward. When they arrived at their destination, Mark took a deep breath before entering the room. At the sight of the bandages and casts, Mark's eyes filled with tears. "Oh, baby," he whispered going over to her near-lifeless body, "I'm so sorry. No one ever meant for this to happen." Her right leg was in a full cast, her left arm and shoulder were in a full cast, while her right arm was in a half cast, her neck was in a hard neckbrace, and her head was heavily bandaged. Mark also realized her ribs were heavily bandaged as well. He place his hand on hers and started to cry again.

"Please, Sara, you can't die…You've got to live…There's so much more you've got to do," he choked out, "You can't leave your family…your friends…_me_. You just _can't_." A hand landed on Mark's arm, breaking his concentration. "We're here, man," Andy said quietly. All five men walked around the bed, joined hands, and lowered their heads in prayer. An hour later, the rest of the group walked in and joined the prayer. When everyone was finally finished, it was close to midnight. Dr. Fuller entered the room and announced that visiting hours had passed. "Only one of you may stay," he said, "I'm sorry, but I've already stretched the rules far enough." "Thank you, Dr. Fuller," Mark said quietly.

Every member came up to Mark and either shook his hand or hugged him. "She's a strong woman," Kevin said gripping Mark's hand, "If she can put up with you, I'm sure she'll get through this." Mark forced a smile as he hugged Kevin. Sure, they'd had problems in the past, but Kevin was like a brother to him. "Thanks, man," he whispered. "I'll see you soon," Liz said hugging Mark tightly, "I'm so sorry this happened to you." "Thanks for stopping by, Liz," Mark said kissing her cheek, "I appreciate it, and I know Sara does, too." Mark sat down and sighed heavily as he finally realized he was going to be out of a job if Eric had his way. "I love you, Sara," he whispered rubbing her hand, "With everything I am." He then gently placed her hand down and left the room. He took a quick trip to Wal-Mart, buying two large trunks and two small carry cases, before heading back to the mansion. He found Andy sitting in the living room alone. "Hey, man, what are you doin' up?" Mark said quietly, "You guys have a busy schedule starting tomorrow." "Yeah, well, not me," Andy whispered, "I'm out of a job…and I've got 12 hours to move out." "Why?" Mark asked. "Because…Shawn got his ass kicked…and I, uh, I didn't stop you," Andy said lowering his head. "No one could've stopped me, Andy," Mark said quietly, "Even if I wanted them to." He then headed upstairs and into his room. First, he packed his clothes and shoes in the two trunks. In the small carry cases, he put his hygiene products, towels, and rags. Afterwards, he put the trunks in the back of his truck, and called his brother, Anthony, who owned a hotel a few minutes from the hospital. Anthony game him a suite at half-price. "Thanks man I owe you big," Mark said

He then hung up and called Sara's mother. If anybody needed to know what had happened, it was her. That was the hardest phone call Mark had ever had to make in his life. When Lucy answered the phone, he took a deep breath and said, "Hello?" "Hey, Mark, how's it goin'? How are you and Sara doin'?" Lucy asked. "Um, Lucy, I've-I've got some bad news. It's-it's about Sara," he said quietly, forcing the tears from his eyes. "Mark, what's wrong? What happened?" Lucy asked. "She-she…was…attacked this afternoon," Mark whispered. "What?! What do you mean, 'attacked'?!" Lucy screamed, "How bad is she?!" "She's in…intensive care at the city hospital right now," he said as tears fell from his eyes, "I didn't know, Lucy. I swear, when I found out, it was too late." Lucy turned hysteric after he'd told her what had happened to her daughter. "I'm going to be on the first plane out there!" she'd screamed, "I will meet you at the hospital!"

After Mark got off the phone with her, he drove to the hotel and unloaded his belongings. He then went back to Wal-Mart, bought the same kind of trunks, and headed back to the mansion. When he got there, he saw that Andy was still awake. "Pack your stuff, man," he told him, "You're comin' with me." "Where?" Andy asked. "I've got a suite room at the Sheraton down the street from the hospital," Mark replied heading upstairs, "There's an extra bedroom." "Are you sure?" Andy asked heading upstairs behind him. "I wouldn't be telling you to pack if I wasn't sure," Mark said heading to his room. "Alright," Andy said, "Give me an hour or so." Mark nodded before entering Sara's room. Sara's belongings took twice as long to pack as his did. When he finished, Andy helped Mark carry the cases to his truck. "Thanks, Mark, I really appreciate this," Andy said on the way to the hotel. "Andy, don't thank me," Mark said, "It's the least I can do for everything you've done for Sara and me." When the two men finally got back to the hospital, the sun had begun to rise. "Do you think she made it?" Andy asked as they walked through the silent halls of the hospital. "Andy…I _know_ she made it," Mark replied, "I can still feel her inside me." Indeed, Sara had survived through the night, her vital signs steady and strong. Her mother was at her side holding her hand, crying and whispering prayers. Mark sat on the left side of the bed and put Sara's limp hand in his; Lucy completely ignored him. "That's right, baby," Mark whispered to Sara, "Fight. Fight like never before. Don't you let that son of a bitch get away with this…" Exhaustion finally set in as the hours passed. Mark had to fight to keep his eyes open. "Mr. Callaway, Ms. Lindsey, perhaps you two should head home and get some rest," Dr. Fuller suggested on his third trip to Sara's room, "You're not helping yourself or Sara by denying your bodies of sleep."

Mark simply pulled a chair up to the bed and sat down, resting his head in his left hand, while holding Sara's in his right. "I can't leave her here alone, Dr. Fuller," he said quietly, "I just can't." Lucy glared at him with tears in her eyes before looking back down at her daughter. She wasn't going to leave her daughter's side unless she absolutely had to. Mark let his eyes slowly droop close before falling asleep. He was awakened by the twitching of Sara's hand in his palm. He bounded up and rubbed her skin. "I'm here, honey, I'm right here," he said, "I'm not going anywhere." When Andy brought him a sandwich to eat, he simply waved him away. "Mark, you haven't eaten in 24 hours," Andy said. "I'm not hungry," Mark said. Indeed, an appetite had escaped Mark since yesterday. Suddenly, Sara flatlined. "Sara!" Mark and Lucy screamed at the same time. "Sara, baby, come back to mama! Don't leave me!" Lucy screamed. "Sara, listen to her, come back to us!" Mark yelled. Andy pulled them both back as the doctors rushed in. "Let them do their work," he whispered. Mark and Lucy held their breath as they watched in utter shock. One moment she was in perfect health, and the next minute she'd flatlined. When the steady beep indicating a healthy heartbeat restarted, Mark let out a huge sigh of relief as Lucy embraced him. The doctors slowly packed up, rechecked Sara's vital signs, and rechecked the IV's pumping nutrients into her body.

"What happened?" Lucy asked frantically, "I mean--. She was fine--. She just--. Tell me what happened!" "Please, Ms. Lindsey, relax. It appears that Sara is trying so hard to recover that she's overdoing it," Dr. Fuller said, "She sent herself into shock. It's obvious that she can hear your encouragement. You might want to tell her to relax, because I think she's going to be just fine." Mark nodded and quickly moved to Sara's side. "Fuller says you need to stop trying so hard. You're gonna make it, baby," Mark remarked, "Just…slow down, for your own sake." Andy sat at the foot of the bed and observed Mark. His love for Sara was stronger than anything he'd ever seen. Andy bet that if Mark could switch places with her, even for a moment, he would.

"Ahem." Mark, Lucy, and Andy looked up at the same time to find _Vince_ standing in the door. Mark slowly stood as Vince walked in. Lucy ran over to him and started pounding on his chest. "Did she deserve this, Vince?! Huh? Her loyalty to your goddamn company is costing her more than I can stand, her life!" she screamed. Vince put his arms around her and comforted her. Her pain touched his soul. "Do you see, Vince, what he did to her? She didn't ask for this; she didn't deserve this. She was only trying to make that group better," Mark growled, "If you are any kind of a boss, you will have that beast put into jail for the rest of his miserable life. Because if I get my hands on him again--.." "Mark, Shawn was fired yesterday…after Andy called me and told me what happened," Vince said rubbing Lucy's back, "As well as Eric. I'll assure that they never work in the business again. I never knew how poorly run that group was. I can assure you that Sara has been justified." "Well, why the hell is Andy out of a job?!" Mark snapped. "Eric told him that, and Eric is gone. Andy is free to start work again," Vince replied. "What about me…and Sara? She can't work," Mark grimaced, "and I'm not leaving her here alone until I'm sure she'll be okay." "I'm sorry, Vince, but I can't leave Sara's side, either," Andy said stepping forward, "I would love to start work, but--."

"I knew you'd say that. That's why I'm giving you all an unlimited leave of absence until you're ready to return," Vince said, "And Mark, you're getting a $300,000 deposit in your bank account to help with the hospital costs. I hope it helps." Mark looked completely dumbfounded; the last thing he'd expected was for Vince to help with the hospital costs, not after he'd almost beat Shawn to death. "Thank you," he whispered, "Thanks a lot." Vince then released Lucy, went over to Sara, and touched her hand. "You're strong, Sara. You're going to get through this because you love your life, and you love those who support you. I'm sorry for this," he said quietly, "I'm so sorry that this happened to you. You're an amazing woman, and you've got an immeasurable amount of heart. Once you make a _full recovery_, I hope you'll still want to work for me, but if not, I understand. Stay strong, darling." He then shook Andy and Mark's hands before leaving, as well as kissing Lucy's cheek. Mark and Andy looked at each other and grinned as they walked over to Sara's bed. "We're gonna be fine, Sara," Mark said holding her hand.

Sara's eyes opened very slowly, adjusting to the brightness of the strange room. She looked around, taking in everything, then realizing that she had no idea how she got there. "Hello?" she rasped. A nurse walked over to her, placing her hand on her wrist. "You're gonna be just fine, sweetheart. We've been waitin' for you to wake up for a while," the nurse said sweetly, "I'll be right back, okay?" "Okay," Sara whispered. She watched the nurse exit quickly, and then closed her eyes once again. There was a dull pain in her stomach, and she felt casts on her right arm, left shoulder, and right leg. _What happened to me?_ she thought painfully.

"Andy, it's been three weeks. I'm getting worried," Mark said as the elevator door closed, "I mean…what if she never…never wakes up?" "Mark, be positive. You have to take it one day at a time," Andy said. Mark sighed as he bit into a ham sandwich be bought down the street. Dr. Fuller had ordered him to start eating two weeks ago. "If you keep it up, Mark, you're gonna be in the hospital, too," he'd said. When the doors opened, Mark stepped out and headed for Sara's room. At the sight of Dr. Fuller running into Sara's room, he tossed the half-eaten sandwich to Andy and ran down behind him. When he got to the doorway, he saw Fuller leaning over Sara. "Is she okay? What's wrong?" he asked slowly moving in. What Mark saw made his heart jump into his throat. Sara's eyes were open and searching the room.

He walked over to her bedside and touched her hand. Sara's eyes locked on his. "Yeah, baby, I'm still here. I have been and always will be," Mark whispered kissing the back of her hand, "Besides, I've got really good news." Sara's hand twitched, and Mark continued. "Shawn and Eric have been _fired_, and Vince is disbanding the group. And, uh, we've got a leave of absence until you get better. _And_, Vince gave us _$300,000_ to help with the hospital bills," he said smiling, "Your mom came up here to visit for a couple weeks, but she had to go back home. I've got us a suite at the Sheraton down the street. Andy's gonna be with us, too." With all the strength she could muster, Sara suddenly whispered, "Who...who are you?" Tears filled Mark's eyes when she said that, and his head dropped. He wasn't prepared for Sara to have lost her memory.

"Excuse me, Mark, can I speak with you for a minute?" Dr. Fuller asked. Mark took a deep breath and stood, following Dr. Fuller, as Andy walked over to the bed. "What's wrong with her? Why doesn't she remember who I am? She's gonna be okay, right?" Mark asked as the door shut. "Mark, Sara sustained serious injuries. It's a true _miracle_ she lived," Dr. Fuller said quietly. "What exactly were her injuries?" Mark asked. "Her jaw was broken. Her right leg was broken in two places, and her right knee was dislocated. Her left shoulder was dislocated. Her right wrist was practically crushed, while her forearm was broken," Dr. Fuller replied grimly, looking at Sara's chart, "She had two broken ribs, and her right lung was punctured. Not to mention the pinched nerves and cracked vertebrae in her upper spine. As far as her memory loss...the concussion was a very serious one; it's what sent her into the coma in the first place. Memory loss has been known to occur after such as she as suffered. Whoever did this could go to jail on charges of attempted murder." Mark took a deep breath and lowered his head. "Now the healing process will take about four to six months. The broken bones will heal in two months, give or take a couple of weeks. But her neck, that'll take longer. Unfortunately, I don't think Sara will ever be able to wrestle at 100 again. We replaced the cracked vertebrae with bones from her pelvis. She'll be in a neck brace for, at most, six months," he continued, "Physical therapy will take, at most, six to eight months afterwards."

"Is that all?" Mark said sighing to himself. "Um…no. Sara was six weeks pregnant, but the baby didn't survive," Dr. Fuller reported. Mark's jaw dropped and his chest tightened up. "She was…pregnant?" he whispered breathlessly, "He…killed my child?" "I'm so sorry, Mark. Sara's reproductive system wasn't permanently damaged, so she will be able to have children in the future," Dr. Fuller said quietly. Mark rubbed his hands over his eyes and nodded. "Thanks, Dr. Fuller," he whispered before slowly opening the room door. What he saw made him stop in his tracks: Andy was looking at Sara as though he _loved_ her. Obviously Andy didn't hear him, so he just stood back and watched. "I know you don't know who I am, but Sara, I-I want to apologize. I wasn't there and I should've been. It was my job to look out for you...to never let you be alone with Shawn," Andy said looking down at Sara, "I take full blame for this. If I would've been there to protect you…you probably wouldn't even be here. I beg you, Sara, please forgive me." Sara reached over and touched Andy's hand. She struggled to say, "Some guy named Shawn…did this, and…the anger comin' from that guy out there…Shawn regrets it." "But I feel so bad, Sara. Watching you flatline _three times_ hurt me…almost as much as it hurt Mark out there…I mean, I've grown so close…" His voice trailed off. Sara forced Andy to look at her eye-to-eye, before saying, "I can tell…how much you care…and all I can say…is thank you." "You don't have to thank me, Sara. I'd do anything for you," Andy replied. Sara finally noticed Mark standing behind Andy. Andy looked over his shoulder, and immediately stood up.

"You're fine, Andy," Mark said walking over to the bed. Andy went around to the other side of the bed and slowly sat down. Mark carefully put his hand in Sara's. "Dr. Fuller says you're gonna be fine," he said quietly, a slight smile on his face. "I can tell...you're lying...don't," Sara said as a tear rolled down her face, "Not…right now. How bad…is it?" "You may never be able to compete again, not at 100. You'll probably be out of action for a year, maybe more," Mark answered, "And, um…you-you were pregnant." "Pregnant?" she whispered, "_Was_?" Sara closed her eyes and whispered, "Why did this happen? Did I deserve…_this_? To have my life…snatched away? Please…make this all go away." Tears streamed down her face as she imagined her bleak future. When she felt Mark's hand on her face, she opened her eyes. "Sara, you're alive, and that's all that matters," he whispered, "_You're_ _alive_…and you're surrounded by those who love you. Stop focusing on the bad, and think about the good. Just concentrate on your recovery, on getting your memory back." Sara sighed and nodded her head slightly.

Mark watched as Sara closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep. He suddenly dropped her hand and left the room, Andy following him. "What's wrong, Mark?" he asked. "What's _wrong_, Andy? Everything is wrong, this whole situation is wrong! She doesn't even know who I am! That's not my fiancée, man...," he exclaimed, "My fiancée shouldn't be lying in a hospital bed! She should be at home, laughing and running around and-and...not _here_, goddammit! I don't know who that is!" He then stormed down the hall, but Andy grabbed his arm and forced him to stop. "This is not the time for this, Mark. Sara needs you, whether she remembers who you are or not! You _cannot_ be this selfish!" he said quietly. "I'm goin' back to the hotel...I can't be here," Mark said walking away. Andy sighed heavily and went back to Sara's room. He had to leave Mark to deal on his own, because Sara needed _somebody_ in that room with her, somebody to give her hope, to give her love, and to give her support. Andy didn't know when her memory would return, or even if it would. He just hoped, for Mark's sake and her own, that it would, and would soon.


	49. Long Road to Recovery

**Chapter 48...Long Road to Recovery**

Nearly three months passed before Sara was released from the hospital, still suffering from memory loss. Mark had come back to the hospital the day she'd come out of her coma with the picture collage he'd gotten her for Christmas. He'd pointed to each picture, explaining the story behind them, but still it had no effect. He just couldn't accept the fact that the woman he was supposed to marry didn't even know who he was. The day Sara was released, Mark drove them (Andy was still living with Mark in the hotel suite) all back to the hotel. He had Andy wheel Sara in, while he parked behind the hotel. When he finally entered the suite, Sara was sitting on the couch in the living room of the suite. "Where's Andy?" he asked quietly. "In the bathroom," she answered softly, keeping her eyes on the floor. Mark took a deep breath before going into the master bedroom. He slowly laid down on the bed to take a quick nap.

Andy came back into the living room, finding Sara looking at the television blankly, except the television wasn't on. "Why didn't you cut the TV on?" he asked sitting down beside her. "I don't know where the remote is," she answered. Andy grinned and picked up the remote from the table in front of her. "Why didn't you cut the TV on?" he asked again, quietly. Sara swallowed as tears came to her eyes. "Mark...he's so angry at me...I can feel it," she whispered painfully, "He can't even look at me. Then again...who'd want to look at me?" "Sara, don't say that. You're a beautiful woman," Andy said slowly. "Not with all these scars everywhere," Sara whispered looking at her right forearm. The surgeon had had to cut into her skin to fix her crushed wrist and broken forearm; there was a five-inch scar where the stitches had been. There was also a six-inch scar on her belly where they'd had to repair her ribs. She'd seen the scars on her right leg as well. Her bones had completely punctured skin when they'd been broken; the scars told the unnerving tale of her beating. "Sara, I want to show you something, okay?" Andy said quietly. Sara nodded as Andy stood. "Come on," he whispered helping her up and into the bathroom. He made her face him, her back to the mirror, and said softly, "I need to pull up the back of your shirt." Sara nodded and allowed him to do so. Andy then held another mirror to Sara's face, positioning it so she could see the small tattoo on her back.

"Are those his initials?" she asked quietly. Andy nodded in response. "You got that for him...as a Christmas present this past December," he said looking into her eyes, "You guys are engaged to be married." "I can't marry him...I don't even know who he is," she said looking at the tattoo. "Don't worry, Sara. It'll all come back to you," he assured her, "You just gotta have hope...I know it seems like it'll never happen, but it will. You can't lose hope." Sara couldn't hold back the tears anymore, and broke down. "I can't, Andy...it's been almost three months since I woke up...and I can't remember _anything_," she cried, "I don't know why I got that tattoo...I don't know who he is...I don't know what he means to me...I know he's tried, but it's been barely...I don't even know what _you_ mean to me...and you've tried like hell to help me." Andy sighed heavily and looked away; Sara was right – he'd been trying to help her a lot more than Mark, and Mark was her fiancé. "I'll be right back," he said softly, leaving Sara alone in the bathroom.

When Andy found Mark asleep in his room, he snapped. He went over to him and pushed him, waking him. "Get your ass up!" he growled. "What is your problem?" Mark said standing. "My problem? _My_ problem?! _Your_ fiancée is in there crying her eyes out right now, because she can't remember you! And what the hell are you doin' to help her? You're asleep! That's my fucking problem, Mark!" Andy said heatedly. "Look, man, I've been trying to help her," Mark said crossing his arms. "When's the last time you spent time with her, Mark? You barely came to visit her in the hospital when you found out she didn't remember who you were!" Andy continued, "You didn't spend more than an hour a day there! It's not my face she needs to see when she wakes up, or before she falls asleep, it's _yours_!" "I can't deal with that, Andy," Mark said simply. "Well, you better fucking learn! Because I'm sick of trying to love Sara as much as you do...I can't do that," Andy said crossing his arms, "What you have with her...it's something people only dream of, Mark. And you're gonna lose that if you keep up this shit...whether you realize it or not." Mark sighed heavily and covered his eyes. "Where is she?" he asked quietly. "In the bathroom," Andy answered. "Will you give us a few minutes alone?" Mark asked. "Yeah. I'll go sit on the balcony," Andy answered leaving the room.

Mark slowly exited the bedroom, and found Sara standing in the middle of the living room. "What are you doin'?" he asked quietly. "Trying to remember this place," she answered softly, looking over the living room. "Well, you won't," he said quietly. Sara looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean it like that, doll--...Sara," he said, stopping himself from instinctively calling her by the nickname he'd given her since her early days in the mansion. "What were you gonna call me?" she whispered. Mark sighed heavily and said, "Dollface...it's somethin' I've been calling you since we lived in the mansion." "Why?" she asked. "Because your face is as beautiful as a porcelain doll's," he answered coming over to her. A tear escaped from Sara's left eye, and Mark reached to wipe it away, only for Sara to back up. "Why are you doin' this? Bein' so nice to me?" she whispered, "A few minutes ago, you could barely stand to look at me." "I got some sense talked into me," Mark answered honestly, "Sara...let's sit down and talk, okay? I don't think you should be standing." Sara swallowed and squeezed her hands together. Mark slowly took her hands in his own, taking a deep breath when he felt them tremble against his. "Come on," he whispered. Sara nodded and allowed him to help her get seated at the couch.

When she was seated comfortably, Mark sat down beside her and took her left hand in his, lifting it up. "I gave you this just this January...New Year's Day, in fact," he whispered looking at the engagement ring, "I thought it was a sign...that life had finally dealt me a good hand." "I'm sorry," she whispered slowly removing the ring, "But I can't marry you..." Mark closed his eyes as Sara placed the ring in his right hand. "I can't...not until I remember just who you are...and why you care so much about me," she whispered. Mark removed his silver-link necklace, put the ring on it, and put the necklace back around his neck. "And here it'll stay," he whispered, "Until that day." Sara looked at him and saw the hope in his eyes. She grinned slightly and placed her left hand in his. "Why wouldn't I remember this place?" she asked. "Andy and I moved in here while you were in your coma," he answered. "Oh," she said quietly, "Why didn't you come to visit me...in the hospital?" "I don't like hospitals...never have," he answered, "I was there every moment from the time you went to surgery, until you woke up. When you didn't remember who I was...I couldn't stay there anymore...I couldn't be in that environment. My mom died in a hospital, and I had to wait a half an hour before the doctor told me. I didn't wanna be there if it happened again."

"Mark?" Sara said quietly. "Yeah, dollface?" he asked. "Tell me about myself...about who I was before all this," Sara said softly, "About what you loved about me." "I loved that you were a fighter, an independent woman. You never let anybody control you, even me. We butted heads about it sometimes, but you held your ground," he answered, "You cared a ton about your friends, even Roddy, your ex-husband. You talked to him on a regular basis, no matter how jealous I was about it." Sara smiled a little and said, "I could see you as the jealous type." Mark chuckled and placed his arm around her shoulder. "What else?" she asked. "You were a huge athlete. You did a lot of stuff in the ring that no one had ever seen before. You only wrestled men for the first four or five years of your career. You had a lot of firsts, as a woman: Royal Rumble entrant, King of the Ring entrant...and you even won the Intercontinental title _twice_," he continued, "But you got put in a storyline against Amy, one of the women wrestlers, and you wrestled her and a few other women for a few months. You had some of your best matches as part of those storylines. I have a tape of them – I had the office put it together – of your best matches. You wanna watch it?" "Not yet. I like listening to you talk," she said quietly. "You always did. We could talk for hours about anything," Mark said softly. "Like?" she asked. Mark closed his eyes and said, "You were a sports freak. We'd watch football and boxing together; I never had to explain anything to you. You were a hell of a tomboy, too. We used to tumble around together, spar together, work out together, all that kinda stuff. I loved that about you, too." "What kind of TV did I like?" she asked. "You never watched much TV. You'd watch a movie every now and then, but I don't TV did anything for you," he answered.

"Did I have a lot of friends?" she asked. "Oh, God, yes. You were friends with nearly every single wrestler that walked through the company's doors, and were on speaking terms with those you weren't friendly with. You loved to mentor the new guys. You even brought our group closer together; we looked up to you. You were like a natural-born leader," he answered, "Even when you went home...you never ran out of people to go visit, to catch up with. And you loved your mom to death. She was your foundation, your rock. If anything ever went wrong, or you needed a break or somethin', home was where you went." "Did my mom come to see me?" she asked. "Yeah. She was in the hospital the first couple weeks you were in the coma. She left a couple days before you woke up," he answered. "Has she been back since?" she asked. "Nah, she's been busy at home. But wrestlers came by to see you whenever they could. Kevin and Liz were regulars the first couple weeks; whenever they had a free day, they would come spend it sitting by your bed. Vince came by a couple times, and so did Shane," he answered, "They had a string o' shows in California a couple weeks after you woke up, and a bunch of people came by to see you. Remember?" Sara closed her eyes and thought. "Yeah, a little. I remember a guy named Brock Lesnar...and John Cena...and Amy Dumas," she said slowly. "Yeah, you wrestled all three of them. Amy was the first woman you wrestled. Brock had his first televised match with you. And you helped out John a lot with improving his in-ring work," he said.

"Did I read a lot?" she asked. "Not a lot, but you enjoyed it when you had the time," he said softly. "Did I have any pets?" she asked. "Yeah, a dog. Roddy got her for you while you were still married to him. Her name is Duchess," he answered. "Where is she?" Sara asked. "I'm still trying to convince Anthony to let me keep her here. The hotel has a strict "no pet" policy, but I'm workin' on it. Right now, though, she's in a local kennel," he answered, "You loved that dog to death. She was like your best friend." "Well, it's said that dogs are a man's best friend, right?" she said with a slight grin. "Yeah...but you're far from a man, hon," he said with a smile in his voice. "Did you have a dog?" she asked. "Yeah, Slasher...he's in the kennel with Duchess," he answered, "I haven't seen him in about three weeks, though." "We should go see them," Sara suggested. "Right now? You just got out of the hospital. Are you sure you don't wanna stay here and relax?" he asked. "No. I have a feeling I'd get depressed here," she answered honestly. "Yeah, you never liked being inactive for too long," he said. "Maybe it's a sign," she said quietly. "Of what?" he asked. "That my memory's coming back," she said grinning. Mark smiled and leaned over, planting a soft kiss on the side of her head. "That's right, baby...don't give up hope," he whispered in her ear, "I'm gonna go tell Andy we're leaving, okay?" Sara nodded, her eyes following him as he went out to the balcony. She watched the silent interaction between Andy and Mark, smiling slightly when they embraced before Mark returned. "You ready?" he asked. Sara nodded, and Mark helped her up. "We'll spend the day together, is that okay?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and nodded; hope filled her now, and she knew that Mark and Andy, but especially Mark, would _not_ give up on her. This day would mark the beginning of her road not only to physical recovery, but mental recovery as well.

When they returned to the hotel room, the sun had already set. Sara was exhausted as well. She had not only gone to the kennel (Duchess was so happy to see her that she nearly toppled her over; Sara could only pet her gently and speak to her softly), but Mark had treated her to lunch and dinner. In between the meals, Mark had taken her all over Venice, even showing her the old mansion. It had been up for sale for a month now, but no one had bought it yet. Mark opened the door and Sara walked in slowly. Her neck was now sore, and her back as well, from all the walking they'd done. "I don't think I'm gonna be moving anytime soon," she said as she made her way to the bedroom. Andy was sitting on the couch with a glass of water in one hand, and the remote in his other. "I was startin' to worry," he said to Mark. Mark grinned and shut the door. "I'm gonna go make sure she's okay," he said quietly. Andy nodded and went back to flipping through channels, trying to find something to watch.

Mark entered the bedroom, only to find Sara already lying down. She couldn't lay on her side, or stomach, because of the neckbrace she was forced to wear. Sleeping hadn't been hard in the hospital, but now, Sara would have to find a way to fall asleep in an unfamiliar bed in still-unfamiliar surroundings. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly. "No," Sara whispered, her voice shaking. Mark sat down at her side, and saw the tears in her eyes. "What is it?" he asked. "My back hurts," she answered softly. "The doctor sent home some pain pills. You want one?" he said. Sara nodded and tried to force back the tears; the pain in her back was like a knife, stabbing constantly around her upper neck. Mark quickly got the pills from Sara's bag, grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen, and went back into the room. Tears had found their way down the sides of her face, but Sara still hadn't moved an inch. "You have to sit up to take these," he whispered helping her into an upright position. Sara gasped at the continued pain, but wiped her tears away. She quickly took the pills, and drank the water. "Are you tired?" he asked. She nodded and said, "I just wanna go to sleep." "Okay. You want me to help you change?" he asked. "No," Sara answered quickly, "I...I can do it." Mark sighed and nodded. "I'll sleep in the living room; you can have this room," he said quietly. "Thank you," she whispered as he stood. "I'll see you in the morning, dollface," he said exiting the room, shutting the door behind him. Sara slowly changed into a t-shirt she found in the closet, climbed into the soft, king-sized bed, and sighed heavily as sleep consumed her pain-wracked body.

"Guess who called while you were gone?" Andy asked Mark as he sat down in the chair beside the couch. "Who?" Mark asked. "Vince...wants to know when we're comin' back," Andy answered. "Sara just got out of the hospital today. I have no idea when I'm goin' back," Mark said. "He said he needs us soon," Andy said quietly. "I'll go back once Sara starts therapy," Mark said. "When's that gonna be?" Andy asked. "The doctor said he would give her two and a half months more in the neckbrace, before he'd clear her for therapy. I'm not goin' back any sooner than that," Mark answered, "If you need to go back before then, that's fine...but I can't leave her before she starts therapy." "Well, my bank account is depleting pretty quickly, so I have to start back in the next couple weeks. Is that okay?" Andy said. "No problem. And I really wanna thank you for sticking with Sara...when I couldn't," Mark said slowly, "She'd be lost without you...and in a sense, so would I." "It's not a problem, man. I just want her to get better, same as you," Andy said. Mark grinned and stretched out his limbs. "You give Sara the master bedroom?" Andy asked. "Yeah. I don't want her to feel uncomfortable around me. I think since what Shawn did to her, she's become self-conscious. She didn't even want me to help her get dressed for bed, even though she was in a ton of pain," Mark said quietly, "So I'm just gonna sleep on the couch until things get better for her." "Good idea," Andy agreed. "I hope so," Mark said quietly, "I hope so."

Sara went for regular check-ups with Dr. Fuller every two weeks. At the two-month mark, Sara was cleared to begin her physical therapy. She was _still_, however, suffering from memory loss. It was frustrating Mark more and more everyday, but he didn't let her see it. He spent every waking moment with her, talking to her, telling her about anything she asked. The day Sara was cleared, Mark was kind of depressed. He knew that he would have to get back to wrestling soon, which would mean being separated from Sara. And he didn't want that. At dinner that night, Mark informed Sara of his decision to go back on the road. "What am I gonna do?" she asked, "I mean, without you here..." "Sara, you can call whenever you need me. You start physical therapy in a couple of days, so you'll be really busy with that. You'll have plenty to occupy your time," he answered. "Are you gonna have the same character?" she asked. "No...this one is gonna be a lot different," Mark answered with a smile. Vince had told him of the idea a month ago, so Mark had had some time to mentally prepare himself as well as physically. "What is your character?" she asked. "My name is The Undertaker. And it's exactly what it sounds like, based on death and souls and the like," he answered, "I'm gonna get to do a lot of stuff with it, a lot more than I could do with "Max Payne"." There was a bit of sarcasm in his voice when he said his old character's name. "Well, that's good," she said softly. "Yeah, it is. The more I can do, the more opportunity I have to make some money," he said touching her hand. "When are you leaving?" she asked. "Monday, the same day--." "I start physical therapy," she finished. "I know it's gonna be hard, Sara, but remember: you're tough as nails. You've made it this far, and you can go even farther," he said smiling, "Besides, I'll be with you three or four days a week, with you on those days at therapy, helping you." Sara forced a smile and nodded. "Okay," she whispered finishing her dinner.

When Monday finally rolled around, Sara was depressed and afraid. She didn't know if she could make it through physical therapy. She wanted to get better, but she didn't want to injure herself further. Mark dropped her off at the therapy center, walking her inside. "I'll call you tonight when I'm done, okay?" he said hugging her gently. Sara nodded and returned the hug. She watched Mark until he pulled out of the parking lot, onto the street. She then headed to the front desk, to begin what would sure to be her most daunting challenge to date.

Two and a half months into Sara's therapy, she hit a wall. She just couldn't do what her therapist Vincent required of her. She went home real early that day disappointed in herself, and lonely. Mark and Andy were on the road full-time, and were home three days a week at most. Sara didn't want to go to physical therapy anymore; she didn't want to try anything. She just wanted to sit in the suite, and do absolutely nothing. When Mark walked in the front door Thursday afternoon and saw her sitting there, he dropped his bags and went over to her. "What are you doin' here? You're supposed to be at therapy," he said touching her shoulders. "I can't do it anymore, Mark. I'm not strong enough for that," she whispered, her head lowered. Mark looked at her in shock. Never in the time that he'd known Sara – even before they were together – had he known her to quit at _anything_. "Come on, let's go," he said forcing her to her feet, "I'll be back, Andy." "Where are we going?" Sara asked when they got to the truck. "To therapy," he answered shortly. "No," Sara said pulling away. Mark raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "You are gonna get in that truck, and you're goin' to therapy. And you're gonna bust your ass every single moment you're in there, do you hear me? The woman I loved was not a quitter; she was someone who never backed down from a challenge. She didn't submit, she didn't bitch and moan and complain when shit got tough. She faced anything that came her way, whether she liked it or not, and she did it with a damn smile on her face," he said opening the passenger door, "Get in!" Sara let out a slow breath, and hesitated. "Get...in," he said slowly. Sara slowly climbed into the truck and gasped when Mark slammed the door. It took him only a little over five minutes to get to the therapy center. He screeched to a halt in front of the door, went over to Sara's side, and practically pulled her out. When they got to the front desk, the receptionist greeted them. "Hi, Sara. Vincent has been waiting for you to come back," she said nicely. "Sorry," Sara whispered. "He's in the back," the receptionist said. Sara nodded and followed Mark to the back room.

"Go," Mark commanded. Sara took a deep breath and closed her eyes. _You don't like being ordered around like this. You don't take this from anybody, even Mark_, her mind said. She opened the door and entered, Mark following her. "Hey, Sara, Mark. How's it goin'?" Vincent asked. "It depends," Mark answered. Sara looked up at him, her jaw twitching slightly. She went over to Vincent, and said quietly, "Let's just get this over with." "Okay," Vincent said. As they continued her neck exercises for the day, Mark noticed that Sara wasn't trying her hardest. He'd seen her do more, and knew she could put forth more of an effort than what she was now. He went over to her, moved Vincent to the side, and stood in front of her. "What the hell are you doin'?" he asked leaning down until they were face-to-face. "What does it look like?" she asked quietly. "_Absolute shit_. You're tougher than this, Sara. You can work harder than this, and you know it. The woman I fell in love with would've told me by now to kiss her ass, to shove it where the sun don't shine. You're doin' your therapy, but you're doin' a piss-poor job of it!" he said heatedly, "You better pick up the pace, and right now!" Sara closed her eyes and stopped the exercise. Suddenly, memories were flashing before her eyes: of her wrestling career, of being a champion again, of her past with Mark, of the love they'd shared, and how it was all interrupted by the beating she'd taken from Shawn. She slowly stood and glared up at Mark.

"Who do you think you are?! You arrogant, macho son of a bitch! You always had a problem with trying to tell me what to do! Well, fuck you, Mark, you chauvinistic, controlling bastard!" she hissed slapping him. Mark reached up and touched his stinging cheek. A smile came to his face and he picked Sara up in a huge hug, spinning around. "It came back, dollface! It came back!" he said excitedly, "Your memory's back! I told you it would come back!" "You're damn right it's back, now put me down, goddammit!" she said heatedly. Mark laughed and continued spinning. "Come on, Mark! Put me down!" she said, a smile coming to her own face. Mark kissed her deeply, squeezing her waist. "I've missed that temper o' yours," he whispered touching his nose to hers. Sara chuckled softly and said, "I've missed a lot of you, too." "Go on...finish therapy," he said setting her down. Sara nodded and touched his arms. "Thank you...for not giving up on me," she whispered. "Would I be a good fiancé if I had given up on you?" he asked. Sara looked down at her left hand, and saw the missing ring. Mark removed his necklace quickly, took the ring from it, and replaced it onto her ring finger. "Until that day, remember?" he said softly. Sara smiled even broader and went back over to Vincent. "Let's go," she said, fully energized and motivated.

The next two hours, Mark saw Sara push herself harder than ever before. She had broken a sweat in the first minute of starting. When she finally finished up, around five p.m., her t-shirt was completely soaked. "Mark, can I talk to you?" Vincent asked as Sara headed out to the truck. Mark tossed her the keys and stopped. "In the two months that I've been helping Sara, I've never seen her work that hard," Vincent said. "That's because she had no reason to work...now she does," Mark said simply. "For you?" Vincent asked. "No...for herself. To prove to the guy who caused her so much pain, and interrupted her life, that she's not going down, ever. She's proving to herself that she can come back from the most adverse of situations, Vincent...that's her motivation," Mark answered. "Well, that's good to hear. I hope she keeps it up. If she comes in here and works everyday like she did today, she'll bump up her recovery time by at least a month," Vincent said. "Really?" Mark asked. "Yep," Vincent answered. "Great. She'll be here bright and early tomorrow morning. Hope you're ready for it," Mark said smiling. "Sure thing. Bye, Mark," Vincent said before re-entering the center. Mark went over to the truck and climbed into the driver's seat.

"How do you feel?" he asked Sara. Her head was laid back against the headrest, and her eyes were closed. "Like I have my life back," she answered softly. "Good...because you do," he whispered grasping her left hand, "We both do." The drive back to the hotel was silent. Sara could only think of how much she wanted to get back to wrestling, and Mark could only think of how much he wanted her back on the road with him. When they walked into the front door, Andy was asleep on the couch. "Wake up, you big lug!" Sara exclaimed plopping down beside him. Andy sat up and rubbed his eyes. "How was therapy?" Andy asked. "The best day yet," Sara said smiling. Andy looked down at her, and saw the spark that had been gone for so long. He threw his arms around her and squeezed. "It's back, huh?" he asked. "Yeah...thanks to Mark's not-so-nice methods of motivation," she answered. "What'd he do?" Andy asked. "Said what he had to say to get me to wake up," she said smiling, "I slapped the hell out of him for it, but if it wasn't for him...I wouldn't be this happy, now would I?" Andy looked over at Mark, who simply hunched his shoulders. "Good job, buddy," Andy said. "You wouldn't be saying that if you heard exactly what he said to motivate me," Sara said standing. "Yeah, I probably would," Andy said with a smile. Sara rolled her eyes and went to clean up. When she came back out, dinner was laying on living room table. "Celebration dinner?" she asked sitting down between Andy and Mark. "You know it," Mark answered pouring three glasses of champagne. "Good...I need it," she said smiling. "A toast," Mark said handing them their glasses, "To your recovery and return to the world of wrestling." "Well, I'll damn sure toast to that," Sara said smiling. Her future had become brighter, and she knew that things would only get better with her life.

After dinner, Sara took a nice hot bubble bath, running her fingers over the scars that now covered her body. Tears came to her eyes at the thought of what Shawn had done to her, of what he'd taken away from her. "Why?" she whispered, "Why this? Why now?" Sobs wracked her body for the next ten minutes. "Sara, baby, are you okay?" Mark asked through the door. Sara sniffled as the door cracked open. "Don't!" she exclaimed, "Don't come in here!" "Okay, dollface...I'm just standing at the door," Mark said quietly, "What's wrong? Talk to me." "I don't wanna talk," she said. "You can't hold stuff in, Sara...it just makes it worse," he said quietly. "I don't wanna talk right now, Mark...please...leave me alone," she said lowering her head. "Okay, dollface. But I'm here if you need me," he said before shutting the door. "I know...I know," Sara whispered as she stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself. She wiped the steam from the mirror and looked at her reflection: red, puffy eyes and an irritated nose. She fingered the scar on her neck from surgery, more tears escaping from her eyes. "I hate you, Shawn...as much as I love Mark, I hate you...and I'll never, ever forgive you for this," she whispered to her own reflection. She then towel-dried her hair, brushing away the tangles, and dressed in the sweatpants and t-shirt she'd brought into the bathroom with her. When she left the bathroom, Mark was lying in the bed. "What are you doin'?" she asked. "I'm goin' to sleep," he answered. Sara rubbed her arms and went into the living room, plopping down on the couch.

Mark had fallen asleep, thinking that Sara would return moments after she'd left the bedroom. He looked over at the clock; it read 10:30 p.m. "Where in the world could she be?" he asked as he climbed out of bed. He found her laid out on the couch. "Sara, hon, come on to bed. You're exhausted," he said coming to her side. "I can't...I can't sleep in there with you," she whispered turning her back to him. Mark looked at her confused; he'd just naturally assumed when her memory came back, things would go back to normal, including them sleeping in the same bed. "Well, you can have the bedroom. You've had it the whole time. I'll sleep on the couch," he said touching her shoulder. Sara pulled away from him, whispered, "Please...don't touch me." Mark dropped his head and sighed heavily. _Still self-conscious_, he thought. "Okay, dollface...just come on to bed," he said softly, "You need your rest." Sara stood and went to the bedroom door, stopping suddenly. "Goodnight, Mark," she whispered over her shoulder. "Goodnight, Sara," he said back. The door shut and Mark sat down on the couch, his head spinning. He hadn't made love to Sara in eight months, and his body was aching for her. He hadn't dare touch her while her memory was gone, and he couldn't even touch her now that her memory had come back.

For the next three months, Sara pushed herself harder and harder each day she went into therapy, whether Mark was there or not. Just as Mark had said to Vincent, she had a real reason to get better. Always in the back of her mind was showing Shawn that he could not break her fully. He'd done it in some form twice, but this would not be the last straw which sent her packing. This would be the time in her life when she showed him, and everyone, what she'd been working for. For that three months, Sara also kept her distance from Mark. They talked, and spent time together, but there was always an underlying reason why she wouldn't get closer to him. She couldn't bear for him to see all that Shawn had done to her. In addition to the scars left by surgery, there were cuts all over her body that had required stitches, which had left scars of their own. Sara could barely stand to look at her own body. Very rarely did she look into a mirror, and even more rarely did she wear make-up. _It's not gonna fix anything_, she would think on a constant basis.

A month away from Sara's last day of therapy, nightmares began to plague her. Scenes of bloody bats, and swinging fists, and being attacked in various forms would awaken Sara in the middle of the night, sweating profusely. One particular night, Sara woke up screaming her head off. The door flew open and Mark and Andy were standing there. Mark bounded into the room and ran over to her, saying, "Sara? Sara, honey, what's wrong?!" Tears streamed down her face, and she was shaking violently. Mark cupped her face and forced her to look at him. "It was just a dream, dollface," he whispered, "You're safe, see? No one's gonna hurt you ever again." "I'm sorry...I didn't mean...to wake you," she said looking away. "You okay, Sara?" Andy asked coming over to the bed. "Yeah, Andy...go on to bed. Didn't mean to wake you, too," she whispered wiping her eyes. Andy looked over at Mark, who nodded slightly. "Alright, hon. See ya in the morning," he said quietly. Sara nodded and tried to slow her breathing. "You gonna be okay?" Mark asked. Sara gasped slightly and took a few more deep breaths. "I-I think so," she stammered. "Go on...lie back down," he said softly. Sara slowly did as she was told, pulling the covers over her. "I'll be in the living room if you need me, okay?" he whispered wiping her sweaty forehead. Sara nodded and watched him go towards the door. "Mark?" she whispered suddenly. "Yeah, dollface?" he asked. "Would you...would you stay with me tonight?" she asked slowly. Mark swallowed and looked back at her. "Sure, baby," he answered quietly. He slowly moved over to the bed, and slid in under the covers. Sara slowly rested her head on his right shoulder, and placed her arm over his chest. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "For what?" he asked. "For pushing you away for so long…for keeping you an arm's length away for three months," she whispered as he caressed her scalp with his fingertips. "Sara, what are you talking about?" he whispered. Sara took a deep breath and climbed on his waist. She slowly removed her shirt, took Mark's hands, and placed them on her waist. "For denying you what is yours," she whispered leaning down and kissing him. Mark groaned and wrapped his fingers in her hair.

Their love-making that night was fast, but gentle. Mark wanted to show Sara that he had always, still did, and always would consider her beautiful. His hands moved over her scars, and he kissed each one. "I love you, Sara...always," he whispered in her ear. "And forever," she whispered running her hands over his chest. "I'm serious, Sara," he said looking into her eyes, "I didn't fall in love with your body...I fell in love with your mind, with who you are inside." Sara smiled and pulled his face down to hers, kissing him softly. Mark planted kisses over her neck and shoulders as he slowly entered her. "So...how long have you been waiting for this?" she whispered grinning. "It doesn't matter," he whispered kissing her again and again. Sara moaned softly and began to move her hips up to meet his. "Oh, God...so tight," Mark groaned in her ear, "Just like the first time." Sara flipped him over and began to move up and down, leaning her chest down to Mark's face. Mark grinned and took her left nipple in his mouth, sucking gently. Sara moaned even more as her walls tightened around Mark's shaft. Mark flipped her over and began pumping his hips, fast and hard. "Keep goin'," Sara whispered pulling Mark's sweaty hair, "Keep goin'!" Mark groaned as he felt her shudder around him, releasing himself moments later.

"I love you," he whispered kissing her earlobe. "I love you, too," she whispered as he stretched out beside her. "Are you gonna come to therapy with me tomorrow?" she asked. "Of course," he answered as she rested her head on his arm. "Vincent says I only have two to three weeks left," she said smiling. "Good, dollface," he said, "You've picked up the pace." "Yeah. He said I was about a month and a half ahead of schedule," she said. "That's awesome, baby," Mark said softly. "Mark?" she said quietly. "Yeah?" he asked. "I wanna go on the road with you this week," she answered. "Sara, you've got therapy," Mark argued, "Like you said, you're only a few weeks away from finishing." "Yeah, but I'd be willing to put in an extra week just to feel what it's like to be back on the road," she whispered. "We'll talk about it tomorrow morning, okay?" he asked kissing the side of her. "Promise?" she said softly. "Yeah, I promise," he answered, "Go to sleep, baby." Sara sighed heavily and rested her arm across his chest, a comfortable sleep coming over her.

The next morning, Sara awoke with Mark laying across her upper body. She ran her fingers through his thick hair, smiling broadly. _I have my life back_, she thought happily. Mark sighed happily at the feel of Sara's fingers. "Good morning to you, too," he whispered looking down at her. Sara kissed his chin softly, moving up to his cheek. "Morning, love," she whispered back. Mark caressed her cheek with his thumb as tears came to his eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked softly. "You're so beautiful," he whispered before kissing her gently. Sara smiled against his lips, running her hands over his strong arms. When Mark pulled up, Sara had a lazy grin on her face. "What do you have to do today?" she asked quietly. "Call Vince, let him know you're comin' back soon," he whispered kissing her nose. "Can I call him?" she asked stroking his shoulders with her fingertips. "Sure thing. He'll be glad to hear your voice," he answered as his lips found their way to her neck. Sara moaned softly as he rested himself between her legs. When he entered her, she gasped and arched her hips up to meet his strokes. Mark groaned softly and squeezed her right breast gently. Her inner walls tightened against his shaft, and he shuddered. "That's it, baby," she whispered moving her hands over his back, "Come to mama." Mark smiled, kissing her deeply. They came together moments later. Sara sighed as Mark rested against her. "What time is it?" she asked. Mark glanced at the clock and answered, "Almost nine o' clock." "Are you goin' back on the road today?" she asked. "Yeah," he said quietly, "We've got a houseshow tonight in Buffalo." "How 'bout we surprise everyone? I won't call Vince, I'll wait until I see him at the arena," she said with a grin. Mark smiled and kissed her once more. "Brilliant woman," he whispered against her lips, "Our flight leaves at one." "Well, I should pack then, huh?" she said as he climbed off of her. "Yeah, I suppose so," he said continuing to smile down at her.

Sara climbed out of the bed and dashed into the bathroom. She took a quick shower, washing her hair, before coming back into the room. Mark had unpacked his dirty laundry, and was packing fresh clothes. "You want breakfast?" she asked as she slipped on cotton shorts and a t-shirt. "Sure," he answered as she left the room. Andy was sitting in the living room, watching a morning news program. "Morning, Andy," Sara said going into the small kitchen. "Hey, baby doll," Andy said following her, "How are ya feelin'?" "Better than you'll ever know, Andy. I feel…liberated, I guess would be the word," she answered, "I'm goin' on the road with ya'll for the week." "Awesome. It'll be good to have you with us," he said hugging her, "All the guys have been asking about you since…last year." "Well, it's good to know they care so much," she said hugging him back. "Yeah…I think a couple of 'em went searching for Shawn after what happened. Everybody was shocked as hell when they found out what happened," he said as they released each other. "I just wanna move past it, Andy. I've got my memory back, I've got you and Mark, and…hopefully, I've still got my wrestling career," she said quietly. "Oh, you've got it," Andy said smiling, "Vince has been itching to see you." "Well, good. I can't wait to see everyone again," she said smiling. She picked up the phone to call Vincent as Andy headed back into the living room.

"Good morning, Venice Regional Therapy Center. This is Lucille speaking, how may I help you?" Lucy said on the phone. "Hey, Luc, it's Sara," Sara answered. "Hey, Sara, how are you today?" Lucy said. Sara smiled and answered, "Better than ever. I need you to do me a favor." "Yeah, sure thing," Lucy answered. "I'm not gonna be into therapy today, and I won't be there Monday or Tuesday. Will you let Vincent know?" Sara asked. "Yeah, no problem. Everything okay?" Lucy said scribbling down the note. "Yeah. I'm goin' on a little road trip with Mark," Sara said smiling. "Well, have fun, and we'll see ya bright and early Wednesday morning," Lucy said, "Bye, Sara." "Bye," Sara said before hanging up the phone. "So you're really goin' with us, huh?" Andy asked from the living room. "Yep!" she said bounding in and plopping down beside him on the couch. "Good. I've definitely missed having someone to follow around," Andy said with a grin. Sara chuckled softly and shook her head. "You better go pack. We're leaving in a couple hours," he said.

Sara nodded and dashed into the bedroom, bursting with excitement. She heard the shower running and immediately stripped. She ran into the bathroom, getting into the shower with Mark. "What are you doin'?" he asked looking down at her. She just smiled and ran her fingers over his soaking wet skin. She took the soap away from him, lathering it between her fingers. She ran the soap over Mark's huge upper torso, down his strong muscular legs, and even over his most sensitive parts. Mark groaned softly as he stared down at her. "I love you," he whispered. Sara smiled up at him and bit her bottom lip. She stood and moved him under the shower head, rinsing him off completely. "What was that for?" he asked as she ran her fingers through his hair, soaping it up with the bar. "I wanna memorize your body…all over again," she whispered massaging his scalp. Mark grinned and pulled her close to him, squeezing her tightly. "There…done," she said kissing his exposed neck. "Thank you," he whispered kissing her gently. "No problem," she said stepping out and wrapping herself in a fluffy, cotton towel. Mark stepped out behind her and wrapped his towel around his waist.

Sara quickly dressed in her cotton shorts and t-shirt, then pulled a small suitcase out of the closet. Mark walked in from the bathroom, and stared at her as she bounded from her suitcase to the dresser and back. When Sara had finished putting her clothes in the suitcase, she noticed Mark staring. "What?" she asked with a smile. "Nothin', dollface…nothin' at all," he whispered going over to the dresser. Sara smiled and hunched her shoulders, dashing into the bathroom humming to herself.

Sara ran her fingers through her now-jet black hair as the plane prepared to land in Boston. She'd ran to the store after packing and bought a box of hair dye, and dyed it in under an hour. As the plane touched down, Sara sighed happily. "Back in business," she whispered to herself. She looked left at Mark, then to her right at Andy, who were both fast asleep and smiled. _They stuck with me…through everything…no matter how bad things got, they were there for me_, she thought, _My two angels…I have been blessed_. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Boston, Massachusetts," came over the P.A. system, "Enjoy your stay, and thank you for flying American Airlines." Sara nudged both men and said, "Wake up, sleepyheads. We're here." Mark rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Oh, come on, you can't be that tired!" she said standing and stretching her arms. Mark grinned at her and shook his head. "I wish I could feed off of your excitement," he said as they exited the plane. "Once you wake up a little more fully, you'll get it," she said smiling. They claimed their bags and quickly headed to a nice hotel. Deciding on a Marriott, Mark got a suite room and paid. Andy took the room on the left, while Mark and Sara took the room on the right. Sara dropped her suitcase by the door and plopped down on the bed. "What time do we have to be at the arena?" she asked impatiently. "Well…Andy and I don't have to be there for another hour," he said with a grin. Sara looked up at him, smiling broadly. "Can I go now?" she asked. Mark sat down beside her, running his fingers through her hair.

"Do you really wanna leave me all alone here?" he whispered kissing her earlobe softly. Sara giggled and lowered her head. Mark kissed her cheek softly, coaxing her onto her back. He caressed her cheek, staring into her eyes. After a few moments of silence, Sara asked, "What?" "Nothin'…just wanna look," he answered quietly. Sara grinned and looked into his eyes. "Thank you," she suddenly said. "For what?" he asked. "For not giving up…for keeping hope…for loving me, even when I couldn't return it," she whispered as tears came to her eyes, "I can't tell you how hard it was…to see you look at me everyday…and not remember what you meant to me." Mark swallowed and kissed her gently. "I'll admit…it was hard…it was the toughest challenge I've ever experienced. I didn't know if or even _when_ your memory would come back. I just needed to believe that it would, eventually. When you first came out of your coma, and you had to stay in the hospital, I couldn't come visit you like I should've. I hate hospitals, and the fact that you were there…without your memory no less…made it even harder. Thank God Andy snapped me outta that when you finally came home, though. It was at that point…when he said I was gonna lose you if I kept ignoring you, whether your memory came back or not …I knew I had to stay strong…for both of us," he said slowly. "Well, I'm glad you did stay strong…just makes me love you even more," she whispered running her hands over his arms.

A knock on the door interrupted them. Mark stood and answered it. "Hey, just wondering if you wanted to head to the arena early. I wanna get in a good workout," Andy said. "Yeah, sure. Sara's itching to get there anyway," Mark answered. "Cool. I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes then," Andy said grinning. "Yep," Mark said before shutting the door. He went back over to the bed and helped Sara up. "Looks like you get your wish," he said grinning. "What wish?" she asked. "We're goin' to the arena now," he answered. Sara smiled and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Mark sighed happily and hugged her back. "I love you," she whispered in his ear. "I love you, too, dollface. Now let's go before you choke me to death," he said as she released him. He picked up his duffel bag and opened the door, letting her out first.

Outside, Andy was waiting near an empty cab. "I was about to leave you," he said with a smile climbing in. Sara climbed into the front seat, and Mark got into the backseat with Andy. Sara gave the driver their destination, then sat back in the seat as Mark and Andy conversed in the backseat. She stared out the window, watching the street scenery pass by, her thoughts wandering to people's reactions when she walked through the arena doors. When the cab drove into the back parking lot of the Fleetcenter, Sara perked up. Her pulse was pounding, and her hands started shaking. She was now extremely nervous. She hadn't seen anybody in the company in nearly a year, and she didn't know what she was going to see when she walked into the doors. "Dollface?" Mark said as he climbed out. Sara snapped back to reality and climbed out of the taxi as Mark paid the fare. She squeezed her hands together, trying to calm herself. "You're gonna be fine, dollface," Mark whispered taking her left hand in his, "They're gonna be so happy to see you." She nodded and took deep breaths as the trio headed inside.

Mark ran into Vince almost as soon as they stepped through the doors. "Hey, Mark, Andy…Sara, is that you?" Vince said slowly. Sara smiled and nodded. Vince hugged her tightly and smiled. "How are ya, hon?! God, I've missed you around here," he said quietly. "I'm a lot better, Vince," she said hugging him back, "I'm a few weeks away from bein' cleared to wrestle again." Vince released her and asked, "Really?" "Yeah," she said smiling, "I wanna come back…if there's room for me." "Of course there's room for you," he said, "What do you think about doin' an appearance tonight?" Sara was flabbergasted. She didn't expect to return to performing her first day back in an arena. "I don't know…I'm not in ring shape at all…I can't even wrestle yet," she said quietly. "I don't mean getting into wrestling, Sara. Mark could use a manager, if you're up for it. I've been thinking about it for a few weeks now, actually," Vince said. Sara looked up at Mark, who merely hunched his shoulders, a grin on his face. "Yeah…but I didn't bring any clothes," she said looking back at Vince. "The seamstress has plenty of extra stuff. I'm sure she could find somethin', or put somethin' together before tonight," he said. Sara smiled and asked, "You think the fans will know who I am?" "Who could forget your face? We've received thousands of letters at the office from fans wishing you a speedy recovery, and more pour in everyday. We've kept 'em all, if you ever wanna see 'em," Vince said. Sara nodded and looked at the floor. "Sara…I can't apologize enough for what happened to you," he said quietly. "No, don't…I've moved past it," she whispered, forcing tears from her eyes. "Well, I have a staff meeting soon, so I'll see you around, okay?" he said. Sara nodded, her eyes still focused on the floor. "Mark, Andy, your matches are posted on the whiteboard by the entrance. If you have any questions, you know where to find me," Vince said before walking away.

Mark put his arms around Sara's shoulders, squeezing gently. Sara pulled away and ran outside to the parking lot, tears streaming down her face. She sat down on the concrete, resting her arms on her knees with her head lowered. When she felt Mark sit down beside her, she sighed heavily. "Sorry about that," she whispered. "It's fine, dollface," he whispered putting his arm around her shoulders again, "You okay?" "Yeah…I just…everything's changed, Mark. I haven't even seen the wrestlers, and I know things are different now," she whispered, "I don't know if I belong here. Vince offers me a job as soon as I walk through the door. I don't wanna take away time from people who've been here working their asses off to get a spot with the show, ya know." Mark took a deep breath and looked down at her. "Always earning everything you get, right?" he asked quietly. "Yeah…always," she whispered, "I only said yes because I wanted to be with you." "Sara…you've earned this more than anything. You've fought so hard over the past, what, six months to get healthy again. This is where you belong, and everyone knows that. Besides, it's only a houseshow," he said softly, "And you're not taking time from anybody. Like you said, you're gonna be with _me_. It's not like you're wrestling a match." Sara let out a small laugh, looking up at him. "Making things logical, as usual," she said kissing him softly. "Come on. You've got catching up to do," he said standing, and helping her to her feet. "Where'd Andy go?" she asked as the re-entered the building. "To work out," he answered, "You wanna go visit people alone?" "I don't even know where to find 'em," she answered. "Just go out to the ring. People will come to you, once they find out you're here," he said quietly. Sara grinned and took a deep breath. "I'll see ya in a while, okay?" he said when they got to the entranceway, "Just remember: things are different…but they're very much the same." Sara nodded before heading through the curtains.

The ring was up, and most of the seats were already arranged for the night's show. The crew was working diligently to finish up the seating arrangements. Sara looked around the empty arena, taking in all that she'd missed in her absence. "Holy shit!" she heard all the way from the ring. She looked towards it, a grin coming to her face as she saw Adam slide under the bottom ropes and come running towards her. She met him halfway, smiling when he pulled her into an embrace, twirling around. "Oh, my God…I cannot believe you're here," he said laughing. "Yeah, I can't believe it, either," she said as he set her down. "How are you feeling?" he asked as they walked to the ring. "Nervous as all hell. I haven't been in an arena in nearly a year, and I haven't seen anybody in almost that same time period," she said quietly. "Well, you definitely don't look any different…except your hair," he said, a gleam in his eye. Sara smiled as they came up to the ring. Adam's opponent, a man Sara didn't recognize, was standing against the ring ropes. "Get your ass out here, Matt," Adam said, "Come meet a real legend of the business." Sara shook her head as the man climbed out of the ring. "Hello, ma'am. Matt Morgan," he said extending his hand. "Hi, Matt. Sara Roberts," she said shaking it politely, "Better known around this place as 'Chyna'." Matt's jaw dropped as he said quietly, "_The_ 'Chyna'? The same woman who won the Intercontinental title twice?" Sara nodded and said, "Yeah, that's me." "Oh, it's such an honor, Ms. Roberts. You're definitely one of my role models," Matt said nervously. "Matt…it's Sara. Nobody calls me 'Ms. Roberts'," she said smiling. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he said, his voice slightly shaking. "And nobody definitely calls me 'ma'am'," she said laughing. "Uh…sorry," he said turning red. "Jeez, man, calm down," Adam said punching his chest and sliding back into the ring, "You up for taking a couple bumps, Sara?" "Nah…won't be cleared for another few weeks," she answered leaning against the mat.

"Um, Sara?" Matt said quietly. "Yeah," she answered looking over at him. "Would you do me the honor of critiquing my practice?" he asked. "Sure, kid," she said smiling. Matt thanked her, then climbed back into the ring. Sara was amazed with his speed, and agility, in the ring. He was nearly as tall as Mark, roughly 250 lbs. of all muscle, but he moved like a cat. When he and Adam finished up ten minutes later, Sara slowly rolled into the ring. It was a bit nerve-wracking to be inside it, but she willed herself to calm down. "Pretty good, Matt. How long you been wrestling?" she said standing. "About four years," he answered, "Did a lot of regional wrestling before I went to OVW. I was in OVW for a year and a half before I got called up to do houseshows here." "You've got a ways to go, but you're on the right track. You might want to slow it down a bit, though. You've got the look of a power wrestler, and that's what the fans are going to expect. It's cool to bring out those speed moves every once in a while, to keep 'em on edge, but not every other move, ya know," she said leaning against the ropes. "Yes, ma'am," he said politely, "Thank you very much." Sara turned pink and looked over at Adam. "You've come a long way, too," she said smiling. "Yeah, I'm actually the IC champ again. I've had it since November," he answered. "Good, congratulations. I haven't watched wrestling since I've been out," she said slowly, "I've missed out on a lot, haven't I?" Adam took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah…um, only Kevin, Paul, Liz, Trish, John, and Ron are still around, from the group," he answered quietly, "Everyone else either quit, to wrestle independently, or was fired." Sara swallowed and let out a deep breath. "That's less than half the group," she whispered. "Yeah, I know. It happened soon after…what happened, too. Within a two-month time period," he added. Sara looked around at the empty arena yet again, whispering, "Maybe it was for the best…"

"Have you seen any of them around?" Adam asked. "No. I just got here," she answered, "Mark said everyone would come to me, once they found out I was back." Adam smiled as he looked over her shoulder. "Looks like he was right," he said motioning towards the group headed down the aisle. Sara looked over her shoulder and smiled. All six people he'd named were heading towards her. She climbed out of the ring, meeting them as they got to it. "Long time no see," Kevin said quietly. "Yeah, I suppose it is," she whispered. "Group hug, dammit!" John said as they bombarded her. Sara laughed quietly as they encircled her, everyone squeezing her in the middle. "Sorry to steal her away from you, Adam, but we've got catching up to do," Kevin said as Sara was led from ringside. Adam waved good-bye to Sara, then turned his attention back to Matt. "What happened to her? Why's everyone so shocked to see her here?" Matt asked quietly. "Sara…was attacked nearly a year ago, a couple weeks before _Wrestlemania_," Adam answered, "She was in a coma for three weeks…nobody knew if she'd wake up. And she's been gone ever since that attack." "Who attacked her?" Matt asked. Adam took a deep breath and whispered, "Shawn Michaels." Matt's jaw dropped in shock. "Yeah…_that_ Shawn Michaels," Adam assured him, "Great performer, but a real piece o' shit behind the scenes. He was power-hungry, and Sara fought him. He hated her with a passion, because she was one of the few that stood up to him. So…he tried to take her out, literally. Almost killed her. But Sara's a hell of a fighter, and she wasn't gonna let Shawn win that fight. I haven't seen her since last February, but she looks almost 100." "I told her, she's a role model to me. Even though she's a woman, she's a great performer," Matt said quietly, "It was a real honor to get to meet her, actually." "She's a great lady. I hope she's back, though. She did a lot for our show, had a huge following. The fans were almost as shocked as we were when they found out what had happened," Adam said as they climbed out of the ring. "I can only imagine," Matt commented.

Sara was led down to catering by the small group. She was bombarded with questions on the way there. She answered each one as best she could. When the questions turned to her memory loss, she had to force away tears on several occasions. "You'll never understand, guys…unless you live through that kinda thing. To wake up every day for almost six months…and not know anything about yourself…it was hell," she said quietly, as they entered the room designated for catering. When she stepped inside, she stopped. Kevin, John, and Liz bumped into her. "What is it?" Kevin asked. The room was filled with nearly every wrestler, ring crew member, referee, and production crew that was working that day. "Does everyone eat at the same time now?" she asked quietly. "Yeah, pretty much," Kevin answered, "Come on. They'll be glad to see you." Sara took a deep breath and followed Kevin to the buffet table. She fixed a plate of turkey slices, a few pieces of bread, a banana, and grabbed a bottle of water, before heading to an empty table. Sara managed to eat lunch fairly uninterrupted. Nobody really knew she was back, so she was able to spend time with the remnants of the group. Within minutes, it was like things had never changed, and Sara was as comfortable as before. After lunch, Sara said good-bye to everyone, then headed for the seamstress station. She'd been walking up and down the halls for nearly ten minutes before she ran into Mark.

"Did Kevin and them find you?" he asked. "Yeah, we had lunch together," she answered. "Good. They've been wondering about you," he said as their hands linked together, "They've missed you…everyone has." "I met a new guy when I went to the ring," Sara said quietly, "Are there a lot of new people? Adam said only six people were still here from the group." "Yeah, there's a whole crop of new people, about 20 or so," he replied quietly, "You'll fit right in. Who'd you meet?" "A guy named Matt Morgan," she answered slowly. "Ah, Matt. Good kid, good head on his shoulders. He's definitely got a lot of potential," he said, "Reminds me of myself when I was first startin' out." "I was able to give him some advice…but it still felt strange to be inside the ring," she said quietly, "I had doubts…about whether I could come back." "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Did you find the seamstress?" he said squeezing her hand gently. "No, I was looking for her, but I couldn't find her. There wasn't a table or anything," she answered. "They have a locker room, now, in every arena. That way they don't block the hallways, ya know," Mark said with a grin, "Come on, I'll take ya to her." Sara nodded as Mark led her down the hallway.

Sara met the new seamstress, Michelle, and hit it off immediately. Michelle was a bubbly girl, and reminded Sara of Liz. They kicked Mark out of the room, and began to converse as Michelle took Sara's measurements. "So tell me about yourself, Sara. I'm pretty new here, so I don't know a lot of people," Michelle said. "Well, I was a full-time wrestler here for about six years until last February. I…was forced to take a break. I, uh…was put out of commission, so to speak, for a long time. This is my first day back since that happened," Sara answered. "What happened?" Michelle asked. "I really don't wanna talk about it," Sara said quietly. "Understandable. So you're the woman who's got Mark's heart, huh?" Michelle said with a grin, "I've had a crush on that man since I came here in October." Sara could only smile and shake her head. "Yeah…we're getting married in a little while, I think," she said. "You think?" Michelle asked. "Well, we're definitely getting married, I know that much," Sara said showing her the diamond ring on her left hand, "We just haven't decided on a date. We were supposed to get married last spring…but we've got to reschedule all that stuff." "Oh, gotcha. So, did you wrestle men or women? You look like you wrestled with the men," Michelle said as she measured Sara's waist. "I did…for the first five years of my career. Then I got put into an angle against Amy, and then Jackie, and then Amy _and_ Jackie. I wrestled Lisa once, too. But they were the only women I wrestled," Sara said smiling as memories came back to her. "Did you not like the women's division?" Michelle asked. "Not until I wrestled Amy and Jackie," Sara answered honestly.

The two women chatted for another half an hour, as Michelle began to sew up something for Sara to wear that night. "Why don't you come back in a couple of hours? I'll have this ready for you by then," Michelle said as she sewed a black skirt together. "Okay. See ya," Sara said before heading out the door. "So it's true, then?" a voice said from her left side. Sara looked to her left and grinned. "What's up, Shane?" she said hugging him. Shane squeezed her gently, saying, "It's good to see you, Sara." "It's good to be here. A lot has changed…but it's good to be here," she said quietly. "Dad told me you're gonna be Mark's manager," he said as they released each other. "Yeah, I am. I'm really nervous about it. Michelle's in there making me up something for tonight," she answered. "Remember: it's like riding a bike. Once you learn, you never really forget," Shane said with a grin. Sara chuckled softly and said, "I'm not wrestling, Shane…not for a while, anyway. I've got a few more weeks of therapy left, and even after that…I don't know if I _want_ to wrestle…" Shane raised his eyebrows and asked, "Really?" "I just…I don't know. It was nerve-wracking to be in the ring with Adam when I first got here. I don't know if…if that's what I want to do, even when I am cleared," she said quietly. "That's understandable. You've been through a lot. Mark told me and Dad about your memory loss," Shane said quietly. "It's in the past, Shane…let's leave it there, okay?" she said slowly. "No problem. I never liked living in the past anyway," he said with a grin. Sara grinned back and shook her head. "It's good to see you've still got a sense of humor," she said. "Always," he said smiling, "I gotta get goin', but I'll definitely see you around, okay?" "Sure thing. Question real quick: do you know where I can find Mark?" she said. "Yeah…third door on your right, down that way," Shane answered pointing behind him, "He shares a locker room with the remnants of the group. They're not officially still together, but those guys tend to hang out, so Dad gave 'em a locker room to share." "Thanks, buddy. I'll see ya around," Sara said. Shane nodded and headed past her.

Sara took a deep breath and headed to the locker room Shane had given her directions to. She knocked on the door, and slowly entered. Mark was talking with Andy in the far corner. "Hey, guys," she said quietly. Mark looked over at her and grinned. "Hey, dollface," he said motioning for her to come over, "Andy and I were just talking about you." Sara walked over to them, sitting down beside Mark. "Hopefully good things," she said grinning slightly. "Of course," Mark said winking at her, "We were talking about you bein' my new manager." Sara turned pink and looked at the carpeted floor. "Everything's gonna work out fine, dollface," he whispered kissing the side of her head, "Everything's gonna work out just fine."


	50. New Beginnings

**Chapter 49…New Beginnings**

That night, Sara sat by the entranceway, nervousness coursing through her veins like water. Her hair had been brushed until it shone, then straightened and curled at the ends. Her make-up consisted of pale foundation, blood-red lipstick, and black eyeliner. The outfit that Michelle had made was a loose-fitting black, knee-length cloak, the hood coming over the top of Sara's head to cover most of her face, a tight black skirt, the ends cut in upside-down triangles, giving it a very tattered look. Her top was also tight, and low-cut. The sleeves came down to her elbows, and had the same tattered look of the skirt. The boots came just below her kneecaps, made of nylon that snug to her skin like latex, with two-inch heels. She looked like something from a 1960s horror movie. Mark came up behind her and touched her shoulder. "You look good," he whispered. Sara grinned slightly and said quietly, "I'm scared out of my mind…" "You're gonna do great," he said softly, kneeling down beside her. "You look damn good yourself," she said looking over him. He was dressed in all black – leather, sleeveless V-neck top, black spandex pants with a leather 'T' symbol on each side, and black boots with silver buckles. His hair was soaking wet, hanging past his shoulders. There was a black tear painted right below his left eye as well.

"Taker, you're up in one minute," said one of the stagehands. "'Taker', huh?" Sara asked with a grin. "Yeah…," he said smiling, "You remember what to do, right?" Sara nodded and looked down at her lap. Mark kissed the side of her head and stood, stretching his arms. He stood off to the side and lowered his head. Sara watched him in wonder, knowing that he was getting into character, but not knowing just how far down he had to go in order to become that character. She didn't know who she was going to be, in relation to Mark's character, just that she was going to be his manager. When a gong sounded in the arena, Sara perked up. Mark was a different person; he was The Undertaker, the Grim Reaper come to life. She smiled devilishly as she watched him walk through the curtain. There was something darkly charming about how he carried himself, the respect that he quietly commanded, and the fear he instilled in both his opponent and fans alike. Vince came over to Sara moments later. "You like it? The character?" he asked with a grin. "Yeah…it fits him," she answered quietly. "But you don't know how you're going to fit in, am I right?" he said quietly. Sara looked up at him, and took a deep breath. "I know what I have to do out there…I don't know _why_. When I was 'Chyna', I had a reason for being the way I was. I knew the depths of that character, not just surface stuff. 'Chyna' was me…and I was 'Chyna,'" she whispered, "Now…Mark's had this character for over six months. He knows why he is the way he is, and what he has to do to make the fans believe in the character. I feel like I'm just kind of…here. No depth, no story, no history…nothing." Vince nodded and said, "That's completely understandable. You've got to be out there in ten minutes, right?" Sara nodded and squeezed her hands together. "I'll give you a quick history of your character, and you can take it from there. I'm not gonna tell you how to be her…just a little background info to help you become that person, so that the fans will believe," he said pulling up a chair.

As Vince talked, Sara listened intently, soaking up every little thing he said. When he finished, she was grinning. "That was a good description. It really goes well with Mark's character," she said standing. "Yeah, I thought so, too. It was actually Shane's idea," he said standing as well, "Good luck out there, okay? Remember: if the crowd's quiet, it's because they don't know who you really are." Sara nodded and stood by the curtain, her head lowered. The hatred she needed to bring her character to life came right from her heart – the memories of Shawn's beating turned her heart black, and she was going to use that energy to feed her character. She peeked through the curtain and grinned as Mark hit the mat. She walked through the curtains, her eyes dark and sinister. She wasn't thinking about the fans, but she noticed that more than half were looking at her. Sara stopped at the ring mat, and glanced up at Mark. He was sitting in the corner closest to her, curled up and his back facing her. She slowly climbed in the ring, glaring at Kevin. He stood in the opposite corner, his face contorted into one of confusion. She slowly turned her back to Kevin kneeling down beside Mark.

"Dark Lord…this is your fight to win. You cannot let this mortal defeat you," she said touching his face, her voice distant and hoarse, and closing her eyes. When Kevin grabbed a handful of her arm and pulled her up, she gasped and whipped around, kicking him square in the crotch by natural instinct. Kevin groaned and fell to the mat, eliciting boos from the crowd. Sara climbed onto his chest and raked her nails across Kevin's right cheek, then his left cheek. "Idiot!" she hissed squeezing his neck tightly. Mark stopped her and pulled her away. "Stop it!" he growled. Sara bowed her head and slowly climbed out of the ring. Mark pulled Kevin up, and executed his finishing maneuver, the Tombstone Piledriver. He crossed Kevin's arms over his chest, then flipped his hair over his shoulders, his eyes rolled into the back of his head. The ref counted to three and Mark sneered his joy. Sara climbed into the ring and kneeled down beside him. "Your fight to win," she said quietly. Mark motioned for Sara to hold the ropes open for him, and she nodded slightly. She sat on the second rope, and held the top rope up with her hand. Mark climbed down to the floor, and Sara followed. She followed behind him, keeping her eyes on the floor until they were through the curtain.

"That was good, Sara," Vince said to her. She flipped the hood back and rotated her neck, then shook her head slightly, as if to remove what she'd just done from her memory. "You okay?" Mark asked. "Yeah," she whispered, "That was…weird…it was like…I can't describe it." "Scary?" he said quietly. "No…just…like there was this evil…in me, that I didn't know I had," she said looking up at him, "All this hatred just came to the surface when I was out there." Mark grinned slightly and said, "I bet I know where it came from." Sara smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah, I bet you do," she whispered. "You hungry?" he asked. "A little," she answered quietly. "Well, let me clean up, and then we'll get goin', okay?" he said kissing her forehead. Sara nodded and looked down at her hands as Mark walked away. "Sara?" Vince said from behind her. She turned around, brushing her hair out of her face as she did so. "Yeah?" she asked. "I was watching through the curtain…," he said slowly. "Was it horrible?" she asked looking down. Vince took a deep breath, then grinned. "You're a great heel, Sara, I'll tell ya that. Whatever hatred you used out there…keep it on reserve," he answered. Sara nodded and continued staring at the floor. Her mind was in overdrive, thinking of new ideas for her character, and how she would act towards Mark, and how she would act towards whoever his opponent would be. "You okay?" Vince asked. Sara looked up at him, a smile on her face. "Just takes one time to get the juices flowing," she answered. "Good, good. For now, I'm gonna just use you for houseshows. Maybe for a couple months, before I bring you on TV," he said. "That's what I expected," she said. "If you ever wanna get back into the physical aspect of it, though, let me know," Vince said, "I can send you to OVW for a month or two." "I'll have to see how things go. If being Mark's manager requires me to take bumps, then I'll go. But, Vince…I don't know if I wanna wrestle full-time ever again," she said quietly. "And that's perfectly fine. There's plenty for you to do as a manager," he said touching her shoulders. Sara nodded and said, "I gotta go, Vince. Thanks for letting me go out there tonight. I didn't know if I belonged here anymore…and now I know I do." "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon," Vince said before going back over to the curtain. Sara headed to the locker room to change back into her normal clothes. She met Andy and Mark near the back exit door, and they headed off to find a late-night diner.

Sara completed physical therapy exactly one year after her attack. The last day of therapy, Vincent and the staff through her a celebration party. There was a small lunch buffet, champagne, balloons and confetti decorating the therapy room, and gifts from everyone to Sara. She received an angel statue, a golden eagle statue, a few cards of congratulations, and other such things. When Vincent handed her a flat box, she looked up him, tears of happiness spilling onto her cheeks. "Thanks, Vincent," she said softly. "You haven't even seen it," he said smiling, "Go on…open it." Sara sniffled and removed the box's top. She pulled out a black-and-white 10" X 15" drawing of her during therapy, a look of pure determination on her face, with the chorus to Destiny Child's song "Survivor" written on the left side. She read the words ("I'm a survivor/I'm not gon' give up/I'm not gon' stop/I'm gon' work harder/I'm a survivor/I'm gonna make it/I will survive/Keep on survivin'!"), and smiled even more. "Thanks, Vincent. This…this really means a lot to me," she whispered. "No problem, Sara. You worked so hard these past six months, harder than anyone I've seen come through here. You've made me proud to do what I do," he said hugging her. Sara hugged him back and took a deep breath. "Are we gonna be seeing you on television soon?" he asked releasing her. "I don't know…I've got a spot as Mark's manager, but I'm gonna do houseshows for another month," she answered. "Well, that's good. At least you've got that to look forward to," he said as he walked Sara to the exit. "Yeah, it's going really good. Mark's a heel, so I just bring more heat, ya know. I'm having fun with it. It's a really dark character, but I'm able to do what's necessary to get a reaction. I love it," she said smiling. "Well, you'll have to come and visit me when you're not working," Vince said when they got to the door. "Of course, Vincent," Sara said before exiting, "Bye!"

She hurriedly tossed her gifts into the truck (Mark had let her borrow it for the day), and climbed into the driver's side. She tried not to speed on the way home, but her excitement wouldn't let her. When she pulled into the hotel parking lot, she saw Mark and Andy walking in. She parked and took out her gifts, then ran in after them. "Hey, guys!" she said happily. Mark and Andy stopped and turned around. Mark smiled and ran over to her, pulling her into his arms, despite the load she was carrying. "Hey, dollface," he whispered kissing her. "Haven't I told you about PDA?" she whispered against his lips. "Yeah…but do I listen?" he asked kissing her once again. Sara smiled as he set her down. "I'm done," she said softly, "Today was the last day…exactly a year…" Mark put his arm around her shoulder, saying, "I've got a surprise for you upstairs." "Really?" she asked, "What is it?" "Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would it?" Mark said as they stepped into the elevator. "I'll still _act_ surprised," she said smiling. Mark shook his head and laughed softly.

When they got to the suite door, Mark told Sara to close her eyes. "This better be good," she said softly. "Oh, it will be," he whispered opening the door and leading her in. Andy came in behind them and shut the door. "Can I open my eyes now?" she asked. "Nope," Mark answered leading her to the center of the living room. "Now?" she asked again. "Nope," he said taking the gifts from her arms, and setting them on the couch. "Okay…now," he said quietly. Sara opened her eyes and gasped. "SURPRISE!" yelled the people in the room. Kevin, Liz, Adam, Paul, John, and Ron stood in a circle around them. There were balloons around the living room, a sign over the couch that read "Congratulations, Little One!", and boxes on the coffee table. "You guys…," she whispered as tears came to her eyes. Paul stood in front of her with a square cake, accompanied by one single candle in the center of a wrestling ring. "What are you doin' here?" she managed to say. "To help celebrate your completion of therapy," Paul answered, "You deserve it, honey." Sara covered her mouth and looked down at the cake. It read, "To Sara: a true Fighter! Congratulations!" "You didn't have to do this…," she whispered, "This isn't necessary." "Oh, but it is," Kevin said, "We've never been prouder to know you, baby girl." "Blow out the candle, Sara. This thing's gettin' heavy!" Paul said with a smile. Sara let out a small laugh, closed her eyes, and blew gently on the flame. It extinguished and everyone clapped, except Paul, of course. Mark brought out a few bottles of champagne and as many glasses as he could carry, which was five. "I'll be right back," he said setting the glasses down beside the cake. "So, tell us how you feel. You're through with therapy. Now what?" Kevin said as they sat around the coffee table.

Sara sat back as Andy started pouring champagne and handing it out. "Well…there are no words, Kevin. I'm so excited. I don't have to worry about therapy interfering with traveling, or trying to concentrate on therapy _and_ work…no more conflicts. I feel great," she said smiling. Mark came out with four more glasses, and set them on the table. Sara noticed the huge Mastiff dog behind him. "Slasher!" she said as she jumped up and went over to him, "Oh, boy! Wow! This is great!" Slasher barked and jumped onto his hind legs, putting his front legs on Sara's shoulders, licking at her cheek. Sara laughed and hugged the loving beast. "Yeah, I missed you, too!" she said rubbing his fur. As Slasher went back down to all fours, she looked at Mark. "I couldn't get her out, Sara," he whispered, "You know she wasn't feelin' good…" "Yeah, I know…," she whispered before going back to her seat. "Come on, I'm starvin'! Let's cut this cake!" John said, his Texas accent stronger than before. "So where are you guys livin' now?" she asked slicing the first piece from the top left corner. "In Livin' Color!" Ron answered laughing, mocking the popular '90s show by the same name. Sara shook her head and laughed along with him. "Well, Liz and I are livin' over in Orange County," Kevin answered. "I moved back down to Texas, around Dallas," John said. "So that's why your accent's so strong!" she said smiling. "Yeah," he agreed, "Bein' out in the country is a hell of a lot different than livin' 30 minutes outside-a L.A.!" "I moved to Boston," Paul answered. "Jeez, Paul. And you came all the way out here for _this_?" she asked. Paul grinned and nodded. "Wouldn't miss it for the world," he agreed. "I'm down in Texas, too, Sara. If you can believe it!" Ron said laughing slightly. "Kinda. It's a stretch, but I'll go with it. Where at in Texas?" she answered. "In the ass-crack o' nowhere! Somewhere near San Antonio," he answered laughing even more. Sara shook her head and looked over at Adam. "And where are you, Canadian Boy?" she asked winking at him. "Down in Florida. It's a lot warmer there," he said smiling slightly. Sara shook her head and laughed, "You guys are all nuts!" "Yeah, but you love us for it!" Kevin said smiling.

Dinner was delivered after an hour later, and everyone enjoyed a steak dinner with mashed potatoes and salad. Around ten p.m., Sara yawned and stretched her arms. "Tired, huh?" Mark asked. "Yeah…it's been a long day," she answered. "We'll get outta here so you can get your sleep," Kevin said standing. "Thank you guys for comin' over. This really means a lot to me, I can't say that enough," Sara said standing, followed by everyone except Mark and Andy. She hugged each person, whispering, "Thanks" in their ears. When everyone was gone, Sara plopped down beside Mark and leaned against his chest. "I'm off to bed, guys. I'll see ya in the mornin'," Andy said leaving the living room. Mark ran his hands over Sara's shoulders and arms, kissing her ear softly. "I'm proud 'o you, dollface," he whispered. "It feels good to be finished," she whispered back. "I'm sure it does," he whispered kissing her neck, "Now you're all mine again…" Sara closed her eyes and relaxed even more against Mark's chest. "You're gonna make me do all the work?" he asked in her ear. Sara smiled and nodded. "I've got one more surprise for you," he said picking her up in his arms. "You've given me more than I deserve, Mark," she whispered wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh, no, I could never give you enough," he whispered kissing her softly, "Now close your eyes."

Sara smiled and shook her head. "No way. I've had enough of keeping my eyes closed," she countered. "Your choice," Mark said as he headed towards their room. Sara heard a bark from inside the room that she'd recognize anywhere. "You didn't?!" she said looking up at Mark. Mark smiled and let her down from his grip. "She's been healthy for at least two weeks now. I finally talked Anthony into letting me keep them here," he said. Sara smiled and opened the bedroom door. Duchess practically tackled her to the floor, licking her face and barking. "Hush, girl, Andy's tryin' to sleep!" Sara said scratching her head. Mark came into the room, shutting the door behind him. Sara rubbed her pet's fur happily, laughing softly as Duchess licked at her face and nipped at her shoulders. "I missed you, too, girl! Did you like the kennel?" Sara said. Duchess stopped licking her face and plopped down beside Sara on the floor. "I guess not. Mark was pretty cruel to leave you there for a whole year!" she said scratching her head. "Wasn't my fault," Mark said before going into the bathroom to shower. Sara smiled and continued to play around with Duchess while Mark was in the shower. When he came out dressed in silk boxers, Sara went in, followed by Duchess. "So is this gonna be the norm now?" Mark asked tossing his towel on the bench by the bed. "What?" Sara asked from the bathroom. "Duchess on your heel, instead o' Andy?" he asked smiling. Sara stuck her head out of the door with an eyebrow raised. "Is that gonna be a problem?" she said grinning. Mark tilted his head to the left and answered, "Sometimes. Duchess can go places Andy can't." "Like?" Sara asked. Mark winked at her before climbing into the bed. Sara let out a laugh before shutting the bathroom door.

When she finished her shower, she went back into the room naked. "If that's not a beautiful sight, I don't know what is," Mark whispered from the bed. Sara grinned, and went to the door. "Out, Duchess. Go lay down with Slasher," she said. Duchess looked up at her, a pitiful look on her sleek black face. Sara shook her head and opened the door, saying, "Don't give me that look. Out." Duchess trotted out, her head hung low. Sara shut the door and looked back at Mark, then climbed into bed beside him. "Ya know somethin'?" she whispered resting her head on his chest. "What?" he said caressing her arm. "For the first time tonight…I looked in the mirror…and I was comfortable with what I saw," she said running her finger down his chest, "All the scars…they didn't bother me anymore." Mark tilted her face up to his and kissed her softly. "Sleep, dollface," he whispered turning off the small lamp beside their bed. Sara smiled and relaxed against his warm body, closing her eyes and allowing sleep to overcome her weary body.

Mark awoke early the next morning. He looked over at the clock and groaned. It was only a little after eight. He looked down at Sara's sleeping form, curled up against his chest, her hair covering her face. He gently pushed her hair back behind her left ear and stared at her. _The most beautiful human being God ever created_, he thought with a small grin, _is lyin' right here beside me_. He continued to stare at her, until Sara finally started to stir. "No, I don't wanna get up yet," she whispered curling up against Mark even more. "You don't have to," he said caressing her cheek with his thumb. Sara sighed heavily and threw her arm around Mark's waist. Mark grinned, soaking in her features. Her now-jet black hair stood out against her fair skin, and had been cut to just below her shoulders. While her eyes were closed, Mark relished in their dark brown color. Whenever she looked at him, he felt as though she could see down into his very soul. Her black eyelashes rested against her cheeks, long and naturally curved. Her full mouth was parted slightly, as she breathed deeply in her sleep. He urged to wake her with a kiss, but he wanted her to rest as much as she could. After staring for a few more minutes, he tried to move from Sara's grip. She mewed softly, saying, "Don't leave me…please…" "I gotta take a shower, dollface," he said running his fingers through her hair. "Please, Mark…don't leave me," she whispered again, a tear falling from her cheek, "I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you." Mark looked down at her in shock, then realized she was dreaming. "Sara, honey, wake up," he whispered stroking her cheek. Sara twitched against his touch, saying, "I'm sorry, Mark…I'm so sorry. Please…I can't live without you." Mark sighed and shook Sara's shoulder gently. "Sara, wake up, dollface," he said a little louder. Sara's eyes flickered open, and locked onto his.

"What were you dreaming about?" he asked softly. "Mark, would you ever leave me?" she asked quietly, her voice shaking, "If I hurt you in the worst way…would you leave me?" "What'd you dream, Sara?" he asked again. Sara broke her eye contact, staring at his bare chest in front of her face. He felt her trembling against his skin. "That…I was having sex with another man…and you walked in," she whispered before looking back up at him, "I'd never do that to you, Mark. I'd never hurt you like that!" "I know that, dollface," he said touching her cheek, "There's no doubt in my mind." "Would you leave me?" she whispered again, "If it happened…" Mark took a deep breath and closed his eyes, resting his chin on top of her head. The thought of another man with Sara made him sick to his stomach, but he knew that she'd never do that, not to him and not to herself. _What if she _did_, though? What if she had sex with another man?_ he thought. "Please…tell me," Sara whispered, starting to tremble even more. He gently rubbed her back, moving his hand over her shoulders down to her waist. "I love you, Sara Roberts. You're mine, and I'm yours, remember? We're in this together, always and forever…no matter what," he said quietly. He kissed away the tears that had spilled down her face, then moved to her lips. Sara laid on her back, pulling Mark on top of her. A scratching on the door distracted them. "Go away, Duchess!" Sara said laughing. A bark from outside indicated that the dog was not going to just leave. "At least she can't open the door," Mark whispered before kissing her again. When the door creaked open, Mark and Sara both stared at it in shock. Duchess was standing on her hind legs, her mouth clamped on the door handle. Slasher bounded in, and Duchess followed moments later.

"Why, you sneaky little animal!" Sara exclaimed as Mark climbed off of her. Duchess jumped onto the bed, settling beside Sara. Sara smiled and scratched her belly. When Slasher jumped onto Sara's lap, she laughed aloud. "We aren't gonna all fit up here," she said to Mark. "I'm gonna go take a shower. Looks like they miss you more than me anyway," he said standing. "You saw them a lot more than I did, remember?" she said winking at him. Mark winked back before going into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Sara scratched Slasher's head as well, and said, "So you missed me, too, huh?" Slasher's bark was deep and resounding. Sara felt the vibration in her chest. "Hush, before you wake up Andy," she said smiling. "Too late," Andy said as he walked by the door. "Sorry, Andy!" Sara said loudly. She turned her attention back to the dogs. "If you two are gonna stay here, this barking has gotta stop," she said quietly, "Go shut the door, Slasher. You're probably the one who put my angel up to opening it in the first place." Slasher jumped off the bed, and pushed the room door shut with his nose. "You two are too smart for your own good," Sara said climbing off the bed and going over to the dresser. She pulled out a pair of cotton sweatpants and a t-shirt, quickly dressed, and headed into the living room. Andy was in the kitchen, and Sara heard drawers opening and closing. "You okay in there, pal?" she asked from the couch. "Yeah," he answered. Sara went to the kitchen doorway, and leaned against it. "I'm really sorry if those two rascals woke you up," she said. "It's no problem," Andy said quietly as he fixed a bowl of cereal. "Are you sure?" she said coming over to him, "I can talk to Mark about keeping them in the kennel." "No, don't do that. They're your dogs, and you have a right to keep 'em here," he responded. "Yeah, but you live here. And I don't wanna offend you by havin' 'em here," she said quietly.

Andy looked up at her and sighed. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you and Mark about that once we were all up and moving," he responded. "What is it?" she asked. "I'll wait 'til Mark comes out," he said going into the living room. Sara dropped her head, her eyes closed. She had a feeling about what Andy was going to say, but she wouldn't pressure him to tell her. They sat in silence watching the morning news until Mark came out of the bedroom. "You're up early, Andy," he said sitting down beside Sara. "Got a wake-up call," Andy said smirking. "Yeah, those dogs don't know when to be quiet sometimes. Sorry 'bout that, man," Mark said as Sara rested against his side. "Actually, Mark…I wanted to talk to you and Sara today about somethin'," Andy said as he set his bowl on the coffee table, "I was thinkin'…I'm gonna try and get an apartment within the next month or so. Sara's finished with therapy now, so you don't really need me stickin' around like before. And you guys need your space, too, ya know." Mark looked somewhat shocked. "Where'd this come from, Andy?" he asked. "I just wanna…get out on my own, live on my own," Andy answered, "Don't get me wrong, I love livin' here. I just…I wanna have my own space, and give you guys your space, too." Mark looked down at Sara, but she was staring at the table. "If that's what you wanna do, man, go for it," Mark said looking back at Andy, "We're sure gonna miss havin' you around here." "We'll see each other at the arenas," Andy said looking at Sara, "I really wanna thank you both for lettin' me live here all this time." "Oh, it was no problem, Andy. It wouldn't have been the same without you. You helped us both. Right, dollface?" Mark said. Sara swallowed and nodded. "I'm gonna miss you, Andy," she said quietly. "We'll still see each other, Sara. It's not like I'm movin' to another country," he replied. "I know…I just…kinda grew used to you being around here, especially when…," she whispered, her voice trailing off. Mark squeezed her shoulder gently. "It's alright, baby," he whispered kissing the side of her head. "I'm being selfish. I'm sorry, Andy. You go…live life. Find a girlfriend," she said smiling up at him. Andy chuckled softly and said, "I've already done that last part." "Who?!" Sara exclaimed. "Trish," he answered, "We've been seeing each other for the past couple months or so. That's kinda why I wanted to talk to you guys. Trish is movin' down to San Diego, and we're gonna live together." Sara's jaw dropped, before she smiled. "Well, it's about damn time you two hooked up! Did I call it, or did I call it?" she said looking up at Mark.

Mark merely hunched his shoulders. "I don't pay attention to those kinda things, other people's relationships," he said. "Just your own, huh?" she said slapping his thigh. "Yeah…just my own," he whispered kissing her forehead. "So what's the plan for today?" she said looking over at Andy, "No houseshow today, so we've got all day to do what we want." "How 'bout relax?" Mark said, "You had quite a day yesterday. And we're goin' back on the road tomorrow, so we need to rest up." Sara sighed and conceded. "I guess so," she said quietly, flipping on the television.


	51. Hectic Schedule

**Chapter 50…Hectic Schedule**

The next few weeks for Sara were extremely fast-paced. It was the last weeks before _Wrestlemania_. Sara was not only performing with Mark during houseshows, but she would accompany him to autograph signings, media days, and even special appearances outside of wrestling. When they flew into Austin, Texas early Friday morning, for the biggest pay-per-view of the year, Sara was a bundle of nerves. She was going to be making her first televised appearance alongside Mark, and (according to Vince) was going to have a vital role in Mark's match against Kevin. The two had been feuding since mid-February, and there was a big build-up around the match.

Mark and Sara walked into the hotel a little after eight a.m. Mark checked them in, and then they made their way up to their room. Sara tossed her bags down by the door, then stumbled over to the bed. "You okay, dollface?" Mark asked as he set his bags down beside hers. "I'm exhausted, Mark. We've been goin' full steam for the past two weeks, and it's catching up to me," she whispered. Mark laid down beside her and pulled the covers over them. "We don't have to be to Fan-Fest until one o' clock, so we'll sleep 'til then, okay?" he said running his fingers through her hair. Sara nodded and curled up against his chest. She was asleep within a few minutes' time. Mark sighed heavily as he set the alarm clock, then rested his chin on top of her head. She was right; they'd had back-to-back shows, appearances, and signings the last eight days. Mark was tired as well, but he wasn't as tired as Sara. She was getting used to the travel schedule again, and it was starting to wear her down. _After this pay-per-view, things will calm down hopefully_, he thought before falling asleep.

The alarm clock blared at approximately 11:00 a.m. Mark groaned as he reached over and shut it off. "Dollface?" he whispered looking down at Sara's sleeping form. She mewed softly and crunched up into a tighter ball. "Come on, baby," he whispered kissing her forehead. He rolled out of bed and went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Sara sighed heavily and threw her legs off the side of the bed, sitting up slowly. "It's gonna be a long weekend," she whispered to herself. She went over to her suitcase and pulled out a pair of tight black jeans, a black leather corset, and her makeup case. She knew that they were going straight to Fan-Fest, so she wanted to dress as in-character as she could. Her character had yet to be named, but would be that day at Fan-Fest. When Mark came out of the bathroom 15 minutes later, she went in quietly and took her shower as well. She dried her hair and brushed it into it shined. When she stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a fluffy white towel, Mark was sitting on the bed putting his boots on. "How long are we gonna be at Fan-Fest?" she asked slipping on her underwear. "Until at least five. The autograph session goes for three hours, and then there's a Q&A session for an hour after that," he answered. Sara sat down beside him, her hands resting on her knees. "You okay?" he asked quietly. "I just…I don't know if this is for me, Mark," she whispered. "Don't doubt yourself, baby. You've only been working for a month, and I know that it's been a hectic month, but things will come back to you," he said beginning to massage her shoulders. "Relax," he whispered. Sara sighed and let her head fall forward. Mark gave her a good massage, working over her entire back, and even her sides. When he finished, he kissed the tattoo on her back and said, "Remember when you got that?" Sara smiled and nodded slightly. "That was probably the boldest thing I think I've ever done," she said quietly. Mark hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her right shoulder. "I love you so much," he whispered in her ear. "I know," Sara said touching his forearm, "Now move before I fall asleep again." Mark chuckled softly and released her. Sara dressed quickly, getting Mark to tie the strings to her corset. "The fans are gonna love this," he said smiling, "I know I do." Sara shook her head and laughed softly. "I'm glad someone does. I can't breathe in this damn thing," she said standing slowly. "It's only for a few hours. I'll be glad to help you out of it at the end of the night," he said grinning. Sara looked down at him and smirked. "Yeah, I'm sure you would," she said going over to the dresser. She quickly applied her character make-up – light foundation (giving her a somewhat pale look), dark blue eyeshadow with black eyeliner, black mascara, and blood red lipstick – then faced Mark. "What do you think?" she asked. "Definitely look like a Dark Angel," he said standing. "Good, that was the goal," she said, "Hmm…I need a good character name. How about Angel?" "Or Mystikal, with a K instead of a C," he answered. "Or just Mystic," she countered. "We'll ask Vince about it. See what he thinks," he said as Sara slipped into a leather blazer. "I like Angel. Goes well with your name. Like, your darkness with my purity," she said smiling. "Good point. Come on, let's go get some food before we head to the exhibition center," he said reaching for her hand. "Okay," she said placing her left hand in his, letting him lead her out of the room.

After lunch, Sara and Mark made their way to the exhibition center. They entered through the back, so as to not cause a riot with the fans. When they met up with the show coordinator, Nick, he looked extremely busy. "Hey, guys. Your table's at the back of the set-up. You have to be there in one minute. Water bottles are available right before you go out. And they have 8"X10" pictures already available to sign if people don't have anything. Only one autograph per person, and try to keep pictures to a minimum," he said quickly, leading them to their designated booth. Andy came walking through the curtain as they walked up. "The fans are rabid out there, so fair warning," he said with a smile. Sara smiled and hugged him. Andy had moved out of the hotel suite a week ago, and they'd begun traveling separately. "I miss you," she whispered in his ear. "I know, baby doll," he said hugging her back. "Um, Sara ma'am, um, it's time for you to go out," Nick said somewhat nervously. "Back off, kid," Mark said quietly, "She'll be done in a minute or two." "How's things goin' with Trish?" she asked. "Really good. She's a great person," he answered. "I could've told you that," she said smiling. Andy smiled and nodded. "Well, don't wanna keep the fans waiting. You ready Mark?" she said looking back at Mark. "Waitin' on you," he answered. "Alright, Andy. We'll do lunch sometime, okay?" she said back to Andy. "Yeah, sure. I'll see ya later," he said before walking away. "How do you want me to introduce you, Sara?" Nick asked. "Angel," she answered. Nick gave the cue to announce Mark and Sara.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your next two WWF Superstars are coming out right now! Give a loud welcome to The Undertaker and his manager, Angel!" the announcer said loudly. Cheers went up and Mark and Sara walked through the curtain. Two chairs were seated at a wood table covered with a blue cloth. Sara looked out at the huge line of fans as she took her seat to Mark's right. She looked over at Mark and took a deep breath. _Here we go_, she thought. The line moved slowly over the next few hours. Sara had to stretch out her hand more times than she could remember. Fans thanked her for their autographs, took pictures with her, and even asked her questions. One stood out in her mind as she and Mark left the table for the next wrestler. The woman who'd asked it had looked to be in her mid-30s, with dark brown hair just past her shoulders, fair skin, and blue eyes. "Are you Chyna?" she'd asked. Sara had hesitated to answer, but she finally just nodded her head. "It's good to see you back. After I heard what happened, I was ashamed," the woman said quietly. "Of what?" Sara asked as she signed the photograph the woman had given her. "That I married Shawn," the woman answered. Sara had looked up at the woman, slowly handing her the signed picture. "It's good to see you come back, though. I'm still a fan, no matter what you do now," the woman said before walking away.

"You okay?" Mark asked, bringing her back to the present. Sara took a few deep breaths and nodded. "What is it?" he asked. "There was this woman during the autograph session…she knew I'd been Chyna before, and she said she was ashamed that she'd married Shawn after she'd heard what happened. I didn't even know Shawn had married while we were in the group," she said quietly. Mark stopped in the middle of the hallway, his jaw twitching. "Why do you even mention him?" he asked tensely. Sara stopped and faced him. "It just stuck in my mind, Mark. I'm not angry anymore…you shouldn't be either," she said softly. "Sara…he practically ruined our lives. You _died_…three times," he whispered stepping closer to her, "Do you know how hard that was for me?" "I know it was hard, Mark. I'm not asking you to forgive him, because I haven't myself. I never will," she said looking at the floor. "So why are you asking me to do that?" he asked. "I'm not. I couldn't ask that of you," she said quietly, "The woman just…brought back memories that I had chose to suppress. And until I accept that it happened…life's gonna be hell for both of us." "Let's go back to the hotel, okay?" he said as they continued walking down the hall. "What do we have tomorrow?" she asked. "We have that banquet at eight o' clock at night, but that's it. We can spend the whole day just relaxing in the room, if you want," he said locking his fingers with hers. "Sounds like a good idea," she said quietly.

When they walked into the room, Sara struggled to untie the strings to her corset. "Here, let me help," Mark whispered moving her fingers. When the ties were undone, Sara let out a sigh of relief. "Hope I don't have to wear these things as part of my look," she said throwing it down on the floor. Mark pulled her to him, cupping her breasts in his palms. Sara sighed and leaned against his body. "We need to talk," she whispered. "About?" he asked kissing her neck, moving over her collarbone. "What happened to me," she whispered as her eyes drifted shut. "Not now," he said quietly, gently squeezing her bountiful breasts. Sara pulled away and said, "Yes, now." Mark sighed heavily and looked down at the floor. "What's to talk about?" he asked. "I need to get it out. I haven't talked about it; I chose not to. And I can't hold it back anymore," she said going through her suitcase and pulling out a t-shirt. She stood and faced Mark, a tear having fallen down her cheek. "Okay…we'll talk," he said quietly. Sara plopped down on the bed and looked down at her hands.

"Just start when you're ready, dollface," he said sitting down beside her. Sara nodded and ran her fingers through her hair. She hadn't thought about that day at all over the past year; her memory loss hadn't helped any. "When Jim and Lance took me up the stairs…or dragged me, rather…my heart sank. I knew this couldn't be good. Lance looked really upset, like-like he didn't want to be a part of whatever was gonna happen. I even looked him in the eyes, and I saw the sorrow there, the guilt, that he had to do what Shawn had ordered," she started, "They threw me in the room…and Shawn hit me in the back of my head with a bat…and then it started." Mark tensed up, and Sara laid down on the bed. He rested on his elbow, facing her and touching her cheek. "The bat almost broke once, and so he got rid of it, and started using his fists. He put me in every submission hold he could think of. Every time I'd get to my feet, he'd just sweep me back down. Every time I heard a bone crack, my spirit just weakened. His anger was more than I could handle. I couldn't stand up to him anymore…I didn't want to. He beat me, Mark…'til there was nothin' left, 'til I couldn't fight back. He'd done what he'd been wanting to do for so long…he broke me completely," she said quietly, her voice shaking. Mark swallowed as he saw the tears pour from the side of her eyes. "I don't know how I made it to the stairs. I just knew I had to get to someone…someone who could help me. When I fell down the stairs…two flights o' stairs…I knew it was all over. Everything I'd worked so hard to build…with the group, and within myself…it was over…and I don't remember anything after that," she said softly, "Until I woke up in the hospital." She faced him and cried into his chest, her body shaking violently. "Cry, baby," he whispered, "Just cry your heart out." Sara gripped Mark's shirt tightly, the sounds of her sobs echoing off the walls. "Why, Mark? What'd I do to deserve that?" she cried. "Nothin', dollface. He was a selfish bastard. God only knows how he found enough heart to get married," he said softly. Sara eventually cried until she was exhausted; she fell asleep still gripping Mark's shirt. He took off Sara's boots and leather pants, then wrapped her body in the blankets. He cut off the room light and climbed into bed beside her. Tears fell from his own eyes, now knowing exactly what Shawn had done to her. Sara had put her body on the line, for him and everyone in the group, and it nearly destroyed her. She'd fought until she had nothing left. And it had backfired in her face. _Please, God…let her become who she once was…let her become the woman I fell in love with_, Mark thought as he wiped the tears away with the back of his hand. Sara curled up against him, her fingers latching onto his hair. Mark smiled slightly and faced her, pulling her closer and putting his right arm under her head. "I love you, dollface…more than you'll ever know," he whispered before falling into a deep sleep.

When the alarm clocked blared at 11 a.m. the next morning, Mark reached over and slammed it off. Sara groaned softly, turning her back to Mark. Mark pulled her closer to him, rubbing his nose in her hair. "What time do we have to be up?" she asked quietly. "Nothin' to do until tonight. Sleep as long as you need, baby," he whispered in her ear. Sara sighed heavily and relaxed against Mark's warm body, falling back to sleep moments later. Mark laid there with her, enjoying the quietness of the room, penetrated only by the sounds of Sara's deep breathing. When she stirred, Mark was nearly asleep. "You okay?" he asked quietly. "Yeah. What time is it?" she asked. Mark looked over at the clock and answered, "Quarter after one." "You let me sleep in?" she asked softly. "You needed it. You were exhausted, dollface," he said squeezing her gently. Sara sighed heavily as she thought back to her words from last night. "How long did I cry?" she whispered. "About an hour," he answered softly, "You fell asleep lyin' here." Sara sighed again and touched Mark's forearm. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too, dollface," Mark replied. "I'm gonna go take a shower, okay?" she said getting out of bed. "Yeah," Mark answered sleepily. "Go ahead and sleep, Mark," she said going into the bathroom. Mark let out a deep breath and buried his face in a pillow.

Sara took a long, hot shower, washing her hair thoroughly and shaving her stray hairs. When she stepped out, she stared at her body in the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door. She was less toned than before, because she hadn't worked out like she used to. There was still muscle visible, but it wasn't nearly as much as it had been before. Her waist was a little wider, but still small enough to fit in her old jeans. Her thighs were toned, but her calf muscles had a little fat on them. "I've gotta start workin' out more," she whispered to herself. She wrapped herself in a towel and went back out to the room. She smiled at Mark's sleeping form, knowing he was exhausted. He'd worked himself nearly to the bone the past six months, trying to make up for the time he'd taken off to be with her. She dressed in a pair of sweatpants and one of her t-shirts, slipped on her tennis shoes, and headed down to the hotel gym. She ran for nearly an hour, nearly soaking her shirt completely. There were a small variety of free weights available, and Sara made due, changing her workout to accommodate. When she finally finished her entire workout, over two hours later, she was exhausted. She went back up to her room, and found Mark wide awake sitting on the edge of the bed. "Gone long enough?" he asked tensely. "I was downstairs, Mark," she said quietly. "You didn't leave a note or anything," he said quietly. "I didn't know I _had_ to," she said stiffening up. Ever since she'd gotten out of therapy, Mark had wanted her by his side wherever he was. She'd dealt with it, because she knew how worried he was; but it had come to a point where she wasn't going to handle his possessiveness anymore. "You know I worry about you--." Sara cut him off by holding her hand up, her jaw clenched. "I've dealt with your shit for the past month, and held my tongue about it. But I'm not going to anymore. I'm not some dog for you to keep on a goddamn leash! You know me better than that, Mark!" she said heatedly, walking up until she was looking down at him, "I only put up with it because I knew you were just being overprotective. But there's a boundary, and you just crossed it. I'm your fiancée, and I expect to be treated as such! If you can't get that through your thick skull, then maybe we need to discuss just where our relationship stands, and where it's going!" Sara turned around, grabbed her wallet from the dresser, and left the room, slamming the door behind her. Mark sighed heavily and fell back onto the bed. He had been overprotective the past month, but he couldn't help it. He loved her too much to not be overprotective of her. But she was right – there was a point where he needed to let her be herself, to go where she pleased, without him following her every move. She was becoming the woman she was a year ago. He smiled slightly and sat back up, resting on his hands.

Sara went for a long walk around downtown Austin to relax. She didn't expect to spend the day angry, let alone angry at Mark. She stopped at a few shops to do a little impulse buying. She purchased a small necklace with an ivory charm, and a small, blue, plush teddy bear for Mark. When she headed back to the hotel, it was nearly four o' clock. She walked back into the room fiddling with the charm on her necklace. Mark was lying down on the bed, the remote in his hand. She shut the door quietly, and made her way over to him. "Hi," she said softly. Mark looked up at her with a grin. "Hey, there," he said quietly. "What are you smiling about?" she asked quietly. Mark smiled even more, a sparkle in his eye. "Had a revelation when you walked out the door," he answered. "What's that?" she asked. Mark scooted to the edge of the bed, gripping her thighs between his own large legs. "How much I _love_ that spirit o' yours," he whispered putting his hands on her waist. Sara let out a deep breath and smiled slightly. "Really?" she asked. "Yeah," he whispered rubbing his hands up her sides. Sara leaned down and kissed him softly, and said, "I'm goin' to take a shower." Mark nodded and released her, smiling as she tossed him the bear. "Reminds me of you," she said as she entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Sara walked out of the bathroom ten minutes later, to find Mark holding the teddy bear on the side of his head, squeezing it slightly. "What are you doin'?" she asked as she sat down beside him. "This thing is cute," he said quietly, "Like you." Sara turned slightly pink and looked away. Mark sat up and put his arm around her back, his hand resting on her waist. "Have a good walk?" he asked in her ear. She nodded and said quietly, "Did you think about what I said?" Mark took a deep breath and nodded against her shoulder. "I love you, Sara. I don't wanna lose you," he said quietly. "And you're not going to…as long as you respect me," she said softly. Mark kissed her cheek lightly and asked, "How's that?" Sara smiled slightly and shook her head. He trailed kisses up her shoulder, over her neck until he captured her lips, his other hand going up to her cheek. Sara laid back on the bed, her towel spreading open slightly. She sighed happily against Mark's lips, enjoying the feel of his lips against hers. "How's that?" he asked again. She shook her head as he moved his hand underneath her towel, gripping her right breast. She moaned softly, arching up into his hand. "Like that?" he whispered kissing her again. Sara moaned in her throat, placing her hands on Mark's cheeks, pulling him closer. Mark pushed her towel away, moving his hands gently over her bared skin. When his hands moved up and down her inner thighs he felt her shudder involuntarily. "You want it, baby?" he whispered in her ear, moving his hand slowly up her thighs. Sara kept her mouth closed, running her hands over his arms. "Oh, it's like that, then?" he asked grinning, inserting a finger inside her wet folds. Sara gritted her teeth, holding back a moan. Mark scooted down her body, planting kisses over her chin, slender neck, bountiful breasts, and small waist. When he reached his destination, Sara was twitching slightly. He smiled and began to feast on her womanhood. He used his tongue to bring Sara close to the edge, then stopping to kiss the juices from her thighs. After the third time, Sara finally screamed out, "Goddammit, stop teasing me, Mark!" Mark chuckled softly and said, "All you had to do was ask." When he dipped his head down once more, Sara moaned loudly, closing her legs around his head. Mark sent her crashing over the edge within moments. She screamed out his name, gripping the sheets with her hands. Mark kissed his way back up to her face, using his hands to caress her now-sensitive body. "How's that?" he whispered. "Perfect," she answered with a grin. Mark smiled more broadly and kissed her deeply, delving inside her mouth and exploring its caverns with the tip of his tongue. Sara moaned softly, bringing her legs up and around his waist. Mark slowly position himself over her entrance, hesitating. "Do you want it?" he asked. "You know it," she whispered placing her hand between their bodies and gripping his engorged member. Mark groaned slightly and dropped his head to hers, kissing her once more as he plunged inside her. Sara met him stroke for stroke, pushing her hips up against his as he came crashing down on her. The sounds of their passion filled the room as both came close to climaxing. "I love you, Mark," Sara whispered as she squeezed his neck. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered back, kissing her even harder. Moments later, both screamed the other's name as they reached their peak. Mark collapsed on top of Sara, breathing fast and ragged. Sara ran her hands over his sweaty back, kissing the side of his cheek. "That's respect," she whispered. Mark chuckled softly and kissed her cheek, moving to her mouth. Their love-making began all over again.

When Mark collapsed on top of Sara for the third time, sweating profusely and breathing hard, Sara sighed happily. "Now that's respect," she whispered again, kissing his muscled shoulder. Mark grinned softly and said, "We have to go get some fancy duds for that banquet tonight." "Can't we just lie here?" Sara whispered rubbing her hands over his back. "Nope," he answered, "It's a big deal, so we have to look sharp." "Why don't I just wear that dress I have for tomorrow night?" she asked. "Because it's for tomorrow night," he responded slowly standing, "Come on. We'll take a shower, and then we'll go get some clothes." Sara groaned and held her hands out. Mark grinned and pulled her up, then picked her up and carried her into the bathroom.

Sara and Mark walked into their hotel room at approximately 11:45 p.m. The banquet had last for a few hours, and by the second hour, Sara was exhausted. They'd been seated with Kevin, Liz, and a couple lucky fans who'd purchased tickets to the dinner. It took a while, but the fans opened up. One was an 18-year-old freshman female named Michelle from Virginia, who was attending the college Sara had graduated from. The second was a 20-year-old sophomore male named Andrew from Texas, who was attending a small private college near Austin. There was a huge buffet dinner, dancing, and an induction ceremony for the company's Hall of Fame. It was an amazing night for Sara, actually; she'd become even more comfortable around not only her co-workers, but around the fans as well. She now knew that the next night at _Wrestlemania_, it would be somewhat easier for her to go out in front of the thousands of fans in attendance, and not feel so self-conscious. She removed her strapped shoes and kicked them off, letting out a sigh of satisfaction as she did so. "I hate those things!" she said quietly as Mark shut the door. "The shoes?" he asked as he removed his jacket, watching her sit down on the bed. Sara nodded and ran her fingers through her hair. Mark kneeled down and took her left foot in his hands, massaging it thoroughly. Sara sighed and laid back on the bed, her arms spread. After finishing with the left foot, Mark took her right foot and massaged it as well. When he finished, Sara was nearly asleep, but there was a smile on her face. "Better?" he asked from the foot of the bed. Sara nodded and slowly sat up, staring at him with hooded eyes. "We should get to sleep. We've got a long day tomorrow," he whispered kissing her softly. Sara nodded, but placed her hand on the back of his neck, pulling him closer. The kiss deepened, until Mark finally pulled away. "Bedtime," he whispered helping her to her feet. Sara grinned and nodded, following him into the bathroom. They took a quick shower together, then climbed back into bed. "What time do we have to be up?" Sara asked as she rested her head on Mark's chest, her right hand resting on his left shoulder. "Ten. We have to be to the arena by noon," he answered. Sara sighed heavily and kissed his chest lightly. "It'll calm down after this, dollface," he whispered. "I know," she said quietly, "I know." "Goodnight, baby," Mark said kissing the top of her head, "I love you." "Love you, too, Mark," she whispered before succumbing to the call of sleep.


	52. Facing Fears

**Chapter 51…Facing Fears**

Sara awoke first the next morning at 9:30. She climbed out of bed carefully, not waking Mark. She went into the bathroom and quickly washed her face. Her stomach was filled with butterflies, but excitement was flowing through her veins. She looked up at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. "This is it, the day I've been waiting for…a year has passed. I've changed, physically and mentally…and I'm more ready for this than anything before," she said quietly. She ran her fingers through her hair, then framed it around her face. "How to wear it?" she whispered, "Up in a ponytail, around my face, down my back…details, details, details." She cut on the shower and peeled off her nightshirt, then climbed in under the steaming water. After washing her hair a few times, and washing her body twice, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in one of the hotel towels. She exited the bathroom, smiling when she saw Mark was still asleep. She dashed over to the bed and jumped on it, pushing Mark's immobile body. "Wake up, you sleeping giant!" she said happily. Mark groaned and stuffed his head under a pillow. "Come on! It's time to get up!" she said continuing to push against his shoulder. Mark sighed and tossed the pillow covering his head on the floor. He rolled onto his back and stared up at her, a small grin on his face. "That light's back in your eyes," he said softly, "I haven't seen that in a long time, dollface." Sara smiled even more broadly and threw her head back, laughing aloud. "Come on, get up!" she said hopping off of the bed. Mark stretched his arms and yawned loudly. "At least you're excited," he said as he rolled out of bed. "And you're not?" she asked as she removed the towel and slipped on her underwear. "Of course I am, baby…but obviously not as much as you are," he said coming up behind her and putting his arms around her waist. Sara leaned back against his chest and whispered, "I've been waiting for this day for nearly a year, Mark. This is the payoff that I've been longing for since I woke up from that coma." Mark kissed her cheek and said, "I'll be out in about 15 minutes, we'll go grab some breakfast, and then head to the arena, okay?" Sara nodded and turned around, facing him. "I know I've said this before, but…thank you…for not giving up on me, for not letting me give up on myself," she said softly. Mark kissed her gently and hugged her. "Be out in a bit," he said before going into the bathroom and shutting the door.

Sara quickly dressed in a pair of loose jeans and a navy blue t-shirt, then slipped on her tennis shoes. She pulled out her outfit from the closet. She unzipped the protective cover and spread it open, staring at the piece in front of her. The dress was similar to the first set Michelle had made for her for her first appearance in front of an audience. It was a single black, form-fitting piece, tattered at the ends (which came to her mid-thigh, no sleeves, with a V-neck cut fairly low to show off the rounds of her breasts, cut low in the back as well. The V-neck was lined with thin silvery-purple fabric, as well as the edges of the dress. Right at the point of the V was a medium-sized (roughly 6"X8") Undertaker emblem. Sara smiled as she laid it on the bed and packed her small carry bag. Since she wasn't wrestling, she didn't need a large duffel bag to carry her belongings in. She packed a pair of sweatpants, a sleeveless t-shirt, her shower products, and the strapped shoes she wore the previous night. "Thank God I'm only gonna be in those things for a few minutes," she said softly as she zipped the bag up. Mark came out as she was packing up his own duffel bag. "You didn't have to do that, dollface," he whispered coming up behind her and planting a soft kiss on her neck. "Hey, the sooner we get outta here, the sooner we can get breakfast, and the sooner we can get to the arena," she answered facing him, "Now get dressed!" "Yes, ma'am," Mark answered playfully saluting her. Sara shook her head as she quickly put on her tennis shoes. She sat on the bed Indian-style, holding the teddy bear she'd bought yesterday in her lap. Mark got dressed quickly, slipping on his boots as Sara stood up and slipped her bag over her right shoulder. "You ready?" she asked. "Yeah," he answered grabbing his bag from beside her, "Let's go." Sara nodded and headed out of the room first, Mark close behind, letting the door shut behind them.

After grabbing a quick breakfast at a small diner down the street from the hotel, Sara and Mark took a cab to the arena. When the cab pulled into the back parking lot, Sara smiled at the hordes of waving fans. "They're out here early," she said to Mark. "Yeah, they are," he responded waving out of his window. The cab stopped and Sara climbed out, Mark paying the fare before following suit. Sara went over to the crowd and started signing autographs. Mark smiled, shook his head slightly, before coming over and doing the same. They signed for nearly 20 minutes before finally heading inside. "I'm gonna go work out, okay?" Sara said once they stepped through the back door. "You want me to come along?" he asked. "You can if you want. I know you have your match-planning," she said grinning. "We haven't worked out together in a while, Sara. Kevin can wait," he said putting his arm around her waist, "Come on." Sara could only smile as they made their way to the gym.

Sara changed into her sweatpants and sleeveless t-shirt before meeting Mark near the treadmills. "I'm gonna run for awhile," she said stepping onto the machine and setting a time limit of 45 minutes. "How long?" he asked stepping onto the machine beside her. "45 minutes," she answered beginning to run. Mark nodded and began running himself. They talked as they ran together, throwing out ideas for Mark's match. After running, Sara went over to the free weights, lifting a little more heavily than usual. She wanted to build her muscle-size back up, and knew that lifting heavy would be the first step. Once their workout was complete, the two went their separate ways to clean up. Sara would meet Mark in the ring in a few hours, to help him and Kevin plan their match.

Sara took a good, relaxing shower to calm down, because her nerves were at end. She went up to the balcony, to get her thoughts together. The arena was empty, with the exception of the crew running around to set things up. She grinned as she closed her eyes, reveling in the great memories of her time in the business. Walking down the ramp on so many nights, hearing the crowd's cheers (or boos), stepping in the ring and putting on a great match, and even winning two Intercontinental titles. _Can I wrestle again? _Should_ I wrestle again? Is there even a chance for me to--_. Her thoughts were interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at Andy and sighed. "Hey there," she said quietly. "Sorry to interrupt," he answered, "Just wanted to see what you were up to." "Thinking," she answered. "About?" he asked sitting down beside her. "Wrestling. Just thinkin' about how much I loved performing for the fans. Sittin' up here…thinkin' about tonight, and how different things are gonna be with me not wrestling. Andy…do you think I could do it again?" she said slowly. "Do what, baby doll?" he said softly. "Wrestle. Be an active performer…be a champion," she whispered, "God knows I miss it." "Sara…there's no limit when it comes to achieving your goals," he answered honestly, "If you believe in yourself, there's nothing else – and nobody – to stop you." Sara grinned as she looked over at him. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Andy," she said touching his hand. "You know me, always hear to boost you up when ya need it," he said placing his hand over hers. "So how are you and Trish doing?" she asked. "Really good, actually. She's a wonderful woman. She reminds me a lot of you," he said. "How so?" she asked. "Her spunk, her athleticism…her beauty," he answered slowly. Sara turned pink and looked down at her hands. "Thanks, Andy," she said quietly. "Yeah, she's a real gift to me, actually. I've never felt so comfortable around another woman…other than you. Even when I'm beat up from wrestling, she's there to pick me back up. And I'm there for her, too. We're…we're really close," he answered slowly. Sara grinned and looked at him. "So…when are you gonna ask her?" she asked. "Ask her what?" he said looking down at her. "Oh, don't play stupid with me, Andy. I know you too well," she said smiling. "This week, when we're at home," he answered grinning. "Good, that's really good, Andy. I'm happy you've found someone," she said quietly, "You did enough for me. I'm glad you've got someone else to use all that energy on now." "Thanks, Sara. That means a lot to me," he answered. "No problem, Andy," she said quietly. They sat for a few more minutes in silence before deciding to head back down.

"Good luck with Trish, too, Andy. I wish you the best of luck with her. You guys really look good together," Sara said before they separated. Sara headed in search of Vince. She found him near the entranceway, setting up the preview table for the night. "Can we talk for a few minutes, Vince?" she asked quietly. "Yeah, sure," he answered as he set a TV on the wooden table. Sara followed Vince down to the small catering area, and watched as he fixed himself a tall cup of coffee. "So, what's on your mind?" he asked. "Um…I think I want to get back into wrestling," she said slowly. "Really? What brought this on?" he answered. "I was just thinkin' about how much I really miss it, the adrenaline and everything. I want to be Mark's manager and all, but…," she said slowly. "It's not in you to just stand on the sidelines, Sara. It didn't last long when you were with Roddy, and I figured it'd take you a month max with Mark before you came and asked to start wrestling again," he said with a smile. Sara grinned slightly and looked at the floor. "Have you talked to Mark about this?" he asked. "No. It just came to me. I just figured I'd throw the idea out to you," she answered looking back up at him. "How about you give it a few months? Establish your character with Mark first, and then I'll call up to OVW and see if you can come train there when you're not on the road," he responded, "How's that?" Sara sighed and looked away. Being away from Mark to train was going to be hard, but if she needed to do it, she would. "Okay, that's fine. By the way, do you know how I'm going to be involved tonight?" she answered. "Yeah. You'll precede Mark on his way to the ring, carrying a silver rod, topped with the emblem of the Undertaker. You'll get to the middle of the ramp, stop, and then raise the rod up with both hands, then bring your arms down. That is the signal for flames to shoot up on both sides of you. This would be Mark's signal to come down the ramp. You'll be walking a step or two behind him, but on his right side. You would go to the bottom of the ring steps, and stand there. When Mark gets to the steps, you would bow just a little bit. You'll go up the ring steps, and hold the ropes open for him. Once he got in, you'd follow. He then would take off his leather coat and give it to you. You then would go over and sit by J.R. until the match was over with. You're gonna sit at the commentator table with the headphones on, but you're not gonna talk, even when J.R. and Lawler question you about things. There's going to be a point where Mark seems to be out for the count, but I want you to climb in the ring and give him a small kiss or somethin'. I was told your moniker is "Angel," so we'll call it "Angel's Touch." That'll give Mark the energy he needs to finish off Kevin. The match finishes, and you get up and follow Mark back up the ramp. What do you think?" he answered. Sara let out a breath and said, "That's pretty detailed." "Just want to make sure everything goes smoothly," he responded, "I'll tell you probably a few more times as it gets closer to when you have to go out." "Thanks, Vince. Where am I gonna pick the rod up at?" she said. "It's with Michelle, with the cloak you're going to be wearing," he answered. "A cloak? Along with the dress and rod?" she asked. "Yeah. It ties up at the neck, so it'll be open enough to see the emblem on your dress," he answered. "Is there a hood to it?" she asked. "Yeah, to hide some of your face. Don't want the fans to see you completely," he said with a grin, "We'll reveal your face in due time." Sara smiled and nodded her head. "Sounds like fun," she said. "It will be. How'd you like the banquet last night?" he said as they headed back to the preview table. "It was great. I finally felt comfortable around fans again," she said grinning, "Tonight's not gonna be so bad now. I'm still nervous as all hell, but not so much as I was before last night." "That's great to hear, Sara. You'll be back to your old self in no time now," he said quietly. "Yeah…I will be," she answered confidently. "Alright, Sara. I've got to get back to tying up the little details for tonight. I'll talk to you again in a few hours, okay?" he said once they got to the table. Sara nodded and went off in search of Mark this time.

Mark was sitting near ringside talking with Kevin when he spotted Sara at the top of the ramp. "Sara!" he called out. Sara spotted him and jogged down the ramp. She climbed over the railing and sat down in front of him. "What are you so giddy about?" Kevin asked. "I talked to Vince," she answered smiling. "About?" Mark asked. "Well…I was up in the balcony talking to Andy, just about stuff, and…," she answered. "And what?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and locked eyes with him. "I want to start wrestling again, Mark. I really do miss it, and I think I could get back to where I was a year ago. It would mean me going to OVW on days I'm not on the road, but I really wanna do it," she said quickly. Mark simply grinned at her. "I knew that'd come up sooner or later," he said. "What do you think? I know it'd mean us being separated for three or four days a week, but…I can't just stand on the sidelines watching you have all the fun," she said quietly, "It's not me." Mark cupped her chin gently and caressed her cheek with his thumb. "Like I said this morning…it's good to see that sparkle in your eye again, dollface. If it's what you want to do, then go for it," he answered. A smile came to Sara's face, and her cheeks glowed. His support of her decision was so important to her; she didn't know if she'd be able to go through with training to come back to full-time wrestling without it. "Vince is gonna give me a few months of TV time just to get my character established before he sends me to OVW, though," she said. "Well, that's good. I guess we'll have to make the most of it, then, huh?" Mark said grinning. Sara chuckled softly and nodded. "So what's for tonight?" she asked. "We're just throwing out ideas right now," Kevin answered, "Once they get the ring set up completely, we're gonna get in and practice for a while." "Cool," Sara responded. "So did Vince tell you how you're comin' down to the ring with me?" Mark asked. "Yeah, it's really cool. The pyrotechnics sound really exciting," she answered. "Pyro?" Mark said, "Vince is goin' all out for this." "Yeah. I mean, it is the grandest stage of the year," Sara answered with a smile. Mark smiled back at her, shaking his head slightly. "It's gonna be a fun night," he said sitting back in the steel chair.

As six o' clock rolled around, Sara found herself pacing the hallways. She needed to find something to do, to take her mind off of her first appearance in a year. She went to Janet to get her hair done at 7:30. She had it straightened and curled, to frame around her face. Even though the hood would be covering her hair, she still wanted it to look sharp. When Janet finished her hair, she proceeded to work on her make-up. The pale foundation stood out against the jet black color of Sara's hair, giving her an even darker look. Janet outlined her eyes deeply with dark blue eyeliner, and used a black eyebrow brush to give her eyebrows even more definition. Next was the dark-blue eyeshadow, which only added to the already-dark colors on Sara's face. Janet topped off the look with blood-red lipstick and lip gloss, giving Sara's lip a luscious, yet semi-violent look. She stepped back and admired her handiwork. "A true dark Angel indeed," she said quietly. Sara grinned as she admired her reflection in the mirror. "This is perfect, Janet. You're a miracle worker," she commented. "Just don't let Mark smudge that lipstick. If he does, I'll kill him!" Janet said with a smile. Sara smiled back and said, "No problem, hon. Thanks so much." She slowly climbed out of the make-up chair and made her way to the entranceway. The show had started a half an hour ago, but the crowd was pumped up. Sara took a few deep breaths as she looked out at the arena, now filled with nearly 20,000 people.

"Not getting' nervous, are we?" Sara jumped and spun around. "You scared the shit outta me, Mark!" she said quietly. Mark grinned at her as his eyes looked over her make-up. "You look beautiful, Sara. The fans are gonna love you," he said softly, touching her cheek. "Ah, don't you dare mess up this make-up!" she said pulling away from him, "Janet said she'll kill you if you do." "Did she?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Yep!" she answered smiling. "Like I said…absolutely beautiful," he whispered. Sara turned pink underneath her pale foundation, looking down at the floor. "Stop it," she said softly. Mark grinned even more and put an arm around her shoulder, turning her towards the crowd. "It's gonna be a memorable night out there, dollface," he said quietly. "Yep, sure is," she responded. They watched Chris Jericho and John Cena wrestle the rest of their match before heading back to the locker room. "When do you go on?" Sara asked once they were inside. "In about an hour," he answered getting dressed in his wrestling costume for the night. "I'm gonna go get dressed, and then sit off until then. You'll come get me when it's time?" she said grabbing her dress from a nearby cubby hole. "Sure thing, dollface. Where ya gonna be?" he answered. "You won't be able to miss me," she answered leaving the room.

Sara stepped into the women's locker room, making sure it was empty before locking the door behind her. She removed the protective cover from over her dress and laid the dress on a nearby chair. "This is it," she whispered for what seemed like the billionth time that day. She stripped out of her clothes, except her panties, and slowly pulled the dress off of its hanger. Breathing deeply, she stepped into it, and slipped the straps over her shoulders. "Wow," she whispered staring at her reflection in the mirror. She looked like a completely different person…she _felt_ like a completely different person. She looked down at the shoes she was supposed to wear for the night, then picked them up. "I'm not putting these things on until I have to," she said with a grin. The cloak that was to be worn with her dress was lying on the only table in the room, along with the silver rod. She picked up the rod, running her fingers up and down the length of it. The bright silver stood out against the dark colors of her own appearance, seeming pure and pristine. She smiled devilishly and grabbed the cloak before exiting the room. She went out to the back parking lot of the arena, breathing in the crisp, hot air of Austin, Texas. As she paced back and forth for nearly a half an hour, she never saw the man come up from the shadows.

"I was hoping I'd see you before you went out there." The voice brought Sara to a standstill, fear and hatred overcoming her. She turned around and looked into the crystal blue eyes of Shawn Michaels. Her voice caught in her throat, and she took a step back. "Sara, please…don't," he said quietly. When she continued to slowly step back, Shawn reached out for her. "Please," he begged softly, tears coming to his eyes. Sara let out the breath she'd been holding, and stopped stepping backwards. "What the fuck are you doin' here?" she whispered. "Tracy bought a couple tickets for us when they went on sale," he answered quietly. "Tracy?" she said softly. "My wife. She-she said she met you Friday night," he answered. Sara looked away as the picture of the woman flashed before her eyes. "When'd you get married?" she asked. "Last January. Nobody knew except Eric," he answered. "Who the hell would marry _you_?" she asked spitefully. "That's what I asked Tracy after the first three months we were married. She said she saw who I was underneath my hatefulness…and would see to it that I brought that person out for the world to see," he answered slowly. Sara looked him up and down, hatred in her eyes. "Sara…I need to apologize," he said quietly. "Why? To clear your fucking conscious?" she snapped, "You took away from me what I loved as much as Mark, Shawn. You took away my ability to perform. You-you took a year of my life, you bastard!" Shawn stared at the black concrete and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Sara, I'm so sorry," he whispered. Sara stepped up to him, a sneer on her face. She saw the tears on his cheeks, and her anger dissipated a tad. "Why, Shawn? What drove you…to--. I died, Shawn…three times. Did you know that?" she said softly, "Because of _you_." Sara crossed her arms and swallowed. "And don't you dare ask me to forgive you for that, Shawn," she whispered. "I'm not. I could never do that," he said quietly. "So tell me something…why?" she said. "I think back…and I can't think of a reason. I was blinded by rage, by anger and jealousy. All I wanted was to be in charge, without any competition. And that's…that's what I saw you as. Competition that I had to eliminate," he said quietly, still staring at the ground. "And what's changed? Why should I even believe you now?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'm a born-again Christian…I haven't watched wrestling since I got fired. I've dedicated my life to helping others," he said finally looking up at her. "How?" she asked. "I'm active in my church down in San Antonio; I'm a devout Catholic now. I'm also working with the Boy Scouts, and Habitat for Humanity," he said quietly, "Sara…I know I've broken your trust three times, but I'm begging you…please accept my apology." "Go back to your seat, Shawn. If Mark knew you were here, he'd tear off your head and piss down your worthless throat, along with the other guys in the back. You have some nerve to even speak to me right now. Now get the hell outta here, and don't ever talk to me again!" she snapped turning her back and heading inside. Shawn sighed and turned the opposite way, heading back inside through the front doors.

Sara's mind was spinning as she headed to the back door. A confrontation with the man who'd put her life on hold for a year was the last thing she needed. She stood a few feet away from the entranceway, anger beginning to expand throughout her body from deep inside her heart. She sat down on one of the black trunks holding extra wires and lowered her head. _That son of a bitch…he took this away from you, and you had to fight to get it back_, she thought, _You show him that you are strong, you are a fighter…_ Her thoughts of revenge continued for the next 20 minutes, until Mark walked up to her and touched her knee. Instinctively, she grabbed his wrist and squeezed. "Whoa!" Mark said pulling away. Sara opened her eyes and stared ahead blankly. "You okay?" he asked. "Yeah," she answered quietly, "Is it time?" "Yeah," Mark answered looking at her strangely, "You sure you're okay?" "I'm fine, Mark," she snapped. "Okay, okay," he said softly. He cupped her chin gently, forcing her to look him in the eye. He saw pure hatred, a darkness that could only have come because of one person. "Where'd you see him?" he asked quietly. Sara's right eye twitched slightly, and she looked away. Mark released her chin and took a deep breath. "Taker, you're up in three minutes," a stagehand said as he walked by. Mark nodded and looked back at Sara. "You goin' out there barefoot?" he asked with a grin. Sara looked down at her feet and grinned. "Maybe," she answered. Mark took her shoes and kneeled down in front of her. He gently placed her right shoe on first, tying the strings all the way up her calf. He did the same for her left shoe. When he finished, he helped her off the box and placed the cloak over her shoulders, tying it underneath her chin and placing the cloak over her head. "You look great, dollface," he said softly. Sara looked at the rod in her hand, caressing it gently with her left hand. "Let's go," he said quietly, leading her to the entranceway. Sara followed behind Mark somewhat timidly; she was in-character, and wasn't going to come out of that mode until she returned through the curtains. When Paul Wight walked through the curtain, he looked down at Sara. "Good luck out there, hon," he said. Sara looked up at him and said, "I don't need any luck. 'Taker's the one wrestling." Paul looked at Mark, but Mark shook his head as if to say, "Don't ask." "30 seconds, Mark," Vince said from behind the preview table.

The arena went dark, smoke filled the stage, and the gong sounded, signaling Mark's entrance. He slipped on his leather coat and took a deep breath as Sara stepped out onto the stage. Sara breathed deeply as the loud roar of the crowd engulfed her. She raised the rod above her head slowly, then brought it down abruptly. Columns of fire exploded on each side of her, and the stage shook slightly beneath her feet. She stepped to her right, and Mark slowly walked past her. When he'd taken a few steps, she started walking behind him. A blue spotlight focused on Mark, lighting him up as they walked down the metal ramp. Mark got to the steps, looking down at Sara. She bowed slightly and walked up the steps, going to the middle of that side of the ring. Mark came up the stairs slowly, stopping at the top. He lifted his arms slowly, and the arena lights faded on. Sara sat down on the second rope, and held the top rope up. Mark climbed into the ring and Sara followed. She walked behind him, watching him with dark eyes as he removed the leather coat. He faced Sara and handed her the coat. Sara draped it over her right arm and exited the ring. She took her seat beside Jerry Lawler, the coat resting on her lap, and placed the headphones on her ears. Everything had went perfect, and a devilish grin came to her face.

Kevin came out to his own cheers, and Sara sneered. She heard J.R. and Jerry Lawler's voices in her headphones, but her focus was solely on Mark's form in the ring. Every time he hit an offensive move, Sara smiled. Every time Kevin hit an offensive move, Sara scowled. The match passed by faster than Sara assumed it would; when it came time for her to climb in the ring, her heart seemed to jump in her throat. She slowly stood as Kevin rolled into the farthest left corner. Sara rolled into the ring, careful to keep the hood covering her head as much as possible. She crawled over to Mark slowly, and leaned over his face. "Wake up, 'Taker," she whispered, "This is it." She kissed his lips gently, and the crowd cheered even louder than they already were. "Thanks, dollface," Mark whispered against her lips. Sara nodded and rolled back out of the ring, taking her seat back beside Lawler. Mark's eyes shot open, and he sat up, glaring at Kevin's crumpled body. He slowly stood and went over to the corner. The cheers of the fans surrounded Mark as he pulled Kevin up to his feet, using a handful of hair. He executed the Tombstone Piledriver, and got the three-count. Sara grinned as she stood from her seat, grabbed the rod and jacket, and climbed into the ring. She grabbed his right hand, raising it as high as she could. The flash of thousands of cameras shocked Sara, and she didn't even notice that Mark was leading her to the edge of the ring. She held the ropes open for him, though, and once he'd left the ring, she climbed out behind him.

When they got to the back, Sara let out a breath she'd seemed to be holding her entire time out there. "You were great," she said to Mark. Mark looked down at her and cupped her chin gently. When he kissed her, Sara turned pink and pulled away slightly. "What was that for?" she asked quietly. Mark grinned and hunched his shoulders. "Good job out there, Mark. Sara…we're gonna have to save that kiss for pay-per-views," Vince said from the table. Sara blushed and looked at the floor. "Okay," she said meekly. "I'm gonna go get cleaned up, okay, dollface?" Mark said in her ear. Sara nodded and said, "I'm gonna go sit outside for a minute…clear my head." "Alright, baby. I wanna talk to ya after I finish, okay?" he said quietly. Sara looked up into his eyes, but hunched her shoulders. "Okay, sure. I'll be back to the locker room in about 15 minutes," she answered. "Alright, dollface," he said kissing her forehead. Sara watched Mark walk down the hall before looking back at Vince. He was staring at the small television screen intently. She decided not to tell him about her encounter with Shawn. She headed out to the parking lot, smiling when she found Andy talking to Trish.

"Trish, mind if I borrow Andy real quick?" she asked. "Yeah, sure," Trish said with a smile. Andy followed Sara to a nearby parked car. "You looked really good out there, baby doll," he said quietly. "Thanks, Andy. I was scared as all hell," she said. "Understandable. So I hear you wanna get back into wrestling?" he said with a grin. Sara smiled and nodded. "Vince is gonna give me a few months to get back into the swing o' things, bein' on TV and everything. Then he's gonna call management at OVW to see if I can go practice on the days I'm not traveling," she answered, "I'm really excited about that." "What'd Mark say?" he asked. "He was really supportive, actually. I thought he'd want me to stay by his side as manager, but he knows how much I love wrestling," she answered, "I don't know if I could do it without his support, ya know." "Yeah, definitely. Do you think you'd wanna fight the men, or the women?" he said leaning against the car. "Depends on the situation, and what Vince thinks I should do. The women's division is a lot stronger than it used to be, though. Trish is coming into her own, as well as Lisa. I wouldn't mind wrestling Amy again," she said grinning. Andy smiled and nodded. "You two had some great matches," he said. "Yeah, we did," she said. "So what'd you really wanna talk about?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath as she looked up at the night sky.

"I had a little run-in with Shawn," she said quietly, "About 20 minutes before I went out with Mark." "He's here?! Where?!" Andy asked, his voice filled with shock and heat. "He and his wife are here. She bought a couple tickets," she answered. "He's _married_?!" he exclaimed. "Yeah…shocked me, too. He's been married since last January. Apparently, no one knew but Eric," she said quietly. "Who the hell would marry him?" he asked. "That's what I asked," she said grinning. "What'd he say to you? He didn't put his hands on you, did he?" he asked. "No, not at all. He just apologized for what happened," she said sighing, "I can't forgive him, Andy. He took away a year of my life." "I know, baby doll. God, the nerve of him to even show his face," he said quietly, "Let alone talk to you." Sara nodded and crossed her arms, thinking about the look in Shawn's eyes when she'd seen him earlier. "He looked a lot different. His hair's shorter, and he isn't as muscular. He looked like he still worked out, but not like when he was wrestling," she said quietly, "He started crying…when he was apologizing…I was angry, and then I saw him crying. He was really sorry for what he did…I felt it." "Doesn't matter if he's sorry, Sara…he shouldn't have done it in the first place," Andy snapped. "I know, Andy…I know," she said slowly. "You gonna be okay?" he asked. "Yeah. I think Mark knows I saw him. He wants to talk to me when I go back in," she answered. "Tell him about it. See how he reacts," Andy suggested. "I know how he'll react: he'll go storming through the crowd trying to find him," she said with a grin. "Maybe…maybe not," he said quietly, "He's pissed about what happened, of course. But ever since you finished therapy, his focus hasn't been on getting revenge, it's been on helping you get back to the old you." "The old me?" she asked. "Yeah, the spunky lady he fell in love with," Andy answered looking down at her. Sara smiled and hunched her shoulders. "I'm on my way there," she said. "Good. I gotta get outta here. Trish and I are flying into the next town tonight, so I'll see you later, okay?" he said pushing himself off the car. "Alright, Andy. Thanks for talking to me," she said hugging him tightly. "No problem, baby doll. I'm here whenever," he said returning the hug, then walking away.

Sara stood where she was for a few more minutes before heading inside. She quickly went to the men's locker room, knocking lightly. The door opened and she stepped inside. Mark was sitting on a small couch in front of the television, watching the main even match. She sat down beside him and crossed her legs. "Where'd you go?" he asked quietly, placing his arm around her. "Outside…I told you," she said softly, leaning against his warm body. "You're shaking…what's wrong?" he asked after a few minutes. "Nothin'," she answered quietly. Mark looked down at her with doubt. "Like I asked earlier, where'd you see him?" he said quietly. "When I was outside, preparing to go out with you. He walked up behind me…," she said softly. She felt Mark tense up, and stopped talking. "Let's just watch the rest o' the show, okay?" she asked. Mark stood and grabbed her hand, practically pulling her out of the locker room. "Where are we going?" she asked as she struggled to keep up with his long strides. Being in heels, though, was not helping her efforts. "Stop, Mark!" she said finally, pulling her hand away from his grip. He looked down at her, his eyes dark with anger. "What'd I do?" she asked softly. "It's what _he_ did, Sara. The nerve of him to even talk to you after what he did. I wanna know exactly what he said to you," he said crossing his arms. "I can't do this tonight, Mark. It was hard enough seeing him, let alone rehashing what happened. I just wanna enjoy this night," she said looking at the floor. Mark sighed heavily, pulling her close to him and hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry, dollface," he whispered, "You know how my temper is." Sara merely nodded against his chest. "Come on, dollface," he said softly, leading her back into the locker room. They sat down to watch the rest of the show.

When the main event finally ended, nearly a half an hour later, Sara left to take a shower. She dressed in the jeans and t-shirt she'd worn to the building earlier, hanging her dress up and placing the protective cover back over it. She put it in the case for women's clothing, grabbed her small duffel bag, and headed back to the locker room. Mark was sitting talking to Kevin and Paul. "That son of a bitch is here?" Kevin asked as soon as she stepped through the door. Sara looked at Mark, disappointment in her eyes. "They needed to know, dollface," he said. "Why?! Is it too much to ask to move past it, Mark? To let it go?! To be able to live like I did before that shit happened?!" she snapped. Mark looked at her in shock. "He took a year of my life, yes! He took my memory away for six months, yes! So fucking what?! It happened, and there's nothing nobody can do about it! Beating the hell outta him isn't gonna change anything, so why think about it?!" she continued, "He's livin' his own life, and I could give a shit less about him! Why can't you let me do the same, for once?!" She didn't realize she'd started crying until Mark came up to her and wiped his thumb across her cheek. "Don't touch me, Mark," she whispered stepping back, "I told you yesterday to respect my boundaries…and yet again…you just crossed them." She left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Mark looked back at Kevin, who hunched his shoulders. "I don't know what to do anymore, Kev. I try to protect her, and she tells me I'm crossing boundaries…I try to get other people to help her…she says I'm crossing boundaries. I'm lost," Mark said quietly as he came back over to the couch and plopped down, "She's too independent for her own good…" "I don't think there's a thing as 'too independent' when it comes to Sara…that's just the way she is," Kevin responded. "So what do I do? Everything I do to help her is crossing boundaries…and the last thing I want is to make her feel held down," Mark said quietly. "I have no idea what to tell you, man. I'm just as confused as you are. She closes herself off a lot nowadays," Kevin said. Mark simply nodded in agreement. "You wanna go grab somethin' to eat? I'm starvin'!" Kevin said, a grin on his face. "Nah…I gotta find her. God only knows where she's gone," Mark answered standing. He grabbed his duffel bag and slung it over his left shoulder. "I'll see you guys tomorrow in San Antonio," he said before leaving the room.

To his surprise, Mark found Sara in the back parking lot on her cell phone. He also heard her crying, and saw her body jerking slightly. "Mom…I don't know what to do anymore. I got attacked, and I just wanna move past it. But nobody is letting me do that," he heard her say, "Everywhere I turn, it's 'how are you holding up?' or 'what can we do to help you?' or 'if I saw him, I'd kick his ass for you' or some other shit like that. I don't wanna kick his ass, I don't want anybody else to kick his ass…I just wanna get on with my life, get back to wrestling, get back…get back to the way things were." There was silence for a few moments, and then he heard Sara's voice again. "I know things will never be the same, mom. I just don't want people looking at me with pity in their eyes, which is what I see from every person, wrestler or fan, every time I step into an arena, or in an airport, or in a hotel. I don't need or want anybody's pity. Pity doesn't solve anything. I didn't get through therapy because of people's pity. I got through because of my own stubbornness. Pity is-is like my enemy. I'm not a victim …I know, mom…," she said quietly, sniffling, "I know he loves me…I know…" After a few more minutes, Sara sighed heavily. "Alright, mom, I gotta go…thanks for the talk, I know I can always count on you to be there when things get rough…love you, too…bye," she said quietly. When she clicked her phone shut, Mark walked over to her. Sara heard steps behind her and spun around. "It's just me, dollface," he whispered. Sara sniffed again, stuffing her phone into her pants pocket.

"I'm sorry I blew up in there…," she said softly. "Don't…don't apologize…I heard you talking to your mom," he said quietly. Sara looked down at the concrete, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Why in the world would you think anybody in the back pities you, dollface?" he asked. "Because they do. 'It's a shame what happened to her.' 'I feel so bad for her.' 'She didn't deserve that.' I've heard all those little comments. When nobody thought I was listening, I was. That pisses me off, Mark, because I don't need pity. I need…," she said softly, her voice fading. Mark tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him. "What do you need, dollface? Tell me what it is, and I'll see that it's done," he said quietly. "I need for everybody to stop treating me like a fucking victim," she snapped pulling away, "I'm taking a walk." Mark watched her as she walked away, feeling the strong urge to go after her. He stopped himself, though, and instead climbed into an empty taxi. As it pulled off, he watched Sara's form walk through the crowded street (the building was still in the process of emptying), until she disappeared in the mass of people. _Help her, God, to get through this…help us both_, he thought as the cab pulled into the traffic.

Sara walked through the busy streets of Austin, her head down. She didn't want to be spotted in the midst of the crowd, and thankfully she wasn't. She managed to find an all-night diner a block away from the arena and stepped inside. She grabbed an empty booth in the back, and rubbed her tired eyes with the back of her hands. It had been a long month for her, with everything she'd had to do to catch up with wrestling, and then dealing with Shawn that night. She pulled out her cell phone and slowly dialed Roddy's home phone. The phone rang three times before it was answered. "Hello?" Roddy answered on the other end. "Hi, Roddy," Sara said quietly. "Hey, baby! You were great out there, the entrance was amazing…and that kiss. 'Taker doesn't seem like the character that would rely on a woman to draw his strength from, but you played it off great!" he said. Sara heard the smile in his voice and sighed. "What is it, baby?" Roddy asked. "I saw him tonight, Roddy. I saw Shawn," she said softly. "What was he doin' there?" he asked tensely. Roddy had been retired for nearly a week when Sara was attacked, and had come to visit her as often as he could while she was in the hospital. Once she'd left the hospital, though, Roddy had barely been able to keep in contact with her. Sara ordered a cup of coffee, then sat back in the seat and rehashed what Shawn had said to her, and how Mark had told Kevin and Paul, and what she'd said to Mark. "Darlin', nobody pities you, and you know that! How you could even come to think that, I don't know. There's a difference between support and pity, baby, believe me," he said quietly. "I know, Roddy…I just want to be left alone, to get through this alone," she argued, "Mark was always watching over me…never allowed me out of his sight for more than five minutes. And now…all the guys…I just feel like a child, and I hate that! It's like, they don't think I can survive this on my own, and I can!" "I don't doubt that you can, baby. But those guys, especially Mark, care about you too much to let you go through this on your own. As strong as you are, baby…there's times where you need to let other people help you," he said slowly, "If you and I were still together, I'd be just as overprotective of you as Mark is now." Sara took a sip of her coffee and sighed. "I'm just…so lost, Roddy," she said quietly, "I don't know what to do. I hate this feeling…I'm not helpless, but that's how I feel." "You're right, you're not helpless. But like I said, this is a time where you need to rely on the help that's being offered. Because those guys love you like a sister. You earned your way into their hearts, and there's no way they're gonna let you go through this alone. No matter how much you might want them to," he responded. Sara rubbed her eyes with her free hand, yawning quietly. "You should get to bed," Roddy suggested. Sara heard the smile in his voice, and said, "I should get back to the hotel." "You're not there? Where are you?" he asked. "In a diner a block from the arena. I got so pissed at Mark that I just walked off," she said quietly. "And he didn't follow?" he asked with surprise. "No, he didn't. I think he realized that I needed space for a little while. If I start to feel too cramped in by him, I just walk away," she answered, "I know it scares the hell outta him, because he doesn't know where I am. But it makes him think." "About?" he questioned. "About why he's acting the way he is, and whether he needs to back off or not," she said slowly, "I told him he's crossed my boundaries for the second time in two days…but I've been thinking…maybe my boundaries are too wide…maybe I oughta let him stay close to me, 'cause that's the only way I'll get through this." "Go on back to the hotel, baby. I'd be worried outta my mind if I was him. Call me later this week or somethin', ok?" he said quietly. "Yep. Love you, Roddy," she said quietly. "Love you, too, babe. Bye," he said. Sara said the same before hanging up her phone and clicking it shut. She finished off her coffee, order a glass of water and drank that, before leaving the money for her bill and a small tip, and finally exiting the diner.

When the hotel room door opened, Mark sat up from the bed. Sara slowly closed the door behind her and dropped her bag on the floor. "Are you okay?" he asked. She shook her head and came over to the bed, climbing in and sitting on his lap. His arms closed around her, bringing her closer to him. "I'm so sorry, Mark," she whispered. "For what, dollface? You don't have anything to be sorry for. I _have_ been overprotective, and I'm sorry," he said quietly, rubbing her arms. "I shouldn't push you away when you try to help me. I know you're only doing it because you love me," she said as tears came to her eyes, "I didn't know what to do when I saw Shawn; I stood there and listened to him." "Don't worry about it, dollface. You're gonna be just fine. He's not gonna hurt you again," he whispered in her ear. "I know…he looked so broken, though…like he'd been through almost as much as I have the past year," she said quietly. "How's that?" Mark asked quietly, controlling the anger inside him. "He was just so sad. I've never seen a man cry…other than you. The other times, he fooled me. But I knew deep down, he was telling the truth this time. I wasn't forgiving at all, but I knew that he was sorry for what he did," she whispered slowly. Mark sighed heavily and rubbed his nose in her hair. "I'm just glad you're back here…in my arms," he said quietly. Sara moved closer to him and said, "I don't want this to tear us apart, Mark. I love you more than ever. I realized tonight…that as much as rely on myself to get through the hard times, I rely on you, too. And I've got to stop pushing you away." She yawned quietly, trying to stifle to noise with her hand. "Let's get some sleep, dollface. We're driving down to San Antonio tomorrow," he said laying her down on the bed beside him. He pulled off her shoes, then pulled the covers up to her waist. When he laid down beside her, he saw that she was already nearly asleep. "Love you, dollface," he whispered kissing her forehead. "Love you, too, Mark," she whispered, barely audible. Mark grinned and pulled her close, before falling asleep himself.

Mark awoke alone the next morning. He glanced over at the clock and rubbed his eyes. It was only nine o' clock. He sat up slowly and sighed heavily. "I'm not gonna freak out. Wherever she is, I'm sure she's fine," he said to himself. The balcony door slid open and Sara walked in. Mark looked up at her and asked, "You okay, dollface?" She nodded and sat down beside him on the bed. "I couldn't sleep," she whispered looking down at her lap. "Nightmares?" he asked rubbing his back. "Yeah," she answered, "It was like flashbacks from-from the attack." Mark sighed again and kissed the side of her head. "You're safe, dollface…you know that," he whispered in her ear. Sara nodded and laid back on the bed, pulling him down beside her. "Hold me, Mark," she whispered curling up against him. Mark felt her trembling and squeezed his arms around her, rubbing her back gently. "I'm not gonna let anybody hurt you, baby," he whispered, "How many times do I have to tell you that? I'll do anything to protect you." Sara nodded, but she couldn't stop shaking. Mark sighed heavily and suddenly released her, sitting up and turning his back to her.

"What's wrong?" she whispered sitting up. "I'm frustrated, Sara," he whispered. "Because of me?" she asked. "I just…don't know what to do. I try to protect you, and you-you push me away. I-I back off, and you start clinging to me like you're afraid of your own shadow," he said quietly, "I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't." Sara touched his shoulder softly, her chest tightening when she felt his skin tense up under her hand. "I'm sorry, Mark, I'm so sorry," she said softly. Mark took a deep breath, letting his head drop. "I'm goin' to take a shower," he whispered standing. Sara swallowed, watching him walk into the bathroom and shut the door. Her bottom lip quivered as tears came to her eyes. She leaned against the headboard, holding a pillow underneath her chin. "I don't know what to do," she whispered to the empty room, "There are days when I feel strong and independent and…my old self, and there are days where I feel so vulnerable. And Mark's the only man in my life who'd accept that back-and-forth change. But I should've realized he'd only take my shit for so long." She slowly went over to her suitcase, pulled out her cell phone, then went back out onto the balcony. She sat in the plastic chair, dialing her mother's house.

"Good morning, Sara," Lucy answered moments later. "How'd you know it was me?" Sara asked. "Only you would call my house as soon as I woke up," Lucy answered with a smile. "Sorry, mom," Sara said softly. "What's wrong, Sara? You sound like you're gettin' ready to cry," Lucy said. "I'm lost, mama. I'm so lost," Sara whispered, tears escaping her eyes. "What is it, baby? Talk to me," Lucy said. "Mark's been so overprotective the past month or so, since I came back to wrestling, and I finally got sick of it. I called him on it Saturday afternoon, and he backed off. But…I, uh, I…I saw Shawn, mom," Sara said slowly. "What?! Where?! Why?!" Lucy exclaimed. "20 minutes before I went out with Mark last night at the show. Mark figured it out, and went into overprotective mode again, which just pissed me off. I wanted to deal on my own. After the show, I went to a diner – I just walked away from Mark because I was so pissed at him – and I called Roddy," Sara continued, "He told me to try and talk things out with Mark when I got back to the hotel, and I thought Mark and I _had_ talked last night…but…" "But what, honey?" Lucy asked. "I had a bunch of nightmares…flashbacks of the attack…and I kind of forced Mark to comfort me, to lay with me and hold me, so I could feel safe. And he just got fed up," Sara said slowly, "And I can see why…some days I feel like myself, ya know, unafraid, independent, everything. Those days, I don't wanna be attached to Mark's hip, with him watching me like a hawk. And then…there are days…where I'm scared of everything and everyone around me, like I'm gonna be attacked again. And I feel like Mark is the only one who can protect me, so I-I cling to him." Sara cried softly as she could. "I just don't know what to do. I don't wanna lose him, mom. He's my best friend, my fiancé, my-my other half. I love him so much, and I don't mean to hurt him. What do I do, mama?" she said trying to wipe the tears away, and being unsuccessful. There was a long silence on the phone, and Sara finally asked, "Mom?" "I'm thinkin', baby," Lucy answered. "I know that in his eyes, I'm being completely selfish. I push him away when I don't need him, and cling to him when I do. I'm using him…and I didn't realize it until this morning," Sara said quietly. "You gotta tell him that, baby. You have to communicate with him. You both love each other very much. He only wants you to be happy and safe, and you want him to be just as happy. Your feelings are too connected to not affect each other's. You get what I'm sayin', Sara? Mark doesn't know how to help you because you don't tell him what's wrong until things are either too close to blowing up in your face, or already have. And if you want a long, healthy, fulfilling relationship, you can't keep doin' that to him," Lucy finally said. "I know, mom," Sara said softly. "Look, go talk to him. Don't let his anger and frustration boil up, 'cause it won't do either of you any good," Lucy said quietly. "I love you, mom. I mean that from the bottom of my heart," Sara said softly. "I know, Sara, and I love you, too. I'll talk to you soon, okay?" Lucy answered. Sara smiled and agreed before ending the call and clicking her phone shut. She slowly stood and took a deep breath, wiping her cheeks dry and running her fingers through her hair to loosen it. She took a deep breath before turning to re-enter the room, yelping when she bumped into Mark.

"You disappeared on me," he said quietly, pushing her hair behind both ears. "I, uh…I needed to talk to my mom," she said softly, her eyes dropping to the balcony floor. "About?" he asked. "Us," she whispered quickly, "I just, uh, needed some-some motherly advice, ya know." Sara's pulse was racing, her hands were shaking, and her cheeks were flushed. "Why do you always get like this when you're about to confront me?" he asked quietly. "What-what do you mean?" she asked nervously. "You're scared out of your mind, dollface. It's written all over your body," he said frankly. "I just…I don't like confrontations anymore," she said quietly, walking past him back into the room. Mark followed, shutting the door behind him. He leaned against the door and crossed his arms. "You haven't shown it the past couple nights," he replied. "That's because it was sudden. I get like this when I'm scared…when I know I've done something wrong," she said quietly. "Why the hell would you be scared?" he asked, getting irritated. "Have you ever looked at yourself when you're mad? Your eyes get dark, you get all stiff…the fact that you're almost seven feet, and over 300 pounds, doesn't help. You're a very scary person when you're mad, Mark," Sara answered slowly. Mark sighed and looked down at the floor. He slowly seated himself on the carpet, his long legs stretched out in front of him. He took a few deep, relaxing breaths, then looked up at Sara.

"There…I'm shorter than you. There's nothin' I can do about the weight, though," he said grinning slightly. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Silly man," she said softly. "Come here, dollface," he whispered. Sara walked over to him, smiling slightly when he took her hands in his. "Come on," he said softly, "Sit with me. Let's talk." Sara slowly seated herself between his thighs, her legs on either side of his waist. "Now this is an interesting position," Mark said grinning. Sara laughed and hugged his neck tightly. "I love you…so much," she whispered. "I know, baby…and I love you, too," he whispered hugging her back. They sat there for a few minutes before Sara released his neck, instead placing her hands on his broad shoulders.

"Look, Mark…I-I need to apologize. I've been an emotional roller coaster since I stepped out of the hospital, and it's time I stopped. I've been using you, and you have every right to be angry with me. You-you're my best friend, and my fiancé, and I can't treat you like I have been…it's not right," she said slowly, her eyes locked on his, "My problems are just that: mine. I can't keep letting you in randomly, when I feel comfortable doing so. It's gotta be all or nothin', ya know." Mark put his index finger on her lips, quieting her. "Sara…we're gonna be married…_married_. Your problems are gonna be my problems; your sadness is gonna be my sadness; and, your happiness…is gonna be my happiness. I love you, dollface, and all I want is for you to be you, to be the happy, unique, fearless woman that I met. I'm here for you, to help you get through any and everything that comes your way, just like I know you'll be there for me. So why not start now?" he said quietly. Sara smiled and kissed him gently, running her fingers through his thick mane. Mark groaned softly and pulled her closer, running his hands up her sides. He eased his hands up her shirt, gently pulling it over her head. "You just took a shower," she whispered, "You're gonna get all sweaty." "I didn't take a shower. I just stood there thinkin'," he replied. "About?" she asked. "How much I love you," he answered. Sara grinned and kissed his nose. "Let's go take a shower then," she said caressing his cheek. She slowly stood and helped Mark to his feet. Mark grinned down at her and caressed her cheek in return. "How'd I get so lucky?" he said softly. "Good question," Sara said before dashing into the bathroom. Mark chuckled and followed her, shutting the door behind him.

Mark pulled the rental car into the parking lot of the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio a little after noon. He and Sara had talked during their shower (among other things), and had gotten all of their feelings in the open. Mark had suggested moving to Texas on the drive to San Antonio. They had agreed to visit Houston on their next few breaks, to do a house search. "Dollface?" Mark said quietly as he parked the car. Sara was fast asleep in the passenger seat, having dozed off over an hour ago. He unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over to her, kissing her cheek. Sara stirred and looked over at him. "We're here," he said grinning. Sara grinned back and climbed out of the car. Mark climbed out as well and pulled his duffel bag from the trunk, handing Sara her small carry bag. They walked inside hand-in-hand.

Mark headed to the locker room area, while Sara went to the gym. She changed into her workout clothes, and put her hair up into a tight bun. After stretching for nearly 20 minutes, she stepped onto the treadmill and set the timer for 45 minutes. Mark came in when she had 10 minutes left. "Vince wants to see you when you're done," he said beginning to stretch. "Did he say why?" she asked. "Just told me to tell you to come see him," he answered. "Who do you have to wrestle tonight?" she asked. "Kevin…rematch from last night," he said, "Website got a lot of positive feedback on my entrance last night." "Well, that's great. It was a really cool entrance," Sara said with a smile. "The fans loved the kiss even more," he said chuckling. Sara turned pink and looked down. "Shane said the funniest line he read was, 'Seems the Deadman isn't so dead after all'," he added. Sara chuckled softly and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I guess we'll have to use it permanently now," she said. "Well, I was thinkin' of saving for the big matches, like pay-per-views. If we use it too often, it just gets old," Mark countered. "But I like kissing you every chance I get," Sara said winking at him. "Yeah, I bet you do," Mark responded. Sara chuckled and asked, "How long is your match?" "15 minutes," he answered, "It's the second to last match of the night." "Am I gonna be out there?" she continued. "Don't know for sure yet. I have a promo as the second hour starts, and I know you're gonna be in that," he answered. "I don't have to talk, do I?" she asked. "Probably not. Just stand there and be your usual quiet, submissive self," he answered grinning. "Me? Submissive?! Ha!!" she exclaimed. "You know I was just kidding," Mark smiled. "Yeah, you better be," she warned. Mark winked and finished stretching, while Sara completed her run.

"You wanna box a little?" he asked as she stretched her legs. "Of course," she answered as she slowed her breathing. Mark tossed her his tape and stretched his arms, watching her tape her hands up. She tossed it back to him when she finished, cracked her knuckles, and put her hands up in a defensive position. "Ready?" he asked. "Actually, no. How 'bout we do this is the ring?" she responded dropping her hands. "Why?" he asked. "I don't know…I just wanna be in the ring," she answered. "You sure?" he asked with raised eyebrows. Sara hesitated before nodding her head. "Alright. Why don't you go see Vince first, and I'll meet you there?" he said. "Okay," Sara answered before dashing out. Mark grinned and shadow-boxed for a few minutes before heading to the ring.

Sara found Vince outside a door talking to the head of the company's security, Jim Dotson. "I was about to come searching for you," he said when she reached him. "Sorry. I was workin' out," Sara responded. "It's fine. Listen, Mark came to me and told me you saw Shawn last night. How he even got in that parking lot is beyond me. Jim is going to beef up security at every arena from here on out," Vince said seriously. Sara let out a deep breath, then grinned slightly. "Thanks for the concern, Vince…and you, too, Jim…but it wasn't that big a deal. You don't have to go out of your way for me," she said quietly. "Sara, we're all one big family here, and we look out for each other," Vince countered. Sara smiled a little more, saying, "Thanks, Vince. I appreciate this." "Not a problem, Sara. I need to ask you, though, what'd he say to you?" Vince said. "He just apologized for everything that happened. I know it's pretty unbelievable, but…I believed him. I could tell he was sincere," she said quietly, "He told me he hadn't watched wrestling since he got fired, and the only reason he was at the show was because his wife bought tickets." "He's married?" Vince asked. "Yeah, for over a year now…only Eric knew," she responded, "He's a born-again Christian, too. He's changed, Vince…he really has."

"I'm gonna have security look out anyway. There's no way he'll be able to get into a restricted area again," Jim said. "Thanks, Jim. But I don't think Shawn will be showin' up to any shows in the near future. Look, I gotta get to the ring," she said quietly. "Alright, Sara. I'll see you around," Vince said before walking away with Jim. Sara sighed and headed towards the ring. Mark as leaning against the ropes talking with Kevin. "Afternoon, Kevin," Sara spoke as she rolled into the ring. "Hey, girl. How ya feelin'?" he responded. Sara looked over at Mark, a grin on her face. "What?" he asked sounded innocent. She shook her head, looking back at Kevin. "I'm fine, Kev. Mark's takin' good care of me," she answered, "But I'm about to kick his ass." "What'd I do now?" Mark asked. "I'll figure somethin' out," she smiled. "I'm stayin' outta this," Kevin interjected climbing out of the ring.

Sara and Mark circled each other, Mark pulling on the ropes to stretch his arms. "You gonna bump, or just box?" he asked. "Depends on the situation…just remember, I haven't taken a bump in over a year," she answered. "Okay," he answered. Sara attacked first, lunging for Mark's knees. He quickly sidestepped her, and she almost hit the turnbuckle closest to her. She stood and slowly faced Mark; he had a cocky grin on his face. She lunged again, but he sidestepped her once more. This happened a few more times before Mark asked, "You gonna slow down, or do you prefer missing your target?" "Fine…what do you suggest?" she asked, hands on her waist. "Start with sparring…I'll give you a few bumps. If you feel like you're comfortable, we'll do more," he answered. "Fine. Whatever you say," she responded. She rotated her neck and put her hands up. Mark did the same, and their sparring began again. Mark blocked Sara's punches for the most part; when they locked up in a collar-and-elbow tie-up, Mark put his left leg behind her left leg, and tried to push her down. Sara gasped, and instinctively grabbed his arms to keep from falling.

"What the hell are you doin'?" Mark asked. Sara's eyes locked on his, and he saw the fear. "You did this for six years, Sara. What the hell are you afraid of?" he snapped. She released his arms and climbed out of the ring, rushing up the ramp and through the curtains. "She okay?" Kevin asked. Mark sighed heavily and shook his head. "It was her damn idea to get in the ring in the first place," he snapped. "You wanna practice for our match, then?" Kevin asked. "Might as well be productive while we're out here," he answered. Kevin rolled into the ring, and they began to work out the details of their match.

Sara rushed up to the balcony, keeping her head down. When she reached her destination, she plopped down in the closest seat and let her head drop. When Mark had tried to clip her down, her heart had jumped into her throat, and warning bells had sounded off in her head. She couldn't get past the fact that she hadn't bumped in over a year, and her fear of hurting herself had overcome her. She didn't blame Mark for getting pissed at her. _God, I'm a fuckin' wimp now_, she thought, _Don't like confrontation…don't like pain…gross…_ Her thoughts were interrupted when Andy sat down beside her. "You okay? I saw what happened," he said quietly. "Yeah…I'm fine," she said slowly. Andy looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Can't get anything past you," she said grinning. He shook his head and asked, "What happened?" "A bunch o' things. He went to push me down, and I just freaked. I didn't want to suffer any more pain, I thought I'd fall wrong, I was over-thinking…just feelings of fear and doubt…and anger at Shawn for taking away my ability to perform," she said quietly, "I wasn't thinking about taking the bump…and when I felt myself about to fall…I panicked, and I grabbed Mark." "For me to say you've gotta get over this would be insensitive…but it's the truth. If you let Shawn control your life like this, then he's won. Your fears are very understandable, but you've gotta face 'em if you hope to be happy anytime soon," he said. Sara sighed heavily and said, "I know…I'm just not ready to do that, Andy." "Are you gonna put your life on hold for another year? Every day you wait, Sara, is a day you can't get back…and you know it," he said frankly. Sara looked at him long and hard, before a grin came to her face. "You really are the brother I never had, Andy," she said hugging him, "I love you, man." Andy smiled and returned her hug. "Ditto, baby doll," he said softly. Sara sighed and relaxed in his arms; he was providing the comfort she so desperately needed. Andy reluctantly released her and stood. "Meet me down in the ring in a half an hour," he said. Sara took a deep breath and looked down at the ring. Mark and Kevin were working out their match. "Okay," she said quietly. She stared at the ring as Andy walked away. "This should be fun," she said quietly.


	53. Plans, Plans, & More Plans

**Chapter 52…Plans, Plans, & More Plans**

Sara headed down the ramp a half an hour later, as instructed. Andy was inside the ring, leaning against the ropes facing the ramp. Sara noticed that no one was ringside, not even the ring crew. "Where is everyone?" she asked. "I asked them to leave. Didn't want you gettin' self-conscious on me," he answered. Sara smiled as she climbed into the ring. "Thanks, Andy," she said quietly. Andy nodded and suddenly pushed her down. Sara landed perfectly; the pain wasn't half what she expected, and the fact that she'd landed perfectly boosted her confidence by leaps and bounds. She then realized that she'd took her first bump since coming back to work. She looked up at Andy, who was now standing over her with a wide smile on his face. "You did it, baby doll," he said quietly, helping her to her feet, "Wasn't hard at all, was it?" Sara shook her head, then nailed him in the side of the head with a forearm. "That was the only way you'd get me to take that bump, and you knew it!" she said smiling. Andy grinned slightly, and they began to circle each other. "You ready for this?" he asked. "Yeah," she said. "You sure? You back out on me, I'm gonna kick your ass," he responded. Sara grinned and nodded. "Positive," she said softly. With that said, their impromptu match began. For Sara, it was like coming home. She had her ring rust, of course, being slightly off with certain things; however, she just moved right on. Mistakes would be made, but practice was the only way to avoid them the next time around. After only 10 minutes of wrestling back and forth, Sara finally stood up from pinning Andy, out of breath, but sated. An applause to her right made her head snap in that direction. Mark, Kevin, Paul, Vince, and a few other wrestlers were standing at the bottom of the ramp with smiles on their faces. Sara turned beet red and swallowed hard.

"Hi, guys," she managed to say. She slowly climbed out of the ring and leaned against the side. "What's up?" she asked. "Just watching you do what you were born to do," Mark answered. Sara blushed again and looked at the floor. "I messed up a few times," she said slowly. "Understandable," Vince said, "Can I talk with you real quick?" Sara swallowed again and nodded. The group parted, and Sara followed Vince up the ramp. When they got behind the curtain, Vince faced Sara and crossed his arms. "So…what made you get in the ring today?" he asked. "Well, it was Andy. Just told me that I needed to stop procrastinating," she answered slowly. "No fears?" he asked. "He pushed me down, and I landed pretty good…it all seemed to come back to me after that," she said quietly. "So is this a sign of things to come?" he continued. "Not full-time…but I definitely wanna wrestle whenever you see fit storyline-wise," she said looking up at him. A smile broke out on Vince's face, and he hugged her tightly. "It was damn good to see you working in that ring," he said in her ear. He released her and put his hands on her shoulders. "For someone who hasn't been in a ring for about 14 months, you looked really good out there," he said. "Thanks, Vince," she said quietly. "Should I call Danny up in OVW?" he asked. "Give me about a month or so," she answered, "I wanna work a little more with Andy, and Mark, too." "That's perfectly okay. Just let me know whenever you're ready," he said, "I'll see you around, okay?" Sara nodded and headed back through the curtains. Mark, Paul, and Kevin were in the ring talking with Andy; she passed the other guys on her way down the ramp, and each expressed their happiness with seeing her back in the ring.

When she climbed in the ring, the guys all looked down at her. "So…how'd it feel?" Kevin asked. Sara hunched her shoulders and answered, "Not too bad. I'll probably be sore tomorrow, of course." "You looked pretty good, in my opinion. Couldn't really tell where you messed up, actually," he said with a grin. "That's true, Sara. You moved really smoothly in here," Paul added. "Thanks, guys. That means a lot to me," she said quietly. She looked over at Mark, waiting to hear what he was going to say. "Guess you conquered your fear," he said. Sara swallowed and nodded; she saw something in his eyes besides happiness. "So, does this mean you're gonna be takin' a bump or two tonight?" Kevin asked. Sara broke her eye contact with Mark to look over at him. "I don't know, Kevin. I don't wanna look stupid in front of the crowd," she answered. "You won't look stupid. This comes too naturally for you," he countered. Sara grinned and hunched her shoulders. "Whatever works. I know you guys already have your match planned, so I don't wanna impose," she said. "Nah, it's no biggie. If you're gonna be wearing that dress from last night, though, you might wanna rethink it," Kevin said with a grin. Sara chuckled and crossed her arms, looking back to Mark. "What do _you_ think?" she asked. "Like you said…whatever works," he said before looking away. Sara took a deep breath and looked back at Kevin. "Maybe next week, Kevin," she said, "I'm gonna go get cleaned up." She then climbed out of the ring and headed up the ramp. Mark was angry at her, and she had no clue why.

After showering, and dressing in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Sara headed to catering. She'd worked up an appetite during her match, and was looking to appease her hunger. She picked up a sandwich, an orange and banana, and a bottle of water from the catering table, then found a seat near the back of the room. When Mark walked in with Kevin, she perked up. He spotted her and came over to the table, without Kevin. "Hey there," he said sitting down in front of her. "Were you mad at me?" she asked bluntly. "Earlier?" he said. She nodded and took a swig of her water. "Yeah…I was a little peeved," he answered honestly. "Why?" she asked. Mark looked away and took a deep breath. "Jealousy," he answered, "You worked with Andy so well, but a half an hour beforehand, you were scared to bump with me." "You didn't even ask why I got scared," she said quietly. "I figured it was because of Shawn," he said quietly, "I didn't wanna bring up a sore subject, especially when we'd just talked everything out this morning. I just thought you'd come to me when you were ready." "I didn't go to Andy, Mark. He came to me…the only reason I took that first bump with him was because he pushed me down, without any kind of warning. He knew that was what I needed, because I was overthinking. With you, it was a mixture of fear and doubt…and anger at Shawn…I just had too many things running through my mind when I was in the ring with you. And I sure as hell wasn't thinkin' about takin' that bump. So when you went to push me down, I freaked…I panicked…grabbing you was by instinct, because I wasn't thinking about taking the bump," she said slowly. Mark smiled and placed his hand over hers. "All I care is that you got back in that ring. I don't care who you did it with, as long as you did what you felt you needed to do to be comfortable," he said quietly. Sara smiled slightly and linked her fingers with his. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too, dollface," he said back, "I'm gonna go get somethin' to eat." Sara nodded and released his hand, going back to her own lunch.

The next few hours passed by quickly for Sara and Mark. They sat together at ringside, discussing Mark's match for that night, as well as their entrance. "It's not gonna be as big as it was last night, of course. You're gonna be comin' out behind me instead," Mark told her. "Oh, darn. I kinda liked the flames," she said with a grin. Mark put his right arm around her shoulder and squeezed. "So…how'd it feel to be in the ring again?" he asked. "Really good, Mark. My back's a little sore, but other than that, I feel fine. It just seemed natural to be back in there. Andy was really good about letting me get my wits back, and doin' whatever moves I felt comfortable with. I felt exhausted after I finally pinned him, though; it's gonna be a challenge to get back into ring shape," she answered grinning. "Yeah, but you definitely love a challenge," he commented. Sara looked up at him and squeezed his thigh. "I guess so," she said laughing softly. After talking for a few more minutes, they headed to the back to eat a small snack, then went to their respective locker rooms to prepare for the night.

Sara dressed in black, soft velvet calf-high boots that molded to her skin, the tattered skirt that she'd worn her first night in front of an audience, and the matching top. The cloak from the night before completed the outfit, along with the silver rod. After getting her hair and make-up done, she headed down the hall to the locker room, but was stopped by Shane. "You look really good, Sara. That set really does wonders for your character," he said to her. "Thanks, Shane," Sara answered. "Dad wanted me to let you know you won't be speaking in Mark's promo, just standing there beside him," he said. "That's cool; it's kinda what I expected, though," she said with a grin. "Well, I gotta get back to workin' on the site. I'll see ya around, okay?" he said. Sara nodded and headed off to the locker room. "Oh, Sara?" Shane called. She stopped and faced him. "Good job out there earlier. Can't wait to see you back in the ring," he said with a grin. Sara turned pink and nodded her thanks, then continued to her destination.

She met up with Andy a few doors down from the locker room. "Hey, baby doll. How ya feelin'?" he asked, "Not too sore, I hope." "Nah, it's not bad at all. I actually feel pretty good. I don't know if I'm ever gonna get back to wrestling full-time, but it was great to be in the ring again," she answered. "Well, that's good. All you needed was a good push to get ya goin'," he said grinning down at her. "Yeah, literally," she responded smiling back. Andy chuckled softly and opened the locker room door to let her in. "Oh, yeah. Thanks, Andy, for what you did for me. That really meant a lot to me. I can't really say that enough," she said as he walked in behind her, "You're a great friend." "It's not a big deal, Sara. I only wanted to see you doin' what came natural, which is wrestling," he responded, "If you ever want to get back in the ring with me, I'd be more than happy to help you out." Sara grinned and nodded. "I'll take your offer," she said. "There was somethin' else I wanted to talk to you about," he said as they sat at one of the tables in the room. "What's up?" she asked. "Well, uh…Trish and I broke up," he said slowly, looking down at the table. "Why?" she asked, her voice full of shock. "She, uh…she didn't like the fact that I wanted to help you out so much. I was always comparing her to you, and saying how much she reminded me of you, and stuff like that. She saw a little bit of our match, and that just sent her over the edge…she broke it off while we were eating lunch together," he said quietly. "Damn, Andy, I'm so sorry. You want me to talk to her?" she asked. "No, no. I think it's for the best," he answered, "I was just wonderin'…you think Mark would mind if I moved back in with you guys? Trish is moving back to Canada…she doesn't really like livin' down in the U.S….and I don't wanna live in San Diego by myself." "Well, Mark and I are goin' house searching on our next few breaks. We're movin' to Texas. You should talk to him, though," she answered, "I'm sure he wouldn't mind us traveling together…but he was looking forward to havin' a house for me and him." "Yeah, I figured that much," he said quietly. "Look, talk to him. I wouldn't mind, of course. It'd be fun livin' with you," Sara said smiling. "I know Mark likes his privacy with you, though. I wouldn't want to be intruding, ya know," he argued. "Nah, it wouldn't be like that, Andy. We loved havin' you in the hotel suite with us. Mind you, it was pretty small…with a house, though, there'd be plenty of room. And you wouldn't have to worry about the dogs, 'cause they'd be outside for the most part," she countered. "I'll talk to Mark after the show. Maybe we'll go out and get some food afterwards, if you guys are up for it," he said. "Yeah, I'll be all for it," she answered as the door opened, and Mark walked in.

"There you are!" he said to her. "I went lookin' all over for you." "Why? You knew I'd be here sooner or later," she said grinning. "And you know how impatient I am," he countered. Sara chuckled and nodded her head. "What's up, Andy? What are you doin' here?" Mark spoke to Andy. "Just talkin' to Sara 'bout some stuff," Andy answered. "Did Shane tell you that you're not talkin' in my promo, Sara?" Mark asked. "Yeah. I saw him on my way here," she answered. "Okay, good. We're up in about an hour and a half," he said dropping down on the sofa in front of the television. Sara looked back at Andy and motioned towards Mark. "Go," she mouthed. Andy took a deep breath. "Go," she mouthed again pushing his arm. "Okay, okay," he mouthed back. Andy stood and went over to the couch. "Mark, can I talk to ya for a sec?" he asked. "Yeah, sure, man. What's goin' on?" Mark answered turning his attention away from the television. "Um, Trish and I broke up today," Andy started. "Oh, shit, man. I'm sorry. What happened?" Mark said sitting up as Andy sat down beside him. "Just wasn't working out like I thought it was," Andy answered, "But I was wonderin'…um, I don't really wanna stay in San Diego by myself, and Sara told me you guys were movin' out to Texas. So, if it's okay with you, I was just thinkin' maybe I could move back in with you guys…wherever you end up moving," Andy said slowly.

Mark looked back at Sara, who merely hunched her shoulders. "What do you think, dollface?" he asked, "Should we let him back?" "It's up to you, Mark," she answered. Mark looked back at Andy and answered, "Sure, man. I'm sure we can find a house big enough for the three of us." "Thanks, man, I really appreciate this. Do you guys know when you're movin'?" Andy responded. "How much longer do you have on your apartment lease?" Mark asked. "Not too long. Trish and I were goin' month-to-month 'til we found a house that we liked," Andy said. "Sara and I are goin' house-searching the next few weeks. You wanna come along?" Mark said. "If it's not too much of a bother for you guys," Andy answered. "Nah, it's no biggie. It'll be fun," Mark said, "Houston's a good town; we can find somethin' outside the city, if that's the case." "Alright, cool. I'm gonna go get ready for my match. You guys wanna go get somethin' to eat after the show?" Andy said standing. "We'll see after the show," Mark answered. Andy nodded and left the room, as Sara came over to the sofa and sat down beside Mark, staring at him with bright eyes. "I love you…so much," she said softly, "You didn't have to do that…and you did." Mark cupped her chin gently, grinning. He went to kiss her, but she pulled back. "Don't you dare…this lipstick is very important," she said smiling. "For what?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. "My look," she answered. Mark rolled his eyes playfully, pulled her close to him, and kissed her forehead softly. "I love you, too, dollface," he said quietly. Sara sighed contently and leaned her body against Mark's as he played the tape of his match from the previous night.

The show went by extremely fast. Sara accompanied Mark to the ring as planned; afterwards, the two of them went out to a late dinner with Andy, to discuss the details of their house-search. "We're driving back down to Austin tonight. We've got the taping tomorrow night in Houston, but we've got two more shows in St. Louis and Boston. I was thinkin' we could fly back to Houston from Boston Thursday night," Mark said as he munched on his club sandwich. "That's cool," Andy said. "Did you have fun tonight, dollface?" Mark asked to Sara. He was speaking of the bump she'd taken from Kevin; he'd pulled her over the top rope when she'd tried to interfere in the match. Sara narrowed her eyes at him, before grinning and letting out the laugh she was holding in. "It scared the hell outta me! I didn't know what he was doin'!" she said hitting his leg, "You two had that planned, didn't you?" "Of course," he answered stroking her jaw line, then winking at her.

"Yeah, you're lucky I love you," she said softly. "Or what?" he asked. "I'd think of somethin' to do to get you back," she answered. "Yeah, like you aren't doin' that right now," he countered. Sara simply looked down at her food, a small grin on her face. "I'll have to watch my back, huh?" he asked putting his arm around her shoulder. "Yeah, you might wanna do that," she answered placing her hand on his thigh. Andy chuckled and shook his head. "So what kinda house were you guys interested in?" he asked. Sara looked up at Mark, as if waiting for him to answer. "Somewhere in the country…a ranch-type place, without the cattle," he said, "Maybe a few horses instead, and a couple motorcycles." "You ride horses?" Sara asked. "When I was growing up…stopped when I got to high school, though, and started playin' basketball," he answered. "That's so cute! My own personal cowboy!" she said grinning. "Oh, hush," Mark said squeezing her shoulder, then turning his attention back to Andy.

"Anyway, a two-story place, Andy. Five or six rooms, a big living room, an office-type space, a library, a nice-sized kitchen, a lotta land to go roaming over. If I don't find anything I like, I was thinkin' about havin' the house built," he said. "I like that idea, Mark. Having a house built ensures we'll get what we want," Sara quipped in. "Yeah, I agree. But why so many rooms?" Andy said sipping his water. "A master bedroom for me and Sara, of course, and then your room. And then guest rooms for visitors, like Sara's mom," Mark answered looking down at Sara. Sara beamed up at him and squeezed his thigh. "I love you, too," he whispered kissing her forehead. "Oh, yeah, we need a gym for that place, too, so we don't have to drive into town," he added. "Yeah, we can't forget that," Sara said grinning. "I vote for building the house. I'll pitch in for costs," Andy said. "Yeah, me, too," Sara responded. "Well, I guess that solves that problem," Mark said, "All we have to do now is look for land. I was thinkin' a good 8-10 acres." "Think we can do that this weekend?" Andy asked. "It would be a busy weekend," Mark answered, "If you guys are up for it, so am I." Andy and Sara nodded their heads in agreement. Shortly after, the trio left the diner, excited about the upcoming weekend.

Mark, Sara, and Andy flew into Houston early Friday morning. They checked into a hotel suite at a nearby Marriott. They awoke around noon, and ate a quick breakfast before Mark took them on a tour of the town, showing off his old hangout spots, as well as the house he lived in as a child. "Is your dad still alive?" Sara asked as they drove down a busy street. "Yeah," Mark answered, "Think we oughta stop by and see him?" "Oh, he lives in Houston?" Sara asked. "Yep. Even when mom died, he didn't wanna leave. Loved it here too much, and he had a lotta memories here," he answered. "Does he live in the city, or outside?" she asked. "Not too far from here, actually. I haven't talked to him in a while, though," Mark answered quietly. "Why not?" she asked. "Just…I think he blamed me for my mom dying. We kinda fell apart a year or two ago," he answered. "That was a while ago, Mark. Have you tried contacting him?" she inquired. "No," he answered shortly. "Maybe you should," she said quietly. Mark took a deep breath as he came to a stoplight. He looked down at Sara, and saw the hope in her eyes. "I'm close with my mom, Mark. I want you to be close to your dad. I want to get to know your side of the family; I don't want just my side to be involved in our marriage," she said quietly. "I know, dollface," he said softly. "I'll call him before we leave for Cincinnati, deal?" he asked. "Deal," she said smiling slightly.

After sight-seeing for nearly three hours, Mark pulled into a well-known realtor's parking lot. Andy climbed out first, and Sara followed him, shutting the door behind her. She and Mark walked through the entrance door hand-in-hand. A woman dressed in business attire was sitting at a small desk just ahead of them. "Welcome to Rogers Realty. I'm Nicole, how may I help you?" she said standing. "Yes, ma'am. We're looking for land to build a house on. Who do we talk about for that?" Mark answered. "Mr. Rogers is right in the back. I'll go get him for you," she answered, "You can have a seat right on the bench behind you." "Thank you," Mark replied as Sara went over to the bench and sat down, her eyes wandering over the office. It was dark mahogany wood, with accentuating furniture. A couple of plush green armchairs were facing a small fireplace on the right side of the room, with a picture of a green field above it. There was a painting above Nicole's desk of another green field, with beautiful brown Thoroughbred horses grazing. The left wall was covered in different-sized gold plaques, and Mark stood and read them as Andy sat down beside Sara.

"This guy looks to be really good," he said quietly. "Well, that's good," Sara said. "Yeah. Hopefully he can find us a good section o' land," Mark responded. Nicole came out of a door to Mark's right, followed by what looked to be Mr. Rogers. He was nearly 6'4", with short reddish-brown hair, light green eyes, and a smile that could light up any room. He stood tall and confident, dressed in black dress pants, and a button-up blue dress shirt. "Good afternoon, folks. I'm Luke Rogers, the owner. Nicole tells me you're looking for land?" he said stretching his hand out towards Mark. "Mark Callaway, and yes, we are," Mark answered shaking his hand. "Would you like to step into my office, Mr. Callaway? I'll see what I can do," Mr. Rogers said. "Is it okay for my fiancé and friend to step in with me?" Mark asked. "Sure, not a problem at all," Mr. Rogers answered, "And please, call me Luke." Mark nodded and followed Luke into the office, Sara and Andy behind him. The office was small, but comfortable. There were three leather chairs with wooden armrests sitting in front of a large oak desk. Bookshelves surrounded the room, filled to the limit with books on realty, land purchases, manuals, and the like. Mark sat in the middle chair, with Sara and Andy on either side of him. Luke took a seat behind his desk and pulled out a large binder. "So, Mr. Callaway, how much land were you looking to purchase?" he asked opening the binder. There were maps of surrounding sections of the city of Houston; some sections were red, others blue, and others green.

"We're looking for between 10-20 acres," Mark answered looking down at Sara. She smiled up at him, placing her left hand inside his right one, linking her fingers with his. Luke's eyes scanned over the maps, and he flipped through a few pages before stopping. "Ah, there's a huge piece about…20 miles outside of east Houston," he said looking up at Mark. "How huge?" Mark asked. "Hmm…looks to be about 25 acres. Is that too much?" Luke answered. "What do you think, Sara?" Mark asked looking down at her. "I grew up in a city, remember? I have no idea how much that is," she answered winking at him. Mark looked over at Andy. "Same here, man. You're the one who grew up here," Andy said grinning. "How much is that gonna cost, Luke?" Mark asked turning his attention back to the man in front of him. "Roughly $200,000," Luke answered. Sara bit her bottom lip and looked down at her lap. "Is there anything else available?" she asked. Luke flipped through more pages and finally answered, "There's 16 acres on the opposite side o' town. That'll run you around $150,000." "That's 50 grand apiece, Mark," she said quietly. "Can you do it?" he asked. "Yeah, I can do it. But building the house is gonna cost even more," she answered. "How about we buy the land together, I'll get the house built, and you and Andy can buy all the stuff to put in it?" he said. "That okay with you, Andy?" Sara asked. "Yeah, definitely," Andy answered. "Are you making the purchase today, or would you like to have a look at the land first?" Luke asked. "We'll look at the land first," Mark answered. "Alright, then. I'm booked up today with house-showings, but I'll clear my schedule for tomorrow afternoon. It's about a half an hour trip out there," Luke said putting the binder back in its place, and pulling his planner from the top-left drawer. "That's fine. We're going to be here until Sunday, but I think we'll have our minds made up tomorrow," Mark responded, "What time should we be here tomorrow?" "I'll clear my schedule after three o' clock, so if you want to stop by at 3:30, I'll be ready," Luke answered. "Okay, thanks a lot," Mark said standing. Luke stood as well, shaking all three people's hands.

Mark led the way out of the building, and once Sara was out, he picked her up and twirled around a few times. "What are you so happy about?" she asked laughing. "We're gonna have a place of our own, dollface," he said kissing her softly. "Yeah…a place of our own," she whispered hugging his neck. Mark set her down slowly and looked over at Andy. "It's gonna take a while to get the house built, man. You wanna move in with us 'til it's done?" he said. "Sure…if it's not too much trouble," Andy answered. "The dogs won't drive you crazy, will they?" Mark asked grinning. "Nah, they won't," Andy responded. "Alright, then. I guess on our next break, we'll start mapping out the floor plans. House won't be built for at least three months," Mark said. "That's just fine with me," Andy said. "Well, excellent!" Mark said smiling, looking down at Sara, "I guess you're in charge o' furniture, and all that…stuff." Sara chuckled softly and punched his chest lightly. "Come on, let's get outta here," she said heading to the truck. Mark and Andy looked at each other grinning, before following her to their vehicle.


	54. Finally Home

**Chapter 53…Finally Home**

The next five and a half months flashed by for Sara and Mark. They were not only busy with their wrestling schedules (being on road four days out of the week), but Sara had started training at OVW a couple months after they'd purchased their land. The couple only saw each other four days a week maximum, even though they talked on the phone on the days they didn't see each other. Mark and Andy had completed the floor plans shortly after purchasing the land, and Mark had enlisted his brother's help in finding a good contractor. The house was built in four months. On the first of October, the trio finally moved into their new home. Mark had flew in Lucy to visit for the weekend, to help them get accustomed. When Lucy walked out of her airport terminal, Sara ran up to her and threw her arms around her mother's neck. "Mama! It's good to see you," she said smiling. Lucy smiled and returned the hug. "You should be thanking Mark. He's the one who flew me out here," she said grinning. "Yeah, he told me, and trust me I thanked him more times than I can count," Sara answered. "Have you been to the house yet?" Lucy asked. "No…we wanted to wait 'til you got here," Sara answered, "The furniture's all there, but we left it up to the designer to arrange things the way she saw fit." Lucy had a look of shock on her face. "That's brave," she said grinning. "Yeah, I know," Sara said, "I've been itching to get in that place for the last two months." Lucy chuckled softly as they headed out of the airport.

Mark pulled up the driveway of the new house nearly a half an hour later. There was a brick wall, with long steel posts as the actual gate, around most of the property. "It looks really good, Sara," Lucy said as Mark punched in the four-digit code. "Yeah, it does. I can't wait to see the house," Sara said quietly. "It's about two miles up," Mark said, "I wanted it to be a good ways away from the gate." As they drove up the gravel driveway, Sara took in the scenery: trees lining the driveway, with golden-red leaves covering them (as a sign that fall had arrived). "We picked a good area, Mark," she said softly, touching his right hand. "Yeah, we did," he responded. When they finally pulled into the driveway of the house, Sara's jaw dropped. The house was absolutely gorgeous. It was made out of light-brown sandstone, with brick sandstone roofing, giving it a very Mexican-like look. There was a large bay window on the left side of the first floor, and two smaller windows on the right side. The second floor had the same type of windows. There was a small area on each side of the walkway, with fresh mulch laid down, and small bushes running the front length of the house. Two light stands stood on each side of the small porch as well. A medium-sized garage stood a few feet away from the house, and was made in the same fashion as the house.

"There's a pool in the backyard, too," Mark said grinning down at her. "How big?" she asked. "What's your definition of big?" he asked continuing to grin. As soon as the truck stopped, Sara hopped out and ran up the front porch stairs, but was stopped when she realized the door was locked. She turned and looked at Mark. "You're too impatient, dollface," he said smiling. "I've been waiting for this day for two months, Mark. You open this door right now, or--." He cut her off by kissing her softly. "Or what?" he whispered. "Come on, you two," Andy said grinning. Mark shook his head as he inserted the front door key into the lock and turned it to the right. Sara smiled and looked up at him. "I love you so much," she whispered. "Your palace is ready," he whispered back, opening the door and stepping to the side. Sara took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold, admiring the interior designer's handiwork. There was a short hallway, with a large arched doorway to the left. Sara went through this doorway, and realized she was in the living room. The oak floor shone brightly, and the sun from outside spilled into the room from the window. There were blue drapes over the bay window, and went down to the floor. There was a stone fireplace on the far right wall, with a mesh gate to cover it. A big-screen flat screen television was mounted on the wall across from the fireplace, with a large navy blue leather couch in front of it. A long glass table was in front of the couch, resting on a large Aztec rug, and small matching coffee tables sat on either side of the couch. There were also two large Lay-Z-Boy recliners on the sides of the coffee tables, facing the television. There was a small bookcase in the corner by the bay window, holding different trinkets Sara and Mark had collected during their time together.

Sara's self-tour continued for the next half an hour. She had separated from the other three people, as they had gone upstairs to unpack. Sara wandered through the large kitchen, which had a large counter island in the center, with tall barstools for seats. The refrigerator was stocked well, and there were dishes in the cupboards. Sara smiled as she continued on the first floor, where she found the small study Mark had wanted, the small library, a lush dining room, and the gym. The study had Mark's name written all over it. A dark mahogany desk sat in the back, with a large, plush leather rolling chair behind it. The carpet was dark green, almost the color of Mark's eyes. There were books on the wall behind the desk, with stone gargoyle statues holding each row of books close together. A small planner sat on the desk, on top of a desk calendar. A small lamp, with an emerald green shade completed the study's look. The library was also carpeted with the same color as Mark's study. There were three bookshelves, and as Sara read over the titles, she realized they were sectioned off by types. There was science fiction, horror, historical romance (one of her favorite types), and mystery. A small leather couch rested in the far right corner of the library, enough for one person to stretch out on. A small round table stood to the left, with a small golden desk lamp on top of it. As she headed up the stairs to the second floor, she noted the pictures of her and Mark, and even Andy in some, on the wall to her right, and a smile came to her face.

"Mark?" she called when she got to the top of the stairs. "All the way at the end of the hallway, baby," he answered. Sara saw the door ajar from which his voice came and headed towards it. She counted three doors on her left, and two on her right, as she walked down the hall. Her tennis shoes thudded softly on the oak floor beneath her feet. When she entered the room, she smiled again. Green carpet such as in the library and study adorned the master bedroom. The walls were painted an off-white, as had most of the house. There was a king-sized bed standing out against the left wall, with an array of navy blue and white linens. A very royal-looking polished dresser stood across from the bed, and had twelve small drawers, and two large ones at the top. On it sat a jewelry box Sara had picked out for herself and Mark, and all of their personal hygiene products. Two small nightstands sat on either side of the bed, a small lamp, and a telephone, on one, and a digital clock on the other. Sara went into the walk-in closet and ran her fingers over her and Mark's clothing. She'd had most of their clothing shipped from Los Angeles to the house a month back, buying new clothes on the road as necessary. "Dollface?" Mark asked from behind her. She face him and grinned. "It's gorgeous here, Mark," she whispered. Mark grinned and walked inside the closet, slowly shutting the door behind him. "What are you doin'?" she asked softly, a grin still on her face. Mark cupped her face and kissed her softly. "We did it, dollface," he said hugging her tightly, "We're home…finally." Sara smiled and eased her arms around his neck. "There's one thing left to do, though," she whispered. "What's that?" he asked rubbing his hands over her back. Sara pulled away, and walked out of the closet, kicking her shoes off and jumping up and down on her new bed, her laughs filling the room. Mark leaned against the closet doorframe, shaking his head. "What?" Sara said smiling, "I've always wanted to jump on the bed of my room that I got for my home." "Why?" Mark asked. "To claim it," she answered continuing to jump. Mark slowly walked over to her, and when her feet landed on the bed, he swept them from under her with his right hand, catching her easily when she fell, and laying her gently on the covers. "I know a better way to claim it," he whispered kissing her softly. Sara chuckled and punched his shoulder. "You scared the shit outta me when you did that!" she said softly. "Sorry, dollface," he whispered, his lips lightly grazing her cheek. Sara grinned and whispered, "All is forgiven." Mark smiled and kissed her lips, easing them open and slipping his tongue inside her warm mouth. Sara moaned softly and ran her hands up his strong triceps, through his thick hair, which cascaded over her face.

"Ahem." Mark looked over his left shoulder, and immediately scrambled off of Sara. "Hey, Lucy," he said nervously. Sara felt her cheeks redden, and slowly sat up, hiding her body behind Mark's, but putting her chin on his right shoulder. "I was just wonderin' if you guys were hungry," Lucy said grinning, "There's plenty of food in the fridge, and it'd be nice to have a big celebration dinner." "You hungry, dollface?" Mark asked. "Yeah, sure, mom. I'll be down in a bit to help, okay?" Sara answered. "Alright," Lucy said heading out, "Oh, yeah…should I shut the door?" Sara turned beet red and hid her face behind Mark's back. Lucy laughed and left, closing the door behind her. Mark let out a deep breath as the door clicked shut and looked over his shoulder at Sara. She was struggling not to laugh, and failed. "Yeah, laugh it up," he said standing. "That was great, Mark! Your face was perfect!" she said laying back on the bed. "Yeah, yours wasn't any better. I haven't seen anything that red in a long time," he said going to the dresser. Sara's jaw dropped and she stood, running over to him and jumping on his back. Mark laughed as Sara's arms tightened around his throat. She'd been working out hard over the past five months, and was gaining back her strength.

"What's so funny?" she asked tightening her legs around his waist. Mark backed up until he reached the bed, and asked, "You gonna get off, or am I gonna have to fall on you?" he asked. Sara grinned and kept her hold on his body. Mark shrugged and fell back onto the bed, pinning Sara down. "Get your ass off me!" she said pushing against him. "I gave you a choice," he said rolling off of her. Sara narrowed her eyes and climbed onto his chest, saying, "Ha!" Mark grabbed both of her wrists and flipped her onto her back, then rolled on top of her. "Ha," he said back. Sara pursed her lips and said, "I'll get you back for this…just you wait." "We'll see," Mark said letting her up, "You better get down to the kitchen; I'm sure your mom's gettin' impatient." "I hope you don't expect me to be in that kitchen all the time," she said standing. "Of course," Mark answered entering the bathroom, "I'm a hungry man, and I expect to be fed." Sara chuckled as she headed out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

A few hours later, as the sun began to set, Sara and Lucy finally finished dinner. "Guys!" Sara called from the bottom of the stairs, "Dinner's ready!" She heard two doors open and went back into the kitchen. There was a pot roast cooked medium well, a bowl of tossed salad, and mashed potatoes. She and Lucy carried the food into the dining room, setting it in the middle of the table. The dishes were already set out. Sara grabbed a bottle of champagne from the fridge, and four wine glasses from the cupboard. She entered the dining room from the kitchen, as Mark and Andy entered from the hallway. "Wow," Andy said, "I didn't know you could cook, Sara." Sara narrowed her eyes and said, "Watch it, mister." Sara waited for everyone else to be seated before she took her seat, sitting across from Mark. She handed him the champagne, and passed a glass to each person. After Mark poured all four glasses, Sara cleared her throat and said, "I'd like to make a toast." Everyone looked at her, and she took a deep breath. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time, and first, I want to thank you Mark for making this possible, and Andy, thank you for being patient with my perfectionism, and mom…thanks for being you, and for everything you've done for me," she said slowly, "This house…is more than I ever could've wished for, and I can't wait to make memories inside it." "Hear, hear," Mark said. They clinked their glasses together, and began to eat.

An hour later, Sara set her fork down and sat back in her chair, sighing contently. "Haven't had a meal like that in a long time," she said smiling. "Yeah, thanks a lot, Lucy. You didn't have to do all this for us," Mark said winking at Sara. "You know what?" Sara said narrowing her eyes. "What?" Mark asked resting his chin on his hands. "You're lucky I'm too full to do anything to you," she said, "I'm gonna get you back for that comment, mister." "Uh-huh," Mark said lazily. Andy chuckled softly and looked down at his plate. "I'll remember that when you want me to cook for you," Sara said looking at Andy. "I didn't say anything!" Andy exclaimed. "You did earlier!" Sara said back. "I was just kiddin'!" Andy responded. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. "Right," she said sarcastically. "Well, I'm off to bed," Lucy said standing, "Sara, will you get these for me?" "I'll make Mark do it," Sara answered. Mark's jaw dropped, and Sara laughed. "I'm goin' to take a shower. The dishes await you, darling," Sara said standing, leaving the room with her mother. Mark looked at Andy, who had his mouth covered with his hand, and was chuckling to himself. "And what's so damn funny?" Mark asked. Andy shook his head and stood, a huge grin on his face. "Have fun, man," he said leaving the dining room. Mark sighed and stood, working on clearing the table.

Sara made her way up to her new bedroom, shutting the door behind her quietly. She slipped out of her jeans and t-shirt, slowly making her way into the bathroom. At the door, she stopped and gasped. She hadn't seen the bathroom yet, and her jaw dropped in shock. The floor was gleaming white marble, there was a huge Jacuzzi tub of the same color marble, with gold knobs. The sink was to the right, standing beside the toilet stool, both with golden knobs as well. A shower stall stood close to the tub, and was lined with gold as well. She walked over to the shower stall, and opened the door. Three shower heads were on each wall, facing the center. "This…is…amazing," she whispered. She looked back at the tub, deciding to take a full bath instead of a shower. She cut on the water, looked at the bottles on the side of the tub, and picked one. "Strawberry," she read from the label. She poured a little under the streaming water, smiling as the water began to bubble up. She stripped her underwear off and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. She pulled a towel off of the rack beside the sink and set it up at the head of the tub. When the tub was nearly full, she cut off the water and climbed in, sighing loudly at the feel of the hot water against her tired body. She realized quickly the tub was bigger than she was, and smiled at the thought of Mark's huge body inside the tub. "He probably got this big enough for him," she said softly.

A half an hour later, Mark walked into the bedroom. He saw Sara's clothing on the floor, and chuckled softly as he headed into the bathroom. "Dollface?" he asked quietly. Sara's eyes were closed, and there was a small smile on her face. "Yeah?" she whispered. "You like?" he asked kneeling down beside the tub. Sara's eyes drifted open, and she nodded. "It's beautiful, Mark," she whispered, "I love you, ya know." "Yeah…I know," he whispered kissing her forehead. "Come join me," she said quietly, "It's big enough for both of us." "I know, I had it made that way," he said grinning. "Come on, get in with me," she whispered. Mark stood and stripped down, and Sara scooted up to the front of the tub. Mark eased in and sighed as Sara leaned back against him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the side of her head. "Are you happy with the house?" he asked. "More than you'll ever know," she whispered, "Have fun with the dishes?" Mark chuckled softly and kissed the side of her head again. "I suppose so. I didn't find the dishwasher until I'd finished washing everything, of course," he answered. Sara laughed and leaned her head back against his shoulder. "I guess you learned your lesson, then," she said smiling. "Yeah…don't talk about your cooking," he responded quietly. They sat there for 15 minutes before washing each other, and climbing out of the tub. Sara wrapped a towel around her and brushed her teeth, while Mark went into the room. When she came out, he was already lying in bed. Sara slipped on a nightgown from the top drawer, and climbed into bed beside him. His arms came around her, and he kissed her lips softly. "I love you, dollface," he whispered. "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered before falling into a deep sleep, Mark following her soon after.

The next morning, Mark awoke alone. He sat up in the bed and stretched his arms, yawning loudly. "That's a man's yawn," he heard from the bathroom. He chuckled softly and threw the covers back, climbing out of the bed. "I hear you coming," Sara said as she brushed her hair. Mark came to the bathroom door, leaning against the wooden frame. "How long you been up?" he asked. "About an hour," she answered. "Sleep good?" he asked. "Yep," she answered setting her brush down on the small counter beside the sink. She faced him and grinned. "I dreamt good, too," she said quietly, walking up to him and hugging his waist. "Of what?" he asked hugging her, and kissing the top of her head. "You and me, happily married," she said smiling up at him. "Not too long, dollface," he whispered, "I promise." "I'm not trying to push anything, that's not what I meant," she said quietly. "I know, baby, I know. I just wanna get settled here first, okay?" he answered. "That's fine," she said as he leaned down to kiss her. "I'm gonna go see how Duchess and Slasher are doin' in their new home," she said when he pulled away. "Alright, baby. I'll be out in a little bit," he answered. Sara left the bathroom, leaving Mark to shower.

She slipped on a pair of flip-flops, then headed downstairs. Andy and her mother were in the living room watching television together. "It's about time you got up," Andy said smiling at her. "Yeah, yeah," she said as she walked past the living room entranceway. She headed out the patio door in the kitchen, her jaw dropping slightly. She hadn't seen the backyard yet, nor the pool Mark had told her about yesterday. The pool ran nearly the length of the house, and was filled with crystal clear water, a diving board at the far end, and with a few lounging chairs beside the board. She walked around the pool, and spotted the doghouse Mark had built for Duchess and Slasher. It was big enough for both dogs, with a gate around it. Sara whistled loudly, and Duchess and Slasher appeared from the doorway. "Hey, you two!" she said walking over to the gate. Both dogs barked loudly, pacing the inside of the gate. "Yeah, I'm comin'!" Sara said smiling. She unlocked the door, and both dogs bounded out, Duchess jumping onto Sara and knocking her door. "You like, huh?" Sara asked rubbing her head. Duchess yapped and licked Sara's face, bringing laughs from Sara's mouth. "Oh, stop, I just took a shower," she said smiling. Duchess moved away and chased after Slasher, while Sara stood and brushed herself off. "Explore your new home, guys," she said walking back towards the house.

Mark walked out from the patio door, a grin on his face. "I guess they like the place, huh?" he asked. Sara smiled and nodded. "Yeah, they do," she answered hugging his waist, "And so do I." "Well, that's good, dollface," he whispered hugging her back. "I'm serious, Mark," she said looking up at him, "This house is more than I could've ever wanted. _You_ are more than I ever could've wanted." Mark grinned and kissed her softly. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered. Sara placed her hand in his, leading him back inside. They entered the living room, and sat down on the couch. "So what's the plans for today?" Andy asked. "Relax," Mark answered as Sara leaned against his shoulder. "Hear, hear," Sara said smiling at Andy. "I'm gonna go take a look around," Andy said standing, "You wanna come with, Lucy?" "Sure," Lucy said following Andy out of the room. "I hope they enjoy their tour as much as I did," Sara commented. "I'm sure they will, baby," Mark said as he flipped the station to a basketball game.

An hour later, Andy walked back into the living room alone. "Where's my mom?" Sara asked. "In the library," he answered plopping down in the closest Lay-Z-Boy. Sara smiled and stood. "I'll be back," she said exiting the living room. When she walked into the library, her mom was stretched out on the small couch, a book in hand. "I was supposed to break the library in first," Sara said taking a seat beside the couch. "Well, you were watching television with Mark, so I decided to come in here," Lucy said as her eyes glanced back and forth through the book, "This is a pretty good book, actually." "And what book is that?" she asked. "Remembrance," Lucy answered. "I've read that before. Only romance novel to ever make me cry," Sara said smiling. "Thanks for ruining the book, Sara," Lucy said looking at her. "I didn't ruin it for you," Sara said standing, "See ya later, mom."

The trio spent that weekend indeed relaxing. Sara had found a fairly large walk-in storage place in the living room, hidden beside the small bookshelf she'd seen her first day there. Inside was a large bookcase, with all of their DVDs in alphabetical order. From the complete set of the television show _The Sopranos_ to movies from director Quentin Tarantino to fantasy movies like the _Lord of the Rings_ series. They'd spent all day Saturday simply watching movies. When Sunday came, Sara wasn't ready to leave. She'd packed the night before, but wasn't ready to go back on the road. "I love this place too much to wanna leave just yet," she told Mark over breakfast. "Well, you're done with OVW, right?" Mark asked. "Yeah, I've practiced hardcore for the past five months, so I'm pretty much back into the ring shape I wanna be in," she answered. "So that means we're gonna be home together a lot more often now," Mark said grinning, "You'll get to see as much of this house as you want to, dollface." Sara winked at him and scooped a forkful of eggs into her mouth. "What time is it?" she asked once she swallowed. "Almost ten. Your mom's flight is at 11, and ours is at noon," Mark answered. "We should head outta here soon, then," she suggested. "Yeah, I suppose so. I guess I'm not really ready to leave just yet, either," he said slowly. Sara smiled and said, "It's a bit addictive, isn't it? Being home…" Mark nodded and looked around the kitchen; it still had a brand-new look to it, even though they'd used it several times over the past few days. "You think we should get a maid?" Sara asked. "What for? We're barely gonna be here," Mark answered. "Just wanted to see how you'd react," she said winking at him as she stood, "Go get cleaned up. I'll throw these in the dishwasher, and pack the truck up." Mark saluted her before leaving the kitchen, Sara shaking her head in amusement.

Mark came down the stairs, and heard Sara's and Lucy's voices in the living room. "You're finally happy, Sara. I can't tell you how happy I am for you," Lucy said quietly, "You've done more than I could've ever imagined." "Thanks, mom. That means a lot to me. But I didn't do it alone. Mark was there to help me…with everything," Sara responded, "If it weren't for him…for his support…God only knows where I'd be right now." "He's a great guy, darlin'. Has he mentioned marriage yet?" Lucy said. "Yeah, he has. We're gonna wait until we get settled here first," Sara answered, "I'm looking at after _Wrestlemania_ in March. Probably sometime in April." "When are you gonna start planning for it?" Lucy asked. "I have no clue…maybe after New Year's," Sara said. "Is that gonna give you enough time?" Lucy asked. "Well, with your help, it should be," Sara said grinning. Lucy smiled and hugged her daughter tightly. "I'm really happy for you, darlin'. I can't tell you that enough," she said softly.

Mark decided that was his cue to enter. "Good mornin', ladies," he said grinning, "Ready to head out?" Sara looked at him and shook her head. "Of course not," she answered. "Where's Andy?" he asked. "He'll be down in a minute. He's doing some last-minute packing," she said as he sat down beside her. Andy entered the living room moments later. "Sorry, guys. I'm ready now," he said setting his suitcase on the floor. "I don't wanna leave!" Sara said stretching. Mark looked down at her, then leaned over and kissed her forehead. "We'll be back soon enough, dollface," he said softly. They finally headed out of the house a few minutes later, and Mark locked the front door. Sara climbed into the passenger side seat of Mark's truck, shutting the door and staring out the window at her home. _This is amazing…I never thought I'd get here_, she thought as the other three people climbed into the truck, Mark in the driver's seat. He started the truck, and placed his right hand over Sara's left hand. She looked up at him and he winked at her. She smiled slightly, and the truck pulled away from the house, Sara's eyes glued on her mirror, watching the house fade as they headed down the driveway.


	55. A Milestone Night

**Chapter 54…A Milestone Night**

Sara pulled the rental car into the arena parking lot in Cleveland around three o' clock. Mark was asleep in the passenger seat, and Andy was stretched out in the back seat asleep as well. It was a 45-minute into town from the airport, and so Sara had offered to drive so that Mark and Andy could get a quick nap. As she shut the car off, Mark stirred. "Are we here already?" he asked rotating his neck. "Yep," Sara answered. She looked into the backseat, and nudged Andy's leg. "Andy, wake up, buddy. We're here," she said climbing out. "Come on, mom, five more minutes," Andy said. Sara chuckled as she lifted three small duffel bags out of the trunk. "Come on, Andy," she said opening the right rear door and tossing one of the bags on his stomach. Andy groaned and opened his eyes. "Thanks," he said sitting up slowly. "No problem," she answered smiling. She slung her duffel bag over her shoulder, and placed her left hand in Mark's. They headed inside, followed shortly by Andy. "You wanna work out first, or eat?" Mark asked once they got to their locker room. "We just ate a few hours ago, so I'll work out. If you're hungry, though, I'll just meet you in the gym," she answered. "Nah, I'll wait 'til after the workout," he said grinning at her. "I'll meet you there," she said separating from him and heading down the hall. "Sara?" She stopped and turned around, looking behind her to the voice that'd called her name. Vince was walking down the hall, and he looked very solemn. "What's up, Vince?" she asked. "We need to have a talk," he said quietly. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Will you come down to my office?" he asked. "Sure. Right now?" she responded. "Yeah, it's pretty important," he said. Sara nodded and followed him down to his makeshift office. When he opened the door, she stopped just inside the room. Shawn was sitting there, with a woman Sara recalled as Tracy, and a man who looked very much like a lawyer. A briefcase was lying on the desk, and a stack of papers which looked very much like a contract lied on top of it. "What is he doing here?" she asked quietly. Shawn heard her voice and stood, facing her slowly. Vince shut the door and said, "Sara, please, take a seat." "What is he doing here?" she asked again, looking up at Vince. "Please…sit down," he said quietly. Sara stared at Shawn as she took the empty seat beside the other man.

Vince slowly went around the desk and took his seat. "Vince…," Sara said softly. "Sara…Shawn is coming back," he said looking at her. "What?" she said, "You're kidding me, right?" Vince shook his head, picking up the papers on the briefcase. "He just signed a new, three-year contract," he answered. "Why, Vince?" she asked. "For business, Sara. Shawn was a damn good wrestler, and he brought in good business," he said. Sara's face blanched, and she looked down at her hands, which she found were trembling. "His contract states that he travels alone or with his wife – and children, if that happens to be the case - only, he wrestles one match per night, and he leaves as soon as he's done with that match," Vince said, "You won't even have to interact with him, unless he's put in a storyline with Mark." "Mark won't agree to that, and you know it, Vince," she snapped glaring at him. "It doesn't matter what Mark agrees to…it matters what I say is going to happen," he said sternly. Sara's heart was pounding in her throat, and her breathing was harsh and fast. "Fine…," she whispered finally, "Is this what you brought me here for?" "Yes," Vince said turning his attention to Shawn, "Shawn, I probably won't use you for the next week or two, but I'll find somethin' for you quickly. Jim will see you and your wife out, and make sure no one bothers you." Shawn stood, along with the man beside Sara, and shook Vince's hand. "Thanks, Vince. I really appreciate this opportunity," he said. "Sure thing, Shawn. It's good to see you've turned your life around," Vince responded. Shawn nodded and released Vince's hand, then turned to Sara. "Sara--." "Don't," she whispered putting her hand up, "Don't say a word to me." Shawn sighed heavily and left the room, followed by Tracy and the man she had assumed was his lawyer.

"Sara…talk to me," Vince said coming around his desk and sitting beside her. Sara took a deep breath, and wiped her cheeks, wet with tears. "Why, Vince? I've busted my ass to get back to where I am…is this some sort of punishment?" she whispered. "No, Sara, you know I'd never do that to you. I'm trying to do what's best for business," he answered. "Just like when you put me in the 'Corporation'?" she asked staring at him, "Look how things turned out because o' that." "Sara…no one's gonna have to interact with Shawn unless they're wrestling him. He's not even gonna be at the arena that much. You won't have to see him," Vince tried arguing. "But I'll _know_ he's around," she said quietly, "Do you know how disturbing that is? I busted my ass in therapy for a _year_, and everyday, all I could think was showing him that he would not come out on top, that he would not win…and you've just taken that away from me…you let him win, Vince." Vince took a deep breath and looked away. "I'm going to work out," she said grabbing her bag from beside her and standing, "See ya around, boss." She left the room, slamming the door behind her. Vince sat in the chair and leaned his head back. _I hope I've done the right thing_, he thought before going back to his desk chair, and shifting through some papers for the night's show.

Mark walked into the gym to find Sara beating the hell out of the large boxing bag. Her hair was soaking wet, as was her t-shirt. He listened to her grunts, and knew something was wrong. She never worked out that hard before a show, even when she was still recovering. "Sara?" he said quietly. Sara immediately stopped, and placed her hands on the swinging bag, bringing it to a stop. "What?" she asked. "What's up, baby?" he asked coming over to her. Sara took a deep breath, and went back to punching the bag. Mark walked over to her slowly, feeling anger radiate from her body. "Dollface," he whispered, "What's wrong?" Sara hit the bag at a faster pace, mixing in martial arts kicks with her hard punches. "Nothin' that can be fixed," she hissed. Mark sighed heavily and waited a few minutes, watching Sara's face contort with rage and exertion. She finally stopped a few moments later, and fell to her hands and knees. Mark kneeled down beside her, and put his hand on her back. "Don't…don't touch me," she whispered resting back on her heels. Mark moved his hand away and said, "Okay…do you wanna talk?" She shook her head, trying to slow her breathing. Andy came dashing into the gym, out of breath. "Mark, Sara, you won't believe who I saw!" he exclaimed. He saw both Sara and Mark on their knees, and came over to them, getting on his knees as well. "You okay, Sara?" he asked. Sara looked at him, and Andy saw the anger. "You know, don't you?" he said quietly.

"Why am I the only one who doesn't know what the hell is goin' on here?" Mark said impatiently. Sara stood and headed out of the room, then looked back at Andy. "Why don't _you_ tell him, Andy? 'Cause I sure as hell don't wanna be around for this," she said angrily. Both men watched her leave, before Mark looked back at Andy. "Who'd you see?" he asked. Andy looked at him, taking a deep breath. "I don't know what he was doing here…but, I saw Shawn--." "What?!" Mark exclaimed. "I saw Shawn coming out of Vince's office…with a lawyer," Andy said slowly. "Now I know why she was so fucking angry," he growled, his anger rising as well, "I'm goin' to see Vince." Andy watched Mark storm out of the room, and shook his head. "This isn't gonna be pretty," he said following Mark. He struggled to keep up with him, because Mark was practically running down the hall. When Mark got to the door with Vince's name on it, he didn't stop. He stormed in and walked straight up to the desk. Andy quickly entered and shut the door behind him.

"What's wrong, Mark?" Vince asked standing. "You have the nerve to ask me what the hell is wrong?! What the fuck is Shawn doing walking out of your office? With a lawyer, no less!" Mark bellowed. Vince stood strong, not intimidated in the least by Mark's tall figure. "He's in the company," he answered straightforwardly, "He signed a three-year contract." "Are you shitting me?! That son of a bitch killed my woman, and you bring him back for three years?!" Mark yelled. "As I recall, Sara is very much alive…and working just as hard as she was--." Mark grabbed Vince's shirt, and pulled him over the desk. "That's not funny, Vince. You know what the fuck I mean," he growled. Andy came up, and pulled Mark away from Vince. "Mark, this is not the way--." "Back off, Andy!" Mark snapped at him. "I'm gonna tell you just like I told Sara, Mark. I do what's best for business…and the facts are simple: Shawn brought in good business. He did his job, and he did it well. That's why he was the World champ, that's why he was in that group, and that's why he was a leader," Vince said sternly, "This is my company, and _I_ decide who does and does not work for me." Mark released Vince and crossed his arms. "Vince…we're talking about Shawn, the same guy who beat my fiancée to within an inch of her life!" he tried arguing. "And I'm sorry for that, Mark, you know I am…but that was over a year and a half ago. Sara's moved on, and Shawn has, too. I think it's time for you to follow suit," Vince responded, "You are doing extremely well now, and Sara is on her way to getting back in the ring. Both of you have a come a long way, and it's time for you to just forget what happened." Mark's jaw dropped in response. "Forget…_forget_? How am I supposed to forget about that?!" he asked. "You're gonna have to…once you're done in your storyline against Jericho, you've got one with Shawn," Vince answered. Mark looked away for a moment to collect himself; he was seconds away from ripping Vince a new one.

"I'm not doing this to spite you, Mark, or Sara…I just think this is a perfect way to bring Shawn back onto television," Vince said. "Really? You're gonna put me in a 'line with my mortal enemy…just so _he_ can look good…what do I get out of it, Vince?" Mark said looking back at him. "Excuse me?" Vince asked. "Shawn's the only one who's gettin' somethin' outta this deal," Mark said. "You get television time, Mark, which is what you've been gettin' for a long time. Don't try and 'make a deal', 'cause it doesn't work that way. I _am_ your friend, but I am first and foremost your boss, and what I say goes," Vince said crossing his arms. Mark's jaw clenched, and he looked down at the floor. "Go take a breather, Mark. Come talk to me when you're not angry," Vince said quietly. Mark nodded and turned away, heading for the door. He stopped and looked back at Vince. "Sorry about grabbing you like that," he said quietly. Vince nodded and said, "I'll see you later, Mark." Mark nodded slightly, then left the room, followed by Andy. The door shut quietly, and Vince let out a sigh of relief. _That could've been a lot worse_, he thought sitting on the desk, _A _lot_ worse_.

Mark headed to his locker room, his eyes glued to the floor. He just couldn't fathom why Vince would bring Shawn back. It may have been a good business decision, but things would be not go over so well in the back. When he got inside his locker room, he plopped down on the couch and dropped his head into his hands. "You wanna talk, man?" Andy asked quietly, sitting down beside him. "No, Andy. I just need some time to calm down," Mark answered, "You wouldn't know where Sara is, would you?" "Probably gettin' cleaned up," Andy said quietly, "You want me to go find her for you?" "Nah…she needs to calm down, just like me," Mark said quietly. "You want me to leave?" Andy asked. Mark sighed heavily and simply said, "If you don't mind, Andy." "As long as you promise not to break anything," Andy said grinning. A grin came to Mark's face, and he said, "Thanks, Andy. You're a great friend, man." Andy patted Mark's shoulder as a friendly gesture, then left the room, sighing heavily when the door shut behind him.

After leaving the gym, Sara had immediately headed for the women's locker room. She'd taken a quick shower, washing her hair thoroughly before dressing in a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. Afterwards, she'd headed up to the balcony to clear her head. With Shawn back in the company now, Sara would have to overcome her hatred for him, and work with him as she would any other person. _This is gonna be so hard…I don't know if I can do this_, she thought. When Andy sat down beside her, she took a deep breath, continuing to stare out at the empty arena. "What's up?" he asked quietly. "Just thinking," she answered. "About Shawn?" he asked. Sara nodded and sighed heavily. "How's Mark?" she whispered. "Tryin' to calm down. Things almost turned real sour in Vince's office," he answered. "He didn't hit him, did he?" she asked. "Nah, but it was close," Andy said quietly. Sara let out a deep breath, and ran her fingers through her hair. "I wonder how the rest of the locker room's gonna react," she said quietly. "I don't even wanna think about that," Andy commented. "This is like a nightmare, Andy…a very bad nightmare," she whispered. "I know, baby doll…but we'll work through it," he said putting an arm around her shoulder and squeezing. "Well, we don't really have a choice, do we?" she asked softly, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Unfortunately, we don't," he responded. They sat there for a few more minutes before Andy stood.

"I'm goin' to work out. I'll be in the gym if you wanna talk," he said quietly. Sara nodded and leaned back in the chair. "Sigh," Sara said softly, then chuckling softly at what she'd said. She stood and stretched out her arms. She headed back to the locker room, but on her way there, she met up with Kevin. "Is it true? That bastard's really comin' back?" he asked. "Yeah, Kev, it's true," she answered quietly. "Oh, darlin', I'm so sorry about this," Kevin said hugging her. "It's okay, Kevin. It's not really a big deal," she said returning the hug, "It's just somethin' we've gotta work through…it's only three years." Kevin pulled away and put his hands on her shoulders. "Only three years, huh?" he asked grinning. Sara smiled and nodded. "Where's Mark?" she asked. "In the gym…workin' off some steam, I guess," he answered. "Yeah, I was just in there a little while ago," she said looking down, "I haven't worked out that hard in a long time, Kevin." "It's understandable, baby girl. We'll get through this. These three years will fly by," he said hugging her again. "I better go find him…before he breaks something important," she said pulling away from him. "I'll see ya around, Sara. If you need me, I shouldn't be too hard to find," he said as she walked away. "Thanks, Kevin, I appreciate that," she said over her shoulder.

Mark pounded the bag that Sara was hitting earlier. The idea of having to work a story with Shawn angered him to the depths of his soul. _How could Vince do this?_ he thought to himself. "Baby?" Sara said quietly, walking up behind him. "What?" he grunted continuing to punch the bag. "Let's talk," she said softly. "What about? Like you said, it's nothing that can be fixed," he growled. Sara sighed and took a seat on the bench nearby, resting her chin in her hands and watching Mark's large hands move like swift birds against the bag. A smile came to her face as she thought of how gorgeous he looked when he boxed. Mark stopped what he was doing, and looked down at her. "What are you smilin' about?" he asked. "Just thinkin' how gorgeous you look right now," she answered. Mark raised his eyebrows and put his hands on his waist. "Shawn has a contract now, and all you can think about are my looks?" he asked. Sara sighed and nodded. "It's no use dwelling on it since we can't do anything about it," she said honestly. Mark rolled his eyes slightly, shaking his head. "Are you and Vince clones or somethin'?" he asked. Sara chuckled softly, asking, "What makes you say that?" "He practically said the same thing," he answered. "How long have you been workin' out?" she asked standing. "About 15 minutes," he said. "I'm gonna go grab a bite to eat. I'll see ya back in the locker room, okay?" she said heading out. "Sara, wait," Mark said quietly. She stopped and faced him. "Do you think we can do this?" he asked. "Do what, baby?" she asked. "Work with him? I mean, after what he did to you--." Sara cut him off by holding up a hand. She walked over to him and placed her hand over his heart. "Shawn didn't break what we have, Mark. He couldn't, not even if he tried," she said softly. "But he _did_ try, dollface," he argued. "And he failed. I lived, Mark, and I'm back here workin' my ass off…just like I was before what happened. And you are, too. Shawn can't beat us, darlin'. He can't beat any of us here. He realized that, and now…it's time for everyone to move on," she said quietly. Mark took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Think it over, okay? I'll see you in a little while," she said. Mark nodded and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, dollface," he whispered. "I know," she responded before leaving the room.

Mark worked out for the next hour and a half, before heading back to his locker room. When he entered, Sara was watching a tape of his match from Tuesday night. "Feel any better?" she asked. "A little," he answered honestly, "How's the match look?" "Great. Your intensity shows a lot," she answered sipping on her bottle of water. "Well, that's what we want, right?" he said grabbing a towel and a change of clothes from his duffel bag. Sara looked over at him and grinned. "I'll be out in a bit," he said going into the bathroom. Sara nodded, and turned her attention back to the television. Mark's movement in the ring had become so fluid over the past few months, and Sara's character had become more involved with his matches. During the match she was watching, Sara had executed a clean headscissor takeover on his opponent. The match ended as Mark walked out of the bathroom, rubbing his hair with his towel. She removed the tape, and set it on top of the television. Mark sat down beside her, and placed his arm around her shoulders, using his free hand to continue towel-drying his hair. "You got a brush?" she asked looking up at him. "Yeah, in my bag," he answered. Sara grinned as she stood, went over to his bag and retrieved the brush, then came back to the couch. "Floor," she said to him. Mark smiled slightly and eased himself onto the floor, grimacing slightly. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Worked out too hard," he said quietly. Sara sighed and took a seat behind him, and began to run the brush through his hair. Mark smiled lazily and sighed his contentment.

After about ten minutes, Mark's hair was flowing smoothly through Sara's fingers. She set the brush down beside her, and Mark's head dropped back. "Better?" she asked kissing his forehead. "You have no idea," he said quietly. Sara smiled and asked, "You want a massage?" "That'd put me to sleep, remember?" he said looking up at her. Sara chuckled softly and shook her head. "I won't give you a full-body massage this time," she said standing, "Come on, on the couch." Mark hunched his shoulders and pulled himself onto the couch, lying face-down. Sara got on her knees and placed her hands on his lower back. "You ready?" she asked. Mark nodded slightly, and Sara began. His muscles were extremely tight, and as she worked to loosen them, Mark groaned. "What's wrong?" she asked removing her hands. "Don't stop," he whispered. "Are you sure?" she asked. "Please, Sara, I'm fine," he said quietly. Sara sighed and put her hands back on his back. She worked over his lower back first, before moving up to his shoulders and upper spine. Once she finished there, she asked him to sit up and face her. Mark did so, and she kneeled between his legs and worked over his right arm, squeezing and kneading the tight muscle. She gave the same treatment to his left arm. Finally, she straddled his lap and massaged his neck, moving her fingertips in circular motions over the taut skin. "There…done," she said kissing him softly. Mark eased his arms around her back, and deepened the kiss.

"Andy could walk in at any moment," she whispered against his lips. Mark kissed her lips once more, before easing her off of his lap just as Andy came walking through the door. Sara grinned and winked at Mark. "What's up, guys?" Andy asked sitting at the table near the couch. He had a plate piled with food, and a couple bottles of water. "Uh, hungry, Andy?" Sara asked trying not to laugh. "I haven't eaten all day," he said. "We ate before we got here," she said. "I never ate breakfast. I woke up a little late, and only had enough time to shower and pack," he responded. "But the show starts in a couple hours. You sure you wanna eat so much before you wrestle?" she commented. "I'm not wrestling until the second hour, so this should have digested by then," he answered. "What time is it now?" Sara asked Mark. Mark checked his watch, then answered, "Almost 7:30." "Shit," Sara said scrambling off the couch. "What's wrong?" he asked. "I gotta go get ready for the show," she answered. "And that takes an hour and a half?" he asked grinning. Sara shot him a "Don't even" look before rushing out of the room. Mark chuckled and looked over at Andy, who's mouth was now full of food. "What?" Andy asked. "Nothin', man," Mark said as he stretched out on the couch, "I'm gonna take a quick nap. Wake me up at eight, will ya?" Andy mumbled a response, and Mark chuckled softly, closing his eyes.

Sara went down to the women's locker room, which she found occupied by Amy and Lisa. "Hey, chica, what are you up to?" Amy asked, "How'd the house look?" "It's gorgeous, Amy. I didn't wanna leave," Sara said as she pulled her outfit from her duffel bag. "You were talkin' about that house for a whole five and a half months, so I can imagine your not wanting to leave," Amy said smiling. Sara chuckled and said, "I hope I didn't talk your ears off." Amy reached up and touched her ears, saying, "Nope, they're still here." Sara laughed as she changed into her outfit: a pair of smooth, black velvet pants, and a matching sleeveless shirt. The undertaker symbol was on the front of the shirt in glittery purple fabric. She reached into her bag and pulled out two pairs of boots. The first pair was made of black velvet, much like Sara's pants, with thick soles, and high heels. The second pair resembled moccasin boots, but were instead black, with flat soles and ties in the back. "Which pair?" she asked. "Are you getting involved?" Lisa asked. "No, not tonight," Sara answered. "I'd go with the heels, then, especially since they match your pants. It all flows…ya know," Lisa said, "That rhymes: it all flows, ya know." Sara chuckled and set the second pair back in her bag, then slipped on the heels. "They may match, but they're hard as hell to walk in," she said standing. She smoothed over the pants, and then ran her hands over the shirt. "Looking good is all that matters, remember?" Amy said sarcastically. She and Sara had gotten into a very colorful discussion about whether women were respected for their looks or for their actual ability. Sara blew a raspberry and said, "I won that argument, by the way." "No, you didn't," Amy said, "You had valid points, but I had the best argument." "Oh, and what was that?" Lisa asked. "That because our fan base is mostly males, 18-24, of course they're gonna be lookin' for T&A over in-ring action," Amy answered. Sara held up a finger and said, "But, we also have a growing female fan base who are looking to us to show them that women can get in the ring and be just as good as the men." "What do you think, Lisa?" Amy asked. "I don't even wanna get into this one," Lisa answered smiling. "Oh, come on. It was just a friendly conversation," Amy said grinning. Lisa left the room waving good-bye. "I gotta get goin', too, Amy. I'll see ya around, hon," Sara said following suit. "We're gonna finish this conversation," Amy said. "Uh-huh," Sara called back over her shoulder.

Sara made her way to Janet's area, and immediately hopped into the empty chair. "Hi to you, too," Janet said smiling. "Hey, Jan, how are you doin'?" Sara said smiling. "I'm good, and yourself?" Janet responded going behind Sara and beginning to brush her hair smooth. She squeezed a little mousse into her left palm, and ran it through Sara's tresses. "You would not believe what I found out today, Jan," Sara said quietly, "I'm sure it'll spread soon enough, though." "What's that?" Janet asked. "Shawn's back, Jan…he's actually coming back," Sara responded. "What?!" Janet exclaimed. "Keep it down, Jan, will ya?" Sara said looking up at her. "Alright, alright. How the hell did that happen?" Janet said quietly, brushing the hair so that the mousse was spread evenly. "I have no idea, Jan…Vince called me into his office, and there Shawn was…with wife, and I think his lawyer. Vince said he'd just signed a three-year contract," Sara said quietly. "Three years? That's a bit o' time right there," Janet said as she pulled Sara's hair into a half-ponytail, leaving the bottom half out. "Nah, it's not too long," Sara said, "But it's still…I can't believe I have to work with him again." Janet sighed heavily, shaking her head. She picked up one of the thick straightening irons and pressed Sara's hair until it was straight as a board. Afterwards, she put curls in the very ends, and framed it around Sara's face. She did Sara's make-up almost as slow as she did her hair, and still managed to finish a half an hour before the show started. "There ya go, hon," she said as she finished applying her lipstick. "Thanks, Jan, you rock!" Sara said as she headed away.

Sara quickly headed back to Mark's locker room. She knocked (as was her habit when entering a locker room other than the women's locker room), and waited until the door opened for her. Mark whistled softly as she walked past him. "What?" Sara asked. Mark licked the tip of his forefinger and placed it on Sara's rear end, making a hissing noise. "Hot stuff," he said grinning at her. Sara chuckled and made her way over to the couch. "Where's Andy?" she asked. "I have no idea. He was supposed to wake me up at eight, but I woke up about five minutes ago, and he was gone," he answered. "Well, that's not like him. Maybe it was an emergency," she said as he sat down beside her. "At least I got a good nap in," Mark said as she rested her head on his shoulder. Sara smiled and yawned slightly. "What's this? Not tired, are we?" he said looking down at her. "So, what if I am?" she asked. He grazed her finger with his cheek, then leaned down and kissed her gently. "You're gonna mess up my--." Mark cut her off by kissing her again. Sara pushed against his shoulder, but Mark grabbed her hand and placed it around his neck. Sara sighed against his lips and pulled him closer, falling back onto the couch. Mark ran his hand up her side, bringing her leg around his waist. The door opened and Mark sprang up, as did Sara. "Sorry, guys," Andy said heading back out. "No, it's alright, Andy," Sara said, "I gotta go get my make-up redone anyway." Her cheeks reddened as she left the room, though.

"Thought you were gonna wake me up at eight?" Mark asked as Andy sat down at the table. "I'm sorry, man. I got called to Vince's office a few minutes before eight, and it didn't even cross my mind to wake you up," Andy said. "Really? What for?" Mark asked. "He just wanted to talk about Shawn being back," Andy answered. "What about it?" Mark asked. "Just what I thought about it," Andy answered. "What'd you say?" Mark asked. "Well, Vince told me to be honest with him, and I told him I thought it was total bullshit. Shawn's been on my shit list since that club incident, and so I'm not looking forward to having to work with him again, because he was an asshole then, and he hasn't done anything to change my mind," Andy answered, "Sure, the attack on Sara was a year and a half ago, but that memory doesn't just disappear. Sara's uncomfortable being around him, and you and I sure as hell don't have any positive feelings about him…so it's gonna be a hard thing to do, working with him…but we don't really have a choice." "And what'd Vince have to say about that?" Mark questioned. "That, yes, we don't have a choice…but, he wants to make this as easy as possible for the whole locker room. So…next Monday, we're gonna have a meeting, and he's gonna announce it then, and answer any questions, and all that shit," Andy answered, "He doesn't want this to…upset the dynamics of the locker room, as he put it…there's gonna be an adjustment period. Either way, people aren't gonna be happy about this." "That's the damn truth," Mark said resting his arms on his knees, "I'm gonna wanna rip his fucking throat out the first time I see him…I've wanted to for the past year and a half…" "You and every other guy here, Mark. We just gotta…keep it professional…that's the only way to keep things running smoothly, ya know," Andy said quietly. "Yeah…I know," Mark said standing, "I'm goin' to find Sara." Andy watched him leave, and shook his head. "This isn't gonna be easy," he said to himself.

The show started, and Sara found a seat in an open area by the entranceway. There was a large television screen, showing the same thing the fans were seeing. Amy and Lisa started off with a number-one-contender match for the Women's title. It was fast-paced, but there were also a lot of technical sequences. Both women improved their skill with each match, and tried to bring in a new move every time they wrestled. When both women walked past Sara, she said, "Great match, ladies. Lisa, I'm gonna have to take that standing back-flip sooner or later." "Thanks, Sara. I think the fans were pretty impressed; we got a pretty good reaction to it," Lisa commented. "I noticed that. Your character's getting a lot more depth," Sara said grinning. "Yeah, thanks to Amy. We got a real good story goin' on between us, so I'm excited to see where it goes," Lisa said. "Amy, you were great, too. That suicide dive was crazy," Sara said looking to Amy. Amy chuckled and nodded in agreement. "It was a real spur-of-the-moment move; I was just prayin' that Lisa would catch me, and thankfully, she did," she said with a grin. "Well, you guys were great. I'm kinda jealous," Sara said. "Oh, don't be. You'll be back in the ring soon enough," Amy said, "We gotta go get cleaned up. See ya later, Sara." Sara nodded and waved good-bye before turning her attention back to the television. The next match-up was between Adam and Jason for the Intercontinental title. Midway through the match, a hand dropped on Sara's shoulder and she gasped, her head snapping up.

"Been lookin' for you," Mark said grinning. "As usual," Sara said rolling her eyes playfully. Mark sat down beside her and said, "I see you got your lipstick fixed." Sara snickered and dropped her head. "Yeah, I did," she said quietly, "No thanks to you, of course." Mark chuckled and nudged her rib. "You weren't complaining," he said quietly. Sara smiled and shook her head. "You're hopeless," she whispered. "Yeah, and you love me for it," he responded. Sara leaned against his shoulder and looked up at him. "Yeah, I do," she whispered. Mark winked at her, before looking back at the television. "We have to be out there in a little while," he said softly. "I know," she responded, "You should go get dressed." Mark sighed and rotated his neck, before slowly standing. "I'll be back in a little bit…you might wanna get ready," he said before walking away. Sara took a deep breath, glancing at the screen once more, before leaving the area and finding a small, dank corner to prepare herself. She took a seat on the cold concrete, and pulled her knees up to her chest, lowering her head and clearing her mind. Images of bloody bats and swinging fists, along with the conquering voice of Shawn floated through Sara's mind. She felt the anger in her heart, and allowed it to quickly spread through her body, until she was so tense that she felt like screaming. She slowly stood and emerged from the corner, her dark brown eyes surveying her surroundings. She headed back towards the entranceway, and upon arriving there, sat down on the empty couch where she'd been.

A whole 45 minutes past by, and Sara still managed to stay angry. The thought of Shawn coming back is what helped her stay that way. Knowing that she would have to work with the same man who'd tried to literally take her out was tearing her apart. Mark walked up a few minutes before they had to go out. "Angel?" he whispered. He'd learned over the past few months that once Sara got into character, she wasn't coming out of that mode until she'd stepped back through the curtains after his match. "Yeah?" Sara whispered. "It's almost time," he said kneeling down behind her. Sara looked over her shoulder, and saw Mark out of the corner of her eye. A grin came to her face, and she stood, stretching her arms out before facing him. "Let's do this," she said quietly. Mark nodded and headed over to the entranceway, Sara not too far behind him. Matt and Jeff came through the curtains a couple minutes later.

"The crowd's hot out there, Angel," Matt said. Sara grinned and nodded. "I noticed," she said softly. "See ya around," Jeff said as they walked away. Sara nodded slightly and looked up at Mark. "I guess they learned, too," she whispered. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he whispered back. Both were referring to the fact that, very slowly, Sara's co-workers were beginning to call her 'Angel', even when she wasn't in character. When Matt and Jeff's opponents (a new tag team comprised of two up-and-comers, Mark Jindrak and Garrison Cade) walked through the curtains, Sara lowered her eyes, bringing her heart rate to a normal pace, and drowning out all distractions. The gong of Mark's music brought Sara out of her trance, and she helped him quickly slip on his long, leather jacket, and buckled it up for him. He walked past her, and out onto the stage, the roar of the crowd engulfing him. Sara slowly headed out behind him, and her eyes quickly adjusted to the dark arena. The only lights were small lighters in the crowd, and a single beam focused on Mark and Sara. Once Mark was inside the ring, Sara made her way over to her usual spot, the side closest to the announcer's table.

Chris came out moments later, and entered the ring cockily. He leaned against the ropes in front of the main camera, eyeing the crowd with a slick grin. Mark attacked him from behind, the crowd cheering loudly. He pulled Chris' jacket off and tossed it over the rope as the referee signaled for the bell to ring. Mark grabbed Chris' right arm, and twisted it over his head twice, bringing his opponent down to one knee. He stepped over the arm, and fell back onto the mat, wrenching backwards. Chris screamed loudly, bringing a grin to Sara's face. When she was out at ringside, she relished in the pain that Mark brought onto his opponent. After a few moments, Mark released the arm and stood, pulling Chris up by his hair. The referee tried to reprimand him, but Mark only glared at him in response. He pulled Chris' head under his right arm, putting him in a front-face lock. Chris groaned and tried to hit Mark in the stomach to weaken his grip, but Mark remained unfazed. He suddenly executed a DDT, and went for the pin fall. Chris kicked out right after two, and Mark sneered. He pulled Chris up, slung him into the far ropes, and took him down with a harsh clothesline. Sara smiled broadly and paced her side of the ring. Mark continued his physical onslaught for nearly 10 minutes, before Jericho began to mount an offense. When Mark attempted a vertical suplex, Chris blocked it and executed his own. Sara narrowed her eyes, her jaw clenching. Chris picked up Mark by his hair and slung him into the far ropes, and when Mark bounced back, Chris flipped him over with his knee. He dropped a couple of hard elbows on Mark's chest, before nailing him in the side of the head with a few hard right punches. "Oh, this is bullshit," Sara mumbled angrily. She leaned against the mat, glaring at Chris' back. Chris must've felt her looking at him because he stood and faced her.

"Your boy isn't so bad now, is he, Angel?" he said to her. Sara hopped onto the mat and started screaming at him. The referee tried to get her down, but her focus was solely on Jericho. He came over to her, and she swung at him, but he ducked and then grabbed a handful of her hair. "You're gonna get in big trouble one o' these days, Angel," he said pulling slightly. Mark had taken this small moment to rest, but was now on his feet. He grabbed Chris from behind in a sleeper hold, and Chris released Sara's hair. Sara rubbed her scalp as she dropped back down to the floor. "I'll get him for that," she whispered as Mark fell back onto the mat, his grip on Chris' neck tight. "Come on, 'Taker!" Sara said hitting the mat. She went around to the left side of the ring, slightly grinning. She saw that Chris' body was getting limp, and knew that the match was nearing an end. The referee raised Chris' right arm once, and it dropped to the mat; he repeated this act, and again, Chris' arm dropped. On the third time, though, Chris' arm stayed in the air, his fingers twitching and reaching. Sara's jaw dropped at this sight, for she was sure that Mark had the win cinched. Chris managed to get to his feet, and hit Mark in the stomach with back elbows until Mark released him. He ran against the ropes where Sara was, and she reached out and tripped him up. The referee came over to her and reprimanded her while Mark took the time to hit Chris with several hard punches to his midsection. He ran against the opposite ropes and came back, hitting Chris with a swinging DDT, then going for the pin fall. Chris kicked out at two again, and Sara rolled her eyes in frustration.

Mark stood and walked around his opponent, eyeing him warily. He decided on his plan of action, and picked Chris up by the neck, executing a hard chokeslam. He picked him up once more, signaling for his finishing maneuver. Chris tried to fight it, but Mark kneed him a few times until his body went limp once again. He flipped over Chris' body, and dropped to his knees, forcing Chris' head into the mat. He crossed his opponent's arms over his chest, and picked up the win. The fans chanted his name as Sara climbed into the ring. The referee tried to help Chris roll out of the ring, but Sara pushed him away, pulling Chris up by his hair. "You touch me again, asshole…and I'll rip your throat out," she hissed before nailing him with a stiff forearm. Chris hit the mat hard, and Sara looked over at Mark, who nodded his approval. Sara waited for Mark to climb out of the ring before following him. When they finally got to the back, Sara shook her head clear, and rotated her neck a few times. "You okay?" Mark asked. "Yeah, I'm alright…just gotta get my mind back to normal mode, ya know," she answered. "As opposed to what, kill mode?" Mark asked grinning. Sara chuckled softly and released her hair from its ponytail, shaking it loose. "You should go get cleaned up," she suggested looking up at him, "We gotta fly to Albany tonight, remember?" Mark sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm gonna go talk to Vince real quick," he said, "I'll meet you back in the locker room, okay?" Sara nodded and they headed their separate ways.

Mark found Vince heading down the hall towards his office, and ran to catch up with him. "Vince, can I talk with you for a minute?" he said quietly. "It's gotta be a quick minute. I gotta get back to the entrance table," Vince answered. "Look, I, uh, I thought about what we were talkin' about earlier," Mark said quietly. "Really?" Vince asked stopping in the middle of the hallway. "Yeah…and I, uh, I figured…you're right. It was a year and a half ago…and I need to stop livin' in the past," Mark said quietly, "Sara's doin' so well now, and she's obviously moved past it. So…I gotta do the same." Vince took a deep breath and crossed his arms. "You serious about that, Mark?" he asked. "Yes, sir," Mark answered honestly. "Well, good. I know D.J. is World champ right now, but…I'm gonna see what I can do storyline-wise to get you in the World title scene," Vince said. "Really?" Mark asked. Vince nodded and said, "You have been through a lot, Mark, and you've done a lot to get back to where you were before…before the attack. And it's time you got rewarded for that. So…I'll see what I can do." Mark hugged him quickly, whispering, "Thanks, Vince," before releasing him. "Yep, I'll see ya tomorrow in Albany," Vince said before entering his office. Mark nodded and headed back to his locker room, a smile on his face the whole time.

When he entered the room, Sara was laid out on the couch, her arm covering her eyes. "Dollface?" he said softly. She shifted slightly and her eyes appeared from under her arm. "Yeah?" she asked as he came over and kneeled down at her side. "I made a huge step tonight," he said quietly. "Oh, yeah? What's that?" she whispered. "I just agreed to do a program with Shawn," he said softly. Sara snapped up, a look of pure shock on her face. "You did?!" she asked. Mark took a deep breath and nodded. "And what brought this on?" she asked. "You did," he answered putting his hands on her waist, pulling her closer to him. "How so?" she asked confusedly. "Just watching you grow since you've come back…into this amazing person. You don't let what happened keep you down, and I admire that, dollface. You get your character motivation from the attack, but other than that, you don't let it control you. And I've realized…that I should do the same," he said looking her square in the eye. Tears of happiness came to Sara's eyes, and she smiled slightly. "That _is_ a huge step, Mark," she whispered touching his cheeks. Mark grinned and kissed her softly. "I couldn't have made that step without you," he whispered against her lips. Sara kissed his forehead and said, "Go get cleaned up." "Yes, ma'am," Mark said standing, "I'll meet you at the car in about 20?" "Works for me," she said as he helped her to her feet. "Tell me somethin', Mark," she said softly. "What's that, baby?" he asked. "Is this the start of something new?" she asked, "Are we finally gonna be happy now?" "What do you mean?" he asked. "I just…feel like we've gotten over some sort of hump, and now things are finally gonna be okay," she answered. Mark took a deep breath and nodded. "I feel the same way, dollface," he said softly. Sara smiled and let out a deep breath. "See ya in 20," she whispered before leaving the room. Mark smiled as he headed into the bathroom. Sara was right; tonight was a turning point in their lives, personally and professionally.


	56. Ghosts Laid to Rest

**Chapter 55…Ghosts Laid to Rest**

The rest of the week flashed by for Sara and Mark. When he pulled their rental truck into the parking lot of the Boston Fleetcenter on Monday, it was going on 11 a.m. Vince had wanted everyone to be to the arena earlier than usual, so they could have their large roster meeting before things got really busy. Sara was sitting in the passenger seat, her head resting against the window, her eyes staring blankly ahead. "Dollface?" he whispered touching her hand. "Yeah?" she asked softly. "You okay?" he asked. "Yeah…this is gonna be harder than I thought," she whispered. Mark turned the truck off, and sat back in his seat. "I know," he said quietly. He looked over at her, and she was now staring at her lap. "It was hard just to be in Vince's office with him," she said quietly, "And I just know that…when he walks into that locker room…everyone's gonna look at me…wanting to see what my response is gonna be." "Don't worry about it, dollface. Thought we were over that hump?" he said touching her hand. Sara looked over at him, and he could see the worry in her eyes. "Let's just see what happens, okay?" he asked. She nodded slightly and let out a heavy sigh. "Come on," he whispered before climbing out of the truck. Sara sighed again as she followed suit. She grabbed her duffel bag from the cab of the truck, before meeting Mark in front of the vehicle. She placed her left hand in his right one, looking up at him. "We're gonna be fine now, dollface," he said quietly. She nodded and said, "I think we can get through anything now."

Once they got inside the building, they headed straight to Mark's locker room. Sara dropped her duffel bag by the door, then headed over to the couch, plopping down and lowering her head. "What time is this meeting supposed to be?" she asked. "One o' clock. You wanna go grab somethin' to eat?" Mark answered sitting down beside her. She shook her head, leaning against his body. Her fingers gripped his shirt, and she let out a deep breath as his arm came around her shoulder, squeezing gently. "I don't know if I can do this now, Mark," she whispered. Mark felt her trembling and pulled her onto his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder, her fingers still gripping his shirt. "He put me out…for a whole year…how am I gonna work with him? That's always gonna be in the back o' my mind," she continued, "And for you…he's your mortal enemy. It's gonna be ten times harder for you…I just don't want this to blow up in our faces again…I don't wanna go through that again." Mark caressed her back, rubbing his nose in her soft hair. "We won't, dollface. It's not gonna be anything like that," he said quietly. "How do you know? Shawn's so sneaky, Mark. He could work his way back up to where he was before he got fired," she argued. "Vince isn't gonna let him," Mark said simply, "The group was pretty much run by Eric; Vince only knew about what Eric told him. Trust me, if Vince had known _everything_…Shawn would've been outta there a lot sooner. This time around, Vince will know exactly what Shawn is doing. Eric was the middleman, and he covered a lot for Shawn. Shawn doesn't have that anymore, so there's a lot more control this time around." Sara sighed heavily and softly asked, "You really think so?" Mark grinned slightly and said, "Yeah…Vince wouldn't make a decision like bringing Shawn back without having thought of how people will react. He's a good businessman, but he also cares about his locker room. It's gonna be hard at first, especially with all the hard feelings towards Shawn. But…we've got a strong locker room, and we've got people who wanna make this company successful. As much as I hate to admit it, Shawn was a success, and he brought in good business. He's a good worker, and I think he's gonna add to the locker room more than take away from it." Sara sighed and closed her eyes. The feel of Mark's hand moving gently over her back put her to sleep, and when Mark finally realized it, he laughed quietly. "Rest up while you can, dollface," he whispered laying her down. He left the room, heading for the gym to get in a quick workout.

Sara awoke with a start; she rubbed her eyes and sat up on the couch. "How the hell could I fall asleep on a day like this?" she whispered to herself. The door opened and Mark walked in, wiping his face with a towel. "Ah, you're awake," he said grinning. "Why'd you let me sleep?" she asked. "You obviously needed it," he said heading into the bathroom. "Yeah, but I could've used a workout, too," she responded. "Well, it's almost 12:30. You're gonna have to wait until after the meeting for that workout," he said looking back at her. Sara sighed and asked, "Where is this meeting gonna be?" "In the conference room next to Vince's office," he answered, "I'm gonna get cleaned up, and then we'll head down there, okay?" Sara nodded her head in response. She sat on the couch, waiting for Mark to come out of the bathroom. When he finally did, it was nearing one o' clock. "You better hurry," she said as he slipped on a pair of sweatpants. "What time is it?" he asked. "Ten 'til," she answered. Mark quickly slipped on a Harley-Davidson t-shirt, a pair of socks, and his tennis shoes. "Alright, let's go," he said standing and helping her up.

The couple was the last to enter the conference room; they quickly took seats beside Kevin, Liz, and Andy. "What's goin' on here, Sara?" Kevin asked quietly. Sara took a deep breath and looked up at him. "Vince is gonna announce that…that Shawn is coming back," she said softly. "He's gonna have a riot on his hands if he's not careful about this," he said quietly. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that, Kev," she whispered. Mark squeezed her hand gently, and she looked over at him. "What?" she asked. "Nothin'," he said quietly, "Just remember, dollface…we've busted ass to get back to where we are…this isn't gonna change anything for us." Sara sighed heavily and nodded. Vince came in a few moments later, accompanied by Shane and Stephanie. "Hey, guys. We're gonna go ahead and get started," Vince said going up to the front of the room, "I know things spread quickly around this locker room, so I'm not gonna beat around the bush. Yes, it's true…Shawn Michaels is coming back." Sara looked around the room, and almost every person's jaw was now hanging. Paul Levesque raised his hand, and Vince called on him. "One question: why?" Paul said heatedly, "Shawn isn't the greatest guy in the world; we can all attest to that fact. Why the hell are you bringing him back?" "I know everyone here has had at least one confrontation with Shawn in the past, and I know some of you have very hard feelings towards him," Vince started. "You're damn right we do, Vince. He wasn't really the most perfect person in the world," Paul snapped. "Well, Paul…my reasoning for bringing Shawn back is coming from a businessman's perspective. Shawn brought in good business for us, and he had some damn good matches with most of you here. Times have changed, and so has Shawn," Vince said. "How so?" John spoke up. "I can't speak for Shawn. I'm not going to try, because I know you won't take me seriously. So I'm gonna let him speak for himself," Vince said. The door of the conference room opened moments later, and Shawn walked in with his wife, Tracy. A collective gasp passed over the room, and everyone's eyes stared at both people as they walked to the front of the room.

Sara felt her chest tighten at the sight of him, both from hatred and pity. Everyone in the room knew exactly what Shawn had done to her, and so hated him almost as much as she did. And yet, she felt pity because of the fact that everyone felt that way about him. While she was in the group, Sara had seen small signs of Shawn's goodness of heart; in his words, she'd seen the person he was underneath all his hatred. He had this image to uphold that everyone expected from him, in a way, much like they'd expected of her. It broke her down trying to uphold that image, and unfortunately had done the same to Shawn, until he'd went over the edge in attacking her. She also felt Mark's tenseness; his hand had tightened around hers, and she felt her hand going numb. "Mark," she whispered, "I can't feel my hand." He looked down at her, and she grinned slightly. "Sorry, dollface," he whispered loosening his grip. Sara wiggled her fingers a little, and turned her attention back to Shawn. He was leaning against the table, and he looked extremely nervous. His eyes were focused on the ground, and he was squeezing his hands together.

"So…where to start?" Shawn began. "How about with what the fuck you're doin' back here?" Kevin spoke. Shawn looked up finally, and sighed heavily. "Because I love this business, Kevin. I love everything about it. It wasn't about the glamour, it never was. That was just what I wanted everyone to believe. I've loved this industry since I was a kid, and when I finally got a taste of what it was like to be able to go out in front of a crowd, and get a reaction out of 'em, I didn't want to let it go," he answered. "You do realize this is a business that doesn't allow for selfishness, right?" Adam spoke. "Yeah…I do, Adam. I'm not asking for forgiveness…because I know you won't give it to me. All I'm asking is for a second chance to prove that I do want to be here, and I do want to contribute," Shawn answered. Sara stood and said, "We gave you chance after chance after chance, Shawn. And each time, you threw it in our faces. Why should we believe you this time?" She took a seat and crossed her arms, her jaw clenched tightly as she felt tears come to her eyes. Mark put his arm around her shoulders in comfort. Shawn locked eyes with her, and Sara felt the tears spill. "I can't excuse what I did to you, Sara," he said solemnly, "I'll never be able to…all I can say is that…Vince himself is willing to give me another chance. I'm asking the same of you." Sara looked away, wiping her cheeks as she did. "Guys…I know that you don't believe me when I say I've changed. And I can't explain how I've changed just by being grilled by you. It's gonna take time for you to see the changes that I've made within myself, and it's gonna take time for me to get used to being back. I don't know if Vince told you, but before Wrestlemania this year, I hadn't watched wrestling since I'd been fired. And it was at that point that I realized just how much I missed being here," Shawn said looking over the group, "And I know that God has brought me back here to prove something…I don't know what that is, but I know I'm here for a reason. And I'm just hoping that…you'll allow me back into the fold." "You got a long way to go, man," Kevin said before standing and leaving the room. Everyone except Sara and Mark followed suit, and very soon, the room was empty except for those four people. Even Vince had left the room.

Mark stood and went to the front, glaring at Shawn the whole way. Sara stayed in her seat, waiting to see what Mark would do. "You really wanna be here, Shawn?" Mark asked quietly. Shawn looked at the floor first, before looking up at Mark. "Yeah, Mark…I do," he answered. Suddenly, Mark rocked him with a right hook, knocking him down to the floor. Tracy ran up to him, beating against his broad chest, her small hands only stinging his muscled skin. "You bastard! Who do you think you are?!" she screamed. Sara quickly came up to where they were, stepping between them and facing Mark. Mark looked down at her, and she saw his relief. She stepped aside and pulled Tracy with her. "You can't let him do that, Sara!" Tracy gasped. "He's not gonna do anything more, Tracy, I promise," she said quietly. "How do you know?" Tracy snapped. "Just watch," Sara said pointing to Mark. Mark kneeled down beside Shawn, who's lip had been cut and was bleeding slightly. "I've been waitin' a year and a half to do that, Shawn," Mark said quietly, "And now that I've done it…whatever heat we had…it's over. Do you agree?" Shawn wiped his lip with the back of his hand, and nodded. "Yeah, man…it's done," he answered. "Good. Now…we got some talkin' to do," Mark said standing and holding out his hand. Shawn took a deep breath, and allowed Mark to help him to his feet. "You do realize that every single person here is gonna wanna do that to you, right?" Mark asked. "Yeah," Shawn said, "Hopefully, they won't. Otherwise, I won't have a face left." Mark cracked a smile and said, "You're alright, Shawn." He looked back at Sara, who nodded her approval. "So, who's the lady?" Mark asked. "I'm sorry. That's Tracy, she's my wife," Shawn answered as Tracy came over to him. "Are you okay?" Tracy asked wiping the blood from his lip with the tip of her thumb. "I'm fine, darlin'," he whispered touching her hand. "Are you lying?" she asked. "No, I'm not," he answered grinning, before kissing her softly. "How long you been married?" Mark asked. "Almost two years now," Shawn answered looking back up at Mark. "Congratulations, Shawn," Sara said going over to Mark, "I'm glad to see that you've turned your life around." "Thanks, Sara…that really means a lot to me," he said quietly. "What do you say we go get somethin' to eat? I'm about to starve," Mark said putting his arm around Sara's shoulders. "Yeah, sure," Shawn said before looking at Tracy, "You hungry, baby?" "Not really, but I'll go," she answered. "What do you say we go somewhere in town? I don't think it's time for me to start eating with the rest of the guys just yet," Shawn suggested. "That's fine with me," Sara said grinning slightly.

The four left the conference room, but were stopped by Vince just outside the door. "And where are you four headed?" he asked. "To lunch," Mark answered. Vince looked over at Shawn, and asked, "What happened to your face?" "Nothin', Vince. It's alright," Shawn answered. Vince then looked to Mark, who merely hunched his shoulders. He eyed Sara, who had a slight grin on her face. "Alright, whatever you say. I'll see you guys and gals around," he said before heading into his office. "So…where we headed?" Shawn asked. "There's a nice little diner a few blocks up," Sara said. "Alright. Would you rather drive, or walk?" Shawn asked. "Drive. Our rental truck's right out back," she answered. "That's fine with me," Shawn said. Sara looked up at Mark, a slight smile on her face. "You wanna drive, or should I?" she asked softly. Mark leaned down and kissed her softly. "Whatever, dollface," he whispered. The four people headed out of the building together, very aware of the stares that they were getting from everyone they passed, wrestlers and crew alike.

A few hours later, the four people walked back into the arena, stomachs full and minds content. Mark had practically grilled Shawn over lunch, asking him every question he could think of about Shawn's motives for returning. Shawn answered every single question to the best of his ability, and in the end, satisfied Mark's quest for answers. Sara and Tracy had spent the time talking together, and getting to know each other. Sara found that Tracy was a very nice woman; she was small in build, but large in character. She'd not only managed to keep her marriage to Shawn secret, but had managed to help him find himself through a relationship with God. "It wasn't easy," Tracy had told her, "Shawn was set in his ways…he really had this image that he felt in his heart he had to uphold. But once he realized that God still loved him, no matter what he'd done, it was a turning point for him. He really got his life on track once he was baptized." Shawn had also informed them of how he was getting back into ring shape; he'd been to OVW over the past four months, working out in the ring, and having practice matches before the main show started. It was a good experience for him, to go to a place so humble, and in a way, to learn how to wrestle all over again. When Sara had asked why she hadn't seen him while she was also at OVW, Shawn told her it was because Jim Cornette made it a point to have him scheduled for practice on different days than her. Vince didn't want anyone, other than the wrestlers and management in OVW, knowing that Shawn was trying to get back in ring shape.

Once Sara and Mark got back to his locker room, and the door was shut, Sara immediately jumped into his arms. She locked her lips on his, wrapping her legs around his waist. "Whoa!" Mark said leaning against the door. "What?" she asked smiling. "What are you so happy about?" he asked. Sara bit her bottom lip and hunched her shoulders. "I guess…I'm just glad this is over. I'm glad we can really get on with our lives now," she said quietly. Mark nodded, and then captured her lips in a fiery, passionate kiss. "I love you so much," he whispered against her lips. She squeezed his neck, and softly said, "I love you, too." Mark grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her face closer to his, groaning softly as her hands squeezed his shoulders. A knock on the door interrupted them. "Who is it?" Sara asked. "It's Andy," came the voice from behind the door. Sara jumped down from Mark's arms, and scooted him to the side, opening the door as she did. "Hey, Andy, what's up?" she asked. Andy hadn't traveled with them that week, and they'd barely seen him at home. "Where ya been? You've disappeared on us," she said as he walked through the door. "Oh, I've been…around," he answered slowly. Sara raised an eyebrow as she watched him plop down on the couch. He had a slight grin on his face, almost like he'd been up to something. "Someone looks a little happier than usual," she said grinning. "A little," Andy said. "Why is that?" she asked. "I've got a date tonight…after the show," he answered. "With who?" Sara asked raising her eyebrows. "An absolutely gorgeous woman, who's becoming my best friend," he answered looking over at her, "That's what I was doing all last week. Hanging out with this cool ass lady." "And you're gonna tell us who she is, right?" Sara asked. "Maybe," Andy answered pulling himself off the couch, "I'm gonna go workout, though. You wanna come with?" "Yeah, actually, I haven't gotten my workout in for the day," Sara answered. Mark pulled her close to him, leaning down to her ear. "We were just about to have a little workout before we were interrupted," he whispered before kissing her ear. Sara's cheeks turned scarlet red, and she quickly pulled away from him. She grabbed her duffel bag and went into the bathroom, quickly changing into a pair of cotton shorts and a t-shirt, before coming back out. "You're a pervert, you know?" she said to Mark, who was now sitting on the couch beside Andy. He winked at her, and smiled evilly. "Yeah, I know," he answered. "You ready, Andy?" she asked. "Yep," he answered getting up and heading for the door. "See ya in a little bit, Mark," he said as Sara walked out of the room. Mark nodded as they exited the room.

Sara and Andy entered the arena gym, and found it occupied by Shawn and Tracy. Shawn was working with the weights, and Tracy was on the treadmill. Sara went over to the second treadmill, stepping onto it and setting it up for a 30-minute run. "Hey, Sara," Tracy spoke. Sara looked over at her and grinned. "Hey, Tracy," she said, "I didn't know you guys would be in here." "Shawn wanted to go ahead and workout before it got busy in here…he didn't want to cause a ruckus, ya know," Tracy said looking over at Shawn. "Yeah, I understand. It's gonna take a long time for people to accept him. To be honest, I still haven't wholly accepted the fact that he's back," Sara said as she began to run, "It's just hard, ya know." "Yeah, I know…just give him a chance, Sara. He really wants to make things better…not just between you and him, but between him and the whole locker room," Tracy said quietly, "It's killing him to know how much damage he did to everyone. He just wants to make everything okay." "Tracy…things won't ever _really_ be okay. Sure, the guys will accept the fact that he's got a contract, and they'll accept that they have to work with him. But I doubt they'll ever want to be friends with him again. What he did…it affected everyone, and no one's forgotten it," Sara said slowly, "And they won't. That doesn't go away." "I know. I shouldn't even be asking you to give him another chance. I can only imagine what you went through because of what he did," Tracy commented, "It's hard to put into words how sorry he is for what happened…he was a broken man after he got fired. It took him a long time to get back on his feet, and even longer to accept that he wasn't a wrestler anymore. His desire to perform never left, which is why he stopped watching wrestling. It was like an addiction he was trying to quit. He just couldn't do it; he wanted so badly to be back here, back doing what, in my eyes, he was born to do." "Yeah, I'll definitely agree to that. Shawn is an amazing performer; he's definitely one of the best wrestlers to come into this company. No one will ever be able to take that away from him. But…he's gotta earn the respect of his peers all over again…and it's gonna be a long, hard road for him to travel on," Sara said quietly. "Hopefully, things will work out," Tracy commented. "Ya know, Tracy…I think they will," Sara said before picking up the pace of her run, "I honestly think they will."

After finishing on the treadmill, Sara made her way over to the weights. Shawn had finished, and was now working on the punching bag. Sara kept her focus on her workout, which proved to be a difficult task. Knowing that she was in the same gym with the man who'd tried to end her life was grating her nerves. When she finally finished her workout, she headed out of the gym. "Sara?" She stopped and took a deep breath, then turned around and faced Shawn. "Yeah?" she asked. "I was wondering if I could talk to you," he said slowly. "About?" she asked. "Just…talk," Shawn said quietly. Sara sighed heavily, and hesitated. "Just for a little bit, Sara. I won't keep you for long, I promise," he said. "Alright. I gotta get cleaned up first. I'll meet you in the upper balcony by the stage set-up," she said wiping her forehead, "I'll be there in 30." "Alright, that's fine. Thanks, Sara," he said quietly. Sara nodded and turned away, heading towards Mark's locker room. When she entered, Mark was stretched out on the couch, his right arm draped over his eyes. She could tell by his gentle breathing that he was fast asleep. "Now who's tired?" she whispered to herself, grabbing her duffel bag and leaving the room as quietly as possible.

After cleaning up, Sara headed up to where she was supposed to meet Shawn. She couldn't figure out why she'd even agreed to talk with him one-on-one. _It's like I told Tracy_, she thought, _He's gotta earn my respect all over again, and that's gonna take awhile_. When she reached her destination, she sighed in slight relief that Shawn hadn't gotten there yet. She quickly sat down, lowering her head and running her fingers through her hair. "Why is this happening?" she whispered to herself, "How am I supposed to get through _this_?" Sara sat the next few minutes, her eyes staring out at the empty arena blankly, her mind blank as well. A hand on her shoulder pulled her from her daze. She looked over her shoulder and said, "Hi, Shawn." Shawn sat down slowly a couple seats over from her, and responded, "Hello, Sara." "So, what'd you wanna talk about?" she asked sniffing. Shawn took a deep breath and looked over at her. She was sitting upright in her seat, her right leg was twitching, and her eyes were staring straight ahead. "I can only imagine just how hard this is for you, Sara. I'm nervous, too," he said quietly. "I'm not nervous," she said simply. "What are you feeling, then?" he asked. Sara swallowed and looked down at her lap. "Anger…confusion," she answered honestly, "You don't know what I've gone through to get back to where I was a year and a half ago, Shawn. Months of therapy…nearly six months straight of not knowing who I was…months of being retrained in how to wrestle…" "And I'll never be able to take back what I did to you, Sara. As much as I want to, I can't. That was a time in my life when everything around me was crumbling…I saw it, I know you saw it…and I was struggling to hold onto what I loved," Shawn said quietly, "And when I saw that there was nothing I could do to keep control, I lashed out…I lashed out at the person I saw taking that control away from me…you." "And you lashed out in the worst way possible," Sara whispered, "You broke me, Shawn…I've only admitted that to Mark. For almost six months, I was a broken person…because of you." "And I can't apologize enough, Sara. I can't change the past, but I can learn from it," he said quietly.

"And tell me, what have you learned, Shawn? You come back here, and you got Vince convinced o' your bullshit, and you got Tracy convinced. But you know what? You don't have me convinced! I see the same son of a bitch I had to work with a year and a half ago," Sara hissed standing. She tried to leave, but Shawn stood in her way. "I want you to get it out, Sara. Get it all out…everything you feel about me," he said quietly. "I'll be yelling for the next two days, so trust me, you don't want that," she hissed, "Now get the hell outta my way!" "Please, Sara…I'm begging you," Shawn said quietly. Sara's anger and frustration were beginning to peak, and she wanted to leave before she actually hit him. "Get outta my way, Shawn," she said quietly, her jaw clenching. "I won't…not until you--." Sara slapped him as hard as she could, and stepped in his face. "That's what I feel about you, Shawn. You're pathetic, you're a coward! You have no backbone! You took your own anger out on me, and nearly killed me! You are nothing but a piece of shit to me, and nothing you do will ever change that," she snarled, "I hate you…I hate everything about you! I hate what you did to me! I hate that I was broken by someone like you, someone who thinks that the world owes him something! I hate how cocky you are, to think you can come back here so easily, and think that you still have a right to be here! I hate how you prance around here like you're still a leader, like you're still the number one guy, like…like…" "Like what, Sara?" he asked quietly. Sara looked away as tears filled her eyes. "Like…like you've won," she whispered. Shawn let out a heavy sigh, and gently turned Sara's face to his. Her cheeks were shining with spilled tears, and her eyes were closed. "No one has won, Sara…in a situation like this…nobody comes out on top," he said quietly, wiping away the tears, "We're both competitive people…and we both wanted to come out of that situation the winner…and it backfired in _both_ our faces." Sara sniffed and finally looked at him. "So that's what you learned, huh?" she whispered. Shawn merely nodded his head, dropping his hand away from her face.

Sara let out a deep breath and crossed her arms. "I, uh…I'm sorry…for hitting you," she whispered, "That wasn't right." "It's alright," Shawn said quietly, "So…you wanna sit down and talk?" Sara swallowed and nodded. "Sure," she whispered. She slowly sat down, and Shawn followed suit. "So how are things goin' for you?" Shawn started. "Really good, actually. I finished therapy a year after the…attack, so that was exciting. I got to make my comeback at Wrestlemania, which was even more exciting," Sara said at the memory of that special night, "Just coming out with such a great entrance...I don't really remember much about the details. I was in a kind of…trance, if you will." "A trance?" Shawn asked grinning. "Yeah…it's somethin' I do to get into character. I just kinda go off into a corner, and I think about all that bad that I went through…and this anger starts in my heart, and I just let it spread," she said, "And I don't come outta that trance until I walk back through those curtains. The guys have actually started callin' me Angel, even when I'm not in character." "That's pretty cool…about how the guys call you Angel, I mean," he said. "Yeah, I know what you meant," she said softly. "So how were things for you in OVW?" he asked. "Rough…like I said, it was like starting all over again," she answered, "I'd actually had doubts about getting back in the ring. When I first came back a month or so before Wrestlemania, and started to manage with Mark, all I wanted to do was be in front of the fans, so it didn't matter. But the day of that show…I just got this urge to get back in the ring…and it wouldn't go away. But I was afraid…and angry…I was afraid I'd hurt myself, and I was angry that you made me afraid. Andy…he forced me back in the ring, and I'm so glad he did. We put on a pretty okay match, and when we were done, Vince told me he wanted to send me to OVW."

"Did you go right away?" he asked. "Nah, I couldn't go right away. I wasn't comfortable enough in the front o' the fans to wanna train to wrestle…I waited for a couple months, until I established my character with Mark well enough," she answered, "But I was there three or four days a week. Whenever I wasn't traveling with Mark, I was in OVW. I rarely even got to spend time at our house." "You got a house?" he questioned. "Yeah, uh…we bought some land outside o' Houston, and built a house out there," she answered. "Tracy and I are livin' in San Antonio, so we're not too far from you guys," he said. Sara nodded and looked down at the ring. "When's the last time you were there?" he asked. "Home? Probably a few months ago," she answered. "Wow…that's gotta be hard," he said quietly. "It can be…but I get to see Mark a few days a week, so it's not as hard as it could be," she said softly. "True…it's hard as crap for me to be away from Tracy when I have to go to Louisville," he said. "How'd you meet her?" she asked. "At an autograph signing, ironically," Shawn answered grinning, "At first, I thought she was just some groupie, but then we went out for a few drinks…I ended up spending the whole night with her." "Doin' what?" Sara asked looking at him. "Talking…it was the first time I ever let down my guard," he answered, "And…whenever I was around her…I kept it down." "That must've been hard," Sara said. "Actually, it wasn't…it just felt so natural to be around her. I trust her with anything," he said softly, "I wanted to give up so badly after I got fired…but she wouldn't let me…she's my guardian angel." Sara grinned slightly and said, "I know how ya feel." Shawn returned the grin, before looking out at the ring.

"When's the last time you were in there?" he asked. "Wrestling?" she asked. "Yeah," he answered. Sara smiled and let out a sigh. "A couple days ago, in Louisville. I don't really wrestle on the days I'm with Mark. I get enough o' that in Louisville," she commented. "Yeah, I understand that. I try and relax as much as possible when I'm at home, which is only really a day or two a week…it sucks," he said quietly, "I miss Tracy so much…I don't know how she deals with it." "Love gives you a strength to get through those kinda things," Sara said softly. "Are you and Mark married yet?" he asked. "Um, no," she whispered, "We were planning it for after Wrestlemania last year, and then…well, you know. Once I got my memory back, though, he put that ring right back on my finger. And now…we're planning for after Wrestlemania again." "Well, that's great," he said quietly. "Yeah. I can't wait," Sara said smiling. "Well, I'm definitely glad you two are still together," he said. "Nothin' can break us…we're one and the same person," she said, "He always seems to know what I'm thinkin', even when I don't say anything." Shawn chuckled and nodded his head. "Tracy's the same way…it's said there's only one person in the world for you, and I think that we've both found that person," he said quietly. "Yeah…lucky us…most people don't," she said softly.

"Has Vince talked about you getting in the ring anytime soon?" he asked. "Nah…I think OVW is more for my personal benefit than actually to get me ready to wrestle in front of a crowd," she answered, "I mean, of course it's to get me ready to wrestle in front of people again, but…just knowing that I can wrestle is comfort enough for me." "How do you feel about gettin' in there now?" he asked quietly. "With you?" she asked looking at him. "Yeah…with me," he answered. "Maybe some other time, Shawn…looks like we'll have plenty o' chances to get in the ring now," she said grinning slightly. "Yeah…we will," Shawn said grinning back. Sara expected warning bells to go off in her head, but they didn't. She knew at that moment that Shawn was sincere in his wishes to get back in the ring. "Look, I really gotta get outta here now," she said quietly, "I have a feeling Mark's searching for me…" "You're right," said a voice from behind her. She looked over her shoulder and smiled. "You're awake, huh?" she said standing. Mark came down the steps slowly, nodding his head as he did. "You snuck out on me," he said as she came up to him. She put her arms around his neck, squeezing tightly. He returned the hug, resting his face in the crook of her neck. "Hungry?" she asked. "A little," he whispered looking at her. Sara saw the gleam in his eyes, and knew he wasn't talking about food. "You pervert," she whispered. Mark winked at her, then planted a kiss on her forehead. Sara looked back at Shawn, who was staring out at the arena. "Looks like I'll be seein' you around," she said. Shawn looked up at her and stood. "Yeah, looks like it," he said. Mark placed Sara's hand in his, then headed up the stairs as she waved good-bye to Shawn.

Once sitting inside the catering room, Mark stared at Sara intently. "What?" she asked after swallowing a forkful of chicken salad. "What were you doing with Shawn?" he asked quietly. "Just talking, Mark," she answered, "Catching up." "On what?" he asked. "On both of our lives. I talked about what I'd been up to, and he talked about what he'd been up to," she answered. Mark continued to stare at her as she ate, and finally Sara placed her fork down and stared back. "Are you getting overprotective again?" she asked. "Maybe," he said resting his chin on the tops of his hands. Sara rolled her eyes slightly as a grin came to her face. "You'll never stop," she said softly. "Of course not…I love you too much," he whispered. Sara felt her cheeks redden, and looked down. "Will you stop that?" she whispered. "What? Stop showering words of love on my soon-to-be wife?" he asked smiling. Sara felt a smile come to her lips, and she slowly looked up at him. "Yeah, I love you, too," she said softly. "You got your workout in?" he asked. Sara nodded and went back to her food. "I talked to Tracy while I was on the treadmill. She's a really nice woman…she really loves Shawn…almost like I love you," she said quietly. "Almost, huh?" he asked grinning. Sara smiled and nodded. "Yeah," she whispered, "Almost."

"Were you okay being alone with him?" he asked. "Not at first. It was so nerve-wracking. I felt like my heart was gonna jump outta my chest. I wanted to leave so bad, but Shawn wouldn't let me," she started. She saw him tense up, and quickly said, "But it wasn't like that. He wanted me to tell him everything I thought about him, to get my anger out…much like you did when you hit him." Mark relaxed a little and motioned for her to continue. "I didn't hold back, either…I really laid into him…and when I was done, I felt a lot better…my mind felt lighter, ya know," she said quietly, "Like you felt after you hit him." "So you're alright being around him now?" he asked. "Well, I'll never be fully comfortable around him…but the past is the past, and I think I've finally stopped living in it," she answered. Mark touched her hand softly, his fingers linking with hers. "Feels good to move past the bad, huh?" he whispered. Sara let out a deep breath, and looked into his eyes. They were shining brightly, not only with happiness, but with profound love. "Yeah…it does," she whispered. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?" he asked. "What time is it?" she asked. "Almost six," he said checking his watch. "Nah…I probably won't be getting ready for another hour," she answered. "Let's go sit, then," he said standing. Sara looked down at her plate, which was only half-empty, and looked up at him. "I'm not finished eating," she said softly. "How 'bout I help you with that?" he said sitting down beside her, his chair very close to hers. He picked up the fork, scooped a large amount of the chicken salad, and easily placed the fork in his mouth. Sara's plate was now very nearly empty. She snatched the fork from him and whispered, "You pig!" "You gotta stop the name-callin', dollface," he whispered after swallowing the food in his mouth. "Oh, yeah, what're you gonna do about it?" she asked. "I guess you'll have to see, huh?" he asked. Sara quickly finished the rest of her chicken salad, before putting the plate on the dish cart and following Mark out of the room.

After their small dinner, Mark took Sara down to his locker room, and once they were inside, he locked the door. "What are you doin'?" she asked facing him. "I told you I was gonna get you back for all that name-calling, right?" he said coming over to her, "Besides…we got a little exercising to do." Sara blushed slightly and began to back up. "Oh, no you don't," Mark said grabbing her waist and pulling her to him. "Mark!" she gasped before his lips crashed down on hers. Sara moaned softly and wrapped her fingers in his hair, turning her head sideways slightly and opening her mouth to allow Mark access. Mark groaned and tried to pull her even closer to his body. He pulled her up, and her legs wrapped around his waist. "When's the last time we made love?" she whispered against his lips. "I can't remember," he answered softly. "You really think this is the right place for this?" she asked quietly. Mark looked into her eyes, and let out a heavy sigh as he looked away. "Of course not, dollface," he whispered before grinning slightly and taking a seat on the couch, "But it is the right place for a little…foreplay." Sara leaned her head back and laughed heartily. Mark's eyes went to her slender neck, and he quickly placed his lips right on the point of her pulse. Sara gasped and squeezed his neck tightly. Mark moved his hands up her sides, gently easing her shirt up and over her head, pulling his lips away from her neck only once to remove her shirt completely. Sara gasped as pleasure began to spread through her body. He gently caressed her back, moving his mouth over her neck across her shoulder. Sara grinned and kissed the side of his head softly. He looked at her, and she whispered, "I love you." A smile crept onto his face, and he asked, "How much?" "I can't live without you," she answered gently caressing his cheeks. "Do you have any idea how much I love _you_?" he asked softly. "No, Mark, how much do you love me?" she asked grinning. "You light up my life, dollface…it'd be dark without you," he answered before bringing her face down to his and kissing her once more. Sara smiled against his lips, cherishing the feel of his body against hers. "Where would we be without each other?" she asked softly. "Lost and confused…sure as hell not as happy as we are now," he answered. Sara pulled away from him and sighed contentedly. "You're right about that," she whispered, "I can't imagine life without you, Mark…not even if I tried." "Well, don't try too hard, 'cause you won't be able to get rid o' me," he said smiling. Sara chuckled softly and rested her chin on his shoulder. They sat there just holding each other for awhile, until a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Who is it?" Mark asked. "It's Vince," came the voice behind the door. Mark sighed and Sara moved from his lap, leaning over the edge of the couch and grabbing her shirt, quickly putting it back on. Mark went to the door, and made sure Sara was dressed before he opened it. "What's up, Vince?" he asked. "Hey, Mark, I just wanted to let you know that you're gonna start the beginning of your feud with Shawn tonight," Vince said. "Really?" Mark asked, "Why so soon?" "Well, you've got your final match with Jericho Sunday, and your feud with Shawn is gonna be a long one," Vince answered, "At least, as long as the fans react to it like we hope they will, it'll be a long one." "How long?" Mark asked. "Three months is what we're shooting for. Probably a regular match at Survivor Series, and then a big match at Armageddon, and then a final big match at the Royal Rumble," Vince answered. "What kinda big matches?" Mark asked. "A first for Armageddon; it's called 'Hell in a Cell', and it's not a regular cage match. It's what it sounds like, a cell. It surrounds the ring, going around the outside, so that there's room to move outside the ring. And an 'I Quit' match at Royal Rumble," Vince said. "Those _are_ big matches," Mark commented. "Yeah…they just popped into my head as the kinda match I could see you two doing pretty well in," Vince responded. "So how are you planning on starting that feud with Shawn?" Mark asked. "Well, I was thinking he could come out and try to interfere in your match tonight. We'd bring Sara into the mix, of course, by having him and her have words, or have some kind of altercation," Vince answered, "And then Sunday, have an even bigger altercation, which starts the feud off even more. For the next two RAW shows, I'll probably just have you wrestle random guys, like John Cena, or Brock, and have Shawn just meddle in your business. And then you'd challenge him for a match at Survivor Series. With the fans not really knowing behind-the-scenes stuff, they'll see this as real life mixing with fantasy, with what happened with Sara and everything. But that's just a basic outline for the next month or so. Once Survivor Series is over, we'll sit down and talk out what's gonna happen to lead into Armageddon." Mark nodded his head in understanding, saying, "Sounds good to me." "Alright, then. I'll see you later, Mark," Vince said before walking away. Mark shut the door and looked back at Sara, who was sitting on the couch with her arms around her knees.

"You hear all that?" he asked coming over and sitting beside her. She nodded and took a deep breath. "What is it, dollface?" he whispered. "Starting a feud with Shawn so soon?" she said quietly, "Just kinda took me off-guard." "I know what you mean," he said touching her hand, "But remember…we're tryin' to move past it. This storyline is gonna do wonders for me, and even for you. Hell, you may even get to hit Shawn a few times." Sara grinned slightly and hunched her shoulders. "I won't…but Angel will," she said. Mark smiled and touched her cheek. "I can't tell you how happy I am that you've built your character up so much," he said softly. "She's just an extension of who I am, Mark," she said quietly. "And what a wonderful extension she is," Mark said before leaning over and kissing her once more. "I gotta go get ready," Sara said once he pulled away. "It's only six o' clock," he said as she stood. "And you know how long it can take me to get ready," she said heading to the door. "Yeah…you and the rest of your species," he said grinning. Sara stuck her tongue out at him, and he said, "You better put that back where it belongs." "Or what?" she asked crossing her arms. "Do you really wanna find out?" he asked grinning devilishly. Sara turned red and quickly left the room, hearing Mark's laughs as she shut the door behind her.

Sara knew that she had a chance of being physically involved in Mark's match later that night, so she dressed in the set she'd worn last week, changing only the boots she was going to where. She made sure everything was smoothed over before she headed to Janet's station. Janet was working on Trish's make-up; Trish was wrestling Lisa that night for the Women's title. "Trish, what's goin' on?" Sara said as she walked up. "Hey, Sara. Long time no see, hon!" Trish answered as Janet applied her foundation. "Yeah, I know. How've you been?" Sara said taking a seat. "Good, good. Having the time of my life wrestling!" Trish said excitedly, "I never knew being in the ring could be so much fun!" Sara chuckled and nodded her head. "Trust me, I know the feeling," she said, "The ladies been treating you okay?" "Oh, yeah, they're awesome. Amy and Lisa are like my best friends, and they really look out for me. They're always giving me pointers about my matches, and telling me what I'm doin' good and what I can improve on," Trish answered. "How long have you been wrestling, Trish?" Sara asked. "A couple years now, and I'm Women's champ now. But it feels like I just started yesterday," Trish answered. "Yeah, it's always like that," Sara said grinning. Trish looked over at Sara, and asked, "So…how do you feel about Shawn being back?" Sara took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. "Just…gotta work through it, ya know. I talked with him about an hour ago, and I think he really, really wants to be here. We'll just have to let things play themselves out," she answered quietly. "Yeah, I hear ya," Trish said softly.

The two women continued talking, until Janet finished with Trish, and put huge curlers in her hair to create volume. "Come back here in about a half an hour, Trish, and we'll get those curlers out," Janet said as Trish hopped out of the chair. "Maybe I'll just go out like this, Jan," Trish said jokingly. "Ha! The fans would get a kick outta that," Janet commented as Sara replaced Trish in the high chair. "Yeah, they would," Trish said as she walked away, "Be back in a half an hour." "So, Sara, how ya holdin' up?" Janet asked. Sara sighed heavily and shook her head. "Mark's gonna be starting his feud with Shawn tonight," she said quietly. "I thought he was working with Jericho?" Janet asked beginning to brush her hair. "Well, he is. But Vince came to his locker room earlier, and told him that he's bringing Shawn back to TV tonight, to interfere in his match. Mark's still gonna wrestle Chris on Sunday night, mind you, but Shawn's gonna do a lot of interfering over the course of the week," Sara answered. "How do you feel about that?" Janet asked. "There's nothin' I can do about it, so why worry?" Sara answered, "Besides…Shawn and Mark had a nice, long talk over lunch today after the meeting…and I think that Mark's slowly starting to believe that Shawn's really changed." "So he's gonna interfere tonight?" Janet asked. "Yeah, me and him are gonna have a confrontation…I think it's gonna cost Mark the match, and after Sunday, then they're really gonna get into it," she answered. "Are there big plans for the feud?" Janet asked. "Yeah, actually. It's gonna be a long one…three whole months, if the fans take to it like Vince hopes they will," Sara answered, "He's banking that the fans will blur the lines between fantasy and reality, with the history between Mark and Shawn being brought into the ring, ya know." "Wow…that _is_ big," Janet said quietly. "I know," Sara whispered. She kept quiet for the rest of the time, only speaking once Janet had finished both her make-up and hair. She'd put loose curls in her hair, and fluffed them up a bit, to make Sara's hair seem even thicker.

"Thanks, Janet, I appreciate this. I don't know where we'd be without you," Sara said standing out of the seat. "Ah, it's nothin', Sara. It's what I love to do, make people look good," Janet said grinning. Sara smiled and hugged her. "It's a good thing you love it. God only knows what you could do to us if you didn't," she said laughing. "Go on, get outta here," Janet said as Sara released her. Sara waved goodbye before heading back to Mark's locker room. He was stretched out on the couch watching the tape of his match from last week's show. "Hey, there," she said as she shut the door. "You're back early," he said looking over at her. "Didn't take as long as you thought it would?" she asked coming over to him and sitting down on the floor. Mark ran his fingers through her soft hair, and tried to kiss her, but she pulled away. "Why do you do that?" she asked. "What?" he asked. "Try and kiss me when my make-up's all perfectly done?" she asked. "Because you look so beautiful…," he whispered caressing her cheek. Sara looked down at her hands, a grin on her face. "Stop," she whispered. Mark tilted her head up slightly, looking into her eyes. "I mean it, dollface…you're the most beautiful woman on the planet," he said softly. "You gotta watch this match," she said quietly. Mark winked at her, and she leaned back against the couch. Mark turned his attention back to the television, and they watched together.

After the tape was over, Sara took it out as Mark stretched out on the couch, lying face-down. Sara looked back at him and grinned. "You okay, baby?" she asked. "Yeah…just a little sore," he answered. "You might wanna stretch out some before the show starts," she said quietly. "I will," he said softly. She came over to him and kneeled down beside him, placing her hands on his lower back. She closed her eyes, and let her hands move gently over his back, loosening the muscles as much as she could. When she finished, she glanced up at Mark's face. He had a completely relaxed look, his mouth in a very crooked grin. "Darlin'?" she whispered. "Mmm?" he answered. "Better?" she asked. "You know it," he whispered slowly sitting up and pulling her onto his lip, nuzzling his lips in her hair. He kissed her neck just barely, blowing over and feeling shivers run through her body. "You better stop shivering like that," he whispered kissing her earlobe, pulling it gently with his teeth. "Why?" she whispered grinning as she shivered involuntary. Mark pressed his hips up into hers, and she laughed. "That's why," he whispered. "You should stop makin' me, then," she said looking at him, her eyes dropping to his lips. "But I'm so irresistible," he said smiling. Sara rolled her eyes playfully, and said, "And a cocky bastard, too." Mark's jaw dropped in response. "I am not a bastard," he said feigning a bruised ego. Sara shook her head and tried to get off of his lap. Mark wrapped his arms tighter around her waist, and pulled her closer. "Where do you think you're goin'?" he asked softly. "Off your lap," she answered simply. "Why? What do you have to do that's so important?" he asked grinning. Sara sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "Nothin'," she whispered, grinning slightly. She ran the tip of her tongue slowly up the side of his neck, then blew slowly. Mark groaned and squeezed her waist. "You do that again, and I'm gonna do more than mess up your make-up," he growled. "Well, let me go, then," she said softly. "But I like holdin' you like this," he whispered. Sara sighed and knew she was defeated; she laid her head on his shoulder, and relaxed completely.

A knock on the door a few minutes later interrupted them. "Who is it?" Mark asked, not moving to open the door. "It's Shawn." Sara took a deep breath and went to move from Mark's lap. "Don't you move one inch," he whispered in her ear. She looked at him, and he raised his eyebrows. "Come on in, Shawn," Mark called out, still staring at her. The door opened slowly, and Sara felt herself reddening. "Do you want me to come back?" Shawn asked. "Nah, come on in," Mark answered looking over at him. Shawn entered, shutting the door behind him. "Vince told me he was gonna start using me tonight, and he told me to come talk to you about how I should come out," he said. Sara started squirming in Mark's lap, and Mark looked back at her. "What'd I tell you about that?" he whispered. "Let me up!" she whispered back. Mark grinned and winked at her before finally releasing her. Sara scrambled off his lap, and faced Shawn. "Hi, Shawn," she said somewhat nervously. "Like I said, should I come back?" Shawn said, and Sara saw him fighting not to smile. "Don't you dare laugh at him!" Sara said plopping down beside Mark and crossing her arms, her face bright red under the pale foundation, fully embarrassed at that point.

Shawn chuckled softly and pulled up a chair. "So…any ideas about tonight?" he asked. "Well, I was thinking somewhere near the end of the match, you come down and grab Sara. Now fair warning, when she's Angel, she's a different person. Anyone grabs her, and she instinctively fights back. But…I was thinking tonight, things would be different," Mark started, "She'd be standing on the side of the ring facing the ramp, and you'd sneak up behind her and grab her somehow. She'd turn around, and it'd be like she was seeing a ghost." "Well, I don't wanna hurt her, so how can I grab her without hurting her?" Shawn asked. "Oh, don't worry about it, Shawn. It's no biggie," Sara spoke, "Be spontaneous. That way, my response will be real." "Are you sure?" he asked. "Yeah, it's fine," she answered. "Okay, so what then?" Shawn asked. Sara sat back on the couch, a grin coming to her face as she watched Mark and Shawn work together on making their storyline come to life.

That night, Sara was very active in Mark's match against John Cena. She got to execute a DDT on the ringside floor when the referee wasn't looking, as well as a low-blow near the end of the match. As Mark was preparing for his finishing maneuver, Sara felt a hand in her hair, and suddenly her head was yanked back. She twirled around, preparing to defend herself, and froze. "No!" she gasped, her jaw gaping open. "I've been lookin' for you, darlin'!" Shawn snarled grabbing her jaw, "It's time you learned your place!" "Taker!" she screamed as Shawn dragged her up the ramp. Mark's head snapped in his direction, and his eyes widened at the sight. He quickly out of the ring, dashing up the ramp, forgetting about the match completely. The cameras followed him as planned, and he found Sara apparently knocked out near the entranceway. He was still trying to wake her when the cameraman said, "Alright, 'Taker, we've cut to break." "So I can open my eyes now?" Sara said grinning. "Yeah, you can, Angel," Mark said softly. Sara slowly sat up and grabbed at her neck. "You okay, dollface?" he whispered. "Yeah…Shawn just yanked a little hard," she whispered. "Where'd he go?" he asked. "I think back to his locker room. Vince told me his contract said he wrestles one match, and then he leaves the arena," she said as he helped her to her feet. "Mark?" the cameraman asked. "Yeah?" Mark answered looking over at him. "Vince told me to tell you he wants you and Angel to go to the trainers' room for a scene before the next match," the cameraman said. "How long do I got?" Mark asked. "About two minutes," the man answered. Mark nodded and led Sara down to the trainer's room.

The cameraman was already waiting there for him. "30 seconds before we come back," he told Mark. "What are we shooting?" Mark asked. "Lloyd's gonna walk in, and Angel's gonna be sitting there holding an icepack to her neck. He's gonna try and ask how she is, but you're gonna pull him away and throw him out, but the cameraman's gonna stay while you two talk about what happened," the man answered. "Okay, cool," Mark answered before he and Sara went into the room. She grabbed an icepack from the cooler on the table, and leaned against the table. Her neck was slightly sore, so she placed it where it hurt the most. A knock on the door a few moments later signaled that they were now on-air. The door opened slowly and Sara heard Mark Lloyd's voice. "Angel? I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment," he said nervously. She glared at him as he walked in, the cameraman behind him. "What do you want?" she hissed. "Can you tell us what happened to you? All we saw was Shawn Michaels grab you and pull you to the back," Lloyd said. Sara turned pale and started shaking slightly, looking up at Mark. "Get the hell outta here!" Mark said grabbing Lloyd's collar and shoving him outta the room. "You okay, Angel?" he asked pulling a chair up and sitting in front of her. "What's he doing back here?" she said only loud enough for the camera to pick up the sound, "He-he was supposed to be gone…" "I have no clue, Angel…but we'll find out. He won't get near you again," he said squeezing her hand gently. Sara looked into his eyes, and Mark saw a fear that he hadn't seen for a long time. "And cut," the cameraman said a few moments later.

Sara shook her head and removed the icepack. "What's up, dollface?" he whispered. She looked down at him, and sighed heavily. "It was just weird," she whispered, "It really felt like I was seeing a ghost…" "You were really scared right now, weren't you, dollface?" he said softly. She merely nodded her head. "Why?" he asked quietly. "I can't put my finger on it…being laid out on the floor like that…it just brought back memories," she whispered. Mark stroked her cheek softly, and leaned up to kiss her, but she pulled away. "Afraid I'll mess up your make-up?" he asked jokingly. Sara smiled genuinely and leaned down, kissing him softly. A knock on the door brought them back to reality. Mark stood and opened it, then stepped back. Sara looked up, sighing as Shawn walked in. "You okay?" he asked sincerely. "Yeah, I'm alright. My neck's a little sore," she answered. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pull so hard," he said quietly. "It's alright, Shawn. I told you to be spontaneous, and you were," she said forcing a grin. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again. "I'm fine…don't be such a worrywart…it causes wrinkles," she said. Shawn grinned at her, and said, "I've already got some o' those. I'll see you Sunday, okay?" "You're not gonna be at Smackdown tomorrow night?" she asked standing. "Nah, Vince said he didn't need me again until Sunday. So, I'm gonna go back to OVW for a few days, and then relax at home until the pay-per-view," he answered. "Oh, okay. I'll see you Sunday, then," she said. Shawn nodded and then left the room. "Come on, let's go get cleaned up," Mark said stroking her cheek once more. Sara nodded and put the icepack back in the cooler, before following Mark out of the room.


	57. Chillin' Out

**Chapter 56…Chillin' Out**

"The seat belt light above your seats is now lit. Please buckle your seat belts, and prepare for landing. Once again, thank you for flying American Airlines." Sara stirred from her sleep, and rubbed her eyes. She looked over at Mark and grinned. He was still fast asleep, his head leaning to the side, and his mouth wide open. He wasn't snoring, but it was still a funny sight. Sara buckled his seat belt for him before buckling her own. She stretched her arms and yawned slightly. It was the first day she was going to be home in nearly four months. The plane landed a few minutes later, and Sara nudged Mark's ribs slightly. "Ouch," he whispered. "I'm sorry, are you okay?" she asked. He'd gotten a bruised rib while wrestling Tuesday night. "Yeah, I'm alright," he whispered looking over at her, "Happy to finally be home?" "We're not there just yet," she answered grinning. Mark winked at her and kissed her forehead lightly. "We will be soon, though," he whispered. Sara nodded as they stood and quickly exited the plane. They'd decided to fly back as soon as possible once Mark had cleaned up after his match Wednesday night. Once they were finally on the road back to the house, Sara relaxed and leaned her head against the window. Mark reached over and touched her hand. She looked over at him, and he whispered, "You okay, dollface?" "Mmhmm," she answered softly, "Just a little tired…ready to sleep in my own bed for once." Mark slowly sped up, and arrived home 20 minutes later.

Sara slowly climbed out of the truck, and reached for her bags in the back. "We'll get 'em tomorrow, dollface," he said gently pulling her towards the front door. "I wonder where Andy is…I've barely seen him this week," she said softly. Mark unlocked the door and let her in first. Duchess and Slasher came trotting up to Sara, and she rubbed both dogs heads, kneeling down and hugging their necks. "I missed you guys," she whispered. "Come on, dollface," Mark said after shutting the door and locking it, "Bedtime." Sara sighed and stood, stretching her arms and yawning. She followed Mark upstairs, Duchess and Slasher close on her heels. Once inside her room, she immediately stripped down to her panties and climbed into bed. Mark undressed down to his boxers, and climbed in behind her, pulling her body close to his. "There's no place like home," he whispered kissing her ear, "Welcome back, baby." Sara grinned and whispered, "I love you, Mark." "Ditto, dollface," he whispered before falling asleep. Sara fell asleep with a small grin on her face.

Sara awoke the next morning with two warm bodies on either side. She looked over her shoulder and saw Slasher; Duchess was lying in front of her. "You guys are gonna have to stop sleeping in my bed," she whispered climbing out of the bed slowly, managing not to wake either dog. She slipped into the bathroom, and ran a bubble bath. She slipped off her underwear before easing into the tub, sighing happily. "Now this has gotta be what heaven is," she whispered leaning her head back and closing her eyes. The warm water relaxed her sore muscles, and before she knew it, she'd fallen back asleep. Mark walked into the bathroom about 15 minutes later, and chuckled softly. He kneeled down beside her and stroked her cheek. "Dollface?" he whispered. Sara's eyes fluttered open, and locked on his. "Yeah," she whispered. "You realize you fell asleep in the tub, right?" he said grinning. "I guess I wasn't as rested as I thought I was," she said softly. "Well, go on back to bed, then," he suggested. "With those two animals taking up all the space?" she said smiling, "I don't think that's possible." "Yeah, Stacy left a message saying they've been sleeping there while I wasn't here," he said. "Stacy?" she asked. "The housekeeper…she keeps things up when I'm not here, and takes care of Duchess and Slasher," he answered. "You didn't tell me you hired a housekeeper," Sara said quietly. "It's no big deal, baby. Besides, Duchess and Slasher kept eating all the dog food I left out for them before I'd get home, so I had to make sure they were fed properly," he said grinning, "Your dog's a pig." Sara's jaw dropped, and she slapped his arm. "Don't talk about my dog!" she gasped. Mark smiled and kissed her lips softly. "Go on and clean up. That water's gotta be cold by now," he said standing. "Yeah, it is," Sara said as he walked out. She washed up and quickly climbed out of the tub, and wrapped herself in a towel. She went into the bedroom, and pulled a nightgown out of the dresser, looking at Duchess' and Slasher's reflections in the mirror and shaking her head. "Spoiled little things," she whispered slipping the nightgown over her head and heading downstairs.

She found Mark in the kitchen, a newspaper and cup of coffee in hand. "We get a paper now?" she asked sitting down beside him. Mark nodded as his eyes scanned over the words. "Wow…I _haven't_ been home in a while," she said softly. "Well, things haven't changed too much, dollface. Andy still lives here…all the rooms are still the same," he said trying not to grin. Sara looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Oh, shut up," she whispered going over to the stove and pouring herself a cup of coffee. "What are we gonna do today?" she asked coming back over to him. "Well…I was planning on reading the paper, and then just watching some TV," he answered. "Okay, okay, I can take a clue," Sara said sticking her tongue out at him. Mark looked at her over the rim of his cup. He set the cup down and came over to her, taking her cup from her hands and setting it on the kitchen counter behind her. "What'd I tell you about that?" he whispered softly. Sara tilted her neck up, asking, "About what?" Mark grabbed her waist and lifted her onto the counter. "About sticking your tongue out at me?" he asked grinning. Sara's eyes widened at his hidden meaning. "I just took a bath," she managed to say before Mark's lips came crashing down on hers. He kissed her with a longing that took her breath away. When he finally pulled away to take a breath, Sara shuddered slightly. "Learned your lesson yet?" he whispered breathing hard. Sara smiled broadly and shook her head, saying, "Nope, not at all." Mark groaned and picked her up, smiling when her legs wrapped around his waist. "Where to, dollface?" he whispered. "Be creative," she said continuing to smile.

A few hours later, Sara laid naked on Mark's stomach on the floor of his study. "Well, that's certainly not what I'd planned on using this room for," he said caressing her back. Sara laughed heartily and looked down at him. "I've missed that," she whispered kissing his lips softly. Mark nodded and wrapped his fingers in her hair, slowly deepening the kiss. "You up for another round?" she whispered. "Is it gonna last another three hours?" he asked. He saw the twinkle in her eyes, and smiled in return. They made love for the rest of the day, all over the house, moving from Mark's study, to the living room, up to their bedroom (they kicked the dogs out), and finally in the shower. Around seven p.m., they finally cleaned up and headed down to the living room. "I'm hungry," Mark said staring at the television. "So go fix something. I'm sure you could find something in there that's not _too_ complicated for you," Sara said grinning. "I can't cook," he blatantly lied. Sara looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "I guess you're in a bind, then, aren't you?" she asked grinning. Mark chuckled softly and kissed her forehead. "I'll go make dinner," he whispered. Sara nodded and moved so he could get up, then stretched back out on the couch. "What do you want?" Mark asked from the kitchen. "Be creative," she answered. "I don't wanna blow up the kitchen," he said back. Sara laughed and responded, "Whatever your heart desires, Mark…just don't clean out the fridge doin' that!" She heard Mark's laugh from the kitchen, and let out a happy sigh.

Smells of some type of pasta soon drifted into the living room, and Sara went into the kitchen. "What'd you decide on?" she asked. "Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and broccoli," he answered. Sara raised her eyebrows in response. "I'm impressed," she said smiling. Mark looked over his shoulder at her and winked. "Now go on back in the living room, and stop distracting me," he said grinning. "You don't need any help?" she asked. "No," he said matter-of-factly. Sara dropped her eyes to the floor, and put a slight frown on her face. "Okay," she said softly, turning to leave. "You can chop up the broccoli if you want," she heard Mark say. She grinned and came over to where he was, washed her hands quickly, grabbed the thawed-out broccoli, a large cutting knife, and a cutting board, then began her task. The two worked in silence until Sara finished. "There…all done," she said softly. Mark looked down at her as he turned the chicken he was broiling. "Good job," he said smiling. "Now what?" she asked. "You're gonna go back in the living room, and let me finish," he answered. Sara looked down and frowned again. "Ah, ah, don't even try it. Living room, now," he said pointing to the kitchen doorway. Sara smiled and tugged his shirt gently, pulling his face down to hers and kissing him softly, then quickly went back into the living room. Duchess and Slasher were now there, both laying on the couch. "You guys are way too spoiled," she said sitting between them.

Duchess placed her head on Sara's lap, and Sara grinned. "Yeah, I love you, too, girlie," she said stroking her pet's soft fur. Slasher placed his head on her lap as well, and she chuckled softly. "I guess I could say I love you, too, buddy," she said scratching his head as well. She flipped through the stations on TV, before settling on a basketball game. The Kings were playing the Spurs in one of the first regular season NBA games. Mark stuck his head out of the kitchen doorway a few minutes later, asking, "Who's playing?" "The Kings and the Spurs," she answered, her eyes glued to the television. "Who's winning?" he asked. Sara glanced at the bottom right of the screen, and then answered, "The Kings, 40-34." "Damn," Mark muttered before going back into the kitchen. "Well, it's the middle of the second quarter. The Spurs still have a lotta time to come back," she called out. Mark didn't emerge from the kitchen until midway through the fourth quarter of the game. "Dinner's done," he said. "Oh, there's only five minutes left. I wanna see who wins," Sara said. "You know how these games are. Five minutes can turn into 15," he said, "And I don't want the food to get cold." "So bring it in here," Sara suggested. "And have those two animals trying to eat it all up?" he said coming over to her, "I don't think so. Come on, dollface." "Oh, come on, the Kings finally got the lead back!" she said staring at the screen. "Fine, I'll keep the food on the stove so it can keep warm," he said going back into the kitchen. Sara nodded absent-mindedly, and focused on the last minutes of the game.

About ten minutes later, Mark heard a loud scream from the living room. He dropped the spoon he was holding, and dashed into the living room. Sara was dancing in front of the television, and the dogs were barking up at her. "What happened?" he asked. "Kings won!" she exclaimed running over to him and hopping into her arms. She saw the scowl on his face, and her smile disappeared. "What?" she asked. "You know I don't like the Kings," he answered. "Oh, well, basketball season should be an interesting one, then, shouldn't it?" Sara asked as he let her down. "Come on, dollface, dinner time," he said putting his arm around her waist and leading her into the dining room.

"This is really good, Mark," Sara said as she swallowed a piece of chicken. "Well, thank you, dollface," he said sipping on his glass of wine. "Are you looking forward to working with Shawn?" she asked quietly. "We'll have to see how the next few weeks go…see how the fans react to it," he answered. "What'd you think of what he had to say Monday afternoon? Did you believe him?" she asked. "It's hard to say…Shawn always was a good liar. But…he did follow his contract's guidelines, leaving as soon as he was done with what he had to do for the show," he answered, "Like I said, we'll have to see how things go over the next few weeks." "I agree," Sara said, "When I talked to him in the balcony, we were talking about wrestling, and I said we'd have plenty of chances to get in there together, and he said, "Yeah…we will," and I…I was expecting warning bells to go off in my head…but they didn't." "So you think that's a sign he's really sincere, then?" he asked. "Yeah…I do," she said softly. The doorbell rang, and Mark went to the door. Sara sipped her wine, and continued to eat.

"Look who's back," Mark said when he walked back into the dining room. Sara looked up and smiled. "Hey, stranger," Sara said smiling. "You guys started dinner without me?" Andy asked. "We had no idea where you were, so how'd we know not to," Sara answered, "Should I even ask where you've been?" Andy turned red, and she laughed. "When are we gonna find out who this secret lady is, Andy?" Mark asked taking his seat at the table. "Don't know yet…I'm waitin' to see how things work out," Andy answered, "I'm goin' upstairs…got a phone call to make." "You're not hungry?" Sara asked. "Nah, I had dinner before I came home," he answered. Sara raised her eyebrow, and grinned. "Whatever you say," she said winking at him. "I'll see you guys tomorrow…I'll be on the phone for awhile," he said before leaving the room, Sara's laughs following him. "Who do you think it is?" Sara asked Mark. "How should I know?" he answered. Sara rolled her eyes playfully, and continued eating.

After dinner was done, Sara cleaned off the table, putting the dishes in the dishwasher, then joined Mark in the living room. She stretched out on the couch, resting her head in his lap. His fingers flowed through her hair, and massaged her scalp. "You're gonna put me to sleep if you keep that up," she whispered. "Well, you need to rest up, dollface," he whispered continuing his ministrations. Sara smiled and closed her eyes, falling asleep minutes later. Mark looked down at her and smiled. "Oh, my dollface," he whispered. He slowly moved off the couch, and picked her up. Her head rested on his shoulder, and her fingers gripped his shirt. "Where are we goin'?" she whispered. "To bed," he answered turning off the television. "Did you put the dogs out?" she asked. "No, they sleep in our room now," he answered, "They don't really like living outside…I think they got spoiled living in the mansion." "No, they got spoiled from you letting them stay in the house so much," she whispered. Mark chuckled softly as he headed upstairs, both dogs close on his heels. Mark walked past Andy's room and heard laughing. "Looks like our roommate is head over heels in love," he said quietly. "Good…he deserves some of his own happiness," Sara said softly. "I agree," Mark said as he closed his room door with his foot. He laid Sara down and pulled the covers over her. "You're not coming to bed with me?" she asked. "I'm gonna go take a shower, dollface," he whispered kissing her forehead, "Go on to sleep." Sara sighed and turned onto her side. Mark waited until he was sure she was asleep before going into the bathroom. While showering, he decided to make Sara's little break the best she'd had in a long while. He quickly finished his shower, and went back into the room. He slipped on a pair of boxers before climbing in behind her. "This is gonna be your best break in a long time, dollface," he whispered kissing her ear. Sara stirred slightly, and turned onto her back. Mark pulled her close, and rested his hand on her stomach, closing his eyes and falling into a deep sleep.

Sara awoke the next morning alone; even Duchess and Slasher weren't in the room. She sat up and looked at the clock. "Wow…it's after one," she whispered scrambling out of bed. "Ah! Stop right there," Mark said from the door. "Why?" she asked. "You stay right in that bed," he said going into the bathroom. Sara slowly climbed back onto the bed, and crossed her legs Indian-style. "What are you doin' in there?" she asked. "Don't worry about it," Mark answered. Sara heard bath water being ran, and her curiosity got the best of her. She got off of the bed, and went to the bathroom. Mark was setting out a towel, shampoo, and other bath necessities. "What are you doin'?" she asked. "I thought I told you not to get off o' that bed?" he asked looking at her. "My curiosity got the best of me," she said innocently. "Well, now that you're in here, go ahead and strip," he said grinning. "Huh?" she asked. Mark came over to her and kneeled down, taking the hem of her nightgown in his hands. Sara watched him as he slowly eased the nightgown over her head, his fingertips caressing her skin and causing her to tremble. "What are you doin'?" she whispered. "Pampering you," he answered lifting her up and putting her in the tub. Sara smiled as he eased his hands over skin, the water lapping against the sides of the huge tub. "Why?" she asked. "Would you prefer a reason?" he asked scooping water over her upper body. Sara hunched her shoulders in response. "It's a nice surprise," she said softly. Mark took the rag beside her arm and soaped it up, then proceeded to bath each and every inch of her skin. When he finished, he then poured shampoo in his palm, and lathered her hair. "This is gonna take awhile," he said grinning. "Oh, hush," Sara said softly, a grin on her face. She had trouble holding her head up, because the feel of Mark's fingers on her scalp was so relaxing. "Lean your head back," he whispered. Sara complied, and felt water running over her head. Mark rinsed her head completely, then said, "Alright, stand up." She followed his order, and Mark wrapped her in one of her towels, and picked her up. "Are you gonna dry my hair, or is that too hard a task?" she asked jokingly. Mark kissed her softly and took her into the room, grabbing another towel and her brush on the way out.

Sara found herself nearly falling asleep again as Mark ran the brush through her thick tresses. "I always wonder how you manage to keep this hair so long," he said softly. "It's my hair…I can't cut it," she responded. It took nearly 20 minutes, but Mark managed to brush her hair completely dry. He then stretched her out on the bed, laying her face down. Sara felt her hands on his back, and sighed happily. He gave her a full-body massage, moving from her back to her arms, then down her legs, ending with her feet. "Okay, get dressed," he said moving from the bed. "What's on the schedule of things to do?" she asked. "I was thinking breakfast first, and we'll see where things go from there," he answered grinning. Sara watched him leave the room, not wanting to move one bit. Her muscles were completely relaxed, and the bed was so comfortable. She sighed and finally climbed out of bed, going over to the dresser. She pulled out a pair of khaki shorts, and short-sleeved tee, as well as underwear. She quickly dressed and headed downstairs. Duchess and Slasher were sitting at the bottom of the stairs, looking as though they were waiting for her. "You guys gonna take me to Mark?" she asked grinning. They both barked at the same time, and then headed towards the dining room. Sara followed, and sniffed. There was a smell of food in the air. In the dining room, pancakes, slices of bacon, and eggs were laid out on the table, as well as a pitcher of orange juice and a pot of coffee. "Well, this is interesting," she said taking a seat. Mark came in with plates, silverware, and two cups. He set the table, and then began to serve her. "I can do this myself, ya know," she said looking at him. "You are not lifting one finger this weekend," he said softly. "Why not?" she asked. "Because you deserve a break, Sara," he answered, "And I'm gonna give you one." Sara couldn't help but grin.

"When'd you decide to do this?" she asked as she dug into her food. "Last night, when you fell asleep in all of five minutes on the couch," he answered. "Well, I was just tired…it didn't mean I needed a three-day spa treatment," she said grinning at him. "And just why are you questioning this?" he asked as he cut his pancakes. "I'm not questioning it, Mark. I love that you want me to relax so much," she said sincerely, suddenly feeling bad. Mark looked up at her, and grinned. "Go on, eat up," he said pointing to her plate. Sara looked down, and shook her head. There were four large pancakes, a big pile of eggs, and six strips of bacon. "I can't eat all this, Mark," she said grinning. She looked back up at him, but he was now delving into his own plate. She sighed softly and picked up her fork, and began to eat. Breakfast ended nearly a half an hour later. Sara had in fact eaten everything Mark had given her, and had drank two glasses of orange juice. She sat back in the chair, and rubbed her belly. "Thought you couldn't eat it all?" he asked grinning at her over the rim of his cup. "I guess I was a lot hungrier than I thought," she answered, "I'm gonna have to work that off, though." "I got an idea of how you could do that," Mark said grinning. Sara chuckled and sighed. "So what now?" she asked. "Well, while you were asleep, I went into town and bought a couple of ATVs, so what do you say to riding around for awhile?" he suggested. "Oh, sounds like fun," she said standing, "But let's wait for a little bit until my food digests." Mark set his cup down and came over to her, picking her up. "What--." "Didn't I say you weren't lifting a finger?" he asked grinning at her. "I wasn't lifting a finger, I was lifting my feet," she said smiling up at him.

Mark carried her into the living room and sat down in the big Lay-Z-Boy, Sara still in his arms. "Where's Andy?" she asked. "I don't know…he was gone when I woke up," he answered. "What time did you wake up?" she asked. "A couple hours before you did," he said softly, "I fed the dogs, and put the dishes from last night away…and I started a couple loads of laundry." "You've been busy, then," she said grinning. "Just a little," he said softly, rubbing his nose in her hair. They sat in silence for the next hour, just enjoying the company of each other. "Your food digested yet?" he asked kissing her ear. "I like sitting here," she said softly, "It's…relaxing…I feel safe." Mark grinned slightly and kissed her forehead. "You should, dollface," he whispered nuzzling her ear. Sara looked into his eyes, and whispered, "I love you, Mark." Mark smiled and kissed her softly, stroking her cheek. "I love you, too," he whispered back. She kissed him again, and Mark groaned softly, pulling her closer. Sara's hand squeezed his left shoulder tightly, and the kissed gained passion. She felt his groin pressing up against her legs, and laughed into his mouth. "What?" Mark asked. "You tryin' to break the Lay-Z-Boy in?" she asked rubbing her lap against him. Mark groaned and pulled her face down to his, kissing her once again. He managed to get her off of his lap and remove her shorts and underwear, as well as unzipping his own pants, without even breaking the kiss. Sara moaned as he pulled her onto his lap, and she felt him enter her. She slowly began to move up and down, moving her hands over his neck and face. She threw her head back and moaned softly. Mark eased her shirt off of her head, and cupped her breasts, bringing one to his mouth and twirling his lip over the bright red tip. "Oh…oh, God," Sara moaned. Her back arched as she felt an orgasm coming. Mark pumped his hips up as she came down on him repeatedly. Their screams echoed off of the living room walls as both came at the same time. Sara collapsed against his chest, her breathing fast. "I guess the Lay-Z-Boy's broken in now," he said grinning. Sara laughed and said, "And I guess my food's digested now." It was Mark's turn to laugh. "You still up for the ATV thing?" she asked. "Sure," he answered as she climbed off of him and put her clothes back on. The front door opened, and Sara looked towards the living room doorway.

"And this is where I live," she heard Andy say. She looked at Mark as her cheeks reddened. He laughed and stood, putting his arm around her shoulders. Andy came into the living room, and Sara's jaw dropped. He was standing with his arm around Lisa. "Oh, hi, Mark, Sara. I figured it was about time you met my lady," he said smiling. "Hey, Sara," Lisa said blushing slightly. Sara ran over to her and hugged her tightly. "What's up, chica?!" she exclaimed. "Nothin' much. I'm in town for an autograph signing at four, and Andy wanted me to see where he lived, so…," she said grinning slightly. Sara smiled and looked over at Andy. "Well, it's about time," she said. Andy smiled and looked at Lisa. "Come on, I'll give you a quick tour," he said. "I'll see you later, Sara," Lisa said following Andy out of the living room. Sara looked back at Mark, and said, "You ready to go ridin'?" "Yep, the ATVs are out by the garage," he said coming over to her and taking her hand.

They quickly left the house, and Sara said, "That was a close one." Mark laughed and nodded. "Yeah, it was," he responded, "You think they heard us?" "I think everything within a 15-mile radius heard us," Sara said laughing heartily. "At least they didn't say anything," he said. "Yeah…but they're probably talking about it now," she commented. "Ah well…that Lay-Z-Boy will never be the same now," Mark said smiling. Sara smiled as well, and squeezed Mark's hand gently. They quickly climbed onto the ATVs, and Sara let Mark drive off first before following him. They rode over the entire 16 acres that they owned. Sara found a small lake near the edge of their property, and stopped her ATV. Mark came up beside her, and said, "It's beautiful, isn't it?" The lake was surrounded by large oak trees, with patches of wildflowers bordering them. The grass was slightly brown, as it was the middle of fall, but it still looked absolutely serene. "Yeah, it is…," she whispered, "You think we could get married out here?" "Sure, dollface…we'll have to give everybody ATVs, though," he answered. "Why?" she asked looking at him. "That's how we got out here," he said smiling. Sara laughed and turned her vehicle around, zooming away from him. Mark smiled and chased her all the way back to the house. "I win," Sara said once they got to the garage. "I didn't know we were racing," he said, "Otherwise, you'd have been eating my dust." "Oh, whatever," Sara said cutting off the ATV and climbing off. "You know you would've lost," he said. "We'll see about that, buddy. Tomorrow, we're racing, and then we'll see who's eating dust," she said smiling at him.

They entered the house still joking about their planned race. "You hungry?" Mark asked. "A little," Sara answered, "I guess we worked off breakfast, huh?" Mark laughed as they entered the living room, stopping in the doorway. Andy and Lisa were stretched out on the couch, asleep in each other's arms. "Well, if that isn't the cutest thing," Sara said softly. She followed Mark into the kitchen, and sat at the counter as Mark fixed a couple of sandwiches and poured a couple glasses of orange juice. "So, what do you have planned now?" she asked. "You wanna go into town?" he asked. "For?" she asked in return. "Just…whatever you wanna do," he answered. "You'd take me into town just to shop?" she asked grinning. Mark groaned and slapped his forehead. "How'd I know you were gonna say that?" he said. Sara chuckled softly and looked at her watch. "I should wake Lisa up…it's almost 3:00, and she's got that autograph session at four," she said quietly. "Well, we're headed out, so you should," Mark said before biting into his sandwich. They finished their quick lunch, and Mark went upstairs to clean up. Sara entered the living room, and touched Lisa's shoulder. She awoke with a start, and sprang up, waking up Andy. "What time is it?" she asked. "It's only three, but Mark and I are leaving, so I thought I'd wake you up so you wouldn't be late," Sara answered. "Thanks, Sara," Andy said quietly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "No problem," Sara said heading upstairs.

She closed her room door, and stripped down, running into the bathroom and joining Mark in the shower. "We're never gonna get into town now," he said looking down at her, his hair dripping wet. "Why not?" she asked softly. Mark leaned down and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her. Sara wrapped her arms around his neck, and felt herself being lifted up. Mark eased himself inside her, and Sara moaned softly. "That's why," he whispered kissing her neck. Sara smiled and gripped his shoulders, kissing him deeply, her tongue delving inside his mouth and exploring. Mark stroked her muscled thighs, moving up her sides and cupping her breasts. He leaned down and took one peak in his mouth, suckling gently as Sara's hands moved over his broad back. He moved over to the other, flicking his tongue over the tip, bringing it to a hard nub. He pinched it gently, and Sara gasped. He began to move inside her, and Sara kissed his lips once more. "I love you so much, dollface," he whispered against her lips. "I know," she whispered back. He stroked her cheek and said, "I mean it, dollface…you're my life." Sara smiled and leaned forward, kissing him softly. The water made their bodies slick, and their hands seemed to float. Sara touched Mark everywhere she could reach, and he did the same. When they finally reached their peak, Sara gripped his neck tightly, biting his shoulder to not scream out her pleasure. Mark groaned and bit the side of her neck in return. As they came down from their pleasure, Sara leaned back and said, "That's gonna leave a mark." "I don't mind," he whispered washing her body gently. Sara returned the favor, and they climbed out together.

Once they dressed, she followed Mark downstairs and asked, "Are we leaving the dogs here?" "Nah, we might as well take 'em with us," he answered. "Duchess! Slasher!" Sara called out. The dogs came running from the back of the house, and Sara kneeled down. "What were you two up to?" she said rubbing their heads, "You better not have torn anything up, or I'm gonna have to put you outside from now on." "Come on, dollface," Mark said opening the front door. She followed him out, and opened the back of the truck. The dogs jumped into the back, and she snapped it shut, then climbed into the passenger seat. Mark pulled off moments later.

They spent the rest of the afternoon walking around downtown Houston, going into shops and leaving Duchess and Slasher waiting for them outside the stores' doors. Around eight o' clock, they stopped in a diner for a small dinner. The owner was nice enough to allow their dogs to come in with them. Sara slipped Duchess small portions of her food under the table, and Mark did the same for Slasher. "We're spoiling them, ya know?" she said to Mark. "They've been spoiled for a long time," he said grinning. "What are we gonna do tomorrow?" she asked. "I don't know, probably just stay at the house. You've still got a race to lose, remember?" Mark said grinning. "Oh, you still think you're gonna beat me, huh?" she asked smiling. "Of course. Would you expect any less?" he said winking at her. Sara rolled her eyes playfully, and responded, "Like I said Monday…you're a cocky bastard." "And I told you, I'm not a bastard," he said smiling. "No, you're not," she whispered. "When's the last time you talked to your mom?" he asked. "About a week and a half ago. She told me Lucky's getting really big," she answered. "She named her dog Lucky?" he asked. "Yeah. She said it's because he's lucky to be there," she said chuckling. "That's a good name, then," he said chuckling as well, "You ready to go?" "Yeah, I'm kinda tired now," she answered. The waitress walked over moments later, and asked if they were ready for the bill. "Yeah," Mark answered. The woman laid down a small receipt on the table, and Sara pulled out her wallet. "What are you doin'?" Mark asked. "Paying for--." "Not a damn thing," Mark said pulling out his own wallet, and tossing a $20 bill on the table, "Come on, let's go." Sara smiled as Duchess moved from under the table. Sara got up and shook her head. "That's kinda chauvinistic, ya know," she said following Mark out of the diner. "Most people actually call it being a gentleman," he said putting his arm around her shoulders. Sara smiled up at him, saying, "I was just joking, baby." "Yeah, yeah," Mark said as they walked up the street toward his truck. "Let me drive home," she said once they got there. "Are you out of your mind?" he asked as Duchess and Slasher jumped into the back. "Oh, come on, Mark. It's a truck," she said holding out her hand. "It's _my_ truck," he corrected her. Sara kept her hand out, and Mark sighed heavily. "I thought I said you weren't lifting a finger today," he said. "Well, the sun has set, so technically it's not daytime anymore," she said grinning. "Nice try," he said going over to the driver's side and climbing in. Sara frowned and climbed into the passenger seat. "Bully," she said. Mark started the truck and said, "I know," before pulling off.


	58. Forgive, but Never Forget

**Chapter 57…Forgive, But Never Forget**

Sunday came sooner than Sara would've liked. Mark had pampered her the entire three days she was home, cooking breakfast every morning, letting her do whatever she wanted to every afternoon, and letting her sleep as much as she wanted to. When they flew into Detroit for the pay-per-view, Sara was completely re-energized, and looking forward to that night. Mark was going to lose to Jericho, but only because of outside interference from Shawn. Sara was also excited because she was getting a new outfit made for that specific show. It was an all-white piece, with black sequins on the front in the shape of the Undertaker symbol. It would've been a top and bottom, but the sequins would connect the two separate pieces. The bottom was a skirt, with shorts underneath it. Sara wouldn't be able to be involved in the match other than Shawn's interference, but that wasn't a big deal to her. She wanted to show the fans that even though her character was dark, she could also be pure and beautiful. They arrived at the arena around noon, and headed straight to Mark's locker room. Sara changed into her workout clothes, and headed for the gym. She found Lisa there, running on the treadmill. "What's up, Sara?" Lisa spoke. "Hey, there," Sara said coming over to the second treadmill and setting it up for her usual 30-minute run. "I guess I should've told you about me and Andy," Lisa said quietly. "Nah, it's all good. How long have you two been seein' each other?" Sara responded. "Just a little while, a couple weeks…but we hang out all the time. He's my best friend," Lisa said blushing slightly. Sara grinned and nodded. "He said the same of you," she said. "Really?" Lisa asked smiling. "Yep…he said you were a 'cool-ass lady'," Sara answered starting to run. "Wow," Lisa said softly. "Well, I'm really glad you found such a nice guy, Lisa. Of course, I can attest to Andy being a cool guy," Sara said, "We've been best friends for a few years now, and he's been there for me a lot. Now he's got someone else to put all that energy on." "Yeah, he told me about you guys' past," Lisa commented. "It got rocky from time to time, but through it all, Andy was there. If he's anything, it's loyal," Sara said. "That's always a plus," Lisa said. "Sure is," Sara said smiling.

Shawn walked in about 15 minutes later, and Sara waved to him. He came over to her and said, "How's it goin', Sara?" "Good. You excited about tonight?" she answered. "Oh, like you wouldn't believe," he said smiling. "I know how ya feel," she said smiling, "Got any ideas on how you wanna interfere tonight?" Shawn laughed and nodded. "I've been talkin' Tracy's ear off with all my ideas," he answered. "Is she here with you?" Sara asked. "Nah, she stayed at home. But she's gonna be watching the show," he said. "How was OVW this week?" she asked. "Tiring," he answered, "I wrestled 10- to 15-minute matches with almost every wrestler there, every day for about three days." "Wow…you're really working hard to get back in ring shape," Sara said. "Yeah…I've got a big match in a month, and I wanna be prepared for it," he said. "Working like that, you're definitely gonna be up for it," she said grinning. "Yeah, hopefully. I don't wanna let anybody down, ya know," he said quietly. "You'll be just fine, Shawn," she commented. "Are you done at OVW? I didn't see you there this week," Shawn said. "Yeah, I'm done, finally!" Sara said smiling, "I'm caught up to where Vince thinks I should be, so I don't have to go back anymore." "Oh…I was kinda looking forward to working with you there," he said quietly, "You'd probably be the only person there who'd willingly work with me." "Why wouldn't the wrestlers there willingly work with you?" she asked. Shawn looked at her, and she nodded. "I've been there four months…and every guy still looks at me with pure hatred…it's just hard, ya know," he said quietly, "I'm really tryin' this time around…but nobody's tryin' to see it." Sara sighed and looked away. "Shawn…I don't know what to tell you," she said quietly. "I know…I'm just venting a little," he said, "Know where Mark is, by any chance?" "I left him in his locker room, but I don't know if he's still there," she answered. "I'll go look for him. I'll see you around, okay?" he said before heading towards the door. "Shawn," Sara called out. He stopped and looked back at her. "Stay strong, Shawn…that's the only way you're gonna get through this. Don't let it get you down. If you wanna be here like you say you do, the guys will eventually see it…don't expect them to…to welcome you with open arms. It doesn't work like that," she said slowly. Shawn nodded and then left the room. Sara sighed heavily, then turned her focus to her workout.

Around one, Mark walked into the gym. He spotted Sara on the weight bench doing dumbbell presses. He walked over to her, and kneeled down at her head. "What're you up to?" he asked. "Working out," she said quickly, then letting out a slow breath as she lifted the 25-lb. dumbbells. Mark smiled and said, "I can see that." Sara completed her final set, and set the dumbbells down on either side of the bench, then sat up. "You need me?" she asked. "Just wondering if you were ready to spar yet?" he answered. Sara stretched out her arms for a few minutes before standing. "Let's go," she answered. They headed towards the ring, happy to find it empty. Sara rolled inside and bounced off the ropes a few times. "I miss this place," she said softly. "I'm sure you do," Mark said stretching his arms. "It was actually kinda weird not being at OVW this week," she said grinning, "I really got to know a lot of the guys there. Some of 'em have very good potential." "Like who?" Mark asked. "Well, there's this one guy, he's like 6'8, 6'9…300 pounds of solid muscle," Sara said continuing to bounce against the ropes, "I had to do a few matches with him, and boy, did he do some damage." "Well, what's his name, dollface?" he asked leaning into one of the corners and watching her sprint. "Nathan Jones…he's Australian, got a really cute accent and everything. But he's got a helluva past. Did seven years in maximum-security prison for armed robbery," she answered. "How'd he manage to get into OVW, then?" he asked. "Well, he got out of prison, and turned his life around. He sent a video package to the talent office, and they recruited him. Like I said, he's all muscle, but he's lacking a little in the charisma part. He'd make a good bodyguard for somebody," she answered, "I loved working with him in the ring; he was a real powerhouse. But…he's got a ways to go before he comes to the big time…at least in my opinion." "And your opinion is such a good one," he said grinning.

Sara stopped her sprints and stared at him. "Are you being sarcastic?" she asked, her hands on her hips. "Of course not, dollface," he said coming over to her. Sara grinned and suddenly swept his feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the mat. He looked up at her, grinned, and returned the favor. Sara fell to the mat, and laid there. "Doesn't feel so good, does it?" he asked. Sara chuckled softly and patted his stomach. "I guess that means we're even," she said rolling over and getting to her feet. Mark slowly stood and looked at her. "You sure about that?" he asked as they circled each other. Sara smiled and shook her head. "Of course not. You can't take being beaten," she answered. "You're right about that. Let's go, then," he said before they began. Their practice session consisted of not only sparring, but making sure Sara's wrestling instinct was as sharp as ever. They went through a few wrestling spots, doing holds and counter-holds, with Mark allowing Sara to practice the counter-holds more times than not. When they finally finished, Sara had pinned Mark after executing a clean DDT.

"Well, that was a good workout," she said standing and brushing her hands off. "I'm glad you feel so confident," he said leaning up on his elbows. "And you don't?" she asked grinning down at him. "I got pinned by a woman…how am I gonna feel confident after that?" he asked grinning back. Sara kneeled down beside him and softly said, "You got pinned by _your_ woman…there's some good in that." "Oh, really? How so?" he asked just as softly. "Your spunky little lady is right where she wants to be," she answered before leaving the ring. Mark sat there, thinking about what she'd just said. _She's right…she's more at ease in the ring now than I think she ever was_, he thought, _Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come_. "You comin'? Or you just gonna lay there?" Sara asked from outside the ring. He looked over at her and hunched his shoulders. "Might just lay here…it's quite comfortable, actually," he answered. Sara shook her head and headed up the ramp, and Mark followed. They went back to his room and cleaned up, then headed to the catering room for a quick lunch. Sara grabbed a small bowl of salad, a couple pieces of broiled chicken, a banana, and bottle of water, then headed for an empty table. She spotted Shawn sitting alone with his head down. She sighed heavily as Mark came up behind her. "What is it, dollface?" he asked quietly. Sara motioned towards Shawn and softly said, "I feel for him, Mark…I don't want to, but I can't help it." Mark took a deep breath, and headed over to where Shawn was sitting, and Sara followed him slowly.

"You look like you could use some company." Shawn looked up at Mark, and hunched his shoulders. "I've kinda grown used to it," he said quietly. "Mind if we join you?" Mark asked. "Sure," Shawn answered. Sara seated herself first, and Mark followed suit. "So, Shawn, how's your week been?" Mark asked. "Good. I was at OVW Tuesday through Thursday, and then I spent the weekend just relaxing at home with Tracy," Shawn answered, "So…a busy week, I guess." "How'd things go at OVW?" Mark asked. "It was pretty rough. I wrestled 10- to 15-minute matches with each guy there," Shawn answered, "I'm just tryin' to get ready for our match next month, ya know." "Well, that's definitely a good way to start gettin' ready," Mark said grinning slightly. "Yeah," Shawn said, "Gets pretty tiring after awhile, though." "Yeah, I bet," Sara said as she swallowed a piece of chicken, "They've got some pretty tough guys there." "Yeah, definitely. Have you wrestled that guy Nathan?" Shawn said. "Yeah, I was tellin' Mark about him in the ring. He's hardcore," she answered, "Maybe we'll see him here soon." "You never know," Shawn said quietly.

"Do you have any ideas about how you wanna interfere tonight?" Mark asked. "Yeah, I was tellin' Sara earlier, I've been talkin' Tracy's ear off with all my ideas," Shawn said grinning. "Let's here 'em, then," Mark said. "Well, we definitely got some reaction from what happened with me and Sara from Monday night. Shane told me the website got flooded with questions about what I was doin' back on TV," Shawn responded, "So, I was thinkin' we could continue down that road." "How so?" Mark asked. "I was thinkin', instead of me comin' down the ramp this time, I could come from the crowd, and surprise Sara again. Her reaction to seein' me Monday night was great, and I think we could pull it off again with the right kind of interference," Shawn said, "Instead of me attacking her, I could attack you this time. Maybe with the superkick, or somethin'." "How would that surprise Sara, though?" Mark asked. "Good question…okay, I got it. She's in the ring, 'cause you've been knocked out or somethin', and she's about to give you that kiss. Before she can, though, I grab her by her hair like I did Monday night, sling her into the ropes and bam, I hit her with the superkick instead," Shawn answered. "I like that idea better," Sara said. "Are you sure you wanna take that kick?" Mark asked looking down at her. "Yeah, I'm sure. It's a surprise, and that's what we're goin' for, right?" she answered looking up at him. Mark sighed and nodded. "If you prefer me doin' somethin' else, Mark, I'm all for it," Shawn said seeing the worry in his face, "I don't wanna hurt her." "Don't worry about it, Shawn," Sara said before Mark could answer, "We'll go with that. Is there anything else you think we should do?" "I think that'll do it…I think we should start off with little isolated attacks like that, and as it gets closer to Survivor Series, we'll make 'em bigger," Shawn answered. "Good idea," Sara said grinning, "You _have_ been thinkin' about this a lot." Shawn smiled slightly and nodded. "Been itchin' to get my ideas out, too," he said quietly. "Well, I like your ideas for tonight. As it gets closer to show time, we'll go over what we're definitely gonna do a few more times," Mark said. Shawn nodded and said, "I'm gonna go now. Thanks for, uh, for sittin' with me here." Mark nodded and watched him as he left, then looked down at Sara.

Sara felt Mark's eyes on her, but looked down at her plate, pushing her salad around. After a few moments of silence, she set her fork down and looked at him. "What?" she asked quietly. "You really wanna take that kick?" he asked. She looked down at her plate, and sighed heavily. "I didn't think so," Mark said taking a swallow of his water. "I don't know why I agreed to it…," she said quietly. "You just wanna make him feel like he belongs here again," he said softly. Sara nodded and continued to pick at her food. "I don't think I'm hungry anymore," she said quietly. "You barely ate, Sara. Go ahead and finish it," he said quietly. Sara rested her chin in her hands, and sighed. "I can't eat now," she said softly. "Do you want me to feed you?" Mark asked grinning slightly. Sara turned pink and immediately picked up her fork, forcing herself to eat the food left on her plate. "Thought that might get you to eat," Mark said grinning. Sara quickly finished her lunch, looking up at him when she did. "You're such a cocky--." Mark cut her off by kissing her softly. "How many times do I have to tell you?" he said quietly. "I know, I know…you're not a bastard," she said winking at him. "Come on, dollface," Mark said standing. They quickly disposed of their trash, then went up into the upper most balcony, across from the pay-per-view stage.

"Feelin' a little nervous about tonight?" Mark asked as he put his arm around her shoulders. "A little," she whispered. "It's gonna be fine, Sara. Monday night was Shawn's one shot at proving himself, and…even though he was only out in front of the crowd for a little bit…I think he proved himself," Mark said quietly. "You think so?" she asked. "He got a reaction, didn't he?" he said softly. "I really don't remember it. All I remember is screaming for you," she answered. "Well, the crowd really gave him heat," Mark said, "I haven't heard boos like that in a long time…since I was in the group." "Wow…must've been a pretty strong reaction, then," she said quietly. "Yeah, it was," he said squeezing her shoulder, "We're gonna be fine, dollface, just fine." Sara sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder, her thoughts drifting to what was going to happen later that night.

Sara paced the backstage area nervously, waiting for Mark to come get her. This storyline was going to be one of the biggest she'd been involved in since she became a member of the 'Corporation'. She rubbed her arms roughly, trying to breath deeply. She found a seat on a black trunk close to the entranceway, closing her eyes and putting all outside distractions out of her mind. A few minutes later, she felt a hand on her knee. She opened her eyes and looked in the dark green eyes of her favorite man in the world. "You ready, Angel?" Mark asked quietly. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's do this," she whispered hopping off of the trunk. She walked with Mark hand-in-hand to the entranceway. Shawn was already there waiting. "Hey, Sara," he spoke. When Sara didn't answer, Mark grinned. "No one calls her that until she comes back through the curtain, Shawn," he said quietly, "For about 20 minutes before she goes out, until just after she comes back here, she's Angel…that's all she answers to." "Oh, sorry. I didn't know," Shawn said. "It's alright. I had to learn that myself," Mark said. "One minute, 'Taker," Vince said from the preview table. Mark nodded and looked down at Sara, who was looking at the floor. "Angel," he whispered. She looked at him, and he saw that familiar darkness. He grinned and winked at her, asking, "You ready?" "Of course," she answered grinning. "Ah, my Angel," he whispered caressing her cheek. Sara grabbed his leather trench coat from his other hand, and motioned for him to turn around. She slipped it over his huge arms, and then turned him around, buckling it up. "30 seconds," Vince said. Sara stepped back from Mark, and he turned around, lowering his head. Shawn watched both people in awe; they'd both come a long way since he'd last been there. He looked down and saw Sara gripping Mark's hand. Mark's music started, and Sara released his hand. Mark took a deep breath as he slowly stepped out onto the stage, Sara following him. Shawn found a seat at the preview table, and watched both people. They were so fluid and consistent in every movement they made; it was like the two characters were made for each other.

"They look good together, don't they?" Vince asked. Shawn looked at him and nodded. "I feel almost, I don't know…unworthy to be in an angle with him so soon," he said quietly. "Well, that may be so, Shawn, but I think both Mark and Sara have come a long way, as have you," Vince said honestly, "Besides…I figured after what happened between you two Monday after the meeting, this was a wise decision." "Let's hope so," Shawn said quietly, "I don't wanna let anyone down." "Well, you've got three months to prove yourself, and I think that's going to be plenty of time for you to get into the routine of things," Vince said. Shawn nodded and turned his attention back to the screen. Jericho walked out soon after the lights came up, running down to the ring and attacking Mark. Their rivalry had begun a month and a half ago. Jericho had badmouthed Angel for two weeks straight, and instead of fighting Jericho with words, Mark had intentionally cost him the Intercontinental title in a match against Matt Hardy. Over the past month, Jericho had interfered in every match Mark had had, and now, they were going one-on-one.

Shawn watched the match from a student's perspective, because he was indeed learning all over again. Mark's intensity was ever presence, and Shawn became so engrossed that he almost lost track of time. Vince nudged him near the end of the match and said, "You might wanna start heading through the crowd now. You don't wanna be late for your interference." Shawn nodded and stood, quickly heading to the closest entrance to the open arena. Security guards were already there waiting for him. He looked down at the ring, and saw that Mark was laid out in the ring, and Sara was arguing with Jericho. He quickly made his way down the stairs, and felt the audience's attention turn from the action in the ring to him. Nervousness hit him in waves, but he kept trekking down the stairs. When he got to ringside, Sara was already inside the ring. He quickly jumped over the banister, and slid in the ring.

Sara had heard the cheers for Mark change to boos, and knew that Shawn was close by. Shawn grabbed the ponytail that her hair was in and yanked her away from Mark, pulling her roughly to her feet. She spun around, and gasped. "No," she whispered trying to pull away. "Monday night was only a tease, darlin'," he growled grabbing her jaw. Sara swung at him, but he blocked, and swung her into the ropes. Sara bounced back, and Shawn dropped her with the superkick, hitting her right underneath her chin. Sara fell to the mat limply, her head spinning. Shawn quickly left the ring, heading out through the crowd the same way he came. Jericho, who'd been laid out in the corner, crawled over to Mark's prone body and threw his arm across his chest. The referee counted to three, before turning his attention to Sara. "Angel?" he said tapping her cheek. Sara felt her eyes fill with tears, and let out a slow breath. "Yeah," she whispered, "I'm alright." "Open your eyes, Angel," the referee commanded softly. Sara shook her head slightly and asked, "Where's 'Taker?" "Right beside you," he answered. Sara forced the tears away and grabbed her chin, slowly sitting up. She looked over at Mark and crawled over to him. "'Taker?" she whispered touching his cheek. Mark groaned slightly and nodded. "Let's get outta here," she whispered. She helped him roll out of the ring, and then placed an arm around his waist. Both stumbled up the ramp, the cheers of the audience surrounding them.

Once in the back, Sara collapsed into a chair, holding her neck. "Are you okay, dollface?" Mark asked kneeling down in front of her, "What's wrong?" "Nothing…it just…it hurts a little," she whispered. Mark saw the tears in her eyes and put his arms around her. "I told you not to take that kick," he whispered in her ear. Sara cried softly in his shoulder, her fingers gripping his sweaty shirt. "Come on, I'll take you to the trainer," he whispered. Sara nodded and they headed down the hall. A monitor stopped Sara in her tracks. Shawn was headed out of the building, and Josh Matthews was trying to get a quick interview with him. "Shawn…Mr. Michaels, sir, can I have a word with you?" Josh asked. "What's up, kid?" Shawn asked stopping. "What are you thinking, Mr. Michaels? The last person who put his hands on Angel wound up in the hospital," Josh said. Shawn smiled wickedly, staring hard at Josh, until he backed up a step. "Ghosts come back to haunt, Josh," he said before walking away, "If anybody's gonna wind up in the hospital, it's gonna be the Deadman and his precious Angel." Sara's heart started pounding in her chest, and she grew lightheaded. Her knees buckled and Mark caught her, picking her up and hurrying to the trainer's designated room.

"Dollface?" he whispered as he headed down the hall. She was sweating profusely, and he could feel her trembling against him. "Sara!" he said softly. Her eyes opened, but they were glazed over. "Oh, God," Mark whispered as he came up to the trainer's room. He knocked rapidly, and the door opened. "Hey, Mark," Bruce said. Mark rushed past him and set Sara on the table. "I think she's got a concussion, Bruce," Mark said wiping Sara's forehead. Bruce came over, and pulled out a small flashlight, shining it into Sara's eyes. She groaned and tried to look away, but Bruce gently grabbed her chin. "Follow my finger, Sara," he said quietly. Sara's eyes slowly focused on his moving finger. "How do you feel, Sara?" he asked. "I got the biggest headache in the world, Bruce," she whispered, "What am I doing here?" "You almost collapsed in the hallway, dollface," Mark answered. Sara closed her eyes and grabbed her neck. "You want an icepack, Sara?" Bruce asked. "No, but I could use a few dozen aspirin right now," she answered slowly sitting up. "I'll give you two, will that do?" Bruce said with a grin. "Yeah," she answered swinging her legs over the table. "What happened, dollface?" Mark asked wiping her forehead. "I don't know…all I remember is hearing Shawn's voice on that monitor, and I just got lightheaded," she said softly. "Was it what he said?" he asked. Sara hunched her shoulders and lowered her head. "What'd he say?" she whispered. "That ghosts come back to haunt," he answered quietly. "Probably," she whispered. Bruce handed her a couple of pills, and a small glass of water. She popped the pills in her mouth, and gulped down the water.

"Alright, let's go," she said trying to get off the table. "Uh-uh," Mark said stopping her, "You're sitting right here." "Why? I'm fine," she said pushing his arms away and getting off the table. Mark sighed and looked at Bruce. "You know how she is," Bruce said hunching his shoulders. Sara opened the door, and took a deep breath. "Hey, Sara," Shawn spoke, "Are you okay?" "This is the second time I've been here because of you," she whispered pushing past him. Shawn's jaw dropped, and he looked at Mark. "I didn't mean to hurt her, Mark," he said quietly. "I know, Shawn," Mark said quietly. "Is she gonna be okay?" Shawn asked. "Yeah, she just needs a little time to calm down," Mark answered. "Why's she so mad at me?" Shawn said quietly, "I didn't know I'd kicked her so hard." "It wasn't that. It was what you said afterwards, about the ghosts coming back to haunt," Mark answered standing. "Crap…I didn't know she'd react to it like that. I just thought that it sounded like somethin' I should say," Shawn said quietly, "Will you tell her I'm sorry? I gotta get outta here, got a flight to catch." "Sure thing. I'll see ya tomorrow in Houston," Mark said before heading towards his locker room. Shawn sighed heavily and quickly headed towards the exit door.

Mark quickly went down to his locker room, and found Sara curled up on the couch, her body trembling slightly. "Dollface?" he whispered coming over to her. She looked at him, and he kneeled down beside her. Her cheeks were red, and her mascara had streaked from her tears. "Oh, dollface," he whispered sitting on the couch and pulling her into his arms. "This was a mistake, Mark…a big mistake," she whispered gripping his shirt. "What was, baby?" he asked caressing her back. "Trying to accept him…I knew he hadn't changed," she whispered. "Sara, what brought this on?" he asked. "If he'd changed, Mark, he wouldn't have even thought of saying what he did. He's so sneaky. God, why am I so fucking gullible?" she whispered. "Sara, you're completely overreacting. You know Shawn didn't mean that personally," he whispered. "Says who? Him?! He's a master when it comes to fooling people, Mark," she snapped, tears coming to her eyes once again, "Why did I let him fool me _again_?" Mark sighed and kissed the side of her head. "No one has fooled anybody, dollface…you're just hurt…and angry. What do you say we go to the hotel, and get a good night's sleep?" he whispered. "I don't wanna sleep, I wanna kick that bastard's ass," she hissed. Mark felt her tense up, and shook his head.

"You're gonna do no such thing," he said quietly, yet firmly. "Says who, you?" Sara asked glaring at him. "Don't get pissed at me, Sara. You made the decision to take that kick, and now, you're overreacting because of a statement that meant nothing. Shawn was in-character when he said that, and you know it. Don't act like you haven't done things when you're in character that you don't think about until after you come back through the curtain. You've made threats that have had people shaking for real, Sara, so you cannot sit here and blame Shawn for your own reaction when you've done the same to other people," he said sternly. Sara climbed off of his lap and stood, trying to slow her breathing. "And when did you become Shawn's number one fan?!" she snapped. Mark stayed seated, determined not to let this turn into a full-blown argument. "It's not like that, Sara, and you know it," he said quietly. "Oh, yeah. Six months ago, you would've stood behind everything I just said," she said loudly, "But oh, you punch him once, and then it's done. But I guess that's how you handle all your problems!" "And what's that supposed to mean, Sara?" he asked looking up at her. "Oh, let's see. The first week I was in the mansion, you almost choked me to death because I wouldn't have sex with you! Oh, and we can't forget that night you almost hit me because I was working too much!" she continued, "You're nothing but a great brute, Mark, admit it! Everything with you is solved through sheer physicality, and that's pathetic!" Mark's chest tightened, and he looked away. Sara turned her back to him and crossed her arms; she knew she'd just crossed a line with him. Mark wasn't a brute; in fact, he was far from it. But in her moment of unadulterated hate for Shawn, Sara had turned that focus to Mark. The door slammed moments later, and Sara sighed heavily. "Shit," she whispered sitting on the floor and pulling her knees up, "What the hell is wrong with me?"

A knock on the door brought Sara away from her thoughts. "Who is it?" she asked over her shoulder. "It's Shawn." Sara sighed heavily and stood, slowly opening the door for him. "Thought you were supposed to leave after you were done performing on the show," she said quietly. "Sara, I came to apologize…not only for what happened in the ring, but for what I said. I didn't think…it just came out, I promise you," he said looking at the floor, "Please don't hate me, Sara…you're the only friend I got here." "Who said I was your friend?" she asked softly. Shawn sighed heavily and said, "I'm sorry…I-I didn't mean to assume." "Do you honestly believe we could be friends…after what you've put me through?" Sara said stepping in his face, "How could I be friends with someone like you, Shawn?" "Sara, stop it." Sara looked to her left, and saw Mark standing there. "Why? I've been wanting to tell him this for a long time," she said looking back at Shawn. Mark grabbed her arm, and shoved her into the room. He pulled Shawn in as well, and shut the door.

"What the fuck are you doin'?" she snapped at him. "Go ahead. Lay in to him. Tell him everything you feel in your heart about him. But remember this, Sara…I may be a brute, but you can be downright cruel…and that hurts a lot worse," he said crossing his arms. Sara swallowed as his words hit her deep. She went into the bathroom and shut the door. Shawn looked at Mark, and asked, "What was that for?" "She needs a taste of her own medicine, Shawn. I love her to death, but like I told her, she can be downright cruel. And whether you deserve it or not…that's not the point. She's gotta learn that…speaking her mind is not always the best way to go. And she's definitely gotta learn that words can hurt a lot worse than any physical pain she's ever suffered," he said quietly. "I'm gonna get outta here. I just wanted to come apologize to her face-to-face," Shawn said. Mark opened the door and let him out, shutting the door quietly once he was out of the room. He took a deep breath before heading over to the bathroom door.

"Sara?" he called. He heard nothing, and called her name again. He slowly opened the door, and found Sara laying beside the toilet. "Dollface," he whispered slowly coming over to her. "Go away," she rasped. "No," he said simply. Sara looked up at him, and he saw the defeat in her eyes. "You happy?" she whispered. "No, far from it, dollface," he whispered leaning down beside her. "Are you angry at me?" she whispered, tears coming to her eyes. "Yes, I am," he answered honestly, "You tell me not to tear Shawn down, because he's trying so hard…and yet, you turn around and do just that." Sara nodded and looked away. "You can't be a hypocrite, Sara…," he whispered. "I know," she whispered. "If you know that, why do you do it?" he asked. Sara hunched her shoulders in response. "Come on, get up off the floor," he said holding a hand out to her. She slowly placed her hand in his, and sat up. "I love you, dollface, you know that. I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings back there…but you need to know that words hurt…and they hurt a lot," he said softly. Sara nodded and wiped her cheeks. "Come on," he whispered helping her to her feet, "How does your head feel?" "A little better. The Advil is working," she answered softly. "Let's get cleaned up, and then we'll go back to the hotel, okay?" he said kissing her forehead. Sara nodded and began to take off her outfit. Mark pushed her hands away, doing it for her. Sara grinned slightly, and whispered, "I love you, Mark." "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered pulling his own clothes off. Sara followed him into the shower, and they cleaned each other, before quickly dressing and leaving the building. Once inside their hotel room, Sara quickly climbed into the bed, and curled up. Mark climbed in behind her, pulling her close to him. He kissed her ear softly, whispering, "I love you, baby." Sara nodded and closed her eyes. "I love you, too," she whispered before falling asleep. Mark sighed and pulled her a little closer, sleep consuming his weary body in moments.

Mark awoke early the next morning alone. He heard the shower running, and figured Sara was there. He looked over at the clock and sighed. It was almost seven, and they had a flight to catch at ten. He slowly sat up, groaning softly. His back was getting more and more sore as the days went by. "I've been doin' this awhile…it was gonna catch up sooner or later," he whispered swinging his legs over the side of the bed. The bathroom door opened, and Sara walked out wrapped in a towel. Her eyes were slightly puffy, and her cheeks were a little red. "You feelin' okay, dollface?" he asked. She sniffed and nodded. "Just a little tired," she whispered. "Well, you had a pretty rough night," he said coming over to her, putting his arms around her. Sara leaned against his body, relishing in the thing she'd attacked him for just the night before, his sheer physicality. Mark kissed her cheek and whispered, "You sleep okay?" She shook her head and faced him, putting her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. "Nightmares?" he asked. She merely nodded her head. "Of?" he whispered. "Me…alone in an apartment…staring at your picture," she whispered, "You weren't there…and I felt so empty inside…something bad had happened, and we weren't together anymore. I woke up in tears." Mark sighed and squeezed her closer. "Nothing can break us, remember?" he whispered in her ear. She nodded, but kept her hold on his waist. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Mark," she said softly, "I couldn't live…I just couldn't." "I know the feeling, dollface," he said, kissing the top of her head, "I'm gonna go take a shower, and then we'll go get some breakfast, okay?" She nodded, but she didn't let him go. "You gotta let me go, baby," he said grinning. "I don't wanna," she mumbled. Mark chuckled and began to tickle her. Sara tried not to laugh, but she couldn't. She quickly released him and said, "Fine…play dirty." Mark kissed her forehead, then went into the bathroom.

Sara quickly dressed in a pair of sweatpants, and a Harley Davidson t-shirt. She tossed her dirty clothes in her suitcase, and remade the bed. She was sitting on it, twiddling with a necklace she'd bought a while back, when Mark came out of the bathroom. "You okay, baby?" he asked pulling clothes out of his suitcase. "Yeah, just thinkin'," she answered. "What about?" he asked. "My apology to Shawn," she whispered. Mark looked over his shoulder at her, and she said, "You were right…I've gotta stop being such a hypocrite. Besides…hate takes too much outta me." "That's the truth," Mark said quickly dressing, and putting his dirty clothes in his suitcase, "Come on, let's get outta here." Sara nodded and grabbed her duffel bag and small suitcase, following Mark out of the room. They grabbed breakfast in a small diner across the street from the hotel, before heading to the airport.

The plane landed in Houston a couple hours later, and Sara and Mark headed straight to the arena. Once there, Sara separated from Mark and went to find Shawn's locker room. She had a feeling he'd be there early. She found his locker room beside Vince's office. She knocked quietly, and waited for an answer. The door opened a few moments later. "Hey, Sara," Shawn said quietly. "Hi, Shawn. Look, um, can I talk to you for a minute?" Sara said quietly. "Yeah, sure, come on in," he said stepping aside. Sara walked in, and heard the door shut behind her. She faced Shawn, and looked down at the floor. "I, uh, I wanna apologize for what I said to you last night, Shawn. I was being a total hypocrite, and I'm sorry," she said quietly, "You really are trying hard, and last night…Monday night, too…that wasn't your fault. So…I'm sorry." "I think I should apologize for thinkin' I could come back here, and things would be any different. You…you and everyone else have every reason in the world to hate me, and want me outta here," he said quietly. "That may be so, but I think that hate takes too much energy…and I've used about as much energy on hating you as I can handle," she said looking up at him, "I'm tired o' that, Shawn…I'm tired of hating you." "So what does that mean for us?" he asked, "Are we gonna be friends now?" Sara sighed and looked away. _How do you go from mortal enemies to friends?_ she thought, _Is it possible?_ "Sara?" Shawn asked softly, "Do you think we can have a friendship?" "We can certainly try," she answered looking at him, "But not too hard…if we're supposed to be friends, it'll happen on its own, ya know." "Yeah," he said quietly. "Tracy's not here with you? I figured since we're in Texas, she'd come," she asked. "No, she's not all about the travel…she doesn't really understand how we handle it," he answered. "That's understandable…_I_ don't see how we handle it," Sara said grinning. Shawn grinned and nodded. "I'm gonna get outta here. You wanna do lunch in a little bit?" she said. "Yeah, sure. Three sound good to you? I wanna get a good workout in before I eat," he answered. "Yeah, that's fine. Maybe I'll see ya in the gym," she said as he opened the door. Shawn nodded, and Sara left the room, her chest feeling just a little lighter.


	59. Unthinkable

**Chapter 58…Unthinkable**

The next three months zoomed by for Sara, Mark, and Shawn. Their storyline was one of the most popular in the company. Each week, Shawn found a new way to attack either Sara or Mark, and sometimes he'd even attack them both. During their "I Quit" match in December, Shawn had hit Mark with a steel chair multiple times. Sara went to stop him, but he turned around and nailed her as well. That match was the culmination of their storyline, and it had not only done wonders for Shawn, but Mark as well. He was now more popular than ever. Once he was done with Shawn, he moved on to a storyline with Kevin, who was World champion at the time, and Mark thought he would finally get a World title under his belt. However, things weren't that simple. Instead of his match being at Royal Rumble like Mark had thought it would be, and had prepared his body for, it had been pushed back a whole two months. Instead, he would be facing Kevin on the grandest stage of them all, Wrestlemania. Mark had no problem with that, but the fact that Vince had pushed his storyline back had him very angry, and very frustrated. He had started arguing with Sara once he'd found out his match was pushed back in January, but it had gotten progressively worse once Vince had told him it was being pushed back until Wrestlemania. The night before the pay-per-view, Mark completely snapped on her.

Sara slowly climbed onto the bed beside Mark. He had been extremely stressed out the past week, and she didn't want to upset him any more than he already was. His Heavyweight title match had been postponed for over two months, and tomorrow was the chance he'd been waiting for, the chance to finally be the number one guy in the company. Sara moved close to him and began nibbling on his ear. She was going to try her best to make him relax. "Sara…stop," Mark whispered. "Mark, baby, relax," Sara said caressing his cheek gently, "You're way too tense. I'm gonna fix that." She moved down to kiss his neck, while at the same time tracing a path down his muscled, bare chest with her index finger. The muscle in Mark's chest twitched under her touch. Mark wanted to make love to Sara, more than ever, but his frustration with Vince was overshadowing that passion. "Sara…just stop," he growled. Sara ignored him and climbed on top of his hips. She placed her lips on his and moaned softly when she felt his throbbing groin against her loins. "That's right, baby," she whispered against his lips, "Relax." Mark captured her mouth and placed his hands on her slim hips. He squeezed slightly before moving over her back and shoulders. His mind drifted to the thoughts of celebrating his title shot with Sara, before coming back to harsh reality – he'd been waiting over two months for this shot. "No!" he growled suddenly, tossing her onto the floor. He wanted all of his energy for his match the next night. Sara rubbed her back and stood.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! I understand that you're frustrated," she snapped, "But that's no reason to take it out on me! I was only trying to help!" Mark moved so quickly, Sara didn't have time to react. In the blink of an eye, she was yanked onto the bed and pinned under Mark's huge frame. His lips traveled roughly over her freshly-shaven skin, leaving bruises everywhere. "Ouch, Mark, that hurts," Sara gasped squirming. "Hush, now," Mark growled, "This is what you wanted." "No, it's not," Sara responded, tears welling in her eyes as Mark's hands squeezed and rubbed everywhere they touched. "Mark, you're hurting me," she said moving against him, "Stop." Sara gasped when Mark glared at her. His eyes were dark green, and she saw the anger and passion swirl together. Sara put her hands on his chest, crying out when Mark grabbed them and pulled them above her head. Her worst fears were coming true.

"I…said…hush!" he growled holding them together with his left hand. Sara screamed when she felt Mark's hand move under her nightgown. Mark's mouth came down hard on hers to squelch her screams. Sara tried to push up against Mark's body, but that only made it worse because it gave Mark easier access to her. "No!" Sara yelled when Mark began to nip at her neck. Those bites left bruises as well. "Mark, please, stop!" she cried as the nips increased, "This isn't you! Stop!" Her pleas fell on deaf ears. Her panties were ripped away with one hard pull. "Mark, I'm begging you, don't--." Mark once again covered her mouth before forcing himself inside her. Tears streamed down her face as Mark's free hand grabbed her breast squeezed. "Feels good, doesn't it?" Mark growled as he began to move his hips, "Oh, yeah…real good!" "No, no, no!" Sara said still trying to struggle, "Please! Stop!"

The ordeal continued for the next ten minutes. In the end, Sara's muscles were aching, her mind was chaotic, and her heart was ripped in shreds. She was a physical and emotional wreck. Mark gave one last, hard thrust before collapsing on top of her. He slowly released her hands and climbed off of her. Sara slowly closed her legs and tried to hold in her tears, but they flowed down her face like water. Suddenly, Mark's arm landed across her stomach. She flinched and gasped simultaneously. Mark's breath on her neck caused violent trembles to course through her body. "Hush, now," he whispered kissing her ear. What seemed like an eternity later, Mark was seemingly sound asleep. Sara slowly moved from under Mark, and scrambled off the bed. Mark, who was not asleep, simply lied there; his mind was running wild with the immediate memory of what he'd just done. Sara grabbed her key off the dresser and quietly left the room. Tears streamed down her face as she ran down to Andy's room.

She knocked on the door and lowered her head, staring at her bruised body. There were bruises on her wrists where Mark had gripped them, as well as bruises on her legs; she could feel bruises on her neck and stomach. The door opened moments later. Andy stood there in his boxers. "Sara, what's wrong? What the hell happened to you?" he asked letting her in. "That…monster, he-he--." Sobs began to choke Sara, causing her to fall to the floor. Andy leaned down beside her and put his arms around her. "Tell me what happened," he said slowly. "Andy…he-he…Mark raped me," she cried, "He just snapped…and he raped me!" Andy sighed heavily and touched Sara's wet cheek. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry," he whispered. He slowly helped her stand and slammed the door. He was almost as angry with Mark as he had been at Shawn for assaulting Sara a couple years back. "Come on," he whispered putting her arm around his neck to steady her; her tears had weakened her very quickly. Suddenly, a hard knock on the door grabbed their attention. Sara backed up until she hit the bed. Andy slowly opened the door and took a deep breath.

"She's in here, isn't she?" Mark asked quietly, "Sara, come on out here." "Mark, back off," Andy snapped, "Leave her alone." Mark sensed Andy's anger and pushed Andy back, trying to get in. "She's my fiancée, and I want to see her," he growled. "Don't do this, Mark," Andy said tensely, "Just go back to your room." "Not without Sara," Mark responded said trying to get in again. "And I said back--." Mark punched Andy in his jaw hard, knocking him down. "No!" Sara yelled bounding forward. She covered Andy with her body and said, "Leave him alone. And me, too. Just…leave us alone, you monster." Mark sighed exasperatedly, then turned around and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Sara sat up and helped Andy sit up. "I'm so sorry, Andy," she whispered. "I'm fine," Andy said standing. Sara slowly stood and headed for the door. "Where are you goin´?" he said grabbing her arm. "I'm, uh, I'm going back to-to my room," Sara answered, "I can't leave him in the state he's in. He might hurt himself." "You can't go back there. Mark's way too dangerous to be around. He might hurt himself, but he might hurt you, too," Andy said quietly, "And I'm sorry, but I won't let you put yourself in the situation to be hurt worse. I made that mistake once, and I won't make it again." Sara put her hand to her mouth and started crying again. Andy pulled her to him and held her close. "It's okay, Sara," he whispered. The tears came harder as Andy led her to the bed. "Go on," he said, "I'll sleep on the floor." Sara shook her head and forced Andy to lay down with her. She just didn't want to be alone that night. When Andy put his arms around her, she scooted closer and continued to cry. "I'm here, Sara," he whispered, "I'm here." He kissed her cheek softly, trying to remove the tears, but they kept coming. "It's okay, baby doll, it's okay," he whispered continuing to kiss her cheeks. Sara sniffled and turned her face up towards Andy's. His lips landed on her own, and she gasped softly, tensing up. Andy kissed her softly, as though as asking permission, and Sara relaxed a little. Her mouth opened slightly, and she returned the pressure of Andy's lips.

Andy groaned softly and pulled her closer, running his hands over her back. "It's okay, baby doll," he whispered again. Sara nodded against his lips, running her hands over his muscled arms. Andy slowly pulled her nightgown up over her hips, running his fingertips over her legs. He felt her tremble beneath him and looked into her eyes. "If you don't want me to, Sara, I won't," he whispered. "Please…I need this, Andy," she whispered back. Andy reached over to the nightstand, grabbing a condom from the top drawer. He looked back down at Sara, and she pulled his face down to hers, kissing him again. His lips traveled over her face, her bare shoulders, over her right arm. Sara wasn't aware of anything; her heart was too broken, and all she knew was that Andy was trying to fix it. When he entered her, she gasped softly before relaxing under Andy's small frame. Andy wrapped her left leg around his waist, then spread her hair over the pillow beneath his head. "I'm so sorry he hurt you, baby doll," he whispered kissing her face softly. Sara nodded as tears escaped down her cheeks. "Am I hurting you?" he asked. "No," Sara whispered, her throat scratching. Andy kissed her once again, moving in and out of her as slowly as he could. Sara moaned softly, moving her hips against his, and caressing his bare chest. "I love you, Sara," he whispered in her ear. "I know, Andy. I love you, too," she whispered back. Andy caressed her wet cheek and looked into her eyes. "I really mean that, baby. You're a helluva woman," he whispered. Sara smiled slightly and let her eyes drift shut, taking in Andy over and over. Andy groaned softly as her walls clamped around him, squeezing him and increasing his own pleasure. When he moved one last time, Sara moaned and relaxed against the soft sheets. "Sleep, baby. It'll be okay," Andy whispered climbing off of her and going into the bathroom.

When he came out, Sara was fast asleep already. Andy, however, didn't go to sleep. He was in his right mind to go and beat the hell out of Mark. He had hurt the one woman he'd claimed to love more than life itself. A quiet knock on the door brought Andy away from his thoughts. He slowly moved off the bed, careful not to move Sara, and went to the door. He looked through the peephole and took a deep breath. Mark was standing there with his head lowered. Andy slowly opened the door and glared at Mark. "What the fuck do you want?" he snapped. "Andy…please…don't make me sleep without her," Mark whispered. "Why not?!" Andy said stepping into Mark's face, "You…you disrespected her, and you hurt her, in the worse…way…possible! You didn't just fuck with her body…you fucked with her mind! You hurt her worse than Shawn did, you sick, worthless son of a bitch!" Without warning, Andy rocked Mark with a right hook, which knocked Mark to the floor. Mark sat there with his head lowered in shame; he felt lower than a snake's belly. Tears filled his eyes, because what Andy had said was absolutely true. "Please," he begged, "Andy, please, I…I can't sleep. I can't breathe. Please don't keep her from me." Andy kneeled down at Mark's feet and growled, "If you hurt her – if she comes to me again and tells me that you hurt her – I swear to God, I will kill you myself!" Mark nodded and slowly stood. He went into Andy's room and walked towards the bed. Sara's nightgown was ripped a little, and her hair was tangled. He saw the bruises on her upper body, and bared legs, and a tear fell from his eye. "Oh, baby," he whispered slowly putting his arms underneath her. Sara stirred, and Mark immediately stopped moving. He didn't want her to wake up, only to find him touching her again. When she stopped moving, he lifted her into his arms. Sara immediately curled up against his chest and wrapped her fingers in his shirt. He kissed her forehead softly and whispered, "Oh, Sara, I'm so sorry." He then headed to the door, but was stopped by Andy. "Don't forget what I said," he said quietly, looking down at Sara, "You better not hurt her." Mark nodded slowly and left the room. When he got down to his room, he carefully opened the door and quickly placed Sara on the bed, letting the door shut quietly. He put the covers over her, before kissing her forehead and saying, "I love you, Sara…I love you very, very much." Sara suddenly grabbed his face and pulled it down to hers, giving him a passionate kiss. Mark went to pull away, but Sara wouldn't let him. Her tongue gently caressed his, and her hands cupped his face. Mark didn't dare to move his hands from their place on the sides of Sara's head. When Sara released him, she whispered, "I'll always love you, Mark…no matter what." Mark took a deep breath and swallowed. Sara had been asleep when she'd kissed him; she was dreaming about him. Mark sighed heavily and lowered his head, then grabbed a pillow from the other side of the bed, and lied down on the floor.

Sara awoke the next morning in her own room. She barely remembered being moved there. Mark was halfway on top of her, his head resting on her stomach, and his arm wrapped around her waist. She felt that her nightgown was wet, and realized Mark had cried himself to sleep not too long ago. Her eyes shot open as the memories of last night flashed before her eyes: Mark's hands and mouth moving roughly over her skin, the feel of him inside her, and the sinister look of anger mixed with passion. It all equaled one word: rape. She moved her hands through Mark's hair, her hands shaking, but suddenly thought, _This man raped you last night…what could he do next?_ Sara moved away slowly, attempting not to wake him, and went over to the dresser. She hastily began to pack her bags. I've got to get out of here, she thought, If I stay, it'll tell him he can do anything to me…and get away with it.

When Sara stood up after she'd packed her clothes, she gasped. Mark was standing behind her; she saw his reflection in the mirror. "Where are you going?" he asked quietly. Sara turned around and looked up into his eyes. They were filled with sorrow and grief; dark circles under his eyes indicated he'd not slept much the night before. "Mark…it's over. I'm leaving," she responded slowly, "And I'm not coming back." Mark dropped to his knees and grabbed her waist, causing her to flinch. "Please, Sara, don't leave me. I'm so sorry about last night. I swear to God, I have no idea what came over me," he said sorrowfully, "You can't leave…not on the most important day of my career." Sara's face contorted in a mixture of shock and confusion, then in anger. "Your career? Your fucking career?!" she snapped moving away, "Mark…last night, you-you…crushed my heart; you tore it into pieces…you hurt me worse than Shawn…or Eric…ever, ever could." Mark lowered his head as he felt his heart tighten in his chest. "And now…all you can worry about…is your goddamn career?" she hissed, "I can't believe you would put that first. You and your career can go straight to hell, Mark." "Sara, that's not what I meant. Please, you have to believe me…I'm so sorry," he whispered as tears filled his eyes, "There are no words to describe how low I feel…how disgusted I feel--." The bathroom door slammed shut, cutting him off. Mark plopped down on the bed and lowered his head. In 10 minutes, he'd destroyed years of trust. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he visualized his life without Sara. _How could you do that to her? No amount of stress in the world should've made you hurt the one woman you want to spend the rest of your life with_, he thought, _You can only blame yourself. You ruined the relationship_.

Sara stayed in the shower for almost 20 minutes, crying a majority of the time. She had made the decision to leave, and now it was time to act upon it. When she went back into the room, Mark was sitting on the bed crying. She tried to ignore him, but her heart wouldn't let her. She slowly sat down beside him and sighed heavily. "Mark, please…don't make this any harder than it already is," she whispered. "Sara…please, I'm so sorry…I'm so very sorry," he responded, "Don't leave me…don't leave me." Sara lowered her head slowly, flinching when Mark put his arms around her. He eased in front of her and touched his nose to hers. "I love you, Sara, so much it hurts. Please, believe me," he whispered with his eyes closed, "You are a part of my mind, my body…my soul. I can't concentrate, nor will I be able to, without you here…Please, please, please stay with me…if only for tonight…just stay." Sara's arms moved around Mark's neck on their own, as she thought, _If he only knew how much I wanted to stay with him. He's my life, everything that I am. But every couple has its time on the rocks…and this is ours_.

Mark's lips on hers broke into Sara's concentration She returned the kiss and instinctively pulled him closer. Mark's hand moved down her sides and over her bare legs. Sara moaned softly as the kiss gained passion and meaning; it would be the last time Mark touched her like that. She lied back and sighed as she ran her fingers through his hair. His tongue traveled freely over her soft belly, moving up inch by inch. His hands carefully removed her towel and his shirt. When he reached her neck, Sara stopped moving. She was letting him take control, and she didn't want that to happen; she was afraid of the results. Mark looked down at her, and said, "Please…let me do this." Sara pulled his face down and kissed him with everything she was worth. When Mark eased inside her, she tensed up and gasped, trying to push away from him. "Relax, Sara…I'm not gonna hurt you, I swear it," he whispered. Sara closed her eyes and let desire to take over; she gave Mark complete and unconditional reign over her body.

Mark began at a slow, steady pace, allowing her to relax against him. When he sped up, both pairs of hands started to roam. Mark groaned as he kissed her gleaming skin, and let his hands move over the light bruises left from the previous night. "I'll never hurt you again, Sara," he whispered massaging her breasts, "I'll never disrespect you like that again." Sara moaned as his lips began to make her body sing; she didn't regret letting Mark make love to her once more, because it would give her pleasant memories of him. She moved her hands over his broad chest, letting her fingers massage his nipples until they were hard, before moving over his muscled back. "I know you won't," she whispered kissing his neck, "It'll never happen again." When the climax was reached, both Mark and Sara simultaneously said, "I love you." Mark collapsed on top of her and kissed her neck. "Mark, I will stay," she whispered moments later. Elation filled Mark deep down to his very soul. He wasn't going to lose his other half after all. "Thank you so much, Sara," he whispered kissing her gently, "You won't regret this, I--."

Sara broke the kiss and looked into Mark's eyes with tears in her own. "Mark…I'm staying…but only for tonight," she said slowly, "What just happened between us doesn't change the fact…that you raped me last night…and destroyed my trust in you…and that's something I can't forgive." Mark took a deep breath and looked away, before nodding. "I…understand," he whispered painfully, his heart broken worse than before they'd made love. Sara moved from under him and went back into the bathroom. She took a quick shower and dressed in a black, floor-length, silk skirt and a black, short-sleeved, button-up silk shirt. Mark came out of the bathroom after showering for ten minutes. As he dressed, a silent void filled the room. When it was time to leave, Mark watched as Sara grabbed her tote- and duffel bags, as well as her suitcases. He could tell how much it hurt her to leave, because he felt it. She walked past him with her head lowered, her cheeks stained with fresh tears. The door clicked shut on its own.

When Sara and Mark arrived at the arena, they separated, with Mark heading to the locker room, and Sara to Vince's office. Sara looked back at Mark once when they separated, before quickly heading to her destination. When she arrived, she took a deep breath, wiped the tears that had spilled down her cheeks on their own, and knocked. "Come in," Vince's voice came from inside. Sara slowly opened the door and walked in. "Sara? Come on in," Vince said standing. He noticed her red cheeks and came over to her. "What's wrong? What happened to you?" he asked quietly. "I need…to talk to you, Vince," she whispered looking at the floor. "Of course, Sara. Come on…sit down," he said leading her to the chairs in front of his desk. Instead of sitting behind his desk, or even sitting on it, Vince sat down beside Sara. She looked as though she wanted to talk to Vince the friend, not Vince the boss.

Sara took a deep breath and forced back the tears. "I need to take a leave of absence, Vince…a long one," she started, "Something has happened…and I need to take a break from this. I need to get away." Vince forced Sara to look at him, saying, "I've never seen you like this before, Sara. What happened to you?" The tears spilled down Sara's cheeks, though she tried to hold back as much as possible. "Mark and I…it's…" Sara couldn't find it in her to tell Vince what had happened. "Sara? Tell me," Vince said quietly, "What you tell me stays between us." Sara took a few deep breaths before saying, "I was raped, Vince…last night…Mark…raped me." "Jesus, Sara…are you okay? Do you want to go to a hospital?" Vince said. He didn't know anything else to say. One of his employees had been raped by her own boyfriend; it was a personal issue, not a work issue. He could only provide support. "No…please, no hospital. I just need to go home," Sara whispered. "How long?" Vince asked. "I don't know…I don't know…," Sara whispered. Vince took a deep breath and looked away. One of his most popular female wrestlers was asking for a seemingly indefinite leave of absence; how could he compensate for her absence. _What am I thinking? _Vince thought to himself, _This woman obviously needs to recover from this horrible tragedy. Who cares how long it takes?_ "Alright," he finally said, "I trust you." "Thank you, Vince. Thank you so very much," she said quietly. Vince nodded and took Sara's hands in his own. "I need to ask you this, Sara. But you don't have to answer it," he said quietly, leaning towards her. Sara swallowed and nodded. "Are you going to press charges?" he asked. Sara looked down at the floor and covered her eyes. "I think, Vince…that me breaking up with him…is punishment enough," she whispered. Sara just couldn't fathom pressing charges against Mark. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind. Vince nodded and said, "It's your choice." He then stood and helped Sara up. Sara threw her arms around Vince's neck and squeezed. "Thank you," she whispered, "Thank you for understanding." Vince nodded and returned the hug. "Are you going to stay for tonight?" he asked, "Mark could sure use you out there. I don't think his mind will be on the match fully unless you're out there." "Yeah, Vince…one more time before I leave," she answered. "Alright, then. I'll see you around," he said walking her to the door. Sara nodded and left the office. As happy as she felt when Vince had approved her leave, she was starting to realize that she was going home…away from the ring, away from the cameras…and away from Mark.

Mark had planned on going to the locker room, to find Kevin. Instead, he headed to the gym. When he got there, he changed into sweat pants and a t-shirt, then wrapped his hands with tape. It took him a few minutes to bring his mindset to that of working out. When he finally did, Andy was standing in front of him. Mark took a deep breath, and slowly stood. "Can I help you?" he asked quietly. "Where's Sara?" Andy asked calmly. "She…went to talk to Vince," Mark answered. "How is she?" Andy continued. "I don't know, Andy. Like you said…I hurt her in the worst way…I don't know how she's handling it," Mark answered honestly. "Did she tell you what she was gonna talk to Vince about?" Andy asked. "A leave of absence…she's gonna ask for a leave of absence," Mark whispered, "She's going home…for a long time." "Good," Andy replied before leaving, "She needs it." Mark lowered his head and plopped down on the bench. He was already having trouble focusing on his match; now, his mind was right back on Sara. "Hey, buddy, what up? You ready for tonight?" Kevin walked into the locker room of the gym, and sat down beside Mark. Mark looked over at Kevin and shook his head. "What's wrong, buddy? You've got to be excited; you've got a World title coming your way. About time, if you ask me," Kevin said. "I've lost her, Kevin…" Mark whispered. "Who? Lost who?" Kevin asked, truly concerned. "Sara…it's over between us," Mark replied somberly. "What happened? I know you guys have been arguing this past week, but it couldn't have been that bad," Kevin said. "Last night…it blew up…it blew up, and she's going home…a leave of absence…she said it's over," Mark said painfully, "And I don't think I'll ever get her back." Kevin sighed heavily and lowered his head. Mark and Sara had been through a lot together – Kevin had seen most of it – but Kevin had always thought they'd make it through anything. "Can I ask what happened?" Kevin whispered finally. "I don't want to say…just know that…last night was the straw that broke the camel's back," Mark answered, "Come on, let's go plan this match." Mark then stood and left the locker room, followed by Kevin. Sara met up with Mark and Kevin at the entranceway to the ring. "It's done," she said to Mark. Mark swallowed and nodded. "Good…that's good," he whispered. "Come on…we need to get this match set up," she said quietly. "Yeah, you're right," Mark replied. The trio then headed through the curtains to the ring. It was already set up by the crew; they were now working on setting up seats. Sara watched from the side as Kevin and Mark climbed into the ring, warming up.

The rest of the day flew by, much to Mark's and Sara's chagrin. For they both knew that with the end of the night, came the end of their relationship. The trio had agreed that Sara would not come out at the beginning of the match, but actually near the end. In an attempt to revive him, Sara would come down and kiss Mark, giving him her "Angel's Touch. When the time came for the main event match, everyone was excited, even Sara. She'd wanted to manage a World Champion since she came to the company; she'd wanted to manage Mark as World Champion since the split-up of the 'Corporation´, which had caused her so much grief in the past. And yet, she'd get to help Mark win his match, only to step away from the limelight as soon as the match was over.

"Hey, Sara?" Andy came up to Sara as she waited behind Kevin and Mark. Sara turned around at the sound of Andy's voice and smiled. "Hi, Andy," she answered. "How are you feeling?" Andy asked pulling her away from the other two men. "A little better. I'm happy for Mark. He deserves this," she answered honestly. Andy took a deep breath and asked, "How are you really feeling?" "Still hurting. I mean, in about 30 minutes…I'm gonna lose what I've worked so hard to find…it sucks, Andy," she answered quietly, "I didn't think it would hurt so bad to leave…not after what happened last night." Andy touched her shoulders and said, "If anybody deserves a break, it's you, Sara." Sara looked down and forced back tears. "I'll deal with this after the match, Andy…"she whispered, "For now…Mark needs me, and I want to be there for him…this one last time." Andy took a deep breath and said, "Alright, baby doll." Sara winked at him before going back over to Mark and Kevin. They were talking out their match one last time.

"You guys ready?" she asked smiling. "Yeah, we are," Kevin said punching Mark's arm, "Here's to the next World champ." Mark chuckled slightly and said, "Let's blow the roof off this place." Mark's music started and he headed out to the ring. Sara sat down in a chair at the production table, and prepared to watch the match on a small screen. As soon as Kevin climbed into the ring, the match began. It was a very physical match, as Mark and Kevin's styles were both power-based. They pulled out almost everything they'd learned over the course of their careers in this one match. As the tide turned near the end of the match to Kevin's favor, Sara stood and straightened her gown. It was a white sequin gown, low-cut in the front and back, with a trail on the back. It was Sara's favorite gown to wear when she was "Angel", because it took away some of the darkness of her character. She saw Kevin and Mark simultaneously hit the other with steel chairs, watched them fall to the mat, and knew that was her cue to come out. She walked through the curtains slowly, taking a deep breath as the crowd's attention turned to her. Kevin was rolled up in the far corner; Mark was lying in the middle of the ring. Sara slowly walked down the long aisle, and rolled into the ring. Mark's eyes were closed, but he felt Sara's nearness. Sara slowly crawled over to Mark and leaned over his face. "Come on, 'Taker," she whispered, "Win this one for your Angel. Bring it home for me." She then gently kissed his lips, her hair spilling over his face. "I love you, Sara," Mark whispered when she pulled up. Sara smiled and nodded. "I love you, too…always and forever," she replied before rolling out of the ring. Mark sat straight up, and looked over at Kevin, who was still curled up in the corner. Mark stood and went over to him, grabbed his hair, and pulled him up, signaling for his signature maneuver, the Tombstone Piledriver. Kevin easily fell into it, being flipped upside down, and then driven into the mat. Sara smiled broadly as the referee counted to three. She chuckled and climbed into the ring, grabbing the belt from the referee. She fell to her knees beside Mark and said, "You did it! You did it! You finally did it!" Mark hugged Sara tightly and whispered, "I couldn't have done this without you." Sara stood as Mark got down on one knee. Sara grinned and held up the World title, as Mark seemed to pay homage to her.

Sara helped Mark to his feet and held up his right hand, as Mark held the World title in his left hand. "Congratulations," Sara said over the cheers of the crowd, "I'm proud of you." Mark grinned slightly as he rolled out of the ring, helping Sara out as well. They walked up the ramp hand-in-hand. When they got to the back, Mark embraced Sara tightly, and she returned the hug. Reality had sunk in; they were going their separate ways, and neither could say when their paths would meet again. "I'll take you to the airport," he whispered in her ear. "Okay…I'll meet you...at the car," Sara answered, her voice full of hurt. "Twenty minutes?" Mark asked. "Yeah…that's fine," she whispered. They then released each other, Mark heading towards the men's locker room, and Sara towards the women's locker room.

Sara quickly showered and packed her duffel bag. When she walked out of the room, Andy was standing there. "Always watching over me, aren't you?" she asked smiling. "Hey, it's what I was hired to do," Andy said jokingly. Sara chuckled and slung her bag over her shoulder. "How long is your leave?" he asked quietly. "Until I call Vince and tell him I want to come back," Sara answered quietly. "You're serious?" he asked. Sara nodded as they headed towards the parking lot. They continued talking until Mark walked up with Kevin. "Hey, Sara," Kevin spoke. "Hey, Kevin. How does it feel to not be champ anymore?" Sara asked winking. "It's all good. Mark deserves it," Kevin said, "I'll see you guys around." Sara forced a smile as she climbed into the car. "Take it easy, Sara. I'll call you sometime, okay?" Andy said putting her bag in the back seat. He was going to take a cab back to the hotel, leaving Sara alone with Mark for the trip to the airport. Sara nodded, shutting the car door. Tears finally began to spill down her cheeks, tears she'd been holding back since she'd spoken with Vince. Mark climbed into the driver's seat and started the car, putting his hand in Sara's. They rode hand-in-hand, all the way to the airport. Mark even walked Sara inside. After Sara had purchased her ticket, she went up to Mark, who was holding her bags. Mark squeezed her tightly and kissed her cheek, a tear falling down his cheek. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, one last time, before breaking loose. "Goodbye, Mark," she said quietly. Sara then grabbed her bags and headed towards her gate. When she was finally on the plane, which was quite empty, due to the late hour, her tears came again. The woman next to her, a senior-looking woman, asked, "What's wrong, child? You look like your world has just ended." "I think I just made the biggest mistake of my life," Sara whispered looking out the window. The plane took off moments later, and Sara watched as the airport disappeared into the night, and along with it, the one man who'd changed her, loved her, and made her a complete and whole woman.

When Sara pulled in front of her mother's house, tears came to her eyes again. She slowly cut the car off and sat back against the seat. The sun peeked over the roof of her mother's house, and Sara glanced at her watch. It was just after six a.m. She sniffed and wiped her wet cheeks, opening the driver's side door and stepping out. She grabbed her bags from the front seat and shut the door. She headed up the front steps slowly, pulling her suitcase behind her. When she finally entered the house, she heard her mother moving around in the kitchen. "Sara?" Lucy called from the kitchen. Sara sighed heavily and shut the door behind her. "Yeah, mom, it's me," she said quietly, her voice shaking. "What are you doin´ here? Did you get today off?" Lucy asked from the kitchen. Sara dropped her bags on the floor, and dropped to her knees, her emotions overcoming her. Lucy came to the kitchen door and, upon seeing her daughter's state, ran over to her and dropped down in front of her. "What's wrong, baby? What happened?" she asked. Sara shook her head and cried, her shoulders shaking. Lucy wrapped her arms around her daughter's shoulders, and whispered, "Sara, talk to me. What happened?" "Mama…mama," Sara whispered, her voice shaking, "Mark, he…mama, he raped me." Lucy's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. "No!" she gasped. Sara nodded and wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, crying into her shoulder. "Sara, look at me!" Lucy said gripping her chin. Sara's eyes were bloodshot, and tears streamed from them like rain. "I couldn't stay, mama, I couldn't," she whispered, "He wanted me to so bad, but I couldn't." "I hope you're pressing charges against that bastard," Lucy said heatedly. "No, mama…I'm not…I can't do that to him," Sara whispered lowering her eyes. "If you won't, dammit, I will!" Lucy snapped. "No, mama, please," Sara whispered crying even harder, "Please, don't do that to him…" Lucy stood and put her hands on her hips. "He raped you, Sara! Men go to jail for that, no matter who they are!" she yelled. Sara covered her eyes with her hands; she couldn't stop crying.

The phone rang moments later, and Lucy grabbed it off the hook. "Hello??" she asked impatiently. Silence ensued, and Sara watched her mother's face turn red, and her body start shaking. "You lowlife son of a bitch! You call here again, and I'll have you arrested! You hear that?!" she snapped before hanging up the phone, then looking down at Sara. Sara slowly stood, picking up her bags. "I'm goin´ upstairs," she whispered walking past her mother. "Do you want anything to eat?" Lucy asked. "No, just…just let me be, mom," Sara answered softly, "Please…just let me be." Lucy sighed heavily as she watched Sara head up the stairs, and then heard a door shut softly. She shook her head and entered the kitchen, plopping down at the small table and pouring a cup of coffee, her thoughts drifting to her broken-hearted daughter upstairs.

The day passed slowly, and Lucy tried to go about her normal routine. As the sun set and Sara still hadn't emerged from her room, Lucy got worried. She slowly made her way upstairs, and heard soft crying. She knocked on Sara's door and got, "Leave me alone, mom," as a response. Lucy opened the door and said, "I'll do no such thing." Sara was lying in her bed, the covers wrapped up to her neck, and her hair was splayed over her face. "What do you want, mama?" Sara whispered, her throat raw from crying pretty much all day. "I'm just checking on you. You've been up here all day, without a bite of food, or anything to drink. You've gotta eat somethin´," Lucy said sitting down beside her. Sara turned her back to her mother, and whispered, "I'm fine." "No, you're not. If you were fine, you'd be downstairs watching a movie with me, or having dinner with me, or just plain ole´ having fun," Lucy said. "How the hell am I supposed to have fun, mom?! I got raped two nights ago, remember?!" Sara snapped, tears pouring down her cheeks. Lucy sighed heavily and touched Sara's shoulder. "I know, honey. But you have to just…start over. It's gonna be hard, but you have to," she said quietly. Sara sat up and faced her mother. "How can you ask me to just start over? My heart was broken in a way I didn't think possible! I didn't think I could hurt so much! I don't feel alive, mom, can you understand that? No, because you don't know what it's like to tear yourself away from the one man you love more than life. I feel like I'm being tortured, like my insides are being ripped out, mom. I can't just start over!" she snapped, then plopping back down and lifting the covers over her head. "Just leave, mom…please," she whispered painfully, "I can't do this right now." Lucy sighed heavily and lowered her head. Sara was right; she couldn't relate to what she was going through. "I'll, uh, I'll be downstairs if you need me," she whispered standing. She looked down at Sara, who was shaking slightly underneath the covers. She left the room, softly shutting the door behind her.

The next morning, Lucy walked into the kitchen and gasped. Sara was sitting at the table, a cup in her hand. "Good morning to you, too," she said grinning. Sara looked up at her with empty eyes, and Lucy's grin disappeared. She sat down at the table and touched Sara's empty hand. "How're you doin´?" she asked quietly. "I'm, uh…I'm really tired," Sara answered softly. Her throat was raw, and her cheeks were rosy-colored. Her eyes were puffy and red as well. "Did you sleep much last night?" Lucy asked. Sara shook her head and swallowed. "I, uh…I couldn't sleep," she whispered. "Why didn't you come and talk to me?" Lucy asked. "I didn't want…to wake you," Sara said slowly, before sipping on her hot tea, "I just…went outside, and…thought." "About?" Lucy asked. Sara looked up, and Lucy saw the fresh tears. "I'm sorry, Sara. I'll try not to mention it again," she said quietly. "You were right…I…I have to try and…start over," Sara said softly, "Is it okay if I stay here until I find a job?" "Of course it is, Sara. Why'd you even ask?" Lucy whispered. Sara hunched her shoulders. "I'm gonna…go job-hunting tomorrow," she whispered, "Hopefully it won't…take too long." Lucy nodded and said, "Doesn't matter. My home is your home, Sara, you know that." Sara's bottom lip trembled, and she tried to hold back her tears. "It's okay, Sara," Lucy whispered hugging her tightly. Sara cried harder and rested her hands on her mother's back. "Why is this happening, mom? What'd I do wrong?" she whispered through the tears. "Nothin', baby, nothing' at all," Lucy answered rubbing her back. A knock on the door interrupted them. Sara looked at Lucy, and whispered, "I'll get it." "You sure?" Lucy asked. Sara nodded and slowly stood, walking to the door and peeking out the window. Andy was standing there looking down. She sighed heavily and opened the door. "Andy," she whispered. Mark stepped from the side, and Sara gasped, taking a step back. "What are you doin´ here?" she whispered. "Sara, please…talk to me," Mark said softly. "You have some nerve to show your face!" she said quietly. "Sara, who is it?" Lucy asked from the kitchen. Sara looked back, just as her mother walked through the kitchen doorway. "Mom…," she said softly. "You get the fuck outta here, Mark!" Lucy yelled walking up to the door, "You're not welcome here anymore!" Mark looked up at Lucy, and begged, "Lucy, please…I have to talk to Sara." "You don't have a goddamn thing to say to her!" Lucy said pulling Sara back, "And you, Andy…did you bring him here?" "No, mom, Andy wouldn't do that," Sara whispered. "Get the hell outta here, Mark," Lucy said. Mark sighed and looked at Sara, who was standing behind Lucy, her eyes red and spilling tears. "I'm sorry, Sara," he whispered. She nodded slightly, her bottom lip trembling. "Please…don't come back, Mark," she whispered. Mark turned and headed down the stairs, his head lowered. "Do you want to come in, Andy?" Lucy asked slowly. "If I'm welcome," he answered quietly. Lucy looked back at Sara, who was still staring at Mark's departing form. She tore her eyes away from Mark and looked at Andy. "Come on in, Andy," Lucy said quietly, stepping to the side. Andy took a deep breath and crossed over the threshold, Sara following him into the living room while Lucy shut the door.

Sara sat on the couch beside Andy, her feet tucked up, and her arms around her knees. "How're you holdin' up?" he asked softly, pushing her hair behind her left ear. "I feel like I'm dying, Andy," she whispered, "It hurts so much to be apart from him." "I know, baby doll. This is killing him, too," he whispered. "I can't tell my mom this…she hates Mark…with a passion," she said softly, "I've never heard her curse so much…" "He really is sorry, Sara, you know that?" Andy said touching her shoulder. She looked at him and burst into tears, dropping her head. "I know, Andy," she said through the tears, "But I can't just forgive him…it's like asking me to forgive Shawn." "I know, Sara. I'm not here to plead his case. I'm just here to make sure you're doin´ okay. I told him not to come, but I couldn't really stop him," he said caressing her back. "It's okay, not your fault…Mark's too stubborn for his own good," she said looking at him. Lucy came in with a couple plates of food, and set them down in front of Andy and Sara. "There ya go," she said looking at Sara, "I'm goin´ upstairs. Call if you need me, okay, Sara?" Sara nodded and thanked her. When she heard Lucy's room door shut, she laid down on the couch, resting her head in Andy's lap. He caressed her cheek softly, wiping the tears away. "So…what'd you do yesterday?" he asked. "Laid in bed all day…crying," she whispered, "I got here around six a.m., 'cause there were delays in my flight. And I went up to my room, took a shower, and stayed in bed. I didn't want to do anything. I still don't…but I have to go job-searching tomorrow." "Why? You've got plenty saved up, right?" Andy asked. "Well, yeah, but…I don't want my mom to think I'm mooching off of her, ya know. I mean, I don't know how long Vince is gonna give me off. So, I wanna get somethin´ just to…" "To take your mind off of Mark?" he asked candidly. Sara swallowed and nodded. "It's gonna be hard," she whispered, "I loved him so much…dammit, I still do." "The love that you have with him, Sara…it stands the test of time. I know it seems like things are rough right now…and the future looks pretty bleak…but you gotta keep your head up," he said softly, caressing her cheek with his thumb, "Let things calm down…even if it takes the next six months, they will calm down. Okay?" Sara nodded and looked at the food on the table. "We should eat before it gets too cold," she said sitting up.

After breakfast, Sara and Andy went out to the backyard and talked for a little while. "So you didn't watch him wrestle last night?" he asked after an hour. "No…I think mom came up around eleven, and by then, I was just tired and ready to go to sleep. My mom wanted to talk, but I just wanted to sleep," she answered, "How'd he do?" "Okay. A title rematch against Kevin…Mark won, of course," he said softly. "Well, that's good. I should've watched it," she whispered closing her eyes and lying back on the cool grass, "Don't you guys have to work tonight?" "Mark does, which is why I told him not to come," he answered lying back beside her. Sara rested her head on his shoulder, and his arm came around her back. "Andy?" she whispered as his fingers ran through her hair gently. "Yeah?" he answered. "Did you tell Mark about…about me and you…what we did?" she asked softly. "No," he answered quietly, "He'd rip me to pieces." "Can I ask you somethin´?" she asked. "Anything," he said quietly. "Why? Why'd you do…what you did?" she asked. Andy took a deep breath and answered, "Because I love you, Sara, and not in the brotherly way. We've come a long way since we first met, and…I fell in love with you. I didn't want to see you hurting anymore." Sara leaned up on her elbow, and looked down at him. "You mean that?" she asked. Andy nodded and touched her cheek. "Like I said…you're a helluva woman," he whispered. Sara smiled slightly, her eyes gleaming. "That's the first time I've seen you smile like that in a while," he said softly. "You gave me a good reason to," she replied. She slowly stood and helped him to his feet. "Come on, let's go back in," she said quietly. They entered the house, and found Lucy sitting on the couch watching television. "Thought I was gonna have to come searching for you two," she said grinning up at them. Sara smiled back at her and shook her head. "That wouldn't have been necessary, mom," she said. "Good," Lucy said before turning her attention back to the television screen, "You two hungry?" "Actually I'm gonna head outta here. Gotta fly out in a couple hours, and I wanna head to the airport now," Andy answered. "I'll walk you out," Sara said looking up at him.

Once out on the front porch, Sara hugged Andy's neck tightly. "Thank you…for comin´ to check on me," she said softly. "Not a problem, baby doll," he responded hugging her back, "If you ever need to talk, you have my number, so don't hesitate to call me." Sara nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thanks, Andy…for everything," she whispered, "I don't know where I'd be without you." Andy pulled away and cupped Sara's face, kissing her forehead. "You gonna be okay?" he asked. Sara nodded, resting her hands on his waist. "Do me a favor?" she asked quietly. "Anything," he answered. "Keep an eye on Mark. I'm worried about him," she whispered, "As much as I don't want to be…I am." "Will do, baby doll," he said softly, kissing her forehead again, "I'll try and give you a call later this week, okay?" She nodded and watched him as he headed down the stairs and out the front gate. She waved goodbye before heading back into the house.

When she sat down beside her mother, Lucy gave her a look of confusion. "What?" Sara asked. "What's up with you and Andy?" Lucy asked. Sara took a deep breath and looked away. "He's just being a good friend, mom," she answered quietly. "Somethin´ happen between you two?" Lucy asked. Sara felt her face redden and closed her eyes. "Yeah," she whispered. "When?" Lucy asked. Sara swallowed and answered, "The same night Mark…raped me." Lucy's eyebrows shot up in response. "What the hell for?" she asked. "He was just helping…," Sara said quietly. "How?! You got raped, Sara…why the hell would he do somethin´ like have sex with you right after that?!" Lucy snapped. Sara swallowed and stood. "I'm goin´ upstairs," she whispered leaving the room. "Oh, no, we're gonna talk about this!" Lucy said loudly, "Sara Marie Roberts, get back here right now!" Sara re-entered the living room, tears in her eyes. "Why do you wanna talk about this?" she asked softly, "You're the one who said I needed to start over…" "You had sex with Andy…willingly?" Lucy asked. "Yes, mom, willingly," Sara answered, her bottom lip trembling, "Don't judge me, mom…you have no right." "You are my daughter, missy, so don't tell me what rights I do and do not have," Lucy snapped, "I didn't raise you to have sex with just anybody, friend or not!" "You don't understand--." "You're damn right I don't understand! Andy took complete advantage of you, and you're stickin' up for him!" Lucy said heatedly. "He didn't take advantage, mom," Sara pleaded, "He was just trying to help." "Yeah, help my ass! He was being a typical male, Sara, and the fact that you let him do that to you disgusts me," Lucy said crossing her arms. "I'm leaving," Sara said stiffly, "I'm gonna stay in a hotel until I find a job." She turned and went upstairs, packed her belongings as quickly as she could, and came back downstairs. "No one but God has a right to judge me, mom," she said before walking out the front door, slamming it behind her. She called a cab, and took it to the closest Best Western, preparing herself to overcome her biggest challenge to date.


	60. Love Conquers All

**Chapter 59...Love Conquers All**

Sara tossed and turned in her bed. Mark had been on her mind all week. It have been almost three months since she'd broken up with him, and one month since her mom had made her acquire a restraining order against him so that Sara could work at home in peace. It had been extremely hard for her to get over the separation – Sara had even slipped into a slight bout of depression – but once she'd seen the restraining order, Sara realized she must get on with her life. Since she'd had taken a leave of absence from the company, she had been working at a local public relations office for 12-14 hours a day, and then working out of her little 1-bedroom apartment, sleeping only 4-5 hours a day, all to keep from thinking of her ex-boyfriend. Now, her boss had made her take a one-day break, and all she could think of was Mark. His long, flowing auburn hair, strong and comforting tattooed arms, and entrancing emerald eyes took over all other thoughts, and even made her smile a little. I've got to get out of this bed, she thought finally, I can't let that man control my life like this. Sara glanced at her clock and sighed exasperatedly. It was only 9:00 a.m. She had a whole day to herself and nothing to do.

Suddenly, the doorbell's ring got her attention. Thinking it was her mother, she climbed out of bed and headed out of the room. The doorbell rang again and again. Sara huffed and hurried to the door. "Okay, okay, I'm coming!" she said hastily. She ran her hand over her face once before opening the door. When she saw Mark standing there, her heart jumped into her throat and she had to force down a smile. Her heart began to pound, and her breathing came suddenly very fast. "Wh-what…what are you doing here?" she whispered. "Sara…can I please…just talk to you?" he asked. "Mark…you can't be here. You're violating the--." "I don't care, Sara, I need to see you," Mark said quietly, "Please…just talk to me." Sara hesitated as she glanced at Mark's frame. He looked fatigued and underweight. She could tell that he'd been under a load of stress. "Fine," she finally said, "Come in, Mark." Mark took a deep breath and entered, his mind running wild thinking of pleas to say to Sara to get her to come back to him. He didn't know if he could stand another day, another minute, or even another moment without her. Sara closed the door and took a deep breath; Mark's mere presence brought back all the good memories she had of him, indeed her own womanly instincts, to the surface, and she let them take over. Mark was a part of her, and she was finally going to submit to her feelings.

"Sara, I--." Sara turned and stared at Mark, a heat unfurling inside her as never before. Mark's mouth moved, but Sara didn't hear a word he said. Her eyes traveled up and down his large frame, re-memorizing all that she'd denied herself for the past two and a half months. "Sara, listen to me," Mark said frantically, noticing that Sara was not paying attention to a word he was saying, "You don't understand how much I'm hurting--." Sara quickly placed a finger on his lips and said, "Mark…I perfectly understand your pain…because I feel it, too. I've been hurting so much over these past two and a half months…worse than any pain I've ever known, indescribable pain…but no more will I force such pain…on my mind and my heart…nor will I deny myself what I love more than my family…my friends…and life itself: you." Her arms slipped around his neck and she jumped into his arms. Mark embraced her tightly as she wrapped her legs around his waist. "I love you so much, Mark, and nothing can stop that. You are my heart and soul, and I can't stand to be apart from you anymore," she whispered, "Because in the end, finding true love is what life is all about. You are my true love."

Mark smiled and kissed Sara deeply. His hands moved leisurely over her back and bared thighs. It felt so good to touch her, to taste her, and to have her in his arms again. Sara tightened her grip as Mark smiled, laughing heartily. He pulled away from her lips and began to look around. "What are you looking for?" Sara asked planting kisses all over his face and neck. "Your bedroom," Mark whispered recapturing her lips. "Down the hall; it's the door straight ahead of you," she said smiling. Mark followed her directions and slowly opened the door. His eyes roamed all over her barely-decorated room. There was a queen-sized bed with bland, black sheets and a black comforter, a medium-sized, six-drawer, wooden dresser covered with Sara's personal hygiene items, and a full-length mirror in the far corner covered with stockings. "This is your room?" he said, "It's not you…you're more outgoing than this. Where are the colors, the photographs, the--." "Let's not talk about my…decorating skills," Sara said before kissing him again, this time more feverishly. Mark returned the kiss as their hands roamed and peeled away items of clothing.

Their lovemaking was more passionate and more physical than ever before. Bruises were left on Sara in places she never thought possible; Mark's upper body and chest were covered in bright red scratches. Once they finished on the bed, they moved onto the floor and made love again. This time, though, it was with more gentleness. They took time to reacquaint themselves with each other's bodies. More touching and caressing was done before they actually came together. Afterwards, they moved into the bathroom and washed each other's bodies. Finally, an hour or so later, they climbed into Sara's bed and wrapped themselves around each other – one could barely tell where each person began and ended – before falling into a comfortable, deep sleep.

A rich, mouth-watering aroma stirred Sara from her deep sleep. She slowly sat up and stretched luxuriously. She had never felt this good in her entire life; her skin seemed vibrant, her hair was strong and flowing, and her mind was at peace. "Ah, my angel is awake," Mark said standing in the doorway. Sara looked up at him and smiled. She jumped off her bed and ran up to him with her arms spread. Mark caught her and lifted her into the air. "I love you," she whispered kissing him. "And I love you," Mark said rubbing his hands over her naked back, "Now put on some clothes. I've ordered dinner." Sara raised an eyebrow and grinned. "You're perfect," she said going to her dresser, "Simply perfect." "No…I'm nowhere near perfect," Mark admitted, "I've just got the perfect woman…for whom I do perfect things." Sara smiled and quickly slipped on a nightgown. Mark put his hands over her eyes and led her into the small dining area. "Mark, what are you doing?" Sara asked as he helped onto a stool. "Just go with the flow, dollface," Mark answered lighting two candles, "Since we can't go to a restaurant that would be your standards, I've brought the candlelight dinner to you." Sara opened her eyes and gasped. A beautiful red lobster and baked potato sat in front of her. A glass of white wine accompanied it. "The dinner we had…on our first date," she whispered as tears filled her eyes. "What better way to celebrate our reunion," Mark said sitting down beside her. Sara looked at him and said, "Like I said…you're perfect."

The couple ate dinner as they talked about the past two months. "Vince actually suspended me for a couple of weeks after…after you got the restraining order," Mark told her, "My appearance and performance just wasn't what it should have been for a seasoned performer." "And you're still underweight; I can look at you and tell," Sara added. "Yeah, I am, and I'm doing something about that. I've actually gained a little weight back. My goal is 300, and to stay there; I'm at 290 now," Mark replied. "Well, good. You look healthy now – underweight, but healthy," Sara said smiling. Mark returned the smile as he ate his lobster. After dinner, the furniture was rearranged in the living room so that there was a wide space in the middle. Sara put on a jazz CD and met Mark in the middle of the floor. Her arms went around his neck, while his arms went around her waist, his chin resting on the top of her head, as the music started.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" Mark asked suddenly. "No, Mark. How much do you love me?" Sara asked, a grin on her face. Mark occasionally asked her that, knowing full-well that she knew the extent of his love. She only answered him because she loved hearing his answers; there was a different one each time. "So much, dollface, that it hurts. I love you like the dry desserts love the rain. I love you like growing plants love the sun. I love you like a man should love a woman, with all my heart," he responded before kneeling down on one knee, getting a gasp from Sara, "Sara, look into my eyes. I have been looking for you my entire life, searching the world. Now I can smile, now I can see. Until you came, my heart was a cup full of anger, lies, and deceit. And now, it overflows with desire. Your presence compares to the beauty of an angelic entity. Your charmed glow keeps me warm, your soft skin keeps me comfortable, and your lips keep me active." Mark then pulled out a small, black, velvet box, opened it, and pulled out a the same diamond ring he'd proposed to her with on New Year's Day a few years ago. "And your soul…is as like this rare and precious stone…because only a few will find something as rare and precious as you. Sara Marie Roberts…I love you so much that it controls every aspect of my life…and I don't want to ever be apart from you again. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?" A tear fell from Sara's eye as he slipped the ring on her left ring finger. "Mark…I'll follow you to the ends of the earth," she gleamed throwing her arms around his neck, "Forever! Yes, I'll marry you!"

Mark smiled broadly as Sara kissed him, slowly, teasingly, and passionately. He eased her onto the floor and returned her kiss. His hands moved up her nightgown over her muscled leg. Sara moaned softly as his lips traveled down her neck. His hand eased up the inside of her leg, moving the fabric up inch by inch. Her muscle began to involuntarily twitch as she anticipated where his hand was going. Mark smiled as he slid a finger inside her. Sara moaned slowly and arched up against his hand. "Ooohhh," she whispered against his lips. Mark captured her lips as he teased and caressed her insides, letting his thumb tease her nub of womanhood. Sara moaned louder as her fingernails dug into his back, leaving fresh scratches. He slowly moved his finger in and out as her moans gained pitch. "My God!" Sara moaned. Her head moved back and forth as Mark slowly pulled down his boxers. When he removed his finger, Sara mewed in distress, then sighed in pleasure, as he eased inside her.

"Oh, Mark…oh, yes, baby," Sara moaned rolling on top of him. Mark sat up and slipped off her nightgown. Her skin gleamed slightly from sweat. His tongue slid over her voluptuous breasts and his hands gently massaged them. Sara massaged his shoulders as she gently rose up and down. Her fingers massaged his thick neck muscles before moving through his thick, long, beautiful hair. Her lips moved over his face as she increased her pace. Mark growled as he nipped at her bare neck. She laughed when he stood and went into her bedroom, her still in his arms. He lied her down on the bed and began to kiss her stomach, inching downward very slowly. When Sara felt his tongue moving against her center, she moaned and screamed at the same time. Her legs wrapped around his neck and her hands grabbed a handful of sheets. "Oh, Jesus!" she screamed, "Oh, Mark!" Mark continued to tease her until she was trembling uncontrollably. He then moved up and slammed inside her, pacing himself with long, deep strokes. Sara locked her legs around his waist and moaned loudly.

Mark counted five orgasms from his love before he finally growled and gave one last thrust, collapsing on top of her. Sara sighed pleasurably as she moved her hands over his sweaty back. "I love you, baby," she whispered kissing his ear. Mark kissed her softly and replied, "I love you, too, beautiful." Sara smiled as he moved from atop her. "I'll be back," she whispered climbing off the bed. She went into the bathroom and ran water for a bubble bath. Minutes later, she and Mark were lying together in the tub. It was a small tub, and Mark's right leg dangled over the edge, but they made due. "So…when's the date?" Sara asked smiling. "I'd say six months, maybe eight," Mark answered massaging her shoulders, "What do you think?" "Yeah, I mean, we have invitations to make, colors to choose, things like that…and we have your career to factor in. Our time together is only gonna be two or three days a week," Sara said splashing water on her chest. "Sara, come back to work…everyone misses you; fans have been asking about you for the past month and a half. Besides, 'Undertaker´ isn't the same without his 'Angel´ to watch over him," Mark said putting his arms around her. "I don't know, Mark. I haven't been on camera in over two months. I mean, I work in PR, but it's not the same," she answered. "Sara, you once spent almost a year away from the ring. Do you remember that? You came back and, once again, made a name for yourself. The fans basically latched onto you…Sara, working constantly at a desk everyday is not your cup of tea. You did that because you wanted to forget about me," Mark retorted, "Wrestling is in your blood; don't deny yourself what you love. Now, please, come back to work. What good will it do to work somewhere you don't live for, when you can do what you love with who you love?"

Sara sighed heavily as Mark gently washed her back. "Your contract is still open," he told her. Can I do it? Can I still entertain? Can I pick up where I left off?, Sara thought. Mark seemingly read her thoughts. "Sara, if you can become a star after being away for over a year, making up for a two-month absence will be a walk in the park," he said. Sara turned around and stared into his eyes. There was a hope, and desire, for her to come back. If he believes in you, you can do anything, she thought. "Fine…I'll call Vince tomorrow…and ask him if I can come back to work," she said finally. Mark smiled and gave her a long, passionate kiss. They washed each other's bodies and climbed into bed. Sara rested her head on Mark's chest and placed her hand on his shoulder. Mark's arm went around her back and held her close. They both fell asleep with smiles on their faces, knowing the future held nothing but good things for them.

The next morning, Sara awoke alone. She sat up quickly, a grin on her face as the memories of the previous night ran through her mind. She grabbed the phone from her bedside and called her job. "Jake Lambert Associates," a woman answered. "Hey, Becky, it's Sara. Is Chris in?" Sara answered. "Yeah, just one second," Becky answered. A man with a very jovial voice answered moments later. "Chris Johnson speaking," he said. "Hey, Chris, it's Sara," she answered. "Oh, hi, Sara. You're feeling a little better," he said. "Yeah…I had a nice surprise yesterday," she said smiling. "What's that?" Chris asked. "Well…me and my fiancé are back together," she answered. "Really? Well, congratulations," he said. "Thanks, Chris. Look, I need to come in and talk about my job," she said. "I guess it's time for you to go back to your real job, eh?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and answered, "Yeah. Mark and I talked about it last night, and I really need to get back to…that which comes natural to me." "Alright, that's fine. I figured it would happen sooner or later," Chris said, "If you can come in today around three o´ clock, we can get your paperwork done." "Thanks a lot, Chris," Sara said, "I'll see you in a few hours." Chris agreed before hanging up. Sara hung up the receiver and climbed out of bed.

"Who was that?" Sara looked up and saw Mark standing in the doorway. "My supervisor. I'm goin´ in today to fill out some paperwork so I can get back to working for real," she answered. Mark grinned and walked over to her, placing his hands on the side of her face and kissing her deeply. "I love you," he whispered. "I know," she said softly, hugging his waist tightly, "Mark…you don't know how hard it was to be away from you. Every day was harder than the one before…I felt like I was dying…" Mark hugged her in return, resting his chin on top of her head. "Me, too, dollface," he whispered. "Do you know I haven't talked to my mom in over two months?" she said quietly. "Why is that?" he asked. "We just…had a falling out," she answered. "Over?" he asked. Sara swallowed and looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "The fact that I'd forgiven you…she said I was weak…and brainwashed…and stupid for ever believing that you loved me," she whispered. "I'm so sorry, dollface," he whispered kissing her forehead. "I just…I wish she would stop judging me," she said softly. Sara rested her head on his chest, squeezing her arms around his waist. "I just…I wonder if she's right," she said quietly. Mark pulled Sara back, and looked into her eyes. "Have you ever doubted my love for you, Sara? For even one moment?" he asked seriously. "No, Mark," she answered slowly, "Never…not even after what you did to me. People make mistakes…no matter how bad those mistakes are, they are just those…mistakes." Mark grinned slightly and kissed her softly. "Yet another reason why I love you so much," he whispered. "Oh yeah?" she asked grinning as well. "Yeah," he answered leading her to the bed. "Mark…I have things to do today," she said as he laid her out on the covers. "Uh-huh," he whispered kissing her. Sara tried to resist, but Mark was too much, and she succumbed to the desire that filled her body yet again.

After going past her now-former job, Sara and Mark went out to lunch. "Still World champ?" Sara asked before biting into her sandwich. "You haven't been watching?" he asked. Sara shook her head and said, "Been too busy." "Well, no, I'm not…Vince saw that I wasn't doin´ what I needed to be doin´ to be a good champion, so he put it on Jericho. That was…the night I tried to OD on pain medication…I thought about you everyday, dollface," he said quietly. "Yeah…same here," Sara said looking up at him. He linked his fingers with her hands and squeezed. "Do you love me, Sara?" he asked. "You know I do," she answered. "Let's go get married," he said softly, "Right now." Sara's jaw dropped in response. "Are you serious?" she asked. "Never been more serious in my life," he said grinning, "I wanna marry you, and I don't think I can stand another moment without having you as my wife." "But…" she whispered. "But what, dollface?" he asked. Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she looked down at the table. "What?" Mark asked lifting her chin. "I just…wanted my mom to be there to see me get married," she answered quietly, "And with how she feels about you…she'd disown me." Mark sighed heavily and looked at the table. "So what are we gonna do? I wanna marry you so bad, Sara…you don't know how much I wanna marry you," he said softly. "I wanna marry you, too, Mark…you know that," she whispered. Mark stood and threw a $20 bill on the table, saying, "Come on." "Where are we goin´?" Sara asked following him out to his rental car. "To see your mom," he answered opening the passenger side door. "Are you crazy? She'll kill you!" she exclaimed. "We gotta face her sometime, Sara. You're not good at keeping secrets from your mother," he said leaning on the door, "And getting married is a big ass secret." "Yeah, I know," she said quietly. "Come on. The sooner we talk to her, the sooner we can get married," he said quietly. Sara took a deep breath and asked, "Are you sure about this, Mark? I don't know…" "You wanna marry me?" he asked. Sara nodded and said, "You know it." "Then we have to do this," he said quietly. Sara sighed heavily and slid in the car, Mark shutting the door for her.

Mark pulled into a parking spot a few houses down from Lucy. "Just in case she's out in the yard," he answered. Sara nodded and slowly climbed out of the car, Mark following her. They headed down the street, and when they came to Lucy's front yard, Sara took a deep breath. "Come on," she whispered opening the front gate. Sara quickly headed up the steps and knocked on the front door, Mark standing to her right and holding her hand tightly. The front door opened moments later, and Roddy stood there. He looked from Sara, up to Mark, then back to Sara. "And what the hell is this?" he asked heatedly. "Is my mom here, Roddy?" Sara asked quietly. Roddy looked up at Mark, his eyes dark with anger. "You son of a bitch!" he sneered before attacking Mark. Sara gasped and backed up, watching in shock as Roddy hit Mark repeatedly with right hooks. She finally found her voice and yelled, "Roddy, stop!" She went up to him and tried to pull him away, but he elbowed her in her stomach and pushed her back. Mark turned red with rage when he saw that act. His defensive mindset kicked in, and he began to return the hits from Roddy. Lucy came out of the front door, and immediately went over to Sara. "Are you okay?!" she asked. Sara was clutching her stomach, and gasping for air. "Yes," Sara whispered, "I'm fine." Lucy went over to Roddy and Mark, who were wrestling in the yard, and pulled them apart. She slapped Mark first, and then slapped Roddy.

"What the hell did I get slapped for?" he asked. "For fighting in my front yard!" she said heatedly. She looked at Mark and asked, "And what the fuck are you doin´ here?" "Mom…," Sara said slowly, "He's with me…" "What?!" Lucy exclaimed facing Sara, "And when the hell did this happen?" Sara took a deep breath and looked at the ground. "Yesterday," she whispered, "I'm goin´ back to work for Vince in a couple days." "Really? Let me guess, you'll be working with him?" Lucy asked with a raised eyebrow. "Yes, mom," Sara answered quietly, "I, uh…I just wanted to let you know…Mark and I…we're getting married…" "Oh, really?!" Lucy asked loudly, "Over my dead body!" "Mom, please…," Sara whispered. "Please what?! Give you my blessing to marry the same man who raped you?! Like I said, over my dead body," Lucy snapped. Sara looked at Mark, who was wiping blood from his lip, tears in her eyes. "Get off my property," Lucy said going back into the house, "Both of you." Sara watched as her mother entered the house, Roddy behind her, and slammed the door.

Mark came over to her and put his arm around her shoulder. He felt her trembling and whispered, "We tried, dollface." "Let's get outta here," she whispered. Mark nodded and led her back to the car. When they got back to her apartment, Sara went into her room and laid down on the bed. Mark came in behind her, slowly sitting down at her side. He saw the tears coming down her face, and placed his hand on her cheek. "She has every right to hate me, Sara," he said quietly. "Does she have to hate me, too?" she whispered. Mark sighed and kissed her forehead. "No…she doesn't," he answered. "I'm gonna take a nap," she whispered turning her back to him. "You want me to lay with you?" he asked. Sara nodded slightly and Mark stretched out behind her, placing his right arm around her waist and pulling her closer. "I love you, dollface," he whispered in her ear. "I know," she said softly, "I love you, too." Sara fell asleep quickly, and when she did, Mark slowly moved from the bed, pulling the covers over her. He wrote a note and left in on the bedside table, then grabbed his keys from the dresser and headed out of the apartment.

Sara awoke a few hours later, and immediately noticed that Mark wasn't in the apartment. She could feel his absence. She looked over at her dresser and saw the note. She picked it up, her jaw dropping at the words.

Dollface, I've gone to talk to your mom. Be back when I'm back. If I'm not back by nine, tho, then call the police station, 'cause I probably got arrested. J/K, dollface. I'll be back, promise! Your love, Mark

"He's crazy…this is it, he's lost his mind," she said dropping the note and picking up the phone, quickly dialing Mark's cell number. His voice mail clicked on and Sara sighed. "Mark…I don't know what the hell you were thinkin´, but I hope you're right…I guess this is one of those times where I just have to…let things play themselves out. Love you, bye," she said slowly, then hanging up the phone. She went into the bathroom and took a quick shower, then dressed in a pair of cotton shorts and a muscle shirt, and finally headed into the kitchen and fixed a small lunch. Afterwards, she sat on her couch, half-watching television, half-watching the clock.

The door unlocked at five past nine and Sara's head shot towards it. Mark walked in slowly and looked down at her. "You're late," she said softly. Mark shut the door and came over to the couch, slowly sitting down beside her. "But I'm back…just like I promised," he said touching her thigh. Sara threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. "You scared the shit outta me!" she whispered in his ear. "I'm sorry, dollface, but I had to do it. I couldn't stand you thinking your mom hated you…because I know she doesn't," he whispered hugging her back. "So what happened?" she asked straddling his lap. Mark gripped her waist and sighed. "It took me 15 minutes just to get up the nerve to get out of the car. It took another 15 minutes to convince Lucy to let me in the house," he said quietly. "Was Roddy still there?" she asked. "No," he answered, "I think that's why Lucy was hesitant to let me in. I think she, uh, she thought I'd hurt her." "But you wouldn't!" she exclaimed. "Well, you know that…and I know that…but Lucy, she didn't," he said softly. "Okay, so what happened after you got in the house?" she asked. "We talked…or rather, I talked…for nearly five and a half hours," he said quietly, "My throat hurts now." He laughed softly, but Sara didn't. "I'll go get you some tea," she said moving to stand. "No, don't, I'm fine…besides, I kinda like you like this," he said grinning. A grin broke on Sara's face and she kissed him softly. "What'd you talk about?" she asked. "Just about what had been going on that led up to…to the rape…and then what happened afterwards," he answered. "So what happened after I left?" Sara asked. "You got three hours to spare?" he asked. Sara smiled, but it quickly faded when she saw that Mark was serious. "I need to tell you everything, Sara…everything that happened," he whispered, "You weren't the only one who was suffering." "I never said I was, Mark," she whispered. "I know, dollface. I just…I need you to know what happened on my end o´ things," he said quietly. "Okay," she whispered kissing him once more.

Mark took a deep breath and looked down at his hands. He held up his wrists in front of Sara, watching her face blanch in response. "Are those…?" "Yeah…when you got that restraining order…I attempted suicide," he whispered. "Mark! Why?!" she gasped. "I couldn't take it. I couldn't take being separated from you," he said softly, "That restraining order was just…too much for me. But Andy found me a couple minutes after I'd done it. I hadn't lost too much blood, 'cause I cut it horizontally instead o´ vertically. Doctor said I barely missed the main artery." Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "I attempted again, with pain medication, a couple weeks later. Doctor had to purge my stomach, and I was in the hospital for a week. That's when Vince gave me a couple weeks off to recover. It was a suspension, but it was medical leave, too. I was a mess, dollface. A big mess," he continued, "I'd go on random alcohol binges at the house. I don't know how the hell Andy put up with me. I'd just drink until I passed out. Sometimes, I'd even throw stuff. I had to get the designer to replace a few things. I even wanted to put Duchess in a kennel, 'cause she reminded me of you so much…but Andy wouldn't let me." Sara swallowed and sat back up, looking at Mark, who had tears in his own eyes.

"I guess it was a tough time for both of us. I slipped into a small bout of depression after I left my mom's house. It took me a couple weeks to find a job, which was a lot longer than I expected," she said quietly, "I practically collapsed into bed night in and night out, the whole time we were apart. I hated it…I hated being apart from you. I dreamt about you almost every night…I woke up wanting to feel your arms around me…to hear your laugh…to see you look at me like I was the only woman on Earth…it was hell, Mark…it was my personal hell." Mark touched her cheeks, wiping away the tears gently with his thumbs. "I swore to your mother, Sara, that I would do everything I could to make you happy…to never break your heart again," he whispered. "I believe you, Mark," she said leaning her forehead against his, "Did she?" Mark took a deep breath, a grin creeping up on his face. "Yeah…she did," he whispered, "After me telling her every single thing I went through being apart from you, I think she now…fully understands just how much I love you…and how much I want to be your husband." Sara smiled and hugged his neck tightly. "When are we gettin´ married, then?" she asked. "Tied take a couple months to set everything up. Christmas isn't a bad time o´ year in Texas," he said smiling. Sara kissed his lips hard, and his arms circled her waist, pulling her closer. "So how 'bout it, dollface? Christmas sound good?" he asked. "You know it," she said softly, her lips trailing over his cheek, down to his neck. "Bed time," he whispered. "It's only nine o´ clock!" Sara said. "Yeah, but we have to fly to San Francisco tomorrow, remember?" he answered, "And who said anything about goin´ to sleep?" Sara laughed as Mark picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him.

The next morning, Sara awoke alone yet again. "Mark?" she called sitting up. "I'm in the bathroom," he answered, "You might wanna go ahead and pack." Sara stretched her arms and rolled out of the bed. "What time is the flight?" she asked. "In a couple hours," he answered. Sara pulled a small suitcase out of the closet and tossed it onto the bed, then pulled out a few t-shirts, and a couple pair of jeans. She tossed those items on the bed beside the suitcase, and then made her way into the kitchen to fix a small breakfast for herself and Mark. When Mark entered the kitchen, she'd just poured a couple glasses of orange juice. "Good morning to you, too," he said coming over and kissing her gently. Sara smiled and touched his cheek, deepening the kiss. "You smell good," she whispered. "I just took a shower," he said back, running his hands over her sides. "Come on, let's eat," he whispered moving away slowly. After breakfast, Sara finished packing and took a long shower, shaving and washing her hair twice. She stepped out of the tub, wrapping herself in her favorite, dark blue cotton towel. She dried her hair, brushing it until it shone, and then went into the bedroom, where she found Mark packing up a small duffel bag. "Is that yours or mine?" she asked pulling out underwear from her top dresser drawer. "Mine," he answered looking up at her, "I woke up early to wash clothes."

"So you wash your own clothes, huh?" she said sitting down on his lap. She grinned and kissed his cheek. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too," he said softly, "I love you so much." Sara grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair. Mark's left hand ran up and down her smooth thigh, gently caressing and massaging the muscle. "You've kept in shape," he whispered grazing her neck with his lips. "Yeah. Did you expect I wouldn't?" she said softly, shivers going up and down her spine. "Of course not, dollface," he whispered. He slowly laid her back on the bed, continuing to kiss her damp neck. "I…I have to pack," she said softly, trembles going throughout her body. "I know," he whispered kissing her gently, spreading her lips and dipping his tongue inside. Sara moaned softly, pulling his face closer to hers and deepening the kiss. Slowly, Sara felt her towel being removed, and Mark undoing his jeans. "I just took a shower," she whispered running her hands under his shirt. Mark winked at her and kissed her again, slowly sliding inside her. Sara moaned against his lips and arched her hips up, taking him in fully. "You feel so good," she whispered. Mark grinned and gently squeezed her right breast, taking the perky nipple into his mouth and rolling his tongue over it. Sara groaned and squirmed against him, the feeling of his mouth on her breast becoming overwhelming. "You okay?" he asked. "Who told you to stop?!" she gasped pushing his head back down to her breast. Mark groaned and began suckling with a renewed passion. Sara wrapped her arms around his head, running her fingers through her hair. "Come on, baby," she whispered, "Move for me." Mark obliged and began to ease in and out of her. He wrapped her right leg around his waist and squeezed the thigh. Sara moans gained pitch, and soon she was screaming with pleasure. Mark groaned as he felt her shudder around his shaft twice before he slammed into her once more, his own orgasm overcoming him as he kissed Sara's lips hard. He collapsed onto her, his face buried in her neck.

Sara smiled and bit her bottom lip, running her hands over his sweaty back. Makin' up for lost time, she thought. A giggle escaped from her mouth, and she clamped a hand over her lips. "What's so funny?" Mark asked lifting his head and looking down at her. Sara shook her head, a smile on her face. Mark raised an eyebrow, easing a hand between their stomachs. "You don't want me to force it outta you, do ya?" he asked. Sara smiled, biting her bottom lip and caressing his cheek. Mark sighed and began to tickle her unmercifully. Her laughs echoed off the walls, and even Mark began to laugh. "Okay, okay, stop!" she said breathlessly. Mark chuckled and stopped moving his fingers. "Now what'd you find so funny?" he asked. "Okay, okay," she grinned, "This is the sixth time we've made love in all of, I don't know, three days. It seems like, uh, we're making up for lost time." Mark tickled her again for a few minutes, and watched as she laughed until she started crying. He stopped finally, and kissed her cheek. "Is that a problem?" he asked. "Well, when you decide to be a sex freak an hour before we have to be at the airport, then yes, it is," she said grinning. Mark leaned down and kissed her into silence, squeezing her left breast and passing his thumb back and forth over the rosy nipple. "Mark…I'm…serious," Sara said softly, feeling Mark growing inside her yet again. "Yeah, I'm sure you are," he whispered beginning to pump his hips. Sara squeezed his waist with her thighs, taking him deeply on each powerful stroke. Mark groaned and began sucking on her neck, moving his hand from her breast down to her womanhood. Sara shuddered as the feel of his long fingers on her bud of pleasure. "Come for me, baby," he whispered in her ear. Sara moaned as Mark's mouth went back to her neck, her insides tightening up yet again. "You're…torturing me, ya know," she gasped. Mark's fingers continued to stroke her, and Sara suddenly stiffened up, tightening her inner walls around Mark's shaft, and convulsed against his body. She tried to relax, but Mark continued stroking her. "Mark, come on!" she whispered as she felt her desire build up yet again. Mark continued to move in and out of her, sucking on her neck. Sara moaned and squeezed his shoulders, her eyes slowly shutting. Mark felt her began to peak once more and removed his hand from her womanhood, pumping inside her faster and faster. "Oh! Oh, that's it," she gasped, "Take it, darlin'! Take it like you want it!" Mark groaned and bit slightly on her neck at spot he previously sucked, his own peak overcoming him. Their screams came at the same time, and they gripped each other's slick bodies tightly. Mark collapsed beside her and ran his hand over his face. "I guess that makes seven times," he said chuckling. Sara hit his chest and leaned over him. "Like I said…you're makin' up for lost time," she whispered kissing his nose. "Shower time," he whispered. She nodded and stood, taking his hand and leading him into the bathroom.

After making love once more (making it an even eight times), Sara and Mark washed each other, then got dressed and headed to the airport. They met up with Andy near their gate. Sara threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. "I missed you," she whispered. They hadn't seen in each other in over a month, and hadn't spoken in just over two weeks. "Yeah, I missed you, too, baby doll," he said hugging her, "I take it you're doin´ a little better now." Sara smiled and slowly pulled away, biting her bottom lip and nodding. "Everything's back to normal, it seems," she said softly, "I still have to talk to my mom…but…I think she's okay with me and Mark being back together. "Really? Well, that's good news," he said winking at her, "How'd you manage that?" "I didn't…Mark did," she answered looking up at Mark. He grinned and put his arm around her shoulder, squeezing gently. Andy raised an eyebrow, looking up at Mark. "How'd you pull that one off?" he asked. "Took me about 15 minutes to get her to let me to come into the house to even talk to her. Then, I talked to her for about five and a half hours…tellin' her everything that I went through, Andy," he said quietly. "Everything?" Andy asked. "Everything," Mark said quietly. "That's brave of ya," Andy commented, "And she changed her mine just like that?" "I don't think she's changed her mind completely. But she understands now how much I really love this woman right here," Mark said looking down at Sara. Sara smiled and winked at him. "I love you, too," she whispered.

The plane touched down in San Francisco a few hours later. The trio checked into a suite at a Marriott across the street from the arena, then headed over to the arena. When Sara walked into the building, she immediately ran into Amy. Amy hugged her tightly and said, "It's about damn time you came back." Sara smiled and returned the hug. "It's good to see you, too," she replied. Amy released her, only to grab her hand and pull her away from Mark and Andy. "See you guys around," Sara said looking back and waving. Amy led Sara down to the women's locker room, and when they were inside, she shut the door behind her and locked it. "What's wrong?" Sara asked. "I need to ask you that. We're friends, right?" Amy said slowly. "Of course, Amy," Sara answered. "Why were you gone for so long?" Amy asked. Sara took a deep breath and looked away. "Mark was like a walking zombie around here, Sara. He didn't talk to anybody except Andy and whoever he was wrestling for the night. You know he usually is down at ringside, helping everyone out…he stayed up in the balcony for hours at a time. It was really a sad thing to see. I wanted to ask him, but he looked so damn angry at times that I just left him to be," Amy continued, "What happened between you two?" Sara breathed deeply again, then looked back at Amy. "You sure you wanna know?" she asked quietly. Amy nodded and Sara said, "He raped me, Amy." Amy's jaw dropped in response. "Mark? No way," she said softly. Sara nodded and swallowed. "We needed time apart, because that was a sign that things were bad…not with me, but with him," she said quietly, "So…that's why I was gone so long." Amy came over to her and hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Sara," she whispered. She stepped back and asked, "What made you get back together with him?" "I felt like I was dying, Amy. Every day just seemed more pointless than the one before…and a couple days ago, Mark came to my apartment and…I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't be away from him," Sara answered, "I love him too damn much. I never thought he'd hurt me like that…but I forgave him…because I can't hate him…at least not for too long." Amy grinned slightly and said, "Well, I'm glad you're back. Maybe now we'll get our old Mark back." "Yeah, I think he's gonna be okay now," Sara said softly, "I think we're both gonna be okay." "Good, good," Amy said, "You look like you've been doin´ okay." Sara smirked and blushed. "That's only because we've made up the past couple days," she said. Amy laughed heartily and looked at the floor. "Even better," she said between laughs. "Oh, hush," Sara said, "How's everyone around here doin´?" "Pretty good, I guess. Matt and Jeff are number one contenders for the tag belts. They're wrestling for 'em this Sunday," Amy answered, "Trish is Women's champion. She won the belt last month." "Well, that's great," Sara said smiling, "I always knew Trish would make a name for herself." "Yeah, she's improving everyday. It's great to watch her in the ring, even during practice. She picks up on things so fast, and is so willing to try new things. She's a great athlete," Amy said unlocking the door and exiting, followed by Sara. "Have you eaten?" Amy asked. "Nah, not today. We didn't eat on the flight," Sara answered. "Well, let's go grab some food. I'm sure everyone there will be glad to see you," Amy said. "Sure," Sara answered.

After lunch (during which Sara talked to nearly everyone in the eating area), Sara went back to the women's locker room and changed into workout clothes. On her way to the gym, she ran into Shane. "Welcome back, Sara," he said hugging her tightly, "We sure missed ya around here." Sara returned the hug, nodding her head. "I've heard," she said smiling. "Enjoy your break?" he asked. Sara released him, and took a deep breath. "No…not really," she said softly. "Well, we're glad to have you back. Have you seen dad yet?" Shane said quietly. "No, but I suspect Mark has," she answered. "Well, he's in his office right now, and he wants you to come by when you can," Shane said, "I've got to head to the production truck. I'll see ya around, Sara." Sara nodded and watched him walk away from her. "Back in business," she said to herself, heading towards Vince's makeshift office.

The office wasn't too far from the women's locker room and when Sara knocked on the door, it opened almost immediately. Vince stood there, a big grin on his face. "I see you got my message," he said. "Yeah," she answered. "Come on in, we've got catching up to do," he said stepping aside. Sara stepped into the office, a grin coming to her face when she saw that Mark was there. "Hey," she said sitting down beside him. "How was lunch?" he asked. "It was pretty good. I caught up with a few people," she said grinning, "It's good to be back." Mark kissed her forehead softly as Vince sat down in front of them. "So, Sara…looks like you're doin´ okay," he said resting his hands on the desk. "Well, I wasn't until a couple days ago," she said honestly, "I didn't realize how hard it would be to not…be here." "Did you just relax at home?" he asked. "For the first two days, and then I went job-searching. I found a PR job at this firm down in Daytona," she answered, "I had to do something while I was off." Vince grinned and nodded. "Workaholic, just like me," he said. Sara smiled and nodded in agreement. "Do you know what Mark's been doing lately?" he asked. Sara looked up at Mark with questioning eyes. "It's nothin' bad, Sara, so don't worry. He's in a storyline with Jericho, that's all," Vince said. Sara let out a sigh of relief, and looked back at Vince. "Did you think he was in trouble?" he asked. "Well, he told me about everything that happened, with the suspension," she answered. "Well, Mark has…had a rough time these past few months, but I think he's worked everything out," Vince said looking over to Mark. "I certainly have," Mark commented looking down at Sara, a grin on his face. She blushed slightly and looked at her hands in her lap. "Alright, Sara, down to business. You've been away from 'Taker for over three months, and he started struggling without you by his side. Mark told you he dropped the belt to Jericho, right?" Vince said sitting back in his seat. Sara nodded slightly, looking up at him. "Well, tonight, we're gonna bring you back. Mark has a match with Jericho tonight, and the plan is for Mark to look as though he is…completely down and out, like he's gonna lose the match. At that point, the arena goes dark, and you get down to the ring. When the lights come up, Jericho is laid out and you've got some kind of object in your hand, maybe that scepter," he continued, "You're gonna pull Mark's arm over Jericho, and that gives him the win. You two can think up what happens after that, okay?" "Yeah, sure," Sara said smiling. "Alright, I'll see you two later, then," Vince said. Sara and Mark stood and left the office, heading to Sara's original destination, the gym.

After a harsh, hour-and-a-half long workout, Sara and Mark went to their respective locker rooms and cleaned up, before meeting down at ringside. They watched Adam and Matt practice for their match later that night, throwing ideas to each other about Mark's match, and Sara's return. Sara saw Chris walk down the aisle a half an hour later. "'Bout time you showed up," she said as he hopped over the banister. "I guess I could say the same for you," he said winking at her. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah, you could," she said quietly. "So, what do you wanna do tonight?" Chris asked. "Well, Vince pretty much explained the end. You two just have to come up with the beginning and middle," Sara said grinning. "Well, that's good to know," Chris said jokingly. Sara chuckled and motioned towards the ring. "It's all yours, gentlemen," she said. Mark stood and stretched his arms. "Let's go, then," he said climbing over the banister, followed by Chris and Sara. Sara leaned on the mat as she watched the practice, smiling as she watched Mark wrestle fluidly. It was like he'd gotten his energy – his motivation, really – back, just as Sara had. Finally, nearly an hour later, Mark and Chris finished up. "How does it look, dollface?" Mark asked rolling over to where she was, and sitting on the edge of the mat. "It looks great," she answered winking at him. "Good. You wanna go get somethin´ to eat?" he said sitting up. "Sure. I'm kinda hungry again," she said looking up at Chris, "You wanna come with?" "Nah, I gotta go get cleaned up," he answered, "I'll see you guys around, though." Sara looked up at Mark, then looked in the ring. "You wanna go for a little while?" he asked grinning. "If you're not too tired. I mean, you have been working out a lot the past few days," she said smiling. Mark looked away, and she laughed. "You're blushing! That's so cute!" she exclaimed. He looked back at her, his eyebrow raised. "From what I saw, you were workin´ out a lot, too," he said softly. Sara's jaw dropped and she rolled into the ring. "Oh, it's on," she said kneeling down in front of him. "You sure?" he asked, "You're not too tired, are you?" Sara bounced on the far ropes and said, "Nope. Are you?" Mark sighed and stood, stretching his legs and hopping a few times. "Let's go, then," he said smiling devilishly.

Sara locked up with Mark, and he allowed her to push him into the near corner. She released him and chopped his chest hard. "Ouch!" he said loudly. Sara hunched her shoulders, and chopped him again. "Damn!" he said. Sara pulled him out of the corner by his hair, and threw his left arm over her neck, then executed a clean suplex. "I see you haven't lost your strength," he said as she rolled onto his chest. Sara smirked, nailing him in the side of the head with stiff right hands. Mark blocked her next punch, and rolled on top of her. "You've got some pent-up aggression, huh?" he asked holding her hands above her head. "Get the hell off me, Mark," she snapped, her eyes narrowing. "Or what?" he said grinning, "You can't move me." Sara's jaw clenched and she lifted her legs up, hooked her feet around his neck, and pulled until he fell back. She rolled over and hopped to her feet. Mark was laying on the mat, in pure surprise. "Where the hell you'd learn that?" he asked as she walked over to him. She pulled him up by his hair, and slung him into the far ropes. When he came back, she clotheslined him down. She hurried onto the closest top turnbuckle, and did a leg drop. Mark groaned and grabbed at his neck. Sara stopped suddenly and looked down at him. "Are you okay?" she asked softly. Mark swallowed and took a few deep breaths. "Yeah," he said quietly. Sara kneeled down by his head and tucked her hair behind her ears. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I don't know--." Mark cut her off by pulling her into a pin fall. Sara gasped and kicked out, rolling away quickly. "You tricked me," she said quietly. Mark sat up and nodded. "You gotta keep your guard up, no matter what," he said getting to his feet, "Even with me." Sara slowly stood and stretched her arms using the ropes. "You ready? I'm not gonna go easy," he said as they circled each other. "I didn't ask you to," she said rotating her neck. "Alright," Mark said cracking his knuckles, "Bring it on, then."

Sara and Mark wrestled a full, 20-minute match, before Sara finally pinned him with a small package. Mark kicked out after Sara counted to three, and Sara laid out beside him. "That felt good," she said softly. "Yeah, maybe for you. I hurt now," he said quietly. "I'll give you a massage," she said grinning. Mark looked over at her, a grin on his face. "Really?" he asked. "Yeah. I took some anger out on you, so you deserve it," she answered. "Yeah, I figured that. You wanna talk about it?" he asked. "Let's go clean up first," she whispered. "Alright. I'll meet you in my locker room in 20?" he said quietly. Sara nodded and rolled out of the ring, walking up the ramp with her head lowered. Mark sat up, groaning slightly. Sara had been excessively rough with him, and had surely left bruises aplenty. He rolled out of the ring, but was met at the top of the ramp by Vince. "And what was that about?" he said motioning towards the ring. "I have no idea, Vince," he said honestly, "We're gonna talk about it once we're cleaned up." "You were pretty easy on her. Most guys would've socked her good at least once," Vince said candidly. "Probably. But I knew somethin´ was up, so I just let her do what she needed to do to feel better," Mark responded, "Besides, I've hurt her enough…it wouldn't have been fair to her for me to do somethin´ like return her anger." "That's good. I'll see you around, okay?" Vince said, "If you need to come talk, you know where my office is." Mark nodded and headed through the curtain. Over the past few months, their bond had become more than just boss-employee; Mark had relied on Vince a lot during that time period, to not only keep him in line as an employee, but as a support beam when he nearly collapsed.

Sara dressed in a pair of tight, dark black leather pants, and a matching low-cut halter top. Her character had quickly become more physical in Mark's matches, and she was dressing to suit her role. She slipped on her black, high-heeled boots and took a look at herself in the mirror. "A high ponytail would go nice with this," she said to herself. She smoothed over the leather before exiting the room, and heading to Mark's locker room. The door opened right as she reached up to knock. Mark stood dressed in his outfit for that night. "I was just comin´ to look for you," he said grinning. Sara tilted her head to the side, an eyebrow raised. "I'm just kiddin', dollface," he said stepping aside, "Come on." Sara stepped inside, and waved to Andy. "Hey, there. You had a rough time in the ring," he said smiling at her. "Well, it seems Mark had a rougher time," she said sitting on the couch. "Would you give us a minute, Andy?" Mark asked sitting beside her. "More like a half an hour," Sara said grinning slightly. "Yeah, sure. I'll see you two later," Andy said leaving the room. Sara took a deep breath as Mark looked down at her.

"So…," he said softly. "So," she repeated. "What's up?" he asked. "I just…I was so angry at you. For what you did to me," she answered looking at her lap, "For taking advantage of me…for taking advantage of your strength, and using it against me." Mark sighed heavily and looked away. "That night is burned in my memory, and I'll never forget it. It took three months just to forgive you," she said softly, "And I still…I hate you for that…I hate you, Mark." Tears came to Mark's eyes, because he knew that her words were the complete truth. "I'm so sorry, dollface," he whispered. "I know," she whispered, "But why, Mark? Why'd you have to take your anger out on me like that? It would've been better if you'd hit me…I would've preferred you hitting me…any day of the week…but rape…" "There's no reason that would make it okay…so I'm not gonna sit here and act like there is. I've thought about that question every single day for the past three months…and I still can't find an answer that would make it okay," he said quietly. "You took advantage of my love for you that night...you took advantage of your power over me, of your strength…and you used it against me. Today…I wanted you to know how I felt three months ago, the anger I was feeling once I started working in Daytona, the hatred that I felt…it went way beyond any hate I ever had for Shawn. And ya know somethin´? I didn't think that was possible," she continued, "Shawn caused me to die physically…what you did was infinitely worse, because you broke my heart…and there's no real recovering from that." Mark's head dropped, and Sara looked up at him, her heart clenching at the sight. His cheeks were stained with tears, and his eyes were shut.

"Mark, I'm sorry…I didn't mean to--." "Every word you just said was true…and I can't change the truth. God knows I wish I could…but I can't. And I'm so sorry," he whispered. Sara gently wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her and allowing him to cry into her shoulder. She felt his pain, his guilt, down to her very core, and it was tearing both of them up. "We'll be okay, Mark," she whispered in his ear, "If we can make it through this…we can make it through anything." Mark, however, continued to cry; her words to him were like a jagged knife in his stomach, making the pain of what he did to his beloved even worse. "I'm sorry, Sara…I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I know," she said stroking his head gently. "I don't wanna lose you again. You're my other half…I can't survive without you," he whispered squeezing her close to him, "I'm gonna do my best…to make it up to you, to show you how much I love you…how much you mean to me…even if it takes the rest of my life." Sara smiled as she continued to stroke his head. When he finally pulled away, about ten minutes later, the tears had stopped. Sara used her thumbs to wipe his cheeks completely dry, before kissing him softly. "I love you," she whispered, "More than either of us will ever know." "Ditto, dollface," he whispered back. "Are you gonna be okay?" she asked softly. "Yeah…eventually," he answered as she rested her head on his chest. "I didn't mean to put you on a guilt trip, Mark. I was just trying to be honest," she whispered. "It's okay, dollface. I needed to hear it…and you needed to say it. You've been holdin´ it in long enough," he said softly, rubbing his hands over her back. Sara sighed and closed her eyes, relishing in how close she and Mark had become over the past three years they'd been together. A knock on the door interrupted the serene moment.

"Yeah?" Mark answered. "Can I come in now?" Andy asked from outside. Sara sat up, placing her legs on Mark's, and wiped her cheeks. "Yeah, sure, Andy," Mark answered. The door opened and Sara looked back. "Hey," she said softly. "You guys need more time?" he asked. "Nah, we're cool," Mark said rubbing Sara's legs. "I brought the tape of your match from last week, Mark," Andy said sitting down in a chair beside the couch. "Cool, pop it in," Sara said rotating her neck. Andy did so, and pressed play on the VCR. Sara watched the match more critically than either men, noting Mark's seemingly lack of concentration, and little things he did that messed up the flow of the match. It was a decent match, but it could've been better. When the match was over, Andy cut the VCR off. "So…what'd ya think?" Mark asked. "Your mind wasn't on that match, was it?" Sara answered. "Nope…," Mark answered quietly. "I could tell. There were a lot of little things that I saw, and I'm sure the fans noticed it, too," she said looking at him. "Yeah, but…I'm a lot better now," he said grabbing her hand and squeezing gently. She grinned slightly, and said, "We both are." "Should I leave again?" Andy asked jokingly. "No, Andy," Sara said looking over at him and sticking her tongue out. "What time is it?" Mark asked. "About six o' clock," Andy answered. "So what are we gonna do for the next three hours?" she asked. "What do you wanna do?" Mark asked. "I don't know…you got a deck o´ cards?" she said. "Nope," he answered. "I should go get my hair and makeup done. It might take a while, 'cause Janet´s probably got a line," she said standing. "Alright. I'll see you when you get back," Mark said winking at her. "Promise you won't come looking for me?" she asked. Mark looked away and Sara crossed her arms. "Promise?" she asked again. "Alright, already, I promise," he said hesitantly. "You mean it?" she asked. "Yeah, I promise, dollface," he said looking back up at her. "I'll be back before the show starts," she said heading for the door. "Three hours? It's gonna take three hours--." He was cut off when Sara looked back at him, and he held his hands up in concession. Sara exited the room, a huge smile on her face.

Sara went down to Janet´s station, and found the seat occupied by Lisa. "Hey, you," Sara said walking up to her. "Oh, my God! I didn't know you were back!" Lisa exclaimed hopping out of the chair and throwing her arms around Sara's neck. Sara hugged her back tightly. Before she and Mark had split, Sara and Lisa had quickly become good friends. They were a lot alike, and had a lot of the same interests. "Yeah, I just came back today," Sara said quietly, "Where have you been hiding?" Lisa chuckled and released her. "I was probably in the gym, or in the ring…I'm in a storyline with this new lady; she's a real tough one. She only answers to Jazz," she said. "Why?" Sara asked. "The same reason you only answered to Angel," Lisa answered, "She's always in character, I think…one tough cookie, Sara, inside the ring and out…she doesn't really hang around all the other ladies much. She's kind of a loner." "Well, that's no fun," Sara said. "You should try talking to her in the gym," Lisa said smiling. "Any other newbies I should know about?" Sara asked grinning, "Or anyone I should watch out for?" Lisa laughed and shook her head. "Everything's the same, I guess. Except for who's fighting who," she answered. Sara smiled and nodded. "Good thing that's changed," she said laughing. "You goin´ out there like that, Lisa?" Janet asked from beside them. Lisa still had a few curlers in her hair, and her lipstick was halfway done. Lisa smiled and sat back down, and Janet quickly finished up her make-up, and removed the curlers from her hair. "Thanks, Janet," Lisa said getting out of the seat. "No problem, Lisa. See ya later, hon," Janet responded as Sara sat down. "I'll talk to you later," Lisa said to Sara, "We've got catchin' up to do." Sara nodded as Lisa walked away.

"So…the prodigal child returns, huh?" Janet said picking out the necessary make-up products for Sara. Sara chuckled softly and nodded. "Yeah, she does," she answered grinning, "How've you been, Janet?" "Okay, I suppose. I had to make conversation with the other ladies when you left. It wasn't too exciting," Janet said smiling. "Oh, come on, Jan. The other ladies are cool. You had Amy, Lisa, Jackie, Trish…I know those chicas are cool," Sara argued. "Yeah, but not as cool as you," Janet said beginning to apply Sara's foundation. Sara smiled and shook her head. "Ah, you're gonna mess me up," Janet said smiling. Sara chuckled, but kept her head still. "It's good to see things haven't changed too much," she said. "Of course not. As much as they change, they stay the same, ya know," Janet said spreading the foundation evenly, "What'd you do on your break?" Sara sighed and closed her eyes. "It wasn't a break like everyone thinks it was, Jan," she said quietly. "Why not? You were off for three months. You didn't relax?" Jan said. "No, I didn't relax at all, Jan. Mark and I…we were separated. And I worked a job…about 60-70 hours a week," Sara answered quietly, "I didn't relax at all. Only reason I'm back is because Mark came to my apartment in Daytona and…I couldn't do it anymore…I couldn't be away from him, I couldn't be away from all this." "Oh…so that's why Mark was a zombie around here for so long," Janet said. "Yeah…I was a zombie, too. At my job…I was just going through the motions," Sara said as Janet brushed her hair, "I hated every moment of it, Janet…it was hell." "Well, I'm sorry you didn't get to relax…why'd you and Mark break up?" Janet said quietly. "I don't really wanna talk about it, Jan. All I care is that we're back together," Sara answered. "That's fine, darlin´. How do you want your hair for tonight?" Janet said. "Straight down," Sara responded. "I was thinkin´ the same thing," Janet said smiling. "You know me so well," Sara said smiling as well. Janet quickly straightened her hair out, barely curling the ends, before finishing her make-up. "There ya go, Sara," she said setting down the lipstick brush. Sara looked in the small mirror and smiled. "Like you said, as much as things change, they stay the same," she commented, "I'll see ya around, Jan." "Yep," Janet said as Sara walked away.

Sara headed towards the women's locker room. She wanted to meet this new woman, and let her know that distancing herself from everyone in the locker room wasn't the way to be successful. She quickly got to her destination, and knocked on the door, then entered it. The room was empty except for one lone woman that Sara assumed was "Jazz." She was a small, but muscular black woman, with long braids pulled into a high ponytail. "You Jazz?" Sara asked leaning against the closed door. "Who's askin'?" the woman answered. "I'm Sara, known around here as Angel," Sara answered. "I ain´t never seen you around here before," the woman said. "From what I hear, you don't see anybody," Sara said. The woman looked in Sara's direction, and her stare was as cold as ice. "You got a problem with that?" she snapped. Sara held up her hands and shook her head. "I'm just tryin' to figure how who this new lady is. When'd you come into the company?" she said. "A couple months ago…I came from XCW," the woman answered. "What's that?" Sara asked. "Extreme Champion Wrestling," the woman answered. "Mind if I take a seat?" Sara asked. The woman merely hunched her shoulders in response. Sara pulled a steel chair up, and sat down beside the woman. "So what's your name?" she asked quietly. "You know my name," the woman answered. "I don't think your mom named you Jazz," Sara said. The woman looked away, and took a deep breath. "Ruthie," she answered softly. "Why don't you go by that name instead?" Sara asked. "In XCW, you were your character…that's how people knew you, whether you were in the arena, or in your hometown…that's how I've lived my life for the past 10 years, and that's what I'm comfortable with," Ruthie answered. "Are you really?" Sara asked quietly. Ruthie looked away and Sara said, "I didn't think so."

"Look, lady, I'm not tryin´ to cause no trouble around here. Why you gotta bug me about my name?" Ruthie said heatedly. "Ruthie…we're all a family here. We all know each other, some better than others, but we at least speak to each other. Trust me, you'll be a lot happier if you start makin´ friends," Sara answered, "How'd you survive in that…XCW…without speaking to anybody?" "The way it was ran…Paul Heyman, that was the owner…we had one meeting at 5:00 each day, where he gave us a rundown of the show, who was fighting who and when, ya know, shit like that. And at 7:00, we shot our show from one arena each week, and that was all the TV we did. No practice, we just went out there and did it. We'd be on the road a few days a week, but never going farther than New York…we traveled around Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut…those places," Ruthie answered, "They're a real underground company, but they're on the up-and-up. I miss 'em…" "Why'd you leave?" Sara asked. "Opportunity," Ruthie answered, "I didn't wanna stay stuck in that rut for another ten years. It's fun and all, but at least here, I get a steady paycheck." "Heyman didn't pay you on time?" Sara asked, shock apparent in her voice. "Nope…paid us when he could…usually once a month, and it was bare bones stuff…I was there ten years, and I think the most I ever made in a year was about 50 grand…I had to hold a second job when I wasn't on the road, or at the arena in Philadelphia," Ruthie answered. "I can't imagine that," Sara said quietly. "Yeah, well, I only put up with it because I love wrestling. And especially gettin´ in the ring with the guys. It was brutal, but it was fun," Ruthie said, her mouth curving up in a grin. "You know…I'm not gay or anything, but you look a lot prettier when you smile…your face looks softer," Sara said quietly. "Thanks," Ruthie said quietly. "Look, you wanna go meet some people?" Sara asked standing, "My fiancé's probably goin´ crazy lookin´ for me…even though I told him not to." "You work with your fiancé?" Ruthie asked. "Yeah…I met him here…long story," Sara said smiling. "I got the time," Ruthie said. "You sure?" Sara asked. "Yeah…you're the first person that's really approached me about somethin´ other than a match…," Ruthie said quietly, "I like talkin´ to people…just don't show it too much." "Trust me, Ruthie, talkin´ to people makes the day go by faster, and it sure as hell makes this work environment less stressful," Sara said grinning. Ruthie nodded and said, "So…this fiancé o´ yours…how'd you two meet?" Sara took a deep breath, and began to speak. She told Ruthie everything, from when she was kidnapped by Mark and other 'Corporation´ members, to why Ruthie hadn't seen her around. When she finished talking, it was nearly a half an hour later.

"Holy shit…you guys have been through all that, and are still together?!" Ruthie asked, her jaw hanging. Sara nodded and sat back in the chair. "I try to rationalize it, and by all thoughts, we shouldn't be together…I should be dead…he should be dead…," she said quietly, "But we're not…and we're still goin´ at it. He's my soulmate, Ruthie…you ever had that feelin´ before, of just pure love?" "Yeah…I'm married, actually," Ruthie answered, "My husband has a regular job, though. Back home in Philly." "How does he deal with your new job here?" Sara asked. "He's gettin´ used to it. I mean, we got married my fourth year in XCW, so he knows what it's like for me to be on the road. But I was always within that small area. Now…I'm gonna be all over the place. Vince even told me we go overseas sometimes," Ruthie said. Sara said the excitement in her eyes. "Yeah…last year, we went to Britain, and I think we're goin´ to Australia and Ireland this year," she said grinning. "Oh, man…that's crazy," Ruthie said quietly. "Yeah, but it's a helluva trip to be able to tell your kids about," Sara said smiling. "What time is it?" Ruthie asked. "I actually have no idea," Sara answered, "I think I've been gone for at least an hour, though, so it's probably around seven o' clock, maybe sometime after. You don't have to wrestle on a taping, do you?" "No, I just wanted to know what time it was," Ruthie answered. "What do you say we go meet my fiancé?" Sara asked standing and stretching. "Sure," Ruthie answered following her out of the locker room. They talked until Sara reached Mark's locker room. She knocked, and waited for Mark to say she could enter. There was no response, and Sara opened the door slowly. Sara grinned and shook her head. Mark was laid out on the couch, fast asleep, and Andy had set up two chairs in front of each other; he was sitting in one with his feet in the other, and he was asleep as well. "Which one's your fiancé?" Ruthie asked softly. "The big lug on the couch," Sara whispered. "Wait…the guy who plays 'Undertaker´ is your fiancé?" Ruthie asked. Sara looked down at her and nodded. "Yeah, why?" she asked. "I don't know…he's just been like a zombie since I came here. Didn't talk to anybody, really, except that other guy there. I think he said hi to me…once, when I first came in," Ruthie answered. "Yeah…I've heard he was a bit scary. Want to see me turn him into a big teddy bear?" Sara asked grinning. "What are you gonna do?" Ruthie asked. "Just watch," Sara said quietly. She ran and jumped on Mark's stomach, waking him immediately. "What the hell?!" he bellowed. Andy awoke with a start, and scrambled out of the chair. "What is it?!" he asked. Sara looked down and softly said, "I'm sorry…" Mark's eyes softened immediately and he cupped her face. His lips grazed hers gently, and she smiled, throwing her arms around his neck. "Oh, God," Andy said rolling his eyes playfully. Sara smiled at him and motioned towards Ruthie. "That's Ruthie, she's--." "Jazz," Mark said looking over Sara's shoulder, "So…it's Ruthie now, huh?" "Yeah…," Ruthie answered quietly. "What're you doin´ here?" Mark asked. "I was with Sara…we were just talkin´," Ruthie said somewhat nervously. "Will you stop being such a bully?" Sara said standing, "Ruthie, don't mind him…he's as sweet as a kitten." "More like a lion," Mark said nibbling on her ear. "Ruthie, grab a seat, don't just stand there," Mark said looking over at her. Ruthie sat down in a steel chair beside Andy, and started squeezing her hands together. She hadn't been out of the women's locker room pretty much all day, and even when other women came in, she didn't talk to any of them

"Sara the one who got you out of that locker room?" Mark asked, his arm around Sara's shoulder. "Yeah…," Ruthie answered slowly. "And how'd you manage to do that?" he asked Sara. Sara simply smiled and hunched her shoulders. "You know me," she answered softly, "Don't like loners." Mark smiled and kissed the side of her head. "So, Ruthie…tell us a little about yourself," he said looking over at the woman. Ruthie looked at Sara, who nodded her head slightly, before beginning to speak. Over the next hour and a half, Ruthie told them about where she'd come from, what kind of wrestling she'd done, her husband, and even her pet dogs. She had a couple purebred Great Danes, named Gem and Jewel. Sara told her about Duchess, and Mark told her about Slasher. "Seems you're the only one without a dog, Andy," Sara had said during their conversation. "Duchess and Slasher are enough for me," he'd said grinning at her. Around 8:30, Ruthie took her leave. She was in the first match of the night, wrestling against Lisa.

"She's a nice little lady," Andy said once the door shut, "Don't see much of her, though." "Yeah, she's quiet, until you get to know her. I think she'll do well here, once she comes out of her shell," Sara said. "Well, you're sure workin´ on that, aren't you?" Mark said. Sara smiled and hunched her shoulders. "It's just how I am," she said quietly. Mark rotated his neck and asked, "You hungry?" "Nope," Sara answered, "Besides, it's too close to show time to eat." "Yeah," Mark said, "I'll be back." "Where are you goin´?" Sara asked as he stood. "To get somethin´ to snack on," he answered heading for the door. "But--." "I'm not getting´ a meal, Sara, just somethin´ to snack on," he said grinning at her. "Fine," she said as he left, "Not my fault if you get sick and throw up on the first row." She heard Mark laugh as the door shut, and she turned her attention to Andy. "So…," she said quietly. "How ya doin´, baby doll?" Andy asked coming over and sitting beside her on the couch. "I'm good, Andy…I'm really good now," she said quietly, "It was…hell…being away from him." "I can only imagine," he said quietly, "He wasn't the best person to be around, either." "Yeah, he told me…how'd you put up with him?" she asked. "Patience…a lot of patience," Andy answered, "He scared the shit outta me that night he cut his wrists…I had nightmares about it for a while…and then he tried to OD on medication. I, uh, I thought he was gonna die that time for sure." Sara sighed and looked away. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Andy," she said softly. "Hey, don't…don't apologize," he said turning her face toward his, "If I wasn't there, he probably would've died." Sara sighed heavily and nodded. "I know…you really are a lifesaver now, Andy," she said forcing a grin. It disappeared when she saw Andy wasn't grinning. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trivializing what you did, Andy. You…you're our guardian angel…I really believe that now," she whispered. "Well, thank you, Sara. That means a lot to me," he said hugging her tightly, "I missed you, too, ya know." "I know, Andy…I missed you, too," she whispered hugging him back. Andy was her second best friend, and after what had happened between them, he had a special place in her heart. Andy rested his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. Sara trembled slightly, and let out a slow breath. "Andy…," she whispered. "Yeah?" he asked quietly. Sara shook her head, and leaned into him. "What's gonna happen with us now?" she whispered. "I don't know, Sara…," he answered. He kissed her cheek softly before pulling away from her.

"I told my mom, ya know…about what happened," she said quietly. "What'd she say?" he asked. "She practically called me a whore," Sara said painfully, "I, uh, I left the house that day…it was right after you left. I hadn't seen her until Mark came to my apartment, and we made up, ya know. And he wanted to get married that day, but I wanted my mom to be there, so we went and saw her…it was like she disowned me. She's never looked at me with hatred before that day…it broke my heart. But Mark went back and talked to her that evening…I still haven't talked to her, though." "Don't you think you should?" Andy asked. "She hates me, Andy…she really hates me. I don't know that I can talk to her now," he said quietly. "Did you know Mark and his dad are talkin´ again?" Andy asked. "No, Mark didn't tell me that," she answered. "Yeah…after he got out of the hospital, he went to his dad's place, and they just went from there. They've grown really close, actually. His dad has been to the house, too. They're a lot alike…physically and mentally," Andy said quietly, "Mark's a spitting image of his father…except his father's about a foot shorter." Sara laughed and tried to imagine a miniature Mark. "Sara, I'm tryin´ to make a point. If Mark can make up with his dad after…God only knows how long, then I think you and your mom can do the same," he said softly. "I wanna get back into the swing o´ things before I try that, Andy," she said quietly. "Are you procrastinating again?" he asked crossing his arms. Sara looked away, but Andy continued to stare at her. "What do you want me to do, Andy?" she asked. "Call her," he answered. "Right now?" she asked, "The show's about to start." "Mark's not on until the second hour. You've got plenty o´ time," he said. Sara sighed and got her cell phone from her bag, before heading towards the door. "You comin´?" she asked. "I think that's somethin´ you need to do on your own, Sara," he said honestly. Sara looked at the floor before heading out of the room. She passed Mark on her way out. He had a couple of bananas and a bottle of water. "Where ya headed?" he asked. "To call my mom," she said quietly. "You sure about that?" he asked. "Yeah…it's gotta be done sometime," she answered, "Besides, if you can come out of it unscathed, I'm sure I can, too." Mark grinned slightly and kissed her forehead. "I'll see ya in a little while, then?" he asked. Sara nodded and hugged him tightly, before heading towards the back exit.

Once outside, Sara sat on the curb and looked at her phone. She's gonna hang up as soon as she hears my voice, she thought sadly. She took a deep breath before flipping her phone open, and quickly dialing her mother's number before she lost her nerve. The phone rang a few times before she heard Lucy's voice. "Hello?" Lucy asked. "Hi, mom," Sara said quietly. There was silence on the other end, and Sara would've bet money that her mom had hung up. "Hi, Sara," Lucy answered quietly. "How are you doin´?" Sara asked slowly. "Good…Lucy's doin´ good, too," Lucy answered. Sara sighed and said, "I miss you, mom." "I miss you, too, Sara," Lucy said quietly, "How's Mark?" "He's good. He looks a lot healthier than when I first saw him," Sara answered, "He's back to his old self, according to everyone here." "Where are you?" Lucy asked. "San Francisco," Sara answered, "For RAW." "Are you gonna be on the show tonight?" Lucy asked. "Yeah…I've got a big entrance, so I'm excited. I'm gonna be comin´ down from the rafters," Sara answered smiling, "Kinda like an angel coming down from Heaven." "Sounds exciting. Is it safe?" Lucy asked. "Yeah, we've done a dozen practice tries," Sara answered, "Lucky I don't have a fear of heights, huh?" Sara heard a small chuckle, and tears came to her eyes. "Mom…I'm not gonna apologize for getting back with Mark. You know how much he means to me," she said quietly, quickly wiping them away before her mascara got messed up. "I know, Sara…Mark came to my house a few days ago, and he talked…for a long time. He told me everything," Lucy said quietly, "And I've realized something…you two are soulmates. You two were meant for each other…you're one and the same person…I never thought I'd believe in that, but Mark has proven to me that soulmates do exist. And…I give you my blessing to marry him." Sara let out a deep breath, and she had to stop herself from bursting into tears. "You really mean that, mom?" she asked softly. "Yeah, I do," Lucy answered, "You love him, and you can't stop doing that. He loves you, and he can't stop doing that. Love…it's a crazy thing…but it's the best thing in the world. And I'm so glad that you've found it." "I want you to be there, mom…I want you to be there when I get married," Sara said softly. Lucy paused before answering. "Please, mom…please," Sara begged, "I want you to be my maid of honor…please." "Let me know when, and I'll be there, hon," Lucy answered. Sara was filled with elation, so much that she felt like jumping around. "Did you set a date yet?" Lucy asked. "Somewhere around Christmas…probably New Year's, actually…somethin´ about that time o´ year just…it's memorable," Sara answered quietly. "That's about six months from now," Lucy said. "Yeah, I know…I was thinkin´ you and I could work on it," Sara said quietly, "I can come down whenever I'm not working, and we can…get everything together." "That'd be perfect," Lucy said. Sara smiled and wiped a tear from her right eye. "I gotta go now, mom. The show's about to start in a little while," she said softly. "Alright, darlin´…I love you, Sara…you know that, right?" Lucy said slowly, "You're my daughter…and I only wanted you to be happy. I just wanted to protect you." "I know, mom…I love you, too…gotta go, okay?" Sara said softly. "Talk to you soon, baby," Lucy said. Sara said goodbye before clicking the phone shut, a smile coming to her face as she did. She slowly stood and stretched her arms, sighing happily. Her life, once again, was back in order.


	61. Life and Death

**Viper-Sa and DreamingCowGirl, thanks so much for your reviews! I really do appreciate them all! :-D Hope you continue to enjoy the story!

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**Chapter 60…Life and Death**

A month later, Mark and Sara finally made their way to Daytona. It was the first time Sara was going to see her mother in nearly four months. Mark helped her out of the car, and cupped her face. She hadn't been feeling well the past couple of days, and he was still concerned about her. "You okay?" he asked. She was a little pale, but her eyes were shining. "Yeah, I'm fine," she answered quietly, "Come on, let's go." Mark sighed and placed his hand in hers, leading her up the steps. The front door was open, but Mark still knocked. Lucy came to the door, and a smile came to Sara's face. "Mama," she said as Lucy opened the screen door. "Oh, honey, why'd you knock?" Lucy asked stepping aside. Sara threw her arms around her mother's neck, squeezing tightly. "I missed you so much," she whispered in her ear. Lucy returned the hug, gently stroking the back of Sara's head. "I missed you, too, Sara," she said quietly. Sara cried silently, and she kept her grip. "Oh, come on now…none o' that," Lucy said trying to pull her away. "Don't, mama…don't let me go," Sara whispered. Lucy sighed and continued to stroke her head. "Did you cut your hair?" she asked. Sara finally laughed and nodded. "After much pressure from Mark, of course," she answered finally loosening her grip. Lucy looked up at Mark, who was staring at the floor. "Hi, Mark," she said quietly. "Hi, Ms. Lindsey," he said quietly. "You're making me feel old, Mark," she said grinning. Mark looked up at her, and grinned as well. She opened her arms to him, and he leaned down to hug her small frame. "You been takin' care o' my baby?" she asked in his ear. "Of course," he answered, "She hasn't been feeling well the past couple days, so I've kept a close watch on her." Sara rolled her eyes and headed for the living room. "Sara Marie Roberts, get your butt back here," Lucy said firmly. Sara sighed and came back obediently. "Yes, mama?" she asked quietly. Lucy gripped her chin, and looked at her face. Her skin was gleaming slightly, and it was a tad pale. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Nothin', mom, I'm fine. I tried to tell Mark, but he wouldn't listen," Sara answered. "You want somethin' to eat?" Lucy asked. Sara shook her head, then turned and ran for the bathroom. Lucy grinned knowingly before wiping the grin from her face, and looking back at Mark. If he didn't know, she surely wasn't going to tell him. "You hungry?" she asked. "Nah, we ate before we came over here," he answered. They entered the living room, and Mark sat down on one of the couches. "So, where's Lucky?" he asked. "Out back, bein' a little Tasmanian devil as usual," she answered. "You don't let him into the house anymore?" he asked. "Not after the little bastard broke that statue Sara bought me for Christmas a couple years ago," she answered. Mark stood and went to the back door. Lucky was sitting under the big tree, outside of a huge doghouse. "Mind if I go play with him for a little bit?" he asked. "Sure…you're big enough. He won't topple you over too easily," she answered grinning. Mark grinned back before opening the door. Lucky immediately hopped to his feet and bounded over, barking gleefully.

Mark stepped onto the back porch, and sat on the steps, rubbing his hands in the dog's thick fur. "How are ya, boy?" he asked quietly, "You takin' care o' Lucy?" The dog barked a few times and Mark laughed. "You remind me o' Slasher…except Slasher's got a deeper bark than you…and he's tougher…and he's got shorter hair," he said smiling. Mark looked around him, and found a short rope with knots at both ends. He picked it up, and Lucky eyed it. "You want it, huh?" Mark asked standing. He held one end tightly, and dangled it in front of the dog. Lucky growled slightly, and lunged for it. Mark smiled and pulled it up right before the dog could get it. "Oh, come on, Lucky. What's this? Can't get a little rope?" he joked. The dog tried a couple more times, and got hold of the free end on the third try. He wiggled a few times, and Mark realized he was a very strong dog. He was every bit of 135 lbs. After a few minutes, Mark finally released the rope, and Lucky took it inside his doghouse, not returning. Mark stretched his arm out before returning to the house.

Sara was lying on the couch, her head resting on Lucy's lap. "Is she okay?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, she's just a little tired," Lucy answered wiping the sweat from Sara's face, "She needs to get some fluids in her body, but she won't listen to me." "I'm fine, mom, jeez. Such a worrywart," Sara said weakly. Mark's phone rang, and he took it in the kitchen. "Sara…how are you really feeling?" Lucy asked quietly. "I'm so tired, mom…my whole body…I feel weak," she whispered. "I'm gonna get you some orange juice, okay?" Lucy said slowly standing. Sara shifted slightly to get more comfortable, her eyes closing. Lucy went into the kitchen, and stopped. Mark was sitting at the table, his head hanging low, and tears on his cheeks. "Mark, what's wrong?" she asked. "That was…my father's retirement home…he just had a huge stroke…they don't know how long he's gonna live," he whispered, "I gotta go…I gotta go to him…but I don't wanna leave Sara." "She's gonna be just fine. I think she went to sleep. You go, be with your father…I'm sure he'd appreciate it," Lucy said touching his shoulder. Mark slowly stood, wiping his cheeks. "Will you tell her I'll call her once I get to Texas?" he asked heading towards the front door. "Sure thing, Mark," Lucy said softly. She shut the door behind him and sighed. _He's losing someone so close…but he's getting a new life, and he doesn't even know it_, she thought. She went into the living room, and grinned slightly. Sara had indeed fallen asleep. She went over to her, and touched her cheek softly. "Sara," she whispered. Sara groaned slightly, and her eyes fluttered open. "Yeah?" she whispered. "Come on, up to your room," Lucy said helping her stand. "Where'd Mark go?" Sara asked. Lucy hesitated, and took a deep breath. "Where's Mark, mom?" Sara asked. "That call he got…that was his father's retirement center…his father just had a major stroke…they don't know how long he's gonna live, so Mark went to Texas to be with him," she answered slowly. Sara gasped, and her head started spinning. Mark had grown extremely close to his father over the time that they'd started talking again. Mark had planned on his father being his best man at their wedding.

"This isn't happening…Mark can't take this," she whispered. "Come on, darlin'. Upstairs," Lucy said quietly, putting one of Sara's arms around her neck, and placing a steady arm around her waist. "He was just…just getting to know his dad…they were becoming best friends," Sara continued, her energy fading quickly. Lucy managed to get her upstairs, and removed all her clothes except her shirt and underwear. "Go to sleep, darlin'," she whispered wiping the sweat from her cheeks. "Mama, why? Why is this happening to him now? Everything was goin' so well," Sara whispered. "Sleep, Sara," Lucy commanded quietly. Sara sighed heavily, and rested her head against her pillows, her body succumbing to sleep. Lucy sighed and quietly left the room, leaving the door open in case Sara called for her. She went to the backyard, and Lucky came up to her. "I'm letting you in the house, Lucky…but you break _anything_, and you're right back out here, you understand?" Lucy said sternly. The dog barked once and Lucy went back into the house, Lucky on her heels. She took her trusted dog upstairs to Sara's bedroom, and said, "You stay in here with her. You hear her wake up, and you come get me," before leaving the room. Lucky hopped up on the bed behind Sara, and lied down behind her, his eyes watching her face.

Lucy cleaned the kitchen, and fixed a small dinner for herself and Sara. As she was finishing up, she heard a bark from upstairs. She quickly went upstairs, and saw Sara rubbing her pet's face. "Hey," Lucy said quietly. Sara looked up at her with tired eyes. "How're you feelin'?" Lucy asked, "Any better?" Sara shook her head and asked, "Is it true? About Mark?" "Yeah, it is…he hasn't called yet," Lucy answered coming over and sitting at her side. "I thought it was all a bad dream…what time is it?" Sara asked. "About seven o' clock," Lucy answered. "When'd he leave?" Sara asked. "A few hours ago," Lucy answered. Sara sighed heavily, just as the downstairs phone rang. "I'll go get it," Lucy said quietly. Sara nodded and continued to rub the fur of the huge Doberman Pinscher on her bed. Moments later, Lucy came back through the door with a cordless phone in hand. She handed it to Sara before leaving with Lucky, and Sara answered, "Hello?" "Hey, dollface," Mark said quietly. She heard the exhaustion and sadness in his voice. "I'm so sorry, Mark," she whispered. "Nah, it's okay," he said quietly. "How is he?" she asked. "He's, uh…he's in a coma right now," Mark answered slowly. Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she sniffled. "I'm so sorry," she whispered again. "Don't be, Sara. It's nothin' any of us can do about it," he said quietly, "How're you doin'?" "I've been asleep the past few hours, but I'm still tired," she answered softly. "Look, Sara…I, uh, I called Vince…and I'm gonna be taking a month off from work," he said slowly. "Well, good, you need it. I'll fly to Texas tonight," she said. "No…um, Vince still needs you," he said quietly. "Why? I'm not my own character, Mark. I'm Angel, Undertaker's manager…that's it," she tried arguing. "You're gonna be doin' a storyline with Lisa starting Monday," he said quietly. "Was this your idea?" Sara snapped. "No, dollface, he was gonna do it anyway," he said quietly. "Why didn't you tell him I wanted to be with you?" she asked. "Because I need to deal with this on my own, dollface," he answered. "Whatever happened to my problems being yours, and vice versa, Mark?" she asked. "Sara, please…," he said quietly. Tears came to her eyes and she quickly said, "I'm sorry, Mark…I just want to be there for you…like you've done for me." "It's okay, dollface…it's okay," he whispered, and she heard him holding back tears. She sighed heavily and laid back down. "Talk to me, Mark," she whispered, "You're holding it in, and that doesn't help." "Using my line against me, huh?" he asked. "I'm not bullshitting, Mark…talk to me," she whispered. Mark sighed heavily and the tears he was trying so hard to hold back came forth.

"It's like being in a hospital, dollface…except he's not gonna wake up…and I can't stand it. We were making up for lost time, and now I'm losin' him just like I lost my mom," he said painfully, "I don't wanna be here…it's so silent…it's torture…it's like a clock ticking, and eventually, it's gonna stop, and I don't wanna be here when that happens." "You have to be there for him, Mark. You never know, maybe he'll wake up," she said quietly. "No, he won't. He's practically brain dead," he said painfully, "That stroke sent into a deep, deep coma…and the only thing the doctors are waiting for is his heart to stop beating." "Jesus, is that what they said to you?" Sara asked angrily. "No…but that's the gist of it," he answered quietly, "Look, I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and let you know that I'm gonna stay here in Houston for the next month." "You mean I'm not gonna see you at all?" Sara asked sitting up. There was silence on the phone, and Sara started crying. "Mark, why? A month? A whole fucking month?!" she exclaimed, "That's not fair!" "I know, dollface…I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm so sorry…I'll see you in a month, okay?" "You're not even gonna call?!" Sara asked. Mark hesitated again, and Sara let out a slow breath. It was like they were breaking up for a month. "I'll see you in a month, okay?" he whispered again. "Fine…see ya in a month," Sara said before hanging up the phone, and tossing it down beside her, anger and sadness coursing through her veins and bringing hot tears to her eyes. She wiped the tears away and climbed out of bed, slipping on her jeans and grabbing the phone. She barely had the energy to do that, but she didn't want to be in her room. She slowly made her way down the stairs, but her left foot slipped and she fell down six steps. When she hit the bottom, she heard a crack, and groaned loudly. "Mom!" she screamed. Lucy came running from the kitchen, and dropped down at her head. "What happened?" she asked. "I…slipped…coming down the stairs," Sara whispered, "I think I broke my arm…" Lucy helped her stand, and grabbed her keys from the wall. "Come on," she whispered helping her out to the car. She sped to the nearby hospital, and Sara was quickly taken to the back.

A few hours later, a doctor came and got Lucy; she quickly showed Lucy to where Sara was. Sara was in a small room, lying underneath covers on the hospital bed. Lucy got onto the bed, and gently touched her left arm. There was a cast from her hand to her elbow. "How do you feel, baby?" she asked. "It's a dull pain…they gave me some pain medication for it," Sara answered quietly, her eyes staring ahead blankly. "What's wrong, baby?" Lucy asked. "The two people Mark loves the most are in the hospital," Sara whispered as tears came to her eyes, "But he only knows about one." Lucy sighed and gently caressed the side of her head. "You're gonna be outta here in no time, darlin'," she said quietly. "Unlike Mark's father," Sara said painfully, her heart clenching. "What'd he say?" Lucy asked. "That his father's practically…brain dead…and all the doctors are waiting for is for his heart to stop beating," Sara said, hot tears running down her cheeks, "He doesn't deserve this, mom…Mark doesn't deserve all this pain in his life right now." The doctor came in moments later, holding a clipboard. "Sara?" she asked. Sara wiped her cheeks and looked over at her. "Yeah?" she whispered. "You have a slightly cracked forearm, and you're gonna be in that cast for about six weeks. And then we're gonna put you in a soft brace for another few weeks, just to make sure it stays still," the woman said. "Doc? I'm a wrestler. This arm isn't gonna stay still for long, you can trust me on that," Sara said quietly. "I can give you a work release, if need be," the doctor said. "I don't think so," Sara said quietly, "I've wrestled with worse." "Okay. If you want to leave tonight, that's fine," she said looking down at the clipboard, "Oh, yeah…you're four weeks pregnant." Sara's jaw dropped in response, and Lucy grinned slightly.

"Pregnant?" Sara gasped. "Yep…you didn't know?" the doctor asked. "You think I'd be responding like this if I knew?" Sara asked. "Oh, I'm sorry," the doctor said, "Did you still want to leave tonight?" Sara nodded absentmindedly, her mind still on the knowledge that she was pregnant. "Okay, I'll get your paperwork ready. I'll be back in a few minutes," the woman said before leaving. Sara leaned back against the pillow, her mind spinning. She was carrying Mark's child…and he wasn't there. Tears started streaming down her cheeks, and she didn't even try to stop them. "What's wrong, baby? You're gonna be a mom," Lucy said. Sara placed her right hand over her belly, and whispered, "Yeah, but the father has no clue." Lucy sighed and said, "He will, baby, he will." "When? In a month? How am I supposed to get through the next month by myself?" Sara asked. "You're gonna be just fine. You can stay with me when you're not working, if you want," Lucy said wiping the tears away. Sara sighed and sniffled quietly. "A baby…wow," she whispered, "Never thought I'd be a mom." "And why not?" Lucy said smiling, "That's what happens when a male and a female--." "Mom!" Sara exclaimed laughing. "Well, it is!" Lucy said. "Parent and child don't discuss that, mom, especially mother and daughter. That's like an unwritten rule!" Sara said smiling. "I'm glad you're smiling again," Lucy said honestly. Sara sighed and nodded. "I'm gonna have to be doin' that a lot to get through this next month," she whispered as the doctor came back in. Sara signed a few forms before she finally got to leave. Her mother drove home, and once there, she warmed up the dinner she'd prepared earlier. They ate while watching a movie, and Sara slipped Lucky a few pieces of her chicken when she thought Lucy wasn't looking. "You're spoiling him, ya know. He's spoiled enough," Lucy said smiling. Sara turned pink and handed Lucky one more small piece of chicken.

After dinner, Sara helped her clean up, before sitting in the living room, one hand on her belly, one hand on Lucky's head. "Maybe now he'll calm down," Lucy said smiling. "He's not so bad…he just wants some attention," Sara said, "That's how most dogs are. How often do you play with him?" "I take him on a walk about once a day, that's about it. He's got a little rope outside, and a couple of chew toys," Lucy said. "Nah, you gotta interact him, mom," Sara said smiling, "Even if it's just petting him…give him some attention other than a walk, or giving him his food for the day." "And you're the dog expert, huh?" Lucy asked smiling. Sara grinned and nodded. "Between Duchess and Slasher…I _should_ be considered an expert," she answered chuckling softly. "Thought about what you wanna name the baby?" Lucy asked. Sara sighed and shook her head. "I'm thinkin' a name that starts with 'M', though," she answered. "Why that letter?" Lucy asked. "Mark," Sara said grinning, "And my middle name's Marie…it's a sign." Lucy laughed and shook her head. "You're nuts," she said yawning. "Come on, let's get to bed…it's been a long day," Sara said standing, Lucky following suit. "Oh, he's gonna love you," Lucy said as Sara headed up the stairs, Lucky on her heels. "Great, another dog," Sara said laughing. She said goodnight to Lucy before going in her room and shutting the door. She stripped down and climbed into the bed, the tears she'd been holding back for the past two hours finally coming forward. She wanted Mark to be there with her, to hold her close, to tell her that she was going to be okay, that their baby was going to be okay…but he wasn't. A half an hour later, Sara passed out from sheer exhaustion.

Sara awoke early the next morning, a warm body beside her. She looked over and grinned. "You and Duchess would get along perfectly," she said. The dog's eyes opened and he licked her cheek. "Well, isn't that cute?" Sara said rubbing his head. She stretched her arms and slowly climbed out of the bed. Lucky went to follow her, but she pointed to the bed and said, "Bed…now." Lucky whined, but Sara didn't budge. He finally went back to over to her bed, jumping into the middle and curling up. "That's a good boy. I'll be out in a little bit," Sara said before going into the bathroom and shutting the door. She stripped down naked, and stood in front of the full-length mirror hanging on the back of the door. She stood so that her left side was facing the mirror, and placed her hands on her belly, then held them out a few inches. "I wonder when I'm gonna start to show," she whispered before turning on the shower and stepping in. She washed everywhere should reach with her right hand. The doctor didn't want her to get her cast wet, so Sara had to wrap a trash bag around it when she was in the shower. She used one of the small ones underneath her sink. It looked pretty funny, and actually made her laugh. Once she was done with her shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and went into her bedroom. Mark's suitcase was still beside hers; he'd left in a hurry. She slowly opened it, and pulled out the leather jacket he always wore to the ring. She lifted it to her nose and inhaled. Mark's scent drifted through her nose, and she groaned softly. She slipped her arms through the holes, and buckled it up. It hung on her like an oversized jacket, and she smiled. She made her way over to the bed, and laid down beside Lucky. "I'm gonna get through this, boy," she said softly, scratching his head. Her eyes closed, and she slowly fell back asleep. The door opened, and Lucy smiled slightly at the sight. Sara's small frame wrapped in the jacket Mark wore to the ring. Lucky looked up at her, and she whispered, "Stay with her, boy. I think she needs you more than I do." Lucky laid his head on Sara's stomach, and his eyes closed as well. Lucy left the room, shutting the door as quietly as possible.

The next three weeks passed by quickly. Sara enjoyed working with Lisa. To begin their story, Lisa went out to the ring and began badmouthing Sara, saying that she was simply a lackey to the Undertaker, and had no real skills. Sara ran out and attacked her, and they fought until the referees pulled them apart. The next week, they had a match. It was pretty good for Sara to actually wrestle again. Even though she was pregnant, she wasn't starting to show yet. And she was being extra careful in the ring to not take any shots to the stomach. No one knew she was pregnant except for Vince, and he'd only allowed her to wrestle after she'd begged him for nearly a half an hour. They had a ten-minute match, which ended in a double-disqualification, because both Sara and Lisa had hit each other with steel chairs. The week after that, they were involved in the first female Street Fight match, and they pulled off an amazing match. Sara had brought a trash can of objects with her to the ring, and on the trash can, Undertaker's symbol was spray-painted in black and purple. Sara ended up winning the match after she'd clobbered Lisa over the head with the trash can, and pinned her right outside the ring. Afterwards, Lisa had challenged her to a rematch at the upcoming pay-per-view, Summerslam. Sara had accepted, only with the stipulation that it was an "I Quit" match. The Monday before the pay-per-view, Sara received a call from Mark. His father had died a few days ago, and he'd just wanted to let her know he'd be back a few days after the pay-per-view. He'd also been watching her on television, and was quite proud of what she'd been doing in the ring. Once they hung up, Sara went to find Andy. She found him in the catering room.

"Hey, baby doll," he said as she walked up to him. Sara grinned and sat down beside him. "You feelin' okay?" he asked. "Mark just called," she said quietly. "How is he?" Andy asked. He'd talked to Mark a couple times during the past few weeks, but they were both very short calls. Mark had wanted Andy to keep an eye on her, just to make sure she was faring okay. "His dad died a few days ago," she said softly, "But Mark said he's gonna be back next Wednesday. He's gonna be at home when we get there." "Well, that's good," Andy said quietly. Sara had been very emotional the past few weeks, and he'd hoped that Mark coming back would help her sort out those emotions. Sara heard her stomach growl, and grinned. "Be right back," she whispered before going over to the food table. She filled up with salad, a couple pieces of broiled steak, a baked potato, a couple bottles of water, and an apple. When she sat back down beside Andy, he eyed her plate warily. "Hungry, Sara?" he asked as she began to eat. Sara swallowed and looked up at him. "I'm pregnant," she whispered. "What was that?" Andy asked. Sara cleared her throat and repeated, "I'm pregnant, Andy…seven weeks now." "And you've been wrestling pregnant?!" he asked quietly. "I okayed it with Vince…more like begged him to let me wrestle," she said. "And he let you?!" he exclaimed. "Yeah…I've been super careful in the ring, Andy. And I've gone to weekly check-ups in Daytona when I went to my mom's. Everything's going perfectly well," she said before putting a piece of steak in her mouth. "Does Mark know?" he asked. Sara shook her head and stared at her plate. "I found out the night he left," she said quietly, "I didn't wanna call him and tell him. It's the kinda thing you tell someone in person, ya know." "He's gonna kill you when he finds out you've been wrestling pregnant," he said leaning back in his chair. "Well, I couldn't just sit back and let Lisa badmouth me, could I?" she asked grinning. Andy shook his head and said, "You're crazy." "No one knows but Vince, and now you…could you not tell anybody? Especially Lisa…she'd kill me, too," she said quietly. Andy sighed and crossed his arms. "Please, Andy…I don't want anybody to know…not until I finish this thing with Lisa, and Mark comes back," she said quietly. "Fine…but you better be careful Sunday," he said softly. "I will be. I promise," she said, "Can I finish eating now?" "Yeah, go ahead. You've got somebody else to feed, and I'm sure she's hungry," he said. "How do you know it's a girl?" Sara asked. "Okay, he's hungry," he said grinning. "How do you know it's a boy?" she asked. "Are you gonna eat or not?" he asked grinning. Sara smiled and dug into her food. She even went back for seconds. She wasn't wrestling that night, and she'd already gotten in a good workout, so she was going to eat her fill. Besides, Andy was right. She was now eating for two.


	62. Countdown

**Chapter 61…Countdown**

Wednesday afternoon, Sara stepped into her house and dropped her bags by the front door. Duchess came trotting up to her, and she kneeled down and rubbed her head. "Hey, girl…I missed you," she whispered, "Is Mark here?" Duchess bounded up the stairs and Sara followed her. The bedroom door was open slightly, and Sara squeezed through the opening. Mark was laying face-down in the middle of the bed, and Slasher was on his right side. Sara took a deep breath and went over to the dresser, quietly pulling out a nightgown. She changed into it quickly, then climbed into bed beside Mark. His arm came over her waist, and he pulled her close, rubbing his nose in her hair. "I figured that was you," he whispered kissing the side of her head, "Was Andy with you?" "No, he's kinda livin' with Lisa," she answered. "Kinda?" he asked. "Well, he goes and stays there sometimes…this was one of those times," she said quietly, "How're you feeling?" "Tired," he answered. Sara nodded and placed her right hand on her belly. It was now stretching out very slightly, enough for Sara to notice. "When'd you get in?" she asked. "About six this morning," he answered quietly, "What time is it?" Sara faced him, and noticed the dark circles under his eyes. "Time for you to catch up on your sleep," she whispered kissing him softly. Mark returned the pressure, caressing her cheek. "How am I gonna sleep when you do that?" he asked softly, a grin on his lips. Sara nuzzled her face in his chest, and draped her arm over his waist. "I missed you, dollface," he whispered pulling her closer, "You won't believe how much." "I missed you, too, Mark," she whispered back, "I stayed with my mom the whole time. I couldn't be here without you…the house is too big to be here alone." Mark nodded and kissed the top of her head. "What time is it?" he asked quietly. "About four o' clock," she answered, "Do you wanna sleep some more?" "Nope…now that you're here, I've got a reason to stay awake," he whispered kissing her softly. Sara smiled and squeezed his waist with her one arm.

"I've got a surprise for you," she whispered against his lips. "Don't tell me you got another tattoo?" he said, "Those things _are_ addictive, ya know." Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Come on, let's go take a shower," she whispered going to move. "Uh-uh…tell me what this surprise is," he whispered back. "Gotta show you," she said moving from under his arm and dashing into the bathroom. Mark sighed and slowly climbed out of bed. He'd gotten very little sleep over the past month, but being back with his love gave him a newfound energy. When he stepped into the bathroom, the shower was running, and Sara was already inside. He slipped out of his boxers, and opened the stall, stepping inside. Sara was leaning against the far wall, across from him. "So, what's this surprise?" he asked as he drenched his hair in the steaming water. Sara slowly took a step towards him, took his left hand and placed it on her stomach. "You're gonna be a father, Mark," she whispered. Mark looked down at her, his jaw dropping. "Are you serious?" he asked. "I wouldn't joke about this. I'm eight weeks pregnant," she said, a grin playing at her lips. Mark kneeled down and kissed her belly softly. "A father?" he whispered, tears coming to his eyes, "My child…is right here…in your belly?" Sara smiled as tears came to her eyes, and she nodded. "Oh, dollface," he whispered hugging her waist tightly. Realization dawned on him at that point. He looked up at her, and she saw anger.

"You've been wrestling pregnant?" he asked tensely. Sara looked away; Andy had warned her of this. "First of all, it was my decision. Vince didn't want me to, of course, but I begged him...like down on my knees begging. Secondly, I was extra careful in the ring, and I changed my workout in the gym for it. Thirdly, I've gone on weekly checks back in Daytona, and everything is perfectly fine," she said looking back at him. Mark smiled and let out a loud, hearty laugh. "I'm a father!" he exclaimed hugging her waist again, "A father!" Sara smiled, and nodded. She kissed the top of his head, gently stroking the back of his head. He looked up at her, and she saw the tears of pure joy in his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me when I called?" he asked. "I wanted to tell you in person," she answered quietly, "I would've beat myself up if I would've told you over the phone." "Well, I'm glad you waited," he whispered before staring at her stomach, "You're starting to show." "Just a little…I'm done with wrestling now…at least, until the baby's born," she said quietly, "And Vince said he'll take me off of television in a couple of months." "Good. You're gonna stay here, and stay off your feet, the whole time," he said quietly. "I don't think so, buddy…I'm gonna be traveling with you…I just won't be involved with the show," she said grinning at him. "You're not gonna budge on that, are you?" he asked. She shook her head in response. "I didn't think so," he said softly. "Come on, let's clean up. I'm starving," she said as her belly rumbled. Mark laughed and kissed the soft flesh once more before standing. They quickly washed each other, before dressing in comfortable clothing and going downstairs.

Mark made her sit in the living room while he fixed her lunch. He came in with a tray, and set it on her lap. A ham and cheese sandwich, a bowl of tomato soup, and a tall glass of orange juice sat in front of her. "Well, this looks good," she said, "But you might wanna go make some more." Mark laughed and did as he was told. When he finally came back out, Sara was drinking down the last of her orange juice. "Holy shit," he said smiling, "You are hungry." "I'm eating for two, ya know," she said matter-of-factly. "Yeah, you gotta make my boy grow strong," he said setting the sandwich and soup down, and taking the empty dishes. "And how do you know it's a boy?" she asked picking up the sandwich and biting into it. "Could be a girl…if it is, she's gonna be as beautiful as her mother," he said before going into the kitchen. Sara smiled and ate her seconds as quickly as the first time. Once she was done, she went to stand, but Mark stopped her. He grabbed the tray from her, and said, "Stay right where you are." Sara smiled and sat back on the couch, her hand resting on her now-full belly. "Enjoy it, kid…you'll get more in a few hours," she said softly. Mark came back into the living room, and sat down beside her. She stretched out and rested her head on his lap. "So…what'd you do while I was gone…other than wrestle?" he asked. "I broke my arm," she answered looking at the soft brace on her left forearm. Her arm had healed quicker than the doctor had assumed it would, and she was now in the soft brace. "How?!" Mark asked. "When I got off the phone with you, I was so pissed that I decided to go downstairs with my mom. Problem was, I had the energy of a newborn kitten. I slipped on the stairs, fell down 'em, and cracked my forearm," she answered. "Did it break the skin?" he asked. "No, but it still hurt like hell," she said quietly, "That was the night I found out I was pregnant." Mark nodded and whispered, "I'm sorry I left you like that, dollface…I can't say that enough." Sara looked up at him, and touched his cheek. "You needed it, Mark…I'm glad you took that time to be with your dad," she said softly. He leaned down and kissed her softly, whispering, "I love you." Sara smiled and touched her belly. "Both of you," he said grinning. They watched television for the rest of the day, and sat out in the backyard as the sun set. They started to discuss some of the details of their wedding.

"How big do you want?" Mark asked as his fingers ran through her hair. "Not big…not big at all. 50 people maximum, here in the backyard…I can name most of 'em," she said. "Who?" he asked. "You," she said smiling. Mark chuckled and kissed the side of her head. "Seriously, dollface," he said quietly. "Okay, okay, seriously. My mom, Andy, Lisa, Kevin, Vince, Linda, Stephanie, Shane, Shane's wife Marissa, Liz, Amy, Trish, Ruthie, Adam, Paul, John, Ron…I think that's it for me…who do you want?" she asked. "Well, you just about named 'em all," he said smiling. "Let's add four more, to make it an even 20," she said grinning. "Okay…my brother, his wife Nicole, and their daughters Jodie and Lynn…they can be the little flower girls," he answered. "How old are they?" Sara asked. "Jodie just turned seven a couple weeks ago," he said quietly, "And Lynn is nine." "Perfect," Sara said smiling. "That's a little bit o' people, dollface," he said softly. "Just the way I want it," she said quietly. Mark nodded and continued to run his fingers through her hair. "Colors?" he asked. "Dark blue, for your groomsmen. Dark purple, for my bridesmaids. My mom will wear a lighter purple, and I'll wear white. I guess you'll be in a black tux, right?" she answered. "Yeah," he answered, "When do you wanna start working on the invitations?" "We can go into town on Friday, and start looking around," she answered, "Are we shooting for Christmas? Or do we wanna make it sooner?" "I think the sooner, the better…I've had just about enough of you just being my fiancée…I want you to be my wife," he whispered. Sara looked down at him and smiled. "And I want you to be my husband," she whispered kissing him softly. "Okay, so when do we wanna do it?" he asked. "I think all the details can be worked out in the next three months…so…how about my birthday?" she said grinning. "Even better than Christmas…the day my sweetheart was born is the day she's gonna get married," he said bringing her face down and kissing her gently. Sara moaned softly and opened her mouth slightly, granting Mark's tongue access. Mark groaned softly as he reacquainted himself with the taste of her. "Okay, okay, wait. What other details are there?" she asked. "Food…the set-up…we gotta get a preacher out here…the wedding reception…stuff like that," he whispered before kissing her again. Sara pulled away, laughing slightly. "'Stuff like that'?" she asked. "Yeah…I think I pretty much named everything," he said trying to kiss her again. "How about where all those people are gonna stay? We only have four guest bedrooms," she said evading his searching mouth. "Well, your mom's gonna stay here…Andy and Lisa have his room…Anthony and Nicole can have a room, and Jodie can have a room…and Kevin and Liz can have a room," he answered, "That leaves 12 people…Vince and his family are gonna stay in a hotel, you know that. John and Ron will probably share a room. That leaves six more people, who I'm sure will do the same as John and Ron…it saves money." "Are you always this quick to answer my questions?" she asked. "Only when I wanna kiss you," he answered pulling her face down to his, and latching his mouth to hers. Sara gave in, and allowed him to manipulate her mouth just the way he wanted it. When he finally broke the kiss to catch his breath, she grinned slightly. "Happy now?" she asked. "Like you wouldn't believe," he whispered caressing her cheeks with his thumbs, "Come on…time to go to bed." Sara slowly stood, and helped him to his feet. He hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, "The countdown begins." Sara smiled and returned the hug. "How many days?" she asked. "We'll go with 90," he answered, "It's a good, even number." Sara chuckled and squeezed his waist. "Come on, darlin'…bedtime," he whispered taking her hands from around his waist and leading her inside. Sara shut the back door behind them, and locked it, before following him upstairs. He was right…the countdown had begun.


	63. Memories

**Chapter 62…Memories**

Over the next two months, Sara was gradually taken off of television. Mark came back to a storyline with Kevin, and Sara was finally taken off of television due to an "injured neck" from a chokeslam Kevin gave her. Sara used much of her time on the phone with her mother, or actually in Daytona, finalizing her wedding. Her belly also began to expand more over those two months, and she found herself eating anything she could get her hands on. She kept up her workout schedule, though, only changing it to do more cardiovascular work since she wasn't wrestling. She didn't gain much weight, due to her fast metabolism. As November rolled around, Sara's nerves began to stand on end. She was getting married in less than a month, and that scared her. She didn't want her second marriage to end up like her first. She spent many a night talking to her mom about her concerns, and Lucy did all she could to reassure Sara that what she and Mark had was once-in-a-lifetime, and it was going to last. She reminded her that Sara was too stubborn to let anything come between her and Mark. "Look what you guys have been through…from how you met, to everything with Shawn, to the rape…and you two are still together. That says something, darlin'. Your marriage will last. It'll take work, but it'll last for as long as you both love each other…which is forever," she'd told her.

The night before the wedding, eight of the ten women Sara had invited "kidnapped" her from the house. Her mother, Lisa, Stephanie, Liz, Amy, Trish, Ruthie, and Marissa blindfolded her, tied her hands behind her, and tossed her in the back of a truck. "You guys are so gonna pay for this," she said laughing. "Yeah, yeah, Sara. You're not gonna be wrestling for awhile, so we don't have to worry about any punishment in the ring," Ruthie said laughing at her. "I have other ways to get back at you, Ruthie," Sara said back. "Uh-huh, right," Ruthie said. Amy drove into Houston, and pulled into the parking lot of a Sheraton hotel. Lisa helped Sara out of the truck, and they led her inside. Amy quickly got the room key from the front desk, and they headed up to the suite they'd rented for the night. Once inside, the blindfold and ties were removed. Sara twisted her wrists to get the blood flowing, and looked around. There was a cart with all types of alcohol on it, and enough shot glasses for all the ladies there. The room was bathed in black lights, and white candles were sporadically placed to light the room even more. "Come on, Sara, we're gonna have a drink," Amy said going over to the cart. "Oh, we're gonna have a lotta drinks," Trish said laughing, pulling Sara over to the cart. Sara looked around and saw different sized bags by the couch, and smiled. "A bachelorette party, huh?" she asked looking at Amy. "You know it," she answered pouring nine shots of bourbon. She handed each woman there a glass, then raised her own. "To our very own Angel…Sara, you're an amazing woman, and we're so glad we know you. You've been to hell and back, and you deserve every bit of happiness that comes your way," she said. "Hear, hear," Liz said before they clinked their glasses together and took their shots. Sara groaned as the liquid burned its way down her throat before settling in her stomach. She set her glass down as a thought came to her mind. "That's it," she said quietly, "I can't drink anymore." "I'm so sorry, chica…I completely forgot about the baby," Amy said sadly. "Nah, don't worry about it. We'll have fun anyway," Sara said sitting on the couch. "Damn right we are. We'll get drunk for ya, girl," Ruthie said smiling. They talked for over an hour, every woman except Sara and her mother taking shot after shot, dedicating each one to Sara's happiness. Finally, around ten o' clock, Amy began to pull out the bags. Each woman had bought Sara a pre-wedding gift. They decided to go in the order they were sitting, from Sara's right, so Lucy was first.

She grabbed the small pink bag from in front of Amy, and sat back down. "Sara…you have made me one of the proudest mothers in the world. I can't say how happy you make me just being who you are. I've raised one of the nicest, sweetest, and yet…fiery, independent women ever. God truly blessed me by giving me such a wonderful daughter…we've had our differences, but I still love you…no matter what," she said before pulling out a picture frame. The frame held a picture of Lucy holding Sara a few hours after she'd been born. "This picture was taken so long ago, but it's still how I see you…my little girl," she said before handing the picture to Sara and hugging her, "I love you." Sara smiled and said, "Thanks, mom." Amy went next, holding a medium-sized bag with a Playboy bunny picture on it. "Sara, I've known you for almost five years now, and you are such a cool woman. From the moment I've met you, you've been so nice, and so helping, and so supportive. Whether we were in the ring together or not, you always took care of me, and now…you're gonna be taking care of your baby, and your husband. I wanna wish you the best of luck with everything," she said handing her the bag. Sara pulled out a pair of handcuffs, and a small book titled, "How to Use Handcuffs Creatively." Her cheeks turned crimson red, and her jaw dropped. Everyone laughed at her response. Lucy leaned over and whispered, "I can give you some pointers, ya know." "Mom!" Sara exclaimed, her cheeks turning even redder. "Do we wanna know what she said?" Ruthie asked. "Not on your life," Sara said putting the things back in the bed.

"Okay, me next," Liz said as she handed Sara a dark blue bag, with thin white paper coming out of it, "We've been friends for awhile, Sara, and I think you are just the best. You're like my sister, and I've really cherished that relationship. I've seen you through about almost everything major that you've been through the past six years, and the memories I have with you, I'll take with me forever. Thanks for bein' such a great friend, hon." Sara smiled as she pulled out a t-shirt with the words, "Stop Bitching! Start a Revolution!" "Oh, Liz…this is awesome," she said smiling. "If that's not your motto, I don't know what is," Liz said grinning at her. Sara chuckled softly and put the shirt back in the bag. Lisa was next, and she handed Sara a blood-red bag. Sara pulled out a negligee that matched the color of the bag, and laughed. "I don't have to explain what that's for," Lisa said smiling. Sara nodded in agreement and set that gift aside. Stephanie handed Sara a dark blue bag, and sat back in her seat. "Sara…I've known you since you came into my father's company. And from that first day, I knew you were someone special, and you were gonna do big things, in and out of the ring…and you didn't let me down. I'm glad to know you, and so blessed to call you a friend," she said. Sara smiled as she pulled out a long black whip. "Oh, my goodness," she said quietly. "In case Mark ever gets outta hand, ya know, just take that to his rear end…I'm sure it'd work," Stephanie said laughing. "Yeah, unless he gets his hands on it, then I'm in big trouble," Sara said laughing as well. Marissa went next, and handed Sara a small box. Inside was a small dark oak jewelry box. Sara opened the box and gasped. A pair of diamond earrings stared up at her. "For your wedding day, darlin'," Marissa said, "They remind me of you…strongest thing on this planet, and yet oh so rare." "Thanks, Marissa. This really means a lot to me," Sara said closing the box and setting it at her feet with the rest of her gifts.

Next to last was Trish, and Sara was interested in knowing what she'd gotten her. A large yet thin box was placed in Sara's lap, and she looked up at Trish. "Just open it," she said. Sara lifted the top off and smiled. Red, lacy underwear lay on top of a matching white silk nightgown. "That underwear…it's edible," Trish said grinning, "It's cherry flavored." Sara's jaw dropped, and her eyes widened. "Wow…uh, thanks, Trish," she said smiling, "But I think Mark will enjoy that a lot more than I will." Everyone burst into laughter as she replaced to box's top and set it down at her feet. "I guess I'm last," Ruthie said standing. She handed Sara a large blue bag, and sat back down. Sara pulled a box out of the bag, and it was a game called "Dirty Minds." "Do I even wanna know?" she asked Ruthie. "It's a lotta fun. Me and my husband play sometimes," she said. "What's the point of it?" Amy asked. "You pick a word, and you read the clues. The person has to guess what the word is…but there's a catch. The clues are so very dirty, and if you give a word that's dirty, then it means you're a pervert," Ruthie said. "Oh, can we play that tonight?" Trish asked laughing. Sara laughed and shook her head. "Not tonight, Trish. I'll bring it to work, and we'll play it there. See how many people we can get playin' it," she answered. A knock on the door interrupted them. Amy went and answered it, then stepped to the side.

A thin, yet very muscular man stepped through the doorway. He was dressed in loose, white silk pants, and a matching silk dress top which was unbuttoned down to his chest. He also had a makeshift halo attached to his head. "I'm looking for Sara Roberts," he said. Amy shut the door, and looked at Sara's face. It was beet red, and her mouth was hanging open. "Why?" she asked. "Heaven's missin' an angel, and I came to find her," the man said. Sara didn't see Amy turn on a radio, but suddenly funky music blasted throughout the room. The man came over to Sara and pulled her out of her seat, pulling her to the center of the room. The other women began cheering as he danced around her, gyrating his hips and moving his body in every sexual way possible. Sara covered her mouth to keep from busting out laughing. The man was cute, but he was way too young for her. He couldn't have been more than 19 or 20. He pulled up a chair and sat her down, then placed her hands on his waist. "Would you do the honors, Angel?" he asked. "Oh, I don't think so," Sara said. "Oh, come on, sweetie. Help me out here," he said. Sara could only shake her head as she pulled. The pants came off very easily, and Sara thought, _Thank God he had somethin' on underneath…albeit a G-string…but it's somethin'_. The man turned his back to Sara, still dancing, and removed his shirt. He then jumped onto the arms of the chair she was sitting in, continuing to gyrate. "Oh…my…God," she said quietly. She tried so hard, but she couldn't hold it back anymore, and she busted out laughing. "Somebody got a dollar?" she asked the ladies behind her. Each one of them came up to the man, and laughed as they began to stick money in the tiny G-string he was wearing. After about a half an hour of dancing, the man's energy finally began to wane. Sara noticed it, and stood up. "I think we'll call it a night," she said picking up his clothes, handing them to him, and showing him to the door, "Thank you, kind sir, for your…entertainment. It was definitely a lot of fun." "You're welcome, sweetheart," he said winking at her. Sara shook her head as she shut the door and faced the women she loved so much. They all laughed at her, and she could only laugh with them. "That was absolutely atrocious," Sara said coming over to them. "What?!" Ruthie exclaimed, "That man was drop-dead gorgeous. Honey, if I wasn't married--." "Oh, yeah, I hear ya," Lisa said, her words slurred slightly from the alcohol she'd consumed, "Bam! Bam! Bam! Put it on him!" Sara laughed and began to pick up the trash. "Oh, don't worry about that, Sara," Lucy said, "Housekeeping will get it." Sara stopped and sighed. "I guess I'm just used to cleaning a hotel room before I leave it, or at least straightening it up," she said.

"Come on, we gotta get outta here. You're gettin' married tomorrow!" Lisa said heading towards the door. "Wait, we're staying here, remember, Lisa?" Amy said smiling, "Sara can't see Mark before tomorrow, and he can't see her." "Oh, yeah!" Lisa said stumbling back to the couch. "Someone's a little…inebriated," Sara said. Everyone laughed loudly, and Sara stretched her arms, yawning slightly. "Bedtime," Lucy said, "There's two bedrooms in this suite, and I think Sara needs one of 'em." "Yeah, definitely. We can crash out here, Lucy. You take the other one," Amy said. "Well, I've got to get back to Shane, so I won't be staying here," Marissa said. "Yeah, me, either. Dad is expecting me back to the house he rented by midnight," Stephanie said. "And I'm staying at Mark's place," Liz said. "Wait, how are you guys gonna get back? You're all too drunk to drive," Sara said. "That truck didn't hold as many people as you think it did, Sara. Stephanie and I came over in a limo. We can have the driver drop Liz off at your house, too," Marissa answered. "Oh," Sara said, "Well, okay." Liz, Stephanie, and Marissa each hugged her before leaving the room. "All of our stuff for tomorrow is in the back of the truck, Sara, and our sleeping stuff, too, so we'll be back in a little bit," Amy said. Sara nodded and headed towards the closest bedroom, Lucy following her. Lucy shut the door behind her as Sara sat down on the bed. "You feelin' okay?" she asked sitting down beside her daughter.

"I'm nervous, mom…excited and nervous. I don't know how I'm gonna sleep tonight," Sara answered. Lucy smiled and said, "I was the same the first time I got married…trust me, you'll fall asleep in no time." "I need a shower…a hot one," Sara said standing. "What time do you want me to wake you up?" Lucy asked. "Well, the wedding's at four in the afternoon…but Ruthie's doing my hair, and Trish is doing my make-up. And I have to get a pedicure, and a manicure," Sara answered stopping at the bathroom door, "Ten o' clock should give me plenty o' time for all that, and give you guys time to get ready." "Ten it is," Lucy said just as Sara shut the bathroom door. She left the bedroom, shutting the door behind her, and went into her own bedroom. Sara took her time in the shower, rubbing her hand over her growing belly. "You're a strong one," she whispered, "Just like your father." She smiled at the thought of Mark, knowing full well that the men had thrown him a bachelor's party. Kevin and Andy had come to ask her permission to give him one, and even Mark had asked her to okay it. "I trust you," she'd simply answered. She quickly washed her hair, and shaved her stray hairs. She stepped out of the tub grinning. _I'm gettin' married tomorrow…to my soulmate_, she thought happily, _And we're gonna have a family_. She climbed underneath the covers and, just as her mother had told her, fell asleep in almost no time.

A knock on the door brought Sara from her dream world. She'd been dreaming of Mark, of how he was going to look as she walked down the aisle. Sara actually had a surprise for him, for the wedding reception. She'd been practicing her act at her mother's house; she was going to sing Martina McBride's song, "There You Are." The moment she heard it, she knew that was her wedding song, and she wanted to sing it to Mark, in front of everyone there. The reception was going to be in the large conference room of the hotel she was staying in. "Sara?" Lucy asked opening the door slightly. "Yeah, I'm up," Sara answered, "What time is it?" "Ten o' clock on the dot," Lucy answered smiling. Sara sat up, keeping the covers over her naked body. "Is it really my wedding day, mom?" she asked quietly. Lucy came over to her, and sat down at her side. "It sure is, darlin'. And you deserve it," she answered touching her cheek, "You've come a hell of a long way, Sara, and this is your day." Sara smiled and sighed. "My day, huh?" she whispered. "Yep, now come on. Everyone's gone except Ruthie and Trish," Lucy said standing. "I'll be out in a few minutes," Sara said watching her mother leave. She quickly hopped out of bed, and slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, then went into the bathroom and washed her face and hands.

When she stepped into the living room, she saw make-up materials were spread out on a small table, as were hair materials. "Are we doing this now?" she asked Trish. "No, go get your nails done first," Trish asked, "Lucy's gonna drive you." Lucy grabbed the truck keys from the table, and Sara followed her out. Lucy drove her down to a nail shop in the middle of town, and Sara got her nails done. It took a couple of hours, because the woman was so busy. When she finally came back to the hotel, it was almost half past noon. Sara entered the room, and Trish and Ruthie were eating breakfast. "Don't eat too much, ladies. Save room for tonight," she said smiling. "Let me see your nails," Trish said setting her plate down. Sara held out her hands and grinned. They were simply done, French manicured with white tips. "Are your toes the same?" Trish asked. Sara nodded excitedly. "It was really cool to watch," she said. "Alright, I'm gonna do your make-up first, and then Ruthie's gonna do your hair," Trish said pointing to the chair in the middle of the living room, "Sit." Sara obeyed and closed her eyes as Trish went to work. A half an hour later, Trish stood and admired her work. She'd done Sara's make-up very simply, since Sara had a natural beauty. She gave her a light foundation, with a little rouge to color her cheeks. Her eyeshadow was the same color of her eyes, with a little silver outlining her top eyelids. She gave her light red lipstick to complete the look, layering it with lip gloss to give it shine. "Okay, I'm done. Ruthie, she's all yours," she said stepping back. Ruthie grabbed a brush, and ran it through Sara's hair several times, smoothing it over. Sara had let her hair grow back after she'd cut it, and it came down to the middle of her back. Ruthie put the top half of her hair in a high ponytail, then grabbed the biggest curlers and curled the loose hair. She then took several bobby pins and pinned the hair up into a very complex bun. With the lower half, she used straightening irons, and curled the very ends of it, framing it around Sara's face. She pulled a few stray hairs from the top half and curled them a little, to frame Sara's face even more. This whole process took nearly an hour.

"So…how does it look?" Sara asked. "Like somethin' out of a fairy tale," Lucy answered handing her a mirror. Sara's jaw dropped at the two women's work. She looked more beautiful than she ever had before. "Thank you guys so much…I can't say that enough," she said quietly. "Oh, it's not a problem. You gotta look beautiful for your special day," Ruthie said smiling. Sara stood and hugged both women at the same time. "You guys are the best," she said softly. They simply smiled and returned the hug. "What time is it?" Sara asked after releasing them. "Just past two," Lucy answered, "Your dress is hanging up in your room closet, so go get dressed, and then we'll head to the house." "But you guys have to get ready," Sara said. "We're gonna meet you there, Sara," Trish said. "How are you gonna get there?" Sara asked. "Will you stop worrying about the little details?" Lucy said grinning, "We've got this all worked out." "I'm gonna need some help getting in that dress," Sara said, "Mom?" "Sure thing, baby," Lucy answered following her into the bedroom. Sara slipped out of her clothes, and grabbed her small carry bag. It had her strapless bra, panties, stockings, and shoes in it, as well as other small necessities. She quickly slipped them on, as well as her garter belt. She knew Mark would enjoy removing that little piece of clothing. Lucy pulled the dress from the closet, and removed the protective cover. The dress was white, as Sara had wanted, and made with silk and lace. It was made just for her growing body, and fit in every place she wanted it to. It was strapless, and the bodice was fairly low-cut. It would support her breasts, pushing them up slightly. There were lace swirls all over the bodice, and trailed off as they went further down the dress. The bottom was bell-shaped, with a lace trim. Her mother helped her slip into it, zipping up the back of it and adjusting it so that it fit her properly. Sara stood in front of the full-length mirror in the corner and smiled. "I can't wait to see him, mom," she whispered. "And I know he feels the same about you," Lucy said. Sara faced her mother, and tears came to her eyes. "Don't you dare cry, you'll mess up Trish's work," Lucy said smiling. "Thank you, mom…for being here…for sticking with me through everything…for raising me into who I am today. I can't say that enough. You are my rock, mom…my second support beam. I love you so much," Sara said softly, "I couldn't have this day without you." Lucy smiled and hugged her. "I love you, too, Sara," she whispered in her ear. "Where's your dress?" Sara asked. "Didn't I tell you not to worry about the little details?" Lucy responded, "Everything is going to be perfect, Sara, okay?" Sara nodded and picked up the veil. The silk matched her dress, and it had lace swirls in it as well. "Is Mark at the--." Sara closed her mouth when she saw the look on her mother's face. "Okay, okay…I won't worry about the 'little details'," she said smiling. Lucy opened the bedroom door, and Sara walked out with her veil and shoes in hand. Ruthie and Trish were now gone, and Sara looked at her mom. Sara hunched her shoulders, and they left the room.

Lucy pulled up into the driveway of the house a half an hour later. There were a few limos, and a few cars, already parked. "Don't worry, Sara, everyone's in a room, or somewhere where they won't see you," she said smiling. Sara nodded and swallowed, her nerves still on end. She knew they wouldn't go away until the preacher said she and Mark were husband and wife. Lucy came around to her side, and opened the door, helping her down. Sara picked up the edge of her dress so it wouldn't drag, and entered the house. With so many cars outside, she'd thought the house would be packed, but it was almost dead quiet. She made her way upstairs, and heard voices coming from every room on either side of her. She quickly went down to her own room, while Lucy stayed downstairs. Sara sat in the middle of her bed, which she noticed had been slept in, and laid back. "My day," she whispered, "My day is today…and it is a good day." The door opened slightly, and Duchess and Slasher came trotting in. "Oh, not right now, guys. I can't play," Sara said sitting up. The two dogs sat at her feet, not even hopping on the bed. "Mark must've told you guys not to jump on me, huh?" she said standing. The dogs barked once, and Sara smiled, going over to the dresser. She twirled around, admiring her reflection in the mirror. She still couldn't believe how beautiful Trish and Ruthie had helped her to look.

After nearly an hour of silence, Sara began to pace the room. Her heart was pounding so hard, she could feel it in her throat. Her mind kept wandering to Mark, and she couldn't stop smiling. A knock on the door brought her away from her thoughts. "Come in," she answered. Lucy, Amy, Liz, and Linda stepped into the room. They were all absolutely gorgeous. Their dresses were all made of lavender-colored silk, with darker purple swirls at the hems. "Hi, ladies, what's up?" Sara asked. Lucy came over to her and handed her a thin necklace, with a heart-shaped locket on it. "Something old," Lucy said smiling, "It's got a picture of me from years ago, right before I gave birth to you." "Something new," Linda said placing a diamond bracelet on Sara's wrist, "I saw this in a jewelry store in Stamford, and knew it was all yours." "Something borrowed," Amy said placing a small silver ring on Sara's right pinkie finger, "It's Irish…like Mark, and I got it when we went to Ireland a few years ago." Sara looked down at the ring, and grinned. It was two hands holding a heart, and the heart had a Celtic twist in the middle. "Wear it with the tip of the heart facing you…it means your heart is taken," Amy said smiling. Sara chuckled softly and nodded, saying, "Yes, it is." "And something blue," Liz said placing blue sapphire earrings in Sara's ears, "I know it's your mom's birthstone, but I also know you like blue." Sara smiled and hugged each woman, thanking them for their gifts. "Is Mark here yet?" she asked. "Maybe…maybe not," Lucy said before they left the room, taking Slasher and Duchess with them, "Vince will be up to get you in a minute." Sara sighed and nodded, facing the mirror again. "Why does it have to be so quiet?" she asked the empty room.

"Gives you time to think," came Vince's voice from behind her. "About what?" she asked facing him. He was wearing a dark blue, custom-made tuxedo, as were all of the groomsmen. "How much you love the man you're about to marry," he answered grinning. Sara smiled and went over to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Vince," she said quietly. "For what?" he asked returning the hug. "For being my father when I didn't have one…for giving me away today…for all you've done for me," she answered. "Sara, you're a great woman, and you deserve all of this," he said quietly. "Everyone keeps tellin' me that," she said pulling away from him. "Well, it must be true, then," he said grinning, "You look beautiful, sweetheart." "Thanks, Vince," she said softly, "It's all Trish and Ruthie…I couldn't believe it myself until I saw it in the mirror." "Well, they did a great job. Are you ready?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and quickly slipped on her two-inch white heels, before nodding. Vince opened the door and let her out first, then shut the door behind him.

The wedding was being held just behind the pool, and Mark had had a walkway built over the pool, so that Sara wouldn't have to walk around. Lucy was being escorted by Mark's brother Anthony, since she was the maid of honor, and he was the best man. Liz was being escorted by Kevin. Lisa was being escorted by Andy. And Amy was being escorted by Glenn Jacobs. All were waiting for Sara in the kitchen, which was the closest entrance to the backyard. "Wow, look at the bride!" Andy said as she entered. Sara turned pink, and looked down at the floor. "Hi, guys," she said softly. "What's this? Sara all quiet and meek? Never thought I'd see the day," Andy said grinning. "Oh, shut up, Andy," she said grinning at him. "There ya go," he said smiling back at her. "Look, I just wanna thank each and every one of you. You guys are some of the greatest friends a girl could have, and I can't say that enough. I love each and every one of you, and…and I just wanted to say thank you for helping me to this day," Sara said slowly, her emotions threatening to overcome her. "Hey, no crying until after the "I do's!"" Trish said smiling. Sara chuckled softly and nodded, wiping away a tear that had escaped from her right eye. Sara heard music from outside, and said, "I think that's our cue." "Yep, everyone line up," Lucy said. She placed her hand in the crook of Anthony's arm, and everyone followed suit. The back door opened, and they began to walk out.

The "Here Comes the Bride" song began a couple minutes later, and Vince pulled the veil over Sara's face, then touched her shoulders. "Just remember to breath, okay?" he said grinning. Sara let out a deep breath and nodded. Vince placed her left hand in the crook of his arm, and they began to walk out. Sara counted about 12 chairs on either side of her, and saw the people who weren't directly involved in the wedding sitting there. Linda, Stephanie, Paul, Shane, Marissa, Roddy, Ruthie, her husband Rodney, and Trish were on the right side, while Adam, his wife Alana, John, Mark's and Sara's housekeeper Stacy, Ron, Nicole, Jodie, Lynn, Shawn, and Tracy sat on the left side. Vince walked her up to Mark, and took her left hand from his arm, placing it in Mark's right hand. "Thanks, Vince," he said quietly. Sara's jaw dropped at the sight of Mark. His hair was in a half ponytail, brushed smooth, and blowing softly in the wind. The tuxedo he was wearing was custom-made, hugging in all the right places. He wore a gold Rolex on his left wrist. He was the most gorgeous man on the planet in her eyes. Her eyes locked with his, and the ceremony began. The preacher began to read, and Mark mouthed, "I love you." Sara nodded slightly as tears came to her eyes. The ceremony passed by quickly, and before Sara knew it, it was time to say their vows. She and Mark had decided to write their own vows, instead of saying the traditional ones. Sara had started practicing her vows almost a full month before the wedding, and knew them like the back of her hand, so she went first.

"Mark…you are my life. You are the reason I exist, to be with you, to live my life for you. From the moment we met, I knew that you would be in my life forever. And I'm so glad we made it. You've brought me more happiness than I thought existed, and you've showed me the entire range of emotions that exist in this world. I look into your eyes, and know that you see what I hide from everyone else. You know my faults, and you accept them as who I am. You know that I'm not perfect, but you love me anyway. You've seen me at my highest, and you've stuck with me at my lowest. You know me inside and out, and I am so in love with you for it. Your love is the sun in my sky, and no cloud will ever shut you out. I pledge from this day forward to stand by your side, to defend you against _all_ foes, to take care of you when you're sad, and especially when you're happy. I pledge my life to you, Mark Callaway, from now through eternity," she said before slipping the wedding band on his ring finger. A tear slid down Mark's cheek, and Sara wiped it away. Mark took a deep breath and stared into her eyes.

"Sara…when I first laid eyes on you, I knew that we were going to be together, and here we are today. I love you so much, dollface…and I'll never, ever get tired of saying that. I'm so unworthy of you. You accept me, and you accept everything about me…wholly and unconditionally. Your love is like oxygen…I'd die without you. You are the most amazing, loving, supportive, energetic woman I've ever known, and I thank God every moment I can that he brought you into my life. You light up my life, dollface, like a lone candle in a dark room. You have saved me from so much darkness, and I love you for it. I pledge, from this moment on, to love you always, to help you, to take care of you, to spoil you silly, to use all of my energy making you happy… to be the husband you _deserve_, dollface," he said quietly, slipping the wedding ring on her finger. Sara's felt tears spill down her cheeks, and tried hard to stop them. They faced the preacher, their hands still gripping each other's. "I bid you remember these words, Mark and Sara, as you travel on the path of marriage. They come from the Bible, 1 Corinthians, 13:4-8: "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, or boastful, or proud, or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." And now, by the power vested in me by the state of Texas and our Mighty Father above, I happily pronounce you husband and wife," the preacher said, "Mr. Callaway, you may now kiss your bride." Mark faced Sara, and slowly eased the veil over her head. He took a deep breath as he finally saw just how beautiful she was. He leaned down and whispered, "I love you, dollface," before capturing her lips and pulling her up into his arms. Sara wrapped her arms around his neck, and deepened the kiss, not caring that they were putting on quite a spectacle. "Always and forever," she whispered when they finally broke apart.

Cheers surrounded them as they walked back down the aisle, their hands still clasped together. Once they got to the end of the aisle, Sara faced everyone and said, "Thank you, everyone, again…for helping make this day possible." She looked down at the bouquet of flowers in her hand. She'd forgotten about it until just that moment. "So who wants these?" she asked smiling. All the single women gathered in a small circle a few feet away from Sara, and she turned her back to the them. She hunched her shoulders before tossing the bouquet over her head. There was a bit of scrambling, and when Sara turned around, Lisa was standing with the flowers in hand, her cheeks crimson red. Sara smiled and winked at her. Mark brought up a chair and Sara sat down in it. His hands eased up under her dress, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Don't go too far," she whispered touching his cheek. Mark chuckled as his hand found her garter belt, and he slowly removed it. "Not right now…not in front of all these people," he said kissing her forehead. Sara felt the blush rising up her neck, and shook her head. "You're nuts," she whispered. "And you love me for it," he whispered back. "Damn right," Sara said pulling her dress back down and standing. "Gentlemen, who wants this?" Mark asked waving the thin fabric around. All seven of the single men stood in a small circle, and it was quite a sight to see them scramble for the fabric once Mark had tossed it. Sara smiled broadly when she saw Andy stand with the belt in hand. "Ironic how these things work out, huh?" Sara asked Mark softly as Andy went over to Lisa, and wrapped his arms around her. "The reception will be at the Conference Room in the Sheraton in town at 8:00," Mark announced, "We'll see you guys there." He then picked Sara up, and took her into the house, laughs following them. Once inside the kitchen, though, he set her down. "What was that for?" she asked. "Had to carry you over the threshold," he answered kissing her forehead. Sara smiled and followed him upstairs to their room.

Sara pulled her dress for the reception out of their closet, and admired it. It was a loose, navy blue silk dress, square-cut across the chest, and thin straps. The hem came down to just above her knees, which wasn't too bad for Sara. Mark helped her remove her wedding gown (she had to fight off his roaming hands as well), before pulling his own set off. Sara removed the bobby pins from her hair, as well as the rubber band, and shook her hair loose. "I thought I was being stuck to death when Ruthie was doin' my hair," she said to Mark. "Well, it looked gorgeous," he said softly. They then went into the bathroom, and took a nice, hot shower together, Mark's hands roaming over her body and resting on her belly. "My child," he whispered kissing her neck. Sara shook her head and squeezed his shoulders, then said, "_Our _child." Mark smiled and kissed her lips gently, pulling her as close to him as possible. "I love you, dollface," he whispered in her ear. Sara nodded and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered. "We should get out before the water gets cold," he whispered. Sara sighed and said, "I don't wanna leave…" "We've got all those people waiting for us at the hotel. We don't wanna disappoint 'em," he said rubbing her back. "Fine…but promise we'll be back before midnight," she said quietly. "I promise, dollface," he said quietly. Sara conceded and quickly washer her hair thoroughly, before stepping out of the shower. Mark had simply stood and watched her movements. She was so graceful, even when she was just washing her hair.

Sara blow-dried her hair as Mark finished his shower. Mark stepped out as she was putting curls in the ends. "You're not done yet?" he asked swatting her backside as he walked past. Sara laughed and finished her hair, before re-doing her make-up in softer tones than what she'd had for the wedding. After finally slipping into her reception dress, Sara stood in front of the mirror and admired her belly, as she'd become prone to do. Mark came up behind her about ten minutes later, and placed his hands on her shoulders. "See somethin' you like?" he asked in her ear. Sara took his hands and placed them on the sides of her belly. "We're gonna have a family now, Mark," she said softly, "A family…talk about miracles…" "Why is it such a miracle? I mean, we are talking about my Herculean sex drive," he said smiling. Sara laughed and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Come on, we've got a little time," he whispered kissing her neck. "Uh-uh, I just got into this dress, and I'm not takin' it off," she said moving away from him, "Now go change." Mark pouted, and looked at her with wide, sad eyes. "That only works with Duchess. Go change," Sara said smiling, and leaving the room. Mark chuckled softly as he did as he was told. He opened his bedroom door to find Sara still standing there. "You waited?" he asked. "Who else am I supposed to ride with?" she asked smiling up at him. Mark grinned and leaned down to kiss her. Her hands came up to his cheeks, and her thumbs moved softly over his skin. "I love you, Mark Luke Callaway," she said softly. "And I love you, Sara Marie Callaway," he whispered against her lips. Sara smiled broadly and softly said, "Mrs. Callaway, huh?" "Damn skippy," he said kissing her once again. Sara moaned softly, and her arms eased around his neck. "Thought you weren't comin' outta this dress?" he whispered. "Let's get to the hotel…before we do somethin' that makes us late," she whispered back. "Oh, yeah, like what?" he asked before setting her down on the floor. Sara could only smile as they left the now-empty house.

Mark pulled into the hotel parking lot at ten minutes 'til eight. Anthony was walking in with Nicole, Jodie, and Lynn. "Hey, Anthony," Mark called. Anthony stopped and faced him, a grin on his face. "What's up, lil' man," he said, "It's about time you got here. Everyone's already inside." "Well, good. We wanted to be last to arrive," Mark said hugging his brother. Sara smiled at their brotherly affection. Anthony looked nothing like Mark, except for his eyes, hair color, and height. He was only a couple inches shorter than Mark. "Hey, there, Sara," Anthony said hugging her as well. "Hi, Anthony," she said returning the hug. "How does it feel to be married?" he asked, "Especially to this giant jackass." Sara chuckled softly and hunched her shoulders. "He's my giant jackass now," she said smiling. "I guess I could take that as a compliment," Mark said linking his fingers with hers. "Yeah, maybe," she said smiling up at him. "I guess I'm gonna be doin' the honors of introducing you two, huh?" Anthony asked. "Only if you want to. We could always get Andy to do it, or Vince," Mark said. "Nope, I'll do it," Anthony said, "Come on, let's get this party started." Mark and Sara followed them inside. They waited outside of the conference room, and Anthony and his family went inside. Sara could hear the music playing, and her heart started pounding. She was going to be singing their wedding song in just moments. "You okay, dollface?" Mark asked looking down at her. She looked up at him and nodded. They heard Anthony's voice moments later.

"Everyone, if I could have your attention. This has been a long day for everyone, but it's a great day. Two people we all love and admire very much were joined for life, and I for one am honored to introduce to you this evening, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Callaway," Anthony said happily. The conference room door opened and Sara placed her hand in the crook of Mark's right arm. He smiled down at her, and they passed through the doors. Everyone was standing, clapping and cheering. Sara smiled at them all, and waved. She and Mark went to the center of the floor, and Anthony handed her the microphone. "Mark…you are my life. I've said it before, and I'll say it everyday from here until the end of time. I love you so much, and you have made my life so complete. So…as your wedding gift, I'm going to sing a very special song for you. It embodies everything that I feel about you, and just how much you mean to me," she said stepping away from him as the song began. Mark watched in awe as Sara gave the best performance of her life. Her voice was crystal clear, and hit every note perfectly. She was a natural singer, and Mark had never known that. When she finished, a tear fell down from his right eye and he pulled her into his arms, kissing her with all the love he felt for her. "I love you, too," he whispered as the actual song began. Sara put her hands on his shoulder, and they danced their first song together as husband and wife. Slowly, the floor filled with couples, but Sara and Mark were oblivious to all except each other. Sara couldn't tear her eyes away from his for the world; they were filled with so much love that tears came to her own. "What's wrong, dollface?" he whispered. "I'm so happy, Mark. I feel like screaming, I'm so happy," she answered. Mark grinned, leaned down to her ear, and whispered, "I know how to make you scream." Sara's jaw dropped, and she would've hit him if they weren't in front of about 20 other people. Another slow song came on, and Mark whispered, "This is my song to you, dollface." Sara smiled as she listened to the words of Savage Garden's "I Knew I Loved You". When the song ended, Sara had to force tears from her eyes. "That was a beautiful song, Mark," she whispered. "Just like you, dollface," he whispered kissing her softly. After dancing for a little while more, everyone sat down for dinner. The hotel catered the reception, and served medium well-done steak, green beans, steamed vegetables, and white and wheat rolls, along with a crystal white wine. As the reception carried on, each person went to the center of the dance floor and gave Mark and Sara a blessing, wishing them a long and happy marriage.

Around 11 o' clock, Sara started yawning. "Oh, is the bride tired?" Mark asked grinning. "Our child is," she said grinning. Mark smiled and kissed her forehead. "We'll head out in a few minutes, okay?" he said softly. Sara nodded and sipped on her glass of water. She wasn't touching alcohol for the rest of her pregnancy; she didn't want to risk her baby's long-term health for short-term pleasure. After another 15 minutes of talking to everyone, Mark and Sara finally took their leave. "Thank you guys for coming out tonight. We'll see most of you Monday," Mark said. "Oh no, you won't," Vince said, "Take the week off, guys. You two deserve it." Sara smiled and said, "Thanks, Vince." She and Mark then finally left the hotel, and Mark helped her into the truck. Sara kicked off her shoes as Mark climbed in beside her. A yawn made it's way from Sara's mouth, and Mark smiled. "We'll be home in a little while, dollface," he whispered. "Don't get a ticket, Mark. I'm not in that much of a rush," she said grinning. Mark chuckled softly and said, "That wasn't my fault." Mark had gotten a speeding ticket a couple weeks ago, rushing to get home to see her. "Who's fault was it then?" she asked as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Yours," he answered. "And how do you figure that?" she asked smiling at him. "If you weren't so perfect, I wouldn't have been in such a rush," he answered grinning. Sara could only shake her head.

They reached home a half an hour later, and Sara put her shoes back on. Mark came over to her side, and pulled her into his arms. "What are you doin'?" she asked softly. "Carrying you over the threshold," he answered, "Again." Sara smiled as he unlocked the door and carried her through. "Will you put me down now?" she asked as he kicked the door shut. "Nope," he answered carrying her upstairs and into their bedroom, kicking that door shut as well. He set her down in the middle of the bed, and smiled down at her. "The most beautiful woman God created," he whispered leaning down over her and kissing her softly. "Mark…," Sara whispered against her lips. "Uh-uh. Nobody's gonna be here for at least another half an hour," he whispered moving his hand up her dress. Sara started trembling, and Mark trailed kisses down her neck, sucking gently at her hollow spot. His fingertips barely grazed her stockings, and Sara's drifted shut. Her hands went to Mark's shirt, and she quickly unbuttoned it, her hands slipping inside and stroking his taut muscle. "Oh, dollface," he whispered moving back up her neck. He slowly laid on his back, bringing Sara onto his stomach. She leaned down and kissed him, her tongue seeking the deepest caverns of his mouth and succeeding. Mark unzipped the back of her dress, and slipped the straps over her shoulders. He eased her arms out of them, all the while kissing her. He eased the dress over her stomach, his hands resting there. Sara smiled against his lips, asking, "Why'd you stop?" "Because I'm in awe," he whispered looking at her stomach, "In complete awe…that our baby is there right now." "Yeah, and she's probably wondering why the hell mommy's so excited," Sara said sitting back and touching Mark's hands. They'd found out a few weeks ago that Sara was going to have a girl. Mark chuckled softly and caressed her skin with his thumbs. "She's gonna be a spittin' image of her mama," he whispered. "And how do you know?" Sara asked as she climbed off of his waist and went over to the dresser. "She sure as hell ain't gonna get her looks from me," he answered going into the closet. Sara smiled and pulled out a large t-shirt, eased her dress over her hips, and stepped out of it, then pulling the shirt over her head. She picked up the dress and laid it out on the back of the rocking chair near the window. She went into the bathroom and washed her make-up off, then brushed her teeth. Mark came in and used the bathroom as she brushed her teeth. "That's disgusting, Mark," she said turning her back to him. "When a man's gotta pee, he's gotta pee," he said smiling. Sara rinsed her mouth out and exited the bathroom, trying hard not to smile as well.

When Mark came out of the bathroom, the lights were off, and Sara was already in bed. He cut off the bathroom light before climbing into bed behind her. She was lying on her left side, as the doctor had instructed her, and her right hand was resting on her stomach. He placed his hand over hers, and kissed her ear softly. "I love you, dollface," he whispered. Sara nodded and whispered back, "Always and forever." Mark closed his eyes, and fell asleep with a grin on his face. That day had definitely been one of the happiest of his life. Sara felt Mark's breathing slow, and knew he was asleep. She slowly climbed out of bed, and went downstairs to the kitchen. She pulled out a small pint of mint ice cream and sat at the counter, scooping small amounts into her mouth. "What are you doin'?" came a voice from behind her. She looked over her shoulder and grinned. Kevin stood there with his arms crossed. "I'm splurging, Kevin," she said quietly, "I haven't had junk food in like three weeks…I had a craving for this." He grabbed a spoon from the utensil drawer and sat down beside her, scooping out a little from the box in her hand. "This is mine!" she whispered pulling the box closer to her. "How're you doin', baby girl?" he whispered. "Great, Kevin. I can't ever put into words how memorable this day was for me. I can't believe it's over already. I wanted it to last forever," she said grinning. "You looked amazing today…even at the reception, with your hair down, you were still gorgeous," he said quietly, sneaking another scoop of ice cream. "Well, thank you, Kevin. You looked pretty good yourself. I didn't know you could clean up so nicely," she said smiling at him. Kevin looked at her, and Sara suddenly felt uncomfortable. She put the top on the ice cream, and put it back in the freezer, tossing the spoon in the sink. "Goodnight, Kevin," she whispered touching his shoulder. "Sara…," Kevin said quietly. Sara stopped and swallowed before she faced him. "Yeah?" she asked. "Mark's a lucky man," he said quietly. Sara sighed and said goodnight once more before going back upstairs. She locked the bedroom door behind her, and quickly climbed into bed, burying her face in Mark's chest. "What's wrong, baby?" Mark asked softly. "Nothing," she whispered, "Sleep." Mark sighed heavily and pulled her a little closer, sleep overcoming him once again. Sara closed her eyes, recalling the look in Kevin's eyes downstairs. It had scared her, because she felt nothing for Kevin. Their relationship was based on friendship, and it was nothing more than that. But the way he'd looked at her…it just made her nervous. She took a deep breath before relaxing her body and succumbing to sleep.


	64. New Life, New Grudge

**Chapter 63…New Life, New Grudge**

On March 24, 2011, at 3:54 a.m., Sara gave birth to a beautiful, nine-pound little girl. The baby had Mark's gorgeous green eyes, and a crop of Sara's brown hair. "What do you want to name her?" the doctor asked as Sara and Mark looked down at their child. Tears streamed down Sara's sweaty cheeks, and she looked at Mark, who was on the verge of crying as well. "Melissa," she whispered, "Melissa Lucille Callaway…" "Perfect," Mark whispered stroking his child's soft cheek. The baby's mouth searched for Mark's finger, and once it was in her mouth, her small hands gripped it tightly. "She's gonna be a strong one," the doctor said smiling at the sight. "Yep, she sure is," Mark whispered. "Here," Sara said holding Melissa up to him. Tears of happiness spilled down Mark's cheeks as he held her for the first time. "Oh, my little girl," he whispered rocking her gently, "My beautiful little girl…I'm gonna spoil you silly, honey. Just like I do your mom….Doc, will you take a picture?" "Sure, no problem," the doctor answered. Mark handed him the camera, then looked back down at Melissa. "So beautiful," he whispered. "Look up, Mark," the doctor said. Mark held his child up slightly, and smiled broadly at the camera. The doctor quickly took a Polaroid picture, and when the little piece of film came out, he handed it to Sara. She flipped it back and forth until the picture developed. "That's a sight," she whispered. Mark looked at the picture, and nodded. "It sure is," he whispered.

Sara smiled at the sight of his child in his arms, and softly said, "She has your eyes, ya know…and your strength. She's gonna have your temper." "Like you don't have a temper," Mark said smiling at her. "Not all the time," she responded. "I'm going to take the baby to be cleaned up, and have Sara moved back to her room. I'll bring Melissa to you there, okay?" the doctor said. "You mean I have to give her up already?" Mark asked. "You'll get her back, Mark, don't worry," the doctor said. Sara and Mark watched the doctor walk away with their child before looking at each other. "My first daughter, born on my birthday…how cool is that," he said caressing her cheek. "Yeah. Big things happen on birthdays with us, I guess," she said smiling. Mark smiled and kissed her softly. "Sara?" the head nurse spoke. "Yeah?" Sara said looking around Mark. "We're gonna take you back to your room now, and clean you up," the woman said. "Can I come with?" Mark asked. "Of course, sir," the woman answered. Mark walked beside Sara down the hall, even though she was still lying in her hospital bed, his hand gripping hers. "I'm gonna go call Andy, okay, baby?" he whispered once they were inside her room. "Call my mom, too…and Vince…and Kevin," she said smiling. "I'll call everyone," he said laughing, "I'll let the whole world know that I'm the proud father of a beautiful baby girl!" Sara chuckled as he left the room.

Mark went out to the parking lot, a smile on his face. He immediately dialed Lucy's phone number. A tired voice answered. "Hey, Mark," Lucy whispered. "Lucy, Sara had the baby!" Mark exclaimed. "Really?! That's great, Mark! What'd you name her?" Lucy said waking up more fully. "Melissa Lucille," he answered smiling, "Sara wanted your full name in there somewhere." "Oh, that's nice of her. I'm honored," Lucy said. "Yeah, I'm so happy, Lucy. I'm a daddy!" he said happily. "Congratulations, Mark," Lucy said yawning slightly. "Alright, I just wanted to call and let you know. I'll make sure Sara calls you tomorrow, okay?" Mark said. "Yep. 'Night, Mark," Lucy said. Mark said the same before ending that call. He called his brother, Andy, Kevin, and Vince, just as Sara had asked him to. They all congratulated him, and he finally walked back into Sara's room nearly a half an hour later. She was now sitting up, resting against a few big pillows. Her hair was dry, and pulled back into a low ponytail He saw that she was exhausted, but her daughter was in her arms, her little mouth attached to Sara's left breast. They'd agreed near the end of Sara's pregnancy that she would breast-feed Melissa. "I thought you'd gotten lost," she whispered to Mark. "I had a lot of phone calls to make. Remember, I had to tell the world I'm a father," he said quietly, coming over to her. Sara smiled up at him, and he kissed her softly. "I love you, Mark," she whispered, "Thank you for giving me this baby." "I didn't do all the work, dollface. She's yours just as much as she's mine," he whispered back.

Sara yawned slightly, and he asked, "How long have you been feeding her?" "About ten minutes…she's hungry," she whispered. "Well, how 'bout you feed her for about ten more minutes, and then I'll take her so you can get some sleep," he said quietly. Sara nodded and looked back down at Melissa. "She's so beautiful…I didn't think she'd be so beautiful," she whispered. Mark grinned and kissed the side of her head. "With a mother like you, of course she'd be beautiful," he said softly. Sara smiled slightly as her eyes began to drift shut. "You sure you don't wanna stop now?" he asked. She shook her head in response. "She needs to feed…we want her to be strong and healthy, right?" she whispered. Mark smiled and caressed Melissa's cheek with his thumb. "A daughter…who'd have thought it?" he whispered, "A big lug like me helped create something so small…so beautiful." Sara looked at him, and saw the fresh tears in his eyes. She gently removed Melissa from her nipple, and handed her to Mark.

"There…your creation right in your arms," she whispered pulling her shirt up. Mark smiled and sat down in the chair beside Sara's bed. "You have to burp her," she whispered. Mark eased the small child onto his right shoulder, and began patting her back gently. A few minutes later, a loud burp erupted from her small mouth. "Oh, yeah, that's your daughter alright," Sara said smiling. Mark smiled as he brought Melissa down from his shoulder, cradling her tightly to his body. "Go to sleep, Angel," he whispered. "You talkin' to me or her?" Sara asked grinning. "Both of you," he said softly, his eyes resting on Melissa's soft features. Sara smiled and turned onto her right side, facing Mark. Her eyes drifted shut, and exhaustion finally won out as she fell asleep. Mark stayed up the rest of the night, rocking Melissa gently and cherishing the memory he was making.

Sara awoke six hours later to find Mark holding Melissa tightly, his eyes wandering over her small body. "Mark?" Sara whispered. He looked up at her, a grin on his face. "Good morning, beautiful," he said softly. Sara smiled and slowly sat up. "How is she?" she asked. "She slept for about four hours, but she's been awake for a while now. And she hasn't cried much at all," he answered. "Well, that's good," she said softly. "Yeah, I'm still in awe of her…she's so tiny," he said looking back down at Melissa and caressing her cheek with his thumb. "Let me feed her real quick, and I'll give her right back," Sara said quietly. Mark stood and placed the baby in Sara's arms, then sat back down and watched the feeding. Tears of happiness filled his eyes yet again. "You okay?" Sara asked seeing the tears. "Yeah…just happy beyond words, dollface," he whispered standing and kissing her forehead softly.

Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Mark looked over his shoulder and grinned. "What's up, lil' man?" he asked as Kevin walked in. Sara covered up as much as she could. Ever since her wedding night, Kevin had been acting strangely towards her. He'd make little comments with innuendos, or he'd touch her spontaneously in ways that were almost sexual. "As I recall, I'm about three inches taller than you," Kevin said entering the room. "Yeah, yeah," Mark said hugging him, "What are you doin' here anyway? It's kinda early." "Well, RAW is in Houston, remember? I just wanted to come see how the parents were doin'," Kevin answered releasing him. "Oh, we're great. Sara's feeding Melissa right now," Mark said. Kevin looked down at Sara, who was staring at the baby. "Hey, there, baby girl," he said to her. "Hi, Kevin," she said quietly, her eyes still focused on Melissa. "How're you feeling?" he asked. "Good…a little tired, but I'm okay," she answered. Kevin's eyes dropped to the baby, and he whispered, "She's beautiful…just like her mama." "Thanks, Kevin," she said quietly.

"Sara, I'm gonna go get us some food, okay? I'm starving," Mark said, "You want anything special?" Sara sighed heavily and looked up at him. "Pancakes…from McDonald's," she answered. She didn't want to be alone with Kevin, but she also didn't want to worry Mark, especially when he was so happy. "Alright, I'll be back as soon as I can," Mark said as he left the room. Kevin sat in the seat Mark had been in, and watched Sara. The silence between them finally began to unnerve Sara, and she asked, "So…how are you and Liz doin'?" "Oh, um, we broke it off about a month ago," he answered. "Why?" she questioned. "It just wasn't working out anymore…we had a connection when we were in the group, but…we just grew too distant after it was disbanded," he answered, "We didn't want to force something that wasn't there anymore, ya know." "Oh," she said quietly. "How's your break been?" he asked. Sara had been allowed to stay home for the last three months of her pregnancy, for which she was very grateful. She hadn't felt like moving around the house much during that time period, let alone traveling around the country. "It was great. I got to just sit at home and watch TV all day, or read a book, or whatever I wanted to do…it was nice," she said quietly, "I could get used to that." Kevin grinned and said, "I can imagine…did you watch the show while you were home?" "Yeah, sometimes…just to watch Mark wrestle, though," she answered, "I actually spent a lot of time catching up on sleep. I talked to Mark on the phone every day, though." "Yeah, I know. Mark seemed like he was always on the phone with you," he said quietly. Sara quickly removed Melissa from her breast, and covered up, then put the baby on her left shoulder to burp her.

"So how does it feel to be a mom?" he asked. "It's great…I never thought I'd be a mom. When I was in college, I was so focused on being a career woman that I never thought about having kids. Even when I was married to Roddy, it never came up," she said quietly, "But with Mark, it just seems so natural. He's gonna be a great dad, I just know it. I just have to make sure he doesn't spoil her too bad, ya know. I wasn't spoiled growing up, and I'm not gonna raise my child that way." "Well, that's a good thing. Spoiled kids aren't too much fun," he said grinning. About five minutes later, Melissa let out a loud, satisfying burp, and Sara chuckled softly. "Oh, yeah, that's Mark's kid alright," Kevin said chuckling. "Yeah, I said the same thing to him after I fed her the first time," Sara said easing Melissa down from her shoulder.

"Can I hold her?" he asked a couple minutes later. Sara took a deep breath before handing Melissa to him. "She has Mark's eyes," he said quietly, "I'll bet she has his temper, too." Sara grinned slightly and nodded. "Yeah…he seems to think she'll have my temper," she said. "Nah…you don't have a temper, not like Mark," he said grinning at her. "Depends on the situation. I did kick his ass a couple years ago, remember?" she said. "Yeah, but that was 'cause he let you," Kevin said looking up at Sara, "He knew you needed--." "I know the reason, Kevin," Sara said quietly, tenseness in her voice. "Look, Sara, I didn't mean to upset you," he said quietly. Sara looked away and took a few deep breaths. She didn't want Kevin to be there anymore. "Give me my baby, Kevin," she whispered. Kevin sighed heavily and slowly stood, placing the child in her arms. Sara swallowed and caressed Melissa's cheek. The baby yawned slightly, and Sara grinned, happiness filling her finally. "I'm gonna get outta here…I'll see you around, Sara," Kevin said quietly, touching her cheek softly. "Don't touch me, Kevin," she whispered pulling her face away. Kevin sighed again and left the room.

Ten minutes later, Mark walked in the room with two bags from McDonald's. "Where'd Kevin go?" he asked. "He left," Sara answered shortly. "Why? I got him somethin'," Mark asked. "He just did, okay?" Sara said quietly. Mark set the bags down and came over to her. "What happened?" he asked touching her cheek. Sara looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "What's wrong, dollface?" he asked quietly. "Kevin, he's…he's just been acting really weird around me, Mark. Ever since our wedding night…he just…he's startin' to creep me out," she answered quietly. "What happened on our wedding night?" Mark asked tensely. "He made a pass at me…it was really…it could've been taken as a compliment, but the look in his eyes…it just made me uncomfortable," she said softly, her eyes dropping to Melissa, "That's why I snuggled up so close to you that night…I wanted to feel safe again." "What'd he say?" he asked quietly, his anger beginning to rise, "Tell me what he said, Sara." "It really was nothing, Mark…," she said softly. He cupped her chin, tilting her head up until her eyes met his once more. "What did he say?" he asked slowly. "That I looked amazing…that even at the reception…with my hair down, I looked gorgeous," she whispered, "But it was the way he looked at me afterwards that scared me…I think he would've tried to-to kiss me if I hadn't left." She let out a slow, shaky breath as tears came to her eyes, "And…ever since then…he's made little innuendos, and he's touched me in ways…that he shouldn't." Mark released her chin and looked away. He was now even more possessive of Sara since they'd gotten married, but he now had that right. She was legally his wife, so he could be as protective of her as he wanted. "When did he leave?" he asked quietly. "Ten minutes before you walked in…he touched my cheek, but I pulled away," she whispered. "I'm gonna kill him…I'm gonna rip his head off," he growled, "Who the fuck does--." "Mark, please…let's not worry about this today," she whispered touching his hand, "Melissa needs your love, not your anger…she's gonna have enough of your temper. Let's not get her started early, okay?" Mark sighed as a grin came to his face, and he slowly took Melissa into his arms. Sara smiled and sighed as she felt his anger dissipate slowly.

"You certainly know how to make a man happy," he whispered to her. "I just try to make _you_ happy…you're the only man in my life," she whispered back. Mark looked down at her, then leaned over and kissed her lips softly. "I love you, dollface," he said softly. Sara nodded and kissed him a little more, her hand moving up to his neck and pulling him closer. "You're squishing the baby," he whispered right before Melissa let out quite a loud cry. "Oh, I'm sorry, honey," Mark said quietly, rocking her gently. Moments later, she had quieted down. "You're good," Sara said grinning. "I try," he said quietly, his eyes focused on Melissa's green pools, which resembled his so much, it was scary. He looked a little closer, and chuckled. "What?" Sara asked. "Her eyes have brown specks in them," he answered looking up her, "Brown like yours." "Really?" Sara asked smiling. Mark placed Melissa back in her arms, and Sara looked closely. "Oh, wow…she really does," she said chuckling as well, "That's amazing…" "Yeah, it is," he said softly, "How do you feel about goin' to the arena tomorrow night?" "When do I get out of the hospital?" she asked. "Tomorrow around one," he answered, "I asked the doctor on my way in." Sara smiled and asked, "When can we take Melissa home?" "Friday," he answered, "They just wanna make sure she's healthy enough." "The company's in town two straight days?" she asked. "Yeah…I forgot, you haven't been on the road for the past three months, so you're a little behind," he said grinning at her. "I'm not behind…I've just been relaxing," Sara said sticking her tongue out at him. Mark smiled and caressed her cheek gently. "I love you, dollface," he whispered. Sara grinned and nodded, saying, "Always and forever, right?" "You know it," he whispered.

The next morning, Sara got to leave the hospital, despite her wishes of wanting to stay for Melissa. Mark took her home, and they sat in the living room watching television. "What time do you have to be at the arena?" she asked. "Not for another two hours," he answered. "Two hours is a long time," she said softly, straddling his lap slowly. "The doctor said six weeks, dollface," he whispered as she kissed his neck softly. "Mmhmm," Sara said continuing to kiss his neck. Mark groaned softly and squeezed her waist. "You're not tired?" he asked. "Nope," she answered looking him in the eye, "But I am glad about three things…" "And what are those?" he asked grinning. "Well, first of all, I'm glad that pregnancy is over," she said kissing his nose, "My feet felt like they were bricks." Mark chuckled softly and asked, "And the second?" "I'm glad to be home," she whispered kissing his chin softly. "And the third?" he asked quietly. Sara locked her eyes with his, her hands resting on his shoulders. "I'm so glad to be married to you," she whispered. Mark smiled and leaned forward, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. "Ditto on that, dollface," he whispered when he pulled back to take a breath. "I'm gonna go take a shower," she said standing. "Alright. I'll probably go down to the gym," Mark said watching her leave. His thoughts drifted back to what she'd told him about Kevin.

_How the hell did I miss it? Now that I think about it…Kevin always was around Sara once we got married_, he thought, _I'm gonna have to have a word or three with him…_ He slowly stood and went upstairs to his room. He heard the shower running, and grinned. He quickly changed into a pair of sweatpants, and a t-shirt, before going back downstairs and into the gym. Sara came downstairs to find him swinging at the punching bag, hitting it with such force that Sara flinched each time his fists connected with the bag. "You okay, dollface?" Mark asked. "How'd you know I was here?" she asked. Mark grinned and pointed at the mirror, which showed her reflection. "Oh," she said quietly. Mark grabbed the bag with both hands, bringing it to a standstill, before facing her. "What is it?" he asked. "You're angry," she whispered. Mark let out a deep breath and asked, "How could you tell?" "You don't work out that hard unless you're angry…I was afraid you were gonna knock that bag down if you hit it one more time," she said quietly. "But you know I have a right to be angry," he said coming over to her. She nodded and looked at the floor. "I didn't tell you before because I knew…that your overprotective mode would kick into high gear, and with the pregnancy…I just wouldn't have been able to take that," she said softly. Mark came over to her and touched her cheek, her head leaning into his hand and rubbing against it. "I only would've been that way for a little while, until you bit into me," he said grinning. "Bit into you?" she whispered, continuing to rub her cheek against his hand. "You know…yelled at me for being that way," he answered quietly. Sara looked up at him and grinned. "I love you, though," she whispered. Mark leaned down and kissed her softly. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered. "I'm gonna go fix somethin' to eat, okay?" she asked turning to leave. "Dollface?" he asked quietly. She stopped and looked back at him. "Will you at least let me settle this with Kevin?" he asked. Sara glanced down before looking back up at him. "Sure," she said before leaving him to his workout.

Mark entered the kitchen nearly an hour and a half later, all cleaned up from his workout. Sara was sitting at the counter digging around a plate of salad. He sat down beside her and caressed her back. She looked up at him, and he saw the worry in her eyes. "Don't worry, dollface…I won't hit him," he whispered. She looked back down and said, "I wasn't thinking of that." "What were you thinkin' of, then?" he asked. "Melissa…I miss her," she whispered. "Well, if you wanna go to the hospital instead of the arena, that's fine," he said quietly. "No, it's okay. I know she's being taken care of. Besides…I haven't seen the guys in forever, it seems," she answered, "You ready to go?" "Are you sure, dollface?" he asked. She nodded, but continued to dig around in her plate. "We gotta get goin' to the arena. It's about an hour's drive," he said slowly standing. Sara took one more bite of her salad before covering it up with a piece of saran wrap, then sticking in the refrigerator and following Mark out.

Mark pulled into the parking lot 45 minutes later, and quickly parked the truck. Sara climbed out and grabbed his bag from the cab, then shut the cab door. She handed it to him, grinning as she did. "Come on, dollface," he said putting his arm around her shoulder. Sara put her arm around his waist, and walked into the arena with a smile on her face. "Where to first?" Mark asked looking down at her. "Vince's office is a good place to start," she answered, "Just to let him know I'm here." "Sounds good to me," he said before heading down the corridor. Sara saw Kevin coming, and squeezed Mark's waist. "Not now," she whispered. Mark sighed heavily and continued to walk. "Hey, guys. I was wondering when you were gonna show up," Kevin spoke. "Hi, Kevin," Sara said politely. "Can't stop right now, Kevin, we're headed to Vince. You mind if you and I talk after I finish?" Mark said. "Yeah, sure. I'll probably be in the gym," Kevin answered. "Alright, I'll be there in about 15," Mark said. Kevin nodded and continued to down the hall, while Sara stared up at Mark. "What?" he asked her. "Did you have to ask him while I was standing there?" she asked quietly. "Dollface, don't worry. Kevin and I are both mature adults…it's not like we're gonna get into a fight," he said kissing her forehead. Sara sighed and continued heading down the hall. "Knowing your temper," she said grinning. Mark chuckled softly and put his arm around her shoulder. "I'll keep it in check for ya, okay?" he said softly. "Yeah, you better," she said quietly, a grin still on her face.

Mark walked into the gym nearly a half an hour later. Vince had informed him that he would be starting a long-term, on- and off-again feud with Glenn Jacobs, who would be taking on the role of his younger, half-brother, Kane. Sara was excited, because this was such a great character for Glenn. He was a total sweetheart behind the scenes, but in the ring, he could be as much of a monster as Mark. She was also excited because up until the next pay-per-view, there would be creepy videos played signaling Kane's premiere. The story was that Kane had been thought dead after a fire had broke out in Undertaker's family funeral home. His face and body was covered in horrible scars, and he blamed Undertaker for the tragedy he'd suffered. For the first two months, Kane would simply interfere in Undertaker's matches, trying to get Undertaker to fight him. However, Undertaker wouldn't, due to a vow he'd made as a child to never fight his younger brother. Then, in the third month, Kane would save Undertaker from being beaten by nearly 20 other wrestlers, before attacking him and sending him away from wrestling for nearly a month and a half, until Undertaker then returned and finally agreed to fight him in a huge pay-per-view match. Even Sara had been excited, because it was the kind of storyline that could continue for years.

"Hey, Mark," Kevin spoke, bringing Mark back to the present. "Hey, Kevin. You think we could go down to my locker room?" Mark said, "This is kinda too public for me." "Yeah, sure. Is everything okay?" Kevin asked. "Yeah, everything's fine. I just need to sit and talk," Mark said as they quickly made their way to his locker room. Kevin entered first, and Mark shut the door behind him, leaning against it with his arms crossed, his head tilted slightly to the right. "What's up, man?" Kevin asked. "Sara told me something very disturbing yesterday morning, Kevin," Mark said tensely. "What's that?" Kevin asked. "Don't play stupid, Kevin. I've noticed it, I just thought nothing of it, 'cause I trusted you to never disrespect her," Mark said, "You've been making passes at Sara since the day we got married. Why…I don't know…you must have a death wish. 'Cause I'll tell you this, man. You even look at her wrong once from this moment on, and I'll make sure you regret it." "Look, man, I wasn't making passes at her. Sara's a friend of mine, that's all," Kevin said. Mark came over to him and grabbed his collar tightly. Kevin was taller than him, but Mark's anger overshadowed his height by leaps and bounds. "Like I said," Mark growled, his green eyes dark and sinister, "You even look at her in a way that makes her uncomfortable…and you will regret it. She's _my_ wife, understand? _Mine!_ And I will not let you make her feel uncomfortable, friend or not." "Alright, man, I get it," Kevin said quietly. Mark slowly let him go, and growled, "Get the fuck outta my sight, Kevin." Kevin quickly left the room, letting the door shut on its own. _That little bitch…always running to her man…I'll find a way to get her back_, he thought as he headed back down to the gym.

Sara walked into Mark's locker room a few hours later. She'd gotten in a good workout, then cleaned up and went down to catering. She ate lunch with Andy and Lisa, catching up with them since she hadn't seen them in a while. Mark was sitting on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees, staring ahead blankly. Sara saw the tenseness in his body, which filled the room, and overcame Sara. "Mark?" she whispered before swallowing. He took a deep breath before looking over at her. "Yeah?" he asked softly. She came over to him and kneeled down in front of him, resting back on her heels. Her eyes locked with his, and she saw the simmering anger. "You didn't hit him, did you?" she whispered. Mark closed his eyes, shaking his head. Sara let out a deep breath, and touched his hands. "What'd you say to him?" she asked. "I think he got the point that I wasn't cool with him making passes at my wife, friend or not," he said softly. Sara grinned and touched his cheek. "I love you, too," she whispered. Mark grinned slightly and leaned forward, capturing her lips with ease. Sara's arms moved around her neck, and he easily pulled her onto his lap. He rubbed his nose in her hair, squeezing her waist gently. Sara giggled softly as his mouth moved from her neck to her ear, nibbling gently on her lobe. "I love you, Sara…," he whispered pulling her even closer. She grinned slightly and looked at him. "How much?" she asked. Mark took a deep breath and looked away, and she could tell he was trying to think of yet another creative answer. "How much do you love me, Mark?" she asked again. "There are no words, dollface…you've changed me so much, for the better. I don't know where I'd be without you," he whispered looking back at her. Sara smiled and touched his cheek softly. "I love you, too," she whispered. Mark smiled and asked, "You liked that answer, huh?" "There's no answer that wouldn't make me smile," she responded leaning forward and kissing him slightly. Liz crossed Sara's mind suddenly, and she pulled back. "What's wrong?" Mark asked as she stood. "I'll be back in a little while," she said heading for the door. "What is--." "I'll be back, Mark," she said again before leaving the room. Mark sighed and sat back in the chair, then popped in the tape from his last match and watched the television screen attentively.

Sara found Liz outside of the recording room. She'd been moved from active participation in storylines to one of the backstage interviewers. Liz saw Sara coming, and waved. "Long time no see, chica. How was your break?" she asked. "It was great, Liz. Can I talk to you real quick?" Sara answered. "Well, I'm about to record an interview for tonight, but I'm free afterwards until the show starts," Liz said. "How long do you think you'll be?" Sara asked. "Maybe 20 minutes. Knowing Kevin, he'll probably screw up a few times," Liz answered. "Well, that's who I needed to talk to you about," Sara said quietly. "I'll try and get it wrapped up as soon as I can, okay?" Liz said, "He's in there right now practicing, but we've got to get this thing recorded pretty quickly." "Okay, that's fine…I'll be up in the balcony, okay? By the stage," Sara answered. Liz nodded before entering the room. Sara felt a strong urge to follow her, but decided against it. She quickly went to the balcony to collect her thoughts before Liz showed up. Sara had a strong feeling of why Kevin and she had broken up, but she wanted to hear it from Liz's mouth first. The thought angered her, and she tried to counter it with the knowledge of Kevin's personality. It didn't work; the thought festered, and Sara was extremely pissed off when Liz finally walked up.

"Sara?" Liz asked quietly. Sara took a deep breath and relaxed her body, then looked up at Liz with a grin on her face. "Hey, chica," she said quietly. "So, what's goin' on?" Liz asked sitting down and crossing her legs, "You seemed really upset earlier…as a matter of fact, you still do." "I have a question, Liz, and I need you to be totally honest about it," Sara said quietly. "Sure thing, babe. We've always been good friends, so why wouldn't I be honest?" Liz answered. "Did Kevin ever hit you?" Sara asked looking her straight in the eyes. Liz looked away, her eyes dropping to her lap. "Did he?" Sara asked again. "I never told anyone that, Sara…," Liz whispered. "So he did?" Sara asked a third time. "Yes…many times," Liz answered softly, "That's why I broke it off with him. I couldn't take it anymore. Vince was starting to notice…hell, he questioned me about the bruises when I couldn't hide 'em with make-up anymore." "Why didn't you tell me, Liz? You've been like a sister to me…I'd never want to see you in that situation. I stuck up for you against Shawn, and I would've done the same with Kevin," Sara said tensely. "I just didn't want to cause any trouble," Liz said, "Kevin's a nice guy, he really is…he just gets angry sometimes…it was nothing, really." "You're making excuses, Liz. No man has the right to put his hands on a woman, ever…that includes Kevin," Sara argued, "I had a lot of respect for Kevin, but it's been fading fast since I got married." "Why?" Liz asked. "He made passes at me, Liz, every chance he could. It was subtle, but he still did it," Sara answered, "He told me yesterday that you guys just grew distant, and that you both mutually decided to break it off…but I knew he was lying. And I wanted to make sure my gut wasn't lying to me. And you know somethin', Liz? My gut feelings are never wrong." Liz sighed heavily, her eyes still focused on her lap. "What are you going to do, Sara? It's been over between Kevin and I for over a month now, and I really don't want you to start any kind of vendetta against him," she said quietly. Sara grinned and touched her hand. "Liz…as long as you're no longer in that situation, I could care less about Kevin. Mark made sure he knows not to ever make a pass at me again, so I'm not worried about my own safety. I just wanted to talk to you about it," she said, "Besides…I'm not too good at holding grudges anyway…" Liz finally looked up at her, a small grin playing at her lips. "No, you're not. For such an intense woman, you're very sweet inside," she said quietly. "That's what love does to you," Sara said smiling, "That, and the fact that hating someone takes too much energy. And with the job we have, we need all the energy we can muster." Liz smiled slightly and nodded in agreement.

"So, how's the married life treating you?" she asked. "Gets better everyday. Hard to believe Mark and I have been married for four months already. Our relationship grows stronger every day. Marriage didn't really change anything for us, 'cause we were already closer than most married couples even before we tied the knot," Sara answered smiling, looking out into the arena, "We've been through so much together, ya know, that marriage just makes us that much closer. And we've got Melissa now, so we're just that much happier." "How is she? She didn't get Mark's looks, did she?" Liz asked chuckling. Sara laughed as well, shaking her head. "No, according to Mark, she got mine. She's got his eyes, though…they're just as gorgeous as his, but they have brown specks in them, like mine. I miss her already," Sara said grinning. "Well, of course you would. When do you get to take her home?" Liz said. "Friday…I can't wait. I think Mark has that day off, too, so we're just gonna relax at home with our new baby," Sara said smiling even more. "The birth was easy?" Liz asked. "Oh, God, no. I wanted to kill Mark. I kept screaming at him the whole time, 'Look what you did to me, you bastard! I'm gonna rip your balls off!' It was great," Sara answered chuckling softly, "But once I held that baby in my arms, Liz…life just doesn't get better than that one moment. To know that you've created a child with the man you love…no words will ever describe that one moment." "Kinda like that moment you realized you were finally married to your soulmate?" Liz asked grinning. Sara smiled even more and nodded slightly. "Yeah…kinda like that moment," she whispered.

"Speaking of your soulmate, where is he?" Liz asked. "I left him in the locker room, but that was a half an hour ago. Knowing him, he's probably scouring the building for me," Sara said grinning. "And you know me so well," came Mark's voice from behind her. Sara smiled and looked up at him as he came down the stairs. "When'd you start looking for me?" she asked. "About 15 minutes ago," he answered sitting down beside her. Sara looked at Liz and asked, "See? I disappear for more than ten minutes, and he comes searching." "You say it like it's a bad thing," Liz responded grinning at Mark. "Thank you, Liz. I search because I love," he said grinning down at Sara. "I thought we were friends, Liz," Sara said shaking her head. "Ya know I love ya, darlin'," Liz said touching her hand, "I'm gonna go grab somethin' to eat. You wanna come along?" "No, I ate already. I think I'm gonna sit here for a little while more," Sara answered. "Alright, I'll see ya later, okay?" Liz said standing. Sara waved before leaning against Mark's body. "What were you two talkin' about?" he asked. "Why she and Kevin broke up," Sara answered. She learned over the months that she didn't have to hide anything from him anymore, which had brought them that much closer. "Why?" Mark asked. "He was physically abusing her, Mark," she said softly. "Are you shittin' me?" Mark asked quietly. "Nope…I had a gut feeling about it this morning when Kevin came by the hospital, but I wasn't sure, so I asked Liz. Vince had started questioning her about the bruises, so she broke it off with him," Sara answered, "I can't believe I didn't see it…" "At least you know she's not still in that type of thing, dollface," he whispered kissing the side of her head. "Yeah, but still…Liz is too nice to be in that kind of relationship in the first place," she responded, "She deserves a nice guy, one who'll treat her like she deserves to be treated." "You gonna try and play matchmaker now?" Mark asked grinning slightly. Sara looked up at him, and a grin broke on her face as well. "Silly man," she whispered. "Only with you," he whispered before kissing her softly. "Do you have a match tonight?" she asked. "Yeah, against Brock. A rematch from Wrestlemania," he answered. "Shouldn't you go look for him, then? Talk the match out?" Sara asked. "Yeah, I should," he said stretching his arms. "Come on, let's go find him," Sara said standing. Mark slowly stood and stretched a little more before following her up the stairs.

They ran into Vince on their way to the general locker room. "Sara, I'm glad I caught up with you. I need to have a little chat with you real quick," he said. "Sure, Vince, no problem," she answered before looking up at Mark, "I'll catch up with you later, okay?" "Yep," Mark said as the two people walked away. Sara followed Vince down to his makeshift office, and entered first. "So, what's up, Vince?" she asked as she sat down on the green leather couch by the door. "How have you been, Sara? You were off for three whole months," Vince said sitting down beside her. "It was so great, Vince. Just being able to relax, not worrying about getting up to catch a flight, or drive for hours on end…I loved it," she answered, "And Melissa is as beautiful as I'd hoped she'd be." "Good. We were all praying she didn't get Mark's looks," Vince said chuckling. "Nope, but I think she'll have his temper," she said grinning. Vince laughed aloud and shook his head. "We'll have to keep an eye on her, then," he said grinning. "Yeah, I suppose so," Sara said.

"So, how's marriage working for ya?" he asked. "Better than I ever thought it would be. Mark and I…we have this connection…I can't describe it, Vince, I really can't. We're so close, marriage was just a step to make it official, ya know," she answered. "Oh, I definitely know where you're comin' from. Linda and I have been married for nearly 40 years, and I still love her as much as I did the first day I saw her, if not more," he commented with a grin. "With Melissa now…just makes me feel like smiling all day, ya know," Sara said, "I miss her already, and it's only been a few hours." "When do you get to bring her home?" Vince asked. "Friday morning. We've got her nursery all decked out already…light blue, light purple, red roses on the walls…Mark's gonna spoil her silly, I just know it," she answered grinning. "Nah, you won't let him spoil her too much," Vince said, "So, do you think you'll need any more time off, to get adjusted with the baby and everything?" "Do you have anything you need me to do, or to come back for?" Sara asked. "Well, Mark's next major storyline doesn't start for a few weeks, when Glenn comes back as Kane," Vince answered, "You think that'll be enough time off for you?" "I've been off for three months, Vince. Whenever you need me back, I can come," she answered. "How 'bout we bring you back tonight? The crowd sure misses Angel," Vince suggested. "Is it gonna be a big thing?" Sara asked. "Nah, maybe a run-in to help Mark win, but not a big production or anything," he answered. "Cool. It'll be good to be back. I had a helluva good time relaxing at home, but I did miss being here, and being involved with the show," she said grinning. "Do you realize how long you've been doin' this, Sara?" he asked grinning. "About seven years now, I believe," she answered. "Yep. And you're still as excited to go out there as the first day you started," Vince said, "It's good to see that, darlin', it really is." "Well, the day I don't have fun with it is the day I should retire, right?" she asked smiling. Vince nodded and touched her shoulder. "I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see you still here, striving to be the best, Sara. I told you this once a long time ago, and I still mean it: if I had four or five workers like you, I'd be in heaven," he said quietly. "Thanks, Vince…that really means a lot to me," Sara said quietly. "Go on, go find Mark and Brock," Vince said standing and opening the door, "It's good to see you back." Sara hugged him quickly and said, "Thanks for everything, Vince." Vince returned the hug, then let her leave and shut the door behind her.

The day seemed to inch by for Sara. She'd informed Mark and Brock of Vince's plan for her to come back that night, and they'd all agreed that she would merely attack Brock near the end of the match with a steel chair. After eating a small meal, Sara sat in Mark's room, her nerves on end. She wanted to be with Melissa, but also realized she couldn't leave the arena for an extended period of time. After the show was finally done recording, Sara practically pulled Mark out of the building. "What's the rush?" he asked playfully as she climbed into the truck. "I wanna see Melissa, that's the rush!" she answered smiling at him, "And I know you want to, too!" Mark smiled as he pulled out of the parking lot. They got to the hospital 15 minutes later, and Sara scrambled out of the truck. "If you don't slow down, you're gonna break somethin'," Mark said putting his hand in hers, yet allowing her to pull him inside.

A half an hour later, Sara was sitting in an empty room, Melissa attached to her left breast. "So you're goin' back on the road Friday, right?" Sara asked quietly. Mark sighed heavily and nodded. He wished he could stay at home with Sara for just a little while longer, but Vince had only given him three days off. "I don't have to be in Norfolk until Saturday, so I can stay at home for a few hours while Melissa's there," he answered. "It's okay. It's better than nothing, right?" she said grinning slightly. Mark leaned over and kissed her softly. "I love you," he whispered before looking down at Melissa, "Both of you." Sara smiled and looked down at her daughter. "So are we gonna spend the next three days here in the hospital?" she asked Mark. "No, we're gonna go get the house ready for our daughter," he answered. "Her nursery is pretty much done," Sara said. "Yeah, but not finished. We'll spend some time doin' that, and just fixing up the house all special for her," he answered, "She deserves it." Sara looked back up at him and grinned. "Spoiling her already, huh?" she asked. "You think you're gonna stop me?" he asked in return. Sara smiled fully and shook her head in response. A few minutes later, Melissa stopped suckling, and Sara covered her breast up. Mark reached for the baby, and Sara gladly handed her over. Mark eased her onto his shoulder and proceeded to burp her. Sara giggled softly, then bit her bottom lip.

"What?" Mark asked. "It's just a funny sight…she's so small, and you're so…so…," she said softly. "So what?" he asked. "Not small," Sara answered smiling. "Yeah, yeah," he said grinning at her, "Don't worry, she'll grow soon enough." "Yeah, I know," she said softly. Moments later, Melissa let out a loud, resounding burp, right in Mark's ear. Sara laughed softly and whispered, "She's her father's daughter." Mark handed Melissa back to her, and the child curled up against Sara's chest. "She's so beautiful, Mark," Sara whispered caressing the child's cheek gently, "I don't wanna let her go." "You'll be back to see her tomorrow, dollface. Look at her, she's falling asleep already," he said quietly. Sara grinned as Melissa yawned softly, then curled up even tighter. The two watched their daughter fall asleep, before taking her down to the head of the maternity ward. Sara had tears in her eyes as she handed Melissa to the doctor. "Don't worry, Mrs. Callaway, you know you can come visit her tomorrow as long as you want," the woman said to Sara. Sara nodded and let out a deep breath. "Come on, dollface. We need to get home and get some sleep," Mark said putting his arm around her shoulder. Sara sighed heavily and allowed Mark to lead her from the hospital. When Mark pulled into their driveway a half an hour later, Sara was fast asleep. Mark grinned slightly as he cut the car off, then climbed out of the truck, went over to Sara's side, and pulled her into his arms. Her arms went around his neck as he kicked the door shut. "We're home already?" she whispered. "Yeah, dollface," he answered, "Just think, the sooner we get to bed, the sooner we can get up, and the sooner we can go see Melissa." Sara smiled slightly and squeezed his neck. "I love you," she whispered. "Ditto, dollface," Mark whispered before entering the house and shutting the door behind him.


	65. A Big Decision

**Chapter 64…A Big Decision**

The months seemed to fly by for Sara and Mark. Having Melissa now took up what little energy they'd had from traveling. They'd actually sat down with Stacy one afternoon in mid-September after Melissa had been born to discuss hiring her as Melissa's long-term babysitter for when they were on the road. It was no problem, because Sara had recently switched to feeding Melissa canned milk, so she didn't have to carry Melissa with her all over the country. Soon enough, Melissa was turning three years old. She'd started talking when she turned nine months old, which shocked Mark and Sara to their cores, and started walking just a few months later. When Mark brought in the small birthday cake with a lone number three candle in the middle of it, Melissa laughed and clapped her hands, wiggling in Sara's lap. "Mine?" she asked looking up at Sara. Sara smiled and brushed her hand over Melissa's head. "Yeah, baby…yours," she answered. Melissa smiled and continued wiggling. Mark set the cake down on the living room table and Melissa wiggled out of her mother's lap. "Make a wish, darlin'," Mark said smiling at her. "A…wish?" Melissa asked slowly. "Yeah, a wish…somethin' you want real bad," he answered pinching her cheek gently. Melissa nodded and squeezed her eyes shut, then blew the candle's flame as hard as she could. "What'd you wish for, Melissa?" Sara asked. Melissa shook her head violently, causing her short brown hair to twirl around her face. "Mine!" she exclaimed simply, "My wish!" Sara looked at Mark, who was smiling. "You wanna open your presents now, darlin'?" Mark asked. Melissa nodded, and Sara set her down, then followed Mark into the dining room. A few large boxes sat on the dining room table. When they entered the living room, Sara's jaw dropped. Melissa's face and hands were covered in icing, and the cake had a huge chunk missing from the middle of it.

"Melissa Lucille Callaway!" Sara exclaimed coming over to her. Melissa simply grinned as she chewed the cake in her mouth. Sara moved the cake away and picked up a handful of napkins, wiping the icing away as best she could. "And just what do you have to say for yourself, young lady?" she asked. "Good cake," Melissa answered smiling, displaying her two front baby teeth. Sara couldn't help but laugh, as did Mark. "Come on, you little tyke," Mark said picking her up and carrying her into the kitchen. Sara shook her head as she attempted to clean up the mess her daughter had made. There was icing on the table, as well as crumbs on the floor. When Mark came back with Melissa, Sara was sitting on the couch, still wiping away icing. "Don't worry about it, Sara," Mark said as he set Melissa down. "I'm not," Sara said quietly as Melissa climbed into her lap, "You're a spoiled little thing, ya know?" Melissa smiled again and nodded. "Come on, time for your presents," Mark said setting a very small box on the table in front of them. It was wrapped in navy blue wrapping, and a small lacy ribbon finished the package. Melissa carefully pulled the ribbon off and set it to the side. She then gently removed the wrapping, and set it to the side as well. Sara opened the jewelry box for her, and Melissa's hands went to her mouth. "That's mine?!" she asked excitedly. "Sure is, darlin'," Mark answered removing the gold locket from its resting place. Inside was a picture of him and Sara. He clipped it around her neck, and cupped her face softly. "Now, when mommy and I leave, you'll know we're still here with you in spirit, and we're always thinkin' of you," he said before kissing her forehead. Melissa hugged his neck tightly and said, "Thanks, Daddy!" Mark smiled at Sara as he returned the hug.

Sara set the next box on the table. It was almost as wide as Melissa was tall. She ripped the paper off and a huge smile came to her face. A battery-operated Harley Davidson sat in front of her. Sara had realized quickly that Melissa was a tomboy once she'd turned one year old. She was always tumbling around the house, or chasing after Duchess and Slasher, and playing around the backyard. There were times when Melissa would come storming through the house, and Sara wouldn't recognize her because she was covered from head to toe in dirt. Mark had gotten her wrestling figures to play with instead of dolls, and Sara even tumbled around with Melissa from time to time. Stacy had told them time and time again that Melissa also had somewhat of a temper, throwing tantrums when she couldn't get her way. However, Sara and Mark were both stern parents, breaking Melissa's tantrum problem while she was young, and teaching her manners. "Can I play with it now? Can I play with it now? Can I play with it now?" Melissa asked. Sara gave her a look that Melissa understood immediately. "Yes, mama," Melissa said. "Later tonight, okay?" Sara conceded. Melissa nodded as Mark removed the toy from the table and set the final gift on the table. It was rectangular and as tall as Melissa. Melissa unwrapped it and smiled yet again. It was a small punching doll, with a blank square where the face should have been. "This way, instead of actually hitting people, you can take your anger out on this, darlin'," Mark said. He'd picked it up for her during one of their trips overseas in England. Sara had objected, thinking it would teach Melissa violence at a young age, but Mark had convinced her that it wasn't going to affect their daughter negatively. "You know her temper, dollface. This way, Stacy won't keep gettin' beat up," he'd told her with a grin.

"Come on, baby, let's go put your toys up," Sara said standing and picking up the motorcycle. Melissa grabbed the punching doll and followed her mother upstairs as Mark cleaned up the wrapping paper. Melissa's room was next to theirs, on the left side of the hallway, beside Andy's. He was still technically living with them, but was very rarely home. Their schedules had conflicted since Vince and the creative team had decided to make RAW and Smackdown two different brands. The only time they saw him was during pay-per-views. Also, he and Lisa had been dating for a while now, and Andy had mentioned proposing to her several times. Sara opened the door and allowed Melissa to enter first. Her floor was covered in various wrestling figures and memorabilia. There was a poster of Mark and Sara above her bed, as well as posters of Amy, Trish, Lisa, and Stephanie. Even though she was only three years old, it seemed Melissa loved the active women of the company, not just the pretty faces. A small desk with coloring books sat in the far corner, next to the bedroom window. There was a whiteboard easel in the other corner, with different colored markings covering it. "You've got to get this room cleaned up, Melissa," Sara said. "Yes, mama," Melissa answered. "I'm not joking, Melissa. I want it cleaned up. You don't get to play with your new toys until you clean it up," Sara said. "I know, mama," Melissa said, "I'll clean it up." Sara smiled as she sat down on the bed and watched her daughter move efficiently around the room, picking up toy figures and tossing them into the toy chest in front of her bed. She motioned for Sara to move from the bed, then straightened the covers as best she could. Next, she tossed her dirty clothes into the hamper beside her door, and placed her shoes along the wall beside the hamper. Once she was done, Sara simply smiled. She couldn't have asked for a better daughter. "Alright, I'll help you set up your punching doll--." Sara was cut off when Melissa said, "I can do it, mommy." Sara smiled and handed over the box. "If you need me, yell," she said before leaving the room and cracking the door. She called for Duchess and moments later, the dog came trotting up the stairs. "Watch Melissa for me, Duchess," Sara said letting her beloved animal into her daughter's room, before going downstairs with Mark.

Mark heard Sara enter his office, and looked up from his day planner. They had to fly out to Columbus, Ohio, the next morning, and they had yet to pack. "What do we have tomorrow?" Sara asked coming over to him. "An autograph session in Columbus at noon, and then you have a radio interview at five," he answered, "And then we have to fly to Hartford for a media day for Wrestlemania, and then Sunday is a houseshow in Greenwich, and Monday is RAW in Bridgeport, and then we get Wednesday off, but we have to fly to Philadelphia for 'Wrestlemania Week'." Sara sighed heavily and sat down in Mark's lap. "What is it, dollface?" he asked putting his arms around her and squeezing slightly. "I…I'm just tired, Mark…of all the traveling. I'm ready to stay home, and raise our daughter the way she deserves to be raised," she said softly, "My heart just isn't in it anymore. I mean, I've been doin' this for about 15 years now…I don't wanna do it anymore." Mark grinned slightly and rubbed his nose in her hair. "When does your contract run out?" he asked quietly. "Not for another eight months," she said quietly, "I know Vince is gonna want to renew my contract, but I just don't feel excited about this anymore." "And that's okay, Sara. It happens to everyone," he said quietly. "Yeah, but I know you still love it. And I don't wanna take you away from what you love," she said leaning her head against his shoulder. "Well, yeah, I do still love it. The traveling sucks, yeah, but I still get excited goin' out in front of the crowd. You don't feel any excitement doin' that?" he said quietly. "Well, yeah, I still do love that part. But I also love being home with Melissa," she answered. "How about we talk to Vince on Friday. He's gonna be way too busy Thursday during the media day," he suggested. "Yeah, that's fine. I should go start packing," she answered trying to move from his lap. Mark wouldn't release her, though, and his lips grazed the side of her neck ever so slightly.

"Mark…Melissa's upstairs," she whispered. "I just wanna kiss you a little," he whispered back. "I have to pack, though," she said quietly, "And we've gotta call Stacy so she can come over tonight, instead of tomorrow morning." Mark nodded in agreement, and yet kept trying to capture her lips with his own. "Fine," Sara conceded moments later, fastening her lips to his. Mark groaned softly and ran his hands up and down her back. "I love you so much," he whispered. "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered back. "Go on, go pack…before I have my way with you," he said grinning. Sara grinned and quickly got off of his lap, heading out of the room. She stopped at the doorway of the office and looked back at him. "Mark?" she said quietly. "Yeah, dollface?" he asked, his eyes on his day planner. Sara grinned slightly and simply said, "I love you," before leaving and going upstairs. She stopped by Melissa's room, and heard Melissa talking to herself, the tone of her voice conveying anger. She opened the door and chuckled. Melissa was apparently having a contest between her wrestling figures. Sara kneeled down beside her and asked, "Who's fighting?" "Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar," Melissa answered. "Why?" Sara asked, "I thought they were friends." "Randy made fun of Brock, so Brock asked him to fight," Melissa said as she hit both figures together. "Well, who's winning?" Sara asked. "Randy," Melissa answered smiling up at her. "Yeah, he is the cuter of the two," Sara said rubbing her daughter's head, "Stacy's comin' over tonight, since me and Dad are leaving early tomorrow morning." Melissa sighed and dropped her two toys, then went over to her bed. "What is it, baby?" Sara asked sitting beside her. "I want you to stay home…you and Dad are always gone," Melissa said. Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she quickly looked at the floor. "I like Stacy, mom, I do. She's nice…she gives me cookies and milk before bedtime, and that's nice. But…she's not you," Melissa said quietly. Sara let out a slow breath and nodded. That was the most mature statement Melissa had ever made. Any person on the street would never have guessed that she was only three years old.

"I got a suggestion, darlin'. How about you come with Daddy and me?" Sara said looking back up at her, "The guys are always asking me about you. And I'll even let you get in the ring this time." "Really?!" Melissa asked excitedly. Sara smiled and nodded. "You might wanna pack some clothes, though. We're gonna be gone for a whole week," she said, "Do you need any help?" Melissa shook her head and Sara stood. "Clean this up before you pack, okay?" she said. Melissa nodded as Sara left the room, Duchess close on her heels. Sara went back downstairs to Mark's office, and found him on the phone. "Yeah, Stacy, we need you to come over--." Sara waved her hands wildly in front of Mark's face to stop him.

"Melissa's coming with us," she whispered. "Hold on, Stacy," Mark said before putting his hand over the receiver, "And why is that?" "I can't leave her, Mark. I've done it for too long, and she pointed that out to me. She may only be three, but she understands that her parents aren't around when she wants or needs them," Sara answered. Mark sighed and nodded. "Okay, dollface," he said softly, "Stacy? Yeah, never mind about comin' over. Melissa's gonna be comin' with us. We won't need you until next Sunday….okay, thanks, Stacy…talk to ya later…Bye." He hung up the phone, then stared up at Sara, who was leaning against the desk. "You don't think this is spoiling her?" he asked. "Since when is allowing our daughter to be around us spoiling her?" she asked in return. Mark hunched his shoulders and said, "Okay, darlin', whatever you say. I wasn't trying to say I didn't want her with us. I miss her as much as you do when we're gone." Sara sighed heavily and came over to him, sitting on his lap. "This is what I mean, Mark. We're gone so much. Just think of how many memories we've lost with her," she whispered resting her head on his shoulder. "And just think of how many more we're going to make with her, dollface," he whispered kissing her forehead softly. Sara looked up at him, a grin on her face. His lips found their way to hers, and she moaned softly, her right hand going up to his cheek and stroking the smooth skin. Mark caressed her bottom lip with the tip of his tongue, urging her mouth to open. Sara sighed happily as she complied, feeling his tongue slip inside her mouth. Mark groaned and pulled her closer.

"Ahem." Sara gasped and pulled away from Mark, her head snapping towards the door. "Andy!" she yelled hopping off Mark's lap and running over to him, her arms spread. Andy laughed and caught her, squeezing her tightly. "Hey, baby doll," he said in her ear. "I've missed you! I never see you anymore," she said quietly. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that," he said quietly, "I miss you, too, though." Even though Andy rarely was home, he was always there when Sara needed him. Whenever she and Mark had fought, Andy was there to help her stay stable, to help her stay sane. "How's Lisa?" she asked quietly. "She's good…she's real good. She's in Hartford, waiting for me for the media day. I figured I'd come with you and Mark tomorrow, just to spend some time with you guys," he answered. "Melissa's coming, too," she said quietly. "Where is my god-daughter?" he asked grinning. "Upstairs in her room, conducting a match between Randy and Brock," Sara answered smiling. "Am I gonna get to talk to ya?" Mark asked from his desk. Andy looked over at Mark and smiled. Mark stood and came over to him. They hugged and Mark said, "It's been a while, man." "Yeah, it has," Andy said as they released each other, "How's things goin'?" "Great, real great. We're gettin' excited about Wrestlemania, ya know. Aren't you?" Mark answered. "Yeah, definitely. I've got a match for the Intercontinental title, so I've got a lot to look forward to," Andy said, "And I know Sara's excited, goin' for the Intercontinental title against little Carlos." Sara chuckled softly and hunched her shoulders. "I suppose so," she answered, "I'll let you guys catch up. I'm goin' upstairs to make sure Melissa doesn't pack her whole room up for this trip." She heard the guys' laughs follow her all the way up the stairs.

"So, man, how's Lisa?" Mark asked as he and Andy entered the living room and sat down. "She's doin' real good. She's enjoying playing a heel, ya know. Ever since the two brands split, she's had a helluva good time on RAW. Her and Trish have this long-term rivalry goin' on, and the fans are into it hardcore, ya know," Andy replied leaning back against the couch. "Can you believe it's been almost a year since the two shows split? It feels like forever, man," Mark commented. "Yeah, I know. It's weird not seein' you guys everyday," Andy answered. Little footsteps were heard on the steps, and Melissa came dashing into the living room. "Uncle Andy!" she yelled jumping into his lap. Andy smiled and hugged her tightly. "How old are ya now, Tasmanian?" he asked rubbing her head, "Ten? 15?" Melissa laughed and shook her head. "Three," she answered holding up her locket, "See what mommy and daddy got me?" "Oh, wow," Andy commented opening the locket and grinning, "That's great, Melissa. You gotta take good care of it, ya know." She nodded and climbed onto Mark's lap. "I get to go with them for a whole week, Uncle Andy!" she said smiling. "Really? Are you excited?" he asked. "Yes," she answered looking up at Mark, who grinned and kissed her forehead. "You gotta behave, though, Melissa. We can't keep running after you while we're at work," he said quietly. "Yes, Daddy," she said quietly.

Nearly an hour later, Sara sauntered into the living room, looking extremely exhausted. She plopped down in the Lay-Z-Boy beside Mark and closed her eyes. "You okay, dollface?" Mark asked. "Yeah. I had to undo the work that she did," she answered pointing to Melissa, "You'd think we were leaving for the next six months!" Mark and Andy laughed, and a grin came to Sara's face. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I had to pack our stuff, too. That's what took so long," she said as Melissa climbed into her lap. "You told me to pack, mama," she said innocently. "I didn't tell you to pack your whole room up, though," Sara countered kissing the side of her head. Melissa smiled and hunched her shoulders. "So how's things over on Smackdown, Andy?" Sara asked. "It's okay. With Lisa there, it's not so bad. I told Mark, it's weird not seeing you guys everyday," he answered, "But having a feud with Adam is fun. He's got some one-liners that make me wanna crack up in the middle of the ring." "Yeah, I'm sure. He's developed quite the sense of humor, from what I hear. Him _and_ Chris – practical jokers unlike any others," she said grinning. "Oh, yeah, definitely. You should've seen what he did to LeMonaco a couple weeks back," Andy said, chuckling at the memory, "He stole his pants, and stuck them in the ice cooler in the trainer's room. Marc found them about five minutes before he had to go out. I'll just say…that's a sight I never wanna see again!" Sara and Mark broke into laughter, shaking their heads.

"Shawn just signed a five-year contract, too. He's real excited about it," Andy said. "Well, that's great. He's come a long way in just three years," Sara said as Melissa curled up in her lap, her fingers gripping Sara's shirt. "True. He started over, and he went about everything the right way," Andy said. "Yeah…I've actually enjoyed watching him in the ring. He's really stepped up the quality of his matches since he came back," she said as Melissa yawned. "Maybe you oughta take her upstairs, dollface," Mark suggested. "It's early, Mark. If she goes to sleep now, she's gonna be up for the rest o' the night," Sara countered. "Well, we're flying out early tomorrow morning anyway, so she should sleep while she can," he said grinning. Sara stood with Melissa in her arms, and trudged upstairs. "Is she okay?" Andy asked. "Nah, man. She's not renewing her contract in November," Mark said quietly, "She told me this afternoon her heart just isn't it anymore." "Whoa! Was this all of a sudden?" Andy responded. "No, I think she's been feeling this way for a while…I think she's finally starting to accept it, though," Mark answered. "How do you feel about that?" Andy asked. Mark sighed heavily and looked down at the floor. "I've never contemplated it before. I met her through wrestling. We've been together for years, on the road and off. She's helped me get through a lotta hard times, man…especially being on the road together. It's gonna be weird not having her there, not having her there to motivate me to work out, or stretch properly, or practice in the ring. I love her so much, Andy...it never crossed my mind that she would stop wrestling before I did, or that our relationship would all of a sudden become long-distance," he answered slowly. "I don't know what to tell ya, man…," Andy said quietly. "I guess we'll just deal with it when it comes. I wanna make the most of these eight months, ya know," Mark responded.

Moments later, Mark and Andy heard things being moved somewhat roughly around in the kitchen. Mark stood and headed that way, Andy following behind him. Sara stood in front of the sink, rinsing off vegetables she was going to cook for dinner. "Dollface, are you okay?" Mark asked coming over to her. "Yeah," she said softly, wiping her cheeks dry and forcing away the tears that still filled her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked putting his arm around her waist. Sara shook her head and continued to focus on her task, sniffling slightly. "Melissa's asleep, so I figured I'd come and make dinner," she said quietly. Andy quietly left the kitchen, and headed upstairs to his room, leaving Mark and Sara alone. Mark noticed it first and rested his chin on her shoulder. "What is it, dollface?" he whispered in her ear. "Are we gonna make it, Mark?" she whispered as she cut the sink off. "Make it where?" he responded, "The plane leaves at six a.m., so if we leave here at four, we'll--." "I mean you and me, our relationship…," she whispered. "What makes you think that it won't?" he asked. "I heard you and Andy talking about me leaving the company…and you made it sound like these next eight months were our last," she said facing him. Mark's jaw dropped at the look of pure sadness in her eyes. "Sara, you have no idea how much I love you at this moment. You're my life…you're gonna be my life once you stop wrestling. Of course we're gonna make it, dollface," he whispered cupping her face gently. Sara looked away and sighed heavily. "Sara…don't worry, dollface…we're gonna be just fine," he whispered forcing her to look at him, "You're the center of my life, my wife, the mother of my child…nothing, and I mean _nothing_, is gonna come between us. Now or ever." Sara smiled and leaned up to kiss him. "You always know the right thing to say, huh?" she asked softly. Mark grinned and kissed the tip of her nose, "You know it. You might wanna finish dinner, though." "And why is that?" she asked. "I'm a hungry man," he answered before leaving her standing there. Sara chuckled softly and turned back to the sink, a smile stuck on her face.


	66. A Busy Day

**Chapter 65…A Big Day**

The alarm blared at three a.m., and Sara reached over Melissa's small body to cut it off. Melissa had climbed into bed with her a few hours earlier because she couldn't sleep. She heard Mark groan slightly from behind her and looked over at him. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Yeah, dollface. Just need a few minutes to work the kinks out," he answered. Sara sighed and watched as he limped into the bathroom. _How much longer can he take this? How much longer can he put his body through such torture?_ she thought as she rolled out of bed and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from the dresser. Mark came out ten minutes later towel-drying his hair. He walked past Sara and kissed her cheek. "I love you, dollface," he whispered. Sara grinned and headed into the bathroom to take her own shower. She quickly washed her hair, and got dressed. When she stepped back in the room, Mark was leaving with Melissa in his arms. "Should we eat before we leave?" she asked following him. "Yeah, might as well," he answered. "Pancakes," Melissa said quietly. Sara grinned and rubbed her head. "We don't have time, baby," she said softly. "Mama, please!" Melissa whined. "We'll get you pancakes at the hotel, darlin', I promise," Sara said. Melissa nodded and quickly fell back asleep. "Such a spoiled little thing," Mark said. "Yeah, it's your fault," Sara commented. Mark laid Melissa down on the couch as Sara went into the kitchen to fix a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast.

After breakfast, Mark and Sara quickly placed Melissa in her car-seat in Mark's truck, then headed for the airport. They checked their bags in, and boarded their plane. Melissa sat between them for takeoff, then Sara pulled her into her lap, and Melissa curled up against her. The plane landed a couple hours later, and Mark and Sara headed to the hotel to get a few more hours of sleep before they had to be at the local Wal-Mart for their autograph session. However, when they got upstairs to their room, Melissa immediately began to demand pancakes. Sara tried to convince her to go back to sleep, but it wasn't happening. . "You promised, mom!" Melissa exclaimed. "Sara, just get her the pancakes," Mark groaned as Melissa's cries echoed off the walls "You know what, Mark? You get her the fucking pancakes," Sara snapped before storming out of the room. She pulled her hair up into a bun, and left the hotel for a run. She ran for nearly an hour before finally deciding to go back to the hotel. When she entered the room, Mark was asleep with Melissa lying over his chest, his hand resting on her back. Sara sighed heavily and went into the bathroom to take a shower. She wasn't tired anymore, and they still had nearly three hours before their autograph session. As she showered, she heard the bathroom door open and close.

"Dollface?" Mark called. She took a deep breath and replied, "Yeah…" "Are you okay?" he asked quietly. "I don't know, Mark," she answered. She cut off the water and reached outside the curtain for a towel. When she didn't find one, she slid open the curtain to find Mark standing there with the towel in his hand. "I need that," she said quietly. "I don't know…you look okay to me," he replied grinning. Sara rolled her eyes and stepped out of the tub, grabbing the towel from him. "What's wrong, dollface? Talk to me," he said quietly. "Nothing. I'm fine," she said quietly, her eyes not meeting his. "The way you stormed outta here, I don't think you are," he responded. "Yeah, and you know everything," she said leaving the bathroom. She quickly dressed and climbed into the bed beside Melissa, placing her hand on her daughter's back. "I'm sorry, Melissa," she whispered as tears came to her eyes. Mark laid down on the other side of Sara and looked into her tear-filled eyes.

"Please talk to me, dollface," he whispered placing his hand over hers. "I didn't mean to yell at her…or you," she whispered back, "Am I a bad mother, Mark?" "Of course not, dollface. You're doin' the best you can," he answered linking his fingers with hers, "Melissa knows you love her, even if you get mad." "I wasn't mad, that's the thing. I just got irritated really fast. I wanted her to go to sleep, and she kept screaming for pancakes…," Sara said sniffling slightly. "I don't think that was your real problem, Sara," Mark said quietly. "I don't wanna be here, Mark…I want to be home with our daughter, watching her play with her toys…not watching her sleep in a hotel bed because her parents travel for a living," she said softly. Mark sighed heavily and caressed her cheek. "She understands what we do, dollface. Even if she doesn't like it, she understands it," he said. Sara sighed heavily and nodded. "I know," she whispered. "Let's sleep for a little longer, okay, dollface?" he asked. "Will you set the alarm?" she asked. "Sure, baby," he answered. Sara closed her eyes and moved her hand up to the back of Melissa's head. Mark pulled the covers over both of them, then sat behind Sara and caressed her head. "I love you, dollface," he whispered in her ear. Sara nodded before falling into a deep sleep. Mark cut on the television to relax before their hectic day started.

Sara awoke around 11:00. Mark was dressed in a pair of jeans, as well as a sleeveless jean vest. He was putting on his boots when she sat up. "Good morning…again," he said looking at her. Sara grinned slightly and came over to him, sitting on his lap. His arms went around her waist and he barely kissed her neck. "You're feeling better," he said matter-of-factly. She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "I just have a feeling the next eight months are gonna be a little easier to get through," she said softly. "Why is that?" he asked softly. Sara merely hunched her shoulders in response. "Just a feeling I have," she whispered kissing his cheek. Mark stared into her eyes and saw a sense of peace that he hadn't seen in a while. "You and your feelings," he whispered before kissing her deeply. Sara moaned softly and wrapped her arms around his neck. Mark eased his hands up her shirt, squeezing gently as he did. "Melissa," she whispered against his lips. "I'm not makin' any noise…," he whispered as he slipped his hand inside the front of her sweatpants. Sara gasped as she felt his fingers ease inside her. "Mark!" she gasped. Mark captured her lips once more, and moved his fingers inside her, stroking her womanhood slightly. Sara moaned inside his mouth, moving her hips against his fingers. Mark smiled against her lips as he felt her began to tremble. "Go ahead, darlin'…go ahead," he whispered as her arms tightened around his neck. Sara planted her mouth on his lower neck and bit down, squelching her screams. Mark groaned inwardly as he felt her explode around his fingers. After a few minutes, Sara's breathing returned to normal, and Mark removed his fingers, licking the substance away. Sara blushed slightly as he grinned evilly at her. "I can't believe you just did that," she whispered, "What if Melissa woke up while we…?" Mark chuckled and motioned for Sara to look over at the bed. Melissa was still sound asleep, gripping the sheets around her. Sara smiled and shook her head.

At that moment, Melissa began to stir. Sara quickly kissed Mark's cheek before going over to her. "Come on, darlin'. Time to get up," she said picking Melissa up into her arms. "Can I get pancakes now, mama?" Melissa asked softly, "I went to bed like Daddy asked me to…" Sara looked back at Mark, whose focus was on the television screen, then looked down at Melissa. "Sure, darlin'. Why don't I run you a bath, and while you take a bath, I'll order the pancakes, okay?" she answered. Melissa smiled and kissed the tip of her mother's chin. "I love you, mama," she said quietly. Sara smiled as they entered the bathroom, saying, "I love you, too." She quickly ran some bathwater, filling the tub up halfway, and shut the door behind her. "Mama, I want strawberries with my pancakes!" Melissa screamed from inside the bathroom. Mark looked at Sara, and she grinned at him. "You bribed her," she said to him. "Of course," he answered innocently. "She's spoiled as it is, Mark," Sara said picking up the phone and dialing room service. She quickly placed the order for Melissa's pancakes, then hung up and got ready for her day. She pulled on a pair of leather, low-rider pants and slipped out of her sweatpants. Mark whistled as she pulled the leather pants on. "Oh, hush you," Sara said smiling over her shoulder. "I can't help it," he said smiling at her. She removed her shirt, and pulled on the matching halter top to her pants. A few minutes later, Melissa walked out naked with her towel in her hand. Sara laughed and kneeled down in front of her. "Come on, let's get you dressed," she said wrapping the towel around her, "Mark, will you get her clothes for me?"

A half an hour later, Melissa was sitting on the bed with a cart in front of her. She put the last piece of pancake in her mouth, then set the fork down. "Done, darlin'?" Mark asked. Melissa nodded and gulped down the rest of her milk. "Okay, go wash your hands. When we get to the store, we're gonna be working, so we need you to stay with Jim, okay?" he said. Melissa nodded and climbed off the bed, bouncing into the bathroom where her mother was. "You full?" Sara asked as she applied the finishing touches on her make-up. Melissa nodded and washed her hands as her father had told her. Sara went back into the room and put all her things away. Mark groaned as he ran a brush through his tangled hair. "What's wrong?" Sara asked looking over at him. He held up the brush and tilted his head. Sara chuckled and sat down on the bed, motioning for Mark to sit in front of her. He quickly complied and handed over the brush. Sara easily untangled his hair, then put it in a low ponytail, braiding the loose hair. "Melissa, come on, baby girl! We gotta go soon!" Sara said as Mark stood up. "Coming, mama!" Melissa yelled from the bathroom. "Will you go get her?" Sara asked. Mark nodded and entered the bathroom, laughing at the sight. Melissa had Sara's lipstick in her hand, and was unsuccessfully trying to apply it. "What are you doin'?" he asked. "Trying to look pretty like mommy," she answered. Mark took the lipstick from her, grabbed a rag and quickly wet it. "You're beautiful without that, darlin'," he said quietly. He wiped the lipstick from her cheeks and lips, then ushered her into the room.

Downstairs, there was a limo waiting for them, with Jim holding the door open. "I didn't know Melissa was comin' along," he said as Melissa climbed into the back. "It was a last minute decision, Jim, I'm really sorry," Sara answered as Mark climbed in as well. "It's okay, not a big deal," Jim said. Sara quickly climbed in, followed by Jim. They arrived at the Wal-Mart 20 minutes later, and were directed to the back of the store. There was a line wrapping from the front of the building all the way to the middle of the huge parking lot. "This is gonna take a while," Sara said to Mark. "I don't think we're gonna be able to get 'em all, dollface…you've got that radio interview at five, remember?" he said quietly. "Well, we'll get as many of 'em as we can," she replied. "What do you want me to do while you're workin', mama?" Melissa asked. "You can color, or you can look at your books. Just be quiet for Jim, so he doesn't have to worry about you, okay?" Sara answered. "Yes, mama," Melissa answered politely. After meeting with the store manager, and three assistant managers, Mark and Sara were introduced to the crowd. Loud cheers filled the entire store as Mark walked out first, followed by Sara.

The first person in the line was a young lady, probably in her mid-20s, with long brown hair, deep blue eyes, and a smile that made Sara jealous. "My name is Shannon, and I'm a big fan of you guys. It's an honor to meet you," she said quietly. Sara shook her hand and grinned. "It's my pleasure, Shannon," she said, "What have you got for me?" "It's just a poster," Shannon answered. Sara grinned slightly as the girl put the poster on the table. It was from her 'Corporation' days. She was standing between Mark and Kevin, the Intercontinental belt around her waist, and Mark and Kevin had the Tag Team titles. "I remember that photo shoot," she said chuckling. "Which one?" Mark asked as Sara slid the poster over to him, "Ah, yes…the good ole' days." "Yeah, most of 'em," Sara said as the line continued to move. Around four o' clock, Jim came to Sara and whispered in her ear, "We've still got 200 people at least, Sara. We've got to stop the line at 4:15, because we've got to get you to the radio station." "How far away is it?" she asked. "About a half an hour," he answered. Sara sighed and nodded her head. When it came time to stop the line, Sara was quite upset. She wanted to please all the people there, but there just wasn't enough time. Sara and Mark were led away, much to the disdain of the rest of the crowd. Melissa ran up to her as she came through the office door.

"Hey, mama, guess what I did?" she asked. "What's that, darlin'?" Sara asked. Melissa wiggled out of her arms and picked up one of her books. She sat down on the floor, opened it up to the first page. Mark came up behind Sara as Melissa began to read. Sara gasped as tears came to her eyes, her hands going to her mouth. "Oh, my God," she whispered. "How 'bout that?" Mark whispered in her ear. Sara looked up at him with a huge smile on her face. "Our daughter is reading, Mark! She's reading!" she exclaimed throwing her arms around his neck. "Yeah, dollface, she's reading," he whispered. "She's three years old! And she's reading!" Sara said happily, looking back down at Melissa. "Are you proud, mama?" she asked. Sara kneeled down in front of her and touched her cheek. "You have no idea, darlin'…no idea how proud I am of you right now," she whispered, "Come on, we gotta go now, okay? You can read to Daddy and me in the limo." Melissa nodded and packed up her things, then put her hand in Sara's.

On the way to the radio station, Melissa read two of her books to her parents. When she finished, Sara's cheeks were stained with tears of joy. "Wow, darlin'…that's amazing," Mark said pulling her onto his lap. "I'm so proud of you, Melissa. Wait 'til all the guys see what you can do," Sara said smiling, "I'm gonna show you off to everybody!" "Oh, mama," Melissa said grinning. "Don't you 'oh, mama' me. If I want to brag about my daughter, I will!" Sara said happily. Melissa laughed, and Sara merely shook her head. "How long are you gonna be at the radio station, mama?" Melissa asked. "Maybe an hour, darlin'. Why?" Sara answered. "Can we go to dinner tonight?" Melissa asked. "Sure, Melissa. Where do you wanna go?" Sara said. "I don't know…just somewhere," Melissa answered. "Sound good to you, Mark?" Sara asked. "Whatever makes my ladies happy," he said smiling at her. Sara smiled back and mouthed, "I love you." "Ditto, dollface," he said softly.

After the radio station interview, the limo dropped them off at their hotel. Sara thanked Jim for watching Melissa at Wal-Mart again, then followed Mark and Melissa into the hotel. Once inside the room, Sara changed into a pair of loose jeans and a Harley-Davidson t-shirt. "Finally!" she said lying on the bed. "Finally what, dollface?" Mark asked laying down beside her. "I'm out of that get-up. I couldn't breathe," she said grinning. "You looked fine to me," he said putting his hand on her cheek. "Hopeless male," she whispered leaning forward slightly. Mark followed suit, and their lips met. "Mom! Dad! That's nasty!" Melissa exclaimed from the side of the bed. Sara laughed and touched her nose to Mark's. "She won't think the same when she's 13," she said only soft enough for Mark to hear. "I don't even wanna think about that," he said quietly. Sara smiled and faced Melissa. "Did you pick a restaurant yet, darlin'?" she asked. Melissa held up the yellow pages phone book and pointed to the middle of the page. "Here," she answered, "They have ribs!" Sara laughed and shook her head. "That's fine with me, baby girl," she said, "We'll leave in a few minutes, okay? I need to rest for a little bit." Melissa nodded and went over to the side Mark was on. "Can I read to you, Daddy? I wanna practice," she said softly, "I'll be quiet so mommy can sleep." Mark smiled and nodded. "Yeah, darlin', you can read to me," he whispered. He looked over his shoulder, and saw that Sara was very nearly asleep. _I really hope she can make it through the next eight months_, he thought before pulling the covers over her. She shifted slightly and asked, "Where are you going?" "Sleep, dollface. You need it," he whispered before kissing her cheek. Sara sighed and relaxed against the soft bed, her weary body succumbing to the world of dreams. Mark kissed her forehead, then looked over at Melissa. "You hungry?" he asked grinning. She nodded wildly and he picked her up into his arms. "Let's go eat. We'll bring mommy somethin' back, okay?" he suggest. "Okay, daddy," she answered. "And maybe you and I can have a father-daughter talk," he said as they left the room.

Mark and Melissa returned to the room a couple hours later, with a few bags in stow. He'd stopped at a few stores to buy shirts for himself, and then Melissa saw this store with little stuffed animals in the windows. And because he couldn't say no to his daughter, he ended up getting her a couple of teddy bears and a few more books. He bought Sara a necklace with a silver heart charm on it, and a little heart-shaped picture frame. "Melissa, you've got to take your bath and get to bed. We've got to be up real early tomorrow," Mark said setting the bags by the door. He noticed that Sara was still asleep. "And keep it down. Mommy's still tired," he said quietly. Melissa nodded and headed into the bathroom, Mark right behind her. The sound of running water pulled Sara from her sleep. She sat up in the bed and rubbed her eyes, then looked at the clock. It was nearing eight o' clock. She climbed out of the bed and went to the bathroom door. "You two went to eat without me?" she asked. Mark looked over his shoulder as Melissa finished undressing. "You looked really tired, dollface. I wanted you to rest up. I took Melissa with me, and we had a good ole' time. We even went to a few stores," he answered.

"Did you get me somethin'?" she asked grinning. "I don't know…maybe," he answered winking at her. Sara smiled as he turned his attention back to Melissa. "What time are we leaving tomorrow?" she asked. "The flight leaves at seven, so we have to be to the airport by six," he answered. Sara sighed and went back into the room. She spotted the bags by the door and dashed over to them. One was filled with t-shirts, and a couple of workout sets. The second held two teddy bears, a few children's books, and a dark blue velvet notebook with a matching pen attached to it. The third held a small, thin box, and a white glass, heart-shaped picture frame. "I'm guessin' this is mine," she whispered to herself. "And you would be right," came Mark's voice from behind her. He leaned down beside her and touched her cheek. "I thought you'd like the frame. Maybe put a picture of us in it, or just Melissa," he said softly. "I'll put you and Melissa in it…since you've both captured my hearts," she said grinning. Mark leaned forward and kissed her deeply. "I love you, too," he whispered. "Mama!" Melissa screamed from the bathroom. Sara dropped the items in her hand and dashed into the bathroom. Melissa was sitting in the bathtub, tears pouring down her cheeks. "What is it, darlin'?" she asked kneeling down. "I got soap in my eyes!" Melissa cried. "Oh, shit," Sara whispered, "Come on, baby. Stand up for mama." Sara grabbed a towel and quickly lifted Melissa into her arms, carrying her over to the sink. "Is she okay?" Mark asked from the doorway. "She'll be fine," Sara answered, "You hear that, Melissa? You're gonna be just fine, baby girl." She cut on the sink and turned Melissa onto her side, then proceeded to rinse the child's eyes out. After a few minutes, she cut the water off, and dried Melissa's face.

"Better?" she asked. Melissa nodded slightly, and Sara lifted her up, carrying her back into the room. "What time is it, Mark?" she asked. "8:15," he answered. Sara helped Melissa to dress for bed, then tucked her into the middle of the king-sized bed. "I'm gonna go out on the balcony, Mark. Will you watch her until she at least falls asleep?" she said softly. Mark nodded and came over to lie down beside Melissa. Sara kissed her daughter's cheek, and then her husband's cheek, before going out onto the balcony. The chilly night air hit her immediately, and she rubbed her arms together. It was the first week of March, but being in Ohio, temperatures were a lot colder than down in Texas. _So…eight more months to go…eight more months 'til I'm stuck at home for good, doin' nothin' but raising Melissa. Can you deal with that, Sara? Can you deal with being a housewife? I don't think you can…_, Sara thought. She sat down in the plastic chair on the balcony, and put her feet up on the banister. Her mind wandered to how she would deal with being at home. When she was pregnant, it wasn't too hard to deal with, because it was only a break for her. She lounged around the house, reading to her unborn daughter, eating whatever she could (but trying to eat as healthy as possible), sleeping…anything she wanted. But once she got close to giving birth, she was going stir-crazy. She took walks around the property for hours at a time, just to get out of the house. It was relaxing, but it got monotonous. She knew she'd need something to do at home that would make retirement easier to deal with.

"Dollface?" Mark walked out onto the balcony and stood beside Sara, who was staring at the night sky. "You okay?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "Just thinkin'…," she whispered. "About retiring?" he asked. She nodded again, then lowered her head. "I don't know that I can do it, Mark…that I can be a housewife," she said softly, "I love you to death, and I'd do anything for you…but that's just not who I am." "And I know that, darlin'. I never asked you to be my housewife. You're my equal, Sara, and I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that if you retired, and became a housewife, you'd somehow…become less than me, that you'd have to wait hand and foot for me. But you know that's not true. If you wanna find a job in town, then that's perfectly okay. If you wanna build a ring in the backyard so you can take bumps everyday, that's fine. If you wanna open up a training center for potential wrestlers…that's fine, too. You do whatever makes you happy, dollface. God only knows how I'm gonna feel when it comes time for me to hang up the boots for good," he said quietly. "That's the thing, Mark. I don't know what I wanna do when I retire. Sittin' around the house is gonna be fun…for the first month or so. After that, I don't know what I'm gonna do," she said softly. "Well, you know what?" he asked. Sara looked up at him, and he saw the worry in her eyes.

"You got eight more months to think about it, dollface," he whispered kissing her nose. Sara sighed heavily and looked away. "What if Vince takes me off of television before my contract runs out, and I end up at home with nothing to do for the last three months of my contract?" she asked. "You know he won't do that. You've got that Intercontinental title match next Sunday, at Wrestlemania no less. And who knows? Maybe you'll get a run for the U.S. title again," he said kneeling down beside her, "But you know what would be even better?" "What's that?" she asked. "The World title, dollface," he whispered. "You're crazy. Vince would never do that. He'd never put the World title on a woman," she argued. "Yeah, but you're not a regular woman. No one ever thought he'd put the Intercontinental title on a woman, and look at you: three-time Intercontinental champion. Most men can't say that, dollface! I don't think it's as impossible as you think," he said kissing her cheek. A grin came to Sara's face, but quickly disappeared. "You wouldn't…be jealous or anything? I mean…I don't wanna take the spotlight away from you, Mark. You deserve to be champion as much as anybody," she said quietly. "Sara, I'm a two-time World champion. Again…most guys can't say that. Just winning it once was a highlight for me. You need to remind the fans, and the boys in the back, just why you were the '9th Wonder of the World', dollface. I say…go for it," he whispered, "Get the idea into Vince's head. He may not be all for it from the get-go, but if you keep at it, and keep at it, you might just get that chance." Tears came to Sara's eyes and she looked away. "What is it, dollface?" he whispered forcing her to look at him. "You…you believe in me so much," she whispered, "It's just…overwhelming sometimes." "What kind of husband would I be if I didn't believe in you?" he whispered back. Sara smiled and kissed him softly. Her stomach growled slight and Mark grinned against her lips. "I take that as a sign," he said before going back in the room.

Sara watched him pick up the phone, and a few minutes later, hang it up and come back outside to her. "What was that about?" she asked. "I ordered dinner for you," he answered sitting down in the second chair. "And just what did you order?" she asked. "Not too much. It's gettin' late, after all," he answered grinning. Sara saw a hint of mischief in his eyes, and narrowed her own. "What'd you get?" she asked again. "Stop worrying, dollface," he said taking her hand in his. "It's a beautiful night…," she whispered, "I'm gonna miss nights like these." "It is a beautiful night, dollface," he whispered gently pulling her into his lap, "But not as beautiful as you." Sara smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, then lightly kissed his neck. "Oh, what's that?" he asked squeezing her waist. She continued planting soft kisses on the side of his neck, over his ear, across his cheeks, to the tip of his nose. "I love you," she whispered, "So very much…" "Yeah, I love you, too, dollface," he whispered, "What am I gonna do without you on the road with me?" Sara took a deep breath and hunched her shoulders. "We'll talk everyday…for at least two hours…about nothin' at all," she whispered back. "And I'll tell you how much I love you," he said brushing his lips across her cheek. "And just how much is that?" she asked grinning. "I love you like you love Melissa," he said simply. Sara smiled and said, "That's a cheap one." Mark's jaw dropped and she hugged his neck tightly. "If you love me that much, Mark, I don't know that I can equal that," she whispered, "Because I love our daughter too much to ever put into words." Mark smiled and whispered, "Yeah, thought so." "Speaking of our daughter--." "She's fast asleep," he said. "Not from what I see," Sara said climbing off his lap and entering the room.

Melissa was sitting in the middle of the bed watching television. "And just what are you doin'?" Sara asked, "You're supposed to be asleep, young lady." "I'm not tired, mama," Melissa said. "Well, lay down until you get tired," Sara said cutting off the television. Melissa's bottom lip trembled, and Sara narrowed her eyes. "Don't even think about it," she said sternly, "Lay down." "Bu--." "Now," Sara said cutting her off. Melissa huffed as she plopped down. "How about I lay with you?" Sara asked coming over to the bed. She quickly climbed into bed, and Melissa climbed onto her stomach. Sara grinned as she ran her hand up and down her back. "I love you, mama," Melissa whispered softly. Sara took a deep breath and whispered, "I love you, too, darlin'. Sleep." Melissa nodded slightly and put her right thumb in her mouth. "Ah, ah, don't suck your thumb," Sara whispered, "It's a bad habit." Melissa removed her thumb, and gripped Sara's shirt with both hands. A few minutes later, she was fast asleep. "And how do you manage to do that so easily?" Mark asked quietly. "Wish I could tell ya," Sara answered. A knock on the door came a few minutes later, and Mark quickly answered it. He thanked the bellhop, handed him a small tip, and then wheeled the cart in himself and shut the door.

"Is that my dinner?" Sara asked softly. "Yep," he answered. Sara carefully pulled Melissa from her stomach, and laid her down on the bed. "Come on, we'll go out on the balcony," he said softly. "You don't think we should stay in here? Keep an eye on Melissa?" she asked. "She'll be fine, dollface," he whispered already heading towards the balcony door. Sara looked down at her daughter, then leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I hope you're having sweet dreams, baby girl," she whispered before following Mark out onto the balcony. Mark lifted the cover off the plate and smiled. A small chicken salad sat in front of him, with a cold glass of iced water, as well as sliced celery and Ranch dipping sauce. "Is that for me?" Sara asked sitting on his lap. "If you want all of it. It is gettin' pretty late, after all," he answered. Sara dipped her finger in the ranch sauce, then inserted it into her mouth, slowly sucking the creaming mixture away. Mark's jaw dropped and he groaned softly. Sara smiled and removed her finger.

"I don't think I'm hungry for food after all," she whispered before leaning down and kissing him deeply. "Sara…we're on the balcony," he whispered trying to pull away from her. "Yeah, so? We're also on the top floor," she whispered standing and removing her sweatpants. "Are you serious?" he whispered watching her every move. She kneeled down in front of him and ran her hands up and down his torso, squeezing his chest muscles. "But our daughter--." "Is fast asleep," Sara said cutting him off, "Stop making excuses, mister. I'm gonna fuck your brains out, and you're not gonna stop me." She stood and scooted the cart to the side. Mark went to take his shirt off, but Sara stopped him. "Just sit there," she whispered. She walked behind him and grazed her fingers over the edge of his shirt, very slowly easing it over his head. She leaned down to his ear and whispered, "Do you want me, Mark?" "Oh, dollface, you have no idea," he whispered as she kissed up and down his neck. She went around to his lap and got down on her knees, unbuckling his pants. His manhood was straining against the denim material, and Sara grinned. "I think I have an idea," she whispered freeing him from his jeans. She gripped the base and squeezed gently. "Oh, my God," Mark said through clenched teeth. Sara ran the tip of her tongue up his length, swirling it around the flared head at the top. "You wanna be inside me, Mark?" she asked. "More than anything, dollface," he answered. Mark groaned as he felt her mouth encompass him, her tongue flattening against his hard surface.

"Jesus, Sara," he whispered bringing his hands to the sides of her head. Sara moved up and down as slowly as possible, prolonging Mark's release. When she felt him trembling against her, she stood and slipped out of her underwear. She straddled his lap, but didn't allow him to enter her. "What are you doin'?" he asked hoarsely. She rubbed herself against his hardness, moaning in his ear. "You don't like this?" she whispered as her hips grinded against his own. She moved her hand between their bodies and grabbed his hardness, caressing it gently as her lips found his own. Mark pulled her as close to him as he could, his tongue darting around her mouth, trying to taste everything about her at the same time. Her moans were soft as she continued to stroke him, the feel of him turning her on even more. Finally, Mark couldn't stand it. He grabbed her hips tightly and lifted her up slightly, then impaled himself inside her. Sara gasped and began to move up and down at her own pace. "Now, now, enough o' your torture," he whispered. His hands brought her hips down against him rapidly, and his face contorted in pleasure. He realized the chair was constricting them, and he slowly eased her down onto the balcony floor, removing her shirt at the same time. He looked down at her supple breasts and grinned evilly, and his face dropped down to her right breast. Sara moaned at the feel of his tongue on her nipple, and she arched up against his body. "Mark! Oh, Mark!" she gasped. Mark groaned as he felt her begin to tremble around him. "Hold on, baby…I'm almost there," he whispered kissing her ear, nibbling on her lobe. Sara ran her nails up over his back down to his rear end, squeezing the muscled flesh and pulling him against her. "Yeah…yeah…yeah!" she moaned with each thrust, "Oh, Mark…oh, Mark!" Mark gripped her left thigh, pulling it up towards his waist. His lips fastened onto hers, and his hips pumped furiously. Moments later, he growled into her mouth as they released simultaneously. He collapsed beside her, his face buried in her neck. Sara sighed happily and looked over at him; his eyes were closed and there was a lazy grin on his face. "You look like I feel," she whispered kissing his forehead. "Well, you must feel like you're in heaven right now," he whispered looking up at her. Sara chuckled softly and caressed his cheek. "I think it's time for a shower," she said standing. Mark followed her inside, and they quickly entered the bathroom and shut the door.


	67. Understanding

**Chapter 66…Understanding**

The next three days inched by for Sara. She was busy all day Friday, barely having time to grab a bite to eat. She didn't see Vince at the houseshows on either Saturday or Sunday. When she walked into the arena in Bridgeport around one p.m., her mind was in overdrive, but her body was exhausted. Mark walked her and Melissa down to their locker room. "I'm gonna grab a nap, Mark. Will you take Melissa to get some food?" she said once the door shut behind them. "Sure, dollface. Make sure you grab Vince before things get hectic around here, okay?" he answered. "Yep, sure thing," she said plopping down on the couch. Mark picked up Melissa and left the room, leaving Sara with peace and quiet for a while.

In the catering room, Mark sat down with Shawn and Paul. "Hey, what's goin' on, guys?" he asked setting a plate down in front of Melissa. "Not much, big man. How's our little 'Taker?" Paul answered looking over at Melissa. "Good, Mr. Paul. I read my first book this weekend," Melissa answered smiling broadly. "Wow, that's amazing, Melissa! What was the book?" Paul said. "One of my Dr. Seuss books. _One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish_," she said looking down. "Oh, not being modest now, are we?" Mark asked sitting down beside her, "You should've seen her Thursday. Wanting to read anything she could get her hands on." Paul and Shawn chuckled as they munched on their breakfast. "How's Sara doin'?" Shawn asked. "Good…she's been gettin' tired a lot lately. She told me she's gonna retire once her contract runs out in November," Mark answered. "Really? That's gotta be hard for her to deal with," Shawn said. "Yeah…but I think she's ready for it. She's stressing over what she's gonna do with all that time she's gonna have," Mark said grinning slightly. "Yeah, but I think she'll find somethin' to fill up that time," Paul said looking over at Melissa. "She's got a goal in her head that she wants to achieve before she retires, though, and I'm hopin' it'll happen for her," Mark said. "What's that?" Shawn asked. "She wants to be World champ," Mark answered simply. Paul dropped his fork, and Shawn's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?" they both asked at the same time. "Yeah. I put the idea in her head, but over the weekend, she's really thought about it," Mark said. "You think she can really do it?" Shawn asked. "Oh, without a doubt. Her body may not be able to hold out for much longer, though, which is why she wants to do it as soon as she can," Mark said.

Sara slept for about ten minutes before she climbed off of the couch and changed into workout clothes. She had a non-title match against the current U.S. champion, John Cena. She headed down to the arena gym, but quickly realized she had yet to talk to Vince. She headed to his office instead. When she arrived, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Come in!" yelled Vince from inside. Sara took another deep breath before entering the room. "Hey, Sara, come on in," Vince said standing, "I've been meaning to talk to you." "What's goin' on, Vince?" she asked. "It's about your contract. November is still eight months away, but I wanted to talk to you now. I really would like to renew it for a few more years. You've got a bigger fan following now than I think you ever have," he said as she sat down. Sara sighed heavily and looked down at her lap. "What is it, Sara?" he asked. "Uh, Vince…I'm not really sure if I want to have my contract renewed. I mean, I've been here for nearly 15 years…I don't think my heart's in it anymore, not like it used to be," she answered looking back up at him. Vince took a deep breath and nodded. "That's understandable. If you don't want to be involved in the show physically, you don't have to be. I could always have you just as a character--." "No, Vince…I'm retiring in November," she said quietly. "How long have you been thinking about this, Sara?" he asked. "Just this past week…when Melissa turned three," she answered, "I just…the traveling is wearing me out more and more. I'm taking naps whenever I can, I'm always tired, I can't play with my daughter when I want to because my body's exhausted…I'm just ready to stop all this."

Vince nodded and looked down at the script for the show that night. "But I don't want to be taken off TV two months before my contract ends, Vince. I want to work until the very end," Sara said quietly. Vince grinned and looked back up at her. "I think I'd have a riot on my hands if you stopped showin' up on our programs," he said. Sara smiled slightly and hunched her shoulders. "So, are you excited about Sunday? Getting the U.S title and all," he said. "Yeah, it'll be fun to wrestle with those guys for a while, especially Carlos," she answered. "But he's about a half a foot shorter than you," he said grinning. "We'll manage," she said smiling back, "I've been practicing some moves with him during our down time, and he's taught me a lot. We're gonna have a helluva match at Wrestlemania." "Good, good. I'm lookin' forward to it," he said. "Look, Vince. There's somethin' I've been meaning to talk to you about, too," Sara said slowly. "What's that?" he asked. "Like I said, I've been here ten years, and I've done everything there is, pretty much. I've broken a lot of barriers, thanks to you, and thanks to the guys I work with. And since I do plan on retiring in November, there's one more thing I feel I have to do beforehand," she said slowly, her palms getting sweaty. "What's that?" Vince asked. "I, uh…I…," she said quietly. Her nerves were kicking into overdrive, and she suddenly couldn't find her voice. "Sara…what is it?" Vince asked again. Sara looked up at him and took a deep breath.

"I want to be World champ, Vince," she said simply. Vince raised his eyebrows in shock. "Oh, really?" he asked. "Yeah…I think I could handle it, even if it was only for a couple weeks," she said, "I mean, I've hung with the men in this company for a long time. They know I can do it…and I hope you do, too." "I'll have to think about that one, Sara. You have done a lot for me, and you have brought a whole new fan base to the company. We get tons of letters to this day from people you've inspired. But me putting the World championship on a woman…it's unheard of, Sara," he answered. Sara's jaw tightened in anger, and she tried to take deep breaths. "I'm not trying to insult you at all, Sara, so don't take it like that. You're a different breed of woman. I don't think there'll ever be anyone like you as long as this company is here…but to put the World title on you, frankly, would be the hugest risk I've ever taken," he added. "And just why is that, Vince? Because I'm a woman? You don't think I can take the physical or mental pressure?" she questioned. "I'm sure you could, Sara. Like I said, you're a different breed of woman," he answered. "So why not do it?" she said, "It's a simple thing." "It's not as simple as you think, Sara. How do you think the locker room's gonna react if I make you World champion?" he argued. "I've earned the respect of every single person in that locker room, Vince, a hundred times over! I get in that ring when I have to, and I bust my ass every single time! I was never a manager, not like all those other fluff pieces you hired! I'm a wrestler, always have been and always will be!" Sara responded standing.

"Sara, you're overreacting," Vince said standing as well. "No, Vince, I'm not. Why is it such a big deal to make me World champion? You said it yourself, there'll never be anyone like me, and I wanna make sure o' that," she said crossing her arms. "Sara…I'm not saying no, and I'm not sayin' yes. I just need some time to think about it," he said quietly. Sara grinned slightly and asked, "You think it might work?" "Maybe. Then again, maybe not. How 'bout this? We'll make your last eight months here…a period of time that no one will forget," he answered honestly, "I've got a few big ideas that I was gonna do anyway. If you're willing to do them, I might actually talk with Shane and J.R., and see what comes from that." "Vince…I'll do anything if it means I can be World champion," she said smiling. Vince smiled and nodded his head. "Great, Sara. I'll sit down with the creative team, and see what we can do, okay?" he said. Sara nodded and headed to the door. "Thanks a lot, Vince," she said before leaving, shutting the door behind her. Vince sat back down and lowered his head. "A woman as World champ? What the hell am I thinking?" he asked himself.

Sara quickly headed to the gym to get a nice long workout in. She started on the treadmill, her mind wandering to what it would be like to be World champion. Other than Mark and Melissa, that had been the only thing on her mind for the past three days. Kevin was the current World champion, and who knows how long Vince was going to keep him as champion. _Jesus…having to wrestle Kevin…I'd get squashed_, Sara thought glumly, _I could hang with D.J., or even Paul or Shawn…not Kevin…_ She continued running for the next 45 minutes, before moving on to the weights. She worked her back and biceps for a half an hour before finally returning to Mark's locker room. Melissa was on the floor with a book in hand. Since she'd first started reading, Sara had yet to see her doing anything other than just that. "Hey, darlin'," Sara said kneeling down behind her. "Mama!" Melissa said looking up at her, "Daddy said he's gonna put you over his knee if you keep disappearing like this." "Oh, really? I'd like to see him try it," Sara said pinching Melissa's nose, "I'll be in the bathroom, okay? Don't go anywhere." "Yes, mama," Melissa said before turning her attention back to her book. Sara thoroughly showered, washing her hair a couple times, before stepping out and wrapping herself in a towel. She went back into the room, her hand coming to her throat when she saw who was with Melissa.

"Wow, Melissa, that's amazing. Are you sure you're only three? You're reading like a seven-year-old," Kevin said ruffling Melissa's hair. "What are you doing in here?" Sara asked crossing her arms. Ever since Mark had confronted him over three years ago about flirting with her, she'd never had the same friendship with him. He made her very uncomfortable, always looking like he was about to pounce on her. Kevin looked up and grinned. "You've got one smart daughter here, Sara. You oughta be very proud of her," he said standing. "I am proud of her. Melissa, get over here," Sara said heatedly. Melissa slowly stood and came over to her, standing behind her legs. "Get out of here right now," Sara said narrowing her eyes, "You have no reason to be in here." "Actually, I do," he said stepping towards her. Sara backed up into the wall, her eyes glued to his own hazel ones. "What's that reason?" she asked. "I need to talk to Mark. We're starting a storyline next month that's gonna be pretty big. Vince thought it up, and he wants me to talk to Mark about it," he said stopping in front of her. "Melissa, move," Sara said pushing her daughter to the side, "Go stand over there by the door." "But, mama--." "Do as I say, Melissa, now!" Sara said harshly. "You shouldn't talk to your daughter like that, ya know," Kevin said still grinning, "She might hold it against you when she gets older." "Don't tell me how to raise my daughter, Kevin," Sara snapped. Mark's voice came from right outside the door, and Kevin looked over his shoulder. Sara took that moment to slip into the bathroom and lock the door. She knew that if Mark saw Kevin and her in the room together with her only in a towel, his temper would go through the roof. She slowed her breathing and focused on Mark's voice inside the room.

"I swear, the moment she steps in this room, we're gonna have a good long talk!" he said, "Oh, hey, Kevin…hey, Melissa." "Hey, man, Vince wanted me to come talk to ya about our next storyline," Kevin said. "Oh, cool deal, man. What is it?" Mark said. Sara put her ear to the door, and listened closely. "Well, it involves Sara, and the World title," Kevin said. "Really?" Mark asked, "What about them?" "I don't know the exact details of it. That's all Vince told me. He wants us to talk to him about it, so we can start working out the details," Kevin answered. "Hmm…that's interesting," Mark said. "Yeah, no kidding. Don't worry about talkin' to him today, though, 'cause he's real busy, and I know you're busy gettin' ready for 'Mania and all. We'll go see him tomorrow at the Smackdown taping," Kevin said. "Yeah, sure, no problem," Mark said, "Melissa, stay here, darlin'. I'm goin' to hunt down your mama." Sara heard the locker room door open, and then shut rather harshly. She let out a deep breath and came back into the room. Melissa ran over to her and hugged her. "Daddy's mad at you," she said quietly, "And that other man scares me." "I'll never leave you with him again, okay? I just didn't want your Dad to see me in just a towel with that man. He's got a temper that can get out of control sometimes," Sara said slowly, brushing her hand over Melissa's face. "Does that man like you, mommy?" Melissa asked. "Yeah…but not like your dad does. Nobody can like me like your Daddy," Sara said grinning slightly, "Will you bring my bag in here so I can get dressed?" Melissa nodded and Sara opened the bathroom door to let her out. Moments later, Melissa was dragging the bag through the door. "Alright, go sit back on the couch and read your book. I'll be out in a few minutes," Sara said. Melissa nodded once again and left the bathroom, Sara shutting the door behind her.

A few minutes later indeed, Sara walked back into the room. Melissa was sitting on the couch with the first book she'd read in hand. "I guess that's your favorite book now, huh?" Sara asked setting her bag down by the couch. "I guess so," Melissa answered as her eyes darted over the familiar words. "We'll get you some more books when we go home again, okay?" Sara said sitting down beside her. "Sure, mom," Melissa answered. Moments later, Mark came bursting through the door. Sara jumped slightly and looked up at him. "Where have you been?!" he exclaimed. "I went to talk to Vince, Mark," she answered calmly. "For two hours, Sara?" he asked standing in front of her. Sara looked up at him, then slowly stood. "If you must know, I went to the gym after I talked to Vince. That took an hour and a half. Then I came back here and I took a shower," she said crossing her arms, "I was in the bathroom while you were in here talking to Kevin." "Why didn't you come out of the bathroom--." "Because I was in a fucking towel, and I didn't want Kevin to see me like that!" she snapped. Mark sighed heavily and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, dollface. I don't know what my deal is. I just…I've been having a bad feeling lately," he said in her ear. "Why, Mark? I'm not going anywhere," she said softly. Mark sighed again and pulled her closer. "I know…but you know me," he whispered kissing her ear. "So are you gonna put me over your knee now?" she asked grinning. Mark looked down at Melissa and shook his head. "You don't repeat everything you hear, munchkin," he said. Melissa smiled innocently up at him. "Well, mama said she'd like to see you try," she responded. "Melissa!" Sara gasped, "Don't repeat everything you hear!" Mark laughed heartily and sat down beside Melissa. "What ya reading now?" he asked. "The Bernstein Bears," Melissa answered, "I like the little brother, he's funny." Mark looked up at Sara, who simply smiled and sat down on the other side of Melissa.

"I talked to Vince," she said quietly. "What'd he say?" he asked. "Frankly that it'd be a mistake to put the World title on a woman," she answered rather heatedly. "But you're not just any woman, dollface, you know that," he argued. "Yeah, that's what I tried to tell him. He said he'd think about it," she said rubbing Melissa's hair, "But I don't think he'll put much time into it." "Sara, don't be so pessimistic. Stay on him about it. He'll give eventually," he said grinning. "Yeah, I hope so," Sara said quietly. "Are you gonna be World champ, mama?" Melissa asked looking up at her. "I'm keepin' my fingers crossed, darlin'," she answered. "That'd be so cool! Would you let me wear the belt?" Melissa said. "Sure, but I think it'd be a little big for ya," Sara answered kissing the side of her head. "Dad, you said I could get in the ring today," Melissa said looking up at Mark. "Yeah, I suppose I did…I have to go down there anyway. You wanna come with, Sara?" Mark answered. "Yeah, sure. I'll make sure she doesn't hurt herself," Sara said as they stood. "You know we have to be in Philadelphia on Thursday, right?" Mark asked as they headed down the hall. "Yeah. Do you just wanna fly straight there on Wednesday, and relax a little before the shit really hits the fan?" she answered. "You don't want to take Melissa home?" he asked. "I think she's old enough for Wrestlemania," she said, "She's missed her first two, but I think this weekend will be okay for her to handle." "Can you handle her being here? Our schedule is crazy this weekend, dollface. Stuff all day Friday, all day Saturday, we got that dinner Saturday night, and then the show on Sunday," he said. "Do you want her to be with us, Mark?" Sara asked. "Of course, dollface. That's not what I meant," he responded, "I'm just asking, that's all." "Well, yes, I do want her to be there. It's my last Wrestlemania, and I want to share it with her," she said looking down at Melissa. On their way to the ring, Sara ran into Carlos. She had a non-title preview match with him; they were going to give the fans a ten-minute taste of what was to come at the pay-per-view Sunday.

"What's up, lil' 'Taker?" Carlos asked kneeling down in front of Melissa. "Nothin', Mr. Carlos. I get to get in the ring today, though," she answered smiling. "Oh, no, you're startin' early! You think you can take me?" Carlos said grinning. "Maybe in a few years," Melissa answered. "Oh, wow, I'll watch out for ya!" he said rubbing her head, then standing, "I was just on my way to get you. You wanna chat while you're down there?" "Yeah, sure, Carlos," she answered." The small group made their way down the ramp, and Mark helped Melissa into the ring while Sara and Carlos sat at ringside. "So, you excited about this Sunday?" Carlos asked Sara. "Yeah, definitely. It's my last Wrestlemania," Sara said watching Mark roll around with Melissa in the ring. "Are you serious?" Carlos asked. "Yeah, Carlos. It's time for me to get outta this crazy business," Sara answered, "Time for me to start raising my daughter like she deserves." "Yeah, I understand. My wife's been gettin' on my case lately about never being home," Carlos commented.

"You've been here almost as long as I have, Carlos. Have you thought about retiring?" Sara said. "Oh, yeah, definitely. My body hurts more and more everyday. When I go home on our days off, I barely have energy to get outta bed, let alone play with my kids," he answered, "My contract has another two years left on it, though." "Did you tell your wife that?" she asked. "Yeah, but she doesn't understand that until that time, I still have an obligation to this company," he said with a sigh. "Don't worry, man. The next two years will fly by, and before you know it, you'll be kickin' back on your front porch watchin' your kids play in the front yard," Sara said smiling, "Are you bringing your family to the show Sunday?" "Yeah, they'll be up in one of the skyboxes with other VIPs," he answered, "You?" "Well, my mom's flying into Philadelphia on Saturday morning, but I think that's about it, other than Melissa," Sara answered. "Does your mom know it's your last Wrestlemania?" he asked. "No…I just talked to Vince today about retiring," she answered quietly, "I think I'm gonna wait until I actually see her to tell her, ya know." "Yeah, definitely. So, about this match tonight," Carlos said putting his feet up on the black guardrail, "What do you wanna do?" "I don't think it's what I want to do, it's more of how much do we want to give away to the fans, ya know," Sara said looking at Mark holding Melissa above his head in a military press-like fashion, "Mark, don't you drop her!"

"Stop being overprotective, darlin'. She's just fine," he said back to her. "Mommy!" Melissa screamed squirming in Mark's hands. Mark quickly brought her down to his chest, and laid down on the mat. "One, two, three!" he said hitting the mat. Melissa jumped up and ran around the ring, holding her hands up. "I win, I win!" she said smiling. Sara could only shake her head. "She's growing up fast, Sara. She's gonna be tall," Carlos commented, "Do you think she'll be in the business?" "Ya know, Carlos, I can't answer that. I don't want her to be, I don't want her to suffer like I have, like I see all my co-workers suffering…I want her to have a normal life…but if this is what she wants to do, then I'll support her every step of the way," Sara said standing and hopping over the banister, "Come on, let's work out this match." She slid in the ring and scooped Melissa up into her arms. "So you're a wrestler now, huh?" she asked. "Yep! I beat Daddy!" Melissa answered smiling. "Well, why don't you and daddy get outta the ring so Mr. Carlos and I can get to work?" Sara said setting her down. "Yes, ma'am," Mark said winking up at her from the mat, then rolling out of the ring and taking Melissa with him. Sara chuckled as she sat down and began to stretch out, she and Carlos throwing out ideas to each other for their match that night.

After finishing up her match-planning, Sara went up to the balcony. She wanted to clear her mind before the show, because she needed as much concentration for her match that night. There were a lot of different high-spots that Carlos wanted to incorporate into the match, just to keep the attention of the audience. Nearly two hours later, Sara finally felt comfortable with the layout of the match. She went down to catering to grab a quick lunch, but once she entered, her appetite seemed to escape her. Kevin was sitting at one of the far tables alone, and he had seen her come in. Sara took a few deep breaths and went over to the food table, trying to concentrate on picking something to eat for herself and Melissa. She heard a chair scrape, and knew that Kevin was coming over to her. Hands on her shoulders caused her to flinch, and her voice got caught in her throat. "Hi, Sara," Kevin whispered in her ear, "I've got a little surprise for you." Sara felt his crotch against her backside, and she gasped slightly. "Get off of me, Kevin," she whispered back. "Why would I do that? I'm having the time of my life," he whispered squeezing her shoulders. Sara pulled away from him and spun to face him. "Why are you torturing me, Kevin? I thought we were friends…we used to be friends," she said quietly, "How did we come to this?" "Honestly, Sara?" he asked crossing his arms, a look of pain passing through his eyes that Sara couldn't help but notice. "Yeah, Kevin, honestly," she said quietly. "I want what I know I can't have," he said before walking away. "Shit," Sara said softly, walking after him. She caught up to him near his locker room and grabbed his arm.

"Kevin, maybe we should talk about this," she said softly. "What's to talk about, baby girl?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and swallowed. He hadn't called her that since she gave birth to Melissa. "Maybe talking things out will help…," she said softly. "It won't, baby girl. You're just too cute," he said quietly, cupping her chin gently. Sara let out a deep breath as he leaned in close. "Kevin, please, don't," she whispered. "I can't help it," he whispered before kissing her softly, his lips barely touching hers. He didn't go for anything more; he just wanted to know how her skin felt against his. A few moments later, he released her. "There…," he whispered caressing her bottom lip, "That's all I ever wanted." Sara looked away and licked her lips to moisten them. She looked back up at Kevin and sighed. "That's all?" she asked quietly. "That's all. If you don't want me to speak to you ever again, I won't," he said looking down at the floor. "No, I don't want that," she whispered, "But maybe we shouldn't speak for a while…" "How long is a while? 'Cause I certainly do miss that friendship we had," Kevin said quietly. Sara couldn't help but grin. "Not too long, Kev…I promise," she said touching his arm, "I'll see ya around, okay?" Kevin nodded, then entered his locker room.

Sara slowly headed down the hall, her eyes glued to the ground. Suddenly, she bumped into what seemed like a brick wall. She looked up, and a wall of bare flesh stood in front of her. Her eyes traveled up and looked into the dark green pools of her husband. "Mark…," she whispered. "Don't…don't say a fuckin' word," he growled, "What if Melissa would've seen that, huh? Did you think about that?!" Sara gasped and took a step back. Mark grabbed her arm and began to pull her down the hall towards his locker room. "Mark, you're hurting my arm!" she said trying to pull away. "Yeah, well, you just stomped all over my heart, so I think you're due for a little pain," he growled back. Sara's heartbeat went through the roof at those words. "What are you gonna do to me?" she gasped as he threw her into the locker room. Mark came in and slammed the door. "Melissa, get in that bathroom, and don't you come out until I say so!" Mark said loudly. Melissa jumped up and ran into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Sara backed up as Mark stalked her, stopping when her back hit the wall. Her bottom lip trembled, and tears came to her eyes. Mark had never hit her, but at that moment, he looked like he was going to do more than that. She closed her eyes and waited for the blow to come.

"Oh, dollface…," Mark whispered leaning his forehead down to hers. Sara flinched, and she tried to take deep breaths. "Did he initiate?" he asked softly. "Yes," she whispered back. Mark let out a slow breath as his anger continued to rise. He was disappointed in Sara for not pulling away, but he was more pissed at Kevin for even kissing her in the first place. "Are you gonna hit me, Mark?" Sara asked quietly, her voice shaking. "No," he answered caressing her cheek. "Are you gonna hit him?" she asked. "Without a doubt," he answered. "When?" she asked. "I don't know…the next time I see him, probably," he whispered kissing her forehead softly. "It didn't mean anything--." Mark put his finger on her lips, quieting her. His hand moved down to her throat, and Sara started trembling. "Calm down, Sara, I'm not gonna hurt you," he said running his thumb up and down the front of her neck, "Do you love me?" "You know I do," she answered quietly. "Then why, Sara? Why'd you let him kiss you?" he asked painfully, "Do you know how hard that was to see?" "I don't know, Mark…I just wanted him to leave me alone…I didn't know he was gonna kiss me. I went to talk to him, to see why he was torturing me, and he just kissed me," she answered, her voice still shaking. "You could've pulled away, dollface," he whispered, "You could've walked away before he even got close enough for that….and you didn't." Sara sighed heavily and let her head drop. He was absolutely right, and she knew it. "I'm so sorry, Mark," she whispered as tears cascaded over her cheeks, "I'm so very sorry." Mark released her and stepped back, his jaw tight and his eyes still dark. "Get the fuck outta my sight, Sara," he growled. Sara moved towards the bathroom door, but Mark put his arm on the side of her head. "You can't stop me from seeing my daughter," she whispered. "Says who?" he growled, "Get the fuck outta here." Sara wiped away her tears and left the room, the door shutting quietly behind her.

Mark plopped down on the couch and dropped his head into his hands. "Daddy?" Melissa asked softly through the crack she'd left in the bathroom door. "Come on out, munchkin," he said quietly. Melissa swallowed before coming out of the bathroom slowly. "Where's mom?" she asked softly. Mark took a deep breath and looked up at her. "I don't know where she went," he answered, "I told her to leave…but I don't know where she went." "Why'd you tell her to leave?" she asked slowly coming over to him. "Because she hurt me, darlin'…and I wanted her to leave before I hurt her. 'Cause you know I'd never hurt mommy, right?" he said as she stood in front of him. Melissa nodded slowly and Mark forced a grin, rubbing the top of her head. "You're just like her," he whispered, "You hungry?" Melissa nodded again and said, "Mommy was going to get me something to eat." Mark sighed and stood, picking her up and squeezing her to him. "We'll go get you some food," he said leaving the room.

Sara immediately headed up to the balcony. She needed to talk to Andy, but her cell phone was in her bag in Mark's locker room. "What have I done?" she whispered to herself. She plopped down in the farthest seat up, and lowered her head in shame. She tried to stop the tears that were in her eyes, but she couldn't. She sat there for crying for nearly a half an hour, before she saw Melissa running up the stairs towards her. She quickly wiped her cheeks dry, and opened her arms to her daughter. "Mama!" she exclaimed tightening her arms around Sara's neck. Sara squeezed her tightly, and buried her face in her neck. "Where's your dad?" she whispered. "He's coming," Melissa answered. Sara looked up and saw Mark making his way up the stairs towards them. "Is he still mad?" Sara asked softly. Melissa shook her head and said quietly, "We went and got dinner." "Good…that's good," Sara whispered. Mark sat down beside her slowly, and put his arm around her shoulder. Sara looked up at him, tears still in her eyes. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, saying, "No more tears, okay?" She let out a slow breath, and nodded. "No more," she whispered. He kissed her forehead gently, and rubbed the back of her head. "Carlos wanted to know if you wanted to go over the match once more before the show starts, since it's gonna be a complicated match," he said quietly. "When did you see him?" she asked. "Down in catering. Melissa and I sat with him," he answered. "What time is it?" she asked. "7:30…they're about to open the doors, so I thought I'd come up and get you," he said quietly. Sara sighed and looked down at Melissa, who was nearly asleep in her arms. "Yeah, let's get outta here. We'll cause a riot if the fans catch us up here," she said standing. She went to leave, but Mark put his hand on her shoulder and turned her towards him.

"I talked to Kevin," he said quietly. Sara swallowed and asked, "What'd you say?" "Well, I knocked him on his ass, for one," he said quietly, "But we sat down and had a good talk about you, and about your boundaries, and about my boundaries for you. He apologized for kissing you, but I don't know if he meant it. At least he apologized, though." "Are you ever gonna trust me again?" she asked softly. "You didn't break my trust, Sara…I know you didn't kiss him, so it doesn't matter. And Kevin understands where I'm coming from as your husband, so he's not gonna bother you anymore," he answered caressing her cheek. Sara grinned slightly as he leaned down to kiss her. "Mom, Dad!" Melissa said laughing. "Alright, alright. Let's get outta here," Mark said as Sara headed down the stairs. Sara smiled all the way back to the locker room, realizing that she had avoided what could've been a huge disaster.

That night, Sara had an excellent match. Carlos was a great person to wrestle, because he always kept his opponents on their toes. The fans even gave them a standing ovation. Afterwards, Sara made her way back to Mark's locker room to clean up. A few feet away from the locker room door, a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned around and gasped. "Jesus Christ, Kevin," she whispered. Kevin's left eye was swollen terribly, and was black and blue, and his bottom lip was cut. "Don't worry about it, he had every right," Kevin said, "I just wanted to apologize for kissing you. I was way outta line with that. I'm sorry for disrespecting you like that." "Have you put ice on that?" she asked reaching up to touch the bruise. "Yeah. It'll be alright, I've had a lot worse," he said quietly, wincing slightly as she caressed it. "Oh, my God, I'm so sorry, Kevin," she said softly. "Nah, it's not a big deal. Like I said, I deserved it," he said quietly, "I just wanted to tell you that you had a good match tonight. If that's how fast you're gonna be movin' at Wrestlemania, the fans are in for a real treat." Sara grinned and looked down at the floor. "Always modest, huh?" he said patting her shoulder. "Yeah," she answered, "Look, I gotta clean up. We're flying to the next town tonight." "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then," Kevin said before turning away. "Kevin…just keep ice on it, okay?" Sara said quietly. "Sure thing, baby girl," he said walking away. Sara wiped the sweat from her face and entered the locker room. Melissa was sitting in front of the television monitor, watching the current match.

"Back up from the TV, Melissa. You'll go blind if you sit that close," Sara said shutting the door behind her. Melissa scooted back a few feet and looked up at her. "When did daddy leave?" Sara asked. "A few minutes ago," Melissa answered as Sara sat down beside her and began to stretch out. "Once he comes back and cleans up, we're heading straight to the airport, okay? You can sleep on the plane," she said. "Okay, mom. Are we going home on Wednesday?" Melissa said. "Do you wanna go home? 'Cause Daddy and I have to work the whole week. We won't be going home until next Wednesday," Sara said. Melissa looked back up at the TV for a few moments, then back at Sara, shaking her head. "I wanna stay with you and Daddy," she answered. "Okay, that's perfectly fine with me. And Daddy won't mind, either," Sara said as the door opened. "What won't Daddy mind?" Mark asked with a grin. "Melissa wants to travel with us until next Wednesday," Sara answered looking up at him. Mark looked down at Melissa and smiled. "Great. Does this mean I have to buy you more books?" he asked. Melissa smiled and nodded. Sara chuckled and pinched her cheeks gently. "My little academic," she said softly. "I'm headed to the pit, Sara. My match is up next. I'll be done in about 15 minutes, okay?" Mark said heading for the door. "Mark?" Sara said softly. He faced her, and she whispered, "Have I told you I love you today?" He came over to her and kneeled down, his lips dropping down on hers. "Mom, Dad!" Melissa said. For once, they ignored her. Sara's hand went up to the back of his neck, and pulled him closer. "I gotta go, dollface. I love you, too," he whispered before leaving the room.

Sara took a quick shower, and dressed in her usual sweatpants and t-shirt. She stretched out on the couch as Melissa watched Mark wrestle. "Mommy, does Daddy get hurt?" she asked. "Sometimes, darlin'. But he knows what he's doin'," Sara answered quietly. "Does he hurt the guy he fights?" Melissa asked. "Sometimes, but it's always an accident," Sara answered. "Do you get hurt?" Melissa asked. Sara looked into her daughter's eyes, and nodded slightly. "But I'm always better when I see you," she said softly. "When are you gonna stop, mama?" Melissa asked. "Eight more months, baby. Around my birthday," Sara answered, "Then I'll get to stay at home with you." "Really?!" Melissa asked excitedly, "What about Dad?" Sara sighed and looked at the screen. Mark was enjoying himself, and she could see it. "I don't know, darlin'. Your daddy loves what he does, and I can't make him stop…he'll stop when he's ready," she said quietly. Melissa looked back at the screen and didn't say another word. When Mark walked back into the locker room, Sara was fast asleep with Melissa laying across her stomach, asleep as well He leaned down and kissed Sara's forehead, then went into the bathroom to clean up. The next eight days were going to be as hectic as ever.


	68. Good News and Bad News

**Chapter 67…Good and Bad News**

"Mom!" Sara exclaimed as Lucy walked out of her airport gate. "Sara, hey!" Lucy said waving. Melissa ran up to Lucy, and Lucy slowly picked her up. "Hey, Nana!" Melissa said hugging her neck tightly. "How's my little granddaughter?" Lucy asked. "Fine," Melissa answered, "I learned how to read!" "Really? You'll have to read me something while I'm here, then," Lucy said kissing her cheek. Sara and Mark walked over together, and Lucy put Melissa down so that she could hug her daughter. "How are you feeling, mom?" Sara asked in her ear. Six months ago, Lucy had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and had been going to chemotherapy sessions for nearly that same amount of time. "I'm just fine, darlin'. Doin' better than ever," Lucy answered. "Don't lie to me, mom," Sara said softly. "I don't want to talk about it here, Sara," Lucy said quietly. "Okay, we'll go get somethin' to eat, and then we'll go back to the hotel. Mark and I have a suite, so there's a separate room for you," Sara said releasing her and gripping her hands. "That's fine, Sara. Now let me greet my son-in-law," Lucy said grinning. Sara smiled and looked over at Mark. He spread his arms and pulled her close. "Hey, mom," he said in her ear. "Hey, Mark. How are ya?" she answered. "Good, real good. Happy as ever," he said releasing her and touching her shoulders, "How are _you_?" "I'm good, Mark, really," she answered, "You and Sara worry too much about me." "And we have that right," he said kissing her forehead softly, "We're gonna go to lunch, and then go back to the hotel. We've got this day to ourselves, so we're just gonna spend it in our suite." "Sounds like a plan," Lucy said, "I've gotta go get my suitcase. It wouldn't fit in the carry-on compartment." "Alright, let's go," Sara said.

After lunch at a seafood restaurant popular in the city, Old Bookbinder's Original, the group headed to the hotel. Lucy settled into her room with Sara's help. Once she'd unpacked, she laid down in the bed. The travel had tired her out quickly. "Mom…you're not okay, and you're not gonna convince me otherwise," Sara said sitting down beside her. "Sara…I don't have the energy for this," Lucy whispered. "What's wrong, mom?" Sara asked. Lucy hesitated and looked up at her daughter. "The chemo's not working, Sara," she whispered, "The cancer is getting worse…the doctor said…I have maybe six months to go." Sara's jaw dropped and tears spilled from her eyes before she could even stop them. She laid down and put her head on her mother's stomach. "It's okay, Sara," she whispered. "Mama, you can't leave me," Sara whispered, "You just can't." "Sara, you've got Melissa to take care of, and Mark, too," Lucy said quietly. "Mama…," Sara whispered as the tears continued. "Don't cry, Sara. You've got a big weekend now, and you don't need to spend it worrying about me," Lucy said rubbing her fingers through Sara's hair. "I always worry about you, mom," Sara said softly. "Well, let me take a nap, okay? I'm really tired, Sara, and I want to have some energy for Sunday night," Lucy said quietly. Sara wiped her cheeks and sat up, rubbing her mother's cheek gently. She leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I love you, mom," she whispered. "Yeah, I love you, too, Sara," Lucy said as Sara stood. Sara quietly left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Mark watched Sara walk past the living room area into their room, and shut the door. He looked down at Melissa, who was sleeping at the end of the couch, and then stood and went into his room. Sara was on the bed, curled into a ball, and gripping a pillow. "Sara? Are you okay?" he asked coming over to her. "She's gonna die, Mark," she whispered to him, "She has…at most…six months to live." "Oh, dollface," he whispered laying down beside her and pulling her close to him. Sara faced him and cried into his shirt. "I don't wanna lose her, Mark…she's my rock…," she whispered through tears. Mark sighed heavily and rubbed her back. He wanted to tell her she wouldn't lose her mother, but he knew the truth, as harsh as it was. He knew Lucy was losing her battle against the breast cancer, and each day was getting worse than the one before. In fact, Lucy had just recently been given a home nurse to take care of her during the week. "I'll help you through it, okay, dollface?" he whispered squeezing her tightly. "Just hold me, Mark…don't let me go," she whispered. "I won't, dollface, I promise. I won't ever let you go," he said kissing her forehead. "Where's Melissa?" she asked. "In the living room asleep. She was really tired from all the travel, so I laid her down for a nap," he answered continuing to rub her back. "Will you go get her? I want her in here with me," she said softly. "Of course, dollface," he said moving from the bed. Sara wiped her cheeks and climbed under the covers, sniffling slightly. She knew her mother was sick, but she never accepted just how bad things were. She'd always had hope that her mother would get better. Mark came into the room with Melissa in his arms. He laid her down beside Sara, then climbed into bed behind her. "How 'bout we all take a nap?" he asked kissing her ear softly. Sara nodded and rubbed her hands over Melissa's back. "I think that's a good idea," she whispered. "I love you, Sara," he whispered pulling her close. "I love you, too, Mark," Sara whispered closing her eyes for a now much-needed nap.

A couple hours later, Sara woke up alone. She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes, then glanced at the clock. It was after four o' clock. She yawned and climbed out of bed, going into the living room. Melissa was sitting on the couch reading to her mother. Lucy looked up at her and smiled. "You've got a smart daughter here, Sara. I hope you're proud of her," she said quietly. "You know I am," Sara said smiling, trying not to cry. Lucy shook her head, and Sara looked away as a tear slid from her left eye. She quickly wiped it away and asked, "Where's, uh…where's Mark?" "He wasn't here when I woke up," Lucy answered. "I think he went to the store, mama, to get some food for tonight so we don't have to go out," Melissa spoke up. Sara smiled and let out a slow breath. Her emotions were threatening to overcome her. "Sara, come sit down with us. Melissa's havin' the time of her life reading, and she wants a crowd," Lucy said quietly. Sara nodded and came over to them, sitting beside Melissa and watching as she continued to read. "You're doin' real good, Melissa," she said softly. "Thanks, mom," Melissa said looking up at her, "Nana's gonna get me some books while she's here with us." "Really?" Sara asked looking at her mother, "That's awful nice of her." "I wanna spoil my granddaughter as much as I can before I leave," Lucy said. "I'm gonna go take a bath, okay? I'm feeling kind of grimy," Sara said going to stand. "How 'bout you hold off on the bath, Sara?" Lucy said touching her arm. "I can't…mom, I just can't," Sara whispered before rushing into her room and shutting the door behind her. Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she went into the bathroom to run a hot bath.

Mark entered the suite 20 minutes later, and smiled at the sight of Lucy sitting with Melissa. "Hello, ladies. I hope you two are hungry, 'cause I got food to last us for the next four nights," he said shutting the door, "Where's Sara?" "She went to take a bath," Melissa answered. Mark looked over to Lucy, and she said, "She felt 'grimy'…or at least, that's what she said." Mark nodded and went into the kitchen to put the groceries away. Sara came into the kitchen as he put juice in the small refrigerator. "Hi," she said softly, putting her arms around his waist. "Hey, there, dollface," he said facing her. Her eyes were slightly red, and she looked like she'd just finished crying. "You feelin' okay?" he asked hugging her. "A little better. I just…every time I look at her, I can't help but wonder about the day when she's not gonna be here anymore," she said quietly. "Well, we gotta make each day count, Sara," he said in her ear, "And we can't let Melissa see how sad you are. She's too young to understand death." Sara swallowed and nodded against his chest. "I know," she whispered. Mark kissed her forehead and pulled away. "I hope you're rested up, 'cause you've got some cooking to do," he said grinning. "Oh, really?" she asked with her own grin. Mark looked down at her and smiled. "There ya go, dollface," he whispered kissing her forehead gently, "Now go spend some time with your mom. I'll fix dinner." Sara ran her fingers through her damp hair, then went into the living room. "Feeling clean now?" Lucy asked. Sara forced a grin and nodded. "A hot bath always makes life a little easier to deal with," she said quietly. "Yeah, I agree," Lucy said softly. "So, Melissa, you havin' fun with Nana?" Sara asked her daughter. "Yep! She lets me read to her as much as I want," Melissa answered smiling up at Melissa. "Good. Tomorrow, you're gonna stay here with her while Daddy and I work, okay?" Sara said pinching her cheeks gently. "Fun!" Melissa said smiling. Sara smiled and kissed her forehead; the vigor of her young daughter helped to re-energize her, even when she felt at her lowest. "Melissa, why don't you go into our room and play with your toys for a while so I can talk to Nana?" Sara said quietly. "Okay, mom. Can I read to you after dinner?" Melissa said hopping off the couch. "Sure, darlin'," Sara said as she watched Melissa hop into the kitchen instead of the bedroom.

"So, how are you really feelin', Sara?" Lucy asked. Sara laid down on the couch, resting her head on her mother's lap. "I'd feel better if I knew you were going to get better," she said softly. "Sara…I'd feel better if I knew that, too. But reality is reality, and I've accepted it. I want you to do that as well," Lucy said caressing her cheek. "I can't, mom…not right now," she whispered, "I thought I could take care of you. Getting you the best doctor in the country…and it didn't work. I feel like I failed you…" "Sara, all you should care about is that you tried," Lucy said softly, "I want to make my last days with you on this Earth the best of my whole life. You have no idea how proud I am of you. Not only what you've done professionally, 'cause I never could've guessed you would've gotten into the business…but also with what you've accomplished personally. You're a wife…you're a mother…you're a wonderful daughter. I love you more than you'll ever know, and I'm more proud of you than I thought I'd ever be." The whole time Lucy spoke, Sara cried. She faced her mother and gripped her waist. Lucy sighed heavily and rubbed the back of her head gently. "Don't worry about me, Sara. I've lived a long life, and I've done what I wanted to," she said quietly, "When my time comes, I'll be ready." Sara nodded, but the tears continued to come. "Sara, stop crying…tears won't help anything," Lucy said softly. "Can we go sit on the balcony, mom? Are you up for that?" Sara said sniffling. "Yeah, sure, baby," Lucy answered as Sara sat up and stood. Sara helped her up, and they walked past the kitchen onto the balcony, sliding the door shut behind them.

Lucy sat down and stretched her arms out. "You okay?" Sara asked sitting down beside her. "Yeah, I'm alright. The nap earlier helped out," Lucy answered. "Mom, I've got somethin' to tell you about this weekend," Sara said quietly. "What's that?" Lucy asked. "It's my last Wrestlemania. I'm retiring in November," Sara said looking over at her mother. "Really? That's great, Sara," Lucy said with a smile. "You really think so?" Sara asked. "Of course. You've been at it for a long time. I was wondering when you were gonna hang up your boots for good," Lucy said. Sara let out a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, it's about that time. Melissa wants me home more than ever, and I wanna be home," she said quietly. "What about Mark? What does he think?" Lucy asked. "He's happy for me…he knows I'm tired of it all, the traveling, the wrestling, everything. My body is tired, and my mind is even more tired," Sara answered, "So…this Sunday is my last Wrestlemania. Every pay-per-view from here on out is my last. I'm trying to make the most of it. I talked to Vince Monday afternoon…and I think I'm gonna get to be World champion before I get to retire." "Wow, Sara, that's amazing!" Lucy said happily. "Well, it's not concrete, but I think it'll happen. I've got a big storyline coming up. And Vince said once I'm done with that, he'll consider making me World champ," Sara said. "Still…the fact that he's even considering it, ya know…that'll be somethin' for the record books," Lucy said smiling. "Yeah, it will be," Sara said quietly, looking out at the evening Philadelphia sky. The sun had turned the sky a bright pink, a few large clouds dotted the sky, and the wind blew slightly through Sara's hair. "What is it, Sara?" Lucy asked touching her hand. "Well, I wanted you to be there for when I won the World title. I wanted you to see me do that, because then I'd really feel like I made you proud," Sara said softly. "Sara, every night I watch you on television, I'm proud of you. Whether you're actually wrestling or not, it doesn't matter. To be able to tell my friends that my daughter has been successful, and is still successful…that makes me proud of you," Lucy said quietly.

"You should've seen my face when I first saw Melissa read," Sara said grinning, "We were in Columbus doing an autograph session at one of the local Wal-Marts, and Mark and I get done around quarter after four. We walk into the little office that Melissa was in with Jim…and she's sittin' on the floor reading. I wanted to burst into tears right then and there. My little girl is growin' up on me, mom." "Yeah, they tend to do that," Lucy said smiling at her. "Yeah, they do," Sara said smiling back, "At least I know I'll be there to see her off for her first day of school." "Have you talked to Mark about putting her in school soon?" Lucy asked. "No, not yet. I'll probably wait until after I've retired, and I can sit down with her to see how far along she is. I mean, I don't want to stick her in pre-school, and not be challenged there. If she's smart enough for kindergarten, then I want her in kindergarten," Sara said. "Do you think Mark will agree to that?" Lucy asked. "Of course. He wants her to have the best, too, and to be challenged. If she can read at three, who knows where she'll be in the next three to five years," Sara answered confidently. "Well, good. Do you think you wanna go public or private?" Lucy asked. "Definitely public. Private schools are too snobby, and I don't want Melissa being around those type o' people," Sara answered. Lucy smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I think she'll fit in fine wherever she goes. She's got my personality, but she's got Mark's temper," Sara said smiling. "Oh, no!" Lucy said. They looked at each other, then burst into laughter.

"So, how's Lucky doin', mom?" Sara asked. "He's good. He's like a bull in a china shop sometimes. Nicky has trouble handling him sometimes," Lucy answered, "But I think he's understanding I can't play with him as much as used to, so he's calmed down in the past few weeks." "Well, that's good, mom…look, mom, I want you to come stay with us. We can bring Nicky with you, too. I'd just feel a lot better with you in my house than in your place all alone," Sara said quietly. "I'm not all alone, Sara. I've got Nicky during the day, and Lucky during the night," Lucy answered. "Yeah, I know…," Sara said softly. "Look, don't get overprotective of me, Sara. I don't deal well with that…just like you," Lucy said grinning at her. Sara chuckled despite the pit in her stomach that her mother wasn't going to be there for her much longer. "Yeah, you're right. I barely avoided probably Mark and mine's hugest fight on Monday," Sara said. "What happened?" Lucy asked. "Well…remember Kevin, the 7'0" blonde guy from our wedding?" Sara said. "Yeah," Lucy answered. "Well…ever since that night, Kevin had been flirting with me every chance he got, and Mark had talked to him a while ago, like right after Melissa was born, but it didn't help. I didn't want Mark to get into a fight with him, so I just kept it from him. But Monday…Mark saw Kevin kiss me," Sara said quietly. "Did you _let_ Kevin kiss you?" Lucy asked. "No, mom. It was a shock to me…I'd asked him why he kept bothering me, when we used to have such a tight friendship. And he said because he wanted what he knew he couldn't have, then walked away. Well, I ran after him, and he just leaned down and kissed me. But it wasn't a normal kiss…it was…like, his lips barely touched mine," Sara said quietly, looking over her back to see if Mark was close by. When she saw him walk into the living room, she looked back at her mother and continued the story.

"It was…a very sweet kiss, mom. I thought only Mark could do that. I didn't desire Kevin or anything, and I still don't. But that kiss was very nice. Anyway, Kevin said that that kiss was all he ever wanted, and if I didn't want him to speak to me again from that point on, he wouldn't. I told him we should take a break from each other, and he agreed to that. Anyway, I'm walking back to my locker room, and I bump into Mark, and he…I've never seen him that angry, mom, not since he found out when Shawn had attacked me," she said quietly, "I was terrified. I thought he was gonna hit me. But we went into our locker room, and he just…it was tense. Eventually, he just kicked me out of the locker room, and I went up to sit in the balcony. While I was up there, he went and 'talked' with Kevin. I saw Kevin later that night…Mark must've talked with his fists, 'cause Kevin's face looked like crap, mom. His left eye was all bruised up, and his bottom lip was cut. I'm glad he didn't have to wrestle that night, 'cause he looked horrible." Lucy sighed and looked away for a few moments. "Does Mark still trust you?" she then asked. "Yeah…he said I didn't break his trust, because Kevin initiated the kiss," Sara answered, "And the problem ended there. But I was scared for a minute. I haven't seen Kevin since Monday night, either." "He didn't have to be at the show Tuesday?" Lucy asked. "I thought he was gonna be there, but when I got to the arena, his name wasn't on the match board," Sara answered. "Maybe Vince took him off the card for the night, to give him a break before this weekend," Lucy suggested. "Yeah, maybe. I just hope he's okay. I wasn't mad at Mark for hitting him, but I was concerned about him," Sara said. "Well, that's understandable. Do you think you two will be friends again after this?" Lucy asked. "Yeah…I understood what he was feeling, and he got his urge out. And…he called me by a nickname that he hadn't called me in nearly three years, so I think we're back to where we used to be," Sara answered. "And what's that nickname?" Lucy asked. "Baby girl…he used to call me baby girl. It's funny. Andy calls me 'baby doll'…and Mark calls me 'dollface'. I've got more nicknames than I know what to do with. All the guys at work have been callin' me Angel for a few years, too," Sara said chuckling softly, "Even when I'm not in-character."

The balcony door slid open, and Sara looked over her shoulder. "Is dinner ready?" she asked. "Not yet, but in a few minutes. I just wanted to see if you two wanted somethin' to drink. I've got some wine, and some juice for Melissa, and I've got a lotta water in here, too," Mark said smiling down at her. "I'll take water, Mark, if you don't mind," Lucy said. "Sure thing, mom. What about you, dollface?" he answered. "A little glass o' wine, please," she answered grinning up at him. He leaned down and kissed her softly, then whispered, "Comin' right up, dollface." Sara smiled and watched him slide the door shut, and go into the kitchen. "I love him so much," she whispered. "Yeah, I can tell," Lucy said smiling at her. "I'm serious, mom," Sara said looking at her. "I know, Sara, so was I," Lucy said quietly, "He's a good man, darlin', a real good man. He's got his faults, but so does everybody else." A few moments later, the door slid open again, and Melissa walked out with a glass of ice water for Lucy. "Here ya go, Nana," she said smiling. "Well, thank you, darlin'. Where's your dad?" Lucy said taking the glass from her. "In the kitchen makin' a mess," Melissa answered. Sara stood and quickly entered the kitchen. Mark stood stirring something over the stove. "Melissa said you were making a mess," she said crossing her arms. Mark looked at her and smiled. "That was the only way to get you in here," he said motioning for to come over. Sara walked over to him and he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"How are you, dollface?" he asked in her ear. "I'm okay, Mark…better than earlier. Talkin' to my mom always helps me feel better," she answered. "So she's doin' okay, too?" he asked. "Yeah…she doesn't show weakness, even when she's at her weakest," she said quietly, "It's kind of a habit I picked up from her." Mark smiled and kissed her lips softly, then whispered, "Yet another thing I love so much about you." Sara smiled and kissed him back, just as softly. "So, what's for dinner?" she asked when she pulled away. "Spaghetti and meatballs," he answered. "Oh, wow, you're turning into the master chef," she said sarcastically. "Oh, hush you," he said going back to stirring the noodles in the pan, "You think you can do better?" "Oh, I know I can do better," she said pinching his butt. Mark jumped and looked over his shoulder at her. "Don't start what you can't finish," he said grinning. Sara blushed slightly and quickly left the kitchen, forgetting about the glass of wine she'd wanted a few minutes earlier. She went back onto the balcony, and sat down in the seat she'd been in. Melissa was standing close to the banister, looking through the bars. "How far up are we, mama?" she asked. "We're on the tenth floor, baby, why?" Sara answered. "It looks like more than that," Melissa said looking back at her. "Well, it's not. But we're still pretty high up," Sara said grinning.

"So what's on the schedule for tomorrow?" Lucy asked. "A public workout in the First Union Center parking lot, from about noon 'til three, then Fan Axxess for Mark and I from four 'til nine," Sara answered, "Then we come back and crash for the night, 'cause Friday's no better." "What do you have Friday?" Lucy asked. "Media day," Sara answered, "From around nine a.m. 'til seven p.m." "Sounds like fun," Lucy said grinning. "Oh, yeah, tons," Sara said sarcastically. Lucy chuckled and touched her hand. "You'll get through it just like you get through everything else," she said. "Thanks for the support, mom," Sara said quietly, "We'll probably take Melissa with us Friday, though, just so you won't have to watch her." "Are you crazy? I barely get to see her, so she's stayin' with me," Lucy argued. "Mom--." "Don't you 'mom' me. That's my only granddaughter, and she's stayin' with me. That's that," Lucy said. Sara sighed heavily and watched Melissa try and stick her head through the banister bars. "Melissa, stop that before you get your head stuck," she said. "Mom, I can't fit my head through the bars, so how will it get stuck?" Melissa said back. "Well, if you keep trying, eventually it'll squeeze through, and then it'll get stuck," Sara said right back. Melissa looked at her and grinned. "You're a smart-ass, just like your father," Sara said smiling at her. "What's a smart-ass?" Melissa asked. "Watch your mouth, young lady!" Sara said sternly. "You said it," Melissa replied. "And didn't your father and I tell you not to repeat everything you hear?" Sara asked. "Yes, ma'am," Melissa answered looking down.

A few minutes later, the balcony door slid open again. "Dinner's ready, ladies," Mark said. "That was quick," Lucy said, "We haven't even been out here that long." "I cook fast," he said grinning at her. Sara watched Mark take Melissa inside, and helped her mother up. Once inside the dining room, Sara sat down beside Melissa and asked, "Are you hungry, darlin'?" "Yep! But I don't know about Daddy's cooking," Melissa answered as Mark walked in. Sara laughed as his jaw dropped. "You're just like your mother, Melissa," he said setting the pot in the middle of the table. Melissa said, "Mommy said I was a smart-ass like you." Sara reached over and smacked her lips. "And I told you not to repeat everything you hear," she said sternly. Tears came to Melissa's eyes, but Sara said, "Don't you dare cry. I told you not to say it, so you got punished." Melissa nodded and lowered her head. Lucy looked at Sara, and Sara only stared back. "I'll be right back," Mark said. The women (and little girl) sat in silence until Mark returned. He served them sizable portions, and poured them each their respective drinks. Finally, he filled his own plate up, and poured a glass of orange juice for himself.

"So, who's gonna take the first bite of this experiment?" Sara asked grinning. Mark looked at her through narrowed eyes. "I love you," she said innocently. "Yeah, yeah," he said grinning at her. Melissa wrapped a few strings around her fork, then put it into her mouth slowly. "Wow!" she exclaimed with her mouth full, "Dad, this is really good!" "Don't talk--." Mark touched Sara's hand, and she looked over at him. "Don't worry about it tonight, dollface," he whispered in her ear. She sighed and nodded. "See, darlin', Daddy can cook," she said instead. Melissa finished chewing the food in her mouth, then said, "Sorry, Daddy." "It's okay, munchkin. Go ahead and eat up," Mark said, "We're gonna watch a movie after dinner." "What'd you get?" Sara asked. "Nothin' too violent, dollface. I got _The Little Rascals_ for her, and _Murder By Numbers_ for us," he answered. "Oh, okay," Sara said quietly. "I get to watch _The Little Rascals_?" Melissa asked. "Yep. After dinner, you're gonna take a bath, and watch it in our room, okay?" Mark said. Melissa nodded and turned her attention to her dinner. The adults talked over the next half an hour, until all were completely full. Mark carried the dishes into the kitchen, followed by Melissa. "So, you ready for this weekend?" Lucy asked. "Yeah, I am, mom. It's a special weekend, being my last Wrestlemania and all," Sara answered standing, "Let's go out on the balcony. It's relaxing there." Lucy stood, and Sara helped her out, then slid the door shut behind them.

"Well, I'm sure retirement will work well for you," Lucy said as they sat down, "You've earned it, baby." "Yeah…I guess I have," Sara said softly, returning the hug. "Have you thought about what you're gonna do with all that time?" Lucy asked. Sara shook her head and sat back in her seat. "That's my biggest worry, that I'll have nothing to do," she said quietly. "I think Melissa will take up plenty o' your time," Lucy said grinning. "Yeah, I know that," Sara said with a smile, "And I'll look forward to that." "So, what's to worry about?" Lucy asked. "Nothin' really, I guess," Sara said. "Good. Worrying about the future never does anybody any good," Lucy said touching Sara's hand. Sara looked over at her and sighed. "I love you, mom," she whispered. "I love you, too, darlin'. Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna go lay down, 'cause I'm really tired," Lucy said going to stand. Sara went to help her, but Lucy put her hand on her shoulder. "Enough of that. Stay right where you are," she said leaning down and kissing her cheek. Sara sighed again and looked away. She heard the door slide open and shut, then lowered her head.

Mark cleaned up the dishes, then put Melissa in his bedroom. "I want you to lay down, Melissa, okay? I'll leave the movie on for you, but it's bedtime, too," he said pulling the covers up over her legs. Melissa nodded and yawned slightly. Mark grinned and kissed her forehead. "My little munchkin," he whispered, "I love you so much, darlin'." "I love you, too, daddy," Melissa said quietly. Mark turned on the movie he'd rented for her, then left the room, leaving the door slightly cracked. He saw that Lucy had went into her room, but Sara was still out on the balcony. He quietly slipped outside, and placed his hands on her shoulders, gently massaging them. "How ya doin', dollface?" he asked quietly. "I'm okay, Mark, really," she said softly. "You're too tense to be okay," he said leaning down and kissing her ear. Sara smiled and looked over her shoulder at him. "You know me so well," she whispered. "It's my job to know you," he said dropping a kiss on her cheek, "Come on, let's go watch that movie. We've got a long day tomorrow, so we should rest up while we can." Sara nodded and stood, allowing him to lead her inside. After the movie was over, they showered together and climbed into bed, Melissa lying between them. "I love you, dollface," Mark whispered linking his fingers with hers over Melissa's back. "I love you, too, Mark," Sara whispered before falling asleep. Mark smiled slightly and planted a kiss on Melissa's head before falling asleep as well.


	69. Reunion

**Chapter 68…Reunion**

Sara woke up the next morning alone. She sat up and yawned slightly, then looked at the clock. It read 8:30, and they had to be at the First Union Center in an hour. She climbed out of bed as Melissa came dashing into the room, followed by Mark. Melissa ran behind Sara's legs, and said, "Mama, make him stop!" "What are you doing to her?" Sara asked Mark. "Nothin'," Mark answered innocently. "He wouldn't stop tickling me, mama!" Melissa said from behind her. Sara smiled and looked up at Mark. "Why not?" she asked. "She wouldn't let me cook breakfast," he answered grinning. "Why not, Melissa?" Sara asked looking down at Melissa. Melissa looked up at her with innocent eyes, and Sara couldn't help but smile. "Have you taken a bath yet?" she asked. "No," Melissa answered. "Come on, let's get you bathed so Nana won't have to worry about it later," Sara said leading her into the bathroom, "Mark, can you finish breakfast now?" Mark chuckled softly and left the room. After bathing and getting Melissa clothed, they went into the kitchen and found Lucy sitting with Mark. "There's my little granddaughter," Lucy said smiling at Melissa. "Yeah, up and running already," Sara said leaning down and kissing Mark's cheek, "I'm gonna go take a shower real quick, okay?" "Yep, but hurry, 'cause you need to eat breakfast before we leave," he answered. Sara winked at him before going back into her bedroom.

Mark looked over at Melissa, who had just scooped eggs into her mouth. "You little tyke," he said rubbing the top of her head. She smiled up at him, and he dropped a kiss on her forehead. "You be good for Nana, okay?" he said softly in her ear. She nodded and he kissed her forehead again. "Did you sleep okay, mom?" Mark asked. "Yeah, I slept pretty good. I usually don't in hotels, but this time, the bed was actually soft," Lucy answered grinning slightly. "Good. So how do you plan on spoiling my daughter today?" he said grinning. "Well, I thought we'd go out and sight-see for a while, then I'd take her shopping at the mall, and maybe a movie while we're at it," Lucy answered smiling at Melissa. "Really, Nana?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, Melissa, really," Lucy answered. "Don't do too much, mom," Mark said. "Don't you start," Lucy said grinning at him. "What?" Mark said innocently. Lucy chuckled slightly as she ate her small breakfast. Fifteen minutes later, Sara came walking into the living room. She kissed Mark and Melissa on the cheek before hugging her mom. "Someone's a little happier than usual," Lucy said as she sat down. "It's a beautiful morning," Sara said simply. "That it is," Mark said smiling at her. Sara winked at him before fixing her plate of breakfast. "You ready for today?" Lucy asked Sara. "Yeah, mom. I'll get through it. I mean, it's my last Wrestlemania, so I might as well make the most of it, right?" Sara answered. "Yeah, I know. I was just asking," Lucy said. "Sorry, mom," Sara said quietly. "It's alright, darlin'. Don't worry about it," Lucy said touching her hand. Sara picked up her plate and said, "I'm gonna go sit on the balcony." Mark and Lucy watched as she left the room, then looked at each other.

"She okay?" Lucy asked. "I think it's finally settling in that she's gonna retire," he said quietly, looking over at Melissa. She had syrup running down her chin, and her mouth was full of food. Mark couldn't help but chuckle. "My little munchkin," he said picking up a napkin and wetting it slightly with water, then wiping the sticky substance away, "Your food belongs in your mouth, not on your chin." Melissa smiled and Mark winked at her. "You think we should go with you two?" Lucy asked. "Nah, Sara wouldn't want that. I think you two being at the show is enough for her," he answered, "She wants you to relax especially." "Oh, hush. I'm fine," Lucy said grinning. Mark cocked his head to the right, and raised his eyebrows. "What?" Lucy asked. "Whatever you say, mom," he said grinning. Lucy rolled her eyes and looked towards the balcony door. Sara was sitting with her back to the door, her legs propped up on the banister. "Well, at least she looks comfortable," she said quietly. Mark looked at Sara and grinned. "Yeah, she does," he said softly. They finished up breakfast shortly after, and Mark took the dishes into the kitchen. Sara came in a few moments later and set her dishes in the sink. Mark put his arms around her and squeezed slightly. "What's that for?" Sara asked. "Because I love you so much," he whispered kissing her forehead. Sara grinned and hugged him back, resting her head on his chest. "You okay, dollface?" he asked quietly. "Yeah…just a little sad," she answered, "I want to retire, but at the same time…" "You don't have to explain, baby. You're gonna be just fine," he said dropping a kiss on her cheek, "I'll be finished in a few minutes, okay?" Sara nodded and left the kitchen.

The limousine pulled into the back parking lot of the First Union Center at exactly 9:30. As it stopped, Sara ran her fingers through her hair. "You okay, dollface?" Mark asked for what seemed like the billionth time. "Yeah, I'm fine, Mark. The next time you ask, I'm not gonna answer," she said grinning up at him. Mark smiled slightly and winked at her. Sara looked out the window and sighed. The fans were lined up against the barricades, and she saw several posters with her character name on it. "I'm gonna miss this," she whispered. "What's that, dollface?" Mark asked. "Nothin', hon," Sara said placing her hand in his and squeezing. When the limo stopped, Mark climbed out first and helped Sara out. They quickly went to the main area of the arena, where Vince had wanted everyone to meet. Sara quickly spotted Andy and ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Hey, baby doll," he said hugging her back. "I miss you," Sara whispered in his ear. "You know I miss you, too," he whispered back. "How's Lisa?" Sara asked. "She's doin' good," he answered. "And why haven't you popped the question yet?" she asked releasing him. Andy sighed and hunched his shoulders. "I love her. I really do…I just…," he trailed off. Sara pulled him away from the crowd of people, and sat down in one of the chairs. Andy slowly sat down beside her. "Andy…," she said quietly. "Sara, I'm tryin'. I really am," he said quietly. They'd had a discussion a few months ago about why Andy hadn't proposed to Lisa yet, and he'd confessed to Sara that he was still in love with her. "I'm not asking you to not love me anymore, Andy, you know that," she said quietly, "But Lisa loves you like I love Mark. You can't keep stringing her along; you guys have been goin' out for too long for you to do that to her." Andy sighed heavily and looked away. "I know, baby doll, I know," he whispered. "One of these days, she's gonna call you on it. And she's gonna give you an ultimatum: propose or let her go," she said touching his hand, "You don't want to have to make that decision all of a sudden. So I'm giving it to you now. You propose to her, Andy…or you cut her loose." She then stood and walked over to Mark, leaving Andy alone.

"What was that about?" Mark asked as she sat down beside him. "Nothin' much. Just talkin'," she answered. "Is he okay?" he asked. "I think he'll be okay," she answered. "What's up?" he asked. "He hasn't proposed to Lisa yet," she answered. "Why the hell not?" Mark asked. Sara sighed heavily and looked up at him. "You really wanna know?" she asked. "Are you gonna start keeping secrets from me?" he asked in return. "He's in love with me, Mark," she answered softly, her eyes locked on his. Mark took a deep breath and nodded. "I figured," he said quietly. "You knew?" she asked. "Who doesn't know, Sara? As close as he's been to you over the years, it's the only natural thing that could happen," he answered simply. Sara looked away and lowered her head. "Don't worry, dollface, I'm not jealous," he said kissing her cheek, "Remember, you said you'd never leave me for your bodyguard." Sara chuckled softly and elbowed him in his ribs. "I can't believe you even remember me saying that," she said with a smile. "I have a good memory," he said putting his arm around her shoulder. Sara leaned against him with a grin on her face.

Vince got everyone's attention a few minutes later. He had made sure the Event Planning department had rented the arena from Thursday until Monday, so that the production crew would have all the time it needed to set up for the show on Sunday night, and so the wrestlers could get comfortable with the set-up. "Good to see everyone here on time. It's gonna be a long day for everyone, so I hope you had your Wheaties," he said with a grin. A chuckle passed over the group. "The public workout starts at 12:00 on the dot. Jim is passing out the line-up of who's goin' on when. Remember, don't do anything too physical. I just want you to go out there and entertain the crowd. How you do that is your choice," Vince said, "This is _your_ public workout. I decided to take a risk, and let you guys plan it. So, if anything goes wrong…you're all fired." Everyone broke into laughter, because they knew Vince would be in the back watching their every move, and would be overseeing everything anyway. "Alright, you've got two and a half hours, so go be productive," Vince said smiling. Everyone walked into the backstage area, and Sara quickly found Carlos. "Hey, there," she said touching his shoulder. Carlos stopped and faced her. "Hey, girlie. Where's Melissa?" he answered. "Hanging out with my mom for the day, actually. They'll be here Sunday, though," she answered. "Excellent," Carlos said, "My wife and kids are gonna be here, too." "Awesome! You've gotta be excited about that," she said smiling. "Yeah, it's always nice to have your closest family members watching you on the biggest stage of the year," he said as they headed for the balcony.

"So are you nervous about Sunday?" Carlos asked once they were seated. "A little. I mean, it's Wrestlemania, first of all…and secondly, it's my last Wrestlemania. To be able to win a title at the pay-per-view makes it even better," Sara answered looking out at the empty arena. The stage was huge, and had a wide ramp running nearly 300 feet down to the ring. "I'm gonna miss this, Carlos," she said quietly. "I know, chica. But don't worry, you'll be fine," he said grinning. "Why does everyone say that?" she asked. "For the first month or so, you're gonna be bored off your ass, but after that…you're gonna realize how much fun it is to not have to worry about which city you have to be in next," he answered. Sara smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she said. "Alright, so let's talk about what we're gonna do today," Carlos said setting his feet up on the seat in front of him.

After discussing to great extent their little ten-minute segment, the two people separated and Sara went into the back parking lot to call her mother. The hotel phone rang a few times before it was answered. "Hello?" Melissa answered. "And just why are you answering the phone, young lady?" Sara asked. "Nana's sleeping," Melissa said. "Is she okay?" Sara asked concernedly. "Yes, mama. She's just tired, so she put _The Little Rascals_ in for me, then went in her bedroom and shut the door," Melissa asked. "Will you go check on her? And take the phone with you," Sara said as calmly as possible. Sara heard Melissa move around, a door open moments later, and then Melissa talking to her mother. "Hello?" Lucy asked tiredly. "Mom? Are you feeling okay? Do you need me to come back to the room?" Sara asked quickly. "No, Sara, I'm fine. Didn't I tell you not to be overprotective?" Lucy answered. Sara sighed and said, "I'm sorry, mom…I'm just worried." "Well, don't worry. We talked about this," Lucy said quietly. "Okay…Mark and I will be back around five," Sara said. "Alright, baby. You wanna talk to Melissa again?" Lucy said. "Yeah," Sara answered. "See, mommy, she was asleep," Melissa said moments later. Sara let out a deep breath and said, "Okay, baby. So you're just watching your movie?" "Uh-huh," Melissa answered as she left Lucy's bedroom, shutting the door quietly. "I want you to stay in the living room, but check on Nana every once in a while, okay?" Sara said, "And if you think she's sick, then call the front desk. The number's on the phone." "Yes, mama," Melissa said. "I love you, darlin'. Be good," Sara said grinning slightly. "I love you, too, mama. Bye," Melissa said. Sara smiled and said goodbye before clicking her phone shut.

Sara could hear the fans from where she was, and had a strong urge to go out into the crowd to sign autographs. She knew if she did that, though, there'd be a riot. Vince had told her there were nearly 15,000 people packed into the area sectioned off for the public workout, and there was no way she could sign that many autographs. She quickly headed back inside to grab a quick lunch, and once she got into the catering room, she found Lisa sitting alone. Sara fixed a plate of broiled chicken, salad, and a tall glass of water before heading over to sit with Lisa. "Hey, there," Sara spoke as she sat down. "Hey, what's goin' on, Sara?" Lisa asked quietly. "I'm fine. What's wrong?" Sara asked. "Andy's been real distant lately. He doesn't talk to me like he used to," Lisa answered softly, "I don't know what it is…Sara…I think Andy's cheating on me…" "Andy would never do that, Lisa, ever. You get that thought out of your head right now, sweetheart," Sara responded. "Then what's wrong with him? You know him a lot better than I ever will, Sara," Lisa said sadly. Sara sighed heavily and looked away. Lisa was a very good friend of hers, and she didn't want to see her get hurt. However, she also didn't want to have any effect on Andy's and her relationship. That wasn't her place.

Lisa touched her arm and asked, "Please, tell me, Sara. I'm asking as a close friend." "Lisa…," Sara started. "It's you, isn't it? He's in love with you, right?" Lisa asked. "I'm sorry, Lisa," Sara said quietly. "No…don't be. It's the only logical explanation. I mean, we've been together for over three years now…and he still hasn't proposed, so I knew there was something stopping him," Lisa said. "What are you gonna do?" Sara asked. "I don't know, Sara. I can't compete for his love…especially against you," Lisa answered honestly. "I don't want you to compete. I mean, I love Andy, too, but he's like an older brother to me," Sara said, "Besides, I'm married, so there's no way I'd even try to come between you two." "I know, I'm just saying…," Lisa said quietly. "Please, don't let me come between you two. You guys are perfect for each other, Lisa," Sara said. "I see it…you see it…I don't think Andy does," Lisa said sadly. "Why don't you talk to him about it?" Sara suggested. "It's too close to Wrestlemania for this. I'll probably talk to him afterwards, sometime next week," Lisa answered. "I suppose that's the right thing to do. Neither of you need to be stressed out this weekend," Sara said grinning. Lisa finally smiled at her and nodded. "Yeah, 'cause it's Wrestlemania weekend," she said happily.

"So, what are you and Trish gonna do out there today?" Sara asked. Lisa smiled mischievously. "You'll see," she said cryptically. Sara raised an eyebrow and said, "Remember what Vince said." "I know, I know. It's not gonna be nothin' too bad, don't worry," Lisa responded, "What are you and lil' Carlos doin'?" "Nothin' too special – I'm gonna talk for a few minutes, and then he's gonna come out and trash talk back. And we're gonna play off the crowd, too," Sara answered munching on her food. "Cool deal. Sounds like fun," Lisa said grinning. "Ah, you know, just the usual stuff," Sara responded. "Oh, guess what I found out?" Lisa said excitedly, "Their adding a new booth to the Fan Axxess thing. A 'Legends' section. They're gonna have people from like 15-30 years ago. Three legends each night of Axxess." "That should be very interesting," Sara said. "Yeah, I might have to stop by that booth myself," Lisa said smiling. A few minutes later, Mark walked in with Andy right behind him. Lisa went to stand, but Sara stopped her. "You sit right here," she said quietly. "I can't, Sara. I can't fake like I'm happy anymore," Lisa said before walking away from the table.

Mark and Andy came over to the table a few minutes later, both holding plates loaded up with food. "Jesus, you two are like food vacuum cleaners," Sara said smiling as they sat down. "Where'd Lisa run off to?" Andy asked. "Don't know," Sara answered honestly, "She didn't say where she was goin'." "Oh," Andy said quietly. "Sara, guess who I saw while I was at ringside?" Mark interjected. "Who?" she asked. Mark smiled and said, "Roddy." "Shut up!" Sara exclaimed. "I'm not kiddin', dollface. He stopped by to say hi, and see how we were doin'. He's gonna be at Axxess tonight in the 'Legends' booth," he said chuckling. "Where is he now?!" she asked standing. "I think he left, dollface. He wanted to go check out Axxess early, before he had to work," Mark said. Sara sat back down and frowned slightly. She hadn't talked to Roddy in nearly a year. "He could've at least called to let me know he was gonna be in town," she said quietly. "Don't worry, baby, you'll see him later today," Mark said. "We're gonna be working the whole time, Mark," Sara said matter-of-factly. "Well, Saturday night is the Hall of Fame banquet, so you'll see him then," Mark said. "That's three days away," Sara said quietly. "Well, do you wanna go see if he's still here? We've got about a half an hour 'til the show starts," Mark suggested. Sara smiled and immediately stood, almost running out of the catering room. Mark smiled and looked over at Andy. "You okay, buddy?" he asked. "Yeah, I'll be alright," Andy said quietly. "You wanna talk about it?" Mark asked. "Not really…but thanks," Andy said digging around in his plate of food. Mark hunched his shoulders before turning his focus to his own plate of food.

Sara dashed to the main arena, hoping Roddy was still there. When she got to the pit, she stopped and slowed her breathing. She peeked through the curtain, and sighed. Roddy wasn't out there; in fact, the arena was empty. _I guess everyone's headed outside_, she thought. "Looking for someone?" Sara spun around and took a deep breath. A grin played at her lips and she said, "Maybe." Roddy smiled and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I can't believe you're here," Sara whispered hugging him back just as tightly. "Yeah, you and me both," he said in her ear. "You could've called," she said grinning. "I wanted it to be a surprise," he said pulling back slightly and looking down at her, "You look great, baby." Sara smiled and looked away, feeling her cheeks reddening. "Is that a blush?" Roddy asked smiling. "Yeah," she answered looking back up at him, "I tend to do that a lot nowadays." "Looks good on you," he said. Sara smiled and blushed even more. "Stop it," she whispered. "So, Mark tells me Melissa's gettin' bigger everyday," he said as they headed down the hall. "Yeah, she's my little munchkin. And she's reading now!" Sara said proudly. "Oh, well, congratulations are in order," Roddy said smiling down at her. "Yeah, she reads to us whenever she can. I think her next goal is the Yellow Pages," Sara said chuckling, "She'd do it if I let her." Roddy laughed heartily and asked, "Why won't you let her?" "Because she wouldn't stop until she was done with it. And I don't want my daughter up for a whole week trying to read the Yellow Pages," she asked with a smile.

"So how have you been? We haven't talked in a while," Roddy said. "I've been doin' good. This is, uh, my last Wrestlemania," Sara said sadly. "Really? You're finally gonna hang up the boots?" Roddy asked. "Yeah, in November, after Survivor Series," she answered, "It's setting in hard that this is my last Wrestlemania, too." "Yeah, I know how ya feel," he said quietly. "How'd you deal with it, Roddy?" Sara asked as they sat down at a table in the hallway. "Focused on my house. It looks amazing. I've done so much with it over the years. It's changed a lot since the last time you came…jeez, how long ago was that?" he said grinning at her. Sara smiled and said, "It's been awhile." "You'll have to bring Melissa, too, and Mark, of course," he said. "I don't know. I think these next eight months are gonna probably be the busiest of my whole career," she said. "Yeah, that's how it usually is," Roddy said, "Well, don't worry. You'll have plenty of time after Survivor Series to come visit." Sara smiled and punched his shoulder lightly. He grinned slightly and winked at her. "Are you gonna put Melissa in school soon?" he asked. "Don't know yet, actually. I think I'll wait another year, just so I can actually be there for her big first day," she answered. "That's a good idea," Roddy said. "Yeah, I think so, too. I don't want to push her too soon," Sara said sitting back in the chair, "So, tell me what you've been up to."

"I'm engaged," Roddy answered. Sara's eyebrows raised and she asked, "Really?" "Yeah," Roddy answered. "Is she here?" she asked. "No, she stayed at the hotel today. She doesn't really like wrestling too much," he answered. "What's her name?" she asked. "Ironically, it's Sarah Michelle…but with an H on the end," he answered, "Sarah Michelle Olsen." "How'd you meet her?" she questioned. "Through a friend, about nine months ago," he answered, "We hit it off pretty quickly, and I proposed on Valentine's Day." "When are you getting married?" she asked. "I think in August; we haven't set a solid date yet," he answered. "Well, congratulations," Sara said grinning, "Are you happy?" "Yeah, I am. I didn't think I'd want to get married again, but look at me now," he responded. "Well, good, that's good," Sara said, "You'll be sure to send me an invitation, right?" Roddy smiled and nodded. "You better believe I will," he answered. "What else?" she asked. "Well, I've done a few special appearances, at special events like wrestling conventions. I did one down in Charlotte back in September, and there was this one kid there…Graham, I think his name was. And he had this binder, three- or four-inch binder filled with 30 years of match history of the WWF. Ran from 1973 through 2004, I believe. Only reason he stopped at '04 was because he ran out of ink," Roddy said smiling slightly. "Wow…fans are gettin' more and more out there," Sara said grinning. "Yeah, they are," he said, "So, Vince told me you asked to be made World Champion before you retire. That true?"

"Without a doubt," Sara answered smiling, "Mark was the one who put the thought in my head, and when I actually thought about it, it didn't seem like too bad an idea. I mean, I'm retiring in eight months, and I'd like to do somethin' special like that before November comes around." "That's impressive, Sara, it really is. I'm really proud of everything you've done over the years," Roddy said. "Well, thanks, Roddy," she said grinning slightly. "I mean it, baby. If Vince makes you World champion, you'll have truly earned your place in history," he said smiling. "I think that's what I'm goin' for," she said, "I want to be able to say, when I retire, that I'm one of a kind, that no one will ever be able to do what I did. And even if they do, people will always remember that I did it first." Roddy smiled and said, "You were always out to set unbreakable records." "It's what I do," Sara said grinning. "Yeah, it is. So what's the big 'line?" he asked. "I think it's this one coming up with Carlos, for the Intercontinental title. After that, I don't know. I heard Kevin talking with Mark, and he mentioned my name as a part of that 'line, so I don't really know. Hopefully I can win it before mom dies," she said quietly. "What's wrong with her?" Roddy asked. "She's, uh, she's got breast cancer. And the doctors have told her she has, maybe, six months to go," Sara answered slowly. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sara. Is she here today?" Roddy said. "No, she's staying at the hotel with Melissa. But she's going to be here Sunday night, for the pay-per-view," she answered. "Well, that's good. I can't wait to see her," he said with a grin, "I kinda miss talkin' to her." "You and Sarah should come over tonight. Mark and I'll cook dinner," she suggested, "Melissa would love to see you again, and so would mom." "I just might do that, actually. It'll be nice to have a home-cooked meal instead of hotel food," Roddy said. Sara slowly stood, as did Roddy, and she hugged him tightly. "I've missed talking to you, Roddy," she said quietly. "So have I, hon…so have I," he whispered in her ear. "What time are you done at Axxess?" she asked. "Seven," he answered. "Give me a call when you're done, and I'll let you know where we're staying so you can come over," she said releasing him. "Sure thing, babe. I'll see you around, okay?" Roddy said. "Talk to ya later, Roddy," Sara answered before walking away, a small smile on her face.

"There you are," Mark said as Sara entered his locker room. Vince had gone ahead and assigned locker rooms for the weekend. "Yeah, here I am," she said grinning slightly, "Were you worried?" "Of course not," he answered with his own grin. Sara sat down on his lap and put her arms around his neck. "And why are you so happy?" he asked putting his arms around her waist. "I saw Roddy," she said smiling more broadly. "Really? How's he doin'?" he asked. "Well, you should know, you talked to him, too," she said kissing him softly, "He's comin' over to dinner tonight with his fiancée." "Does this mean I have to cook?" he asked. Sara smiled and answered, "Only if you want to…I was gonna cook anyway." "That should be interesting," he said grinning. "Oh, shut up," Sara said moving to get up. Mark shook his head and tightened his grip on her waist. "What are you doin'?" she asked. "We've got ten minutes," he said innocently. "Oh, no, not here," she answered shaking her head, "I will not have sex in a locker room." Mark raised his eyebrows and grinned mischievously.

"One day you will," he said. "Do you wanna bet on it?" she asked. "What's at stake?" he asked. "If you can get me to have sex in a locker room before I retire, I'll become a housewife. If I don't, you have to take me on a shopping spree once a week," she said smiling. "Eight months is a long time, dollface. You sure you wanna make that bet?" he said dropping soft kisses on her neck. Sara shivered slightly and leaned into him. "You sure you can handle me splurging once a week?" she responded. "Oh, you're on," he said quietly. Sara smiled and stood, and said, "We've got to get to the back doors." Mark looked up at her and sighed. "Alright…but again, eight months is a long time. I'll break you down before you know it," he said standing. Sara smiled and put her arms around his neck. "I can be just as stubborn as you, ya know," she said with raised eyebrows. "Oh, really?" he asked. Sara nodded as he leaned down and glided his lips over her neck. She trembled slightly and let her eyes drift shut. Mark grinned and ran his hands over her sides, easing around to her back, and over her rear end. "Like putty in my hands," he whispered kissing her ear. Sara smiled and released him, then walked out the door. "We'll see who's putty," she said as the door shut. Mark smiled as he left the room as well.

The day passed by fast. Sara stood at the curtain for the entire time of the public workout, watching her co-workers do all they could to entertain the fans. She was supremely surprised with Trish and Lisa's spot on the show. Instead of trash talking, like everyone else had done, they gave a little break in the show by having a bikini contest. Each woman sported one of Philadelphia's main sports teams jerseys; Lisa wore Philadelphia 76ers Allen Iverson's # 3 jersey, while Trish displayed a Philadelphia Steelers football jersey. The crowd went crazy when each woman stripped off her jersey, to reveal very scantily-clad bodies. It was one of the biggest pops of the show. Afterwards, Sara and Mark headed over to Fan Axxess. They barely had time to grab a quick lunch, before being herded to their autograph session. Near the end, Sara's hand began to cramp up. Each stroke of the marker she'd been given caused her more and more pain. Finally, at seven o' clock on the dot, both people stood, waved goodbye to the fans, and quickly left for the back area. Sara stretched out her hand, wincing as the muscles seemed to tighten with each movement.

"You okay, dollface?" Mark asked taking her hand in his. "It just hurts a little…," she whispered as he gently massaged away the tightness. "You looked like you were about to cry out there," he said quietly. "I was," she responded. "Well, we'll go home. I'll cook dinner, and you can just relax and play hostess," he said grinning. "Sounds good to me," she answered grinning back at him, "Roddy's supposed to be giving me a call as soon as he's done at the Legends booth." "Alright, we'll head outta here now," Mark said releasing her hand, "Better?" "Much," she said as he linked his fingers with hers and led her out of the building. They rode back in the same limo they arrived in, and on the way back, Mark continued to massage Sara's hand. When the limo finally stopped in front of the hotel, Sara felt like her hand was falling asleep. Mark opened the door and helped her out, just as her phone rang. She quickly answered it. "Hello," she said tiredly. "Hey, Sara, it's Roddy," came the voice on the other end. "Oh, hi! How was the Legends booth?" Sara said perking up. "It was a lotta fun. The fans had a lot of interesting memorabilia. Remember that guy I told you about, Graham?" he answered. "Yeah," Sara said. "He stopped by, with another notebook. This time, it had pretty much every single match I think I've ever wrestled. It even had a lot of photos, too, and different posters from events I'd been in throughout my career. I signed the front cover, with a nice little thank-you note," he said with a smile, "It was pretty interesting to look through. Most of those matches, I'd actually forgotten about." Sara chuckled softly as they entered the hotel. "So, which hotel are you at?" he said, "I called Michelle, and she's actually looking forward to meeting you." "Great, I want to meet her, too. I want to meet the woman who's got you hooked again," Sara said with a smile, "We're at the Hyatt Regency at Penn's Landing. You got a pen?" "Yeah, hold on…okay, go," Roddy answered. "It's 201 South Columbus Blvd. We're in suite 1313," Sara said. "Oh, lucky numbers," he said chuckling slightly. "Yeah, Mark's got a thing for that number," she said grinning. "Alright, Michelle and I'll be there in about an hour," he said, "Can't wait to see ya, babe." "Same here. See ya in a bit," Sara said before hanging up. "So, when's Roddy gonna be here?" Mark asked as they entered the elevator. "About an hour. What's for dinner?" she asked. "I'm thinking spaghetti with meat sauce, and garlic bread. And a nice red wine to go with it," he answered. "Ah, being creative for the guests, huh?" Sara said smiling up at him. He looked down at her and dropped a kiss on her lips. "Yeah, I love you, too," he whispered.


	70. Disturbing Dinner

**Chapter 69…Disturbing Dinner**

Sara entered the hotel room first, and Melissa crashed into her legs. "Mama!" she said excitedly. Sara smiled and lifted her up, planting a huge kiss on her cheek. "Did you miss me?" she asked. "Yeah," Melissa answered. "I missed you, too," Sara said, "Were you good for Nana?" "Yes, mama. She let me help her cook lunch," Melissa said grinning. "Well, I hope you're hungry, 'cause Daddy's cooking dinner tonight again," Sara said smiling. "Yeah!" Melissa said clapping. Mark grinned as he entered the bedroom. Sara sat down on the couch, Melissa in her lap. "Guess who's comin' to dinner tonight?" Sara asked. "Who?" Melissa asked. "Remember Uncle Roddy?" Sara asked. Melissa nodded and Sara said, "He's coming with his fiancée. So you be on your best behavior tonight, okay?" "Yes, mama," Melissa answered nodding. "Where's Nana?" Sara asked. "Taking a nap," Melissa answered. "Alright. Sit here for me while I go check on her, okay?" Sara said setting her down on the couch. Melissa nodded and picked up one of her books from the coffee table.

Sara went into her mother's room and shut the door. Lucy was lying on her left side; her graying hair spilt slightly over her face. Sara kicked off her shoes and climbed into the bed in front of her mother. Lucy stirred slight, and Sara leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "Hey, there," she said softly. "Hi," Lucy said softly. "How are you feeling?" Sara asked. "Okay. What time is it?" Lucy answered. "It's a little after six," Sara answered quietly. "Where's Melissa?" Lucy asked. "In the living room," Sara responded, "How long have you been asleep?" "A couple hours," Lucy said quietly. "Are you sure you're okay, mom?" Sara asked seriously. Lucy caressed her cheek and nodded. "I promise," she answered. "Guess who's min' to dinner?" Sara asked. "Who?" Lucy asked. "Roddy," Sara said grinning slightly, "He's bringing his fiancée, Sarah Michelle. "Well, this should be interesting," Lucy said. "I told Melissa to be on her best behavior," Sara said quietly. "And are you gonna behave?" Lucy asked grinning at her. "Of course, mama. We'll all behave," Sara answered. "I guess I should get up now," Lucy said slowly sitting up. Sara went to help her, but Lucy pushed her hands away. "Don't," she said quietly, "I'm fine." Sara sighed and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Noises in the kitchen indicated Mark had started preparing dinner. "Don't make too much of a mess in there," she said walking past the doorway. "Yes, ma'am," Mark and Melissa answered.

Sara went into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She quickly undressed and entered the bathroom to take a hot, relaxing shower. She washed her hair thoroughly before stepping out of the tub and wrapping a thick hotel towel around her body. The door opened as she pulled on a pair of underwear. Mark whistled low, and a smile came on Sara's face. She faced him, and he pulled her close. "How's mom?" he asked. "Tired, of course. But she won't show it when Roddy and Michelle get here," she said quietly. Mark sighed and said, "Of course not. How are you?" "I'm okay. A little tired, but I'll be okay," she said softly. Mark grinned and leaned down slowly, kissing her softly. "Where's Melissa?" she asked. "In the living room reading," he answered moving down her neck. "I love you so much," she whispered squeezing his waist slightly. "I love you, too, dollface," he responded, "Melissa wants to come help you brush your hair." "Really?" she asked. He nodded and Sara smiled. "Well, tell her to come on in," she said quietly. "Alright. I'll go finish dinner," he said before releasing her and leaving the room. Sara let out a happy sigh before going into the closet and pulling out clothes for that night. She chose a nice pair of jeans, and a sleeveless tanktop. As she slipped into the pants, Melissa entered the closet.

"Well, hello, there," Sara said grinning down at her. "I can help brush your hair?" Melissa asked. "That's why you're here, right?" Sara responded pulling on her shirt. Melissa nodded, and Sara lifted her onto her hip. "You're not gonna hurt me, are you?" she asked. "No, mommy!" Melissa said smiling. Sara pinched her cheek gently and left the closet. "Well, let me brush it dry first, okay?" she said grabbing her brush from the dresser. "Yes, mama," Melissa answered as Sara put her down. Sara quickly ran the brush through her thick tresses, getting all the tangles out. Her hair had grown over the years, back down to her rear end. It was a hassle sometimes in the ring, but she wasn't going to cut it unless Vince asked her to. Janet had always been able to do it in a way to where it wouldn't interfere too much with her matches. Once she was done, she helped Melissa onto the bed, then sat down in front of her on the floor. "Here ya go, munchkin," she said handing her the brush. Melissa smiled as she began to brush her mother's hair. Nearly ten minutes later, Sara had fallen asleep. Melissa moved carefully off the bed and left the room. Mark saw her enter the kitchen and grinned. "Where's your mother?" he asked. "Asleep," she answered. "What?" he asked. "She fell asleep while I brushed her hair," she said. Mark chuckled slightly and said, "I thought I was the only one who could do that." "Do what, daddy?" Melissa asked as he picked her up. "Put your mother to sleep just by brushing her hair," he said kissing her cheek, "We'll go put her in the bed, and let her sleep for a few minutes, okay?" Melissa nodded and rested her head on his shoulder.

Sara awoke about 20 minutes later. She climbed out of the bed and grabbed the brush from the floor, running it through her hair quickly. _I thought only Mark could put me to sleep just by brushing my hair_, she thought as she went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth. When she entered the living room, she smiled at the sight. Melissa was laying across Mark's lap, and his head was resting against the back of the couch. "What is this, sleepy time?" she asked. Mark's eyes opened, and he winked at her. "You started it," he responded. Sara walked over to him, and planted a light kiss on his lips. "Where's mom?" she asked. "She hasn't come out of her room yet. I think she's still getting ready," he answered. "Is dinner ready yet, daddy?" Melissa asked quietly. "Almost, darlin'," he answered lifting her up, "You still tired?" "No. I'm hungry," she answered. Sara smiled and rubbed the top of her head. "We'll eat soon, baby," she said sitting down beside Mark, "What time is it?" "Almost seven," he answered, "Roddy and Michelle should be here soon." Just as he said that, there was a knock on the door, and Lucy's room door opened. "I'll get it," Sara said standing. Melissa climbed off of Mark's lap and followed her to the door.

Sara opened the door and smiled slightly. Roddy stood there with a woman Sara naturally assumed was Michelle. She was nearly a foot shorter than Sara, and Sara wasn't wearing any shoes. Her brown curly hair fell to her shoulders, and her face was donned with light make-up. Her left hand was wrapped around Roddy's right arm quite possessively. "Hello, there, Sara," Roddy spoke. Sara smiled as she looked over at him. "Hey, there," she said hugging him tightly, "I'm glad you could come over." "Ah, it's not a big deal. And who's this?" Roddy said looking down at Melissa. "It's me, Uncle Roddy. Melissa!" Melissa said happily. Roddy leaned down and said, "No way! The Melissa I know is about a foot shorter!" Melissa smiled and said, "I grew!" Roddy smiled and lifted her up. "How are ya, little girl?" he asked. "Good. I'm reading now," she answered. "Well, that's great! How old are you? Six, seven?" he asked smiling. "I'm three," she said laughing. "Impressive! Guess what I got for you?" Roddy said grinning. "What?" she asked. Michelle handed him a small gift bag, and Roddy gave it to Melissa. "Just a few little things," he answered. "What do you say, Melissa?" Sara asked. "Thank you, Uncle Roddy," Melissa answered. "Well, you're welcome," he said.

"Who's that?" Melissa asked looking up at Michelle. "That's Michelle, she's my fiancée. We're getting married," he answered. "She's short," Melissa said bluntly. "Melissa!" Sara gasped, "I'm so sorry, Michelle." "It's okay. I get that a lot," Michelle said grinning slightly. "Come on in, I'm sorry. Dinner's almost ready," Sara said stepping aside. Roddy set Melissa down, and Sara pulled her to her side as they entered. Sara looked down at Melissa, who was looking at her with innocent eyes. "Munchkin…go sit with your dad," Sara said grinning slightly. Melissa nodded and went over to the couch. Sara shut the door and followed Roddy and Michelle. Mark stood and reached out to shake Roddy's hand. "Nice to see ya again, Roddy. It's been awhile," he said. "Yeah, it has been. This is my fiancée, Michelle," Roddy said pointing to her. "Nice to meet you, ma'am," Mark said politely shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you, too…," she answered. "I'm sorry, Michelle. That's my husband, Mark. And this is my mom, Lucy," Sara said from beside her. Lucy gave Michelle a once-over, then nodded. "Nice to meet you, ma'am," Michelle said. Roddy and Michelle sat down on the small couch across from Sara, who sat down beside Mark.

"So, how's life treating you, Roddy?" Mark asked. "Too well, man," Roddy said looking down at Michelle, who blushed slightly. Sara smiled slightly and said, "Tell us about yourself, Michelle." "Well, I'm originally from San Francisco. I went to school at a bunch of different colleges, but then I realized that wasn't my kind of environment. So, I took what little money I had and moved up to Oregon about five years ago. I got a job at a bar in Portland a few years ago, and now I own my own bar," she answered. "Awesome. You have a lotta fun with that?" Sara asked. "It's hectic some nights, especially during football season, or whenever there's some wrestling event on. The guys really get into that stuff," Michelle answered. Sara glanced at Roddy, who merely winked at her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, Sara. Roddy told me you were…in the business," Michelle said. "It's okay, Michelle. And yes, I am in the business. Both Mark and I are, as a matter of fact," Sara responded, "Roddy told me you're not a big fan of it." "No, not really. It's just not my cup of tea, people throwing each other around for a living," Michelle said. Sara tensed up slightly, but managed to bring a grin to her face. "It's not just throwing each other around, Michelle," she said, "It really is an art, and it's hard work. We have to be innovative every week, to keep the fans coming back for more." "It's just not my cup of tea. It just seems so fake," Michelle said. Sara felt her entire body tense up, and she politely said, "I'm gonna go check on dinner." She stood and picked Melissa up, taking her into the kitchen.

Mark smiled slightly at Roddy, who was staring at Michelle in shock. "What?" she asked. "You don't ever call our business fake," he said seriously. "What's the difference?" she asked. "It's choreographed; it's predetermined. But it never has been, nor will it ever be fake," he said somewhat heatedly. "Well, I'm sorry, darlin'," Michelle said, "Should I go apologize to her?" "No," Lucy spoke up. "But I am. I didn't mean to offend her," Michelle said. "Either way, she's not gonna accept it. So you're better off leaving the subject alone," Lucy said before standing and going into the kitchen. "I'm sorry, Mark. I didn't mean to offend anybody," Michelle said. "Just let it go, Michelle," Mark said kindly. "Alright. How'd you and Sara meet?" she said. Mark chuckled slightly and looked away. "That's quite a story," he said glancing at Roddy. "I know Sara and Roddy used to be married. Roddy told me that part," she said. "Well, it's kind of a long story. And I don't think I know you well enough to tell you right now," Mark said as politely as possible. "Oh, okay," Michelle responded, "How long have you been together?" "We got married about four years ago, but we were together for just over two years beforehand," he answered, "And Melissa just turned three." "Well, she's a beautiful little girl," Melissa said grinning. "Thank you. She got her looks from her mama," Mark said smiling at the thought of Sara. He knew she was probably in the kitchen at that moment ready to throw a few dishes.

"Mom, who does she think she is?" Sara asked as quietly as possible, draining the noodles in the pain, "I mean, she thinks she can come in here and judge me because of what I do. Where the hell did Roddy find her?!" "In a bar," Lucy answered with a grin. Sara couldn't help but smile. "You think she's really in love with him? I mean, he could do so much better than that," she said quietly. "Yeah, I think he could do better. But that's the woman he wants to marry," Lucy said. "Yeah, well…I don't like her," Sara said as she poured the noodles into a large pan. "I don't, either, but Roddy does. And as long as he's happy…that's all that matters, right?" Lucy said quietly. "Yeah, I guess so," Sara said softly. "Is dinner ready yet, mom?" Melissa asked. "Almost, darlin', almost," Sara answered, "Why don't you go tell our guests it is while I finish up?" Melissa nodded and ran into the living room. "You think you can make it through dinner?" Lucy asked as Sara poured sauce into a separate bowl. "As long as that little bitch doesn't say anything else wrong," Sara said heatedly. "Watch your mouth," Lucy said with raised eyebrows. "Sorry, mama," Sara whispered, "I just…she's not right for him. I know Roddy better than most people, and that's not the kinda woman he'd date, let alone marry." "Well, that's your opinion, and you're entitled to it. But as far as I can tell…Roddy's head over heels in love," Lucy said quietly, "All any of us can do is accept it and be happy for him." "Yeah, yeah," Sara whispered. "Come on, let's take this into the dining room," Lucy said picking up a bowl of tossed salad and leaving the room. Sara sighed heavily and grabbed the other two bowls of food, then leaving the kitchen.

Everyone was already seated when Sara finally entered the dining room. Mark had left a seat empty between him and Melissa. She set the full dishes in the middle of the table and said, "Dinner is served." "Can we get a blessing first, Sara?" Michelle asked. "Sure," Sara answered sitting down. Everyone held hands, and Michelle said a quick prayer. "Thank you, Heavenly Father, for bringing us all together to enjoy Sara's cooking. Thank you, Lord, for the love in this room, and for the opportunity for us to get to know each other better. Please bless this food, Father, and allow it to nourish our bodies as well as our mind. I say these things in your eternal Son, Jesus Christ's name. Amen," she said. "Amen," everyone said in unison. "Let's eat," Roddy said as he spooned salad onto Michelle's plate. "Tell me a little bit about yourself, Sara," Michelle said as she placed a napkin over her lap. Sara scooped a little salad onto her and Melissa's plate before passing the bowl to her mother. "Well, I'm from Daytona, Florida, born and raised. I've been an athlete all my life. I graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Radford University, in southwest Virginia. I went there on an academic scholarship. I played sports there as well. And I've been a wrestler for over ten years now. That's pretty much it," she answered politely. "What sports did you play?" Michelle asked. "Women's Rugby. They wouldn't let me on the men's team," Sara answered. "Wow, that's a rough sport. How'd you deal with it?" Michelle asked. "Like I said, I've been an athlete all my life. Pain was nothing new to me during that time," Sara answered, "We even won the National Championship my senior year." "That's quite an accomplishment," Michelle said politely. "Yeah, it was probably the highlight of my college career, other than graduating," Sara said grinning slightly. "It sounds like you had a lot of fun with it," Michelle commented. "I did," Sara said.

"Mommy?" Melissa asked. "Yes, darlin'," Sara answered. "Can we watch a movie tonight when they leave?" Melissa asked. "Of course, sweetheart," Sara said leaning over and kissing her forehead. "Sara, are you gonna be at the banquet tomorrow night?" Roddy asked. "You know it. It gets better and better every year," she answered, "Especially being able to eat dinner with the fans. They're all awestruck for like a half an hour at first, then they finally calm down enough to hold a decent conversation. It's pretty funny." "Yeah, I hear ya. I've got a little surprise announcement," Roddy said grinning. "And what's that?" she asked. "I'm being inducted into the Hall of Fame," he answered. "Are you serious?!" Sara asked shocked. "Yep. That's why I'm in town. The whole Legends booth thing was just for fun," he answered. "Congratulations, baby!" Sara said smiling, "Maybe someday I'll be in there with you."

"Of course you will. All the stuff you've done since you came in, Vince would be crazy not to let you in," Roddy said winking at her. Sara looked down at her plate and blushed slightly. Mark squeezed her thigh under the table and she looked up at him. He simply winked at her, and she blushed even more. "What exactly have you done?" Melissa asked. Sara took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm a multiple-time champion, Melissa. I've wrestled the men and the women, and I've accomplished more than most men ever will," she answered, "I've been in the business for about ten years, and it's been a very productive, very fun ten years." "Are there any other women in this Hall of Fame?" Michelle asked. "One, a woman who went by the name of Fabulous Moolah. She wrestled for over three decades, and was Women's world champion for 27 of those 30-plus years. That's why she got in. It's the longest reign of any wrestler in the history of the company, man or woman," Sara said. "That is impressive," Michelle said grinning. "It is," Sara concurred. "How do they decide how long someone's title reign is going to be?" Michelle asked. "It depends…on how well over the character is, on how that wrestler's coworkers feel about him or her being champion, and how much money that person is bringing into the company," Sara answered. "What's it mean to be over?" Michelle questioned. "Popularity, whether you're a good guy or a bad guy," Sara said, beginning to feel like she was the one being interviewed.

Mark sensed her tension and changed the subject. "How'd you and Roddy meet?" he asked. "In my bar, of all places. A friend of mine thought we'd look cute together, and introduced us. Problem was, I had a full bar, and I was busy bartending, so I didn't pay any attention to him. He came back the next night, and the next night. That happened for about a week straight, so finally I accepted his number. And it just took off from there," she answered looking up at Roddy. He planted a soft kiss on her lips, and Sara rolled her eyes. _Oh, give me a freakin' _break, she thought. This woman was irritating her more and more as time passed. "How long ago was that?" Mark asked. Inside he was laughing; he could feel Sara's hatred towards this woman, but knew she didn't want to hurt Roddy and so kept her feelings to herself. "About nine months ago. He proposed on Valentine's Day. Isn't that just romantic?" Michelle said smiling. "Yeah, of course," Sara answered forcing a smile. If that woman said one more thing to her, she was going to snap her skinny little neck. Mark gently squeezed her thigh again, and she looked up at him. His eyes told her not to say or do anything, and that they would talk once Roddy and Michelle left. "Roddy told me you're getting married in August," she said to Michelle. "Well, those are the plans. I'm working with my dad on the wedding. Needless to say, I have to practically drag him through the process," Michelle said laughing. "Well, I'm sure it'll be a great wedding," Sara forced out. "Yeah, you'll have to come. You, and Mark, and your mom and daughter," Michelle said jovially. "Of course," Sara answered.

A few minutes later, they finally moved on to the main dish. Michelle took a bite, and gasped. "This is excellent, Sara! What's your secret?" she asked after swallowing. "I guess you could say it's my husband. He's the one who cooked dinner tonight," Sara answered. "Wow. You actually trust him in the kitchen?" Michelle said grinning. "Yeah, I do," Sara said, "For the most part, he cooks better than I do." Her heart was clenching inside her chest, and her gut instinct was to beat some sense into this petite woman. "I've never known a man before who could actually cook. This is great, Mark," Michelle smiling at Mark. A tight grin sat on Mark's face. First, this woman had insulted his profession; then, she had insulted his wife; and now, she had insulted him. "Thank you," he said politely. "Mama?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, darling," Sara answered. "I'm not hungry anymore," Melissa said quietly. Sara looked down at her plate and saw that it was only a quarter empty. "Are you sure, munchkin?" she asked. "Yes, ma'am," Melissa answered politely. "Alright. If you wanna go in my room, and brush your teeth, that's okay," Sara said kissing the top of her head. Melissa excused herself from the table and left the dining room. Sara heard her room door shut moments later. "She's a beautiful little girl, Sara," Michelle said. "Thank you, Michelle," Sara said politely.

As dinner wore on for Sara, Michelle continued to talk about the most random things. She spent at least a half an hour talking about her faith, before moving on to the little details of her wedding. Afterwards, she discussed her bar. Finally, at the end of dinner, she started talking about how life was for her now. Around 8:30, Lucy excused herself from the table, and went into Sara's bedroom with Melissa. "Honey, we should get going," Roddy said once Sara's room door shut. "Oh, okay," Michelle said placing her napkin neatly over her plate. "Do you need any help cleaning up?" she asked Sara. "No, it's okay. We'll get it," Mark answered. "I'll walk you to the door," Sara said standing. Michelle and Roddy stood, and Sara did just what she said. She said goodbye to Michelle, and waited for her to leave the suite before hugging Roddy. "I don't know what the hell you're thinkin' marrying that woman," she whispered in his ear. "I love her, Sara. I'm sorry tonight was so hard for you, but I love her," he whispered back. "As long as you're happy, sweetheart, that's all that matters," she said quietly. "Remember, though…I loved you first," he whispered kissing her cheek softly. "Same here, babe. I'll see ya Saturday night," Sara said before shutting the door. Her first instinct was to scream in anger, but Mark grabbed her from behind before she could.

"How ya doin'?" he asked in her ear. "Ready to rip somethin' apart," she answered. "Yeah, I'd be right there with ya," he said softly. Sara faced him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "If she would've said one more offensive thing, I think I would've jumped across the table and ripped her throat out," she said quietly. Mark leaned down and kissed her softly. "I love you, too," he whispered once he pulled away. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "You've got a lot more patience than I do," she said smiling. "Ha! Right," Mark said sarcastically. Sara smiled and rested her head against his chest. "Come on, let's get the dishes cleaned up, and then we'll watch that movie like Melissa wanted," he said quietly. Sara sighed heavily and nodded. "Okay," she said softly, before following him into the dining room. It took them about a half an hour to clean everything up. They found Melissa curled up asleep beside Lucy, who was asleep as well. "Will you get my mom?" Sara asked, "Take her to her room, please?" "Sure thing, dollface," Mark answered picking his stepmother up. "What are you doin'?" Lucy asked opening her eyes. "Taking you to your room, mom," he answered as Sara changed Melissa into her nightclothes. "Is that little wench gone?" she asked. Mark laughed quietly and nodded. "Yeah, she's gone," he answered. "Good. 'Cause if she would've said one more disrespectful thing to you or Sara, I would've used whatever energy I had to sock her good," Lucy said. Mark chuckled and nodded. "Sara said the same thing," he said quietly, taking her into her room. He quickly laid her down, then went back into his own room and shut the door. He heard the shower running, and quickly stripped down.

In the shower, Sara was standing under the hot water, just taking deep, calming breaths. When she felt Mark step in behind her, she smiled and faced him. "Feelin' better?" he asked. "A little bit," she answered softly, "But I know what would help me out…" "And what's that?" Mark asked with raised eyebrows. Sara motioned for him to come closer, then pulled his face down to hers and kissed him as passionately as she could. Mark returned the pressure and picked her up, settling deep inside her. Sara moaned softly as he began to move his hips. "I love you," she whispered biting his earlobe. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered gripping her hips tightly. Sara moaned softly as she felt a climax coming quickly. Her lips locked onto the side of Mark's neck, and she moaned louder against his skin. Mark groaned and he began pumping faster. A few moments later, their bodies relaxed. "Have I told you I love you today?" Mark asked in her ear. "Not that I can recall," she answered grinning. "Well, I love you, dollface…more than I'll ever be able to show you," he whispered kissing her nose. They quickly washed each other, then changed into a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt. Sara climbed into bed first, and Melissa curled up against her. Mark climbed into bed in front of Sara, and pulled both of them close to his body. "Movie," Melissa said softly. "Tomorrow, darlin'," he whispered kissing the back of her head, "Go back to sleep." Sara smiled at him and whispered, "Yeah…tomorrow." Mark nodded, and they both fell asleep peacefully.


	71. Work Day, Family Day

**Chapter 70…Work Day, Family Day**

The alarmed blared in Mark's ear at 7:00 a.m. He groaned and shut it off roughly. Sara stirred, as did Melissa. "Time to get up, dollface," he whispered. "I know," she whispered back, leaning over and kissing his cheek softly. "Mama," Melissa said quietly. "Yeah, darlin'," Sara answered. "Are we gonna watch a movie today?" Melissa asked. Sara chuckled softly and kissed the side of her head. "As soon as mommy and daddy get back from work," she answered. "Okay. Do you want me to go lay with Nana?" Melissa said softly. "Sure, baby girl," Mark said easing her off of his chest. She always ended up there when she slept with him and Sara. Melissa headed out of the room, her head lowered in exhaustion. "Are we gonna have energy to watch a movie, Sara?" he asked as Sara climbed out of the bed. "We'll have to have it," she whispered going into the bathroom. Mark sighed and nodded to himself. "Yeah, I know," he whispered slowly sitting up, groaning again. He stretched his back out before easing out of the bed. "How much longer can you take this, Mark?" he asked himself pulling out a pair of dark black jeans, and a Wrestlemania jersey given to him by Vince. Vince had wanted every wrestler participating in the media day to wear the jersey. "It might influence people to buy the pay-per-view," he'd told them. "I'm gonna go fix us some breakfast, dollface," Mark said through the bathroom door. "Okay," Sara said back to him. Mark grinned and left the bedroom.

Sara quickly showered, washing her hair thoroughly, and stepped out of the tub 15 minutes later. She brushed her hair dry, and went into the bedroom. Her outfit for that day was a loose, floor-length, black silk skirt, and a black spaghetti string silk top. She put her hair up into a tight bun, tucking the ends in with two dark blue sticks. As she dressed, the bedroom door opened, and Sara looked over her shoulder. "Your breakfast, madam," Mark said grinning at her. He was holding a plate filled with fluffy scrambled eggs, and two medium-sized pancakes. Sara smiled and said, "I love you." "I love you more," Mark said bringing the plate over to her and dropping a kiss on her cheek. "Where's Melissa?" she asked. "At the dining room table eating," he answered, "She smelled food and came running." Sara laughed and nodded. "Well, I'll go eat with her while you get cleaned up," she said kissing his cheek in return. Mark entered the bathroom and shut the door. Sara grabbed her plate and went into the dining room. Melissa sat there with a small bowl of cereal in front of her. "Mommy?" she asked. "Yeah, munchkin," Sara said sitting down beside her. "Is Uncle Roddy really marrying that lady that was here yesterday?" Melissa asked. Sara sighed heavily and nodded. "She doesn't seem too smart," Melissa said before scooping cereal into her mouth. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "No, she doesn't. But Uncle Roddy loves her, and that's all that matters," she said quietly. "Like Daddy loves you?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, baby, like daddy loves me," Sara said, "Eat up." Melissa nodded and turned her attention to her food, as Sara did the same.

Mark came into the living room nearly 20 minutes later. Sara was stretched out on the couch, with Melissa lying on her stomach. "Dollface?" he said softly, picking Melissa up. Sara opened her eyes, looking up at him. "Yeah?" she asked. "I'm gonna go put Melissa with your mom, and then we'll head outta here, okay?" he said softly. "I'll go finish getting ready," she answered standing. Mark nodded as she went back into their bedroom. Sara quickly brushed her teeth, then put on her makeup for the day: light foundation, dark blue eyeshadow, and dark red lipstick. _Simple, but effective_, she thought dabbing away the excess lipstick. "Perfect," Mark whispered. Sara jumped slightly and looked up at him. "Don't sneak up like that," she whispered. Mark grinned innocently and leaned down to kiss her. "No way, Mark. You're not messing this up," she said stepping back. Mark took a step towards her, his grin turning somewhat evil. "Says who?" he asked softly. "Says me," she said putting a hand on his chest. "You really think that's gonna stop me?" he asked looking down at her hand. "No, but if we're late, Vince is gonna kill both of us," she said crossing her arms. Mark rolled his eyes playfully and stepped aside to let her out of the bathroom. She walked by, and he pinched her rear end. Sara yelped and spun around, her hands on her bottom. "You sly, sneaky little devil," she whispered. "No time to be mad. We're gonna be late," he said spinning her around and leading her out. Sara chuckled as they left the suite.

The limo pulled into the arena back parking lot a half an hour later. Mark helped Sara out, and they headed inside. Vince wanted everyone to meet there so he could give out individual schedules. Some people's schedule's started earlier than others, like Mark's and Sara's. They were going to be doing media visits from 10:00 a.m. until roughly 5:00 p.m. The couple quickly found Vince's office, and went inside. Vince was talking with Shane and Linda at his desk. "Morning, you two," Vince spoke. "Morning, Vince," Sara spoke, "So, what's the schedule for us today?" "Busy," he answered grinning. Sara smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I figured that much," she said. "You've got two television shows, and three radio shows to do," he said handing her their itinerary, "And there's even a couple of newspaper interviews. And on your itinerary is a little explanation of what you'll be talking about for the various media." "As much as it takes to get the word out, right?" Mark said glancing down at the sheet with Sara. "Exactly," Vince said smiling, "Love the jersey, Mark." "Thanks," Mark said grinning slightly. "Is Jim coming with us, or somebody else?" Sara asked. "We're putting Jim with Shawn for the day. But you'll be accompanied by Jon and Vic," Vince answered, "I'll radio Jim and tell him to send 'em to the parking lot so you guys can head on outta here." "Excellent," she said heading for the door, her eyes still on the sheet. Mark opened the door for her, and followed her out.

Vic and Jon were already in the parking lot waiting for them. "Morning, you two," Sara said as Vic held the limo door open for her. "Morning, Sara. How are ya?" he answered. "Good, Vic," she said before climbing in. Mark climbed in behind her, followed by the two security guards. "So, how's things goin', Vic? Jon?" Sara asked. She always tried to make conversation with whomever Jim assigned to her and Mark. "Good. My wife and I are now parents of a little boy," Vic answered. "Oh, wow, congrats!" Sara said smiling at him. "Yeah, congratulations," Mark said, "Children are a real blessing to have." Sara looked up at him, and he winked at her. "Speaking of kids, how's Melissa doin'?" Jon asked. "She's real good, Jon. She's growing just as fast as she can," Sara said, "Who knows? She may end up taller than me." "Wow," Jon said grinning. "Yeah, I know," she said smiling, "How's life treating you?" "It's good, it's good. I just finished building my own little house outside of Stamford. Now, I've got to get around to furnishing it. Sleeping on the floor isn't too comfortable anymore," Jon said with a smile. "Yeah, I'd suppose not," she said grinning slightly, "Does the limo driver know where we're going?" "Yeah, he got a list of the addresses, and he knows when we have to be at each one," Vic answered. "Okay, excellent," she said leaning against Mark.

The morning went faster than Sara expected it to. They finished up their television interviews before noon, and had a quick lunch. During lunch, Sara felt the urge to call her hotel room. The phone was answered by Lucy. "Hey, mom, is everything okay?" Sara asked. "Yeah, darlin'. Melissa's sitting down for lunch right now, actually," Lucy answered. "Oh, okay," Sara said quietly. "Were you worried about me?" Lucy asked. "I don't know, mom. It's just…I got this urge to call and make sure everything was okay," Sara answered. "Well, yes, everything is fine. How's the media day goin'?" Lucy said. "It's great. We finished up with the television interviews in two hours, and Mark and I are having a small lunch before we head to the _Boston Globe_ office," Sara said smiling. "That's great. What time do you think you'll be done?" Lucy said. "Probably in a couple hours, if we keep at the pace we're going," Sara answered. "Well, don't rush yourself. Melissa and I are having the time of our lives together. We're thinking of going to see a movie," Lucy said smiling. "Do you have energy for that?" Sara asked. "I'll make the energy for it, Sara. I told you I was gonna spoil my granddaughter, and that's just what I'm doing," Lucy said quietly. "Alright, mom. I gotta go, but we'll be back by five," Sara said, "I love you." "I love you, too, darlin'. See ya in a few hours," Lucy said before hanging up. Sara clicked the phone shut and looked across the table at Mark. "Is everything okay?" he asked. "Yeah, Melissa's having lunch right now, and mom's gonna take her out for a movie afterwards," Sara answered. "Well, good. At least mom's up and about, ya know, instead of laying around the room," Mark said. "Yeah, I guess so," Sara said poking at her salad. "Don't worry, dollface. She's fine. With Melissa there with her, she has something to put her focus on," Mark said touching her hand. Sara forced a grin and nodded. "I know," she whispered.

"Sara?" Vic said. "Yeah, what's up?" Sara answered. "We've got to head outta here. The _Globe_ is expecting you two soon," Vic said. "Okay, that's fine," she said. Mark laid out money for the food, and Sara followed the three men out to the limo. They arrived at the _Boston Globe_ office in only 15 minutes. Vic and Jon led the way inside, as there were seemingly hundreds of fans standing outside the doors. Sara shook as many hands as she could, and promised to sign autographs when she came back out. Mark went up to the front office desk, and told the secretary what they were there. "I'll call Michael down here right away," he told them, "It'll only be a moment's wait." "Thank you," Mark said politely. A few minutes later, a young black man came from the back, a smile plastered on his face. "Welcome, 'Taker, Angel! It's a pleasure for me to be able to interview you," he said extending his hand. "Not a problem, kid, but please, call me Sara," Sara said smiling. "Not a problem. My name's Brent," he said, "I'm a big fan, so when my editor told me I would be covering Wrestlemania weekend, I almost passed out in the middle of his office." Sara chuckled slightly, and said, "Well, it's our pleasure to provide you with an interview." "If you'll follow me, I'll take you back to one of the conference rooms," Brent said. "Lead the way, and we'll follow," Sara said. She could see Brent had a slight hop in his step, almost one of pure pride in what he was doing. They entered a small conference room, and Vic and Jon stood outside the door.

"Can I get you guys anything to drink? Coffee, water…," Brent offered as Mark and Sara seated themselves. "No, we're fine, but thank you," Sara said politely. "Alright, I guess we'll just go ahead and start," Brent said pulling out a tape recorder, "You don't mind if I record this, do you? It's easier than writing." "No, that's fine," Sara answered. "Okay, first question. How long have you been wrestling?" Brent said. "I've been wrestling for just over ten years now," Sara answered. "About 12 years now," Mark answered, "But 10 with the WWE." "Okay. How many Wrestlemania pay-per-views have you wrestled in?" Brent asked. "Eight," Sara answered. "Ten," Mark answered. "Do either of you keep track of your win-loss records?" Brent asked. "Well, win-loss records don't really matter, ya know. It's the fact that you're on the card that makes it special," Sara said. "Do you agree, 'Taker?" Brent asked. "Definitely. It's a huge honor to be on a Wrestlemania card," Mark answered. "There's a lot of hype around this year's Wrestlemania. Sara, you're going to be wrestling for the Intercontinental title, and 'Taker, you've got a match against Nash for the World title. Are you excited about your matches?" Brent asked. "Without a doubt, Brent. Wrestling on a Wrestlemania card is one thing. Wrestling for a championship title is a whole other story. You're able to take it the next level being in that situation," Sara answered. "What about you, 'Taker?" Brent asked. "Like Angel said, wrestling for a championship, you have to take your game to the next level. The fans expect it, and you expect it of yourself," Mark answered. "What makes this Wrestlemania so special for you?" Brent continued. "Well, every Wrestlemania is gonna have it's moments. There's no way I could predict what's going to happen this year. All I can say is, the fans are definitely gonna get their money's worth," Sara answered smiling, "Philadelphia is always a great place to have a pay-per-view, and the fact that's it's in Philadelphia is gonna be amazing." "Your view on this year's Wrestlemania, 'Taker?" Brent asked looking at Mark. "It's unique, being in Philadelphia. This a town of hero stories. Look at what Rocky Balboa did. That's gonna be nothin' compared to what the WWF Superstars are gonna showcase this Sunday," Mark answered.

The interview continued for another 20 minutes. Around one o' clock, Sara and Mark finally left the building. There were still hordes of people outside the doors. Sara signed as many autographs as she could on the way to the limousine, Mark practically pulling her along. When they were all inside the limo, Sara stared at Mark. "I know you wanted to sign all those autographs, dollface, but we've got a schedule to stick to," he said quietly. Sara sighed heavily and nodded. "I know…I just wanna make the most of this weekend," she said softly. Mark put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, kissing the side of her head. "I know, dollface," he whispered. The rest of the day zoomed by for Sara, much to her dismay. As much as she wanted to relax, she also wanted that day to last as long as possible. When the limo finally pulled in front of their hotel around 5:00 p.m., she was exhausted. The radio interviews had lasted longer than she expected them to. The deejays had kept them the entire time they were supposed to.

"Thanks, Vic, Jon, for coming with us today. We appreciate it," Sara said as she climbed out. "Not a problem, Sara. We'll see you guys later," Jon said. Sara shut the door and followed Mark inside. Inside the elevator, Mark suddenly picked Sara up, squeezing her close to him. "What are you doin'?" she asked trying to get down. "Nope, you're not goin' anywhere," he said winking at her. "And why not?" she asked. "Because I said so. We don't have to do anything for the rest of the night, or all day tomorrow, so you and I, and our daughter, and our mother, are going to relax like crazy," he said once the doors opened. Sara smiled broadly as he carried her down to their room door before finally letting her down. She opened the door, and laughed as Melissa came crashing into her legs. "I guess you missed me, huh?" Sara asked. Melissa held up her arms, signaling that she wanted to be picked up. Sara complied and scooped her up. "Hungry?" she asked. "No, Nana just cooked dinner," Melissa answered, "We were waiting for you to get back." "Oh, really? What'd she cook?" Sara asked. "Lasagna," Melissa said smiling. "Oh, sounds good," Sara said heading towards the kitchen. Her mother had just pulled out a pan from the oven. "Hey, mom," Sara spoke. Lucy set the pan down on the stove, and wiped the back of her forehead. "Hey, Sara. How were the rest of your interviews?" Lucy answered washing her hands. "They were a lot more fun than usual. I guess because it's my last Wrestlemania weekend," Sara said quietly. Lucy faced her as Sara put Melissa down. "I'm gonna go clean up, okay?" Lucy said, "I'll be back in a little bit." Sara nodded as she left the kitchen. "Wanna sneak a taste?" she asked Melissa. Melissa nodded and Sara picked up a fork, going to dip a little piece out of the pan. "Don't you dare," Lucy said from the kitchen doorway. Sara dropped the fork and looked at her innocently, saying, "What?" Lucy smiled and winked at her.

"I learned a new word today, mommy," Melissa said leading Sara into the living room where Mark was. "Really? What's that?" Sara asked. "Whiskey," Melissa answered, "I heard it on television." Mark burst into laughter, and Sara covered her eyes. "What's whiskey, mama?" Melissa asked. "You're too young to know that, Melissa," she answered plopping down beside Mark, "Do you have a movie you wanna watch tonight?" "How about _Dinosaur_?" Melissa asked. "What's that?" Sara asked. "It's a cartoon movie…about dinosaurs!" Melissa answered laughing. Sara rubbed her hair and said, "Go wash your hands before dinner." "Yes, mama," Melissa said hopping off the couch and running into their bedroom. "Gotta love her spunk," Mark said. "Yeah, she's just like you," Sara said grinning up at him. "I can't believe her word of the day was whiskey," Mark said chuckling. "Yeah, she watched too much television today for that one to have stood out," Sara said smiling, "You up for a movie tonight?" "Yep," Mark answered, "Are you?" "I'll try to be," Sara answered honestly. Lucy came into the living room a few minutes later, as did Melissa. "I guess it's dinner time, huh?" Sara asked. "Yep!" Melissa answered following Lucy into the kitchen. Sara smiling, reveling in her daughter's energy. "Come on, dollface," Mark said standing and pulling her up, "We'll make it." Sara sighed happily and followed him into the kitchen, saying, "Yeah…we will."

After dinner, Melissa put in the video tape Lucy had picked up for her earlier, and climbed onto the couch between Mark and Sara. "What made you pick this one out for her, mom?" Sara asked. "It was a cartoon," Lucy answered, "And the description seemed pretty decent." "It'll be good, mama, I promise," Melissa said looking at her. Sara smiled and dropped a kiss on her nose. Within an hour of starting the movie, though, Sara, Lucy, and Melissa had fallen asleep. Mark chuckled as he stood and stopped the movie. "What are you doin'?" Sara asked softly. "Everyone's asleep," he answered. Sara looked over at her mom, then down at Melissa. "We'll watch it tomorrow, dollface," Mark said quietly. Sara nodded and asked, "Will you get--." "I'll take her, dollface," Mark said picking up Lucy. "What do you think you're doin'?" Lucy asked. "Mom, you're tired, Sara's tired, and Melissa's tired. We're all goin' to bed," he answered taking her into her room. Lucy sighed heavily and said, "I guess I used up more energy than I thought I had. Melissa's got a lotta spunk." "Yeah, she does," Mark said laying her down in her bed, then pulling the covers over her, "You gonna be okay?" "Don't worry about me," Lucy said, "I'll see you tomorrow morning, Mark." Mark kissed her forehead softly and said, "Goodnight, mom," before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. He cut off the television, then went into his own bedroom.

"Is mom okay?" Sara asked. "Yep, she's fast asleep," he answered. "I think we're all gonna call it an early night," Sara said pulling covers over Melissa. "Yeah, eight o' clock is pretty early," he said softly, "But I think we deserve a long night's sleep." "I agree," Sara said looking down at Melissa, "She's so innocent, Mark. How'd we get so lucky?" "We're not lucky, dollface…we're blessed," Mark said quietly, "We should have more." "You want a little boy, don't you?" she asked looking over at him. Mark grinned and nodded. "It'd be nice," he answered. "We'll work on it after I retire," she said quietly. "Oh, is that a promise?" he asked grinning. "Yeah," she said pulling him into the bathroom, "It's a promise." They quickly showered and changed into nightclothes, before climbing into bed. "Goodnight, dollface," Mark said kissing her cheek. Sara said the same before falling into a comfortable sleep, Mark not too far behind her.

Mark awoke alone to smell of breakfast cooking. He stretched out his taut muscles, yawning loudly, before rolling his legs over the edge of the bed. "Daddy! You're standing on me!" came Melissa's voice from the floor. Mark moved his feet apart, and looked down at his smiling daughter. "Well, my feet belong on the floor, so what am I supposed to do?" he asked picking her up. "Watch where you're stepping," she answered innocently. "You little devil," he said kissing her nose, "Where's mama?" "In the kitchen with Nana," Melissa answered, "They're cooking us a big breakfast!" "Oh, really? And what's for breakfast?" he asked standing. "Pancakes, and sausage, and eggs, and biscuits, and orange juice!" she exclaimed. "Well, that _is_ a big breakfast," Mark said setting her down, "Why don't you go set the table while daddy gets cleaned up, okay?" Melissa nodded and dashed from the room. Mark chuckled and went into the bathroom. He quickly relieved himself, then washed his hands and face, and brushed his teeth. When he entered the dining room, Melissa was in the process of setting out forks and knives. "Good job, munchkin," he said rustling her hair. "Thanks, Daddy. Mama said she wants to see you in the kitchen, pronto," Melissa said looking up at him with wide eyes. "Really?" he asked. "Yes, sir," Sara answered from the kitchen.

Mark entered the kitchen with a slight frown on his face. "What's wrong, dollface?" he asked quietly. Sara looked over her shoulder at him, a grin on her face. "Come here," she whispered. Mark walked up to her, and she slowly faced him. Her arms made their way around his neck, and her lips locked onto his. Mark sighed heavily and he deepened the kiss. "Jeez, you two, get a room," Lucy said chuckling. Sara ignored her, and pulled Mark closer to her. Lucy rolled her eyes and went into the dining room to help Melissa finish setting the table. Mark slowly pulled away and asked, "And what was that for?" "Don't know, really. Just a little good morning kiss," Sara answered grinning slightly. "Oh, well, good morning to you, too," he said, "You and mom are in here cooking up a storm." "Well, I was hungry," Sara said turning back to the stove and scrambling the eggs, "And Melissa wanted a big breakfast, so I decided I'd fix one." "What about me?" Mark asked. Sara smiled and hunched her shoulders. "Leftovers," she answered. Mark smiled and gripped her waist, pulling her back against him. "Really?" he said kissing her neck softly, "I'm only good for leftovers?" Sara trembled slightly and shook her head. "Of course not, baby," she whispered, "You're the main dish…but if you don't stop, I'm gonna burn these eggs, and I know you don't like burnt food, so get outta here." Mark planted one more kiss on her neck before leaving. Sara sighed happily as she pulled the biscuits from the oven.

"How are you feeling, mom?" Mark asked as he helped Lucy set out plates. "I'm feeling better, Mark. I think I just needed to get away from Daytona, and be around you guys. Just gives me a lot more energy," Lucy answered. "Good. Melissa's not tiring you out, is she?" Mark said. "No. If anything, I feel better because of her. She's a great little girl, Mark, she really is," she said quietly. "Thanks, mom. I appreciate that, I really do," he said grinning slightly. "Have you thought about having more?" Lucy asked smiling. "Yeah, a little. I'd like a little boy, but whatever happens, it happens," Mark answered. "Melissa could use a little brother, to make her tougher," Lucy said. Mark chuckled softly and nodded. "Yeah, I suppose that'd be a reason," he said as Sara entered with two plates full of food. "A reason for what?" Sara asked setting the plates on the table. "I might be getting a brother!" Melissa said happily. "Oh really? When did we decide that?" Sara asked looking at Mark. "Uh…," Mark said chuckling nervously, "Um…" "Mommy, where do babies come from?" Melissa asked sitting down in one of the chairs. "I'll let you answer that one, Mark," Sara said returning to the kitchen. Mark's jaw dropped, and Lucy went into the kitchen as well, her laughs echoing off the walls. "Daddy, where do babies come from?" Melissa asked. "A bird flies them to a mommy and daddy's doorstep," he answered creatively. "Uh-uh!" Melissa said, "A bird didn't fly me to you." "And how do you know?" Mark asked. "That's not what I saw on TV," Melissa said. Mark's jaw dropped again and he slapped his forehead. "So why ask?" he said smiling at her. "To see what you'd say," Melissa answered as Sara and Lucy returned.

"So, what creative answer did you come up with?" Sara asked setting the bowl of eggs in the center of the table. "She apparently already knows," Mark answered taking a seat beside Melissa. "What?" Sara asked. "I saw it on The Learning Channel," Melissa said, "That's nasty, mama." "Oh, my God," Sara whispered. "That's what I said, dollface," Mark said chuckling. Lucy sat down across from Melissa, and Sara sat down across from Mark. "Melissa, you wanna say grace?" Sara said. "Okay," Melissa said smiling. Everyone held hands, and Melissa said with a smile, "God is grace, God is good. Let us thank Him for this food. Bow our heads, we all be fed. Give us, Lord, our daily bread. Amen!" "Amen," everyone else said. Mark picked up the bowl of eggs, scooped a small portion onto Melissa's plate, before serving the other two ladies. Sara distributed the pancakes to everyone, before piling three onto her plate. "I'm gonna have to workout hard later to work this off," she said smiling. "You're not fat, mama," Melissa said. Sara smiled and reached over to rub her hair. "Thanks, darlin', but I gotta stay in shape for my job," she said. "Oh, okay," Melissa said before diving into her food. "So, what are the plans for today?" Mark asked. "Relax all day," Sara answered simply. "Good idea," Mark said watching her put a piece of pancake into her mouth. "Are we gonna watch the whole movie today, daddy?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, darlin'. We'll watch the whole thing," he answered. "Promise?" Melissa asked chewing on eggs. "Yeah, darlin', I promise. No one will fall asleep," Mark answered taking a gulp of orange juice.

"What time do we have to be at that dinner, Mark?" Sara asked. "It starts at eight, so Vince wants us there at seven," he answered. "And your tux is ready, right?" Sara asked grinning. "Yes, dollface, it's ready. Clean-pressed and hanging up in the closet right beside your little outfit," he answered. "Good," Sara said. "How long will you be gone, mama?" Melissa asked. "For about three or four hours," Sara answered. "Do I have to go to bed before you leave?" Melissa asked. "Not if Nana doesn't make you," Sara answered. "Will you make me, Nana?" Melissa asked Lucy. "Nope. I'll spoil you and let you stay up until ten," Lucy answered smiling. "Wow, that's late," Melissa said. "Didn't I tell you Thursday night I was gonna spoil you silly?" Lucy asked. "Yes, ma'am," Melissa answered. "Well, I'm gonna do just that," Lucy said smiling. Melissa smiled and continued with her meal.

A half an hour later, Sara finally began to clear the table. "Let it sit, Sara, we'll take care of it later," Mark said pulling her into the living room, "We promised Melissa a movie." Sara sighed and nodded. "You've gotta keep me up," she said quietly. "You slept for almost 12 hours, dollface, and you're still tired?" he asked. "Just a little," she answered. Mark sat down on the couch, and Sara sat down beside him, Melissa sitting on Mark's lap. Lucy started the tape and sat down in the small lounge chair beside the couch. The movie actually kept Sara awake; the plot was interesting, the graphics were superb, and the characters were witty. She found herself laughing as much as Melissa was. When the movie was over, Sara took it out and looked over at Melissa. "What now?" she asked. "Nap time," Melissa answered yawning. Sara couldn't help but chuckle. "Come on, darlin'," she said picking her up from Mark's lap, "Did you like the movie?" "Mmhmm," Melissa answered resting her head on Sara's shoulder, "Can we watch it again tomorrow?" "Daddy and I have to work tomorrow, darlin'. Maybe you and Nana can watch it before you come to the arena," Sara said as they entered her bedroom. "What time are we coming to the arena?" Melissa asked. "Sometime in the afternoon, maybe around five o' clock," Sara answered putting her in the large bed. "Will you and Daddy be coming to pick us up?" Melissa asked. Sara laid down beside her and rubbed her hair. "Maybe," she said smiling. "Are you gonna be dressed up if you do?" Melissa said softly, "You always look nice when you dress up, mama." Sara smiled even more and kissed the side of her head. "Thank you, darlin'. I probably won't be, though. I don't get ready until around six," she said quietly, "Let's go to sleep now, okay?" Melissa nodded and curled up against her mother's warm body, falling asleep within a few minutes. Sara yawned slightly, pulling Melissa a little bit closer to her.

Mark walked in just as she was about to fall asleep. "Dollface?" he said softly. "Yeah, hon?" Sara answered. "I'm gonna go out for a little while. Andy just called and he wants to hang out for a little bit," Mark said. "Is he okay?" she asked softly. "I think he and Lisa just broke up. He sounded really down, so I think we're gonna go have a few drinks," he answered. "Do you think I should come?" she asked going to sit up. "Nah, go ahead and sleep. Besides, I think Andy actually wants to talk to me about you," he said leaning over and kissing her cheek softly. Sara sighed and looked down at Melissa. "Don't worry, dollface. Everything's gonna work out fine," he said quietly. Sara nodded and looked over her shoulder at him. "I love you, Mark," she whispered. Mark grinned and said, "Always and forever, right?" "Maybe a little longer than that," Sara said grinning as well. "Go to sleep, dollface. Your mom went to take a nap, too, so I'm the only one awake. I'll be back around five," he said kissing her cheek again. "Just don't get too drunk, Mark. We've got that banquet tonight, remember?" she said quietly. "I won't, dollface. I'll nurse the beers I drink, make 'em last as long as I can," he answered. "Alright, I'll see you when you come back," she said before turning back over and putting her arm around Melissa. Mark left the room, shutting the door behind him. He grabbed the keys to their rental truck, as well as his wallet, before leaving the suite.

Andy had told him to meet him at a bar called Whiskey's Food & Spirits. When Mark pulled into the parking lot, he let out a hearty laugh. The sign above the bar said, "Welcome to Hog Heaven!" in huge letters. "Now this is a man's bar," he said quickly parking near the back. Andy was already outside waiting for him. "Hey, man, how are ya?" Mark asked extending his hand. Andy shook it and hunched his shoulders. "As good as can be expected, I guess," he answered, "I already talked to the manager, and he said he'd get us a table in the back." "Excellent. Is it pretty crowded?" Mark asked. "Not really, but the manager said it might pick up around five, because it's a hot spot for youngsters," Andy answered. "Well, I told Sara I'd be back at the hotel by then, so we shouldn't have too much to worry about," Mark said as they entered. A waitress quickly showed them to their table, and handed them menus. "My name's Brittany. Can I get you guys anything to drink?" the young woman asked. "Yeah, a pitcher of Miller," Andy answered, "And two mugs." "Alright, I'll be right back," Brittany said with a smile. She returned moments later with the pitcher and mugs. "Thanks," Andy said quickly filling the two mugs. "Would you like a few minutes to look over the menu?" Brittany asked. "Yeah," Mark answered. Brittany nodded before walking away.

"So, man…what happened between you and Lisa?" Mark asked Andy. "Well, uh…we were in our hotel room, and all of a sudden, she just stood and said she couldn't handle it anymore. She said she couldn't compete for my attention anymore," Andy answered quietly. "Why would she say that?" Mark asked. "Well, she, uh…she knows that I'm still in love with Sara," Andy answered slowly. Mark nodded and said, "I think everybody can see that." Andy looked at him in surprise. "You mean you don't have any problems with that?" he asked. "Andy, I've known you for about six or seven years now, and you've been real close to Sara for that same time period. As much as we went through, it's the only logical thing that could happen," Mark said, "That's not to say I don't have a problem with it. I mean, you're one of my best friends…but Sara is my wife." "And I understand that completely. I'd never, in a million years, ever try to take her from you. She wouldn't let me, and you sure as hell wouldn't let me," Andy said before downing half of his beer. "She was really concerned about how things would end up with you and Lisa, though," Mark said taking a small sip. He promised Sara he wouldn't drink too much, and he was going to fulfill that promise. "Yeah, she's got a big heart…enough room for pretty much everybody," Andy said quietly. "Yeah, that's probably one of her best qualities," Mark said. Andy merely nodded, but kept his eyes on his glass.

"So, where's Lisa right now?" Mark asked. "She, uh…she said she was going for a walk," Andy answered, "I love her, Mark, I really do…I could've imagined marrying her…having children with her…" "Did you ever tell her that?" Mark asked. "No…I mean, I told her I loved her all the time…but never really more than that," Andy said quietly, "In the back of my mind, I was always comparing her to Sara…" Mark took another sip of his beer and leaned back in the seat. "Are you gonna stay in your hotel room?" Mark asked. "I don't know…Lisa probably doesn't want me to. God, she looked so sad…like she was gonna cry. I never wanted to hurt her, man…I never meant to," Andy answered. "Guys never do. As much as women think we do, we honestly don't. We're just too focused on our own feelings to ever tell them that," Mark said quietly. "Yeah," Andy said before finishing off his beer in one gulp. "Don't drown in your sorrows, man. It won't help," Mark said as Andy poured himself another mug. "Yeah, I know," Andy said practically downing his second beer in one gulp. "Am I gonna have to take that pitcher from you?" Mark asked as Andy poured a third mug. "Nope," Andy answered, "I think I'm gonna nurse this one…" "If I had room in my suite, you know I'd let you stay, but Lucy and Melissa are there," Mark said quietly. "I know, man…I guess the old saying's true," Andy said. "What saying?" Mark asked. "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone," Andy answered sipping on his beer. "Yeah…seems guys learn that lesson the hard way," Mark said, "Are you going to the banquet tonight?" "I don't know…Lisa and I were supposed to go together," Andy answered.

Brittany walked up a few moments later, and asked if the two men were ready to order. Mark looked over the menu quickly, before shaking his head. "I think we're good, Brittany," he answered handing the menu to her. "What about you, sir?" she asked Andy. "Nah, I'm good. You might wanna bring another pitcher over here in about ten minutes, though," he answered handing her the second menu. "Not a problem, sir," she said before walking away. "So what are you gonna do about the banquet tonight?" Mark asked. "I don't know…any advice?" Andy answered. "Talk to Lisa…maybe this was just a reality check for you…to let you know how much you really do care about Lisa," Mark said. Andy sighed heavily and nodded before taking another gulp of his beer. "You think I should call her?" he asked pulling out his cell phone. "Not while you're drinking," Mark answered taking it away, "We'll stay here for a few hours. You'll go back to your hotel…relax until you have to get dressed, and sober up, because the way you're goin', you're gonna be drunk in about an hour." "Yeah, probably," Andy answered quietly, then finishing off his third beer. Mark could only stare as Andy gulped that one down. "Listen man, I'm telling you to slow down," Mark said quietly. "I can't, Mark…I'm hurtin', man…hurtin' real bad right now," Andy said hanging his head in shame. "I understand that, Andy, but drinking isn't gonna help you," Mark tried arguing. "Look, Mark, you don't understand…what I feel for Sara…it rivals what you feel," Andy said looking up at him. "I doubt that, Andy. No one can love Sara the way I do," Mark said with a grin. "I'm serious, man. You don't know the bond that Sara and I have," Andy said, his words slightly slurred. "And just what bond would that be, Andy?" Mark asked, a grin still on his face. "We--."

Andy's phone rang at that moment, and Mark looked down at the caller ID. It said Lisa's name in the little window, and Mark showed it to Andy. "Do you think I should answer it?" Andy asked. "I'll answer it," Mark said flipping open the phone, "Hey, Lisa." "Who's this?" Lisa asked. "It's Mark," Mark said grinning. "Oh, hey, Mark. How are you?" Lisa said. "I'm doin' good," he answered. "Is Andy nearby?" Lisa asked. "Yeah, but he's not doin' so good right now," Mark said as Andy finished off his fourth beer and poured a fifth. "Where are you guys?" she asked. "At a small little bar," he answered, "Just having a few drinks, and trying to relax before tonight." "Oh…how much has Andy had?" she asked. "He's on his fifth beer, and we've been here all of five minutes," he answered. "Jesus…," she said quietly. "Yeah, I know. I'll look out for him, though, Lisa," Mark said watching Andy gulp down his beer in a few seconds. "Thanks, Mark…I love him, and I don't wanna him to drink himself stupid," Lisa said softly. "Me, either, hon. Don't worry, I'll bring him back safe and sound, okay?" he said. "Thank you, Mark. I really appreciate that," she answered. "Not a problem. He's done that for me more times than I could count," Mark said, "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?" "Alright, Mark. Will you tell Andy something for me?" she said quietly. "Yeah, sure," he answered. "Tell him I love him…and I don't want our relationship to end," she said slowly, "We might have to talk some things out, but I think we can make it…I really do." "Alright, I'll pass the message along," he said, "Bye, Lisa." Lisa said the same, and Mark hung up the phone.

"What'd she say?" Andy asked. "First of all, slow the hell down, Andy," Mark said pulling the pitcher away. Andy sighed and pushed his mug away. "Fine," he said quietly. "Second…you and her have talking to do," Mark answered. "She's gonna break up with me, Mark…I can't deal with that," Andy said reaching for his mug again. "She's not gonna break up with you, so quit worrying," Mark said quietly. "How do you know?" Andy asked. "She just told me," Mark answered, "She said she loves you…and she doesn't want your relationship to end." "Really?" Andy asked before sipping on his beer. "Yeah…her words exactly," Mark answered. Andy sighed, and a smile finally came to his face. "I'm gonna propose to her tonight, Mark," he said happily, "I've got the ring and everything." "Good for you, man. It's about time you got hitched," Mark said smiling as well. "What do you say to a few celebratory shots?" Andy asked. Mark sighed and nodded. "I'd say that's somethin' worth celebrating," he answered. Andy called Brittany over and order a few rounds of Jack Daniels. Mark smiled and gulped down his beer. Brittany brought over a tray of shots, three for both men. Andy held up his first shot and said, "To marriage." "To marriage," Mark said clinking his glass with Andy's, "One of the greatest creations humanity ever made." They downed the shots and slammed their glasses on the table. Andy picked up the second and said, "To children." "To children," Mark said smiling, "A true miracle of life." They downed their second shot, and Andy picked up his final shot. "To the future," he said smiling. "To the future – may it hold many surprises, and change us for the better," Mark repeated before downing his shot and putting the glass back on the table, "Alright. You up for some pool?" "Without a doubt," Andy said. They stood, grabbed the pitcher and their mugs, and made their way to the pool tables, both men's spirits raised just a little bit more – and both forgetting about the confession Andy had been on the verge of making.

A few hours, and a few pitchers, later, Mark and Andy left the bar laughing ridiculously. "Sara's gonna kick my ass," Mark said climbing into the driver's seat of the truck. Andy climbed in the passenger seat and shut the door. "Why?" he asked chuckling. "I told her I wasn't gonna get drunk," Mark answered carefully pulling out into the street. "Just don't get us killed, Mark. I've got a marriage proposal to go through with," Andy said. Mark nodded and kept his eyes on the road. He pulled into Andy's hotel parking lot a few minutes later. "I'll see in a couple hours, okay?" he said. "Yeah, man, definitely," Andy said shutting the door. Mark waved good-bye before pulling away. When he walked into his suite, Sara was sitting on the couch with Melissa, a book in her hands. "You're back early," she said. "Not really," he answered shutting the door behind him. Sara watched him walk into their bedroom, and knew he was a more than a little drunk. "Keep reading, darlin', I'll be right back," she said handing the book over to Melissa, then going into the bedroom and shutting the door. Mark was laid out on the bed. "How much did you drink, Mark?" she asked. "Let's see…I had a beer first…then three shots of Jack…and I think about 12 beers after that. Not too much," he answered sighing. "Not too much?! That's 13 beers, Mark…_13_!" Sara exclaimed, "Did you forget about the banquet?" "No, I didn't, Sara. Andy decided he was gonna propose to Lisa, so we celebrated," he answered. Sara couldn't help but smile. "Really?" she asked coming over to him and sitting down at his side. Mark looked at her through half-closed eyes. "Yep. Our best friend is finally getting married," he said smiling slightly. "Good for him," Sara said leaning over him, "You need to take a shower. You smell like a bar…" "Well, that's where I was," he said gripping her chin and pulling her lips down to his. "Mark!" she said pulling away, "You taste like alcohol…go clean up." Mark sighed and said, "I think I'm gonna take a nap." "Fine," Sara said before leaving the room. _I can't believe he got drunk_, she thought sitting down with Melissa. "Is Daddy okay, mama?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, he just needs to sleep for a little while, so we gotta keep it down, okay?" Sara answered. Melissa nodded and turned her attention back to her book.

A couple hours later, Mark's eyes opened. He groaned slightly and grabbed his head in pain. "Great, a headache," he said slowly sitting up. The clock beside him read 5:00. He heard voices in the living room, but went into the bathroom to clean up. Sara had been right; he smelled like nothing but alcohol. After thoroughly cleaning himself, he stepped out of the tub and towel-dried his hair. In the bedroom, he dressed only in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He brushed his hair smooth, then entered the living room. "Sara, do you have any aspirin?" he asked quietly. Sara grinned slightly and nodded. "It's in my suitcase, baby," she answered. "Who were you talking to?" he asked. "Oh, Lisa came over. Andy proposed to her," she answered smiling. "Excellent," Mark said, "I'll be right back." Sara nodded and watched him go back into their bedroom. Lisa came out of the hallway bathroom, a smile on her face.

"So, let me see this ring," Sara said as Lisa sat down beside her. Lisa held out her left hand, and Sara gasped. The ring was absolutely gorgeous; she almost felt jealous of Lisa. A seven-carat diamond, with tiny blue sapphires surrounding it, sat atop a thin silver band. "This is beautiful, Lisa," she said quietly, "I'm really happy for you, girlie." "Oh, thank you, Sara. That really means a lot to me," Lisa said smiling. "How's Andy doing?" Sara asked. "He's passed out. He told me he had nearly 15 beers at the bar," Lisa answered, "But the proposal was so sudden. I came into the room, and there he was, kneeling on the floor, with the jewelry box open. First words that came out of his mouth were, 'Will you marry me?'" "And what'd you do?" Sara asked. Lisa smiled and blushed slightly. "Well, uh…I showed him that I'd marry him," she said softly. "Oh…OH…," Sara said laughing. "Yeah…that's also why he's, uh…passed out," Lisa said blushing even harder. Sara continued laughing, and Lisa's face turned completely crimson. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to embarrass you, Lisa," Sara said wiping the tears from her eyes. "It's okay…," Lisa said looking down at her hands. "Really, I'm happy for you," Sara said seriously, "It's about time Andy went through with it. I think if he'd have waited another day, I was gonna kick his ass myself." Lisa smiled and nodded. "So when do you think you two will get married?" Sara asked. "I don't know…maybe this summer. With Wrestlemania tomorrow night, neither of our minds is own the actual wedding," Lisa answered, "Speaking of which, I should head back so I can get ready for the banquet. I can't wait for you to see my dress. It's…interesting." Sara smiled and nodded in agreement. "Mine is too. Mark didn't want me to buy it, actually, but I did anyway," she said. Lisa stood, and Sara did the same, walking her to the door. "I'll see ya in a couple hours, chica," she said opening the door. Lisa hugged her and said, "Thanks, Sara, for your support. If I have anything to do about it, you're gonna be my maid of honor." "Wow, Lisa. You really mean that?" Sara asked. Lisa pulled away and nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way, and I know Andy wouldn't either," she answered. "Alright, chica. Give me the date, and I'll make sure to be there," Sara said. "Bye, Sara," Lisa said before leaving. Sara shut the door and sighed happily, before going into the bedroom.

Mark was laid out on the bed, his right arm over his eyes. "Mark?" Sara asked quietly. "Yeah, darlin'?" he asked. "You okay?" she asked. "Yeah, just trying to make this headache go away. Where's Melissa?" he answered. "In mom's room taking a nap," she answered coming over to him. "Is mom okay?" he asked looking at her from under his arm. "Yeah, she's just resting," she answered climbing onto his waist. Mark grinned evilly as Sara leaned down. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked softly. "Depends on what you're thinking," she said kissing him softly. "I was thinkin' I know a way to make this headache go away," he answered flipping her onto her back. Sara smiled as he kissed her neck softly. "And how's that?" she asked. His hand reached into her sweatpants, and she bit her bottom lip. Mark smiled and eased a finger inside her. "Oh, Mark," she whispered pulling his face down to hers and kissing him hard. Mark groaned quietly as she moved her hips up against him. He quickly removed his shirt, and Sara did the same with her own shirt. "You're so beautiful…have I told you that today?" he said softly. Sara shook her head and ran her fingers through his hair. "Have I told you I love you?" she asked as he begin to stroke her breasts. "Not that I can recall," he whispered. "Well, I do…very, very much," she said softly. "Always and forever?" he asked kissing the rounds of her supple breasts. "Way longer than that," she said softly.

Mark smiled and eased her shorts off. Sara flipped him onto his back and ran her fingers over his chest lightly. His chest hair was growing in, and she relished in the feel of the fine hairs. When her fingers came in contact with his nipples, she squeezed slightly and smiled. "Sensitive?" she asked when he shuddered. "Of course not," he answered. Sara raised her eyebrows, then leaned down and licked the right nipple lightly. Mark groaned slightly and Sara moved to the other one. "Thought you weren't sensitive?" she asked. "I'm not…I'm in love," he whispered. Sara smiled and moved down his body, removing his sweatpants. His manhood stood tall and proud, and Sara licked her lips. "That's a beautiful sight if ever I saw one," she whispered kissing the flared head. Mark groaned a little louder, and Sara took him in her mouth, slowly moving up and down. "Oh, dollface," he whispered lightly holding the sides of her head. When she felt him trembling, she stopped. Mark's jaw dropped, until she eased him inside her. Sara moaned softly and began rocking up and down. Moments later, they both climaxed, Sara gripping his sides with her muscular thighs as she trembled greatly. Mark sighed happily as she collapsed onto his chest. "Headache gone?" she asked. "Yeah, definitely," he answered smiling, "But we've got another problem." "What's that?" she asked looking down at him. "We've gotta get ready for that banquet," he answered. Sara sighed and nodded, before going to move off of him. Mark gripped her hips with his hands, stopping her. "What are you doing?" she asked. "We don't have to get ready right this moment," he said softly. "Yes, we do. You know how long it's gonna take me," she said moving his hands away. Mark chuckled and chased her into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

The couple's shower consisted of roaming hands on both their parts. Sara finally managed to get Mark out of the shower after ten minutes, and was able to wash her hair without distraction. When she stepped out, she quickly wrapped herself in a towel and blow-dried her hair. Mark came in to brush his teeth as she did so. "You're hogging the mirror," he said smiling at her. "Do you need to watch yourself brush your own teeth? Afraid they're not all there?" she asked in return, an innocent smile on her face. "You little--." Sara cut him off by leaving the room, her laughs following her. Sara slipped into her outfit for the night before Mark could come out of the bathroom. The skirt was long, thin strips of fabric, linked at the top by three rows of gold chains. If she moved too fast, or there was a gust of wind, she was going to show off more than she cared to. The shirt was a halter top, with the strips of fabric starting right under her breasts. She twirled around as Mark came out of the bathroom, and he merely rolled his eyes. "It's beautiful, Mark," she said coming over to him. "It's not appropriate," he said simply. "Just remember this, Mark: I'm married to _you_. No other man has any chance of ever getting me. You should be happy I'm wearing this," she said cupping his cheeks. "And why is that?" he said not looking at her. Sara forced him to, and answered, "Because I'm making the guys jealous of what _you_ get every single night." A grin came to his face and he put his arms around her waist. "All mine?" he asked softly. "All yours, darlin'," she answered quietly, "Now I gotta finish getting ready." Mark sighed and kissed her lips quickly before releasing her and leaving the room.

Sara quickly pulled her hair into a tight ponytail, then straightened the loose hair, curling the ends and bringing it over her shoulder. She was going to be showing off her tattoo, but she didn't care. In fact, unless Mark reminded her of it, she forgot it was there. She then finally attended to her make-up, highlighting her eyes with a shade of dark blue that had glitter in it. She applied a little rouge to her cheeks, and her favorite lipstick color: crimson. As she finished, the bedroom door opened, and Melissa peeked her head in. "Wow, mama, you look pretty!" she said smiling. "Aw, thank you, sweetheart," Sara said dabbing away excess lipstick, "Did you enjoy your nap?" "Mmhmm. Nana is fixing dinner for me and her now," Melissa answered coming over to her. Sara scooped her up and put her down on the bed, tickling her stomach until Melissa's screams filled the room. Sara leaned down and kissed her cheek softly. "You be good for Nana, okay?" she said softly. "I will, mama, I promise," Melissa said kissing her cheek in return, "What time will you and Daddy be back?" "Not 'til late, darlin'. You'll be fast asleep when we come in," she answered picking her up off the bed, and taking her into the kitchen. Lucy was sitting down, and Mark was standing over the stove stirring something. "Thought you were cooking, Nana?" Melissa asked. Lucy smiled and said, "I put your father to work." Sara put Melissa down and hugged her mother. "You okay?" she asked in her ear. Lucy swallowed and shook her head slightly.

Sara straightened up, and held out her hand. Lucy sighed and took it, allowing Sara to help her out of the kitchen. "What's wrong, mom?" Sara asked softly. "I'm just real tired, Sara. I don't have energy to watch Melissa tonight," she said quietly. "We'll take her with us," Sara said. "You didn't bring anything for her to wear, though, did you?" Lucy asked. Sara grinned and nodded, saying, "Just in case…" "I'm so sorry, Sara. "Don't worry about it, mama," she said quietly, "You rest up as much as you want to. This weekend isn't one for anybody to stress over, okay?" Lucy sighed and nodded. "What's Mark fixing up?" Sara asked. "Some chicken noodle soup," she answered, "It was more for me than for Melissa." "Well, Melissa will eat plenty tonight at the banquet. I'll go tell her, and you sit down in here," Sara said helping her mother to the couch. She then went back into the kitchen and scooped up Melissa. "Guess what, munchkin?" Sara said. "What?" Melissa asked. "You're comin' with daddy and me," Sara said. "Really?!" Melissa asked shocked. "Yep. Nana's not feeling so well, so we're gonna bring you with us," Sara said quietly, "You gotta be on your absolute best behavior, though." "Okay, mama, I will, I promise," Melissa said. Mark looked over his shoulder at Sara, and he could see that she was trying not to cry. "Come on, let's go get you ready," Sara said

softly.


	72. Proud Moments

**Chapter 71…Proud Moments**

In record time, Sara had Melissa bathed and clothed. At 6:30, they finally left the hotel room. Mark drove them to the banquet hall where the banquet was being held. "Remember what I told you, Melissa, you be on your best behavior tonight," Sara said. Melissa nodded and looked down at her lap. She was wearing a simple black sundress, with the gold necklace she'd gotten for her third birthday around her neck, and black dress shoes. Mark quickly parked, and they headed inside. The first person they ran into was Kevin. "Hey, Mark, Sara," he spoke politely. "Hi, Kevin, how are ya?" Mark said. "I'm doin' okay. Got to spend the week with my family, which is always good," Kevin answered. "Are they here with you for Wrestlemania?" Mark asked. "No, my mom and dad are too old to be traveling, but they promised to watch the pay-per-view," Kevin answered. "Well, that's good," Sara said gripping Melissa's hand. "How's your mom doing?" Kevin asked her. "She's okay. We brought Melissa with us so she could rest up tonight," she answered. "Well, you look great, Melissa," Kevin said looking down at her. Melissa grinned slightly, but stood behind Sara's leg. "What do you say, Melissa?" Sara asked her. "Thank you, Mr. Kevin," Melissa responded. "Where are you guys seated?" Kevin asked. "Kind of in the middle, with a few fans," Mark answered. "Well, they're gonna get a little shock when they see Melissa, don't ya think?" Kevin asked. "A little, but it doesn't really matter. Maybe they'll see wrestling doesn't consume our lives like they think it does," Mark said as they entered the banquet hall. There were 35 tables in the room, most with six chairs at each table. The room was decorated in white, red, and black, the colors of the WWF symbol. The stage had several seats on it, for the Hall of Fame inductees, as well as a podium with the WWF symbol of the front of it.

The small group quickly made their way to the back. The doors were opening at 7:30, and the ceremony started at eight o' clock sharp. Sara found Andy, and immediately hugged him. "Took your lazy ass long enough," she whispered in his ear. Andy smiled and returned the hug. "Nice to see you, too, baby doll," he whispered back. "Congratulations, Andy, I really mean it," she said quietly. "Thanks, baby doll. That means a lot to me," he answered. "And you know I mean it," she said quietly. Andy smiled slightly and looked down at her outfit. "You look beautiful tonight. How'd Mark let you out in that?" he said quietly. Sara smiled and blushed slightly. "I told him that all the guys will be jealous of what he gets every night," she answered. Andy chuckled softly and nodded. "That'd do it," he said, "Was that Melissa I saw with you guys?" "Yeah, it is. Mom's not feeling well tonight, so we brought her with us," she answered quietly. "Oh, Sara, I'm so sorry about that," he said touching her shoulders. "It's alright, Andy. I'm just happy she's here to share this weekend with me, ya know," she said. "Yeah, definitely," Andy said as Mark and Melissa walked up. "Hey, there," Mark said grinning. Andy snickered and said, "What's up, Mark?" "Not much. How are you feeling?" Mark asked. "A lot better than I did when I woke up," Andy answered, "We had a good time, though." "Yeah, we did," Mark said before bursting into laughter. People in the hallway stared at them in confusion. "Will you two big kids keep it down?" Sara asked. "Only for you, baby doll," Andy answered. "Let's go find our seating assignments, if you two aren't too busy," she said smiling. The men followed the woman and child down the hall to a small meeting room. Vince was there with many of the men being inducted that night.

Sara spotted Roddy and quietly got his attention. He smiled when he saw her and made his way over to her. "Hey, there," she said hugging him quickly. "Hey, Sara. Excited about tonight?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm definitely excited. I'm happy for you, Roddy," she said smiling. "Thanks, Sara," he said. "Do you know where the seating assignment chart is?" she asked. "Yeah, Vince has it right now. He's showing all us future Hall of Famers where we're sitting," he answered. "Oh, okay, thanks," Sara said before hustling the other three people out of the room. "We're gonna have to wait a few minutes, until Vince finishes with the sheet," she said quietly. "That's fine, dollface," Mark said placing his arm around her shoulders. "Mama, what are we waiting for?" Melissa asked. "To find out where we're sitting, munchkin. I gotta let Vince know you're here so that there'll be a spot for you," Sara answered. "I'll be sitting with you, right?" Melissa asked gripping her leg. "Yes, munchkin, don't worry," Sara answered touching her cheek. A few minutes later, Vince came out of the little room. "Hey, Vince," Sara said getting his attention. "Oh, hey, Sara…wow, you look amazing!" he said hugging her. "Thanks, Vince. You don't look too bad yourself," she said grinning. "You guys ready for tonight?" he asked. "Yeah, we just need you to tell us where we're sitting," Sara answered, "And I know this is _very_ short notice, but Melissa's with us." She brought Melissa from behind her, and put her hand on her shoulders. "Well, you look very nice tonight, Melissa," Vince said kneeling down. "Thank you, Mr. McMahon," Melissa said politely. "You wanna sit with your mom and dad?" he asked. She nodded her head vigorously in response. "Okay, that's fine. Mark and Sara, you'll be at table 12. And we'll put an extra seat there for Melissa," he said standing. "Thanks a lot, Vince," Sara responded. "Where are Lisa and I, Vince?" Andy asked from beside them. "You guys are at table 14," Vince answered after looking down at his sheet, "And you'll have three fans sitting with you. I'll see you guys out there." The small group nodded before heading the opposite way down the hall. Lisa walked up, and Sara hugged her tightly.

"Hey, there," Lisa said grinning. "Hey, chica, how are ya?" Sara asked. "I'm good, Sara, I'm good," Lisa answered, "I see you brought little 'Taker with you." Sara smiled and looked down at Melissa. "She's on her best behavior tonight," she said. "Hey, Melissa, you look very pretty tonight," Lisa said smiling down at her. "Thank you, Ms. Lisa. You look pretty, too," Melissa said smiling. Lisa was dressed in an elegant strapless, purple silk, floor-length gown with a square-cut chest. "Thank you. Are you excited to meet some of your mom's fans?" Lisa said. "I guess so," Melissa answered honestly. Lisa winked at her, then looked back at Sara. "Where are you guys seated?" she asked. "Table 12," Sara answered. "Looks like it'll be a lot of fun. Do the fans know who they're gonna be sitting with?" Lisa said. "No, not to my knowledge," Sara answered. "This should definitely be interesting," Lisa said smiling. "I just hope we don't get stuck with the real obsessive ones that know more about our lives than we do," Mark said. Sara chuckled and looked up at him. "Don't worry so much, baby," she said placing her hand in his. The two couples talked until the hallway began to fill up with their co-workers and other guests. Vince emerged a few minutes later from the midst of the crowd. "Alright, the fans have started filing in now. They don't know who they're going to be sitting with, so I just have a few announcements to make before you go out there. The tables are arranged in such a way that the inductees are at the front of the room, with only their family members. The rest of you are seated with at least two or three fans. We want them to be as surprised as possible. We've seated them with their favorites, as listed on their purchase invoices, so it should be a lot of fun. If you don't know where you're sitting by now, the chart is at the entrance right before you go out," he said loud enough so everyone could hear him, "Don't let the fans just sit at the table, either. Converse with them enough to make them comfortable, but not enough to let them into your personal lives too much. Your private life is just that, yours, so unless you want to, don't cross that line with them. It's not their right to know you guys on a personal level. They relate to your characters, as much as they tend to think otherwise. Any last-minute questions?" When no one said anything, Vince clapped his hands once. "Alright, you guys have a good time out there. This is as much for you guys as it is for the fans. I'll see you out there," he said before leaving them to go talk to the camera crew.

Sara, Mark, and Melissa said good-bye to Lisa and Andy before heading out into the main area. "There are a lot of people here, mama," Melissa said quietly. "Yeah, I know, darlin'. Don't worry, though, okay? Your dad and I will look out for you," Sara said pulling her a little closer. Now that they were there, she didn't feel comfortable with Melissa being in such a public venue. Vince was right; the fans related to her character, not to her personal life. They quickly found their table, and smiled at the three fans sitting there. "Hey, guys. Looks like we're gonna be sitting together," Sara said smiling at them. There were two guys and one girl. The first young man looked like he was still in high school. He was dressed in a pair of khaki slacks, a button-down black dress shirt, with a leather belt that had a gold buckle. His short brown hair was spiked up neatly. He stared up at her and Mark with wide, innocent blue eyes. The second man looked as though he was in college, or had recently graduated. He was dressed very nicely in a neat, three-piece black tuxedo. His hair was shoulder-length, and was pulled back in a neat ponytail. The young woman was dressed in a very simple, yet unique piece. It was dark black, with blue flames on the skirt. The black tube top pushed up her breasts, almost to the point of being exaggerating. She had a tattoo on her left shoulder, of Mark's wrestling symbol. Her hair came down over her shoulders, to her stomach. It was black, very straight, with thick blue highlights.

The three people stood up, smiles on all their faces. "Hello, I'm Janet," she said extended her hand. "Hi, Janet. It's nice to meet you," Sara said. "These are my friends, Ash and Tyler," she said pointing to the two men. "Nice to meet you," Sara said shaking their hands. "We're real excited to be here, let alone to be able to sit with you guys. You're our favorites, so we were hoping we'd be able to sit with you," the first young man said. "Well, we're excited to be sitting with you. It's always fun to be able to interact with our fans in a setting like this," Sara said as they sat down, "Question: which one is which? Who's Tyler, and who's Ash?" "I'm Tyler," the younger looking man said, "And he's Ash." "Okay, just wanted to get that straight so I didn't call either of you the wrong name," Sara said grinning, "Tell me a little about yourselves." Janet spoke up first. "I'm from Wisconsin, and I'm a sophomore in college right now. Don't really know what I want do yet, but I'm working on it," she said smiling, "I've been a wrestling fan for about ten years now. I started watching when you first came in, Angel, when you were Chyna. You were a real role model for me." "I'm honored," Sara said. "I met Janet at college, but I'm originally from Ontario," Ash said, "We've been dating for just over six months now, actually. I'm trying to convince her to move to Ontario with me." Sara smiled and asked, "Why won't she?" "Her parents," Ash answered, "They want her to finish college and everything." "Parents usually want that for their kids," Mark said. "Yeah, I know. But love will make you do crazy things sometimes," Janet said. "Yeah, it will," Sara said smiling.

"What's your story, Tyler? Did these two drag you here?" Mark said to the other young man. "Kinda. I'm a wrestling fan, but not as much as these two. Janet said that this weekend would change my life, though," Tyler said. "How'd you meet up with these two?" Mark asked. "Ash and I know each other from Ontario, and he convinced me to come down. I figured as a wrestling fan, I have to experience the whole Wrestlemania extravaganza at least once in my life," Tyler asked. "And how are things going for you so far?" Sara asked. Tyler smiled broadly, and his eyes seemed to light up. "It's been amazing! We got here Wednesday night, and we just had a little party in our hotel room. Thursday, we did some sight-seeing, and we went to Fan Axxess all day. We got to meet so many Superstars. I mean, it's one thing to see you guys on television, but to be able to meet you, and actually talk with you like this…you can't put it into words, ya know. Friday, we just kind of relaxed a little more, because we knew today would be special, and we want to save our energy for tomorrow night, too," he answered. "So, has it been life-changing?" Mark asked grinning. "Yeah, I'd have to say so," Tyler answered.

"Is this your daughter?" Janet asked looking at Melissa. "Yes, it is. Say hello, Melissa," Sara said touching her daughter's hand. "Hi," Melissa said quietly. "Sorry, this is a lot of people for her to be around. We usually don't bring her into public like this," Sara said. "It's okay. She's very pretty. She looks a lot like you," Janet said. "Thank you, Janet," Sara said. "How old is she?" Janet asked. "She's three," Sara answered politely. "Mama?" Melissa said tugging on Sara's arm. "Yeah?" Sara asked. "I have to go to the bathroom," Melissa said quietly. "Okay, come on," Sara said standing, "I'll be right back."

Mark watched the two walk away, then looked back at the three fans he was sitting with. "Don't worry, guys, I don't bite," he said somewhat nervously. It wasn't that he didn't like being around fans; he just wasn't as talkative as Sara. "Should we call you Undertaker, or just 'Taker?" Janet said. "Just 'Taker," he answered, "So, how long have you two been watching wrestling?" "Since I was about seven or eight years old," Ash answered, "It's just a life-long passion of mine." "I've been watching for only a few years, when you came back as Undertaker, and Angel came around," Tyler said, "I just thought your whole story was the most interesting the WWF had put out at the time." "So we got you hooked?" Mark asked. "Yeah, definitely," Tyler answered. "Excellent. Always good to know I've influenced at least one wrestling fan," Mark said chuckling, "How old are you guys?" "I just turned 21," Ash answered. "I'm only 17. I just graduated high school," Tyler said. "I'm 19, but I turn 20 in a few weeks," Janet said. "When's your birthday?" Mark asked her. "April 20th," she said. "Four-20…you must've got a lotta jokes about that growing up," Mark said smiling slightly. Ash and Tyler chuckled as Janet's cheeks turned red. "Yeah, I did. I didn't really understand it, though, until my senior year of high school," she answered. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you, Janet," he said. "It's okay, I've gotten used to it, especially once I got to college," she said.

"I like your tattoo," Mark said pointing to her arm, "When'd you get it? It looks rather new." Janet blushed even more as Tyler and Ash laughed aloud. "On your birthday," she said meekly, "It was my first tattoo…" "Well, it's unique. I haven't seen it on anybody else yet, not like that." The tattoo was of a blue-silver color, with the two stakes across the 'T' in the same color. It was very sharp-looking, the edges of the 'T' and the stakes very defined. The entire symbol had flames all around it as well. "Thanks," she said quietly. "Did it hurt?" Mark asked. "No, not really, not as much as these two told me it would," she answered, "I'm kinda hooked on 'em now. I'm getting nine more before I graduate." "Wow…you _are_ hooked," Mark said smiling, "But I guess I can relate, right?" "Yeah," Janet said quietly, a grin on her face. "What other tattoos are you getting?" he asked. "Oh, here we go," Ash said. "What?" Mark asked. "When she said she's hooked on tattoos, she really means it," Ash said. "Shut up, Ash," Janet said nudging him in the ribs. "What do you wanna get?" Mark asked. "Well, your 'Thinking Demon' tattoo on the inside of my left arm, an angel on the outside of my right arm, a cross on the inside, my astrological sign in the middle of my upper back, an eagle on my lower back, a heart with black thorns around it on my left shoulder blade, a red rose on my right shoulder blade, and a black panther holding a red rose on the outside of my right thigh, and a tiger holding a black rose on the outside of my left thigh," she answered smiling. "Wow…," Mark said.

"Told you she was hooked," Ash said smiling down at Janet. "I must admit, I'm impressed," Mark said as Sara walked back up with Melissa. "Impressed about what?" she asked helping Melissa into her seat. "Janet here is addicted to tattoos," he answered. "You two should get along well," Sara said as she sat down. "How many do you have, 'Taker?" Janet asked. "As a whole, five or six major pieces. Individually…over 100," he answered. "Holy shit," Janet said before covering her mouth, "I'm sorry…" "It's okay," Mark said. "So, are you still in school, Ash? Or have you graduated?" Mark asked. "Actually, I dropped out sophomore year. I'm working at a hotel right now, though. I've been there for a couple years, and I'm shift manager," Ash answered, "My parents give me crap about it all the time." "Well, if it makes you feel better, I didn't graduate college either," Mark said. "Really?" Janet asked. "Yeah, I left Spring semester of my senior year, to pursue a wrestling career," he answered, "That's not to say you shouldn't finish college, either. There are times when I regret not finishing. It's a great foundation to have." "That's what my parents are trying to tell me," Janet said quietly. "You should listen to them. You may think they don't understand you, but they do…they really do," Sara said quietly, "There were times when I wanted to quit school, but my mom wouldn't let me. I hated her for it, of course. I thought she was trying to live her life through me, that she didn't understand what I was going through, and how tough things were for me in college. But if it weren't for her, I wouldn't be where I am today." She let out a deep breath and looked up at Mark. He saw the unshed tears, and leaned over to her ear. "If you wanna go back to the hotel room, dollface, it's okay. Vince will understand," he whispered. "No, it's okay. I called while I was in the bathroom. She's actually just watching television," she whispered back, "She just needed some time alone." Mark nodded and kissed her cheek softly, then turned his attention back to the other people. "I'm sorry about that, guys. My mom's really sick right now…," Sara said quietly. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Angel. I really hope she gets better," Janet said. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. "Me, too," she said.

"What else do you guys like to do besides travel for hours on end to come to a wrestling event?" Mark asked changing the subject. "I'm big into snowboarding. Up in Canada, there's really nothing else to do. I've been snowboarding since I could walk, I think. My mom got me a snowboard when I turned five, and I just fell in love with it," Tyler answered, "But I work so much that I don't get to do it as often as I want." "What about you, Ash? What do you like to do?" Sara asked. "Wrestling is pretty much my life. I was actually going to college to study marketing, so that I could possibly work for the WWF when I graduated, but that didn't go too well. I've been thinking of going back, though," Ash answered. "You definitely should. If you're as passionate about wrestling as you say you are, and you want to be with the company bad enough, you'll do what you have to in order to get here. No matter how much it may suck at the time, the payoff makes it all worth it," Sara said. Ash merely nodded in agreement. "I love tattoos, motorcycles, and pirates. I saw _Pirates of the Caribbean_ eight times in the theaters," Janet said. "Wow, that's a lot," Melissa said. Sara smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it is, munchkin. How'd you find time to go to the theater eight times, especially for one movie?" Sara asked Janet. "Don't really know. At the time, it was all I could think about. It was just a great movie. Johnny Depp was such an excellent actor, I couldn't help myself," Janet answered. "Whatever floats your boat, Janet," Ash said winking at her. "Not into the whole pirate thing, Ash?" Sara asked. "Not as much as her. I saw it a couple times, but after that, it was like, 'Okay, enough already'," he answered with a smile.

A few moments later, the room lights flickered to signal the beginning of the program. The fans cheered loudly as Vince walked out onto the stage, and Sara covered Melissa's ears. "I hope you all are as excited to be here as I am!" Vince said smiling. The fans cheered even louder, and even the wrestlers clapped. "I want to welcome you all to the Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony!" he said excitedly, causing the fans to continue cheering. "We've got a great program scheduled for all of you, fans and wrestlers alike. For the fans, this induction ceremony gives you a look at real legends of our business. For the wrestlers, it's a chance to pay tribute to those who came before you, and who helped set the very foundation of this business," he said smiling. Sara clapped excitedly, because she knew Roddy had indeed had a profound impact on the business. "With that said, I'd like to introduce to you one of our very own, modern day heroes, The Rock!" Vince said before stepping aside. D.J. came out on the stage, and all the fans stood and gave him a huge ovation. He and Vince shook hands before Vince left the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a real honor for me. The first man to be inducted into this year's Hall of Fame is one of the reasons I got into the business. He is, without a doubt, one of the very best wrestlers in the great history of our business. His name is known in every wrestling fan's household, whether they liked him or not. He came to the ring, night in and night out, for well over 30 years, and he busted his ass every moment he was in there. He made this quote famous: 'To be the man…you gotta beat the man!' And he was, and will always be…the man!" D.J. said smiling. The room went dark, and a video clip began to play. Sara smiled as she saw the legendary Ric Flair being paid homage to. She'd watched tapes of his matches, once her mother (and Roddy) had convinced her wrestling wasn't as bad as she thought it was, and was absolutely stunned at the energy and focus he had in his matches. When the tape finished, D.J. went up to the podium again. "Ladies and gentleman, please welcome to the stage the first inductee to the 2014 Hall of Fame, Ric Flair!" he said happily. Ric came out onto the stage, and everyone in the room stood and applauded. A few fans even yelled out his signature phrase, "WOO!" Ric waved to everyone, a huge smile on his face.

"Thank you," he said into the microphone, "Thank you all so very much!" Everyone quieted down and sat. "This is probably the hugest honor of my life. When I began back in the early 70s, there was no way I could've ever foresaw what I'd accomplish in this business. Wrestling was my life…for over three decades, wrestling was my life. I put everything in my body and soul into this business, and it paid off. I was able to wrestle against the best in the business, against true legends of their own time. I was able to work with some of the most amazing people of my life, and I enjoyed every moment of it. There wasn't a time in this business, I can honestly say, where I wish I would've done something else. The boys in the back knew how addicted I was, and the fans could tell every time I walked through the curtain. I am so blessed to have achieved what I did, and I thank each and every one of you for allowing me to come into your homes week in and week out to entertain you. I can't ever put into words how happy I feel right now. Thank you so very much for this. I truly, truly, truly appreciate it. Thank you! And for the good ole' days…WOO!!!" Ric said, a smile on his face the entire time. The crowd returned the chant, including Sara.

Over the next hour and a half, there were seven other inductees introduced to the audience. Jim Cornette, Steve Austin, Paul Heyman (XCW had gone out of business, and Paul had come to work for the WWF a couple years ago; he retired last year, though), Terry Bolea, Bret Hart, Jake Roberts, and Kurt Angle were all inducted into the Hall of Fame. Finally, around 9:30 p.m., Vince came onto the stage again. "To introduce our final inductee, I'd like to bring up one of our current Superstars. She's one of our most popular wrestlers, and is sure to be a future Hall of Fame inductee herself. Please, put your hands together for your very own, Angel!" he said smiling. A spotlight came onto Sara, and she very nearly froze. Vince had not told her she would be a part of the show at all. She leaned down to Melissa and whispered, "I'll be right back, munchkin," before standing and making her way up to the stage. Vince hugged her and whispered, "Just say what you feel." She nodded as he stepped away.

"The last inductee was in our business for over 20 years. He achieved greatness on several levels, as a champion and as a performer and entertainer. He provided the fans with a lifetime of memories, and opened my eyes to what a wonderful business sports-entertainment really is. Starting in 1980, just as the athletes he worked with, he put his body and life on the line for the fans. He gave his all every night, and made sure the fans went home happy, and especially entertained. As a babyface, he appealed to everyone. As a heel, he made you want to kick his ass yourself. In the end, he truly became a legend for all time," she said smiling. The room went dark, and a video for Roddy began to play. The footage spanned from his very first match, throughout the early 1990s and his big feud during that decade, on to the final years of his career. When it ended, nearly 15 minutes later, Sara had tears in her eyes. She looked out to the crowd and took a deep breath. "Please welcome, the final inductee to the 2014 Hall of Fame…'Rowdy' Roddy Piper!" she said excitedly. Roddy came out, and she embraced him. "Congratulations, darlin'," she whispered. "Thank you, Sara," he whispered back. Sara quickly exited the stage and went back to her table. Everyone in the room was on their feet, clapping wildly and cheering loudly. _My first husband…look at him…just as grand as he can be_, she thought clapping excitedly. Whistles emitted from around the room, and a chant of "Rowdy! Rowdy!" began.

"Thank you, guys. Thank you all!" Roddy said. The cheers continued for nearly five minutes. Roddy even had to wipe tears of happiness from his eyes. "20 years in this business is nowhere near long enough," he said smiling. Whistles emitted once again, and Roddy continued smiling. "If it weren't for every wrestler in this room right now, and every wrestler I got to perform with over my time in this business, I wouldn't be here. We wrestlers are indeed a different breed of person. We sacrifice our bodies for the entertainment of our fans. And we do it because we love it, we love the business," he started. The wrestlers cheered loudly, and Sara wiped tears from her cheeks. She had so much respect and love for Roddy; this was what he deserved. "I've got memories to last me for the rest of my life, and it couldn't have happened without each and every one of you. I've got stories to tell to my children…to my grandchildren…maybe even to my great-grandchildren. And it's because of all of you. My fellow boys in the back…you helped me to challenge myself, you helped me to bring my A-game every night, and I respect the hell out of you for it. To the fans, you have a place in my heart, because without you…we wouldn't be here," Roddy said happily, "To be inducted into the Hall of Fame…it's better than any title, it's better than any match….it means you're respected by the people you work with, and the people you work for. It's the pinnacle of your career, no matter how long that career was. I thank each and every person here for what you allowed to do for you. And I'll never forget this." The room stood, and clapped as loud as possible. Roddy waved once more before exiting the stage. Vince came up one last time, and said, "Thank you all for coming out this night. I hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as I did. And I definitely hope to see you all tomorrow! Good night!"

The lights in the room came on fully, and people began filing out. "Angel, 'Taker…I was wondering if we could get a picture with you," Janet said over the noise. "Sure," Mark answered. Sara stood beside him, and Janet got a random person to take the picture. Ash and Tyler stood on the outside of Mark and Sara, and Janet stood in the middle. Once the photograph was taken, they all shook Mark and Sara's hands. "Thank you so much for tonight," Janet said. "Yeah, this is definitely one of the greatest nights of my life," Tyler added. "Thank you for coming," Sara said hugging Janet, and then the other two young men, "Maybe I'll see you guys in the crowd tomorrow night." The three people nodded excitedly before heading towards the exit door, while Sara and Mark, with Melissa on Sara's hip, headed to the back. Vince wanted to meet with everyone before they all left. When she got to the back, she sat down in a chair. Melissa was very nearly asleep, but Sara was happy. Melissa had behaved remarkably well that night. "We're gonna go back in a few minutes, munchkin," she said caressing Melissa's cheek. "Okay, mommy," Melissa whispered resting her head on Sara's left shoulder.

Vince emerged about 10 minutes later, and Sara stood. Mark took Melissa from her, and held her closely. "Tonight was a great night, everyone. Thank you all for your participation, and for helping the fans to have fun. Tomorrow, be to the First Union Center no later than eleven. It's gonna be a long day for everyone, but it'll be a memorable, especially if you all bring your A-game," he said grinning, "Have a good night." Sara and Mark quickly left, and headed back to their hotel. When they got to their room, they found Lucy fast asleep on the couch. Sara went over to her as Mark took Melissa to bed. "Mama?" she whispered leaning down beside her. Lucy's eyes opened and locked with hers. "Hey, how was the banquet?" she asked. "It was great, mama, it really was. How are you feeling?" Sara answered. "I'm okay. I just fell asleep a little while ago," Lucy answered going to stand. Sara helped her into her room, and tucked her into bed. "Sleep well, mama," she whispered kissing her forehead, "I'll see you in the morning." Lucy nodded and Sara kissed her forehead once more before leaving the room. Once inside her bedroom, Sara stripped down and changed into a nightgown. She washed her face, and brushed her teeth, before climbing into bed behind Melissa. "Was I good, mama?" Melissa asked facing her. "Yeah, munchkin…you were good," Sara answered kissing her cheek. Mark came out of the bathroom a few minutes later. "How are ya, dollface?" he asked climbing into bed in front of her. "Just a little tired…but excited about tomorrow," Sara answered. Mark grinned and nodded. "Yeah, me too. How about we have a nice breakfast tomorrow? Like we did this morning," he said softly. "Okay," Sara said. "I'll even cook it myself," he said kissing her softly. Sara nodded as he pulled both her and Melissa close to him. "I love you, dollface…and you, too, munchkin," he said kissing Melissa's cheek. "Goodnight, Daddy," Melissa said softly. "I love you, too, Mark," Sara whispered. "Always and forever, right?" he asked grinning slightly. "Maybe even a little longer than that," she answered, "Goodnight, Mark." Mark sighed happily and closed his eyes, a grin on his face as he fell asleep.


	73. Bittersweet Memories

**Chapter 72…Bittersweet Memories**

Sara awoke the next morning with Melissa on top of her. She grinned slightly and caressed the back of Melissa's head. "My little munchkin," she whispered. She carefully moved her sleeping body from atop her, then glanced at the clock. It read 8:00 a.m. exactly. They had to be at the arena in three hours. Sara put her hands behind her head, staring blankly up at the ceiling. She wanted to get up, but she knew that once she did, the day would go by a lot faster than she wanted. The door opened slowly, and Sara grinning at the sight of Mark with a tray in hand. "What are you doin'?" she asked quietly. "Breakfast in bed," he answered. Sara sat up, careful not to wake her daughter. Mark set the tray down over her lap, and tears came to Sara's eyes. "My last Wrestlemania, Mark," she whispered. "I know, dollface," he said softly, kissing her cheek. "I didn't think it'd be so hard," she said quietly. "Retirement always is, darlin'…but you'll get through it. Just think of how much fun you're gonna have today, especially with your mom and Melissa right in the front row," he said caressing her cheek gently. Sara looked down at Melissa, who had curled up against her side. A grin came to her face and Mark said quietly, "There ya go, dollface. Now eat up. I worked hard on that breakfast."

Sara removed the tray top, and a smile came to her face. A fresh omelet, two pancakes, a few browned sausage links, and two biscuits sat on a plate. "Mark…," she whispered looking up at him. Mark leaned over and kissed her softly. "I love you, baby," he whispered back, "Now eat up…unless you want me to feed you." Sara smiled and shrugged. "No, you spoil me enough," she answered. Mark winked at her and left the room. Sara spread the handkerchief over her lap, before digging into her food. Melissa woke up when she was halfway through. "Ooh," she said sitting up. Sara smiled and gave her a piece of her pancake. "Did Daddy cook this?" Melissa asked. Sara nodded and said, "Good, huh?" "Mmhmm," Melissa said chewing the food in her mouth. "Why don't you go see if he's still got some left?" Sara said rubbing the top of her head. Melissa hopped off the bed and dashed out of the room, Sara smiling as she did. Sara took her time eating her breakfast; Mark was such a great cook. The pancakes were light and fluffy, covered very lightly in syrup. The omelet was made with fresh ingredients, and made Sara's mouth water. When she finally finished, it was nearly 8:30. As she moved off of the bed, Mark came into the room. "What are you doin'?" he asked. "I'm cleaning up," she answered. "No, you're not," he said coming over to her and picking up the tray. Sara smiled and followed him out of the room.

"And what's got you in such a happy mood?" she asked as they entered the kitchen. He set the tray in the sink before facing her. "I woke up this morning, dollface, and I saw you with our daughter…you both just looked so innocent, so peaceful," he whispered pulling her close, "I just realized how blessed I really am." Sara smiled and kissed him softly. "Speaking of our daughter, where is she?" she asked. "At the table eating her breakfast," he answered. "Where's mom?" she asked. "Still asleep," he said, "We're gonna relax for a little while, until around ten. If she's not up by then, we'll just put Melissa in her room with her." Sara let out a heavy breath and leaned her head against his chest. "Don't worry, dollface. Today's gonna be perfect," he whispered. "You really think so?" she asked. He nodded and squeezed her gently. Sara looked up at him, an inherent happiness in her eyes. "I love you so much," she whispered. Mark grinned and leaned down to kiss her. Sara moved her arms up around his neck, pulling him closer. "How much?" he asked. "As much as dogs love chasing cars," she answered smiling. Mark chuckled softly and said, ""Slasher doesn't chase cars." "Because he doesn't live in the city," she answered back. "Daddy?" Melissa said from the doorway. "Yeah, darlin'?" Mark asked over Sara's shoulder. "I'm done eating," Melissa said bringing her plate and cup to him. Mark released Sara and took the dishes. "Come on, we'll go get cleaned up, okay?" Sara said picking her up.

Once inside the bathroom, Sara ran a nice bubble bath for her and Melissa. They both stripped down and climbed into the tub. Before long, there seemed to be water everywhere. "Your dad's gonna kill us," Sara said as she stepped out of the tub. "But it was fun," Melissa said innocently. "Yeah, it was," Sara said smiling. Sara wrapped herself in a thick towel, then helped Melissa out of the tub. She put a towel around her, and ushered her into the room. "I'll be right back, okay?" Sara said before going back into the bathroom. She tossed the rest of the towels on the bathroom floor to soak up as much water as possible. There was still a good deal left when she tossed the soaking-wet cloths into the tub for housecleaning to pick up. "Mark's gonna kick my ass for that one," she whispered going back into the bedroom. Melissa sat on the bed, the towel still wrapped around her. "Baby, you're getting the bed wet," Sara said picking her up off of it. She grabbed a small t-shirt from her suitcase, and a pair of small shorts to put on Melissa. When she was finally dressed, Sara got dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. "Can I come to work with you, mama?" Melissa asked as Sara packed her duffel bag. "You will later today, munchkin, a couple hours before the show starts so you can hang out with everyone," Sara answered. "I can't come now?" Melissa asked. "No, baby. Your dad and I are gonna be working hard, so we won't be able to watch you," Sara answered. "What about Mr. Jim?" Melissa asked, "He can't watch me?" "No, he's gotta work, too, munchkin. Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time before the show starts to visit everyone," Sara said taking her into the living room. Melissa sat on the couch as Sara brushed her hair dry.

When Mark walked in, Melissa was cuddled up at Sara's side, and their eyes were fixed on the television. Mark grinned as he sat down; they were watching _Tom & Jerry_. He sniffed Sara's hair and grinned slightly. It smelled of strawberries. "Did you let Melissa wash your hair?" he asked. Sara nodded and chuckled. "And how's the bathroom look?" he asked. "Well, I got _most_ of the water up," she answered smiling up at him. Mark simply rolled his eyes. "Felt like being playful this morning, huh?" he asked. "It's a day to be playful," she answered. Mark raised an eyebrow, and Sara blushed slightly. "What time do you wanna leave, baby?" he asked softly. "In about an hour," she answered, "The sooner I get there, the longer I can make the day last." Mark kissed her temple and whispered, "I love you." Sara smiled and cuddled up against him. "I love you, too," she whispered. After two episodes of _Tom & Jerry_, Sara finally stood. Melissa was nearly asleep, so she placed her in Mark's arms. "Where are you goin', dollface?" he asked quietly. "To check on my mom," she answered, just as Lucy's room door opened. "And what would you do that for?" Lucy asked grinning at her.

"How're you feeling, mom?" Sara asked quietly. "Better than I've felt in a long time, Sara. Today's a great day," Lucy answered smiling. Sara looked into her eyes, and saw that she was telling the truth. She smiled and hugged her tightly. "It is a great day," she whispered. "What time are Melissa and I gonna be picked up?" Lucy asked. "Probably around 4:30," Sara answered as they entered the kitchen, "Mark and I are about to leave in a few minutes, and we'll be busy all day. I'll have a limo sent for you, and I'll meet you at the back entrance." "Good, good. So what are we supposed to do while you two are working?" Lucy said grinning. "Whatever your heart desires, mom," Sara answered leaning against the counter. "Good, 'cause I was thinking of just walking the city with Melissa," Lucy said pulling out a cup. Sara watched as she poured a full cup of orange juice, and drank it heartily. "You really are feeling better, mom?" Sara asked quietly. "Yeah, I am, Sara. I think it's because it's such a big day for you. I've never felt more proud of you," Lucy answered setting the cup down. Sara smiled slightly and hugged her mom tightly. "I'm so glad you're here, mom," she whispered, "I really mean that." "I know that, Sara. And I can't wait to see you in the ring doing what you love," Lucy said quietly, hugging her as well, "But you should get outta here soon. The sooner you get there, the longer you'll have to plan out everything." "Yeah, I know, mom," Sara said pulling away from her, "But the sooner I get there, the sooner the day will end." "But you might as well make the most of it before it's over, baby," Lucy said. "I will, mom, there's no doubt about that," Sara said grinning.

Mark came into the kitchen with Melissa in his arms. "She wanted to know what you two were up to," he said when Sara looked at him questionably. "You sure about that?" she asked. "Nana, do I get to stay with you today?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, darlin'. We're gonna have a lot of fun today," Lucy answered taking her from Mark. "Really?" Melissa asked with a smile. Lucy nodded and kissed her cheek. "You two should get outta here," she said turning her attention to Mark and Sara. "Okay, okay, mom. Are you gonna be ok--." "Out, now," Lucy said pointing to the kitchen doorway. Sara smiled and kissed both her mother's and Melissa's cheek before leaving, Mark following her. They grabbed their bags from their bedroom before finally leaving the hotel room. Mark drove to the arena, while Sara simply sat in the passenger's seat, her eyes staring blankly out the window. He reached over and linked his fingers with hers. She looked over at him and grinned slightly. "You okay, dollface?" he asked quietly. She nodded and said, "Just hard to believe it's my last one. I know I've said it a million times, but it's still…it's sad." Mark nodded slightly as he pulled into the parking lot of the arena. "Just think, dollface," he whispered, "All these fans…they're here to see you." Sara looked out the window and smiled. There were at least a few thousand fans outside the building, waiting to see their favorite Superstars make their entrance. Mark parked and Sara climbed out quickly, waving to the large group of people. "Angel, Angel, Angel!" they chanted. Mark smiled as he pulled their bags from the trunk of the car, handing Sara's over to her. "Come on, dollface. You'll see 'em all inside later tonight," he said. Sara smiled and nodded, allowing him to lead her inside.

The two quickly set their bags in their locker room, before heading to the gym. Sara took her time stretching out, making idle conversation with Mark while doing so. Afterwards, they each stepped onto a treadmill. Sara set her time limit for 45 minutes, while Mark set his for 30. They ran in complete silence, each focused on separate thoughts for the day. At the halfway point, Sara looked over at Mark. He was nearly finished. "Do you wanna spar today?" she asked. Mark looked over and grinned. "You finally decided to talk to me?" he asked playfully. Sara smiled and nodded. "Sorry about that," she said quietly. "It's alright, dollface. I'm up for a few rounds, though," he answered. "Good," she said grinning, "Do you just want me to meet you in the ring? I know you'll be done before me." "Yeah, that's fine," he answered. Sara wiped sweat from her forehead, a feeling of peace coming over her. She didn't even notice Mark leaving the room after his run was over. When she finished her own run, she climbed off of the treadmill and stretched out her legs. "Hey, there," Carlos said sitting down in front of her. "Hey, Carlos, what's up?" she spoke. "You ready for today?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "I am, Carlos…I really am," she answered, "I mean…I'm nervous, I'm excited, I'm scared, I'm…a little bit of everything today." Carlos smiled and winked at her. "You'll be fine. When do you wanna get together to work out our match?" he said. "Well, Mark and I are about to spar for a little while, like a half an hour, maybe a little less. If you wanna just come down to the ring in about 20 minutes, I'll be there," she answered. "Fine with me, chica. See ya in 20," he said before leaving the room. Joy filled Sara, and she finished stretching before heading to the ring. Mark was already at ringside, talking with Kevin. Sara grinned slightly as she walked up.

"Hey, there, baby girl," Kevin spoke. "Hey, Kev, how are you?" she said. "I'm good. Did you have fun last night at the banquet?" he asked. "Yeah, it was a good time. I was proud of all the inductees, because they definitely all deserved it," she answered. Kevin nodded in agreement. "What time are your mom and Melissa gettin' here?" he asked. "Later this afternoon, probably around five o' clock," she said grinning, "Melissa really wanted to come with me and Mark this morning, but I told her she couldn't." "Well, we'll just have to make sure she has fun when she does get here," he said smiling. Sara nodded and rolled into the ring. "I can see someone's a little excited," Mark said grinning up at her. Sara ran a few sprints before stopping. "Yeah, a little," she answered leaning on the ropes facing him, "You got a reason why I shouldn't be?" "Not at all, dollface," he said with a smile. "I'll see you guys around. You look like you're about to have a very intense workout," Kevin said before heading away from the area. Mark rolled into the ring as Sara rotated her arms. "How long are we going?" he asked. "20 minutes at least," she answered. Mark nodded and stretched out his arms. "Just sparring, or bumping, too?" he asked. "Both. I gotta get a little ring workout in before Carlos comes down," she said. "Not a problem," he said. They touched fists before starting their match.

Sara caught Mark off-guard a number of times, knocking him down with left jabs. "What's wrong with you?" she asked after the third time. "Nothin', dollface," he answered. "Usually I'm the one who's out of it," she said helping him up. "Don't worry, dollface," he said tapping her jaw gently. Sara grinned and pulled him into a headlock. Mark smiled and picked her up for a back suplex. "Let me go," he said holding her up. "Put me down first," she instructed. Mark chuckled as he fell backwards, and Sara screamed. Sara rolled over, and dropped an elbow on his chest, Mark groaning as she did. They went back and forth, hold for hold, for nearly 15 minutes. After Mark trapped Sara in a pin fall (he grabbed her left leg and simply let his weight rest on top of her), he moved from atop her and sat at her side. "You're a little energetic," he said wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Just a little," she said grinning up at him. "You're beautiful," he whispered caressing her cheek. Sara smiled and turned a little red. "Stop it," she whispered back, sitting up and crossing her legs. "Why?" he asked softly, scooting a little closer. "Because we're in the middle of the ring," she answered quietly. Mark smiled and winked at her. "I can't help it," he whispered leaning towards her. Sara turned her head to the side at the last moment, and Mark's lips landed on her cheek. "I will not be kissed in the middle of the ring," she said. Mark raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is that a challenge?" "There's _no way_ you're gonna ever kiss me in the middle of the ring. It can't be a challenge since it's never gonna happen anyway," she answered. "Whatever you say, dollface," Mark said standing and holding out his hand. Sara eyed his hand warily before taking it. Mark pulled her up and into his arms, leaning down in another attempt to kiss her. "Stop it!" she exclaimed struggling. Mark smiled and continued his antics.

"If I wanted a show, I'd let you two know," Carlos said from ringside. Mark looked over his shoulder and Sara managed to get away. "I wouldn't give you a show if you paid me," Mark said grinning. "You two stop it right this instance. Mark, out of the ring. Carlos, get your butt in here so I can kick it," Sara said pushing Mark out of the ring. "Fine, fine. I see how much you love me," Mark said leaning against the ring. Sara rolled her eyes playfully, then turned her attention to Carlos, who was stretching out. "So, Carlos. Monday night was the preview match for the fans…how are we gonna make today better?" she said leaning against the ropes. "In every aspect possible," he answered. Mark watched in a state of awe as Sara and Carlos practiced several spots for their match that night. He saw Sara do things he didn't think were physically possible, especially considering the size difference between her and Carlos. It took them nearly an hour and a half to finalize how their match was going to go down. When they finished, the production crew had finished setting up the floor seats. Sara wiped her forehead and climbed out of the ring, a little tired. "You okay, chica?" Carlos asked as they headed up the ramp. "Yeah, I'm just a little tired," she answered. "Why don't you go take a nap?" he asked. "Too much energy," she said smiling at him. "You just said you were tired," he said grinning. "Physically, yes. Mentally, I'm going a mile a minute," she said. "Gotcha. You hungry?" he said. "Yeah, let me clean up first, though," she answered. "I'll meet you in catering in a half an hour," Carlos said. Sara nodded and followed Mark back to their locker room.

Inside, she collapsed onto the sofa. Her entire body was aching, and she wanted to sleep, if only for 15 minutes. Her mind wasn't going to let her, though. _Your last Wrestlemania. You better make it a memorable one_, she kept thinking. "Sara?" Mark asked. "Yeah, babe?" she asked quietly. "Here," he said handing her a small box. "And what's this?" she asked sitting up better. "Just open it," he answered. Sara sighed and lifted the box. Inside was smaller box. "Mark…," Sara said. "Go on, dollface, it's worth it," he said. Sara chuckled as she opened up boxes until she got to a small jewelry box. She lifted it out and opened it, her jaw dropping when she did. Inside was a small, platinum silver bracelet with charms on it. "When did you get this, Mark? Why??" she asked Mark. "I got it last Thursday, when I took Melissa out for dinner while you slept. And I got it because I knew today would be memorable-the next eight months are gonna be memorable, for a matter of fact-and because it'll look absolutely beautiful on you," he answered kneeling down in front of her. Sara smiled and examined the little charms. There were little four-leaf clovers, diamonds, silver hearts, and silver smiley faces. "I'm not wearing this out there, Mark. I'm not gonna chance breaking it," she said closing the box. "You gotta, dollface," he said. "And why's that?" she asked. "Please?" he asked, "For me?" "I'll tell ya what…I'll wear it, but I'll put it on Melissa's wrist before my match," she answered. Mark smiled and kissed her. "Good idea," he said. "I gotta clean up. I'm meeting Carlos for lunch," she said going to stand. "With me, of course," Mark said. Sara hunched her shoulders and went into the bathroom. Mark chuckled as the door shut. He quietly left the locker room, shutting the door behind him.

Sara washed her hair three times, and scrubbed her body down twice. She shaved stray hairs before finally stepping out of the relaxing shower. Her set for that night was very interesting. She had a pair of simple dark blue pants. The pants fit her snuggly, but had enough stretch in them to allow her movement in the ring. On each outside of the pants was a golden halo, above an Undertaker symbol cut out in the pants. She was also wearing a strapless black bra, with a sheer fishnet-type shirt over it. Her boots were black, with silver buckles on the sides. She slipped on the pants and grinned. They felt almost velvet to the touch, but were actually a type of spandex. She put on her boots next, before strapping on the bra and slipping the sheer shirt over it. She pulled out a sweatshirt from Mark's bag as he walked in. Mark whistled softly as she turned to face him. "You look great, dollface," he whispered coming over to her. "Thanks, Mark," she said grinning slightly. He pulled her into his arms gently and said, "You're gonna knock the fans' socks off." "I love you, too," she said softly. Mark leaned down and kissed her gently, his tongue easing between her lips and exploring the caverns of her mouth. Sara moaned softly and pulled him closer. Mark eased his hands under her shirt, caressing her skin. "Wait, wait," she whispered. "What?" he asked. "I know what you're trying to do, and it's not gonna work," she said grinning. "And what's that?" he asked innocently. Sara kissed his chin before leaving the room, the sweatshirt in hand. Mark smiled and went into the bathroom to clean up.

Sara slipped on the sweatshirt as she headed down to catering, her excitement as high as ever. She found Carlos sitting with Shawn near the middle of the room. She quickly grabbed a plate of salad and broiled chicken, as well as a bottle of water, before heading over to their table. "Hey, there, chica. Love the pants," Carlos said as she sat down. "Thanks, Carlos. One of the seamstresses made 'em for me," she said smiling. "They look good on you. Are you gonna be able to wrestle in 'em?" Shawn commented. "Yeah, they're stretchy, kinda like spandex. They look tighter than they really are," she answered. "What time will your mom and Melissa get here?" Carlos asked her. "In a few hours. I'm kinda anxious about that," Sara said grinning. "Yeah, I can tell," he said winking at her. "Are they sitting front row, or in one of the skyboxes?" Shawn asked. "In the front row," she answered smiling, "Melissa's real excited, too. Are Tracy and Bridgette here yet?" Shawn and Tracy had had a daughter a couple years ago, and Melissa and Bridgette always played with each other when they were at the arena together. "No, not yet. They'll be here closer to show time, probably around six or so," Shawn said grinning, "Bridgette kept asking me all weekend when she was gonna get to see Melissa." "Excellent," Sara said, "You ready for our match, Carlos?" "Yeah, chica. I think it's gonna be one of my all-time favorites," Carlos answered. "You gonna pull a few tricks outta your sleeve, Carlos?" Shawn asked. "Maybe," Carlos answered.

Lunch went by rather slowly, Sara finally leaving around 2:00 to sit in the balcony. She went over her match with Carlos in her mind repeatedly, not wanting to forget anything. There were a lot of complicated sets within the match, and Sara didn't want to chance messing up with any of them. This was her last Wrestlemania match, as she kept reminding herself, and she wanted it to be absolutely perfect. Sara set her feet up on the seat in front of her and sighed. There were going to be nearly 35,000 people watching her that night live, and millions more watching on pay-per-view. Nervousness began to course through her. She hadn't felt that nervous in years, probably since the first time she won the Intercontinental title. When Mark walked up, she smiled slightly. "Hey, dollface, you okay?" Mark asked sitting down beside her. "Yeah, just thinking about my match," she answered. "It's gonna be a good one," he said grinning. "Yeah, I'm hopin' so," she said quietly. "Nervous?" he asked. "Of course," she said quietly, "What time is it?" "Almost four o' clock," he answered. "I've been up here for two hours?!" she asked. "Apparently," he said putting his arm around her shoulder, "I called your mom. She's taking Melissa out to lunch, and then she's gonna head back to the hotel. I told her the limo would be there for them at 4:30." "So they should be here soon then?" she asked. "Yeah, in about 45 minutes," he answered. "You think Melissa will be okay in the front row?" she asked. "Of course, dollface. Your mom's gonna be there to make sure she's fine," he answered. Sara let out a slow breath and said, "I guess I should go finish getting ready, huh?" "I think you look fine," he said grinning at her. Sara smiled as he leaned down and kissed her softly. "I love you, too," she whispered. "Come on, dollface," he said standing. Sara took his hand and allowed him to lead her to the back. _Four hours and counting_, she thought with a grin.

Sara and Mark separated, and Sara headed to Janet's station. Lisa was there getting her hair straightened. "Hey, there, chica," Sara said as she walked up. "Hey, Sara," Lisa spoke, "Are you excited about today?" "I can't put it into words, Lisa, I really can't. I have so many emotions running through me right now, girl," Sara said smiling, "I was sittin' up in the balcony, and all of a sudden, I just got _really_ nervous about tonight. Just the idea of so many people watching my last match…sent shivers down my spine. I hadn't felt that nervous since when I first won the Intercontinental title." "Well, don't worry, chica. You're gonna do just fine," Lisa said grinning. "Yeah, hopefully," Sara said. "What's this? Not nervous, are we?" Carlos asked walking by. "No," Sara said smiling. "Don't stress so much, Sara. We're gonna have the best match on the card, just you wait," he said heading down the hall. "See, if Carlos has faith, so should you," Lisa said smiling. Janet finished up with her hair and she stood. "Thanks, Lisa," Sara said.

"When are your mom and lil' Taker gettin' here?" Lisa asked as Sara sat down where she once was. "In about 45 minutes," Sara answered, "Do you think you can be finished by then, Janet? I want to meet them out back." "I can try, sweetheart," Janet answered. "I'll let her get to work. See ya around, Sara," Lisa said before walking away. Sara sat quietly as Janet did her hair and make-up quickly, but efficiently. She finished up in just under 45 minutes. Sara looked in the mirror and smiled. Her eyes were highlighted with a smoke-blue kohl, to match her pants, and she had a little rouge on her cheeks. Her lips looked shiny and full, covered in a glossy dark-red lipstick. Janet had pulled her hair into a nice French braid, and put a small blue tie on the end. Her bangs were straightened and curled at the very ends. Sara had to admit: she looked almost like she did when she was Chyna. "Thanks, Janet. You're the best, you really are," Sara said hugging her. "Not a problem. Now go get your mom and daughter," Janet said releasing. Sara smiled and practically ran to the back exit, coming out of the door as her mom and Melissa stepped out of the limousine.

"Mom!" Sara exclaimed running over to her and hugging her. "Hey, Sara. Not like we saw each other this morning," Lucy said smiling. "Oh, mom," Sara said picking up Melissa. "You look pretty, mommy," Melissa said hugging Sara's neck. "Thanks, darlin'. You wanna see where you're sitting tonight?" Sara said as they headed inside. Melissa nodded and Sara pinched her cheeks. "Bridgette's gonna be here tonight," she said grinning. "Really?!" Melissa said smiling. "Yeah, you two may have some time to play together," Sara answered. "Ooh!" Melissa said clapping her hands. Sara ran into John on her way to the entranceway. "Hey there, lil' Taker," he said to Melissa. "Hi, Mr. John. Are you wrestling tonight?" Melissa said. "Of course. I'm gonna do my best out there," he said grinning, "You excited, Sara?" "Of course, John. I can't wait," Sara said smiling, "The match is gonna be amazing." "Yeah, that's what Mark said," he said grinning. "I hope he didn't tell you all of it," she said. "Nah, just told me to make sure I was near a monitor when you had your match," he answered. "Yeah, I think everybody will be glued to a monitor," she said grinning, "I'll see ya around, okay?" "Yeah, I'll see ya around," John said as they walked away. Sara walked through the curtains and stopped at the top of the stage. "This is where mommy's gonna walk out," she said looking at Melissa. "Wow. There's gonna be a lot of people here," Melissa said looking out at the empty arena. "Yeah, and they're all gonna be cheering for mommy," Sara said as they headed down the ramp. She got to her mom's seats, and hopped over the banister. They were sitting right in the middle of the aisle, so they had one of the best seats in the arena. "You get to see mommy up close," she said setting Melissa down and helping her mother over the banister. "Cool!" Melissa said. "And I'm gonna give you a gift before the match starts, too," Sara said smiling. "What is it?" Melissa asked. "It's in my locker room. Your daddy got it for me, but I'm not gonna wear it for my match," Sara said. "Will I get to see it before you come out?" Melissa asked. "Nope. I'm gonna keep it a secret," Sara said smiling, "It's pretty, though, and shiny."

"When's your match, Sara?" Lucy asked. "It's the third to last match," Sara answered, "It's a title match, and it's pretty high-profile, so Vince wanted to put it near the end of the show. Are you gonna be okay?" "Yeah, I'll be fine. Melissa and I took a nap around noon, so we've got a lotta energy," Lucy answered. "Great, mom. I'm so happy you're here for this. I can't say that enough, I really can't," Sara said. "I'm happy I'm here, too, Sara," Lucy said looking at the ring, "I never could've guessed you'd become a wrestler, let alone have the career you've had." "Yeah, it's been a wild ride. I'm kinda glad my last match will be at Survivor Series. I think it's gonna be a few days before my birthday, too, so it'll be an early birthday gift," Sara said grinning. "That should be a lot of fun for you, then," Lucy said. "Yeah, hopefully it will be. Who knows? Maybe I'll be World champ by that time, and that'll be my retirement match," Sara said. "That would be nice," Lucy said. "Yeah, it would be," Sara said grinning, "I'll show you our locker room, so you can relax before the show. You ate dinner already, right?" "Yeah, we had lunch before we came here," Lucy answered as they stood, "We ate a nice little restaurant close to the hotel, so that we wouldn't have that far to walk back." "Okay, good. If you need anything, though, I can get it for you," Sara said as they headed up the stairs leading to the back.

Sara spotted Shawn with his wife and daughter, and waved to get their attention. "Look, Melissa, Bridgette's here," she said to her daughter. Melissa ran down towards Shawn and Tracy, a smile on her face, Sara right behind her. "Hi, Bridgette," Melissa said to the young girl. "Hi, Melissa," Bridgette said hugging her. "Hey, Tracy," Sara said hugging the older woman. "Hey, Sara, how are ya?" Tracy spoke. "I'm good, I'm good. Nervous about tonight, of course, but I'm doin' great," Sara answered, "Mom, you remember Tracy." Lucy nodded and hugged Tracy politely. "Hi, Ms. Lindsey, how are you?" Tracy said. "I'm doin' okay, Tracy," Lucy answered, "How are you?" "I'm good. Here to watch Shawn do what he does best," Tracy answered grinning at Shawn. Sara chuckled as he turned red. "Not embarrassed, are we?" she asked. "Of course not. I don't get embarrassed," he answered.

"In that case, let me tell you what he did the other day," Tracy said smiling at Sara. "Tracy, don't you dare," Shawn said. "I told you I was gonna tell everybody," Tracy said grinning. "What'd he do?" Sara asked. "Well, I took Bridgette out shopping, and left Shawn in our hotel room. Apparently, we ran out of ice, so he went to get some…but he forgot his room key. I come back with Bridgette, and guess who's standing in the hallway…in his boxers?" Tracy said laughing. Sara laughed and looked over at Shawn, who had his back turned to them. "I'm sure that was an interesting thing to walk up on. I hope nobody else saw you," she said. "Oh, of course people saw him. How do you miss that?" Tracy said continuing to laugh. "Aw, poor Shawn," Sara said, "Don't worry. More embarrassing things have happened to you." "Like?" Tracy asked. "I'll get him to tell you. The boys in the back can be pretty cruel at times," Sara answered. "I'll take you up to the skybox, Tracy, if you're done embarrassing me," Shawn said still not facing them, "Sara, would you like to bring Melissa?" "Of course, Underwear Man," Sara answered laughing, "Oh, I'm sorry, Shawn. I can only imagine how traumatic that had to have been for you." "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Shawn said picking up Bridgette, "Let's go."

Sara picked up Melissa, and everyone followed him down the hall. They arrived at the skybox, and Shawn set Bridgette down before opening the door. Tracy and Bridgette walked in first, with Melissa and Sara following. "Wow, mommy, I wanna sit up here!" Melissa said excitedly. The room had a large window to view the arena, a few chairs near the window for occupants, and a table filled with finger foods. "Nana isn't gonna want to sit alone, munchkin," Sara said rubbing Melissa's hair, "Besides not everybody can sit in the front row. You have a much better view from there, ya know." Melissa walked up to the glass, standing beside Bridgette. "The ring is small," Melissa commented. "Yeah, because you're up so high," Sara said smiling, "You sure you wanna sit here? I won't be able to give you your gift if you do." Melissa faced her and shook her head. "I wanna sit with Nana," she said. "Yeah, I thought you might," Sara said grinning. "So, Sara, how does it feel knowing this is your last Wrestlemania?" Shawn asked. Sara came over to where he was standing, leaving the two children to play alone, Tracy and Lucy watching over them. "Honestly, I'm a little depressed. I mean, this marks the last chapter of my career, ya know. I'm looking forward to being home with Melissa…but I'm gonna miss everybody," she said quietly. "I'm sure you will. You've been here for a long, long time…longer than most people thought you would be," Shawn said. "You know me, Shawn…always breaking down the barriers," she said grinning. "Yeah, that's the truth. When do you think Vince is gonna let you go for the World title?" he said grinning. "I don't know…I really don't know. I think I'll bring it up in a couple weeks," she answered, "I'll wait until I've wrestled as U.S. champ for awhile, maybe two or three weeks." "I think that's more than enough time," Shawn said. Sara nodded in agreement and sighed. "You know how Vince can be, though," she said quietly. "Don't worry. Personally, I've think you've been Heavyweight Champion material for a couple years now," he said. "Thanks, Shawn…that means a lot to me, it really does," she said smiling. "You know, you kinda look like you did when you were Chyna, with the braid," he said grinning. "Yeah, that's what I thought when Janet finished," she said chuckling, "But I'm not…I'm at a stronger point now than I ever was when I was Chyna." "Yeah, definitely," Shawn agreed.

After talking for nearly a half an hour about the show that night, Sara finally picked up Melissa. "Come on, I'm sure your dad's pullin' his hair out trying to find us," she said, "It was good talkin', Shawn." "Yeah, I'll see ya around, Sara," Shawn said leading them to the door. Lucy walked out first, and Sara followed behind her. They ran into Mark around the corner from their locker room. "There you are," he said as Melissa reached for him. He smiled and took her into his arms, squeezing her. "Hey, munchkin," he said kissing her cheek, "Have fun with Nana today?" "Yep!" Melissa said smiling, "Mommy said she had a gift for me." "Yeah, she does," he said grinning at Sara. "Don't you dare tell her what it is," Sara said. "I won't, dollface," he said winking at her, "Come on, let's go relax for a little while." Sara smiled as she and her mother followed him into their locker room, the door shutting behind them.

Sara rang her hands together nervously as Shawn and Paul began their match. She had nearly a half an hour before her match, and she was not only nervous about her match, she was scared. She had already been pacing the hallways for nearly an hour, going over the various sets in her match. Mark finally had to sit her down and force her to watch at least part of the show. "Stop fretting, dollface," Mark said taking her left hand in his. "Yeah…right," she said quietly, her left leg beginning to twitch nervously. "Why don't you go sit in a corner somewhere…relax before your match?" he suggested. Sara let out a deep breath and nodded as she stood. "I'll do that," she whispered heading away from the entrance area where they'd been. She found a nearby corner, and eased down, stretching her legs out in front of her. She had begun doing a deep-breathing session before each match, which she found helped her not only get her body ready, but her mind as well. The session usually took about 45 minutes to complete. Rob Szatkowski (known to the fans as Rob Van Dam) had taught her everything she was doing; she'd managed to get the session down to 20 minutes over the past few months, just from doing it on such a regular basis. As she finished, Mark walked up to her. "Angel?" he asked softly. "Yeah," she replied quietly. "Shawn and Triple H are about done…they've got maybe five more minutes. You ready?" Mark said grinning down at her. She looked up at him, and he saw that very familiar darkness. "More than ready…I've been waiting for this for a long time, 'Taker," she said smiling evilly. Mark stood and held out his hand. Sara took it, and he pulled her to her feet. Their fingers linked, and they headed to the entranceway. Carlos was there already waiting. "Angel, you ready for this?" he asked. "Of course, lil' man," she said winking at him.

Paul and Shawn came through the curtains a few minutes later, and they both looked at Sara. "Kick some ass out there, girlie," Shawn said. "I plan on it," she said darkly. "See ya when you get back," Paul said before he and Shawn walked away. Sara stood in front of Mark as Carlos stretched out a little more. Mark ran his hands up and down her arms and back, whispering words of encouragement in her ear. When Carlos' music started, Sara closed her eyes and slowed her breathing. "Perfection…you will achieve it tonight, Angel," Mark whispered in her ear, slowly removing her wedding ring from her left finger as he always did before every match, "This is your night, and nobody's _ever_ gonna take it away from you. Make sure every fan out there remembers your match. Make sure every fan out there remembers what you've stood for the past ten years." Sara nodded slightly as her music started. It was a slightly rock piece, mixed with old-schools blues. There was an electric guitar, a bass guitar, and even a harmonica playing together, varying in speeds and pitches. "Go, Angel," Vince said from the production table. Sara nodded and headed through the curtains, the cheers of the fans completely overpowering her. The arena was dark, and there were lighters lit throughout the open space. A sole blue spotlight focused on Sara, as it did on Mark whenever he made his own entrance, and she stopped at the top of the stage to eye the crowd. A grin came to her face, and she made her way down the ramp slowly. Flashing camera lights did not distract her; she was in her own world at that point. She stopped in front of Melissa, and removed the bracelet Mark had given her, placing it on her cherished daughter's wrist. "Mommy loves you," she whispered in Melissa's ear, kissing her temple, before slowly rolling into the ring. The lights came up, and she climbed onto the second rope of the corner closest to her, holding her hands up. The cheers were even louder, and there were even more flashing cameras. _Take as many pictures as you want, people_, she thought smiling broadly. She made her way to the other three corners, holding up her arms in the same fashion. When she finally stepped in the middle of the ring, Carlos was there waiting for her. She looked down at him, a sneer on her face.

"Don't you need adult supervision to be here?" she asked. "Size doesn't matter, Angel," Carlos responded. "Bad comeback," she said as the referee separated them to hold up the U.S. championship. Sara eyed it greedily, knowing that it was coming her way soon. The referee signaled for the bell, and the match began. Carlos and she locked up in a collar-and-elbow tie-up, both struggling for the upper hand. Carlos won out by hitting Sara with several knees to the ribs. He whipped her to the opposite corner and jumped up onto the second rope. He held up his fist, eliciting a mixture of cheers and boos, before nailing Sara in the head ten times. When Sara stumbled out of the corner, he took her down with a headlock takeover. Sara groaned and grabbed her neck, as Carlos jumped onto the top ropes and executed a clean split-legged moonsault. He went for a pin fall, but Sara kicked out at one. He stepped back and allowed her to stand of her own free will. Sara rotated her neck and clenched her fists, before they tied up again. Sara pulled him into a side headlock, squeezing his head with her bicep muscle. Carlos tried to push her away from him, but she kept a tight grip on him. After the third attempt, he finally whipped her away. Sara bounced off the ropes, only to knock him down with a harsh shoulder block. She ran to the closest ropes, and Carlos laid down in her path. She quickly jumped over him and ran to the other side. When she bounded back, Carlos leapt over her, and dropped onto his back. Sara did a cartwheel between his legs, and when he stood, she attempted a clothesline. Carlos ducked it quickly and took her down with a clean tilt-a-whirl headscissors takeover. He pulled her to her feet, and went to clothesline her, but Sara whipped him to the opposite side of the ring with an armdrag takeover. They both hopped to their feet, and stared at each other as the fans burst into cheers. Sara smiled and cracked her knuckles as they circled each other.

Carlos initiated the collar-and-elbow tie-up that time, but Sara overpowered him, hitting him with four or five hard forearm shots to the side of his head. She whipped him into the ropes, and took him down with a harsh clothesline. Carlos landed on the back of his neck, but Sara immediately dropped a leg over his throat. She smiled evilly as she mounted his chest, punching him in the side of his head with a closed fist. The referee noticed this, and immediately tried to pull her away. She pushed him back and continued to punch at Carlos' head. The referee finally got her away and motioned for her to open her fist up. Sara merely ignored him and went over to Carlos, pulling him up roughly and DDT-ing him harshly. She went for her own pin fall, but Carlos kicked out right before two. Sara groaned and pulled Carlos up, kneeing him in the stomach twice, before pulling him harshly to the closest corner. She hit at least four precise kicks to his stomach, before going to whip him to the opposite side. Carlos reversed it, and ran towards her. Sara rolled over his back, and faced him, only to meet with a stiff kick to her jaw. She fell to the mat limply, and Carlos quickly covered her. "One…two--!" Sara kicked out right after hearing "two", shaking her head clear of the cobwebs. Carlos picked her up and pulled her into a tight side headlock. For someone so small in stature, he sure had a hard grip. Sara grinned and reversed the side headlock into a clean suplex. Both people laid there for a few moments, trying to catch their breathing.

Sara stood first and slowly picked up Carlos, hooking his left arm over her neck, and getting a nice grip of his tights. She then performed three sharp snap suplexes in a row. Carlos groaned and grabbed at his back as Sara climbed to the top rope. She stood up straight and held up both her arms, eliciting more cheers from the crowd. She soared through the air like an eagle, dropping an elbow right in the middle of Carlos' chest. She grabbed his left leg, a smile on her face, and went for another pin fall. Carlos kicked out at two, and Sara groaned in frustration. She kicked him in his stomach harshly before going up to the top rope she'd just been on, her back facing the inside of the ring. She went for a moonsault, but hit nothing but mat. She screamed and grabbed her stomach, rolling around slightly. Carlos dropped an elbow to her lower back, before pulling her into a one-legged Boston crab. Sara groaned and struggled to get to the bottom rope nearest to her. Carlos pulled her to the middle of the ring, and cinched in the submission hold. Sara screamed and began to struggle even more. She managed to get to the ropes, and Carlos was forced to break the hold. Sara rested on the second rope, and Carlos signaled for one of his finishing moves, the 619. He basically did a reverse kick to his opponent's face. When he hit the move, Sara flew back to the middle of the ring, grabbing her face in pain. Carlos stood on the outside of the ropes, hyping the fans up as Sara got to her feet. When she faced him, he executed a hurricanrana, but pulled Sara into a pinning predicament. Sara managed to kick out at two, but Carlos immediately stood and kicked her in her stomach a few times before pulling her into her feet. He grabbed her head and executed a nice bulldog, using the ring ropes as added leverage. Sara grabbed her face again, trying to stretch out her jaw. Carlos picked her up, and placed her on the top turnbuckle upside down, a move known as the Tree of Woe. He ran to the opposite corner, before hurdling towards Sara and dropkicking her in her face. Sara fell to the mat limply. Carlos smiled underneath his mask as he picked her up. He went to whip her to the corner he'd run from, but Sara reversed it. She took a couple steps back, then stepped forward and did a cartwheel into a backflip, before landing a elbow into Carlos' chest. Carlos stumbled out of the corner, and Sara went for a German suplex. Carlos flipped out of it, and went to kick Sara in her jaw again. She dropped back, her hands landing behind her on the mat, then stood up straight and went for her German suplex again, this time hitting it. She bridged up, and went for the pin fall. Carlos kicked out right before three, and Sara used her arm strength to flip herself up, getting adoration from the crowd. She didn't see Carlos stand at the same time, though, and he caught her with a kick to the back of the head.

Carlos slowly picked her up and went for a Tombstone Piledriver. Sara was too tall for him, though, and she wiggled in his arms, until they had switched positions. Sara turned it into a backbreaker, and then attempted a moonsault from the second rope. Carlos rolled out of the way just in time, then quickly stood and pulled her up as well, knocking her back with forearm shots until she landed in the corner she'd attempted her moonsault from. He climbed up onto the second rope, and began to punch her in the side of the head. Sara gripped his waist and flipped him around, setting him on the turnbuckle and punching him in his jaw a few times. She then took a couple steps back before stepping forward, grabbing the bottom rope with both hands, and flipping up. Her legs wrapped around Carlos' neck, and brought him down hard. She went for yet another pin attempt, but Carlos kicked out at two. Sara hit the mat in pure frustration, and slowly stood, her hands on her waist. Carlos got to his feet, and Sara turned him around, hitting a strong DDT. She sat up and clapped her hands a few times, bringing laughs from the crowd. She stood up and pulled Carlos up, going for a hurricanrana. She hit it cleanly, but Carlos bridged up from the pin attempt, planting a solid kick to the back of her head. Sara fell forward, grabbing the back of her head and groaning. Carlos picked her up from behind, and attempted a German suplex pinning predicament. Sara rolled to the side, and held the back of her neck again. There was a dull pain in it, and it wasn't going away. "You okay, Angel?" the referee asked from beside her. She pushed him away, and slowly stood. Carlos didn't let her get too much of a break, though, because he immediately landed several kicks to her kidney area. He threw her left arm over his neck, and went for a vertical suplex, but Sara reversed it. She kneed him in the stomach several times, then planted a huge boot in his lower stomach area. The referee warned her not to go too low. Sara smiled and shoved Carlos' head between her legs, then executed a crucial powerbomb. The sound echoed throughout the large arena, and Sara knew that even the cameras had picked it up. She grabbed Carlos' right leg, and went for yet another pin fall. Carlos kicked out right before three, and Sara sat back on her feet, wiping the sweat away from her forehead.

She slowly stood and grabbed Carlos by the neck, pulling him up. He pushed her away and nailed her with a stiff right hand to the jaw. Sara sneered and returned the favor. They went back and forth with right hands nearly four times, before Sara broke the pattern and hit him with a sharp chop to the chest. She whipped him to the farthest side, and when he came back, she hit him with a big boot, much in the same fashion as Undertaker. She grabbed his right leg, going for a Figure 4 leglock, but Carlos kicked her away. He tried to sneak a pin fall, grabbing her from behind in a school boy rollup. Sara kicked up hurriedly, but Carlos pulled her up and whipped her into the opposite corner. He ran towards her, but Sara backdropped him to the outside. Carlos landed on the floor flat on his stomach. Sara took a few deep breaths, trying to slow her heartbeat down while giving Carlos the same chance. When she saw him stand from her peripheral view, she ran towards the opposite rope, bounded back, and dived through the second and top rope, landing on top of Carlos. The fans erupted, as they had very rarely seen Sara perform any kind of high-risk move. Sara got to her feet, and pulled Carlos up, before dropping him back down with a DDT to the thin mat on the floor. She heard the referee counting, and threw her opponent back into the ring, slowly following him.

Carlos got to his feet as she climbed in, and kicked her in the stomach before throwing her left arm around his neck. He grabbed a handful of her pants and pulled her up, holding her vertical for nearly 20 seconds, walking around the ring as he did. When he finally dropped back, Sara laid limp. He made his way to the closest top turnbuckle, holding his head as he did. When he got to the top rope, he executed a beautiful 450° splash. The fans went crazy as he attempted another pin fall. Sara managed to kick out right before the three count, but Carlos didn't let up. He pulled her to the middle of the ring, and flipped her over, then cinched in the Camel clutch. Sara groaned and grabbed at her neck, screaming loudly. She tried to move towards the ropes in front of her, but Carlos' grip was tight. It took her a long 30 seconds before she felt a cable with her fingers, and gripped it for dear life. The referee managed to pull Carlos away, and Sara grabbed her throat, coughing slightly. Carlos ran towards her, dropkicking her in the side of her head. Sara flipped over, gripping her head tightly. Her head was pounding at this point, but she knew she had to continue. She'd had headaches come in the middle of her matches before, so this was no different. She slowly climbed to her feet as Carlos ran to the opposite rope. When she saw him coming, she flipped him over the top rope, not seeing him land on the mat. She held her left hand up, smiling at the crowd slightly, before facing Carlos. He rammed his shoulder into her stomach, and climbed into the ring before executing a nice reverse neckbreaker. He mounted her chest, and nailed her with several punches to the head. He quickly picked her up and put her right back down with a harsh powerslam, then dropped an elbow directly on her ribs. "Goddammit!" she screamed holding her ribs. Carlos pulled her up, ignoring the referee's pleas to give Sara a small break, and chopped her chest, pushing her back to the closest corner as he did. He took her over with a clean headlock takeover, then stood at her feet. He grabbed both feet, and fell back, sending Sara flying into the turnbuckle. He didn't let go, though, so when Sara fell back, her lower back landed directly over his knees. Sara rolled to the side, curled up and grabbing her lower back. "Jesus Christ," she whispered. Carlos smiled evilly and pulled her into Mexican surfboard, wrenching back on her neck. Sara screamed and her arms flailed wildly, until the referee realized Carlos was choking her and broke the move. Sara leaned down on all fours, coughing harshly as Carlos headed up to the top rope. Sara slowly stood and faced him, only to be caught in another hurricanrana and pin attempt. She grabbed the bottom rope, and the referee stopped his count, forcing Carlos off of her.

Carlos dragged her to the middle of the ring, before cinching in a front facelock. He planted knees into her shoulders and face, and one landed directly on the bridge of her nose. Sara screamed and tried to pull away, but Carlos hit her a few more times before finally letting up. Sara groaned as she felt blood began to seep from her nose. Carlos pulled her up and went to whip her to the farthest corner, but Sara reversed it. She executed another handspring elbow, but this time pulled Carlos into a facebuster when he stumbled out of the corner. She flipped him over harshly and cinched in her own Camel clutch, pulling back on Carlos' neck and screaming like a wild woman. "Give up, you bastard!" she yelled at him. The referee checked the location of her hands, and forced her to break the hold when he saw she was choking him. Sara kicked her opponent in the back of the head repeatedly, then wiped the blood from her nose away. She eyed it evilly, before licking it away from her fingers. The crowd cheered slightly at that somewhat morbid act. She backed up into the far corner, and motioned for Carlos to stand. "Come on, lil' on," she whispered, a sneer on her face and fire in her eyes. When Carlos finally got to his feet, and faced her, she launched at him like a missile. Her shoulder hit his stomach, and brought him down to the mat with a resounding force. She laughed maniacally as she went for another pin fall. Carlos kicked out, though, right before three.

Sara pulled him to his feet, knowing that they were in the final stretch of their match. She went to clothesline him, but Carlos ducked and hit her with a belly-to-back suplex. He pulled her up and threw her into the nearest corner, hitting her with a few kicks to her ribs before kicking her in the side of her head. Sara stumbled out of the corner, holding her head, and Carlos swept her feet out from under her before going for a pin attempt. Sara almost didn't kick out, because she was losing focus. She did at the very last moment, and Carlos hit the mat angrily. He picked her up roughly, and Sara broke his hold on her neck, kicking him in the stomach and quickly planting him with a DDT. She laid there for about 15 seconds, trying to recall the very end of the match. A grin came to her face and she pushed herself up with her hands, the fans cheering as she did. She rotated her neck slightly, a look of slight insanity passing through her eyes as she glared at Carlos' limp body. "Angel, Angel, Angel!" the fans chanted repeatedly. She stood at Carlos' head, facing the side her mother and daughter were sitting on. She smiled as she reached down and picked up Carlos by his neck. She threw his right arm around her neck before lifting him up, and bringing him in front of her. She held him for a few moments before dropping him on the back of his neck. It was technically called a Falcon's Arrow, but Jim Ross had given it the title of "Angel's Touch". She grabbed Carlos' right leg, and listened as the fans counted along with the referee: "One…two…THREE!"

_Oh, my God, it's over_, Sara thought as the bell rang. She released Carlos' leg and stood as the referee retrieved the U.S. championship. The fans were all on their feet, giving her a standing ovation, which brought tears to her eyes. Sara looked down at her newly won title, then at her opponent. She placed a foot over his chest, and held the title up high, a smile on her face as broad as could be. The fans chanted her name over and over again, even as she headed up the ramp to leave. She stopped at the top of the ramp, facing the large crowd. She slowly looked down at the title in her hands, before smiling and holding it up yet again. She stood there for a few moments, soaking the memory up, before heading back through the curtains. Immediately, Mark's arms encircled Sara when she came through the curtains. "Now _that_…was pure perfection," he whispered in her ear, "I am so proud o' you, dollface." Tears poured down Sara's face and she put her arms around his neck. Relief and depression hit her all at once. "Come on," he whispered helping her out of the pit area.

Sara was met by a group of her closest friends: Andy, Lisa, John, Kevin, Paul, and Shawn. "Oh, my God…that match…Sara, sweetheart, there are no words," Lisa said hugging her tightly. Sara cried into her shoulder as well. "Oh, don't cry, Sara. You've gotta see a tape o' that match. That was….that was fuckin' _awesome_!" John said rubbing her shoulder. Sara wiped away her tears and nodded, finally releasing Lisa. She looked to each person; they each stared at her with a sense of renewed admiration and respect. "Oh, guys…," she whispered trying not to cry again. "You were at your best out there tonight, baby girl, you really were," Kevin said hugging her. "Thanks, Kevin," she said hugging him back. "Yeah, without a doubt, that's probably one of your best matches ever," Shawn said, "And I've seen you in some damn good matches." Sara released Kevin and hugged Shawn as well. "Thanks, Shawn, thanks a lot," she said quietly. Paul hugged her and whispered, "Great job, Sara…that was truly a great match." "Thanks, Paul," Sara whispered back. Paul released her and Sara looked at Andy. He smiled and hugged her tightly. "That match is why I'm glad I know you. I hope you brag about that match for many years, baby doll," he whispered kissing her cheek softly, "Because that was fucking perfect." Sara swallowed and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Andy. That means a lot to me," she whispered.

"Sara?" Carlos said from behind the small group. Sara turned around and the tears returned. She hugged him tightly, and whispered, "Thank you…thank you so much." "It was my pleasure, chica," he said softly. Sara released and wiped the tears away. "I mean that, Carlos. It was an honor…a real honor," she said looking down at the floor. "Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" he asked tapping her arm playfully. Sara smiled and shook her head. "You're such a great wrestler, Carlos, you really are. I couldn't have had that kind of match with anybody else," she said quietly, "It really was an honor for me." "I'm glad I could have that match with you. We'll have to sit down and watch it tomorrow," he said, "You should go get your nose checked out, though." Sara wiped her hand across her nose, chuckling at the sight of the blood. "Yeah, Melissa's probably goin' crazy out there thinkin' I'm bleeding to death back here." "Mom said she was gonna bring her back here as soon as you were done," Mark said touching her back, "So you might wanna get cleaned up." Sara nodded and turned her attention back to Carlos. "Thanks again, Carlos," she said extending her hand. "Not a problem, chica. I'll see you around," he said shaking it, then heading towards his locker room.

Sara went to leave, but was stopped by the sound of Vince's voice. She turned in the direction of the voice, and Vince pulled her immediately into a tight embrace. "You're getting your suit dirty, Vince," she said hugging him back. "I don't care. I would've paid money to see that match up close," he said in her ear, "I'm so proud of you, Sara." "Thanks, Vince…thanks a lot," she said quietly. "I mean that…it breaks my heart to know you're gonna be leaving me in only eight months," he said pulling away from her, "What are we gonna do without you?" "Create more superstars," she answered smiling. "Mommy!" Sara looked over her shoulder and saw Lucy walking towards her, Melissa in her arms. "Oh, shit," Sara whispered. "What?" Vince asked. "I didn't want her to see me with a bloody nose," Sara said quietly. "Here," he said handing her a towel, "Thought you might need it." Sara smiled and said, "Thanks, Vince," before placing the towel over her nose, soaking up the blood still flowing from her nostrils. Mark took her left hand in his, and they met Lucy and Melissa halfway.

"Mommy!" Melissa said squirming in Lucy's arms. "Mommy's just fine, darlin'," Sara said taking her into her arms. Melissa's arms locked around her neck, and Sara felt her trembling. "You scared me, mama," Melissa said, "I thought Mr. Carlos was hurting you." Sara looked at Mark with tears in her eyes. "Please take her," she whispered. Mark nodded and carefully pulled Melissa away. Sara headed down the hall, the bloody towel in one hand, the U.S. championship in her other. "Is she okay?" Lucy asked. "Yeah, she's just gonna go see Bruce, our trainer…get her nose cleaned up," he answered. "Did mommy get hurt, Daddy?" Melissa asked. "Only a little bit, munchkin, but she's fine, I promise. Mr. Carlos would never hurt mommy on purpose," he answered. "Like you don't mean to hurt people you fight?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, exactly," he answered, "Come on, I'll take you and Nana to our locker room, okay?" "Okay," Melissa said resting her head on his shoulder. Mark rubbed her back as they headed down the hallway. He knew Sara was feeling horrible for having Melissa in the front row, seeing up close just what she went through to entertain the fans.

Sara headed to Bruce's, wiping away the tears that had escaped onto her cheeks. She never thought Melissa would be scared for her health; she'd always explained to Melissa what she did in the ring. _For God's sake, she's three years old, Sara. Did you really think she could handle sitting in the front row?_ she thought. When she got to Bruce's door, she knocked heavily. The door opened and she walked in, dropping her belt on the table near the door. "Jesus, Sara," Bruce said as she plopped down on the table. Blood was covering her entire mouth. "Sorry, Bruce…," she said quietly. Bruce wrapped a small icepack in a large piece of gauze and held it to the side of her nose. "Ouch," she said softly. Bruce grinned and said, "That was a helluva match you had out there, ya know." "My daughter…I scared the shit outta her, Bruce…she was sitting right in the front row, and she thought…Carlos was seriously hurting me," Sara said laying back and holding the icepack in place. "Has she never seen you wrestle before?" he asked. "Yeah, but…not that close, ya know…she's always in the back, watching it on a monitor with Mark…where he can explain what I'm doing. Tonight, she was with my mom right in the front row…there was nobody there to tell her it was all planned out, that Carlos wasn't trying to hurt me," she said quietly, "I feel so selfish. The whole day I just kept thinking how happy I was to have her and my mom watching me do what I love…and worried about the match being perfect. Not once did it cross my mind that I would hurt my daughter like that."

"Did you think to bring her in here, so she could see you were okay?" he asked moving the ice pack away. When he saw there was still slight blood flow, he placed it back where Sara was holding it. "Well, hold that up there for about a minute…that should stop the blood flow," he said taking the towel she had been holding and tossing it into a biohazard bin, "Other than that little scare, are you happy with the match?" "Yeah, of course, I am. Carlos is always fun to work with, because he's so fast-paced. But now…the adrenaline's running off…and I am way beyond exhausted," she said tiredly, "You got any aspirin, 'cause I started getting a headache midway through the match, and it just got worse." "Yeah," Bruce said reaching inside one of his medical bags and pulling out a bottle of Tylenol. He took out two small capsules, and poured a small glass of water, then helped Sara sit up. "Lean your head back," he commanded. Sara merely did as she was told. Bruce dropped the two pills in her mouth, then helped her sip the water to wash them down. "Alright, lay back down," he said. Sara sighed and groaned slightly as she did so; she had to stretch soon, or her muscles were going to freeze up. A couple minutes later, Bruce pulled the icepack away from her. He wiped away the dried blood with a wet napkin, and placed a bandage over her nose. "You don't have to go back out there, do you?" he asked helping her up. "No, no," she answered rotating her neck. "Okay, good. You wouldn't look too good with that bandage on your nose," he said jokingly. "Thanks, Bruce. You're the best," she said. "Not a problem," Bruce said as she left the room.

Sara slowly made her way down to her locker room, being congratulated on a great match by nearly every person she passed. She was glad her peers enjoyed her work, but she was more concerned now about her daughter's mental well-being than anyone's opinion of her. When she got to the locker room door, she took a deep breath before entering. Mark was sitting on the couch beside Lucy, Melissa in his lap. "See, munchkin, I told you she was fine," Mark said softly. Melissa looked up at Sara, and Sara saw her cheeks were reddened from crying. "Come here, baby girl," she whispered kneeling down and spreading her arms. Melissa slowly climbed off of Mark's lap and walked over to her mother. "Are you okay, mommy?" she asked softly. "Yeah, it's nothin'. You know your mom's tough," Sara said pulling her close. "I was scared," Melissa said quietly. Sara picked her up and sat down beside Mark, leaning against him as he placed his arm around her shoulder. "Nothin' to be scared about now, darlin'," Sara said kissing Melissa's temple, "Did you like your gift?" Melissa finally smiled and nodded. "Do you want it back now?" she asked looking up at Sara with wide eyes. "No, darlin'. You can wear it for tonight," Sara said squeezing her a little closer, then looking up at Mark, "You're up after John and D.J., right?" "Yep. You gonna walk me to the pit?" he answered. "Melissa, you wanna walk Daddy up to where we were before?" Sara asked her daughter. Melissa yawned slightly and Sara grinned. "I'll leave you back here with Nana, but I'll be back as soon as your daddy walks out, okay?" she said. Melissa nodded and curled up against Sara's warm body. "I'm gonna go take a shower," Sara said placing Melissa gently in Mark's arms. "Okay, dollface," he whispered. "Where's my--." "It'll be right here waiting for you when you get outta the shower," he said holding up her wedding ring.

Sara smiled and headed into the bathroom. She quickly stripped and stepped under the soothing, hot stream of water, letting it ease her aches and pains. She washed herself thoroughly, and washed her hair as well, before stepping out of the shower stall. She changed into a pair of comfortable sweatpants, a sports bra, and a small t-shirt before going back into the locker room. Melissa was fully asleep at this point, Mark caressing her cheek gently. "I think she's worn out now," he said to Sara. "Yeah," Sara said sitting down beside him, "Tonight was rough for her. I don't think I want her to see me like that again, Mark…ever. I felt so selfish…I still do." "Don't worry, dollface. She knows you're okay, and that's what matters," he said kissing the side of her head, "I'll meet you at the pit in about 30 minutes, okay?" Sara watched him stand before looking down at Melissa's sleeping body and nodding. Okay, baby," she told Mark. Melissa shifted slightly, and Sara stretched her out on the sofa, resting her daughter's head on her knees. "Mark grinned slightly and leaned down, kissing her forehead softly. "I love you," he whispered. "Ditto, baby," she whispered back. "Always and forever?" he asked. "Even longer than that," she answered smiling up at him. Mark winked at her before leaving the room. "How long is his match, Sara?" Lucy asked moments later. "About a half an hour, maybe a little longer," Sara answered sliding down to the floor, "We're gonna head back right after that. He can clean up at the hotel room." "Okay, darlin'," Lucy said quietly.

Sara watched Paul and John's match as she stretched out from her own match. It was an excellent match-up, because each man loved the business, and loved giving their all to entertain the fans, just like every other WWF Superstar. Near the end of the match, after she'd finished stretching, Sara headed out of the room to meet Mark at the pit. He was already standing there waiting for her. "Too bad you're not gonna be out there with me," he whispered. "I will be," she whispered holding her left hand over his heart, "Right there." Mark nodded and put his hand over hers. "Right there, my angel," he whispered. "How much longer?" Sara asked quietly. "Only moments," he answered as they heard the bell ring signaling the end of the match. Sara smiled and helped him into his leather jacket. Mark turned his back to her, and she placed her right hand in his left one, linking their fingers together. They stood with their heads down and eyes closed, as they always did before a big pay-per-view match. When Paul and John each walked by, the men simply grinned and kept on their paths. "You ready, 'Taker?" Kevin asked from behind the couple. "Of course, big man," Mark answered darkly, not bothering to face Kevin. "'Taker, you're up next," Vince said from the table. Mark nodded and Sara touched his forearm. He leaned down towards her, and she whispered with a smile, "Perfection." Mark looked at her, and she kissed his lips softly as his music sounded through the arena. "Be back in a little bit, angel," he whispered before releasing her hand and walking through the curtains. "You two really freak me out sometimes, baby girl," Kevin said moving up beside her. "Yeah, we try. I gotta get back to our locker room. Be safe out there, Kevin," Sara said quietly. Kevin nodded as she walked away.

Sara quickly went back to the locker room, smiling slightly when she saw Melissa in her mother's arms, both people asleep. Sara sat down on the floor in front of the television to watch Mark's match and stretch out. The entrance itself was enchanting, but Mark's passion for his job was at its peak, and his wrestling was superb. There was never a wasted move, for any reason; Mark truly had mastered the art of telling a story with his body. When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the match, nearly 45 minutes had passed. Sara rotated her neck as she stood, leaving the locker room to meet Mark at the pit. When he walked through the curtain after Kevin, she smiled and crossed her arms. "What?" he asked wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Were you trying to show me up out there?" she asked. "Of course not, dollface," he said as they left the area, "Just try and equal it." "Well, you did it. That was perfection, baby," she said quietly. "Are Mom and Melissa asleep?" he asked as they headed down the hall. "Yeah. Are you gonna go ahead and take a shower here, or wait 'til we get back to the hotel?" she asked. "I've got to stretch, and I stink to high heavens now, so I was gonna go ahead and take one," he answered. "Okay, that's fine," Sara said. They got to the locker room, and Sara entered first. Melissa was now curled up on her mother's lap, and both people were still fast asleep.

"I can wait, dollface," Mark whispered in Sara's ear. She looked up at him, asking quietly, "Are you sure?" "Yeah, but you're driving back to the hotel," he whispered. Sara grinned and nodded. "No problem. I'll get Melissa," she whispered going over to the couch. She carefully pulled Melissa into her arms, waking her mother up in the process. "Is Mark done?" Lucy asked. "Yeah, mom, I'm done," Mark answered, "We're gonna go ahead back to the hotel now." Sara grabbed her duffel bag, and Mark helped Lucy stand. Sara handed him his own duffel bag, and they exited the locker room. Several of their co-workers congratulated both Mark and Sara on great matches as they headed out of the building. Finally at the truck, Sara placed Melissa in the back seat, buckling her in. Mark climbed in beside Melissa, and Lucy sat in the front passenger seat, buckling her own seat belt. When Sara climbed into the driver's seat, she felt a sense of peace. She had done what she'd hoped she could: gained the respect of her peers and fans on a whole other level. _This is the final stretch_, she thought, _Tonight marks the final stretch of my career_. "Hon? You okay?" Mark asked touching her shoulder. "Yeah, just thinkin' about tonight, baby," she answered starting the engine. She carefully pulled out of the parking lot, waving good-bye to fans who'd waited around to see their favorite wrestlers leave. She took her time getting to the hotel, letting the cool night air blow against her face through the crack she'd left in the window. They arrived nearly 20 minutes later. Mark took Melissa, and Sara helped her mother inside.

Once they were finally inside their hotel room, Sara felt hot tears sting her eyes again. She helped her mother into her bedroom, kissing her goodnight, and then shutting the door. She entered her bedroom to find Mark laying Melissa down in their bed. "Was it a good day, Mark?" Sara asked softly. Mark looked over his shoulder and grinned slightly, motioning for her to come closer. He put his hands on her waist and whispered, "It was more than a good day, dollface…it was a perfect day." Sara sighed heavily and said, "Now it's over." "You still have eight more months, dollface," he whispered. "Yeah, I know…I just…I can't help but feel depressed, ya know. After I heard the ref hit that mat the third time, I felt instant relief, I really did. All that pressure…it was gone in that one moment. But now…I'm kinda depressed that the pressure isn't there," she said softly. "Don't worry, dollface. You'll have plenty of chances to work under pressure," he said grinning slightly, "Especially when you're World champ."

Sara chuckled softly and leaned down, kissing him softly. "Go take a shower," she said moving away from him, "You stink." Mark raised his eyebrows and said, "I love you, too." Sara smiled and held out her hands. Mark grabbed them, and she helped him stand. "Go on," she said swatting his bottom. Mark's jaw dropped, but Sara simply smiled at him. "Go," she commanded pointing towards the bathroom door. "I'll get you back eventually," he said walking away. Sara nodded and said, "Right, baby." She climbed into bed beside Melissa, pulling her daughter closer. Melissa yawned loudly and Sara smiled before yawning herself. Her eyes closed, and she was asleep almost instantaneously. Mark came out of the bathroom nearly a half an hour later. It took him longer than usual because his muscles were so sore. He smiled slightly at the sight of Sara cradling Melissa against her, and he sat down on the floor to stretch out as much as he could. He went through nearly a dozen different stretches before finally climbing into bed beside Sara. He pulled her closer, and kissed the side of her head. "I love you, dollface," he whispered before falling asleep himself.


	74. Beginning of the End

**Chapter 73…Beginning of the End**

Sara awoke early the next morning, cradled up against Mark. She let out a deep breath as she glanced down at her sleeping child. _Everything's different now_, she thought kissing the top of Melissa's head. "Dollface?" Mark whispered in her ear. "Yeah?" she answered quietly. "How do you feel?" he asked kissing her ear. Sara sighed heavily and shrugged her shoulders. "More sad than anything," she said softly, "Kinda like post-partum depression, I guess." Mark smiled slightly and kissed her ear again. "You did what I asked you, though," he said quietly. "And what's that?" she asked. "You made sure the fans remembered you. Last night was not somethin' anyone's gonna forget for a long time," he said grinning. Sara looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. He kissed her gently, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. "I love you, too," she whispered against his lips. "So, who's cooking breakfast?" he said, "We've still got a lotta food left over." Sara smiled innocently and shrugged. "I don't know," she answered. "Alright, I'll cook," he said smiling down at her. Sara kissed his chin softly and whispered, "You love me, and you know it." Mark kissed her again, coaxing her mouth open, delving his tongue inside when she did. Sara moaned softly and placed her hand on the back of neck, pulling him closer. Melissa stirred and Sara broke the kiss with Mark. "Mama," Melissa whispered clinging to her shirt. "Yeah, I'm here, darlin'," Sara whispered kissing the top of her head. "I'll go make breakfast, dollface," Mark whispered climbing out of bed. "Pancakes," Melissa said smiling. "Alright, munchkin, I'll make pancakes," Mark said smiling. "Thank you, Mark," Sara said looking into his eyes. Mark merely winked at her before leaving the room.

Sara stretched her arms out, yawning loudly, as Melissa climbed onto her stomach. "Is Nana going home today, mama?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, she is," Sara answered, "Don't worry. Now you get to come to work with daddy and me the whole day." "Really?" Melissa asked sitting up. Sara grinned and nodded. "I might even you let you play in the ring," she said. Melissa smiled and stood, jumping on the bed beside Sara. "I wanna be a wrestler, mommy," she said smiling. "What? When did you decide this?" Sara asked. "Just now. You and daddy have so much fun, I wanna have fun, too," Melissa said. "It's not all fun and games, baby. You could get hurt," Sara said solemnly. "Like you did last night?" Melissa asked. "Yeah…like I did last night," Sara answered quietly. "But you're okay now," Melissa argued. Sara smiled and pinched her cheeks. "We'll talk about it in about 15 years," she said. "That's too long," Melissa responded. Sara chuckled and ruffled her hair. "It'll give you plenty o' time to think it over," she said, "Come on, let's go clean up." Melissa hopped off the bed and ran into the bathroom, Sara chasing after her. They took a bubble bath together, Sara allowing Melissa to again wash her long, thick hair. Sara bathed her daughter well, and herself as well, before stepping out of the tub and bringing Melissa with her. "What time are we leaving today, mommy?" Melissa asked as Sara wrapped her in a towel. "Well, Nana's flight is in a couple hours, and so is ours," Sara answered. "So we won't be able to say good-bye to Nana?" Melissa asked. Sara sighed heavily and shrugged. "I don't know, munchkin, but we're riding to the airport together, so you can talk to her on the way there," she answered.

Sara managed to get Melissa dressed quickly, and sent her off to the kitchen. "Make sure daddy leaves some food for me," she said as Melissa closed the door. Sara smiled and brushed her hair dry, before slipping on a pair of jeans and a tank top. She put her hair up into a ponytail, then left the bedroom. She heard the voices of her family in the dining room area, and stood in the doorway where they couldn't see her. "I think she's gonna be okay, mom, I do. After her performing so well last night, I think she's even more confident," Mark said. "Yeah, I know, Mark. I'm just concerned about Melissa's well-being," Lucy said. Sara swallowed and crossed her arms. "I know mommy's okay, Nana," Melissa said chewing her food. Sara grinned slightly and let out a deep breath. "We know, munchkin. We just don't want you to get scared like you were last night," Mark said. "I won't, daddy, I promise," Melissa said smiling up at him. Mark winked at her as Sara finally entered the room. She went over to her mother and hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek. She kissed the top of Melissa's head, as well as Mark's cheek, before finally sitting down. "Good morning to you, too, sweetheart," Lucy said. Sara smiled and said, "Morning, mom. How are you feeling?" "Great, actually. I got a good night's sleep, and now, it's time for me to go back home. Nicky's probably worried out of her mind about me," Lucy answered. "Well, we'll call her before we leave for the airport, so she'll know when to pick you up," Sara said grabbing a plate. Mark filled her plate with eggs, toast, and bacon, and poured a glass of orange juice. "Thank you," she said smiling. "No problem, sweetheart," he said softly.

After breakfast, Sara packed up their belongings, and placed the suitcases by the front door. Mark cleaned up the kitchen as she finished cleaning the bedroom. Melissa sat with Lucy on the couch watching morning cartoons. When Mark and Sara finally finished, it was almost 9:30. Lucy's flight was at 10:30, and their flight was at 10:45. Sara glanced at their tickets, and noticed that Lucy's gate was right next to theirs. "We'll be able to say good-bye after all," she said quietly. "What's that, dollface?" Mark asked. "Melissa was worried we wouldn't be able to say goodbye to mom, but our gates are right next to each other, so we'll be able to," she answered. "Well, good. I think Melissa's gotten closer to mom," he said softly. Sara looked over at her daughter and mother, and Melissa was reading yet another book to Lucy. Tears suddenly came to Sara's eyes as she realized her mother was going to die sooner rather than later. She looked back up at Mark, and he pulled her close. "It's alright, dollface," he whispered, knowing exactly why she was crying, "You know I'll always be here." Sara nodded as she cried silently, gripping Mark's shirt tightly. "Come on, baby, we gotta get outta here. We wanna make it to the airport in time," he said softly. Sara sniffled as Mark wiped away her tears. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too, darlin'," he said softly, kissing her forehead gently.

"Come on, munchkin, time to go," Sara said going into the living room. Melissa spread her arms, and Sara picked her up. Lucy slowly stood, and Mark grabbed their belongings. Lucy walked out first, Sara behind her, and Mark following last. The women went out to the truck while Mark checked them out. When he came out, Sara had just climbed into the passenger side seat. Mark tossed the bags into the back and climbed into the driver's seat. "On to D.C. we go," he said starting the engine. Sara smiled at him as he pulled out of the hotel parking lot. "What time do you think we'll get to the arena?" she asked. "Well, our flight is only about an hour and a half, so we'll be in D.C. by noon at the latest. I'd say one o' clock," he answered. Sara nodded and turned her attention to the passing scene. Mark grinned and took her left hand in his. She looked over at him, a slight grin on her face, before looking back out the window.

Mark pulled into the airport parking lot nearly a half an hour later. Sara helped her mother and daughter out, before grabbing her duffel bag and suitcase. "What time is my flight, Sara?" Lucy asked. "10:30, mom," she answered, "Are you happy to be going home?" "A little. I love being around you and Melissa, of course, but traveling isn't really good for me," Lucy answered. "Well, we'll come see you next time we have a nice break," Sara said as they entered the terminal. Mark turned in the keys for his rental truck, and Sara took Melissa to the bathroom. Mark sat down beside Lucy and let out a deep breath. "You feelin' a little better, mom?" he asked. "A little. I'm tired, with all the excitement of this weekend, but it was great to be away from the house. Nicky treats me like I'm a child, as much as I tell her not to," Lucy said smiling slightly. "Well, she's just trying to take care of you," he said quietly. "I know, Mark, I know. I just don't want to be treated like an invalid," she said back. "Now I see where Sara gets it from," he said grinning. "Gets what?" she asked. "Her unwillingness to allow people to care for her," he answered. Lucy swatted his arm, and said, "I'm not unwilling." "What do you call it?" he asked playfully. "Simple: I'm an adult, treat me like one. I'm not a victim, so don't treat me like that," she answered seriously. Mark looked down at her and nodded. "I know, mom," he said quietly, "Sara's just really scared right now, and really worried." Lucy sighed and nodded. "I know, Mark," she said softly, "She's done all she can, though, ya know. And I appreciate what you guys have done for me, I really do. I just want her to understand that…you can't control all things in life, especially life itself." Mark sighed heavily as he saw Sara come out of the bathroom.

Sara sat down, and immediately noticed the sadness in her mother's eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Not ready to leave you just yet," Lucy said, "Home gets kinda lonely, even with Nicky there watchin' over me." Sara only heard the first part of her mother's statement, and she felt her heart clench. Mark saw her go pale, and quickly led her back to the bathroom. Mark couldn't go into the bathroom, so he simply stood outside and waited. Sara ran into an empty stall and threw up breakfast. When she finished, she wiped her mouth with toilet paper, and flushed the stool. "Dollface, you okay?" Mark asked from outside. Sara splashed water on her face and sighed. "Yeah," she answered. She dried her face and took a few deep breaths before leaving the bathroom. "What happened?" he asked quietly. "Not sure…I heard her say she wasn't ready to leave me yet, and I just…got a sick feeling," she whispered. Mark sighed heavily and put an arm around her shoulders, leading her back over to their seats. "Are you okay, mommy?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, munchkin, I'm fine," Sara answered pulling Melissa into her lap. "You don't look okay," Melissa said touching her forehead. Sara smiled and kissed her cheek lightly. "Well, I feel okay, and that's all that matters," she said rubbing her nose against Melissa's cheek. Melissa laughed and Sara squeezed her slightly.

Mark, Sara, and Lucy talked until Lucy's flight was called to board. Sara slowly stood, and walked with her mother to the appropriate gate. "I'm gonna come see you as soon as I can, mom," Sara said quietly. "Don't rush, Sara. Enjoy your family. Melissa's growing up so fast, ya know," Lucy said. "Yeah, she is. I still can't believe she's reading. It shocks me every single time to see her sit down with a book or a magazine, and actually know what she's reading," Sara said quietly. "Yeah, she's gonna be a smart girl, just like you," Lucy said as they came up to her gate. Sara hugged her mother tightly, tears coming to her eyes. "I love you, mom," she whispered, "I love you so much." Lucy smiled slightly and hugged her back just as tightly. "I love you just the same, Sara. You be good, okay? Don't work so hard," she said softly. Sara chuckled softly and nodded. "I'll try not to," she said quietly, letting out a deep breath. "Tell Mark the same. You two have a daughter to raise, and you should be healthy enough to do so," Lucy said as Sara released her. Sara nodded and kissed her cheek, then hugged her again. "Call me as soon as you're home, okay?" she asked. "Of course, darlin'," Lucy answered. Sara released her again and watched her head down the small hallway leading to the plane, then went back over to Mark. "Mom said don't work too hard," she said grinning. "Was that directed towards you, too?" he asked smiling. "Yeah," she said smiling fully. "They just called for our flight to board," he said picking up his duffel bag. Sara grabbed hers as well, and held Melissa's hand. "Can I make it the next eight months, Mark?" she asked as they headed to their gate. "Of course you can, dollface. You don't know how to do anything half-assed, remember?" he said grinning. Sara smiled and sighed happily. "Yeah, you're right," she responded. They boarded their flight and took their seats in first-class, and the plane took off a few minutes later.

The trio arrived in Washington D.C. at exactly 12:30 p.m. Sara retrieved their bags while Mark went to pick up their rental car. Sara met him outside, struggling to manage both their luggage and Melissa. Mark smiled as he climbed out of the car and grabbed his duffel bag and suitcase. "Thanks," Sara said. "Not a problem, dollface," he said opening the truck and tossing in the luggage. Sara put Melissa in the back seat and buckled her up, while Mark put her belongings in the trunk alongside his. When she finally climbed into the passenger seat, she let out a deep sigh. "You okay?" Mark asked starting the car. "Yeah, babe," she said grinning at him, "You shouldn't pack so much stuff, though." "Ha! _Me_ pack so much stuff?! If that's not the pot callin' the kettle black," he said chuckling. Sara merely smiled and looked away. "Mommy, what do you want me to do while you and daddy work?" Melissa asked from the back seat. "We'll figure it out when we get there, darlin'," Sara answered. "John is probably gonna wanna watch your match from last night," Mark commented. "I've gotta work out first," she responded, "Will you watch her while I do that?" "Yeah, no problem, dollface," he answered. Sara looked over her shoulder at Melissa. "You hear that? You get to hang out with daddy for a couple hours," she said grinning. "Can you take me to the ring, daddy?" Melissa asked. "Sure, baby," he answered grinning at Sara, "She's turning into a performer, ya know." "No, she's just having fun," she said half-seriously. The last thing she wanted was for Melissa to become a wrestler; there was just too much pain and suffering involved, and she didn't want her daughter to have to deal with that. "I'm gonna be a wrestler, mommy," Melissa said from the back seat. "Whatever you want, munchkin," Sara said looking out the window, then thinking, _Not if I have anything to do with it._

Mark pulled into the arena parking lot 20 minutes later. Once he parked, Sara climbed out and helped Melissa from the back seat. "I'm serious, mommy, I wanna be a wrestler," Melissa said grinning. Sara rolled her eyes and shook her head. "And I told you, talk to me in about 20 years," she responded. "You said 15," Melissa said back. "Drop it, Melissa," Sara said with a heavy voice. "Sorry, mommy," Melissa said quietly. Sara sighed and picked her up, settling her on her hip and grabbing her duffel bag. "Don't worry about it, munchkin," she said as they entered the building. "There she is, the star of the show," she heard almost as soon as she'd walked through the door. She looked to her left and smiled, seeing John walking towards her. "Hello to you, too," she said. "I got the tape from last night, so you gotta watch it with me," he said grinning. "I gotta work out first," she said. John sighed heavily and pouted rather childishly. "Fine," he groaned. "You can do me a favor, though," Sara said. "What's that?" John said raising his eyebrows. "You're disgusting," she said as Mark walked by her, "I need someone to watch Melissa while I work out." "I thought daddy was gonna do it, mama," Melissa spoke. "Your father and I need to talk," Sara said, "Will you, John?" "Of course, Angel," he said reaching for Melissa. Melissa squeezed Sara's neck, not wanting to let go. "I'll take you down to the ring, lil' 'Taker, how 'bout that?" John suggested. Melissa perked up and immediately reached for him. Sara sighed as John took Melissa. "Just be careful with her, John," she said quietly. "I will, I will," he said heading towards the main arena entrance. Sara sighed once more before heading to her locker room.

Mark watched Sara enter and drop her bag, then plop down on the couch beside him. "What's up?" he asked quietly. "I don't want her to be a wrestler, Mark," Sara said sadly. "You think she's serious about that? She's only three, dollface," he said putting an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, but she's mature for her age. She's bullheaded, just like you and me," she argued, "If I tell her now she can't be a wrestler, she'll rebel and do her damnedest to become one." "Why don't you want her to wrestle, baby?" he asked. "She deserves better than this, Mark. Look at all the bullshit we have to deal with," she said. "Like?" he continued. "The traveling, working out, eating right, not really having a personal life…the list goes on and on," she said softly. "But we love what we do, Sara. All the sacrifices…it makes it worth it when we go out to that ring, right?" he argued. "Yeah, it does…I just don't want her to deal with that. I want her to have a safe, secure job…like a lawyer, or a doctor, or somethin' besides wrestling. Who says she's even gonna get a chance?" she said softly. "Look at who her parents are," he said grinning. Sara forced a grin and nodded. "I know, but still," she said quietly. "We'll make a deal with her. If she graduates from college, we'll pay for wrestling school. That is, if she decides in about 15 years she's still serious about it," he answered, "Come on, let's go work out." Sara nodded and changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, before following Mark to the arena's small gym.

After a harsh workout that lasted nearly two hours, Sara headed straight to the ring. When she stepped out on the stage, she was shocked at what she saw. Melissa was running around the ring with John, Kevin, Shawn, and Paul, and they were taking bumps all around her. "What the hell do you guys think you're doin'?" Sara screamed running down the ramp. She immediately pulled Melissa from the ring, and headed to the back. "What the hell was that about?" Kevin asked. "She doesn't like the fact that Melissa spends so much time in the ring," Shawn answered. "Why not?" Paul asked. "She doesn't want Melissa to get into wrestling…at all," Shawn said quietly. "We were just fooling around, though," John argued, "It's not like the kid was takin' bumps." "Yeah, but Sara's really crazy about Melissa being in the ring, even with Mark," Shawn countered, "I think it's her mother instinct kickin' in. She wants the best for Melissa…and she doesn't think this is what's best for her daughter." The guys all hunched their shoulders as they left the ring.

Sara brushed Melissa's hair out of her face as they walked down the hall. "What were you thinking, Melissa? You can't be in the ring with those guys while they're working. They could hurt you," she said. "Mommy, we were having fun," Melissa argued. "I don't care, Melissa. You are not to be in the ring unless you're with me or your father," Sara said sternly. "But mom--." "Not another word about it," Sara said angrily. She was going to have a harsh word with John; she told him to watch over her, not put her in the ring with six-foot, 200-lbs.-plus men. She stormed into the locker room and handed Melissa to Mark. "Keep an eye on her," she said before leaving the room as quickly as she'd entered. "What'd you do?" Mark asked Melissa. "Nothin', daddy," she said innocently, "I was just playing with Mr. John, and he put me in the ring with Mr. Kevin, Mr. Shawn, and Mr. Paul. They were falling around me, and mommy came running and screaming at them." Mark sighed and shook his head. "And she calls me overprotective," he said quietly, "Come on, let's go get some food."

Sara tensed up as she came to John's locker room. He was sharing it with Paul, Shawn, and Kevin, so she could shout at them all at once. She knocked on the door and waited for it to open. The door swung open and Sara looked into the blue eyes of John. "Oh shit," he said softly, looking down at the floor. "Oh shit is right," she said pushing past him, "Where are your cohorts?" "They went to grab lunch," he answered. "John…I asked you to watch her, and to be careful with her. Mistake number one: you took her to the ring. Mistake number two: you put her _in_ the ring. Mistake number three: you let three huge guys take bumps around her! What if they had hit her?" she said facing him. "Sara, I'm sorry," he said. He very rarely called her by her real name; everyone called her Angel now, regardless of the situation. "I didn't know you'd be so concerned. Besides, the guys were just fooling around," he added. "She's my daughter, John! Of course I'm gonna be concerned! The last place I want her is in a ring with you guys!" she said angrily. The door opened and Kevin, Shawn, and Paul walked in. "Oh shit," Kevin said. Sara narrowed her eyes at the three men, who now had looks of shock on their faces. "Hey, Angel," Paul said nervously. "Don't 'Hey, Angel' me, Paul. What the fuck were you thinkin' takin' bumps around Melissa?" she snapped. "Sara, it was nothin', it wasn't. We were practicing for our matches, and Melissa wanted to see how we fell down without getting hurt," Kevin said. "We do get hurt, Kevin! Don't lie to my daughter, and don't fill her head with the idea that we don't!" she argued, "A ring is the last place I want to see her in!" "Sara, calm down--." Sara glared at Shawn, and he closed his mouth immediately. "Listen, I love you guys, I really do. But if any of you ever, _ever_ have Melissa in the ring with you again, I'll beat the shit outta every one o' you," Sara said before storming past them and slamming the door shut behind her. "Holy shit," John said, "I've never seen her so pissed, even in-character." "And you wouldn't react the same in that situation?" Shawn asked plopping down. "Well…," John said, realizing he would. "Exactly," Shawn said, "That was very irresponsible of us, and she's got every right to be pissed." "She probably won't wanna watch her match from last night with me now," John said, "That was a good match, too." "Why don't you go ask her?" Kevin said, "You never know." "For her to rip my head off, I don't think so, man," John said. "Yeah, she was pretty pissed at you," Paul said before breaking into laughter. The other three men joined him before too long.

Sara went back to her locker room extremely ticked off. She stormed in and slammed the door shut. She saw that Mark and Melissa were not there, and plopped down on the couch. _Such a bunch o' kids_, she thought about her coworkers, _Never takin' anything serious._ She stretched out on the couch, deciding to take a nap to let her anger reside. She woke up to a knock on the door. "Who the hell is it?" she snapped. She had been quite comfortable in the dream world, and was ticked off that someone had interrupted her nap. "It's John, Angel," came the reply. Sara sighed heavily and went to the door, swinging it open. "What?" she asked. "I was, uh, just wondering if you wanted to watch the tape of your match from last night," he said quietly. Sara looked into his eyes, and saw his regret for endangering her child. "I really am sorry about what happened with Melissa, ya know. I didn't know you really didn't want her in the ring," he said quietly. "It's alright, John. I think I overreacted a little anyway, so I'm sorry," she said. "Nah, you're her mom. You should be concerned about her," he said. Sara grinned slightly and moved back to let him in. John cut on the television in the room and popped the tape into the VCR as Sara sat back down on the couch. "I'm tellin' you, Angel, this match is fuckin' awesome! At least your best match in the past three years," he said sitting down beside her. Sara smiled as the television darkened, signaling her entrance.

For nearly 20 minutes, Sara's eyes stayed glued to the screen. John was right; that match was as close to perfect as could be. When she saw her nose start bleeding, she winced slightly. "That definitely was a bit painful," she said grinning. "Yeah, but you kept goin'," John commented. "I kinda had to, John," she said smiling at him. When the bell finally rang at the end of the match, Sara could the see the emotion on her face: a mixture of pure relief and happiness. She felt like standing and clapping herself. John took the tape out and Sara stood. "You're right, John. That was fuckin' awesome," she said smiling. "Told ya so," he said as the door opened. Melissa dashed in, and Sara scooped her up. "Hey, munchkin," she said kissing her cheek, "Where'd you go?" "Lunch," Melissa answered, "Daddy ate a lot." Sara looked at Mark and he merely hunched his shoulders. "I'm a big man, what can I say," he said grinning, then looked at John, "What are you doin' here?" "Calm down, big man. Just watchin' Angel's match from last night," John answered heading for the door. "I'll see ya around, John," Sara said. "Later, Angel," John said before leaving. "You're starting a 'line with him tonight," Mark said as Sara sat down with Melissa. "Excellent. John's always fun to work with," she said grinning. "Yeah…a bit immature, don't ya think?" he responded. "We're all a little immature, Mark," she said back. "Not like him," he argued. "He's got a sense of humor. There's a difference," she said grinning, "Are you being overprotective?" "No, dollface," he answered. "Well, good," she said ruffling Melissa's hair. "Mom!" Melissa said moving her head away. "I'm gonna go track down John. I'll be back in a little while," Sara said standing. "What's a little while?" Mark asked. "What's it to you?" she asked grinning at him before leaving the room.

Sara quickly found John in the gym. "Hey, there," she said grinning, "We've got a match tonight." "Yeah, I just found out. Startin' a whole story with it, too," he said. "You excited?" she asked. "Of course. If I can have a match with you like that one from last night, my name will be remember forever!" he said chuckling. Sara rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head. "You're nuts," she said grinning, "When are you gonna be done here?" "I'll meet you in the ring in about an hour," he answered. "Cool deal," Sara said before leaving him to his workout. Her belly rumbled and she quickly headed for catering. When she entered, she grabbed a plate of salad, broiled chicken, and a bottle of water. She spotted Shawn and Paul and went over to their table. "Mind if I join you?" she asked. "Are you gonna bite our heads off?" Paul asked grinning. "No, Paul, I won't," she answered. "Alright, but if I see a fist headed my way, I'm swingin' back," he said smiling. "Oh, shut up," Sara said sitting down, "I did wanna apologize for how I acted earlier. You guys didn't deserve to get yelled at like that." "Nah, it's okay, Angel. We understand," Shawn said, "Did John ever find his way to your locker room?" "Yeah, we watched my match from last night. It was pretty good," she said grinning. "Look at her, bein' modest. Pretty good is an understatement, sweetheart," Paul said. "How long am I gonna have to listen to that?" she asked grinning. "Let me see…it's April, so…at least until November," he answered smiling. "Ridiculous," she said smiling.

"How'd you feel when you woke up this morning?" Shawn asked. "Exhausted, for one. That match definitely took a toll on me. But I felt really depressed, too. I mean…this is it, ya know. There's no goin' back now," she said. "Well, you could tell Vince you wanna renew your contract. I'm sure he'd have no problems with that," Paul said chuckling. "Yeah, you're right. But I made the decision to retire…I can't renege on that, especially since Melissa's countin' on me being home," she said. "True. Bridgette tells me every time I leave the house that I gotta retire soon," Shawn said, "It kinda brings you down." "Yeah, exactly. And she's trying to tell me she wants to be a wrestler. Ha! Right," Sara said grinning, "Not if I have anything to do with it." "You know she's stubborn, right?" Paul asked. "Yeah, yeah, she got that from Mark," she said grinning. "Oh, and you're not stubborn?" he asked. "Of course not," she answered smiling. "Yeah, and the devil has snowball fights in hell," Shawn said grinning at her. "You never know," she said winking at him, "Anywho, I'm startin' a line with John tonight. I'm kinda lookin' forward to it." "Yeah, he's a funny character," Paul commented. Sara nodded her head and said, "I always loved working with him. I'm glad I get to do it one last time." "One last time?" Shawn asked. "Yeah, hopefully once I'm done with that, I'll be able to go for the World title, and that'll be the last major thing I do," Sara answered. "When are you trying to do that?" Paul asked. "I was thinkin' Summerslam. It's the next biggest pay-per-view of the year, since they got rid o' King of the Ring," she answered. "Yeah, that'd be a helluva stage to win it on," Shawn said. Sara smiled and merely hunched her shoulders. "That's what I was thinkin'," she said.

Lunch continued for another hour, before the trio finally left and headed in separate directions. Sara made her way to ringside, and sat in the front row, just staring at the ring. It was a beautiful sight to her; it always had been. She loved giving so much of herself to entertain the fans. It made her feel like a better person to have such a rewarding job. She saw John heading down the ramp and smiled. He was a fun-loving guy, with a personality to match. He was going to break a lot of hearts over the years, if he hadn't started to already. "Hey, there, Angel," John spoke up. "Hey, buddy. You ready?" she answered. "Always," he said grinning, sliding into the ring, "What're you doin' sittin' on that side?" Sara hunched as she climbed over the banister. "Never really saw it from that side of the banister, I guess. It's a unique sight," she said rolling into the ring. "Yeah, I always thought the fans had the best seats," John said grinning. Sara sat down and John followed suit. "So, what'd you have in mind for tonight?" she asked. "I was hopin' somethin' like last night. I wanna have a match like that, so I can go down in history books, too," John answered. Sara blushed slightly and looked down at her hands. "You're not gonna stop, are you?" she asked. "Course not," he answered grinning, "Maybe in a month once you lose that belt to me." "Oh, really? What makes you think that's gonna happen?" she asked stretching out her legs. "You're destined for greater things than just the Intercontinental title, sweetheart. This is your fourth title reign. I think that in a month, you'll be more worried about the World title, so you'll go ahead and lose this belt to me," he said. Sara rolled her eyes playfully. "Whatever you say, John," she responded. "I'm serious, girl. You've got a lotta good days ahead of you, way better than just being IC champ," he said. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, John. Really means a lot to me," she said quietly. "Not a problem, chica. Now about this match," he said.

"Okay, I was thinkin' you'd be out here cutting a promo about last night's match, about how it was good and all. But the fact that a woman was Intercontinental champ really annoyed you, so you start talkin' trash. We could make it a 'Battle of the Sexes'-type deal," Sara said stretching her arms. "You think the fans will go for that again?" he asked. "The last time I did that was when I first won the title, which was ages ago. This generation of fans will enjoy it even more, especially since they love _you_ so much," she said grinning. John was a blatant heel, and they both knew it. "So I'm gonna have to come up with a rap for this, huh?" he asked. "If you want to. You could just cut a _normal_ promo for once," she answered grinning. "You know me, Angel, I'm not a normal character," he said smiling. "Unfortunately, I do know," she said. "Don't worry, Angel, I won't go too hard on you," he said innocently. "Yeah, right. I know you, Mr. Rapper Boy. You couldn't go easy on someone if you tried," she said standing. "True, true," he said standing as well, "Alright, the match." "Just somethin' simple, a toned-down version of last night. Depending on how Vince wants this thing to go, I could see us havin' a hardcore match at Backlash," she said. "End tonight's match with a DQ? Me hittin' you with the IC title?" he asked. "That'll work for me," she answered. "Alright, got the ending set up. What about the beginning and middle?" he asked grinning. Sara smiled and began to speak excitedly, cherishing her match-making memories while she could.

After bouncing idea after idea off of each other, and practicing the tough spots, Sara and John headed up the ramp sweating but satisfied. "Gonna be a good match," John said. "Of course. I'm in it," Sara said smiling. "Not getting cocky, are we? Seems I'm gonna have to knock you down a few notches," he said grinning. "Well, you can certainly try. I'm flying way too high for anybody to bring me down, even you," she said back. "You should be. Should I start announcing we've got a future World champ walking down the halls?" he said grinning. "You better not," she said half-seriously. "Alright, Angel. We'll make it our little secret," he said smiling. Sara sighed happily and said goodbye before heading towards Mark's locker room. When she entered, she found Mark asleep on the couch, his right arm draped over his eyes, and Melissa lying on his stomach. "I didn't know naps were allowed on the job," she said smiling. "I wasn't sleeping," he answered. "Oh, what do you call it?" she asked kneeling down at his side. "Waiting for you to come back," he said grinning at her. "You knew where I was," she said. "Yeah, I saw you out there. You looked like you were having too much fun, so I didn't wanna interrupt," he said touching her cheek. "I was having fun. John's a great guy," she said, "You feelin' okay?" "Yeah, Melissa was tired, so we laid down for a nap," he answered. "Thought you weren't sleeping?" she asked with a wink. "Oh, hush, smartass," he said grinning. "I get it from you," she said kissing his forehead, "I'm goin' to take a shower." "Alright, babe," Mark said before shifting slightly, pulling Melissa up to his chest, and falling back asleep.

Sara washed her hair thoroughly, and shaved excess hairs, before stepping out of the shower stall. She quickly dressed in her outfit for that night: a studded thong, a pair of mesh stockings, and a V-cut, spaghetti-string top with a golden halo on the front. She slipped on a pair of sweatpants, and her wrestling boots, as Mark finally awoke. "You done with the shower?" he asked. "Yeah," she answered, "I'll take Melissa with me." "Alright, dollface," he said grabbing a towel from his duffel bag and going into the bathroom. "How ya doin', darlin'?" Sara asked her daughter. "Okay," Melissa answered. "I wasn't really mad at you earlier, you know that, right?" Sara said quietly. "I know, mommy," Melissa said. "I just don't wanna see you get hurt, especially in a wrestling ring," Sara said standing. Melissa looked up at her and nodded. "I know, mommy," she repeated. Sara grinned and picked her up. "Come on, you can come watch mommy get all made up," she said before leaving the locker room, the door shutting quietly behind her.


	75. Different Decision

**Chapter 74…Different Decisions**

Over the next three weeks, Sara and John went back and forth, both on television and at live shows. The fans sensed there was some real, underlying feelings of hatred between the two. John said things to her that made even her cringe, although she never showed it. The RAW before Backlash, Sara challenged John to a Hardcore match for the Intercontinental title, as they had planned. The match was changed by Vince the day of the pay-per-view to a Last Man (or Woman) Standing match. It was Sara's first, even though she knew she was going to lose. She struggled for much of the match, as John used his strength to beat her down. She got the upper hand a few times near the end, pounding John with several items. She'd grabbed a sledge hammer and nailed him in the ribs and lower back; she hit him in the head with a television monitor, opening up a large gash on his forehead; and, she even piledrove him on the Spanish announcer's table. Near the end of the match, John wrapped the chain he usually wore around his neck on his right fist and nailed Sara in the forehead with it. Her forehead was cut open, and she was knocked out for the ten count. When she finally got to the back, John had apologized profusely. It was one of the few times a woman had actually bled on television, and it was a complete accident. Sara forgave him, and congratulated him on the win. She got cleaned up, and she and Mark headed back to the hotel after his World title match against Kevin.

Sara and Mark arrived at the arena early Monday morning, around 11:00, and Sara headed straight to Vince's office. He'd called her the night before about a new storyline with Kevin. She was a bit nervous about it, because Vince had told her it was a huge angle. She knocked on the door, and heard Vince tell her to enter. Vince stood and grinned slightly. "Good morning, Sara," he said rather jovially. "Morning, Vince," Sara answered politely. "Come on in, have a seat," he said pointing to the chair in front of his desk. Sara slowly seated herself, crossing her legs and taking a deep breath. "How are you feeling?" he asked. Sara had suffered a minor back injury the weekend before in Vancouver. Mark had been wrestling Kevin, and she went to do a hurricanrana. Kevin had countered with a crucial powerbomb, and she'd endured back spasms as a result. "I'm feeling a little better. Mark gave me a good back massage last night, and that really loosened it up," she answered, "And I'm gonna get Bruce to put some electronic stimulation on it later." "Good, good. You don't need to see a doctor, do you?" he asked. "No, I'm okay, Vince, really," she argued. "Okay, okay. I believe you," he said grinning, "I just know how stubborn you can be sometimes." Sara smiled and nodded slightly.

"How's Melissa doing?" he asked. "Great. She's trying to convince me to let her start school in September," she said. "She's only three, though, right?" Vince asked. "Yeah, but she's turning out to be a little genius. Stacy said she's starting to pull books down from our library shelves, not necessarily to understand the concepts of them, but just to learn new words," Sara said, "Every time Mark and I go home, she's got a new word of the week. Last week's was conundrum." "Wow, that's incredible, Sara. Why don't you go ahead and put her in school?" he asked. "I don't want to miss one moment of her education, Vince, not one," Sara answered honestly, "If I were to put her in school in September, I'd miss her first two months…and that's two months too much. I can't deal with that." "Have you thought about home-schooling her?" he asked. "No, I haven't," she answered. "Maybe you should. Linda did that with Shane and Stephanie until about middle school," Vince said, "And it'd be a great way to spend your retirement, especially if you and Mark have more children." Sara grinned and nodded in agreement. "We've talked about it. He really wants a little boy," she said, smiling at the thought of a miniature Mark running around the house. Of course, nothing Mark would help create could ever be miniature. "Sara?" Vince said grinning. Sara blinked a couple times, before looking back at him. "Sorry about that," she said quietly. "It's okay. How's your mom doing?" he said. "She's, uh…she's not doing so well," Sara said softly, "She was put in the hospital Thursday morning when…Nicky found her on the kitchen floor." "Oh, jeez, Sara. I'm so sorry about all this," Vince said quietly. "Nah, it's okay, Vince. You know my mom, still staying strong," she said looking down, "I just wish there was more I could do…" "I'm sure you do, Sara," he said quietly. Sara nodded, but kept her eyes on her lap.

"What'd you want to talk about, Vince?" she asked after a few moments of silence. "Oh, right, this new angle. As you've been able to tell at your houseshows, Kevin and Mark are getting an amazing reaction. What the creative team has come up with is to take it to the national audience, and throw you into the mix," Vince said. "How so?" Sara asked, a pit in her stomach telling her this wasn't going to be good. "We want to do an angle where if Mark wins the match, Kevin will never try for the World title again while Mark is champ. However, if Kevin wins, he not only gets the World title…he gets you for 30 days," Vince said slowly. "What do you mean, 'gets me'?" Sara asked nervously. "Exactly what it sounds like, Sara. Kevin gets to keep you for 30 days. You'll travel and stay with Kevin for 30 days straight, from Backlash until the next pay-per-view, Judgment Day," he said plainly. "Are you out of your mind, Vince? You want me to spend a month away from my husband…my daughter…my _mother_?!" Sara snapped, "How dare you ask that of me?!" "I know you're concerned about your family, Sara, but I'll be willing to compensate you. I'm going to give you a nice bonus for this, and I've already set aside the finances for your travel, and for your mother as well," he said calmly. "Are you crazy, Vince?! I've done a hell of a lot for you over the years, a _hell_ of a lot, but this is too much," she said going to stand.

"Remember that title shot you wanted?" Vince asked. Sara stopped midway, narrowing her eyes. "Yeah, I remember. What of it, Vince?" she sneered. "You'll get your shot at Summerslam," he said. "You expect me to trade 30 days of my life for a title shot, just so you can make your show better? You've really gone off the deep end this time," she snapped standing up fully. "I swear, Sara…on the life of my unborn grandchild, you'll get your title reign…30 days for 30 days," Vince said as she headed for the door. "You really are a ruthless, vile, heartless son of a bitch, Vince," Sara said before storming out of the office. Vince sighed and nodded. "I know, Sara…but I've been called worse," he said quietly. He quickly radioed Jim and asked him to bring Mark to his office. A few minutes later, there was a heavy knock on the door. "Come in!" Vince said. The door opened and Mark enter.

"Come on in, Mark, and shut the door," Vince said. Mark did so, and sat down in front of Vince's desk. "What's wrong, Vince?" he asked. "I want to talk to you about an angle creative came up with," Vince said, "It's gonna be a real high-profile angle, Mark, with a lot of TV time." "Well, what is it?" Mark asked. Vince explained the angle, watching Mark's facial expressions the entire time. They tightened up in anger, especially as Vince explained that Sara would be spending a month with Kevin. "Before you say no, though, just know that I'm going to compensate you _and_ Sara for this, Mark," he added at the end. "How much?" Mark asked, his heart clenching inside his chest. "Sara will get a bonus of $5,000, as well as have all her travel arrangements taken care of, and her mother's hospital bills will be paid for. And I'll give you roughly $1,000 a week to help take care of Melissa," Vince answered. "Jesus Christ, Vince…," Mark said softly, "I can only imagine how Sara reacted to this." "What do you say, Mark?" Vince said, "You're the one who has to wrestle the match." Mark sighed heavily and looked away. "I'll need some time…to think it over," he said quietly. "Can you let me know by Friday? We write the script out on Saturday night, and I need an answer before then," Vince said. "Okay," Mark said quietly, "Okay…can I go now?" "Yeah, sure, Mark. I'll see you around," Vince said watching the large man stand. Mark headed towards the door, stopping when he got there. "Vince?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, Mark," Vince answered. "How am I supposed to explain to my daughter why her mother wouldn't be around for a whole month?" Mark asked. Vince sighed and said, "I can't tell you that, Mark." "Right…that's what I thought," Mark said before leaving the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Sara headed up to the balcony, her eyes focused on the ground until she arrived at her destination. She plopped down in one of the seats and leaned her head back. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, because she knew that if she didn't agree to do the angle Vince had proposed, he'd find a way to force her into it anyway. "Damn you, Vince McMahon…," she whispered, "A title reign is not worth a month away from my family. Maybe a few years ago…before I had Melissa…before I got married…before my mom got sick…" The tears came, and she couldn't stop them. The thought of her mother dying while she was away with Kevin was tearing her up inside. Strong arms came around her, and she instinctively curled up to the warm body. "How could he do this? How could he ask me to do that?" she cried. "Do what, baby girl?" Kevin asked quietly. Sara gasped and pulled away, jumping up. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she snapped, wiping her cheeks dry. "I was consoling a friend," Kevin answered slowly standing, "What's wrong?" "You son of a bitch," she whispered slapping him, then walking away. Kevin rubbed his burning cheek confused.

Sara quickly went to her and Mark's locker room, changed into a pair of shorts and a sports bra, and then found her way to the arena's small gym. In the middle of her 45-minute run, she saw Mark walk in. He came over to her treadmill and looked into her eyes. "What?" she asked. "Just noticing how beautiful you look when you run," he answered with a grin. "You're crazy," she whispered. "Yeah…crazy for you, dollface," he said before leaving the gym. Sara smiled and bit her bottom lip. "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered before turning her focus back to her workout. She finished up her run and stretched out her legs. Finally, she worked her upper body for nearly 45 minutes before heading back to her locker room. She had a rematch against John Cena for the Intercontinental title, so she showered quickly and changed into a pair of sweatpants and one of Mark's Harley Davidson t-shirts. She found John in the arena dining room sitting with Carlos.

"What's up, chica?" Carlos asked as she walked up with a plate of food. "Hey, Carlos, John," Sara said sitting down. "What's up, Angel?" John spoke, "How's your back doin'? That was a crazy bump you took last week." "Oh, I'm good, John. Mark gave me a massage last night, so it's not too bad now. I might go see Bruce later if it starts hurting too bad. Thanks for asking," she answered, "You ready for tonight? I'm not gonna go easy." "Yeah, I'm definitely ready for tonight. We had a strong match last night, and I think we can do it again," John said with a smile, "The question is: can you deal with losing two nights in a row?" "Oh! One point for John," Carlos said chuckling. Sara swallowed the piece of chicken in her mouth and smiled. "I'll get mine in the long run, John. Don't you forget it," she said. "And the challenger comes back with a hard blow," Carlos said in his best color commentary voice. "Oh, shut up, Carlos," John said chuckling. "Minus one for the champ, for being distracted so easily," Carlos said smiling. Sara shook her head, a grin on her face. "You two are nuts," she said quietly. "You know you're gonna miss us," John said smiling. "Oh, I agree with you," she said looking around the room at her other co-workers, "I definitely agree on that." "Only seven months to go, chica," Carlos said. "I know. I'm not really lookin' forward to it," Sara said quietly, "Hey, I got a question for you. Would you rather have your children home-schooled, or put in a public school?" "Well, I don't have kids, but I'd probably put them in public school," John answered. "If my wife didn't have a full-time job, I think she would home-school our kids. You thinkin' of home-schooling Melissa?" Carlos said. "Yeah. I'm gonna need something to do when I retire, and I think it'll be fun to do," Sara answered. "If you're smart enough for it, I say go for it, ya know," John said grinning. "Melissa's dying to start school as soon as possible, so maybe I will," Sara said smiling, "Thanks, guys." "Not a problem…Mark just walked in," Carlos said.

Sara glanced over her shoulder, smiling as Mark came over to her. "Hey there," she said quietly. "How're you feeling?" Mark asked. "I'm good. That workout did me some good," she answered. "Whoa, what kinda workout we talkin' about here?" John asked grinning. "The gym, you sick little bastard," Sara said hitting his arm. "I'm just kiddin', Angel," John said rubbing where she'd hit his arm. "Yeah, you better be," Mark said from behind her. John shifted uncomfortably in his seat, causing both Carlos and Sara to snicker. "Outside interference puts the champ down for the count," Carlos said smiling. Sara laughed aloud when she saw John's face reddening. "I'm goin' to the ring," John said picking up his tray and leaving the table. "Yeah, I'm outta here, too," Carlos said leaving as well. Mark sat down where John had been, a slight grin on his face. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Sara asked quietly. "No, that youngin' needs to watch himself," Mark answered. "Mark, that's John's sense of humor. There was no need to get jealous," she said smiling. "I wasn't being jealous," he said plainly, linking his fingers with hers. "What do you call it?" she asked with raised eyebrows. "Concerned," he answered. "Don't hold me down, Mark. I've got seven months left. Please, let me have some fun with these guys before I leave," Sara said quietly. Mark sighed heavily and said, "I'm sorry, dollface." "It's okay. I just don't want these last seven months to be hard," she said quietly. "Don't worry, dollface, they won't be," he said squeezing her fingers gently. Sara grinned and looked down at her plate. "I should go find John. We've got a match tonight," she said going to stand. "Do you want me to come down with you?" he asked. "So you can scare the hell outta John again? I don't think so," she answered smiling, "Don't you have a match with Kevin?" "Oh, yeah," Mark said, "Have you seen him?" "Um, a little while ago…for a moment," she answered softly. "Are you okay, dollface?" Mark asked quietly. Her skin had gone pale, and she looked more than a little uncomfortable. "I gotta go, Mark," Sara said quickly walking away. Mark sighed heavily and fingered the wedding band on his necklace. "I'm so sorry, dollface," he whispered.

Sara quickly made her way to the ring, wiping away tears that had escaped onto her cheeks. She hated that Vince had put her in this situation, but she also knew that Vince would force her into the stipulation even if she told him she wouldn't. He'd done it several times throughout her career, the biggest example being when he put her in the 'Corporation'. Walking onto the stage, Sara couldn't help but smile at the sight. The ring was already set up, and the crew was now setting up chairs for the show. _A truly special sight_, she thought, _It'll never get old coming out on this stage..._ "Yo, Angel! You gonna stand there all day, or you comin' to work?!" John yelled from the ring. "Keep your jock strap on, John!" she screamed back, jogging down the ramp. She slid into the ring, and laid facedown. "What are you doin'?" John asked coming over to her. Sara smiled and clipped him down with her left arm. "What was that for?!" he asked surprised. "That crap you were talking earlier," she said standing, "Mark was ready to kick your ass, you know that, right?" "Yeah, that's why I got the hell outta there," he said as she helped him up. As they worked on their match for that night, in the back of Sara's mind was the offer Vince had given her. 30 days for 30 days. _Is it really worth the hassle? I mean, it may be my only shot_, she thought sadly, _No, I won't do it…my family is more important that some belt_.

"You alright, Angel?" John asked once they were done. "Yeah, John. Got a lot on my mind right now, with my mom and all," she answered. "Yeah, I bet," he said quietly, "When are you gonna get to see her again?" "Hopefully this week, but I don't know. Mark wants me at home with Melissa, but I feel like I should be with my mom, too," she said sadly. "You don't take Melissa with you?" he asked. "No, I can't let Melissa see her grandmother as sick as she is. She's too young for that," she answered. "Sorry, didn't think of it like that," he said quietly. "It's alright, John. I just…feel like I'm at a crossroads right now," she responded. "Well, don't worry, Angel. Things will work themselves out…they always do," he said grinning at her. Sara wiped her forehead and nodded. "I just…I don't want my mom to die, John. I'll be lost without her, ya know," she said as tears threatened to fall. John gave her a friendly hug, and whispered, "No, you won't. You've got Mark…and you've got us…even when you retire." Sara chuckled softly as she hugged him back. "Thanks, John," she said softly. "Sara?" a voice called. Sara released John and smiled at him. She turned around and ran towards Andy. "Oh, my God, what are you doin' here?!" she exclaimed. "Got switched to RAW, me and Lisa," he answered hugging her tightly. "I missed you so much over here," she said squeezing his neck. "I missed you, too, baby doll," he whispered. "Where's Lisa?" she asked. "Reacquainting herself with the other females," he answered. "I'll see ya around, Angel," John said walking by. "Bye, John. We'll talk closer to show time about our match," she said releasing Andy. "Not a problem," John answered over his shoulder.

"So…transferred to RAW, huh?" Sara said as they headed to the locker room area. "Yeah, finally. I've been trying to get up here for about six months. There was just nothin' goin' for me on Smackdown, and nothin' for Lisa. Besides…I missed you over there," he said. Sara put her hand around his left elbow, leaning into his arm. "I missed you, too, Andy. I really did," she said quietly, "It's not the same without you around." "How's Lucy doin'?" he asked softly. "Not good, Andy…not good at all. The doctors said because she's so weak, she could…go at any day," she said, a tear falling from her left eye. Andy sighed heavily and touched her hand with his right one. "Don't worry, baby doll. You know I'm here for ya when you need me, especially since we're on the same show now," he said grinning slightly. Sara smiled and looked up at him. "I really am glad that you're here. Now I have someone to talk to other than Mark," she said. "Are you two havin' troubles again?" he asked. "No, it's just…," she said softly. "What is it?" he asked. "Vince…he asked me to be a part of a new storyline with Mark and Kevin…but I have to spend 30 days with Kevin," she said quietly. "What do you mean, 'with' Kevin?" he asked. "Exactly what it sounds like, Andy. I've got to stay with Kevin for 30 days, literally," she answered. "What the hell? Has he really lost his mind? There's no way Mark would let that happen," Andy said. "I know, Andy…I know," she said as they came up to her locker room, "But Vince said that if I go through with it…I get a 30-day title reign…the _World_ title, Andy."

"You're not seriously considering this, are you, Sara?" Andy asked. Sara entered her locker room and let him in. "I don't know, Andy. If I don't do it, you know Vince will find a way to force me into it anyway. And if I do…I get a 30-day title reign," she said softly, "It's the easy way or the hard way…it always is." "Oh, baby doll…you're really between a rock and a hard place, aren't ya?" he said quietly. "Yeah…I really am," she said as the door opened. "Well, look who found his way back to the big show," Mark said smiling. "Hey, there, big man," Andy said as they hugged. "Good to have you back here, Andy, it really is," Mark said, "Hey, dollface. Have fun with John?" "Always," she answered forcing a smile, "It's gonna be a good couple o' weeks, I think." "Good. Have you talked to Vince about the World title yet?" he asked sitting down beside her. "Nah…I'll wait 'til I'm done with this thing with John," she answered. "You think that'll give him enough time to think about it?" he asked. "Well, I don't really wanna go for it until Summerslam. Win it on the big stage, ya know?" she said leaning against him, "So I've got about three months to work on him." "Whatever you think will work best, dollface," he said putting his arm around her, "So when'd you get here, buddy?" "Just a few minutes ago. Lisa's here with me, too. I managed to convince Vince to let her come along," Andy answered sitting down at the table. "Cool. There'll be some great competition for her here, especially with the Women's title being on this show," Mark commented. "Yeah, that's what she wanted all along," Andy said grinning, "Hopefully she'll get it before too long."

A half an hour later, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Mark answered. Lisa walked in with a smile on her face. Sara stood and hugged her tightly. "Good to have you back, girlie," she said softly. "Thanks, Sara. It's good to be back. Those girls on Smackdown can't hold a candle to the girls we have on RAW," Lisa said grinning. "I agree," Sara said smiling, sitting back down with Mark. "You two hungry?" Mark asked. "Yeah, actually. We didn't have time to eat before we flew out here," Andy answered. "You hungry, dollface?" Mark asked. "No, Mark," she said quietly. "You okay?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm just…a little tired," she answered, "Last night was kinda rough with John and everything." "Yeah, you definitely took a beating," he said, "You want me to kick his ass?" Sara chuckled softly and shook her head. "No, Mark, I don't want you to kick his ass. I can handle that," she answered. "Alright, dollface, we'll be back soon," he said kissing the side of her head, before following Andy and Lisa out of the room. Sara sighed heavily and grabbed her cell phone from her duffel bag before heading out to the back parking lot. She immediately called home as she sat down on the curb.

"Hey, Sara," Stacy answered. "How'd you know it was me?" Sara asked grinning. "Caller I.D., girl," Stacy answered with a smile. "How's Melissa?" Sara asked. "She's down for her midday nap," Stacy answered, "She woke up around nine, and I gave her a bowl of cereal and some orange juice for breakfast. She played in her room for a couple hours, and then we watched some cartoons. And I just put her down for her nap, so she's gonna be asleep for about an hour." "Good. The dogs aren't givin' you any trouble, are they?" Sara said. "Nah, they're outside running around like they usually do. I think Duchess is comin' down with somethin', though, 'cause she's been coughing all morning," Stacy answered. "If it gets any worse, will you make an appointment with the vet to take her in?" Sara asked. "Sure thing, Sara. How're things at the arena?" Stacy answered. "Busy, of course. I just wanted to call and check on things. You know me, the worrywart," Sara said. "I thought that was Mark," Stacy said grinning. "Well…he's been acting kind of nonchalant all day…like nothin' could bother him. It's kinda unnerving," Sara said. "Don't worry. Guys are always like that," Stacy said chuckling. "True. I gotta get back in, before he comes searching for me. Tell Melissa I called, and that I'll call again before the show starts," Sara said. "No problem, Sara. Talk to ya later," Stacy said. Sara said the same before clicking her phone shut. _I'm not gonna agree to it_, she thought of Vince's idea, _If he forces me into it, fine. But I won't agree to it. No title is worth my dignity_. She slowly stood and headed back inside.

She headed directly for Vince's office, and knocked on the door when she got there. "Yeah, come in," came Vince's voice from inside. Sara took a deep breath and opened the door, shutting it behind her. "Hey, Sara, what's up?" Vince asked. "I won't do it, Vince," Sara said crossing her arms, "I'm not gonna trade a month of my life for a title reign. I can't do it…not even for you." "Are you sure about this, Sara? I can't promise a title reign, or even a title shot--." "I don't care, Vince. I've got enough goin' for me that I can retire fully satisfied. I don't need a World title reign to make me feel any better about myself," she said quietly. "Fine, Sara. Thank you for your honesty," he said. Sara nodded and left the room, her stomach churning. She'd thrown away her title reign, but she felt no regrets about it. _If he can't give me a title reign after all I've done for him over the years, then fuck him_, she thought angrily, heading for the balcony. She reached her destination and plopped down in the seats. _My sanctuary_, she thought with a grin, _After all these years, I still can find peace in this one area_. She watched her co-workers in the ring, and put her feet up on the chair in front of her. They enjoyed what they did, whether the crowds filled the arena to its limits, or barely filled up the floor seats. Performing for a crowd is what drove them to do their best night in and night out, and Sara loved that she'd had success for as long as she did. After an hour, Sara decided to go back to her locker room. It was four o' clock, and she really had nothing to do for the rest of the afternoon. She plopped down on the couch (Mark, Andy, and Lisa had yet to return) for a nap, falling asleep rather quickly.

Mark walked into the locker room around 4:30, grinning at Sara's sleeping form. He kneeled down beside her and took her left hand in his. "I love you so much, dollface," he whispered, "And I want you to achieve everything in this business that you can…even if it means spending a month away from you. I dealt with it when you came back after being away for over a year…I'll deal with it now." He leaned down and kissed her cheek, once again whispering, "I love you." Sara groaned softly and turned her back to him. Mark sighed and touched her shoulder. "Sleep while you can, dollface," he whispered before leaving the room, his stomach churning at the thought of what he was about to do. He headed straight to Vince's office and knocked. "Yeah, come on in," Vince answered. Mark opened the door slowly and entered. "Hey, Mark, what can I do for you?" Vince said. "I thought about what we talked about earlier," Mark answered. "You wanna sit down?" Vince asked motioning towards the seat in front of him. "I prefer to stand," Mark answered. "Okay. What's your decision?" Vince said. "I agree…on one condition," Mark said. "What's that condition?" Vince asked. "Sara's champ for three months, not 30 days," Mark said, "She wins it at Summerslam, and she doesn't lose it 'til her retirement match at Survivor Series." Vince let out a deep breath and looked down at his calendar. "That's a long reign, you know that, Mark," he said, "Especially for a woman." "Yeah, but this isn't a normal woman. Sara's earned this more than half the guys on this roster," Mark said crossing his arms, "And it's about damn time she got it. And no, I won't even reconsider it." "Fine, Mark. She'll get a three-month reign. The 'line with you and Kevin starts Monday after next, when you get back from the South Africa tour," he said. Mark nodded and left the room, praying silently that he'd done the right thing.


	76. Underlying Secrets

**Chapter 75…Underlying Secrets**

Over the course of the week, Sara worried about anything and everything. When she was at the arena, she worried about her matches, about her outfit, about her hair and make-up…everything. When she was away from the arena, she worried most about her mother. She'd been in the hospital for nearly a week, and it was stressing Sara out. In fact, she didn't go to Texas on her days off; she flew directly from Sacramento to Daytona Thursday afternoon, and Nicky picked her up from the airport. "How is she, Nick?" Sara asked on the way to the hospital. "She's struggling, Sara, she really is. As of last night, Dr. Johnson didn't know when she'll be able to go home," Nicky answered honest. Sara sighed heavily and asked, "Have you put Lucky in a kennel?" "No, I take care of him at Lucy's place," Nick said. "I think I'm gonna take him home with me, Nicky," Sara said quietly, "Once my mom…you know…" "Yeah…I know," Nick said, "You know what she said to me every night before I left?" "What?" Sara asked. "She said..."If this is my night, tell my daughter I love her very much, and I'm so proud of her"," Nick said quietly. Sara lowered her head as tears spilled onto her cheeks. They pulled up to the hospital a few minutes later. Sara wiped her cheeks dry and stepped out, taking a few deep breaths before following Nicky inside. Her mother's room was on the first floor.

"You wanna go in first?" Nicky asked. Sara let out another deep breath and nodded. She wiped her hands on her shirt and entered the room. Dr. Johnson was leaning over her mother, talking in whispers. "Hey, doc," Sara spoke. Erika looked over her shoulder and grinned. "Hey, Sara. I'm glad you could come. Your mom's been anxious to talk to you," she said. "Really?" Sara asked. "You better believe it," Lucy said from the bed, "I've got a surprise." Sara came over to the bed, taking her mother's outreached hand. "And what's that?" she asked. Dr. Johnson and Nicky left the room and Sara caressed her mother's cheek. "So what's the surprise, mama?" she asked softly. "I get to go home today," Lucy said. "Really?!" Sara exclaimed. "Yep. Dr. Johnson said I'm not gettin' any better, but I'm not gettin' any worse, so I can go home," Lucy answered. "That's great, mom," Sara said. "Yeah. Nicky said Lucky's gettin' antsy without me there," Lucy said grinning, "And I actually miss him, too." "Good. Dogs are great companions," Sara said. "Yeah, they really are. Speaking of which, how's Duchess?" Lucy asked. "Stacy told me she was coughing earlier this week, so she took her to the vet. I think I'll take her again next week," Sara answered, "I really hope she's okay." "How old is she?" Lucy asked. "Nine," Sara answered, "The life expectancy is only up to 13 years, though." "She'll be okay, baby," Lucy said softly as the door opened.

Dr. Johnson walked in with a wheelchair and clipboard. "Are you ready, Lucy?" she asked. "I've been ready for a week, doc. I don't know why you didn't let me go home sooner," Lucy said grinning. Sara chuckled softly and helped her out of bed. "Just need you to sign these forms, Lucy, and then you're free to leave," Erika said smiling. Lucy grinned and quickly signed the forms, then handed the clipboard back to her wonderful doctor. "Thanks, doc, I really mean it. I appreciate everything you do for me," she said. "Not a problem, hon. If you need anything from me, you know how to reach me," Erika said as they left the room. "Dr. Johnson, can I speak with you?" Sara asked quietly. "Yeah, sure," Erika answered. Sara watched Nicky turn a corner with her mother before asking, "How is she really?" Erika sighed and looked away. "Don't lie to me, doc," Sara whispered. "She's not doin' so good, Sara. The good news is that she's stagnant, and the cancer isn't getting any worse. The bad news is that it could start getting worse any day now," Erika said quietly. Sara felt tears sting her eyes and tried to force them away. "I'm sorry, Sara, I really am. We've done all we can. The only thing to do now is to help her enjoy the last days of her life. That's why I sent her home," Erika said touching Sara's shoulder. Sara nodded slightly and asked, "Can you tell me somethin'?" "I can try," Erika answered. "You think she'll make it through the summer?" Sara said softly, "I really, really want her to make it through the summer." "I can't promise that, Sara," Erika answered. Sara looked away and nodded. "A girl can dream," she whispered. "Dreams are what make this world go 'round, Sara. You never know what'll happen. Prayers have been answered before, and there's no reason they should stop with your mom," Erika said. Sara sniffed slightly and nodded. "Thanks a lot, Dr. Johnson," she said quietly. "Not a problem. If _you_ need me for anything, Nicky's got my beeper number," Erika answered. Sara nodded before heading towards the exit.

The ride home was rather silent; Sara couldn't find it in her heart to speak without crying. When Nicky pulled into the driveway of her mother's house, Sara let out a deep breath. The yard was overrun with various weeds, and looked like it hadn't been cut in weeks. She helped her mother out of the car and into the house. "I'll fix lunch, okay, Lucy?" Nicky said heading into the kitchen. "Thanks, Nicky. That hospital food was tearing my stomach to pieces," Lucy answered back. "Mom, I'm gonna go clean up the yard," Sara said taking her suitcase upstairs. "What for?" Lucy asked. "I know how much you love your garden, mama, and I'm not gonna let it go to waste," Sara answered. Sara went into her old bedroom, grinning at the sight that it hadn't changed. She was going on 30 years old, and her room still looked the same as it did as when she was an adolescent. She shut the door and changed into a pair of cotton shorts and t-shirt, then slipped on her tennis shoes, before going back downstairs. Lucy was on the couch holding a cup of steaming liquid in her hand. "What's that?" Sara asked. "Green tea. Supposed to be healthy, but it tastes like shit," Lucy said grinning. Sara chuckled softly. "It _is_ healthy, Lucy," Nicky said from the kitchen. "Yeah, whatever you say," Lucy said. "I'll be out in the yard, mom, if you need me," Sara said putting her hair up in a ponytail. "You sure you don't wanna relax?" Lucy asked. "Nah, I need to do somethin', and that yard looks like a helluva challenge," Sara said grinning. "Alright, baby, but you don't have to--." "I know, mom…I know," Sara said before heading out the backdoor. She smiled when she saw Lucky bound from his doghouse. "Hey, you," she said as he jumped up on her. Lucky barked happily as she rubbed his head. "You gotta get off, Lucky. I got work to do out here," Sara said gently but firmly. Lucky dropped down to all fours, and Sara went over to the small garage. She opened up the old wooden doors and took a deep breath. "Here we go, boy," she said smiling.

A few hours later, Sara was soaked with sweat and dirt. She'd shoveled up the leaves from the backyard, and placed them all in large, 30-gallon, black trash bags. She'd pulled up every single weed in the front and back yards with her own hands, before mowing both lawns. Finally, she cleaned out Lucky's doghouse, and gave him a thorough bath. When she finally finished her tasks, the sun was beginning to set. She stood up and took a walk around the house to admire her work. "Looks like someone professionally cleaned this yard, Lucky," she said to the German Shepard following beside her, "I must say…I'm quite proud o' myself." "Sara!" Nicky screamed from the kitchen window, "Your mom says get your ass in here for dinner!" Sara smiled and rubbed Lucky's head. "Gotta go in now, boy, but I'll come out after dinner," she said before heading inside. "Jesus Christ, Sara, did you go digging to the center of the Earth?" Lucy asked at the sight of her daughter. "No, mama. I cleaned the yards up, like I said I would," Sara said grinning. "Well, I think it's time you cleaned yourself up. I don't think I've seen you that dirty since you were three years old," Lucy said chuckling. Sara smiled and went up to her room, closing the door behind her. She was exhausted, yes, but it was a good exhaustion. She felt somehow fulfilled knowing that she'd done so much physical labor. She stripped down and stepped into her shower, watching the dirty water pour down the drain. The hot water pelted her skin, pulling a groan of satisfaction from Sara's throat. She washed her hair three times, and washed her body the same number, before going back into her room. She dressed in her most comfortable pair of sweatpants, and a loose Harley-Davidson t-shirt, and finally headed back downstairs.

"And here is proof of the wonders of showers," Lucy said when she saw Sara. Sara laughed and hugged her mom tightly. "Love you, too, mama," she whispered in her ear. "Nicky made us a nice dinner," Lucy said as Sara sat down across from her. "Oh, really?" Sara asked. Nicky set a plate down in front of her, and Sara smiled. Corn, mashed potatoes, and broiled chicken was the meal of the night. "Wow, this looks really good, Nicky," Sara said to her. "Thanks, Sara. I can't do much, but I can work magic in a kitchen," Nicky said grinning. "Oh, bull. Where would I be without you, Nicky?" Lucy said as the woman set a plate down in front of her. "Don't know, Lucy," Nicky said sitting down at the table with her own plate. Lucy smiled and the three women lowered their heads. "We thank thee, our Heavenly Father, for the blessings thou bestow upon us on a daily basis. We thank thee for the love of our family, of our friends, of everyone you put in our lives. We ask thee to bless this food which thou has allowed us to prepare, and allow it to nourish our bodies and make us strong enough to do Your work. Help us to always be thankful to thee, and recognize that every hardship will make us stronger in the end, that if You bring us to it, You will surely bring us through it. We say these things in Your Son, Jesus Christ's name, Amen," Nicky said. "Amen," they spoke together.

"So, Sara, how's Mark?" Lucy asked. "Fuck him," Sara snapped. "Whoa. What's goin' on?" Lucy asked. "He's been a real jerk the whole week, mom. I tried talking to him about what his next storyline was, and he kept dodging the subject, like he was hiding something. And he was being real heartless about you, like I'd try and tell him how sad I was, and he'd say somethin' stupid like, "It happens, dollface. Stop crying so much." And blah, blah, blah," Sara said heatedly, "So fuck him." "You don't mean that, Sara, so stop saying it," Lucy said. Sara sighed and looked down at her plate. Her mother was right; she loved Mark too much to hate him, regardless of how he acted towards her. "So how's he doin'?" Lucy asked again. "He's okay, I guess. We didn't really talk much this week," Sara said quietly, "He went home to watch over Melissa. Hopefully he's not spoiling her too much." "Is she gonna start school in September?" Nicky asked. "No, I'm gonna start home-schooling her in January. I retire in November, and I'm gonna spend the time after that just relaxing with her, before I start in January," Sara answered, "She's really excited about it." "How long do you think you'll home-school her?" Nicky asked. "Until she tells me she wants to go to a real school," Sara answered with a grin, "But I'm thinkin' until middle school. That way she can still have a somewhat normal childhood." "Excellent idea," Lucy said grinning.

Dinner continued for nearly an hour and a half, because the women spent most of the time talking. Around eight o' clock, Lucy retired for the evening. Sara went up to her own bedroom and shut the door. She pulled her cell phone from her duffel bag and flipped it open. Three missed calls, plus a few voicemails. She sighed and listened to her messages. One was from Mark, one was from Andy, and one was from Lisa. Sara hadn't told Mark she was coming to Daytona, so she could only imagine what his message was. "Dollface, you could've told me you were goin' to see your mom. I had to get it outta Andy, 'cause you tell him _everything_," he'd said with a hint of spite, "I'm taking Melissa with me to see Anthony, so I'll see you on Saturday. Be in Springfield by noon. Bye." Sara sighed and deleted the message. "Like I don't know the fucking schedule, asshole," she snapped. "Baby doll, I hope your mom's okay. Mark almost beat the shit outta me when I told him you'd gone to Daytona. Call me if you need me, hon. Bye," Andy had said. Sara smiled slightly before deleting the message. Andy was definitely her second best friend in the world. "Hey, sweetie, it's Lisa. Just callin' to say hi, because I know you probably got an earful from Mark. Call me if you need to talk or whatever. Later," Lisa had said. Sara smiled and deleted that message as well. Lisa was such a great friend. She hit the speed dial to call Andy, and waited for him to answer.

"Hey, baby doll," Andy answered. "Hey, I just got your message. So, Mark went to see Tony, huh?" Sara said. "Yeah. He was really pissed, too, when he left," Andy answered. "Ah well, he'll get over it. Not like he cared how mom was doin' anyway," she said heatedly. "You know he does, Sara," he said quietly. "Yeah, well, he sure as hell isn't acting like it," she said painfully. "I know you're hurting, Sara. But remember, Mark went through the same thing with his dad--." "And I tried to help him through that, Andy. But _no_, he didn't want my help. He left me on my own for a whole fucking month! Just 'cause he closed himself off from the world doesn't mean I wanna do the same," she said as tears came to her eyes. "Don't cry, baby doll," Andy said knowingly. "You know me too well, Andy," Sara said softly. "Well, that comes with over six years of friendship," he said grinning. Sara smiled and sniffled. "Are you at home?" she asked. "Nah, I'm at Lisa's place," he answered. "Is she there?" she asked. "She went out with some friends to go shopping, so I'm left here all by my lonesome," he answered. "So you're not busy?" she asked. "For you, of course not," he said grinning.

Sara smiled and stretched out on her bed. "You think I could be World champ, Andy? You think the guys in the locker room would respect me as a viable World champ?" she asked softly. "Hon, you've got at least 99 of that locker room behind you, and the one percent that isn't…are either dickheads, or new guys who don't know all you've done," Andy answered honestly. "I believe you, Andy. But when it comes down to it…I'm still a woman. And the guys, regardless of whether we're friends or not, don't see females in the same light as them…even me," she said painfully. "Do you believe you can be World champ, baby doll?" Andy asked. "Of course. Even if it was only for a week or two, I think I could do it," she answered. "Then that's all that matters. So why worry?" he said. "I don't know…just somethin' that's always in the back of my head. Oh yeah, I told Vince I wasn't gonna do that bullshit 'line he wanted me to. I figured if he isn't gonna give me a shot after all I've done for him over the years, then fuck it," she said. "You think he'll still force you into it?" he asked. "I hope to God not," she answered softly, "I can't deal with that, Andy…Mark and I are havin' way too many problems for me to be able to deal with that 'line, too." "Yeah, I hope he doesn't, either," Andy said quietly.

"Are you excited about gettin' married?" Sara asked changing the subject. "Never been more excited about anything in my life, sweetie. Lisa's…she's such a great person. I love her so much," he said smiling, "She's my baby." "I'm so glad you found someone, Andy," Sara said softly, "I mean that…you deserve it." "Thanks, Sara," he said softly. "Have you guys decided on the date?" she asked. "Yeah, we're gonna do it when we get back from that Australia trip in early September," he answered. "Excellent. That's such a pretty time of the year," she commented. "Yeah, that's what Lisa wants, an outside wedding. We may even do it in her backyard," he said. "How many people does she want there?" she asked. "Her yard's rather large, as is her family, so we're gonna have a couple hundred people," he answered. "Holy shit," Sara said chuckling, "And I thought _I_ had a lotta people at my wedding." "Nah, not really, baby doll," he said grinning, "I think the date is September 13th." "Yeah, that'll be a gorgeous time of year, especially in Virginia," she said, "I can't wait." "Me, either, hon. Me, either," he said.

"I cleaned mom's yard today, after we got back from the hospital. Dr. Johnson let her come home finally," Sara said, "And when we pull up, I wanted to gag. The yard was all full o' leaves and shit. So I put on some shorts and a t-shirt, and came outside and went at it." "How long did it take you?" he asked. "About three and a half hours," she answered, "I raked…and pulled up weeds…and even gave Lucky a bath." "That had to be a real task," he said laughing. "Actually, it wasn't. He was pretty well-behaved. I think Nicky's been keepin' him in line," she said chuckling. "How's Duchess doin'?" he asked. "I'm not sure. Stacy told me she was coughing a lot earlier this week, so she took her to the vet. I think she's just got a cold or somethin'…at least, that's what I hope it is. I can't lose her, too," she answered quietly. "Don't worry, Sara. Duchess is a strong, healthy dog, so she's gonna be just fine," he said. Sara grinned and let out a deep breath. "Where would I be without you, Andy?" she asked softly. "Couldn't tell ya, baby doll. I wouldn't be here to tell you where you'd be without me," he said with a smile. Sara chuckled softly and said, "Smartass." "I try," he said smiling.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the night?" Andy asked stretching out on Lisa's king-sized bed, made to fit both of them. "Nothin', really. I just wanted to be away from Mark, and be with my mom," she said, "I didn't really have plans to actually do anything," she answered. "You think you should call him?" he asked. "No…," she answered quietly. "Why not?" he asked. "He'll yell at me, Andy, and I can't deal with that," she answered softly. "I'm sure he's calmed down by now," he said. "Not by the tone of his message," she said quietly. "What'd he say?" he asked. "He was just pissed that I told you where I was going, and not him. He almost sounded…jealous. It was weird," she said quietly. "Well, you do tend to talk to me about a lotta things that you fail to mention to him," he commented. "I can't help it, Andy. I see him 24/7. Sometimes I just wanna talk to someone else," she argued. "I know that, baby, but he doesn't. You should explain it to him, before he comes tryin' to rip _my_ head off," he said half-seriously, "You know how Mark can be when it comes to his emotions. He doesn't know how to deal with them, so most of the time, he shuts down or lashes out." "I know, Andy…I'm married to the man," she said quietly. "So give him a call," he argued. Sara sighed as a knock came on her door. "Hold on…," she said setting the phone down, "Come in."

The door opened and Mark walked in. Sara's jaw dropped and she asked, "Thought you were goin' to see Tony? And where's Melissa?" "My wife's a little more important to me than my brother," he said quietly, shutting the door behind him, "And Melissa stayed home with Stacy…she didn't wanna go see Tony." Sara put her phone back to her ear and said, "You won't believe who just showed up." "Let me guess…Mark," he said grinning. "How'd you know?" she asked. "He called a couple hours ago, tellin' me he'd changed his mind and was heading your way, and not to tell you if you called," he said grinning. "You two are sneaky, ya know that?" she said grinning. "I'll talk to ya later, baby girl," he said softly. "Bye, Andy," she said before clicking her phone shut. "Figured you were talkin' to him," Mark said quietly, his jaw twitching, "You always are." "Don't, Mark," she whispered, "We're friends…you know that." "Yeah, sure," he said. "What the fuck does that mean, Mark?" she snapped standing, dropping her phone on her bed. He walked up to her and Sara took a step back; Mark knew she hated looking up at him, even after they'd been together for over six years. "Back up, Mark," she whispered. "Why? Oh, right…you don't like looking up at any man, even your husband," he said grabbing her arm and pulling her close. "What the fuck are you doin'?" she hissed trying to pull away. Mark leaned down and sniffed her hair. "Let me go," she whispered.

"What's happened with us, dollface?" he asked softly, pain in his voice. Sara glanced at him and let out a deep breath. "This whole week…problem after problem…what happened?" he asked. "You closed me off, Mark," she whispered, "I tried talking to you…and you closed me off. I couldn't help but leave. I wasn't gonna stick around when I wasn't wanted." "You think I don't want you?" he asked, his eyes locking with hers. "That's the way you acted," she said quietly. Mark swallowed and gently put his arms around her, causing Sara to stiffen up. "I want you more than anything, dollface," he whispered, "I'm so sorry I've been such an asshole this week. I just…had some stuff goin' on this week." "You wanna know why I go to Andy so much, Mark?" Sara asked. "Yeah…I do," he whispered. "You always close yourself off to me…I have nobody else to talk to," she answered softly, "Yeah, I love Andy…but I love so much more. So when you close up on me…I go to the second best friend I have…" Tears came to her eyes, but she tried to force them away. "You gotta stop that, Mark…it kills me every time you do it," she whispered. Mark sighed heavily and pulled her a little closer. "I'm your wife, Mark. You're not supposed to hide things from me…no matter what," she whispered. "I know, dollface," he whispered kissing her cheek. Sara eased her arms around his neck as his lips connected with hers. "I love you, baby," he whispered against her lips. "I know, Mark…I love you, too," she whispered back.

"Where's mom?" he asked. "Asleep. She got out of the hospital today, so she's more tired than usual," she answered. "Is she feelin' any better?" he asked. "A little. I think it was the hospital that was wearing her out," Sara said as they sat down on the bed. "You know I love mom, too, right?" he asked taking her hands in his. "Yeah…you just didn't act like it," she answered. "After my dad died…I thought that was how everybody dealt with death," he said quietly. "Well, it's not," she whispered lowering her head. "I know that now, dollface. And I'm gonna be with you every step of the way from here on out," he said placing his finger under chin, lifting it until her eyes met his. "You promise?" she said softly, "I can't go through this alone…" "I promise, dollface," he whispered. "I asked Dr. Johnson if she knew whether my mom would make it through the summer or not," she said quietly. "What'd she say?" he asked. "No promises. I just want her to see me win the World title, Mark…and I wanna do that before the summer's over," she said quietly. "Don't worry, baby, you will," he said softly, caressing her cheek. "What makes you so confident?" she said, "I talked to Vince Monday night…and he's kinda against the idea now." "Things will work themselves out, dollface," he whispered, "If it's meant to be…it'll be." Sara smiled and kissed him softly. "I missed that," she whispered. "What?" he asked. "Your support," she whispered. Mark grinned slightly and kissed her forehead. "Remember that time we made love here?" he asked in her ear. Sara blushed hard and looked down at her hands. "Yeah," she whispered, a huge smile on her face. "How 'bout a repeat o' history?" he whispered kissing her ear. Sara shuddered slightly and kissed his cheek. "Is Nicky still here?" she asked as his lips traveled down to her neck. "Uh-uh…she left after I got here," he whispered. Sara rolled her eyes, a smile on her face. "Fine," she whispered laying back. Mark grinned and stretched out on top of her, beginning a long night of love-making with his precious wife.


	77. Argument

**Chapter 76…Argument**

Sara and Mark flew home the next day, to pick up Melissa. They were going to South Africa that week in one of four international tours over the next seven months. Sara wanted to take her on each one, so that Melissa would get a chance to see the world while Sara was still wrestling. She and Mark had decided that once Sara had retired, Melissa would stop traveling as well. The only exception would be for the big four pay-per-views (Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, Summerslam, and Survivor Series). Sara stepped into the her house for the first time in almost a week. "Melissa, mama's home!" she said loudly. "Mommy!" came Melissa's voice from upstairs. Sara smiled and stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Melissa to come dashing out as she always did. Moments later, her little body came hurling at Sara from the banister. "Oh, my God!" Sara said catching her, "What are you thinkin', Melissa?! You could've gotten hurt!" "Mommy! Stop being…over…over…overpro--." "I think overprotective is the word she's looking for," Mark said entering the house. "Oh, shut up, Mark. You let her start sliding down the banister?" Sara asked. "No, Stacy _and_ daddy did," Melissa answered. "Melissa, that was our little secret," Mark said. "Oh, really?" Sara asked looking at Mark. "Dollface, she did it once, and that was just to get the urge out, I promise," he said taking their bags up to their room.

Sara sighed and took Melissa into the living room. "Where's Stacy?" Sara asked. "Here in the kitchen, Sara," came Stacy's voice. Sara entered the kitchen and grinned. Stacy was at the stove stirring something in a huge pot. "What's that?" she asked. "Homemade spaghetti sauce," Stacy answered, "Melissa wanted spaghetti and meatballs, so I told her I'd make her homemade sauce if she stayed up in her room and behaved." "Bargaining with my daughter, are you? I thought only I could do that," Sara said with a smile. "Don't worry, Sara. It'll be worth it, I promise," Stacy said grinning. "Mommy, I'm goin' with you and daddy this time, right?" Melissa asked. "Yep, darlin'. It's gonna be a lotta fun, too, 'cause we're goin' across the ocean!" Sara said smiling. "Really? That's gonna take a long time," Melissa said as they left the kitchen. "Yep, I'll show you where we're going, okay?" Sara said. Melissa nodded, and Sara entered Mark's study. She pulled one of the atlas books from his library shelf and opened it up to the continent of Africa. "Right here, baby," she said pointing to South Africa. "Wow," Melissa said grinning. "Yeah. It's gonna be my third time going, so I'll show you some great spots, okay?" Sara said. "Showin' her where we're going?" Mark asked from the doorway. "Yeah," Melissa answered, "How long is it gonna take to get there?" "Almost a whole day, darlin'," Mark said coming over to them. "What are we gonna do for a whole day?" Melissa asked. "Sleep…a lot," Sara answered chuckling. "And watch movies, munchkin, a lotta movies," Mark said ruffling her hair. "Dad!" Melissa said pulling her head away. "Fine, be that way. I see how much you love me," he said feigning hurt feelings. Melissa reached for him, and he took her from Sara. "Yeah, that's what I thought," he said kissing her cheek. "Come on, let's go sit outside," he said to Sara. "I'm gonna go check on Duchess," she said. Mark nodded and left the study. Sara sighed and left as well.

Duchess was in her bedroom, lying beside their bed. "Hey, girl," Sara said kneeling down. Duchess whined softly and Sara rubbed her head gently. She had been diagnosed with a case of pneumonia, and was put on antibiotics which was fed to her in her food. "Don't worry, darlin', you're gonna be just fine. I'm not gonna lose you, too," she whispered. Duchess licked her cheek and Sara smiled. "Yeah, you're gonna be up and running in no time," she said quietly. She looked over at Duchess' water bowl and sighed. "Be right back, baby," she whispered taking it into the bathroom. She filled it with water and took it back into the room. Duchess lapped up the water, then rested her head on her paws. Sara stretched out on the floor beside her. "I remember when Roddy brought you home. I didn't think we needed a dog, because we were gone so much. I felt like I didn't have the time for you. But you followed me around while I was home, and you were just so damn cute…you protected me against everybody, even my friends," she whispered stroking Duchess' hair, "You protected me from Roddy…from Dallas and all those guys…you even protected me against Mark. You really are a girl's best friend, Duchess…" "Sara?" Stacy asked from the doorway. "Yeah?" Sara said quietly. "Dinner's ready," Stacy said. Sara swallowed and said, "I'm not really hungry, Stace…thanks for cooking, though." "No problem. There'll be plenty left if you wanna come down," Stacy said. "Thanks, Stace," Sara whispered, her eyes never leaving Duchess' face. Stacy quietly shut the door behind her, and Sara picked up Duchess carefully, setting her on the bed. "We'll take a nap together, baby," she whispered pulling off her jeans and climbing into the bed behind Duchess, "We'll both get our energy back." Her eyes closed and she fell asleep a few minutes later.

Mark entered the room a couple hours later, and sighed heavily at the sight. Sara was curled up against her beloved pet. "Oh, dollface," he whispered coming over to the bed. He sat down carefully and touched Sara's shoulder. "Dollface?" he whispered. "Hmm?" she said softly. "You okay?" he asked. "I'm tired, Mark…as usual," she whispered, "It's just been…a rough few days…" "I know, baby, but things will get better, ya know…they always do," he said quietly. Sara nodded and stroked Duchess' head. "I can't lose her, too, Mark," she whispered, her voice shaking. Mark sighed and squeezed her shoulder. "I can get you another dog, baby," he said quietly. "I can get myself another dog, Mark, that's not the point!" she snapped. "What do you want me to tell you, Sara?" he asked, frustration heavy in his voice. "Not a goddamn thing, Mark," she snapped. "I'm just tryin' to help, Sara, ya know. You don't have to jump down my throat every time I say somethin'," he growled, leaving the room and slamming the door shut. Sara sighed as Duchess raised her head slightly. "Don't worry, girl. I'm fine," Sara whispered scratching her head. Duchess laid her head back down and Sara closed her eyes in an attempt to go back to sleep. When she failed, she climbed out of the bed, careful to not disturb her pet, and went into the bathroom. She drew a large bubble bath, adding her favorite scented bubbles, and stripped down before climbing in.

The warm water soothed her physical aches, and helped her relax her mind. There was so much stress between her and Mark, and she couldn't understand it. Tears came to her eyes, because she felt like she was under so much pressure. Pressure to take care of her mother, pressure to take care of Duchess, pressure to be perfect at her career…but she couldn't do anything about the first two. She sat up and lowered her head, sobs wracking her body. _I'm so sorry, mom…I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything for you_, she thought sadly. "Mommy?" Melissa asked from the doorway. Sara immediately wiped her tears away, and motioned for her daughter to enter. "Are you okay, mommy?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, baby, I'm okay," Sara said softly. "Why were you crying?" Melissa asked. "Just…a little stressed. Don't worry, I'm okay," Sara answered, "Do you need somethin'?" "Daddy left," she said quietly. "Where'd he go?" Sara asked. "He just left," Melissa answered, "Told me to come up here with you." "Goddammit," Sara whispered, letting out a heavy breath, "Why don't you go down to your room and play for awhile? When I finish, I'll come get you and we'll watch a movie or somethin', okay?" "Okay, mommy," Melissa said before leaving the bathroom. Sara took a few more deep breaths, because she felt like screaming. _What the fuck? Where the did he go? I'm gonna kill him…_, she thought angrily. She forced herself to take a slow bath, so she wouldn't hurt herself. When she finally stepped out, she was a little calmer. She slipped on a nightgown and brushed her hair dry, then finally left her room. Melissa had went down to her room, just as Sara had asked her. "You ready, baby girl?" she asked. "Yep," Melissa asked. Sara picked her up and went down to the living room. "What do you wanna watch?" she asked. "Cartoons," Melissa answered. Sara grinned and kissed her cheek. No matter how bad her day seemed to be going, Melissa made everything better. "Go pick a movie," she said setting her down.

Melissa went over to the DVD shelf, and quickly picked out one of her favorite movies: _Hercules_. She handed it to her mother, and Sara chuckled. "A sucker for a romantic cartoon, huh?" she asked. "It's a funny movie," Melissa said simply. "After this it's bedtime, okay?" Sara said putting the DVD in the proper slot, "We've gotta leave early tomorrow." Melissa nodded and jumped onto the couch. Sara sat down as the movie started, and Melissa rested against her. Halfway through the movie, Sara looked down and smiled. Melissa was fast asleep, gripping her nightgown. The front door opened, and Sara looked towards it. Mark walked in, and Sara's jaw tightened. She picked up Melissa and went to go upstairs. "No hello?" Mark asked. "What for? You didn't bother to tell me you were leaving," she hissed. "I went out for a drink with Stacy, that's it," he said. "Oh, with Stacy? The babysitter? How fucking original, Mark," she snapped going upstairs. "What the hell does that mean?" he asked following her. "You tell me," she snarled, "You accuse me of having something more with Andy, and you turn around and disappear with the fucking babysitter. What the hell am I supposed to think?!" "You're being ridiculous," he said. "And you weren't?" she asked. She laid Melissa down in her bed, and pulled the covers over her. She quickly left the room, and shut the door softly.

Mark was standing there waiting for her. "We're not finished," he said heatedly. "Oh, I think we are," she said trying to move past him. Mark blocked her way, and she finally crossed her arms. "If you don't mind, I have to go check on my dog," she snapped. "I do mind, seeing as how I'm your husband," he snapped back. "Well, you sure as hell haven't been acting like it," she said brushing past him. Mark grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "Let me go," she hissed. "Uh-uh. We've got a conversation to finish," he growled, pulling her downstairs to the living room, despite her struggles. He shoved her into the room, and stood in front of her, his arms once again crossed over his chest. "We've got some trust issues," he said simply. "No, _you_ have got trust issues, Mark. You know Andy and I are friends, and have been for a long time. I told you at mom's house, when you close yourself off to me, he's the only person I feel I can go to. What the hell do you expect me to do? Shut down like you?" she said crossing her arms as well. "I don't shut down," he argued. "What the fuck do you call it?" she snapped. "I don't blow up like you," he said. "Oh…I blow up? Well, excuse the hell outta me for having emotions," she hissed. "You weren't this bad when you were pregnant, Sara. What happened?" he said. "Have you forgotten the fact that my mom's dying?!" she exclaimed, "And my dog, too?!" "Death is a natural part of life, Sara," he said.

Sara plopped down on the couch, holding her head in her hands. "I can't…," she whispered, "I can't do this…" Mark took a deep breath and kneeled down in front of her. "Can't do what, dollface?" he asked softly. Sara broke down and tears spilled down her cheeks. "So much pressure, Mark…," she whispered, "Pressure to be perfect…perfect wrestler, perfect wife, perfect mother, perfect daughter…I can't be perfect for everybody." Mark sighed heavily and wrapped his arms around her. Sara sobbed and gripped his shirt tightly. "Nobody's perfect, baby…what purpose would there be to live if everyone were perfect?" he said quietly, "Come on…" He slowly stood and picked her up, carrying her outside on their patio. He sat down in one of the beach chairs, Sara on his lap. "Remember when we used to do this? Just sit outside and stare at the stars?" he asked in her ear. Sara sniffled slightly and nodded. "We should do it more often," he whispered. Sara grinned slightly and nodded, before chuckling slightly. "What's so funny?" Mark asked. "We were just arguing…now we're back to our usual selves," she said quietly. "Isn't that how it always is, dollface?" he whispered. "Why were we arguing?" she asked. "Stupid shit, like always," he whispered, "I love you, Sara." "I know, Mark…I love you, too," she whispered, cuddling up against him. Mark squeezed her a little closer, rubbing his nose in her hair. "What time do we have to leave tomorrow?" she asked. "The flight's at nine," he answered, "So we should be outta here no later than 7:30." "It's bedtime, then," she whispered. Mark nodded, but didn't go to move. "Mark…," Sara said with a grin. "Yeah?" he asked. "We've gotta go upstairs to go to bed," she said looking down at him. "Not really," he said grinning. "I am not sleeping outside, even for you," she said standing and helping him up. Mark reached to tickle her, and Sara squealed before dashing inside. Mark smiled and followed her in, shutting the patio door behind him.


	78. Stressed Out

**I hope your Christmas was as great as mine! I got to spend a couple days with my family, and realize just how much I love them all. I got WWE Smackdown vs. RAW for Christmas, and it's a pretty great game. :-D Enjoy the chapter!

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**Chapter 77…Stressed Out**

When Sara arrived in Savannah, Georgia, she had a pit in her stomach, much like the same one she'd gotten when she'd had to fight Adam for the Intercontinental title several years ago. Mark seemed just as stressed as she did, and wouldn't talk to her unless it was about her mother. They arrived at the arena close to two o' clock, which was fairly late since they were supposed to be there at least eight hours before show time. Sara quickly made her way to the pit area, to check out who she'd be wrestling that night. She narrowed her eyes when she saw she wouldn't be wrestling at all, merely accompanying Mark to the ring. "This is bullshit," she whispered. "What?" Mark asked from behind her. "This," she said pointing to her name under his. "What's wrong with it?" he asked. "I'm a wrestler, Mark, not just your manager. I'd like to compete on a regular basis," she said rolling her eyes. "You wrestled more than enough this weekend," he said. She'd competed every night of the South Africa tour, with John, Randy, and Adam. The first night was a one-on-one match between her and John; the second night was a two-on-one with her and John fighting Randy; the final night was a tag team match – she and John versus Randy and Adam. "Maybe Vince just wants to give you a break, dollface," he said quietly. Sara sighed and nodded. "I guess I did work pretty hard over there," she said quietly. "Don't worry. I'll give you plenty o' chances to interfere in my match," he said putting his arm around her shoulders. Sara grinned slightly and allowed him to lead her down to their locker room. "You goin' to work out?" he asked. "You up for a spar?" she asked in return. "Sure," he answered. The quickly changed and went down to the ring. Kevin was there, practicing with John.

"Hey, Angel," Kevin spoke. "Hey, Kev. Havin' fun?" she answered. John had him in a full-nelson, and was not letting go. "Yeah, tryin' to get this young buck to let me go," Kevin answered. "And why would I do that, big man? I'm havin' fun," John said grinning at Sara. "Yeah, a little…too much fun," Kevin said using his strength to break free. Sara smiled as she leaned against the banister beside Mark. "How long are you children gonna be?" she asked. "Give us about 15 minutes, Angel," John answered as Kevin powerslammed him, "I'll be finished kickin' his ass by then." Sara chuckled and began to stretch out her upper body. The 15 minutes passed by, and John and Kevin slid out of the ring. "All yours, you two," John said. Sara rolled into the ring and stood, rotating her neck around. Mark watched her run a few sprints, and noticed the tenseness in her body. "Should I be afraid?" he asked grinning. Sara looked at him, and he shrugged. She had a hint of anger in her eyes, and he knew this was going to be a rough session.

The first hit caught Mark off-guard, a strong blow to his jaw, and they never stopped coming. Ten minutes later, there was a small crowd of wrestlers and production crew hanging around the ring. "I've got $20 on Angel," yelled out John as Sara clipped Mark down and landed an elbow to his chest. Mark stood and pulled her into a headlock takeover. "What's the problem, dollface?" he asked softly. "Not a goddamn thing," she gritted trying to push him away. "You sure about that?" he asked softly. Sara grabbed a lock of his hair and pulled, forcing him to release her. She rolled over, and stood as Mark did. "That's cheating," he said nonchalantly. "Only cheating if you get caught, remember?" she snapped. They locked up and Mark overpowered her easily, pushing her into the far corner. "What's your problem?" he asked letting her go. Sara lunged at him, knocking him down with a spear. "I'll take you up on that bet," Kevin said, "Don't know why, but she's pretty pissed off." She climbed on his chest and nailed him with right hands. Mark blocked the fourth one, and rolled on top of her. He pulled his fist back, and Sara held her breath. "Fuck this," he whispered standing and climbing out of the ring. Sara swallowed and slowed her breathing, slowly sitting up. The group dispersed, but Andy climbed into the ring. "What was that all about, baby doll?" he asked sitting down in front of her. "He's hiding something," she said quietly, "And for the life of me, I can't figure out what it is." "So you thought you'd beat it out of him?" he asked. "Well, I was certainly gonna try," she answered, "Why does he keep things from me?" "And you don't have any secrets of your own?" Andy asked with raised eyebrows. Sara looked away and moved to get out of the ring. Andy followed her and grabbed her arm gently. "Don't be so quick to suspect him, Sara, when you've got secrets, too. And not just what happened with us," he said quietly. "That was years ago, Andy. It doesn't matter anymore," she said softly. "You think he'd say the same?" he asked. "I'm goin' to take a shower," she whispered pulling away from him. Andy sighed heavily and watched her leave. _If I knew what was goin' on, baby doll, I'd tell you_, he thought heading up the ramp to leave as well.

Sara slowly made her way back to her locker room; she knew Mark was already there, and she didn't want to see him so soon after such a physical fight. She opened the door and sighed. Mark was sitting on the couch, an icepack held to the side of his jaw. He looked up at her and dropped the icepack. "What the fuck was that about, Sara? You haven't hit me that hard in years," he snapped. "Just drop it, Mark," she said quietly. "Hell, no, I'm not dropping it," he said standing, "Why were you so pissed off?" "You're hiding something from me," she said quietly. "What the hell do you think I'm hiding? I thought we had that conversation already," he said, frustration building. "How do I know? You haven't told me your new angle, which I know is a big one, no matter how many times I've asked you. Hell, you didn't even wanna talk about work period," she said calmly, "If I'm involved in this angle, tell me. I don't like not knowing what's goin' on, especially when I play a role in it." "It's an angle with Kevin, okay? Happy now?" he said, "Just like all the other angles I've had with Kevin. It's nothin' new." "So why couldn't you tell me?" she asked. "I knew that Vince had wanted to put you in it, and I told him no. That's why you're not wrestling, because he had nothin' else planned for you except for this angle. So for now, you're just gonna be managing," he answered. Sara looked him in the eyes, but couldn't tell whether he was lying or not. "You think I'm lying, don't you?" he asked. Her eye twitched, and he groaned. "What do I have to lie about, Sara? This is your job as much as it is mine," he argued, "Do you have such a big problem just being a manager?" "I'm a wrestler, Mark," she said quietly. "I know that, dollface. But every wrestler deserves a break every now and then," he said quietly.

Sara sighed heavily and watched him plop down on the couch, picking up the icepack and holding it to his jaw. She slowly sat down beside him and took the icepack from him. She kissed the bruise lightly before placing the icepack back over it. "I'm sorry," she whispered looking down at her lap. "Don't worry about it, dollface. I just want you to know that you can trust me. I'm your husband, and I wouldn't lie to you," he said quietly. Sara nodded slightly and asked, "Are you gonna be okay?" "I've been hit harder than that, dollface," he said tapping her chin, "By six-foot, 200-plus-pound men, but still, you know what I mean." Sara grinned slightly and kissed his lips softly. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too," he whispered back. "I'm gonna go take a shower," she said standing. Mark nodded and watched her go into the bathroom, letting out a deep sigh when she shut the door. _Blatant lies…blatant fucking lies, Mark. This better be worth it_, he thought.

After her shower, Sara decided to go ahead and dress for the show. She slipped on a pair of black-blue, low-rider velvet pants, which had the Undertaker symbol cut out on each side, and lined with shiny silver material. The shirt was a matching halter top/vest. It wrapped up behind her neck, and around her back, and closed up with three buttons in the front. If she wore her hair down, she could hide her tattoo, which she'd had touched up on Mark's birthday the previous year. She made her way down to Janet's area, glad to find the seat empty. "Hey, there, Sara," Janet spoke. She was one of few who still called her by her real name (her reasoning: "I know Sara, I don't know Angel"). "Hey, Janet, how's your day goin'?" Sara said sitting down. "Okay, I suppose. You're my first customer," Janet said smiling, "What'll it be?" "Straight down, Jan, if you don't mind," Sara answered. As Janet straightened her hair, Sara got the oddest feeling that she was being watched. She glanced around the empty hallways, and saw no one. "You okay, Sara?" Janet asked. "Yeah…you ever get a feeling someone's watching you?" Sara said slowly. "Sometimes, but not in the arenas," Janet asked. "I just got that feeling," Sara said quietly. Janet looked up and down the hallways as well, and didn't see anyone. "I don't see anyone, hon," she said. "I know…that's the weird thing," Sara said, "Ah well…I've been paranoid lately. Probably nothin'." "This job will do that to you," Janet said chuckling. "Yeah, that it will," Sara said, still eyeing the hallways suspiciously. After Janet finished, she went down to catering to grab a bottle of water. It was strangely empty. "Usually this place is full," she said to herself. She opened the water and took a swig, relishing in the coldness of the water. She left the room, and headed to the balcony to relax before the show.

Sara managed to avoid everyone until it came time for the doors to open. She hurried to the back, before the fans came bustling through the main hallways. The first person she ran into was Mark. "Where were you?" he asked. "Up in the balcony," she answered, "I just needed to get away…relax for a while, and I didn't want to leave the building." "Just askin'," he said quietly, "You feelin' a little…calmer?" Sara grinned and nodded. Mark put an arm around her shoulders, and Sara put her arm around his waist. "When's your match?" she asked. "Not 'til the second hour," he answered. "What are we gonna do 'til then?" she asked. "Maybe watch our coworkers in action," he said grinning at her. The hair on the back of Sara's neck suddenly stood, and she looked over her shoulder, her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "What's wrong?" Mark asked. "Nothin'," she said, her eyes scanning the hallway. "You lookin' for someone?" he asked. "Somebody's lookin' for me…or at me," she said quietly. Mark glanced down the hallway, but only saw coworkers milling about in boredom. "You okay?" he asked. Sara shrugged and walked with him down to their locker room. The show was entertaining as usual, especially for Sara. She enjoyed watching the show, more so from a fan's standpoint than as a part of the show. At the second-hour mark, Sara left the room to find a dark corner. She sat down on the cold concrete floor and lowered her head, putting all other thoughts from her mind as she usually did. It didn't take too long before she lifted her head, fully in-character now. Mark walked up and held out a hand.

"Come on, Angel. Time to go play," he said grinning at her. Sara grinned slightly and took his hand. Mark gently helped her up, and they walked side-by-side to the pit area. Randy walked up just as they did. "Hey, Angel," Randy spoke. "Hey, babyface," she said grinning at him. Although he was only a few years younger than her, Sara enjoyed making fun of his boyish good looks. "Try not to hit me as hard as you hit Mark, alright?" he asked. "Hey, kid, if you can't take the heat, get outta the kitchen," she said chuckling. "Yeah, yeah," Randy said smiling, showing off his famous dimples. "You're too cute for your own good, kid," she said rotating her neck. "Never gotten any complaints," Randy said innocently. Sara rolled her eyes playfully and said, "Right." Adam and Matt came through the curtains moments later, and Sara helped Mark slip on his jacket. "Have fun out there, guys," Adam said. "Not too much fun, though," Matt added. Dave Bautista and Rob followed soon after. "Two minutes," Vince said from the table. Sara linked her fingers with Mark's, and both lowered their heads in concentration. When Randy's music started, Sara looked up at him. "See ya out there, kid," she said grinning mischievously. Randy nodded and went through the curtains, showered by boos from the crowd. Mark's music started a minute or so later, and he and Sara walked out as well.

The match was slow-paced, as was Mark's style. He beat Randy from one end of the ring to another, much to the appeasement of the fans. Sara got in a few forearm shots, as well as a sneak low blow. Near the end of the match, she heard what sounded like Kevin's voice over the P.A. system. "If that's not a beautiful woman, I don't know what is." Sara narrowed her eyes and looked up at the TitanTron. On the large screen was a shot of her sitting in Janet's makeup chair, talking with Janet. "What the--." "Oh, yeah, part of her daily schedule…getting all nice and pretty for the fans. Of course, with her looks, she doesn't need it," came Kevin's voice again, "Oh wait…can she see me?" Sara saw herself looking down the hallway suspiciously. "Ha! She can't. I must say, I hid pretty well. Amazing what you can do with technology nowadays," Kevin added as the shot cut to Sara in the catering room. Sara's jaw dropped as the camera panned from her legs up to her butt, and landing finally on the back of her head. "Beautiful any way you see her," Kevin said. The final shot was one of Sara up close, glancing down the hallway. She heard herself say, "Someone's looking for me…or at me," and her jaw dropped even more. "Yeah, Angel…someone's lookin' at you, alright," Kevin said mischievously. Sara looked back in the ring, to find Mark staring at the screen as well, a look of shock on his face that seemingly matched hers. _That son of a bitch lied to me_, she thought angrily. Randy rolled him up from behind for the three count, before rushing out of the ring. Sara was frozen in her place; the first thought she had was to beat the hell out of Mark, but that would have been breaking character. Instead, she stared up at the TitanTron again, anger very apparent in her face. _I'm gonna kill him_, she thought, _Both of 'em_. Mark slowly rolled out of the ring and grabbed her arm. "What the hell was that?" she snapped. "I have no idea," he said, confusion in his voice. She scoffed and pulled away, storming up the ramp.

A cameraman and Josh Matthews stopped her as she headed towards Kevin's locker room. "Angel, what was that about? That was a creepy video," Josh said holding the microphone towards her. Sara glared at him and grabbed his shirt. "Unless you happen to like having fully functional limbs, I suggest you get that thing outta my face," she snarled. Josh backed up, but the camera followed her down the hall. She stopped in front of Kevin's locker room and pounded on the door. The door opened and Kevin stood there with a cocky grin on his face. "Well, if it isn't my little Angel," he said arrogantly. Sara's top lip curled and she knocked him down with a right punch. "You keep your camera to yourself, you sick son of a bitch, or I swear I'll do worse than that," she snapped before leaving. The camera focused on Kevin on the ground holding his jaw, a grin on his face. Sara headed down to her locker room, steaming over what had just happened. She burst through the door and saw Mark sitting on the couch, removing his boots. "You lied to me!" she yelled. "What?" he asked. "You lied to me, Mark! You said I wasn't involved in your angle with Kevin," she said heatedly. "No more than you've ever been in the past, Sara," he said. "So Kevin can go around filming me like some sick pervert now?!" she exclaimed. "It was just for tonight, dollface. Vince didn't want you to know so that it would look realistic," he said calmly. "Do you even understand how violated I feel, Mark? That shit was unexpected, and it was just wrong!" she said loudly. "The fans liked it," he said quietly. "Oh, and so fuck how I feel about it, huh?" she asked. "That's not what I meant, Sara," he argued. "What did you mean, then?" she asked. "Just that with you not knowing about it, it helped the fans enjoy it more. If you had known about it, it would've looked unnatural," he answered. "I think I know my own acting skills, Mark. I've told you time and time again, don't keep shit like this from me. Kevin's lucky I didn't break character and really kick his ass," she said going into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Mark sighed and leaned back on the couch, rotating his neck as much as he could. A knock on the door interrupted his moment of peace. He stood and opened the door, sighing when he saw Kevin.

"She was pretty pissed," Kevin said, "I thought she was gonna rip my balls off on live TV." "Yeah, no shit," Mark said quietly. "Don't tell me you haven't told her," Kevin said quietly. "No…I haven't," Mark answered. "Mark…man, you're playin' with fire," Kevin said. "Yeah…but it's gonna pay off for her, whether she knows it or not," Mark argued. "Still, man…I don't want her comin' to beat my ass for real. That punch hurt," Kevin said. "Don't worry, Kevin, I'll tell her before the pay-per-view," Mark said quietly. "Alright, man. If she ends up kickin' my ass, though, you're paying my hospital bills," Kevin said with a grin. Mark grinned as well and nodded. "Sure thing," he said. "I'll see you guys next week in Jersey," Kevin said. Mark nodded and shut the door. _What the hell have I gotten myself into now_? he thought.

Mark pulled up into the driveway of their house Tuesday afternoon. They had the rest of the week off, and were going to make the most of it. Sara climbed out and grabbed her bags from the cab of the truck. "What do you wanna do today, dollface?" Mark asked grabbing his own. "Sleep," she answered grinning. "I got an idea. Why don't we let Melissa stay over at Stacy's for a couple of days, so we can have some time to ourselves?" he said quietly. Sara slowly smiled and hugged him tightly. "Just us?" she asked softly. "Just us, dollface," he whispered, "We'll do whatever you want." "I just wanna be with you, Mark," she whispered kissing him softly. "Come on," he said softly, taking her hand in his. They entered the house, and were immediately met by Melissa. "Mommy!" Melissa said reaching for her. Sara grinned and picked her up, kissing her cheek. "Glad to see you, too, baby girl," she said. "I found a new word, daddy," Melissa said. "Oh, really? That quick? We were only gone a few days," Mark said shutting the door. "You know her, always curious," Stacy said from the living room. Sara walked into the living room and smiled. "She wasn't too bad, was she?" she asked. "Of course not, she's a little angel," Stacy answered standing. "What's that? Stealing my stage name, are you?" Sara asked pinching Melissa's cheeks. "No, mommy. If I'm a wrestler, we can't have the same name!" Melissa said smiling. Sara rolled her eyes and shook her head, a grin on her face. "You're nuts," she said kissing her daughter's cheek, "Why don't you go help daddy unpack?" She set Melissa on the floor, and Melissa took off for the stairs.

"So she was okay?" Sara asked sitting down beside Stacy. "Yeah. I can't ever get her to leave the library, though," Stacy said smiling. "I'm gonna start home-schooling her once I retire," Sara said. "She's gonna be excited about that," Stacy said. "Yeah, definitely. I need somethin' to do, and she needs somethin' to do. We'll knock two birds out with one stone, I guess," Sara commented. "It'll be good for her. How long are you planning on home-schooling?" Stacy said. "Until she tells me she wants to go to school," Sara answered, "Probably only until middle school, though." "Yeah, I think by then she'll be ready to make some new friends, get away from home and everything," Stacy responded. "Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. What are you plans for the next few days?" Sara said. "I was just gonna go home and relax for a little while. I don't really do anything when I'm there," Stacy answered, "Why?" "Well…Mark and I want to just take a few days, and spend them alone, ya know, without having to worry about Melissa. And we were wondering if you'd take her for us. We'd give you a little extra for it," Sara said. "Oh, I'd be happy to. Melissa's never been to my house, so I think she'll have fun," Stacy said. Sara hugged her small frame tightly, and whispered, "Thank you so much, Stacy." "Not a problem, Sara. You know me…I can't have kids of my own, so I'm willing to spoil everyone else's," Stacy said quietly. Sara chuckled slightly and nodded. "I'll go tell Mark," she said standing. "Do you guys want anything to eat?" Stacy asked standing as well. "Nah, we ate before we left Savannah," Sara answered, "But thanks anyway." "No problem. Do you want me to take Melissa with me tonight?" Stacy asked. "I'll go check with Mark. Be right back," Sara said before going upstairs. Mark was sitting on the bed, Melissa on his lap.

"Melissa, how'd you like to go visit Stacy's house for a few days?" Sara asked. "She'd let me go with her?" Melissa asked in return. "Yep," Sara said smiling. "When can we leave?" Melissa asked excitedly. Sara chuckled and said, "Why don't you go ask Stacy?" Melissa climbed down from Mark's lap and dashed out of the room. Sara looked at Mark, a content look on her face. "Three whole days," she whispered standing in front of him. Mark put his hands on her waist, pulling her closer. "What to do with so much free time?" he whispered. Sara leaned down, pushing him back onto the bed, and straddled his waist. "I can come up with a few things," she said softly, kissing his lips. Mark groaned slightly and pulled her closer. Sara moaned slightly and opened her mouth slightly, allowing his tongue to diligently caress her own. "I love you so much," he whispered against her lips. "How much?" she whispered with a grin. Mark smiled and caressed her cheeks. "As much as the green grass loves that bright sunlight," he said softly. Sara smiled and leaned down, kissing him once more. "I love you, too," she whispered. A knock on the door interrupted them. Sara grinned and sat up, looking over her shoulder. "Stacy said we can leave as soon as I get packed," Melissa said smiling. "I'll come help," Sara said climbing off of Mark. She took her daughter's hand and walked her down to her room.

A half an hour later, Sara had a small suitcase packed up for Melissa, as well as her blue Undertaker backpack. She'd packed enough clothes to last three days, as well as Melissa's favorite blanket, pillow, and stuffed teddy bear. In her backpack, Sara had put a towel, washcloth, soap, and other bathroom essentials. She helped Melissa take everything downstairs, setting it in front of the door. "You ready, Melissa?" Stacy asked coming into the hallway. Melissa nodded, a huge smile on her face. Stacy picked her up, settling her onto her hip. "We're gonna have so much fun, girlie. Watchin' movies, and eating popcorn, and staying up late," she said smiling. Sara smiled and pinched Melissa's cheek. "I love you, sweetheart. Be good," she said kissing her cheek softly. "I will, mommy, I promise," Melissa said. Stacy reached down and picked up the suitcase. "I'll bring her back on Friday," she said. Sara nodded and opened the front door. "See you in three days, munchkin," she said to Melissa. Melissa waved goodbye as Stacy walked down to her car.

Once she pulled away, Sara let out a deep breath and shut the door. Arms grabbed her from behind, and she screamed. Mark chuckled and kissed her neck. "Oh, my God," Sara whispered breathing fast. "Who'd you think it was?" he asked quietly. Sara turned and faced him. "Three days, Mark…three full days of peace and quiet," she whispered. "What do you wanna do?" he asked. "I wanna…sit out on the back porch until the sun comes up, I wanna play hide-and-go-seek in the house, I wanna sit naked on the living room couch and watch TV all day, and…," she whispered grabbing his shirt and pulling him close, "I wanna make love to you every moment that's humanly possible." Mark smiled and said, "One thing at a time, dollface." "Okay, hide-and-go-seek," Sara said smiling. "Where's home base?" he asked. "Our bedroom," she answered grinning evilly. Mark chuckled and shook his head. "Any special rules?" he asked. "Can't go outside," she said, "That wouldn't be fair." "Anything else?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah…," she said before dashing away, "You're it!" Mark let out a happy sigh and turned his back, counting slowly down from 20.

Sara ran down the hallway, tapping her chin. "Where to hide?" she whispered. Their house wasn't that big now that she thought about it, and anywhere she thought to hide, she knew Mark would find her. She quickly slipped off her shoes, so as to avoid making unnecessary noise. "I hope you've hidden, 'cause I'm comin' for ya!" she heard Mark yell. "Shit," she whispered dashing into one of the hallway closets. She heard Mark's heavy steps head upstairs, and quickly slipped out of the closet. She kept a weary eye out on the staircase, backing up into the living room. _Ah-ha_, she thought, _the DVD closet_. She quietly opened the door, and slipped inside. _He won't find me here_, she thought closing the door behind her. The space wasn't small, but it wasn't large, either. Mark barely fit inside. She took a few deep breaths, waiting to hear Mark come from downstairs. After a few minutes of complete silence, Sara got nervous. She quietly opened the door, peeking out. Mark was nowhere to be seen, but she heard him rummaging in the kitchen, pulling open cabinet doors. She stifled a laugh, and slowly tiptoed through the living room. "Ha! There you are," he said dashing towards her. Sara yelped and rushed up the stairs, Mark close behind her.

Sara managed to get her bedroom door before she felt Mark's hand in her hair. "Ow!" she screamed as he gripped close to her scalp, the pull not hard enough to hurt much. Mark pulled her back and threw her over his shoulder. "Let me down!" she screamed pummeling his back. "Nope," he said smiling. Sara groaned in frustration and continued to pummel his lower back. "Stop before I really get mad," he said with a low voice. Sara bit into his lower back as a last resort, and Mark screamed out, releasing her immediately. Sara slid into the bedroom and used her foot to push it shut. It bounced off of Mark's noise, and he screamed again. Sara stood and pushed her weight against the door. "Almost, dollface," Mark said pushing back, opening it easily. Sara fell to the floor, and Mark laid on top of her. "Get off," she said. "Nope. I won," he said. "Uh-uh! I got to the room first," she argued. "No, you didn't. I got you right before you got here," he said. "Prove it," she said grinning. Mark smiled and leaned down, kissing her throat softly. Sara felt her barriers falling, and a moan escaped her throat. "Who won?" he whispered in her ear, kissing the lobe softly. "I…I…I did," Sara gasped as Mark pressed his hips against hers. "Try again, dollface," he whispered, his tongue tracing the outside of her ear. Sara shuddered and closed her eyes, trying to take deep breaths. "Come on, who won?" he asked squeezing her left breast gently. "Who cares?!" she exclaimed pulling his face down to hers, locking her lips with his. The game was definitely forgotten.

A few hours later, Sara and Mark sat in their huge tub, surrounded by white foamy bubbles. Mark ran his hands over her back, massaging her tight muscles gently. Sara sighed and splashed water on her face. "This has _got_ to be what heaven's like," she whispered. Mark chuckled and moved up over her shoulders, using his long fingers expertly. "You miss Melissa, don't you?" he asked quietly. Sara grinned and nodded slightly. "I know Stacy's taking care of her, though. She's a natural mother," she said. "Yeah. We're lucky somebody else didn't snatch her up before we did," he said. Sara smiled as his arms came around her, and he kissed her cheek. "But she's got nothin' on you, dollface," he whispered. Sara's head drop, and she felt her cheeks reddening. "I could be better," she said softly. "No, you couldn't. Look at how lucky we are, Sara. Melissa is a bright, beautiful, and athletic child. She's a perfect combination of both of us, and you're raising her as best you can. You're a full-time career woman, and yet, you manage to maintain both your career and your family life. Women in this country could learn a lesson or three from you," he said quietly. Sara smiled and squeezed his right hand. "Thank you," she whispered. "For what, baby?" he asked. "Just…everything, Mark. It's not all me, ya know. You're a great performer yourself. We've been main-event wrestlers for, what, at least eight years now. And you're the husband women dream of. Tall, strong, and handsome…I wanna smile every time I look at you. Yeah, we have our problems, but that's normal. And Melissa is as much your daughter as she's mine," she said leaning her head back on his shoulder, "I love you so much, and I'd be lost without you." Mark grinned and said, "We'd both be lost…and then where would the world be?" Sara chuckled softly and hunched her shoulders. "Couldn't tell ya," she said softly.

Mark smiled and rubbed his cheek against hers, easing a washcloth over her legs. "What are you doin'?" she asked quietly. "Nothin'," he said innocently. Sara decided not to question him for once, and let his hands move over her body, cleaning her thoroughly, and even washing her hair a couple times. When he finished, he kissed the back of her neck. "Your turn," she whispered taking the washcloth from him. Mark watched as she soaped up the rag before running it over his long arms, stroking gently. She scrubbed his broad chest, as well as his back, before moving the cloth into the water and caressing his legs. She dropped the rag and scooped water up in her hands, letting it drop through her fingers onto his soapy skin. When she finished, she washed his thick hair and rinsed it thoroughly. "There, now we're both clean," she said kissing him softly. "I think we're gonna get dirty again, though," he whispered pulling her closer. Sara smiled as he pulled her onto his lap, entering her slowly. She moaned softly and wrapped her arms around his neck. Mark's lips latched onto her neck, sucking gently at her hollow spot as she began to move up and down. Mark squeezed her waist gently, moving his hands up to cup her bountiful breasts. "Oh…OH!" she whispered as his lips moved down to her breasts, bringing her nipples to hard peaks. Mark groaned as he felt her walls clamp around his shaft. Sara ran her fingers over his back, trying to pull him closer. Water splashed over the edge of the tub as they moved together, both reaching their peaks simultaneously. Sara let out a soft moan as her body quieted. Mark kissed her softly, caressing her cheeks softly. "I love you," he whispered. Sara smiled and responded, "I love you, too." After exiting the tub, Sara dressed in a blue silk nightgown and climbed into bed. Mark climbed in behind her, and pulled her close. "So…what's on the schedule for tomorrow?" he asked. "I still wanna sit on the couch naked," she said with a smile. Mark chuckled and squeezed her waist gently. "Whatever makes you happy, baby," he whispered. "Goodnight, Mark," Sara said placing her right hand over his. "Night, dollface," he whispered back. For the first time in a long while, Sara fell asleep with a grin on her face.

Mark awoke the next morning alone. He stretched out his tired limbs, yawning loudly. He swung his feet over the side of the bed, and grinned slightly. Yesterday had been a rebuilding day between he and Sara. They realized yet again just how much they loved one another, and that no matter how many problems they had, they were in it for the long run. Suddenly, Mark remembered the agreement he'd made with Vince. He let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head. _I can't believe I actually did that. She's gonna kill me when she finds out_, he thought sadly, _Will she ever forgive me for that mistake? _He slowly stood and stretched once more. _Maybe it's not too big a mistake. I mean, she'll get the World title for three months. She wanted it anyway_, he thought going into the bathroom, _And three months is a long title reign, just like Vince said_. He took a nice, long shower, stretching every so often to work out the kinks, before stepping out and sighing heavily. He wrapped a towel around his waist, then grabbed his brush and worked out the tangles in his hair. He knew Sara wasn't there; he could feel her absence. "Wonder where she went," he said going into the bedroom. He got dressed in a pair of sweatpants and sleeveless t-shirt, before going down to the kitchen to make a small breakfast. There was a note pinned to the refrigerator.

_Mark, Duchess took a turn for the worse, so I'm in town at the vet. I don't know if she'll make it. I'll try and call you later. Love you, Sara. P.S. Yesterday was wonderful! _

Mark sighed heavily and reached for the phone. He quickly dialed Sara's phone, waiting for her to answer. "Hello, Mark," Sara said moments later. "How's Duchess?" he asked. "Uh…the doctor said she's not gonna make it," Sara said slowly, attempting not to cry. "Shit. I'm sorry, Sara," he said softly. "No, it's okay. If it's her time…it's her time," she whispered. "Do you want me to come to the vet's office?" he asked. "No, I'm about to go say goodbye to her. I decided to have her put to sleep, so she…wouldn't suffer, ya know," she answered, "I'll be back in about an hour." "Okay, dollface. I'll see you when you get back," he said. Sara sniffled and asked, "Will you have a box of tissues waiting?" Mark sighed and agreed. "Thank you, Mark," she said softly. "Not a problem, baby. Love you," he said leaning against the refrigerator. "Love you, too," she whispered, "Bye." Mark said the same before hanging up the phone. He sat down at the counter and lowered his head. Duchess had been like Sara's child; she had cared as much for that dog as she had Melissa. Duchess had always been there for Sara, unconditionally, to protect her, watch over her, and even act as a pillow for Sara to cry in. He grinned slightly as he remembered the first time he saw Duchess in action, attacking Slasher because Slasher had attacked Sara. "That was the perfect pet," he whispered to himself. He forgot all about breakfast, and went into the hallway bathroom, getting a box of tissues from the closet. He sat in the living room watching television, and waiting for Sara to return.

Sara pulled into the house driveway a hour and a half later. She'd spent a half an hour talking with Duchess after she'd gotten off the phone with Mark. There was still a small light in her precious animal's eyes, and it broke Sara's heart to have to put her down. Tears came to Sara's eyes as she parked the car and cut it off. "I'm sorry, Duchess," she whispered climbing out. She slowly entered the house, and found Mark on the living room couch. "Hey," she whispered sitting down beside him. Mark put his arms around her, and she cried silently. "I miss her already, Mark," she whispered. "I know you do, dollface," he whispered kissing the top of her head. "What am I gonna do without her?" she asked softly. "Hey…you still got me," he said grinning slightly. Sara smiled slightly and looked up at him. "What time did you wake up?" she asked as he wiped her cheeks dry. "I think it was around ten, maybe 10:30, I don't know," he answered, "You hungry?" Sara shook her head and said, "I just wanna sit here for awhile." "Okay, baby," he said as she leaned back and put her legs on his. Mark pulled her tennis shoes off and rubbed her feet gently. "What do you wanna do?" he asked softly. "We still have to sit on the couch naked and watch TV all day," she said softly. Mark chuckled and said, "If that's what you want, dollface." Sara looked at him through half-closed eyes. "Where's Slasher?" she asked. "In the backyard," he answered. Sara stood and left the living room, heading towards the back door. She saw Slasher sitting by the pool and grinned slightly, walking out and sitting down beside him. "Well, buddy…you're the dog of the house now," she said softly, rubbing his large head gently. Slasher looked up at her, and licked her cheek playfully. "You always were a licker," she said grinning. "Come on, let's go play," Sara said standing and running out into the larger backyard. Slasher trotted after her slowly, and Sara laughed. Life would move on for her, she realized, and things would eventually get better.

Mark watched her from the back door, a slight grin on his face. _She never lets anything hold her down for too long_, he thought. Sara played with Slasher for nearly a half an hour before walking back up to the patio area. "Have fun?" Mark asked. Sara smiled and nodded. "For an old dog, he's still got a lotta energy," she said. "He's not old," Mark said grinning, "He's wise." Sara chuckled and rubbed Slasher's hair. "It was surprising to see him running around like that. He's been having hip problems lately," Mark said quietly. "What's his life expectancy?" Sara asked. "Under ten years…and I've had him about nine, same as you had Duchess," he said quietly. Sara sighed and took Mark's hand, pulling him inside. "Do you think we should get another dog?" she asked softly. "I don't know, baby. If you want another dog, we can get one," he answered. Sara sighed heavily and said, "I stopped by the pet store on my way home. I don't know why, either…but I saw this beautiful Jack Russell Terrier. He was so energetic, so loving…I wouldn't be wrong if I wanted him, would I?" "Of course not, dollface. You're not trying to replace Duchess. No dog could ever replace her," he said touching her cheek softly. "And the lady there said the life expectancy is something around 14 years, so Melissa could grow up with him," she said quietly, "But it'll require training, and all that other stuff. Maybe we should wait 'til I retire, so I can be home to take care of him." "Well, we could get him as a gift for Melissa, so she can start to learn some responsibility," he reasoned. Sara nodded and smiled slightly, hugging his neck tightly. "I love you," she whispered. Mark kissed her cheek and whispered, "Love you even more."

"You wanna go get him right now?" she asked. "You sure?" he asked. Sara nodded and said, "We've had two dogs ever since we met, Mark. This house is way too big for just Slasher," she answered, "Besides, it'd be a nice surprise for Melissa." "How much was he?" he asked. "He's purebred, Mark," she said grinning slightly, "Papers and everything." "How much, dollface?" he asked. "$600," she answered looking down. Mark smiled and tilted her chin up until her eyes met his. "Chump change," he whispered. Sara smiled and hugged him again. "Thank you," she said softly. Mark squeezed her closer and whispered, "Whatever makes you happy, dollface, you know that." Sara released him, resting her hands on his defined biceps. "Let's eat first, and then we'll go pick him up," she said quietly. Mark nodded and they went into the kitchen. "What do you want?" she asked. "I was just gonna get a bowl o' cereal," he answered pulling a bowl from the dishwasher. Sara nodded and did the same. They ate their cereal in silence, putting the dishes in the sink once they were done. "Do you wanna bring Slasher?" she asked. "No, I think he'll be fine," he said grabbing his truck keys from beside the front door. "Okay," she said. They left quietly, shutting the door behind them.

When they finally arrived at the mall, Sara sighed at the sight of the nearly full parking lot. "Are you sure you wanna get him today, dollface?" Mark asked quietly. He hated large crowds, but he would put that aside for his wife. "Yeah. If I don't do it right now, I have a feeling I won't do it at all," she said softly. "What do you think is the best way to go in unnoticed?" he asked with a smile. Sara chuckled as he parked. "Definitely not through the front door," she answered. "Alright, baby," he said. Sara climbed out and put her sunglasses on. Mark put her hand in his, and they headed inside. They decided to go through the closest department store, Sara leading the way to the pet store. They certainly got stares, but no one bothered them for an autograph. Sara pointed out the pet store and said, "He's in there." Mark nodded and followed her inside. "Hey, welcome back," a small brunette woman said to Sara. "Hey," Sara said with a smile, "Is he still here?" "Yes, he is," the woman answered, "I'll be right back." Sara nodded and began to search the aisles for a collar, leash, and other appropriate belongings for her new pet. Mark picked out a black leather collar, with stainless steel spikes. "We'll call him Butch," he said smiling. "Uh, no," Sara said chuckling. She picked up a dark blue collar, and held it up. "What do you think?" she asked. "I like it," he said taking it from her, "It's a cool color." Sara nodded as the woman came up to them, a small Jack Russell Terrier in her hands. Mark gently took the small animal, and laughed when it licked his nose excitedly. "He's a little bundle o' energy," he said. "Yeah, they usually are," the woman said with a smile. "We'll take him," he said as the dog continued to lick at his face. Sara smiled and rubbed the dog's back. "He's adorable, Mark," she whispered. "Yeah…I always was a sucker for a cute dog," he said grinning slightly. The couple followed the woman to the front counter, and Sara pulled out her wallet. "What are you doin'?" he asked. "Paying--." Mark raised an eyebrow and handed over the dog. He pulled out his wallet, and quickly removed the necessary amount. "Mark…," Sara whispered. "Don't worry, dollface," he said quietly, handing the money to the woman across from him. Sara smiled at him, rubbing the dog's head as she did. "Here's everything I told you about, ma'am," she said handing Sara an envelope, "He only needs a couple of shots, and then he's set." Sara smiled at her and said, "Thank you." Mark nodded and she followed him out.

"What are we gonna name him?" she asked once they finally got back to the truck. "I don't know, dollface. What about Diesel?" he said as they climbed inside. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Marley," she whispered, "His name will be Marley." "Where'd that come from?" he asked pulling out of the parking lot. "One of my roommates in college…her name was Marley," she answered quietly. "It's a good name, strong name," Mark said, "He's gonna be a strong dog." Sara nodded and looked over at him. "Why'd you pay for him?" she asked. Mark let out a deep breath and glanced at her. "Remember I told you that I could get you another dog?" he asked quietly. Sara nodded and swallowed. "Well, you wanted him, and I wanted you to have him…that's why I paid for him, dollface," he said honestly, "I wanted you to be happy." Tears of true happiness came to her eyes, and she looked down at her newly named pet. "Well, Marley…you're gonna have a great home now. No more o' that small cage, or cheap dog food, or strange people petting you. You're officially a Callaway," she said kissing the top of his head. The dog yipped several times, and Mark laughed. "Dogs go through puberty, right?" he asked. "Why?" Sara asked in return. "I'm hopin' his voice will drop a few octaves," he said with a smile. Sara laughed and said, "Don't talk about my dog!" "Alright, dollface," he said, a smile still on his face. "You know, at least we didn't get bombarded when we walked in," she said. "True. I think that's the one thing that kinda sucks about our job. We get recognized everywhere, especially when we don't wanna be," he said. "Yeah…," Sara said quietly. "But like you said, we didn't get bombarded today, and that's a good thing," he said placing his hand over hers. Sara smiled when Marley licked the back of Mark's hand. "I think he likes you," she said. "Yeah, I think he likes me, too," he responded.

The ride back was quiet. Mark was focused on the drive, and Sara was focused on her dog. When they pulled up, Sara hesitated to get out. "You okay?" Mark asked. "I guess it's kinda strange now, having a new dog and all. I mean, I was so excited when I first got Duchess. She was my first dog since I was a teenager. And I'm excited about Marley, ya know…it's just weird," she said quietly. "We'll let him run around outside for a while, so he can get used to his surroundings," Mark said climbing out. Sara nodded and followed suit, setting the dog down. He only stood at Sara's feet, waiting to be picked up again. "Welcome home, Marley," she said following Mark into the house, the dog close on her heels. Sara headed upstairs to take a bath, smiling when she saw Marley was still following her. She stripped down and stretched out her neck. It had been a long morning for her, and she was looking to relax. She drew a nice, hot bath, and stepped into the tub. She leaned back and let out a deep sigh. Mark knocked on the bathroom door and Sara told him to come on in. "You want me to take Marley downstairs so you can enjoy your bath?" he asked. Sara grinned and nodded. "Thank you," she said softly as he picked up the small animal. "No problem, dollface," Mark said leaving the bathroom. He carried the dog downstairs and let him out onto the patio. "Now don't bother Slasher too much. Sara would kick my ass if he hurt you," he said watching the young dog dash away. He shut the door and opened the refrigerator.

"What's for lunch?" he asked himself, "What would Sara want?" He pulled out the lunch meat, lettuce, and tomatoes, and then got the bread from the cupboard. He made a couple sandwiches, and poured a couple glasses of orange juice, before heading upstairs. "Dollface?" he called out. "Yeah?" she asked from the bathroom. "I made you a sandwich. I'm leaving it on the dresser, okay?" he said. "Thank you, Mark," she answered. Mark left the room and went back downstairs to the living room to enjoy his own small meal. Sara walked in a half an hour later, dressed in a pair of shorts and a loose t-shirt. "Feel better?" he asked. "Yeah," she said sitting down beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder, and Mark's arm came around her own. "I'm tired," she whispered. "Yeah, I'm kinda tired, too," he said quietly. "Nap time?" she asked grinning slightly. Mark nodded and stretched out on the couch, Sara resting on top of him. "Where's Marley?" she asked. "Outside running around. I think he really likes it here," he answered moving his hands over her back. "Good. I knew he would," she said grinning. Mark smiled slightly and took a deep breath before closing his eyes. Sara shifted a little to get more comfortable before closing her eyes as well.

A half an hour later, Sara was awoken by the sounds of yipping coming from the back door. She carefully climbed off of Mark and went towards the back door. Marley was running back and forth, barking his small little head off. Sara smiled and opened the door, picking him up. "Are you hungry?" she asked. The dog yipped even more and Sara put her hand around his muzzle to shut him up. It was something she'd done with Duchess, and taught a very good lesson. "Quiet," she commanded. The dog wiggled its head away from Sara's grip, but she put her hand back over his mouth. "You're gonna have to learn real quick, buddy," she said quietly, "There's only one alpha in this house and that's me." Marley surprisingly stopped barking. Sara set him down on the floor and went into the kitchen. She pulled out his new food dish from the plastic bag on the counter, as well as a can of puppy dog food, and smiled. She quickly opened the food and poured it into the bowl, before setting it on the floor beside Marley. "Melissa's gonna love you, too," she said as the dog began to eat. Mark entered the kitchen a few minutes later, rubbing his hands over his face. "His first meal?" he asked with a grin. "Yeah," she answered. "I'm glad to see Slasher didn't kill him," Mark said. Sara chuckled and nodded. "I guess I should bring him and feed him, too," she said heading towards the back door. Slasher was sitting by the back door, his square head resting on his paws. "Come on in, boy, time for lunch," Sara said. When Slasher didn't move, she kneeled down beside him. "Slasher, you okay?" she asked rubbing his head. Slasher looked up at her, and tears came to Sara's eyes. There was a sadness in his large, brown eyes that she had seen in Duchess' earlier that day. "Not you, too," she whispered.

"Sara?" Mark said from the doorway. Sara looked up at him, and he saw the tears. "What's wrong, baby?" he asked kneeling down beside her. "He has the same look in his eyes that Duchess did this morning, Mark," she whispered, "Like he knows something bad is about to happen." Mark looked down at Slasher and sighed heavily. "What should we do?" she asked quietly. "Take him to the vet," he answered. "Are you gonna put him down?" she asked. Mark sighed heavily and nodded. "He's been struggling for a couple weeks now. I think when you played with him earlier, that was the last little bit o' life he had in him," he answered. "Jeez, Mark," she whispered, "This was supposed to be a relaxing few days…" "Don't worry, Sara," he said softly, "We're gonna relax, I promise…I'll go get his leash, okay?" Sara nodded and sat down, Slasher resting his head on her legs. "You've been a part of my life since I really got to know Mark, buddy. You were as protective of me as Duchess. You two were like brother and sister almost," she said as tears escaped from her eyes, "I loved you as much as I did her. Melissa's gonna miss you so much." Slasher whined softly and Sara stroked his head. "And I'll miss you, too, of course. You're a great big teddy bear, just like Mark is. And you know Mark's gonna miss you. You were his friend, his cohort…I don't know how we're gonna deal with you not bein' around anymore," she said softly, "I think my first memory of you is…you attacking me. You were so protective of that mansion, it was nuts. But then…just like Mark…you made me see you're not as intimidating as you look."

Mark came out and kneeled down beside her, hooking up the leash to Slasher's collar. "Come on, boy," he said quietly. Slasher struggled to stand, and slowly followed Mark into the house. Sara stood and wiped her cheeks dry, before entering the house as well. She hooked up Marley's leash to his collar, and followed Mark out of the house, shutting the door behind them. For the second time that day, Sara took a trip to the veterinarian's office. Slasher's doctor was there, and he took Mark and Slasher into the back while Sara waited out front. She scheduled an appointment for Marley while she waited. "Hopefully I won't have to bring you here for anything like this for at least another 15 years," she said to Marley. The dog playfully licked her cheek, and Sara couldn't help but smile. "So innocent," she whispered sitting down. Nearly a half an hour later, Mark finally walked back out, Slasher's collar and leash in hand. He looked like he was going to cry at any moment. "I'll drive home," she whispered. Mark nodded and they quickly left the lobby. He handed Sara the keys and climbed into the passenger side. Sara climbed into the driver's seat and set Marley down beside her. She watched Mark pick up the small animal and stroke his head gently. "I watched him take his last breath, Sara," he said suddenly, "It was…the most depressing thing I've ever seen. He didn't wanna go like that." "They never do, Mark," she whispered starting the truck up, "Animals have dignity just like humans." Mark sniffled and Sara looked over at him; a single tear had made its way down his cheek. "I'm sorry, Mark," she whispered. "About what?" he asked. "Slasher…he was a good dog," she said quietly. "Yeah, he was…but hey, we've got Marley now, right?" he said quietly. She nodded before finally pulling away.


	79. Realization

**Chapter 78…Realization**

When Mark pulled up to the arena in Atlantic City, he was at his wits end. The fact that Slasher had died that week had put a damper on his mood, and he and Sara had began to argue. They didn't relax like they'd wanted to; the deaths of their beloved pets had pushed them apart, and knowing that Sara was leaving him for a month wasn't making anything better. He parked quickly, and Sara immediately climbed out of the car, slamming the door shut. Mark sighed heavily and popped the trunk. Sara grabbed her duffel bag as he climbed out. She quickly entered the building, leaving him standing there alone. "Mark," Kevin called out. Mark pulled his duffel bag from the trunk and shut it. "Yeah, man, what's up?" he answered facing Kevin. "Why's Sara so ticked off? Did you tell her?" Kevin asked. "No, I haven't told her," Mark answered solemnly. "What the hell? Why not?!" Kevin said, "I thought you were gonna tell her while you had the week off." "Our dogs died while we were home, Kevin. First Duchess…then Slasher later that same day," Mark answered, "We were both upset about it, and we started arguing. We had sent Melissa with Stacy for a few days, with plans on relaxing…but with Duchess and Slasher dying within hours of each other…it was a rough week, and I didn't get to bring it up." "Oh, shit, I'm sorry, man. How'd Sara deal with that?" Kevin said. "Well, I got her a new dog. It's a cute little thing, too. I think she just hid how much she was hurting, because the day after she got Marley…she just started ignoring him. I had to take care of him, and that just ticked me off because she wanted it in the first place," Mark said as they entered the arena.

"Well, what are you gonna do about that?" Kevin asked. "I don't know, man. It's kind of Melissa's dog, too. She was real excited when she came home, and saw this brand-new dog in the house. She's assumed responsibility for it while we're on the road," Mark answered with a grin, "Not like I could stop her anyway. She's headstrong like her mother." "Oh, and you're not headstrong?" Kevin asked smiling. "No, I'm stubborn. There's a difference," Mark said chuckling. "Yeah, sure, man. Whatever you say," Kevin said chuckling as well, "I take it you two aren't gonna be sparring today." "Nah, probably not. She's not pissed at me, but she's pissed in general, and that's when it hurts the worse," Mark said grinning slightly. "Damn. I lost $20 to John last week, and I was gonna try and get my money back," Kevin said. Mark laughed heartily as he came up to his locker room door. "You two are crazy," he said reaching for the door. It swung open and Sara came storming out, brushing past him roughly. Mark let out a deep breath and shook his head. "There's no way I'm tellin' her tonight," he said to Kevin. "Well, you better tell her before Sunday, man. I don't want her goin' for my blood," Kevin said quietly. "I will, man, I will," Mark said, "You goin' to work out?" "Yeah, in a few minutes," Kevin answered. "Alright, I'll meet you down there," Mark said. Kevin nodded before heading down the hall. Mark shut the door behind him and dropped his bag. He slowly changed into a pair of sweatpants and a sleeveless, loose t-shirt. _Today's gonna be a long day_, he thought exiting the locker room.

Sara made her way to the gym, her eyes glued to the floor. The day after she'd gotten Marley, she began to ignore him. He was nothing like Duchess; he was way too energetic for Sara, which ironically is what attracted her to him in the first place. There were a couple times where she almost kicked him, but Mark had stopped her. He had screamed at her, "Don't take your feelings out on the goddamn dog!" When Melissa had finally come home, Sara cried as she had told her about Duchess. Melissa, though, comforted her mother, telling her to remember that all dogs go to heaven. When Sara finally got to the gym, she immediately stepped on the treadmill, setting the time limit for 30 minutes. Mark and Kevin entered as she neared her halfway point. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. "Sara?" Mark said standing in front of her. "What?" she asked quietly. "You've got a match tonight, against Randy," he told her. "Alright," she said simply, her focus still on her breathing. Mark sighed and walked away, leaving her to her workout. "She okay?" Kevin asked softly. Mark hunched his shoulders and said, "Hell if I know. She's only given me one-word answers since she got up this morning." "Wish I could tell ya what to do, man. I think this is why I haven't gotten married yet," Kevin said grinning slightly. Mark couldn't help but laugh, punching his friend's shoulder lightly. "You're an idiot," he said. "Yeah, but at least you're laughing. Now let's get this workout outta the way," Kevin said as they began to stretch.

Sara watched the two men interact; they had become good friends over the past few months. However, Sara knew in her heart they were up to something. That was the reason she was being so rude to Mark. _A half-truth…that's what he told you…he didn't lie, but he didn't tell the whole truth_, she thought as she finished up her run and slowed down to a walk, _But he'll tell me when he's ready, I guess_. She finally stepped off of the treadmill and sat down beside it, stretching out her tired muscles. Once she finished, she moved over to the free weights. She worked her biceps and back muscles, taking nearly 45 minutes to finish, before finally leaving the gym. She went back to her locker room and quickly showered, washing the sweat and grime from her body. She also washed her hair a couple times before finally stepping out of the stall. She wrapped a towel around her body before going back into the locker room, stopping immediately as she passed through the door. Kevin was standing there talking with Mark. Kevin immediately covered his eyes and said, "I didn't see anything, I swear! Please don't hit me again!" Sara couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't worry about it, Kevin," she said grabbing her duffel bag and taking it into the bathroom. "Well, she seems a little relaxed," Kevin said. "Yeah…we'll see how long it lasts," Mark said quietly. "Who's she wrestling tonight?" Kevin asked. "Orton," Mark answered, "It's the second match on the show." "So I'll come out near the end and help her win. And then, at the end of your match, I'll make the challenge for Backlash," Kevin said quietly. Mark nodded and let out a deep breath. "Of course she'll object, and I'll take the microphone and agree," he said quietly "Let's just hope she doesn't break character and kick your ass right there," Kevin said softly, a grin on his face. "Nah, she won't. She didn't last week, and she won't this week," Mark said. "What makes you so sure?" Kevin asked. "She'll wait 'til we get to the back," Mark answered chuckling softly. "Alright, man. I'll be standing by with a phone, though," Kevin commented. "Why?" Mark asked. "To dial 911," Kevin answered. Mark chuckled and shook his head. "I'll meet you in catering in a half an hour," he said quietly. "Yep," Kevin said before leaving the room.

Sara came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, running a brush through her hair. "You okay?" Mark asked. "I feel a little better. I just needed a good workout," she answered. Mark stood in front of her, and Sara looked up at him. "What?" she asked. Mark cupped her face gently and leaned down, capturing her lips with his. Sara dropped the brush and put her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "I love you, Sara," he whispered against her lips. Sara nodded slightly and softly said, "I know…I love you, too." Mark picked her up, and Sara eased her legs around his waist. He set her against the wall and rubbed his hands up her sides, moving his mouth down her neck. Sara moaned slightly and ran her fingers through his hair. "Mark…," she whispered. "Yeah, dollface?" he asked. "I just took a shower," she whispered planting soft kisses on his neck, "And you stink." Mark chuckled softly and set her down. "Workouts make people smell, dollface," he said kissing her forehead. "And showers make people smell good," she said grinning. Mark kissed her once again before heading into the bathroom to clean up.

Sara left the room with a cheesy grin on her face. Mark's kisses had a way of making her anger disappear. She made her way down to catering, and spotted Andy and Lisa sitting together. Lisa waved to her, and Sara smiled. She quickly got a plate of food and went over to their table. "Hey, hon, how are ya?" Lisa asked. "Could be better," Sara answered. "What happened?" Andy asked. "Starting when?" Sara asked in return. "Let's see…Tuesday," he answered. "Well, Mark and I wanted to spend a few days alone, so we sent Melissa off with Stacy. We had a great time that day, just goofing around and whatnot. I wake up the next morning, and uh…Duchess…," Sara said, her voice trailing off. "What?" Andy urged her. "She died, Andy…she took a turn for the worse, and I took her in to the vet's office to see if they could do anything…I had to put her down," Sara said quietly. "Oh, damn, I'm sorry, baby doll," Andy said touching her hand. "And what makes it worse…Mark had to put Slasher down a few hours later…," Sara added. "Oh, my God," Lisa said, "Do you guys need anything?" "No…we got a new dog, a Jack Russell Terrier. Don't really know why, either. I just wanted a dog in the house. The day after I got it, though…I just started ignoring it. He's a completely different dog than Duchess or Slasher, and it's just not the same, ya know. And Mark and I started arguing while we were home…that didn't help," Sara said quietly. "About the dog?" Andy asked. "About everything, Andy," she said softly, "The fact that _both_ of our dogs died didn't help matters." Andy sighed and looked at Lisa. "But I think we're okay now," Sara said poking around at her food, "Remember I told you he's hiding something from me, right?" "Yeah, did he tell you?" Andy said. "No…but I think he will in due time," Sara said quietly. "Don't stress about it too much, okay?" he said quietly. Sara nodded and put a forkful of salad into her mouth. "How's Melissa doin'?" Lisa asked. Sara finally smiled and swallowed her food. "Energetic as usual. She really enjoyed that trip to South Africa, and she can't wait to go to England and Germany," she said happily. "Good. She's a little bundle of joy," Lisa said smiling. Sara could only nod.

Once they finished lunch, Sara headed off to find Randy. She spotted him at Janet's station. She walked up, and grinned. He was talking with Trish, and was obviously flirting with her. "Ahem," Sara said grinning. Randy faced her and said, "Oh, hey, Sara." "Hey, Randy," she said still grinning. Randy's cheeks turned a slight shade of red, and Sara couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Come on, lover boy," she said pulling him away from the area. "I'll talk to you later, Trish," he said over his shoulder. Sara ran her fingers through her hair and looked up at him. "You just ruined a perfectly good punch line," Randy said. "Oh, yeah?" she asked. "Yeah," he said. "Why don't you tell me the joke?" she asked smiling. "Uh-uh. That was for Trish only," he answered. "Right," Sara said sarcastically. They made their way to the ring, Sara smiling when she saw that it was empty. She jogged down the ramp and slid into the ring. Randy followed suit, rolling in instead. "So, what'd you have in mind for tonight?" he asked as Sara ran a few sprints. "Well, we've got a 15-minute time limit, so we've got a lotta leeway," she answered, "And we'll probably have a commercial break near the middle of the match. We can start off fast-paced, slow it down during the commercial break, and pick it back up at the end." "Sounds good," Randy said. As they worked out their match, Sara never noticed Mark and Kevin standing just inside the curtain at the top of the ramp. "That looks like the end, so that's where you'll come out," Mark said quietly. "Yeah, sure," Kevin responded. "Just hope she doesn't kick your ass after the match," Mark said chuckling. "I told you, you're paying my hospital bills if she does," Kevin said with a smile. "Let's get outta here before she sees us," Mark said quietly. Kevin nodded and followed Mark away from the pit area.

Later that night, Sara and Randy had an excellent match. There were plenty of times where the fans thought Randy had her number, and vice versa. Near the end of the match, Sara heard the cheers change to boos. She had her back to the ramp, and so didn't see Kevin strutting down towards the ring. Randy hit her with his finishing maneuver, the RKO (a form of the neckbreaker, where he jumped into the air, grabbed his opponent by the neck, and brought him or her face-first into the mat). The referee kneeled down beside her and whispered, "Roll-up for the win." "Huh?" Sara whispered back. "Roll-up for the win, Angel," he said softly. _That's not what Randy and I planned_, she thought. She looked to her right and saw Kevin nail Randy with a right hand. _Son of a bitch_, she thought moving behind Randy, pulling him down into a school boy roll-up pin. The referee counted the pin fall, and Sara stood, glaring down at Kevin. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she snapped. "Just helpin' a friend, Angel," he said winking at her. Sara narrowed her eyes and climbed out of the ring. "Listen, _buddy_," she said shoving him back, "I don't need anybody's help, especially _yours_!" She pushed past him and headed up the ramp, throwing back icy glares at Kevin. He merely stood there, a smirk on his face.

Sara sighed heavily as she passed through the curtain. _This isn't gonna be good_, she thought glancing at Vince as she passed by. "Good job out there," he said. "Thanks," she said politely. She headed back to the locker room, stopping by the women's locker room to speak with Lisa. She knocked on the door before entering. "Hey, chica," Lisa said grinning. Sara sighed heavily and plopped down on the bench beside her. "What is it?" Lisa asked. "I'm scared, Lisa," Sara said quietly. "Why? Is it your mom?" Lisa asked. "No…I mean, besides that…Mark's hiding something from me, and it's got somethin' to do with Kevin. This makes two weeks where Kevin's paid more attention to me on-screen than he ever has in any of his and Mark's other angles," Sara answered. "Maybe Vince is just trying to put a new twist on things," Lisa suggested. "That's what I'm afraid of," Sara said softly, "I think he's trying to put me in an angle I directly said I wouldn't do." "What is it?" Lisa asked. "He's trying to send me with Kevin for 30 days. And, yes, that means literally with Kevin. I have to travel and live with him for 30 days…," Sara said softly. "Are you shittin' me?" Lisa asked softly. Sara shook her head as tears came to her eyes. "Vince said I'd get a 30-day World title reign if I agreed to it…but I couldn't, Lisa. I couldn't take a deal like that, it's not worth it…and now, I think he's trying to force me into it," Sara whispered.

"Mark wouldn't let that happen, girl, and you know it," Lisa argued. "Then why is this happening?" Sara asked, her voice quivering. Lisa sighed heavily and touched her hand. "Don't worry, Sara. I think the last thing Vince wants to do is take you away from your family," she said quietly. "I hope not," Sara whispered, "I can't deal with that…my mind's barely stable enough to deal with my mom's situation…I can't deal with this, too." Lisa let out a deep breath and hugged her tightly. Tears escaped from the corners of Sara's eyes, and she hugged Lisa back. "Hey, Sara, you okay?" Amy asked as she walked by. "I'll be alright," Sara answered releasing Lisa and wiping her cheeks. "Is your mom okay?" Amy asked. "No better, no worse," Sara answered quietly, "I should get back to my locker room…" "Don't stress so much over this 'line, okay? It'll work itself out," Lisa said watching Sara stand. "Yeah. I just hope to my favor," Sara said softly. "If you need me, you know how to reach me," Lisa said. Sara nodded and sniffled, wiping her cheeks dry before leaving the room. She slowly headed down to her locker room, entering the room slowly. "You didn't come right back," Mark said from the couch. "I stopped by to, uh, to talk to Lisa," she said quietly, shutting the door behind her. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Yeah…I'm just tired, Mark. You know, same shit, different night," she said sitting down beside him. Mark sighed and put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. He kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Have I told you I love you today?" Sara grinned slightly and nodded. "Well, I'll tell you again, dollface. I love you," he said softly. She cuddled up against him, and closed her eyes. "Not sleeping on the job, are we?" Mark asked quietly. "So what if I am?" she asked grinning. "You've still got work to do," he said. "Just wake me up in about 20 minutes," she said quietly. Mark nodded as she stretched out, resting her head on his lap. Mark watched her face as she fell asleep, caressing the back of her head. "I love you so much, dollface," he whispered, "And I hope you forgive me."

Twenty minutes later, Mark shook Sara's shoulder gently. "Dollface?" he whispered in her ear. "Yeah, yeah, I'm up," she said slowly sitting up. "Feel a little better?" he asked. "Not really, but oh well," she answered standing and stretching her arms, "I'll meet you at the pit." Mark watched her leave, and let out a deep breath when the door shut. "This is gonna be interesting," he said to himself. He slowly eased onto the floor, stretching out his weary body as much as possible. Once he finished, he headed down to the pit area. Sara was already waiting, sitting in a chair with her arms and legs crossed. He kneeled down beside her and placed a hand on her knee. "Angel?" he said looking into her eyes. Sara looked down at him, her eyes narrowed slightly. "Yeah," she whispered. "Ready to have some fun?" he asked grinning. "Always," she said grinning evilly. He stood up and held out a hand for Sara. She took it slowly, and helped her to her feet. Sara took his jacket from him, motioning for him to turn around. She slowly slipped it onto his left arm, then helped him with the other arm. She stepped in front of him, buckling each strap up, before letting out a deep breath. "You okay?" Mark asked. Sara nodded and led him up the steps to the pit. "30 seconds, Taker," Vince said from the table. Mark put his left hand in Sara's right one, linking their fingers together. Sara lowered her head and slowed her breathing, focusing on the air of anticipation the crowd always seemed to give off after a match.

Mark's music hit, and their hands separated. Mark walked out first, Sara not too far behind him. His opponent for that night was a man Sara had worked with while training to come back a few years ago: Nathan Jones. He had finally made it to the major leagues, and it made Sara happy. However, the fact that his first televised match was against Mark was unfortunate; friendships in the back ended when one came through the curtains, and Sara would defend Mark against anyone in the ring, regardless of how she felt about him or her behind the scenes. When Nathan came out, the crowd was rather indifferent. Sara heard a few sections cheering, but otherwise, it was kind of silent. Nathan entered the ring and the bell rang a few minutes later. Sara watched the match unfold, surprised that Mark was selling as much as he was to the younger man. However, after nearly six minutes of being on the defensive, Mark turned the match to his favor with a resounding boot to Nathan's face. Sara smiled and clapped her hands approvingly. "Get him, 'Taker!" she said happily. Mark climbed onto the younger man's chest, and hit him repeatedly with blows to the jaw. The referee reprimanded him for using a fully closed fist, but Mark pushed him away. "Come on, 'Taker, open up the fist!" Chioda yelled. Mark wouldn't stop, so Chioda initiated the five-count. "One, two, three, four…!" Mark stood at four and kicked Nathan's ribs a few times. He grabbed his head and pulled him to his feet, before chokeslamming him down hard. Sara smiled and clapped in support. Mark leaned down at his head and crossed Nathan's arms over his chest. The referee counted to three, and Sara rolled in the ring. Chioda went to raise Mark's hand, but Sara pushed him away. She grabbed Mark's right wrist and held it up, pointing at him with a smile on her face. Suddenly, Kevin's theme music blasted throughout the arena.

Sara watched him strut out onto the entranceway, her heart pounding in her chest. "Ya know, 'Taker, this Sunday at Backlash, we meet for your World Heavyweight championship," Kevin said. The crowd erupted into cheers, and Mark nodded. "But…over the past couple weeks, I've realized something. It's not just your World title I wanna take from you…I want your precious little Angel, too," Kevin said. Mark grabbed a microphone from the ring announcer and said, "You've lost your mind, Nash." "People have been tellin' me that for years, Deadman. But right now, I've never been more sane in my life. I got an idea for our match, a little…stipulation, if you will," Kevin responded. Sara tried to breathe deeply, but she could feel her hands getting cold and clammy. "If you happen to beat me…I doubt it, but we'll give you the benefit of the doubt…if you beat me, I'll never challenge for the World title again," Kevin continued with a huge smile on his face, "_But_…if _I_ win…woo, if I win, I not only get that World title you hold so dear…I get Angel for 30 days and 30 long nights." The crowd booed and Sara looked up at Mark. "Please…don't do this," she whispered, "Don't do this to me." Mark leaned down and said, "Don't worry, dollface." He looked back at Kevin, his eyes narrowed. "What do you say, Deadman?" Kevin asked. "You're on, Nash. Prepare to rest…in…peace!" Mark growled. Sara let out a slow breath and glared at Mark. "What do you think you're doin'?!" she snapped. "Don't worry, Angel. Things will work out," he said quietly. Sara scoffed and dropped out of the ring, quickly heading up the ramp, with Mark following behind her.

In the back, Sara felt Mark grab her arm, but she pulled away. "Dollface," he said reaching for her. "Don't say a goddamn thing to me, Mark," she whispered. "Baby, stop," he said grabbing her arm again. Sara stopped and felt hot tears in her eyes. "You knew…," she whispered. "You're not goin' anywhere, dollface," he said quietly. She turned and faced him. "If you're lying to me…I'll never forgive you," she whispered before walking away. Mark sighed heavily and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Mark," Kevin said walking up. "Yeah," Mark answered quietly. "She's not taking this well," Kevin said. "No…with her mom, and Duchess…we hit her with this at the wrong time," Mark said quietly, "And the fact that I have to lie about it makes it even worse." "Don't worry, man, I'll make sure she gets down to Daytona as much as possible while she's with me," Kevin said. "I know, man. I just…I'm starting to question whether this is really worth it," Mark said quietly. "It will be, man. She's gonna make history…even if she doesn't know about it," Kevin said. Mark nodded and said, "I gotta get back to her. Make sure she's okay, ya know." Kevin nodded and tapped his shoulder. "I'll see you guys in New York," he said. Mark nodded and headed down the hall, his head hung low.

Sara quickly showered, washing her hair a couple times, before going back into the room. Mark was sitting on the couch pulling off his wrestling boots. Sara pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, then stuffed her dirty clothes into her duffel bag. "I'm going to see mom," she said quietly. "Do you want me to come with you?" he asked. "No…I'm just gonna take a cab to the airport, and head straight there," she answered. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Yeah…just make sure Melissa's okay, and tell her I'll call her tomorrow," she said slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Okay, dollface," he said watching her head for the door. "Sara?" he said quietly. "Yes, Mark," she whispered. "I love you," he responded. Sara looked over her shoulder at him, her bottom lip quivering. "You sure about that?" she asked before leaving the room. Mark sighed heavily and leaned back on the couch. "If you loved me, you wouldn't send me away for 30 days," he could hear her saying. "Yeah, you fucked up, Mark…you fucked up big-time," he said standing and going into the bathroom. This was going to be a long, lonely week.


	80. The Truth Comes Out

**Chapter 79…The Truth Comes Out**

Sara pulled into the Madison Square Garden parking lot around noon with a heavy heart. Her mother was still in the hospital, and wasn't going home any time soon. Sara had spent every moment she could with her, and had helped to raise her mother's spirits. "I love spending time with you, you know that, Sara," Lucy had told her, "Even if you come to visit me at three in the morning." Sara had talked to Melissa a few times while she was in Daytona, and had even allowed her daughter to talk with Lucy. It was heart wrenching for Sara, because she knew how close Melissa was to her mother. She'd watched Lucy laugh as Melissa told her of Marley, and cried as she had to tell her mother about Duchess and Slasher. "It's gonna be a long day," she whispered parking the car. She climbed out and grabbed her duffel bag from the trunk, then headed inside. "Hey, Angel," Jim Dotson spoke as she walked through the back door. "Hey, Jim. You seen Mark?" she answered. "No, I don't think he's here yet," he answered. "Good," Sara said, "See ya around." Jim nodded and Sara headed down the hallway. She found her and Mark's locker room, and entered quickly. She dropped her bag by the door and plopped down on the couch. _30 days for 30 days,_ she thought, _I knew Vince would force me into this, the bastard_. She ran her fingers over her eyes and let out a frustrated groan. _Seven months, Sara, that's it…just seven months left_, she thought, _And hey…you're gonna be World champ before your time's up. So why fret? _"Because I'm being forced into it," she argued to herself. She let out a deep breath and stood, exiting the room for the gym.

"Hey, Sara!" Amy yelled as Sara headed down the hallway. Sara grinned at her red-headed coworker, and spoke. "You're a little more jumpy than usual," she said smiling. "I get the Women's title tonight. Why wouldn't I be jumpy," Amy said smiling. "True, true. I'm looking forward to watching that match. You and Trish have great chemistry in the ring," Sara said. "Yeah, I love working with her. There are few ladies around that are about as intense as I am, ya know," Amy said. "True," Sara said smiling, "I think I can count 'em on one hand." "Where ya headed?" Amy said, "Please say catering." Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Gotta get a workout in first," she said. "Crap. I wanted somebody to eat with," Amy said. "Can you hold off for a couple hours?" Sara asked. "My stomach's eating a hole through my back," Amy answered shaking her head. "Well, damn, you might wanna do somethin' about that," Sara said laughing. "I'll see ya around. You want me to tell Mark you're in the gym?" Amy said smiling. "He's here?" Sara asked. "Yeah, he's been here for a couple hours, I think," Amy answered. "Nah, he'll find out I'm here when he sees me," Sara said. "Everything okay with you two?" Amy asked. Sara sighed and said, "Typical marriage troubles, ya know." "No, I don't know. Matt and I aren't married yet, remember?" Amy said smiling. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "I don't know what he's waiting for," she said. "You and me, too, girl," Amy said, "I'll see ya around."

Sara nodded and headed down to the gym, thankful she didn't see Mark on her way there. She quickly got her cardiovascular workout out of the way, running for 45 minutes, before moving on to her weight workout. This took nearly an hour, because she took her time working her arms. Once she finished, she headed back to her locker room. She was shocked that she hadn't run into Mark yet, but was still grateful. She had a feeling that if she saw him, she was going to knock him on his rear end. The hot shower soothed her aching body, but her mind was still chaotic. Mark had told her Monday night she wasn't going anywhere, but she knew Vince had somehow convinced him to go ahead with the storyline. "What does he get outta this?" she whispered to herself, "The World title? He's been champ three times already…ugh!" She stepped out of the shower stall and wrapped her towel around herself, then went back into the locker room. She pulled on a black, shimmering silk, floor-length skirt that had two long slits on the sides to show off her long, muscled legs. The shirt was a tube top of the same material, with a more lacey look to it, and covered with patterns of dark black roses. The top was made to show off her abs and arms, especially if she wore her hair up in a high ponytail. She slipped on a sweatshirt as the door opened.

"Hey, dollface, I was wondering when you were gonna get here," Mark spoke. "I've been here for two and a half hours, Mark," Sara said simply. "Oh…why didn't you come find me?" he asked. "I went straight to the gym, and then I came back here to get cleaned up," she answered. "Oh…how's mom?" he questioned. "No better, no worse. She was a little more upbeat than usual, but she's still in the hospital," Sara answered, "Dr. Johnson says she might not be goin' home any time soon…" "Damn, baby, I'm sorry," Mark said quietly. "There's nothin' I can do about it, so it doesn't matter," Sara said quietly, tossing her workout clothes into her duffel bag. Mark leaned down beside her and touched her hands. They trembled against his, and she looked at him. "What?" she asked. _Just tryin' to memorize your face, baby_, he thought. "Mark?" Sara called out. Mark blinked and said, "Sorry…" "What's wrong?" she asked. "Nothin', baby. I just like lookin' at you," he said grinning slightly. Sara rolled her eyes, a grin on her face. "You're silly," she said standing. Mark stood and looked down at her. "You're so beautiful," he whispered caressing her cheek. "I gotta go see Janet," she said stepping away from him. Mark waited for her to leave, and cursed quietly. "Definitely a big mistake," he told himself for the millionth time.

Sara headed to Janet's place, her eyes glued to the ground. She ran into what felt like a brick wall, and looked up. "Sorry, Paul, I wasn't watchin' where I was going," she said grinning at the 7'2" man in front of her. "Don't worry about it, Angel. I wasn't lookin', either," Paul said smiling down at her. "You excited about your match? You and Glenn better not break the ring," she said chuckling. Paul laughed heartily and set one of his hands on her shoulder. "We won't, Angel, I promise," he said smiling. Sara groaned and bent down. "You're killin' me, Paul, you're killin' me!" she said laughing. "Sorry, Angel," he said moving his hand away. "It's alright, buddy. I gotta go eat somethin'. I'll see ya around, okay?" Sara said. "Yep," Paul said heading past her. Sara smiled and headed towards catering. Paul Wight had been with the company for a little under a year, and he had proven to be a huge teddy bear with a huge sense of humor. Sure, he was the biggest athlete the WWF had ever signed; however, he was as gentle as a feather. When she entered catering, she smiled when she spotted Andy and Lisa sitting together. She grabbed a plate of salad and a small side of spaghetti, as well as a banana and bottle of water, then went over to their table. "Hey, you two," she said sitting down. "Hey, Sara, how's your mom?" Andy said. Mark had told him Sara had gone to Daytona that past week. "She's okay, Andy. No better, no worse…a little more upbeat, though," Sara answered, "Thanks for asking." "And how are you feelin'?" Lisa asked. Sara sighed heavily and poked around her food. "Mentally or physically?" she asked quietly. "Both," Andy and Lisa said simultaneously.

"Physically, I'm exhausted, as usual. I haven't wrestled that much this month, but still…the effects of 14 years are startin' to add up," Sara said quietly, "Mentally…I feel like I'm gonna break down any minute. With my mom…and this new 'line…it just sucks." "I'll kill Mark if you want me to," Andy said. Sara forced a grin and shook her head. "No, it's not worth it, Andy. If I wanted him dead, I'd kill him myself," she said softly, "But hey…at least I'm gonna be World champ before I retire." "That's not the point, Sara, and you know it. This was a bullshit move, on Vince and Mark's parts," Andy said quietly. "Yeah, but there's nothin' I can do about it, Andy," she argued, "I just gotta stick it out, ya know. And Kevin's not so bad…I lived with him for over a year, remember?" "Yeah, you and 20 other people," Andy said, "Including Mark." "I know, Andy…I know," she whispered. "Speaking of Kevin," Lisa said as Kevin walked through the doors. "I can't look at him. I'll stab him in his throat with my fork if I do," Sara said honestly. "Wow…such a mean streak," Andy said grinning. Sara smiled slightly and hunched her shoulders. "It's Mark's fault," she responded. "Blame it on the husband, huh?" Lisa asked. "Of course," Sara said smiling.

Lunch lasted for nearly an hour, and Sara headed up to the balcony to ease her mind afterwards. Madison Square Garden was a very special arena, not only for her, but for everyone who worked for the WWF. This arena is where several breakthrough stars had made their names, and where many memorable things had happened for the company. Sara had won her second Intercontinental title here, so it was especially memorable for her. She propped her feet up on the chair and rested her elbows on her knees, setting her chin in her hands. _What the fuck does Mark get outta this deal? I just don't get it_, she thought for what seemed like the billionth time that day. She raked her hands through her hair, pulling slightly. "Why, Mark? Why send me away for a whole month? At this time in my career?" she whispered sadly. The next two and a half hours passed by fast, and Sara didn't notice what time it was until she saw Mark walking up the stairs. He only came to get her if it was getting close to show-time. "Hey, dollface," he said quietly. She forced a grin and spoke. "Hi," she said softly. "You okay?" he asked quietly, "You've been up here for awhile." "Just wanted to get away," she answered, her eyes not meeting his. He kneeled down in the seat directly in front of her, and took her hands in his. "You're worried about tonight, aren't you?" he asked softly. Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she looked down to the floor. "Don't lie to me, Mark, please…please tell me this is just some sick joke," she whispered. Mark's heart clenched as he said, "I told you, baby…you're not goin' anywhere, not over my dead body." Sara looked up, her eyes locking with his. "So why accept that challenge anyway? I don't care if it's for a storyline. The fans saw it, and now they believe that stipulation," she said quietly. "To add a little fuel to the fire, baby, that's it. Nothin' will happen, I promise you. Please believe me," Mark said touching her cheek, wiping the tears away with his thumb. _Maybe he's actually telling the truth_, she thought, _Maybe it is just a threat…an empty threat…God, I hope so_. "Come on, let's go grab a snack, and then you go get all prettied up," he said grinning. Sara smiled and leaned forward, kissing him softly, her hands caressing his cheeks softly. "I missed you this week," she whispered. Mark smiled and said, "I missed you, too, dollface." Sara stood and followed Mark down the stairs, his hand wrapped around hers tightly.

After a quick early dinner, Sara headed to Janet's area. She was already lined up with Trish and Lisa. Sara decided to wait around, instead of risking coming back to find a longer wait line. "Did you see Mark?" Lisa asked quietly. "Yeah…he says nothing's gonna happen tonight. He says the only way I'm going anywhere is over his dead body, and the reason the stipulation was made was to add some spice to his and Kevin's angle," Sara said softly. "Do you believe him?" Lisa asked. Sara let out a slow breath and shrugged. "I want to…so bad, Lisa. He's my husband. He's my co-worker. We're partners in crime, ya know. I don't wanna believe that he'd allow this stipulation, scripted or not, to take place," she said quietly. "So what's stopping you?" Lisa said quietly, "If you don't trust him, baby, your relationship is doomed." Sara sniffled slightly and nodded. "I know…we've been together almost six years…and we've been married for just over three years. And I trust him with my life, Lisa…," Sara said softly, "But there's somethin' about tonight…" "Sara, if he says you're not goin' anywhere, then you've got to believe him, sweetheart, okay?" Lisa said touching her shoulders. Sara let out another deep breath and nodded slightly. "Do you love him?" Lisa asked. "Of course, Lisa," Sara answered. "And do you believe he loves you?" Lisa asked. "Yes…I know he does," Sara whispered. "Then stop worrying, baby. If Mark loves you, he'll do whatever he has to do to make sure you're okay," Lisa said as Trish finally stood. "You're up next, Lisa," Janet said. "Thanks, Jan," Lisa said before turning back to Sara, "Just go take a breather, okay? I'll make sure none of the other ladies take your spot in line." Sara smiled and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Lisa," she whispered. "Not a problem, chica. Just come back in about 15 or 20 minutes, okay?" Lisa said. Sara nodded and released her, heading off to find a dark corner.

Kevin walked up to the entranceway, and was shocked at what he saw. Normally, Sara and Mark held hands before they went out to perform. This time, Sara was standing a few feet away from Mark, her arms crossed over her chest. Both of their heads were lowered, but the fact that they weren't touching unnerved Kevin. "Angel?" Kevin said quietly. "Don't, Kevin," she whispered. "'Taker?" Kevin said. "Just shut the fuck up for once, Kevin," Mark growled. _What the hell is goin' on here_? Kevin thought. Sara closed her eyes as she remembered what had happened after she'd left Janet's area the second time, after getting her hair and make-up done. She went back to her locker room with a purpose; she was going to get Mark to tell her the truth. When she'd entered the room, Mark was sitting on the couch watching the tape from RAW of him accepting Kevin's challenge. The look of disappointment in Sara's eyes was tearing him apart. "You're gonna lose, aren't you?" Sara had whispered to him. Mark looked up at her, and her jaw clenched. "Dollface," he began. "Don't….," Sara had whispered, tears threatening to fall from her eyes, "You son of a bitch…you lied to me…over and over again. How could you?!" She'd collapsed to the floor, trying to breathe deeply and failing, and Mark had immediately come to her side. "Get away from me, Mark," she'd snapped. "Dollface, please, I did this for you," he'd tried to tell her. "I suggest you get the fuck away from me, Mark," she'd said menacingly, "Or you're not gonna be able to wrestle tonight." Mark, for once, took her threats seriously and had left the room.

Back in the presence, Sara listened as the present match finished up. Chavo and Eddie Guerrero were facing Matt and Jeff for the World Tag Team titles. Sara heard the bell ring and let out a slow breath. Moments later, Matt and Jeff came through the curtain. After seeing the look on Sara's face, they simply walked past the three people standing before them. Chavo and Eddie came through, smiles of victory on their faces. "Have fun, Angel," Eddie said. Sara glared at him and he held up his hands. "Alright, alright, I'm leavin'," Eddie said following Chavo away from the pit area. "Kevin, you're up first," Vince said from the production table. Kevin nodded as his music started. He tilted his head to both sides and rotated his hands before stepping out onto the stage, showered with boos from the crowd. _This is gonna be a rough one_, he thought as he headed down the ramp, a cocky smile on his face. He played up to the crowd, waving both hands as if the fans were cheering him. "The next match is for the World Heavyweight championship! There are no count-outs and no disqualifications! If Kevin Nash wins, he will become your new World Heavyweight champion, and will get the services of the Undertaker's manager Angel for 30 full days. If the Undertaker wins, Kevin Nash will never attempt to regain the World Heavyweight championship. Headed to the ring, from Detroit, Michigan, and weighing in at 332 lbs., the number one contender…Kevin Nash!" said ring announcer Lillian Garcia. Kevin stepped onto the mat, and went through the ropes, smiling even more. The arena went dark, and a menacing gong sounded throughout the arena. Smoke filled the entranceway as Mark's theme music began. "Go, Taker," Vince said from the table. Mark took a deep breath and stepped out onto the stage, Sara not too far behind him. _Here we go_, he thought sadly. "Coming to the ring, the current World Heavyweight champion, from Death Valley, California, weighing in at 310 lbs., the Undertaker!" said Lillian as Mark headed down the ramp.

Inside the ring, Mark glared at Kevin as Sara loosened the straps on his jacket. "Don't worry about the end, 'Taker," Sara whispered, "Just kick his ass for me…please." Mark looked down at her and nodded slightly. "Will do, Angel," he whispered. Sara grinned slightly and he shrugged his jacket off. Sara took it from him, as well as his hat, and stepped out of the ring, dropping down to the floor. One of the ring assistants took the items from her, and Sara turned her focus to the two large men in the ring. Mark and Kevin stepped to the middle of the ring as Earl Hebner began to explain the rules of the match. "You're dead, Nash," Mark growled. "Not before I take Angel with me," Kevin whispered grinning. Mark's eyes narrowed, and Kevin saw a deep anger in them. _Oh, shit_, he thought. "Ring the bell!" Hebner said motioning to the bell ringer sitting beside the announcer's table. The bell rang and the two men immediately started throwing blows. Mark overpowered Kevin, laying into him with right punches and pushing him back towards the ropes. He chopped his chest hard, eliciting groans from Kevin. Mark straightened him up and chopped his chest once more. "Ow!" Kevin screamed. Mark tossed him to the opposite side, taking him down with a hard clothesline. He grabbed his right arm and turned him over, then put him in a Camel clutch, cinching back on his neck. Kevin screamed loudly as Mark continued to pull back.

"What do say, Kevin, what do you say?!" Hebner asked kneeling down in front of Kevin. "Ah! Get this son of a bitch off me!" Kevin screamed. "Do you give up, Nash?" Hebner asked. "NO!" Kevin screamed. Mark released the hold and stood while Kevin grabbed at his throat, coughing heavily. Mark stomped his back roughly a few times, planting his feet near Kevin's kidney area. He dropped a knee on the same area repeatedly, relishing in Kevin's screams of pains. He picked the big man up, before dropping him with a DDT. "Yeah, 'Taker!" Sara said from the outside. Mark sat up and slowly stood, going to Kevin's feet. He picked up his right leg and dropped an elbow on his knee, before grabbing his foot and pulling it towards his body. Nash screamed and tried to push Mark away from him. Sara clapped her approval, a huge smile on her face. She walked to another side of the ring to get a better view. Mark finally released Kevin and slowly stood. Kevin struggled to get to his feet, but Mark didn't let him rest for long. Mark's fist landed squarely on his jaw, knocking him back a few steps. Kevin grunted, but returned the favor. Mark punched him repeatedly, pushing him towards the corner as he did so. When he reached back for another punch, Kevin nailed him with a right elbow and grabbed Mark's throat with both hands, tossing him into the corner he'd just been in. He went to swing, but Mark ducked and stepped out of the corner. Mark spun around and kicked him squarely in the ribs before throwing him towards the opposite corner. Kevin switched the move, and tossed Mark away instead. He ran towards him, but was met with a boot to his jaw. Kevin stumbled back, and Mark grabbed his wrist, putting him in a wristlock. Kevin growled and clotheslined him down.

Mark sat up and slowly stood, getting a look of fear from Kevin. Mark kicked him in the stomach, and punched him in the side of his head. He went for an Irish whip, but Kevin reversed it. On the rebound, Mark ducked a clothesline, bounced off the opposite ropes, and jumped towards Kevin. Kevin caught him and dropped him with a powerslam. He stood and kicked him repeatedly in the ribs. "Yeah, hurts, don't it?!" he said. He dropped down at Mark's head and wrapped his hands around his throat. "Come on, Nash, let him go!" Hebner instructed. "Nope!" Kevin yelled back. "Come on, Nash!" Hebner said harshly. Kevin released the hold and pulled Mark to his feet, whipping him to the closest corner. He punched him in the head a few times before throwing him to the opposite corner. Mark landed quite roughly, groaning and grabbing at his back. He stumbled from the corner, only to meet a clothesline from Kevin. Kevin pulled him up roughly and pulled him into a front facelock, before dropping him rib-first over the top rope. He nailed Mark in the upper back with hard forearm shots, before jumping to the top turnbuckle and landing an elbow to the back of Mark's neck. Mark dropped to the outside of the ring, and Sara ran over to him. "Come on, 'Taker, please get up," she whispered. Mark groaned and put an arm around her shoulders. Sara struggled to help him to his feet. "You got this, 'Taker, you got this," she whispered. Mark nodded slightly as she helped him roll into the ring.

Kevin immediately pulled him to his feet, nailing him with hard forearm shots as he did so, knocking him back to the closest corner. He put his foot on Mark's throat and stretched out his leg, choking him in the process. Mark groaned loudly, and Kevin stepped away. Mark stumbled from the corner, holding his throat and coughing. Kevin walked towards him, and Mark kicked him in the stomach. Kevin simply grinned and drove a knee into Mark's ribs. He whipped him towards the ropes easily. Mark ducked his clothesline, bounced off the ropes, and hopped up onto Kevin's shoulders. Sara's jaw dropped at the mere agility of that move. Kevin recuperated easily and dropped Mark flat on his face. He kicked the man until Mark rolled outside the ring. Kevin dropped out of the ring, and picked Mark up, dropping him rib-first onto the guardrail. Sara ran over to where they were and jumped on Kevin's back, screaming like a mad woman. "You son of a bitch!" she hissed. Kevin reached for her and got a handful of her long ponytail. He pulled her off and grabbed her throat. "Anxious, are we?" he asked grinning. "Let me go," Sara snarled. "You started it, sweetie," he said picking her up for a chokeslam. Sara screamed and tried to wiggle away. Kevin dropped her when Mark hit him from behind. Sara rolled away and immediately stood. Mark tried to throw Kevin's head into the ring steps, but he blocked it. Kevin grabbed Mark's head and rammed them into the ring steps, knocking him down. He picked up the upper half of the steps and dropped them in the middle of Mark's back. "Oh, my God," Sara gasped trying to go over to Mark. Kevin stopped her by standing in front of Mark. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Kevin growled. He grabbed a handful of Mark's hair and tossed him onto the lower half of the steps, then picked up the other half. "God, no," Sara whispered as Kevin dropped them on Mark's ribs. Her heart clenched as she heard Mark scream in utter pain. Kevin rolled back into the ring, waiting for Mark to do the same thing.

Mark slowly stood, holding his ribs. He got onto the mat, and Kevin brought him into the ring with a hard suplex. Kevin picked him up and threw him into the closest corner, before nailing him in the jaw with left and right punches. Mark tried to push him away, but Kevin continued his onslaught. Kevin whipped him to the opposite corner. Mark came out of the corner with a clothesline attempt, but Kevin didn't fall. Mark ran to the ropes, and ducked a clothesline from Kevin twice, before Kevin caught him by the throat and planted him with a chokeslam. _That's Mark's move_, Sara thought angrily. Kevin covered Mark for a pin attempt, but Mark kicked out after two. Kevin held him down with a reverse chinlock. Mark began to fade, and Sara hit the mat with her hand. "Come on, 'Taker, get outta that!" she screamed in earnest. Mark hit the mat with his right foot, and the fans began to chant his name. He got to his knees slowly, and landed an elbow in Kevin's ribs. The hold loosened on his neck, and Mark punched Kevin's ribs repeatedly. He slowly stood, but Kevin dropped him back down with a clothesline, followed by an elbow drop. He picked Mark up and pulled him into a side headlock. Mark groaned and picked Kevin up for what looked like a belly-to-back suplex, but instead dropped him onto the top rope. Kevin groaned and grabbed at his groin, falling to the outside of the ring.

Mark slowly climbed out of the ring, and reached under the ring, pulling out a chair. Sara smiled and nodded her approval. Mark held up the chair, and the crowd cheered even louder. Mark quickly nailed Kevin in the back with the chair four times. Kevin rolled around, trying to get away, but Mark continued his onslaught. Finally, Mark dropped the chair and grabbed Kevin's hair, pulling him to his feet. He executed a clean suplex on the floor mat. He planted his boot into Kevin's neck and applied pressure, making the larger man squirm about in an attempt to get away. Mark grinned evilly and removed his foot, watching as Kevin gasped for air. He picked him up by his hair, and kneed him in the ribs a few times before hitting him squarely in the jaw with a stiff right punch. Kevin crashed to the floor, but Mark didn't let him stay down. He picked him and whipped him into the ring post. Kevin groaned and dropped to one knee. Mark picked him and threw a forearm into his kidney area. Kevin grunted and dropped to both knees this time. Mark booted him in the back of his head, knocking him down to all fours. "That's right, 'Taker, that's right. Kick his ass!" Sara screamed from nearby. Mark grabbed two handfuls of Kevin's hair and pulled him to his feet. He placed his shoulder in Kevin's stomach and rammed him into the guardrail, then choked him with his foot again, pushing him down until Kevin was laying on the floor. He stomped the man in his ribs repeatedly as Sara cheered him on. He picked him up and rammed him into the edge of the ring three times before tossing him back into the ring. As Kevin struggled hard to stand, Mark slowly made his way up to the top turnbuckle. When Kevin faced him, Mark launched himself off of the turnbuckle, hitting Kevin with a clothesline and knocking him down. He grabbed Kevin's left leg and went for the pin fall. Kevin kicked out right before the three count, and Sara shook her head. Both men stood and traded right punches, before Mark whipped Kevin into the ropes. When he bounced back, Mark went for the Tombstone Piledriver. Kevin used his body weight to switch positions, and nailed the Tombstone on Mark. Sara's jaw dropped as he went for the pin attempt. "Kick out, 'Taker, kick out!" she screamed. Mark did so right after the two count.

Kevin slid out of the ring and pulled Lillian out of the seat she was in, then slid back into the ring with the chair. Mark struggled to his feet, and Sara shook her head as if trying to warn him. "No, no," she whispered. Kevin cocked back and nailed Mark square in the head with the chair. Mark dropped to the mat and turned onto his stomach. Kevin smiled and hit Mark's back as hard as he could. Tears came to Sara's eyes as she watched this onslaught. _Fuck that_, she thought before sliding into the ring. When Kevin went to swing again, she kicked him in his groin hard. Kevin groaned and dropped the chair, falling to his knees. Sara grabbed the chair and went around to his front. "What the hell do you think you're doin'?" Kevin yelled. Sara's jaw clenched and she hit Kevin right on top of his head with the chair. Kevin fell backwards and Sara dropped the chair. She grabbed Mark's arm and slowly pulled him over to Kevin. "Come on, 'Taker," she said draping his arm over Kevin's chest. She rolled out of the ring and watched as the referee began to count. "One…two--." Kevin kicked out at two, and Sara whispered, "Goddammit!" Kevin groaned and grabbed his head. _That bitch_, he thought angrily, _That was uncalled for_. He looked over at Mark, who was still laid out. Kevin slowly stood and rolled Mark over. He sat on his chest and punched him in the forehead, opening up a gash. The blood poured from the wound, but Kevin continued his onslaught.

"Please, Kevin, stop!" Sara screamed from outside the ring. Kevin glared at her and said, "This is your fault." Sara watched as he ran to the opposite ropes, and dropped a leg over Mark's throat. He laid over Mark's chest, and the referee dropped down to administer the count. Mark kicked out right before the three count. Kevin growled and picked him up by a handful of hair. Mark ducked a clothesline and hit a crucial, one-armed chokeslam. Sara let out a sigh of relief, and clapped her hands. "Good job, 'Taker, good job," she whispered. Mark picked up Kevin and executed his finishing maneuver, the Tombstone Piledriver. However, Kevin kicked out of the pin fall at two. Mark went up the nearest top turnbuckle, and dropped an elbow onto Kevin's chest. He picked Kevin up, and Kevin pushed him away, kicking him in his stomach. Kevin shoved Mark's head between his legs and winked at Sara. "This one's for you, sweetheart," he said with a grin. Sara watched in horror as Kevin hoisted Mark up and planted him in the middle of the ring with a jackknife powerbomb. "One…two…three," Hebner counted. Sara felt her lungs contract, and struggled to take another breath. "The winner of the match, and your new World Heavyweight champion, Kevin Nash!" said Lillian Garcia from near the announcer's table. Hebner grabbed the World title from her as Sara slid into the ring and crawled over to Mark.

"No…it's not real," Sara whispered looking down at Mark. She placed her hand over the cut on his forehead, trying to stop the blood flow. "Please, tell me this isn't real," she whispered as tears escaped onto her cheeks. Earl handed the title to Kevin and raised his hand. Kevin snatched his hand away and stared down at Sara. She was his real prize; he didn't care about the World title. A grin came to his face as he realized that he had 30 whole days to spend with her. He stood behind her and smiled more fully. Sara felt Kevin behind her, but she refused to look at him. She was trying to convince herself that if she didn't look at him, she wouldn't have to go through with the stipulation. "Oh, Angel!" Kevin said tapping her shoulder. "No…no," she whispered, "Please get up, 'Taker." _Enough o' this shit_, Kevin thought grabbing a handful of her hair and pulling her to her feet. Sara screamed and grabbed at his hands. He twirled her around to face him, and she slapped him as hard as she could. "Don't touch me!" she hissed trying to pull away from him. "You're mine, Angel…for 30 days," he snarled, "I'll touch you when I please!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her from the ring. Sara struggled the entire time, making it more difficult for Kevin to take her to the back. "Stop fighting, Angel, you're only delaying the inevitable," Kevin said continuing to pull her up the ramp. Sara punched his arm, trying to get him to release her. Kevin growled and simply threw her over his shoulder. "Goddammit, put me down!" she screamed hitting his back, "Help me, 'Taker, please!" "He can't help you, Angel," Kevin said satisfactorily, "No one can help you!" Sara continued screaming as Kevin carried her through the curtains, tears streaming down her face.

Once away from the gorilla position, Kevin finally set her on her feet. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked sincerely. "Fuck you, Kevin," Sara said storming away. Kevin sighed and ran his hand over his face. That match was one of the most physical he could ever remember having. He was definitely going to be hurting in the morning. He found a chair close by and plopped down in it. He rotated his neck and groaned quietly. Mark walked up a few moments later, holding a towel to his forehead. "Sorry about that, buddy," Kevin said quietly. "Hey, shit happens," Mark said grinning, "That was a hard chairshot you took yourself." "Yeah, wasn't expecting it," Kevin said. "I didn't know she was gonna do that, Kevin," Mark said quietly. "Nah, it's alright. I guess I kinda earned it anyway," Kevin said. "I'm gonna go get this checked out. I'll meet you at my locker room," Mark said. Kevin nodded and stood, heading towards his own locker room. A half an hour later, Mark met Kevin in front of his locker room. "Did you have to get stitches?" Kevin asked motioning towards the gauze on Mark's forehead. "No. Even if I needed 'em, I wouldn't get 'em. The sons of bitches itch too much," Mark said with a grin. "True," Kevin said. "So who's goin' in first?" Mark asked quietly. "It's your locker room, man," Kevin said just as quietly. Mark let out a heavy sigh and reached for the door handle. It opened as his hand touched the knob. Sara stood there with her bags in hand. "Let's just get this over with," she whispered painfully. Kevin let out a heavy sigh and said, "It's not gonna be that bad, baby girl." "Don't call me that," Sara snapped. Mark sighed heavily and said, "I'll just get my bags." Sara stepped out into the hallway and leaned against the wall, her eyes glued to the wall across from her. If she looked at Kevin, she was going to either burst into tears or attempt to rip his throat out.

Mark came out a few moments later with his own bags. "Are you flying to Boston tonight?" Mark asked as they headed through the nearly empty arena. "Nah, I'll fly tomorrow morning. It's not that far away," Kevin answered. "Alright. I'll get to the arena around noon, maybe one o' clock," Mark said. "That's cool. I'll be here around the same time," Kevin said. When they reached Kevin's car, he unlocked the trunk and tossed his bags inside. He offered to take Sara's luggage, but she threw it in on her own. Tears came to her eyes once again as Kevin unlocked the passenger side door and opened it for her. Mark touched her shoulders gently and turned her towards him. "I love you, Sara," he whispered hugging her tightly. Sara tensed up and did not return the hug. Mark sighed and kissed the side of her head. He slowly released her and looked into her eyes. They were distant and unfocused. "Sara…," he whispered. "Ya know, Mark? Right now…I can honestly say…I don't feel the same way," she said softly, her voice laced with disgust, the tears falling, "As a matter of fact…I hate your fucking guts." She turned and got into Kevin's car before she broke down fully. Kevin shut the door softly, and Mark sighed heavily. He looked down at Sara in the car, and saw her body shaking with sobs.

"I think that's about as low as you can go on the bad-husband scale," he whispered. "Hey, man, she's in good hands. You know that," Kevin said touching his shoulder. "Yeah, I know…I just feel like a complete asshole for this. I wish I could tell her what she's gettin' outta this…not like she'd care anyway, though," Mark said quietly. "She'll care when she's holding that World title up," Kevin said quietly. "Just take care of her tonight, okay, Kevin? A breakdown is not gonna do anyone any good," Mark said. "Yeah, definitely, man," Kevin said. "I'll see you in Boston tomorrow afternoon," Mark said before walking away, his heart clenching in his chest with every step he took. Kevin sighed and climbed into his own car. He watched Mark pull away before starting the rental car. He looked over at Sara, and took a deep breath. "Sara…," he started. "Don't say anything, Kevin," she whispered. Kevin sighed and touched her hand. Sara pulled away and slapped him again. "Don't fucking touch me," she hissed. "Now, goddammit, you're gonna stop hittin' me like that, Sara," he said quietly. "Oh, really? Fuck you, Kevin. You're a real piece o' shit, ya know. Of course you'd agree to do this angle, you sick bastard," Sara snapped. Kevin took a deep breath and let her continue. "You probably jumped at the chance to get me all to yourself for 30 days, didn't you?" Sara said heatedly, "Well, I hate your fucking guts, too. I hope you rot in hell for this." Kevin shook his head and suddenly punched her, knocking her out. "Sorry, baby girl, but I'm not takin' that shit," he said softly. He put on his seat belt and slowly pulled out of the arena parking lot, heading back to his hotel, a slight grin on his face the whole way there.


	81. Uncomfortable Moments

**Chapter 80…Uncomfortable Moments**

Sara opened her eyes slowly, groaning slightly at the pain in her face. The last thing she remembered was telling Kevin to rot in hell. She felt an arm drape over her waist, pulling her close to the warm body the arm was connected to. _This isn't Mark's arm_, she thought. She looked to her right, and had to stop herself from screaming. Kevin was laying next to her fast asleep, and looking extremely comfortable. Sara then realized that she was only wearing her underwear. She let out a slow breath and tried to scoot from under Kevin's arm. He groaned slightly and pulled her closer, his face resting in the crook of her neck. Sara let out a slow breath, trying to remain calm. _He wouldn't have…he wouldn't have had sex with me…Kevin is _that_ much of an asshole_, she thought with hope. Kevin's grip on her waist slowly loosened, and Sara finally edged from under him, climbing off of the bed gingerly before dashing into the bathroom. She quietly closed the door and dropped to her knees. "Oh, my God," she whispered covering her eyes, "This is not real…I'm having a bad nightmare…I'm gonna wake up any moment and be in Mark's arms…" After a few moments of silence, tears came to her eyes. _Last night actually happened_, she thought, a mixture of anger and terror going through her body. She remembered the ending of the match, how Kevin had dragged her kicking and screaming to the back, the spiteful words she'd said to Mark, and the crying she'd done in Kevin's rental car. She sighed heavily and slowly stood. She'd glanced at the clock on the nightstand on her dash to the bathroom. It was nearing nine o' clock. She cut on the shower and pulled off her panties, then stepped into the shower stall. She heard Kevin shifting around in the bedroom and shuddered. He'd hit her last night, and it gave her only a small taste of his power. He hadn't hit her like that since their days in the 'Corporation' when he was her anger management instructor.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. "Yeah?" Sara asked quietly. "You okay?" Kevin asked. "Yes," she answered simply. "Okay…take your time, baby girl. We've got an hour before we have to go to the airport," Kevin told her. "Thank…thank you, Kevin," she said shakily. "No problem, baby girl," Kevin said. Sara sighed heavily and lowered her head, tears coming to her eyes once again. She cried silently for nearly ten minutes, sniffling every now and then, before scrubbing her body twice. Whatever Kevin had done to her in her sleep, she wanted to wash clean. When she stepped out of the shower, her skin was red. She wrapped one of the hotel towels around her and wiped the steam away from the mirror. Her left eye was slightly blue and a little swollen. "Oh, shit…," she whispered leaning closer to the mirror, "I think I can hide that with some make-up…I hope I can hide that…" She sighed heavily and splashed hot water on her face, then dried it with a hand towel. She finally exited the bathroom, taking a deep breath when she saw Kevin sitting on the bed watching television. She looked down at the floor and tried to go over to her suitcase. Kevin grabbed her wrist loosely, easing her onto his lap. Sara tensed up as his arms came around her. "Relax, baby girl," he whispered in her ear, "Okay?" Sara closed her eyes and tried to breathe deeply; her heart was pounding in her chest. Kevin sighed and set his chin on her shoulder.

"What did you do to me last night, Kevin?" Sara asked suddenly. "Not a thing, baby girl. I brought you up to my hotel room, and I had one of the hotel staff undress you so you could sleep comfortably. I just slept in the same bed, because I'd already had a single-bed room," he answered honestly. Sara let out a breath of relief and began to relax against him. "I'm not that much of a jerk, Sara," Kevin whispered. She nodded and looked into his hazel eyes. She never realized how nice they looked. Then again, she had never been that close to Kevin to stare at his eyes. "What?" Kevin asked softly. "Your eyes…I didn't realize how nice they looked," Sara said softly. Kevin smiled slightly and tilted his head. "Thank you, baby girl," he said quietly. Sara smiled and shrugged her shoulders. _Maybe this won't be so bad_, she thought. Kevin caressed her cheek with the tip of his thumb and stared into her eyes. "Your eyes are pretty, too," he whispered. Sara felt her cheeks redden and she looked down. "Oh, I made the tough lady blush," Kevin said smiling. Sara chuckled softly and shook her head. "You're silly," she whispered. "Yeah, I think you forgot about my sense o' humor," Kevin said continuing to caress her cheek. Sara swallowed and licked her lips. Kevin's eyes darted down to her mouth and she let out a slow breath. Kevin leaned closer and kissed her softly. Sara tried to think of Mark, but Kevin's lips were extremely soft on her own, not wanting to go any further. He pulled away first and Sara looked away, her cheeks reddening even more.

Kevin forced her to look at him, and he grinned slightly. His lips met hers once more, and Sara's hands went to his shoulders. Kevin eased her mouth open, and his tongue darted inside her mouth. Sara moaned slightly as her tongue tangled with Kevin's. Kevin moved his right hand to her damp thigh, squeezing the muscle gently. He pulled Sara closer with his left hand as his right hand inched up her thigh. "Kevin, please stop," Sara whispered, her body trembling slightly. "Okay…I'm sorry," he whispered. Sara nodded and took a deep breath. "If you want, I'll go ahead and take a shower, and we'll go grab somethin' to eat before we go to the airport," Kevin said quietly. Sara nodded and Kevin released her. Sara almost hesitated to stand; it was nice to be held, even if it wasn't her husband. Kevin slowly stood and made his way into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Sara let out a deep breath and dropped her head. _Holy shit…I just got turned on by Kevin_, she thought covering her eyes, _I hope it doesn't go any further than that kiss…I don't know if I'll be able to fight him. I mean, I always thought he was attractive…but I never contemplated ever being attracted _to_ him_. She heard the shower start and quickly pulled out clothes from her suitcase. She held up a shirt she didn't remember packing; it was a Harley-Davidson shirt, but it was Mark's size. She grinned slightly and said softly, "A little bit of home…" She quickly slipped on the shirt and pulled on the sweatpants. She put her outfit from the night before in her duffel bag, and zipped both pieces of luggage up, then went over to the bed. She sat down Indian-style, flipping through channels with the remote.

Kevin came out ten minutes later with a towel wrapped around his waist. "Aren't you gonna put me on your lap?" he asked jokingly. Sara chuckled and covered her eyes with both hands. "I'm not looking," she said with a smile. "You know you want to," Kevin said with a smile, pulling on a pair of boxers under his towel. Sara laughed and shook her head. "No, I really don't want to," she said. Kevin pulled on a pair of his favorite sweatpants and stood in front of her. He placed his hands on her wrists and pulled her hands away from her eyes. He kneeled down in front of her, and Sara grinned slightly. "What?" she asked quietly. "You are so beautiful, sweetheart," he whispered cupping her cheeks. "Stop," Sara whispered feeling her cheeks turn red. "Ah, second time in one day. I'm on a roll," Kevin said smiling. "What?" she asked. "That's the second time I made you blush," he answered. Sara rolled her eyes playfully and shrugged. "I blush easily, what can I say," she said softly. Kevin grinned and nodded. "Yeah, you do," he whispered leaning close. Sara's mouth opened slightly as his lips connected with hers once more. Sara moaned softly as he eased her onto her back, his hands moving up her sides. Kevin groaned slightly and pressed his hips against hers. Sara moaned against his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Kevin nipped at her bottom lip and pulled gently, then kissed her more passionately. When his lips moved down her neck, Sara's eyes fluttered opened. She glanced down at her left hand and saw the sparkling wedding ring. _Goddammit_, she thought squeezing her eyes shut. "Kevin, get away from me," she whispered pushing him away.

Kevin quickly moved from atop her, and Sara forced tears away from her eyes. "You can't do this, Kevin…_I_ can't do this," she whispered. "I'm sorry, Sara…I didn't mean to…do anything to make you uncomfortable," Kevin said quietly. "I know, Kevin," she whispered. She slowly sat up, and Kevin followed suit. She fiddled with her wedding ring and more tears came to her eyes. Kevin slowly touched her shoulder and said, "It's gonna be fine, baby girl. It'll go by fast. Before you know it, it's gonna be June, and you're gonna be back with Mark." Sara nodded slightly and sniffled. "Come on, let's check out, and we'll go grab some breakfast," he said slowly standing. He held out his right hand and Sara looked at it. She took a deep breath and placed her left hand in it. Kevin grinned slightly and helped her to her feet. They left the room in silence. Kevin checked out at the front desk, and they went down to a small diner for breakfast. After eating, they finally headed to JFK airport.

Kevin pulled up to the Fleetcenter at 1:30 p.m. exactly. The flight had been delayed for two hours because of technical problems, and that had put him and Sara behind schedule. He quickly parked the car, and Sara stepped out. Kevin popped the trunk and Sara grabbed Kevin's duffel bag, as well as her own. When Kevin came around to the back of the car, she handed it over to him. "Thanks, baby girl," he said grinning. Sara shrugged slightly, and they headed inside. "You'll be wanting to go to the gym, right?" Kevin asked as they headed down the hallway leading to the locker rooms. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. "Gotta stay in shape," she said quietly. "Well, if that's the reason, you shouldn't go anywhere near a gym," Kevin said. "What? Why?" she asked. "You're in the best shape o' your life, baby girl," he answered grinning down at her. Sara laughed heartily and punched his arm lightly. It seemed they were regaining the friendship they'd had those many years ago. "You're biased," she said, "It's what the fans think, remember?" "Yeah, I know, Angel," he said grinning, "We'll drop our stuff off in my locker room, and you can go on to the gym."

"You're not comin'?" she asked. "Nah, I'm gonna go see what Vince has planned for us for tonight first," he answered. Sara nodded as they entered the locker room. There was a large couch against the wall adjacent to the door, a couple of coffee tables on either side of the couch, and a medium-sized lamp on the far coffee table. In front of the couch was a long glass table with a vegetable platter, as well as a finger-sandwich platter, and an ice bucket with bottles of water in it lying on the table. A television stand with a large TV was placed at the other end of the room, with a VCR attached to it. "Wow…nice," Sara said quietly. "So this works for you?" Kevin asked. Sara looked up at him and asked, "You did this?" He nodded slightly and looked away. "I just wanted you to be comfortable," he said quietly, his neck turning red. Sara laughed and set her bag down on the couch. "Seems I'm not the only one who blushes," she said with a smile. "Yeah, yeah," Kevin said opening the door for her. Sara touched his forearm and softly said, "Thank you, Kevin. This really means a lot to me." Kevin shrugged and said, "It's nothin', Sara. I know you didn't wanna do this in the first place, so I just want to make it as easy as possible for you." "Well, thanks, Kevin," she said quietly. "You should go ahead to the gym. I'll meet you in there, okay?" Kevin said. Sara nodded and winked at him before heading down the hall. Kevin let out a deep breath and smiled to himself. _I'll let you have your fun for now, baby girl_, he thought.

Sara headed down the hall, and a smile came to her face as she spotted Mark talking with Glenn. She walked up behind Mark and put her arms around his waist. Mark grinned and looked down at her. "Hey, there," he said quietly. "Hi," she whispered. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Better," she said with a grin. "I'll talk to you later, Mark," Glenn said grinning at the couple. "Alright, thanks, Glenn," Mark said as Sara stood at his side. Sara watched Glenn walk away, and Mark put his arm around her shoulders. "Let me guess…you're headed to the gym," he said grinning. Sara smiled and nodded. "Of course," she answered, "Gotta stay in shape." "For who?" he said smiling, "You're in the best shape o' your career, dollface." Sara looked down at the floor to hide the blush on her cheeks. "I happen to like going to the gym," she said quietly. "Yeah, I know," he said. "How long have you been here?" she asked. "A couple hours. I have a surprise for you," he said. "What is it?" she asked. "Well, if I tell you, it won't be a surprise, will it?" he said with a grin. Sara squeezed his waist and whispered, "I love you, Mark…I didn't mean what I said last night." "Even if you did…I deserved it," Mark said quietly, leading her towards his locker room, "I tossed and turned all night, worrying about you. Did Kevin make sure you were okay?" Sara nodded as her thoughts turned to what had happened between her and Kevin just that morning. "He feels bad that I'm in this situation, too, so he promised to make it as easy as possible," she said quietly. "Good, good," Mark said softly, "I see you got my shirt." Sara smiled and grabbed the hem of the shirt she was wearing. "Yeah…," she said, her cheeks turning red. "I love it when you blush, dollface," he said kissing the top of her head. Sara smiled and shrugged. "It's easy when I'm around you," she commented. They arrived at his locker room, and he opened the door.

"Mommy!" Sara's jaw dropped as Melissa crashed into her legs. "Oh, my God, Melissa!" she said dropping to her knees and wrapping her arms around her daughter. "Hi, mommy," Melissa said hugging Sara's neck tightly, "Daddy said he's taking me and Stacy to England!" Sara looked over to the couch and waved to Stacy. "Hey, you," she said lifting Melissa up onto her hip. "Hey, Sara," Stacy said standing. "So Mark convinced you to come along for the trip, huh?" she asked. "Yes and no. He needed someone to watch over Melissa while he was working, and I wanted to travel, so I asked to come along," Stacy answered. "Well, thank you, Stacy. I really appreciate all you do for us. I don't think I ever tell you that enough," Sara said hugging her with her free arm. "It's not a problem, Sara, really. I'm glad to be able to see what keeps you two so busy," Stacy said with a smile. "Yeah, it's a busy job…but it's worth it," Sara said grinning, "I get to dress up, and beat up sexy guys…yeah, it's a great job." "I hope I'm the only sexy guy you beat up," Mark said rubbing the top of her head. Sara smiled up at him and winked. "Of course not," she answered, "I mean, there's John…and Randy…and Nathan…and D.J….and--." "Okay, okay, I get it already," he said dropping a kiss on her lips. "Oh, mom, dad!" Melissa said squirming to get down. Sara chuckled and let her down. "I gotta get to the gym," she said quietly. "I'll go with you," Mark said. "I'll try and stop by later, okay, munchkin," Sara said looking down at Melissa. "Okay, mommy," Melissa said sitting down beside Stacy and picking up one of her books. Mark opened the door and let Sara out first, shutting the door behind them.

In the gym, Sara sat down on the floor and began to stretch out her legs. "How'd you feel this morning?" she asked. "In pain," he answered honestly, "It took me about 15 minutes to get outta bed." Sara sighed and touched his hands. "How long are you gonna do this, Mark?" she asked quietly. "As long as I can, baby," he answered, "I love this business so much, and I want to give back as much as I can." "Yeah, I know," she said releasing his hands, "I just don't wanna have to watch you kill yourself doin' it." "Don't worry, baby. I'm signing a seven-year contract in August, and after that, I'm done with the in-ring action," he said quietly, "I think that's all I've got left." Sara nodded and leaned to her right, grabbing her foot and pulling back. She repeated the action with her left foot, stretching it out for nearly a minute. As she finished stretching, Kevin walked into the gym area. "Hey, I got our schedule," Kevin said, "Hey, Mark." "Is it different from everyone else's, 'cause I've got the schedule from a couple days ago," Sara said. "Hey, Kevin," Mark spoke. "Yeah, it's different, Sara. We're pretty much gonna be working nonstop for the next month," Kevin said. Sara took the sheet from him and looked it over. The days that were scheduled for houseshows were now special appearances. They had maybe two days off each week maximum. "Jesus Christ," she whispered. "Yeah, that's what I said," Kevin said, "And those appearances are pretty much scattered across the country." Mark reached for the sheet and Sara handed it to him. "Vince's tryin' to kill both of us," she said to Kevin. Kevin shrugged and said, "Not much we can do about it. Those dates are all confirmed."

Sara groaned slightly and ran her fingers through her hair. "You got a rubber band, Mark?" she asked. "Yeah," Mark said pulling the band from his hair. "No, if you need it--." "Don't worry about it, dollface," he said handing it to her. Sara smiled slightly and put her hair up into a ponytail so it wouldn't bother her while she worked out. "What are you doin' first?" Kevin asked. "Cardio. Doesn't look like I'm gonna be wrestling much this month, so I gotta make up for that," she answered with a grin. Kevin and Mark looked at each other, then back at her. "What?" she asked stepping onto a nearby treadmill. "You're comfortable with this whole angle?" Mark asked. "Last night, no…today…can't do much about it, so why bitch," she said setting the time limit for 45 minutes, "Now if you two don't mind, I'd like to get my workout out of the way." Mark and Kevin looked at each other once more, silently agreeing to leave the gym so she could work out in peace. "How long do you think you'll be?" Kevin asked. "Two hours," she answered, "Would you like a minute-by-minute breakdown?" "No…I'll just catch up with you later," Kevin said almost nervously. Sara nodded and began her run, going into a zone and forgetting the other two men. Mark and Kevin merely left the room.

"What was that about?" Kevin asked quietly. "She's pissed about that schedule. She was hoping to get down to Daytona to see her mom, but with only two days off a week, it's gonna be hard," Mark answered, "And she knows Vince knows that…she thinks he's making her put business ahead of her mother." "Shit…I forgot all about that," Kevin said quietly. "Yeah…but like she said, there's no use bitchin' about it," Mark said quietly. "I take it you and I have a match tonight," Kevin said. "Yeah, of course," Mark said grinning. "How'd _you_ feel this morning? I could barely get outta bed," Kevin said with a grin. "Same way," Mark said chuckling, "But it comes with the territory, right?" "Yep," Kevin responded, "You wanna go ahead to the ring?" "Yeah, sure. Might as well give her some space," Mark answered. Kevin nodded, and they walked down the hall throwing out ideas for their match.

Nearly two and a half hours later, Sara finally headed out of the gym. She had pushed her body to the limits, only in an effort to work off some of her anger at Vince. The schedule for a WWF wrestler, especially a popular one, was nearly undoable for a normal human being, but this was just unreasonable. This week, they were going to England and Scotland for an international tour, which meant the next day they would usually have off wouldn't be until next Tuesday. However, Sara and Kevin had a houseshow in Tampa that day, plus special appearances Wednesday and Thursday. They had Saturday and Sunday off before flying to El Paso for RAW. _Fuckin' ridiculous_, Sara thought angrily as she stormed into Kevin's locker room. She grabbed a towel from her duffel bag and went into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. She quickly showered, washing her hair to clean it of the sweat and grime, before stepping out and wrapping her towel around her. _Please don't let Kevin be in there_, she thought taking a deep breath. She opened the bathroom door, and her heart dropped. Kevin was sitting on the couch watching something on the television. Kevin grinned slightly before covering his eyes. "I won't look," he said quietly. Sara couldn't help but grin. She quickly got a pair of panties, a black bra, her skirt from last night, as well as a black vest-like shirt, before dashing back into the bathroom. When Kevin heard the door shut, he grabbed one of the sandwiches off the table. _Yeah, the next two weeks will be hers…but I'll get my prize the last two weeks. So little time, and so much to do_, he thought biting into the sandwich. He figured he'd take Sara down to Daytona the weekend they had off, and then, the fun would begin…for him, at least.

Sara quickly got dressed and came back into the room with Kevin. "You look good," he said with a grin. Sara felt her neck heat up and kept her eyes on the floor. "And I'll just count that as three times," Kevin said smiling. "Oh, hush," she said tossing her workout clothes into her duffel bag. She sat down beside him and grabbed a sandwich, biting into it. "I've been lookin' forward to this since I worked out," she said leaning back against the couch, "What're you watching?" "The match from last night," he answered, "That was a mean chair shot you hit me with." "Yeah…sorry about that," she said quietly, "I was just angry…about the whole situation." "Understandable. Luckily you did it at a point in the match where Mark and I really had nothing planned," Kevin said. "Yeah, that's what I figured," Sara said quietly, looking down at her sandwich. "Vince wants to record something with us for tonight," he said. "When?" she asked. "In an hour," he answered, "We've got two vignettes to record, actually." "I gotta go," she said putting her sandwich on the table. "Where ya goin'?" Kevin asked as she stood. "Janet…she does my hair and make-up for TV," she answered. "You can't do it yourself?" he asked. "Well, yeah…but I always get Janet to do it on Monday's," she said. "Fine," Kevin said, "Just be back in an hour." "Fine," Sara snapped before leaving the room. Kevin rolled his eyes and stared at the television. "Women," he muttered.

Sara headed down to Janet's, her mind confused. _He was being so nice…we were making the best of it_, she thought, _Maybe this isn't gonna be as easy as I thought_. At Janet's, Sara was glad to find the chair empty. "Hey, you," she said sitting down. "Hey, Sara, how're you feelin', hon?" Janet said, "Last night had to be rough for you." Sara sighed heavily and nodded. "Yeah…it was," she whispered, "But no use bitchin' about it. The only thing to do is get through it." "What'd you do after the show?" Janet asked. "Slept," Sara answered grinning. Janet smiled as she applied Sara's foundation. "Do you really have to stay with him for 30 days, Sara?" she asked. Sara let out a deep breath and nodded. "Unfortunately, I do," she answered, "Vince thinks it'll make for better TV." "They couldn't just record that stuff before the shows?" Janet asked. "Apparently not," Sara answered. "I'll never understands what it means to be a performer," Janet commented. "Be glad for that, Jan. It takes a lotta sacrifice…sometimes too much," Sara said quietly. "Yeah, I can only imagine. I mean, I only have to work televised shows, and sometimes _that_ can get hectic," Janet said. "You should ask for an assistant," Sara said grinning. "And risk losing all my loyal customers to some girl too hot for her own good," Janet said with a smile, "I don't think so, hon. I love talkin' with you guys. It makes my day interesting, a lot more interesting than working at home." "Where is home, Janet?" Sara asked. "Good ole' Norfolk, Virginia," Janet answered, "I worked at a department store for about eight years before I applied here. It was time for me to leave that place, ya know." "Yeah. I mean, when I first started working here, it was kinda weird. I mean, I'd pretty much hated wrestling growing up, but then…I met Roddy, and he introduced me to the business side o' things. And all the guys took me under their wings, and helped me grow as a performer. Now…I can't imagine where I'd be without it," Sara said grinning. "Funny how life works out, huh?" Janet commented. "Yeah, it is…I have had my share o' lows, but I've had way too many highs to bring me down…even with the 'line I'm in now," Sara said. "That's what life's all about, girlie, ups and downs. It's a balance, ya know," Janet said. Sara nodded and closed her eyes, allowing Janet to finish her make-up without interruption.

45 minutes later, Sara headed back to Kevin's locker room. She knocked on the door, and it opened moments later. "Jan did a good job," Kevin said quietly. "Yeah…she always does," Sara said walking past him. "Look, Sara…I didn't mean to snap at you earlier. I'm sorry about that," he said as she sat down on the couch. "It's alright, Kevin," Sara said quietly, looking down at her hands, "When's the cameraman gonna be here?" "In about 15 minutes," he answered shutting the door. "So what's the piece gonna be?" she asked. "Basically me walking in with the World title, and bragging about the win. You're gonna be sitting there upset, of course. I'll drop the World title on the couch, and sit down beside you. You get up and try and walk out, but I'm gonna grab you and pull you into my lap, and just start whispering in your ear about the next 30 days," he answered. "So I've got 15 minutes to come up with some tears, huh?" Sara asked quietly. Kevin sighed heavily and shrugged. "You don't have to. Vince just wants you to look depressed and angry at the same time," he answered. Sara nodded and asked, "Could I get the next 15 minutes alone?" "Sure, baby girl," Kevin answered grabbing the World title from his duffel bag, then leaving the room. Sara sighed heavily and went into the bathroom, grabbed a few sheets of toilet paper, and came back into the room. She set the tape in the VCR to the point where she Kevin powerbombed Mark the night before, and then sat down on the couch, tears welling up in her eyes at the memory. _Goddamn you, Mark_, she thought, _Goddamn you both_.

A knock on the door signaled that Kevin was about to enter. Sara began to play the tape, and the tears came freely down her face. The door burst open, and Sara sniffled slightly. "Ah, how good it feels to be king!" Kevin exclaimed. He stared at the television, a smile on his face. "That was a good moment, wasn't it, Angel?" he asked. Sara stared at him, pure hatred in her brown eyes. "Yes, to be the World champion…," Kevin said looking down at the title, "But that's not what I really wanted, of course." He set the belt on the table, and slowly sat down beside Sara, putting his arm around her. "Yeah, that's not what I wanted," he said taking a lock of her hair in his hands, "I wanted you, Angel…and I got you…for the next 30 days." Sara turned her head away, but Kevin put his hand on her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Don't cry, baby. It's gonna be the best thirty days o' your life, I can promise you that," he said leaning towards her. Sara slapped him and stood, heading for the door. Kevin grabbed her wrist and pulled her down onto his lap. "Watch, baby girl, watch," he said pointing to the screen. Sara watched Earl count to three, and more tears poured down her cheeks. "I earned you, darlin', fair and square. And you can believe…I'm gonna take full advantage of that stipulation," he said nuzzling her cheek. Sara shuddered as a chill went down her spine. "Let me go," she hissed. "Why? I've got you for a full month, baby. And no matter how much you're gonna wanna go back to the Deadman…I'm not lettin' you outta my sights," he said grinning, "I promise." "And cut," the cameraman said, "Excellent work, you two. Vince is gonna be real happy with that." Sara stood and went into the bathroom. Kevin sighed and looked up at the cameraman. "Right," he said leaving the room. Kevin watched the tape, his heart clenching at the sight of Sara's tears. They were real…they were very real. She didn't want to do this storyline, and her face said that.

Sara came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, her make-up redone, and her hair sleeked down. "You okay?" he asked. Sara nodded and sat down beside him. Her phone rang, and she grabbed it from her bag. The caller ID read Dr. Johnson's name. "No…," she whispered. "Who is it?" Kevin asked. "My mom's doctor," she said softly. "You want me to answer it?" he asked. Sara shook her head and took a deep breath before answering it. "Hello?" she answered. "Hi, Sara," Erika said. "What's wrong?" Sara asked. "Nothing. I just wanted to let you know your mom's goin' home today," Erika answered. Sara let out a huge breath, and she whispered, "Thank God." "Thought that might make your day a little better. She was up and walking around this morning, and she held down her lunch, so I gave her a release to go home. She's on bed-rest, but she's okay to be at home," Erika said. Sara smiled and nodded. "Thanks…thanks a lot, Dr. Johnson," she said smiling. "No problem. Bye, Sara," Erika said. Sara said the same and clicked her phone shut, dropping it in her bag. "Good news?" Kevin asked. Sara looked up at him and hugged him tightly. "What's that for?" he asked. "My mom's goin' home!" she exclaimed standing and running out of the room. _She needed that kinda news_, he thought with a grin.

Sara ran down to Mark's locker room, bursting into the room. Mark stood and asked, "What's wrong?" Sara jumped into his arms and kissed his cheek over and over. "What? What?" he asked. "Mom's going home," she said smiling. "Really? How'd you find out?" he asked smiling. "Dr. Johnson just called. At first I thought it…anyway, she said mom's okay to go home," she said hugging his neck tightly. "Good, dollface, that's real good," he said quietly. "Where's Melissa?" she asked as he set her down. "Stacy took her to get some lunch," he answered. "She's not in the ring?" Sara asked with raised eyebrows. "No, dollface, she's not in the ring. I think the guys happen to like their balls right where they are," he said grinning. Sara smiled and slapped his shoulder. "I didn't threaten 'em that bad," she said. "Yeah, right, according to who," he said grinning. "Any other wrestler on this show," she said smiling. "It's good to see you smiling," he said tapping her nose. "You should've seen me a few minutes ago," she said softly. "Why? Did Kevin say something to you?" he asked tensely. "No, no, stop worrying. We had to do this vignette for the show tonight, and it required some crying," she answered, "It wasn't too hard…"

Mark looked down and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Sara," he whispered. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. "Hey…we can make it through anything, right?" she said quietly. Mark nodded and kissed her forehead. "Always and forever, dollface," he said softly, "Stacy told me Melissa has a stage name." Sara looked up at him, her eyebrows raised. "And what might that be?" she asked. "Mystique," he answered. Sara chuckled softly and shook her head. "I think we'll just get a ring put in the back yard. That way, she can get this outta her system while she's young," she said smiling. Mark grinned and asked, "Is that for her, or you?" "What does that mean?" she asked. "When you retire, you're still gonna have an urge to get in the ring. With one in the backyard, you can avoid the hassle of travel, and you can stop when you want, instead of worrying about finishing a whole match," he said smiling innocently. Sara chuckled and said, "We're not really getting a ring in the yard, Mark." "I know, baby," he said quietly. Sara placed her head on his chest again, relaxing in his arms. "I missed you last night, dollface," he said softly. "I missed you, too, Mark," she whispered. Mark squeezed her a little bit tighter, not wanting to let her go. "You wanna go eat lunch?" he asked. "Yeah…I haven't eaten since this morning, so I'm starving," she answered. Mark nodded and opened the door, letting Sara out first and shutting the door behind them.

Sara saw Stacy and Melissa sitting with Shawn, and smiled. "She's so comfortable with these guys," she said quietly. "Which one?" he asked as they fixed plates of food. Sara chuckled and looked over at Stacy. "Stacy," she answered, "Melissa's been around these guys all her life, so of course she's comfortable. Stacy's been here all of four hours, and she's just as comfy as she can be." Mark looked over his shoulder and grinned. "Yeah…she was really excited about coming on the road," he said quietly. "I think she likes it here," Sara said softly. "Yeah," Mark said as they went over to Shawn. "Hey, you two," Shawn spoke. Sara sat down beside Melissa and rubbed her head. "Havin' fun?" she asked. "Yep!" Melissa said smiling. Sara smiled and kissed the side of her head. "How are you, Shawn?" she asked. "I'm doin' good, hon. Tracy's pregnant again," he said proudly. "Wow, congrats!" Sara said smiling. "Yeah, I'm happy," he said smiling. "I can tell," Mark said, "Congratulations, man." "Thanks, Mark," Shawn said. "So you're hopin' on a January baby, huh?" Sara asked. "Yeah, that's what the doctor said," he answered. "Well, it's gonna be an interesting nine months for you, then," she said smiling. Shawn smiled even more and nodded. "You're gonna have another friend to play with, Melissa," Sara said looking down at her daughter. "I can't play with a baby. It can't do anything!" she said looking up at Sara. "There's plenty they can do," Shawn said. "Like what?" Melissa asked him. Sara looked at Shawn, a grin on her face. "Yeah, Shawn, what can they do?" she asked. Shawn stuttered and looked down at his plate. "Told ya so," Melissa said. "She's her mother's daughter," Stacy said with a smile. "Yeah, she is," Mark said grinning at Sara. "Oh, shut up," she said smiling at him.

Lunch continued over the next half an hour, before Shawn finally left the table. "He's a good father," Mark said grinning. "Yeah, he's such a little kid, so he makes the perfect dad," Sara said. "Exactly," Mark commented. "Daddy can be a little kid, too," Melissa said sticking up for her father. "Yeah, he can," Stacy said grinning. "Hush, both of you. You're giving away my secrets," he said smiling. "Oh, do tell," Sara said with a smile, "We're not supposed to have any secrets." "Mark does the best elephant impression," Stacy said grinning at him. Mark's neck reddened and Sara elbowed his arm. "Come on, do it," she goaded. "No way, no how," he answered. Sara laughed and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her belly. "Catering always does a good job of makin' sure we're full," she said sighing. "Yeah, they do," Mark said, "You wanna go sit up in the balcony?" Sara nodded and stood. "Stacy, will you take Melissa back to our locker room?" Mark asked standing. "Sure thing," she answered. Sara dumped her trash and left the room, Mark close on her heels. When they reached their destination, Sara plopped down. Mark sat down beside her, and she leaned against his body, grinning when his arm came over her shoulders. "How do you feel?" he asked softly. "Don't really know," she answered quietly, "I mean…this angle sucks. I'm gonna say that every day for the next month, until I'm back with you. But the fact that my mom's home now…I'm a little less stressed." "Kevin told me he's gonna take you down to Daytona on your first weekend off," he said quietly. "Good…," she said softly. "I think I'll take Melissa down there, too, just so she can see her Nana's okay," he said rubbing her shoulder.

"How's Marley?" she asked. "A little bundle o' energy. He and Melissa were made for each other, I think. He's just as mischievous as she is," he said grinning slightly, "They went outside and played together for about three hours. And when Melissa finally came in, she was covered up to her waist in mud." "Oh, my goodness. How long did it take to get her cleaned up?" Sara said smiling. "About a half an hour. That mud was caked on pretty thick," he answered, "I told her if she came in like that again, I'd spray her down with the garden hose." Sara chuckled softly and said, "I bet you would, too." "Yeah, but she'd love every second of it," he said grinning. "Of course. Ya know what my worst fear was while I was pregnant with her?" she said quietly. "What's that, dollface?" he asked running his fingers through her hair. "That I was gonna have a prissy, spoiled brat as my first child," she answered. Mark chuckled deeply and sighed happily. "With parents like us, there's no way she'd end up prissy. And we wouldn't spoil her, just make sure she had everything she needed, and some of the things she wanted," he said. Sara looked up at him with a smile. "I love you," she whispered. Mark leaned down and kissed her softly. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered back.

Sara leaned against him even more, and stared out at the empty arena. "It's gonna be weird to leave all this," she whispered, "Seven months seems like so far from now…but I know that soon, it's gonna be right around the corner." "Who would you like to wrestle for the World title?" Mark asked. "I don't know if Vince is gonna give me that opportunity, Mark," she said quietly. "Regardless…who's your dream opponent?" he asked. "Shawn," she whispered. "Why him?" he asked. "It'd be poetic justice…I'd beat the man who put me out for nearly a year," she answered softly. "You think you could put on a great match with him?" he asked. "Of course. He's not that much bigger than me, height-wise…weight-wise, it doesn't really matter. They all fall down the same. I think we could make it a great technical match," she answered. _I'll have to talk to Vince about that…I think Shawn's in the running to be World champion soon anyway_, Mark thought. Sara looked up at Mark, smiling when she saw his thoughtful expression. "You okay?" she asked. Mark looked down at her and nodded. "Just trying to imagine you in the ring with Shawn," he answered. Sara smiled and shrugged. "Just a thought. It depends on who Vince thinks I could have a good match with, too, ya know," she said. "Come on, let's go on to the back," Mark said standing. "What time is it?" she asked. "Goin' on 6:30," he answered. "The day's gone by fast," she said standing and stretching her arms. "Well, when you work out for nearly three hours, of course it would," he said smiling down at her. Sara smiled and shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a gym rat," she said. Mark shook his head and led the way to the back.

Once there, Mark stopped in the middle of the hallway. "What?" Sara asked looking up at him. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay with Kevin?" Mark asked. "Yeah, baby. It's Kevin…I'm not worried about him," she answered honestly, "And no matter how hard things may get, I know you'll always be right here." She put her hand over her heart and smiled. Mark winked at her and said, "Okay, dollface." Sara linked her fingers with his, and they walked down the hall side by side. When they got to Kevin's locker room, Sara took a deep breath. Mark leaned down and kissed her softly. "Right here," he whispered putting his hand over her heart. Sara nodded and swallowed. "Go on, get outta here," she whispered. Mark smiled slightly and kissed her forehead, then walked away. Sara let out a slow breath and entered the locker room. Kevin was still on the couch, this time reading over a sheet of paper. "You're back…finally," he said. Sara let out a calm breath and said, "I was eating with my husband and daughter." "Yeah, well, I really needed to talk to you about tonight," Kevin said. "I go out, I stand at ringside, I help Mark win…blah, blah, blah," she said crossing her arms. "No, it's not 'blah, blah, blah'. Just because you don't wanna be in this angle doesn't mean you can half-ass shit, Sara," Kevin said sternly. "I wasn't half-assing anything! If you needed to talk to me, you could've told me before I left," she snapped. "Well, you ran outta here so fast, I didn't get a chance to stop you," he snapped back. "Excuse me for wanting to pass on some good news to the man I love!" she screamed. "It could've waited," Kevin said simply.

Sara's jaw dropped and she reached back to slap him. Kevin caught her wrist and smirked. "Didn't I tell you about that last night?" he growled. Sara tried to pull her hand away, but Kevin tightened his grip. "I'll play nice, darlin'…but only if you do," he said leaning close down to her. Sara looked down at the floor, not wanting to see how Kevin was looking at her. "Yeah…that's what I thought," he said quietly, releasing her hand, "Now have a seat." Sara swallowed and slowly sat down on the couch, sitting on her hands. "Now, you don't help Mark win…as much as you'd like that," he said with a grin, sitting down beside her and grabbing the sheet from the table. "Just what exactly am I doing, then?" she asked quietly. "You're gonna help me win," he said smiling, "You're gonna accidentally trip Mark, distracting him. When he turns around, I hit him with the jackknife." Sara's stomach turned and she closed her eyes. "Fine," she whispered. "And we've still gotta record a scene of me pulling into the arena," he said glancing down at the sheet. "What do I have to do?" she whispered. "Just sit there and look pitiful," he answered. Sara stared at him; this wasn't the Kevin she'd gotten to know. This man was a careless monster. "What's that look for?" he asked. Sara looked away and shook her head. "Obviously there's somethin' wrong, now what is it?" he asked. Sara looked back up at him, sadness written all over her face. "What happened to you, Kevin?" she whispered. "What do you mean? I'm no different than I was in the past," he answered. "No…you're very different," she said quietly, "You're an asshole." Kevin sneered and grabbed her jaw, squeezing slightly. "Didn't I tell you to play nice?" he growled. Sara tried to pull away, but Kevin kept his grip. "Let me go," she whispered. "What's the magic word?" he asked. "I will not beg," she snapped. "You say that now, baby girl...but you know somethin'? I broke you down when we were in that group…don't think I won't do it again," he said softly, malice in his voice. Tears came to Sara's eyes and she looked away. He was right; before her training with Kevin, she had been a free spirit, not allowing anybody to control her, or make her feel controlled. Afterwards, though, she had lost some of the fire she'd had as a young adult. Kevin sighed and released her, watching her go into the bathroom. The door slammed shut, and Kevin flinched slightly. He stretched out on the couch and put his right arm over his eyes, dozing off for a quick nap.

Sara sat on the bathroom floor, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She would not allow Kevin to make her cry, and so she closed her eyes and zoned out, thinking of her family, and how she longed to be with them. A single tear made its way down her cheek, and Sara quickly wiped it away. "Don't let him break you, Sara…you're stronger than he could ever be," she whispered. A knock on the door nearly 20 minutes later brought Sara out of her daydream. "Baby girl?" Kevin asked through the door. "Yeah?" she asked quietly. "We gotta go shoot that thing for Vince now," he said. Sara slowly stood and brushed herself off before opening the door. Kevin had the World title in one hand and his duffel bag in the other, and he looked a little tired. "Are you okay?" he asked. "I'm fine," she whispered. Kevin tilted her chin up, and his eyes met hers. They looked more blank than anything, as though she was trying not to focus on her present situation. "Come on," he whispered. Sara nodded and followed him out of the room. There was a cameraman waiting for them by the back door.

"Hey, Kevin," he spoke, "Angel." "Hey, Gary. What do you need us to do?" Kevin answered. "Vince wants a shot of you pulling up in a limo – he rented one – and you'll get out. And then you'll kinda pull Angel out, but he wants her to struggle. Once you get her out, tell her to grab your bag from the trunk. She'll object, but you'll force her to do it anyway," Gary answered. "How long do we have?" Sara asked. "Well, Vince wanted it about an hour ago, so we gotta get it in one shot," Gary said. Sara sighed and let out a deep breath. Kevin went over to the limo with Gary as the man explained to him the direction the limousine was going to pull into the parking lot. Sara walked behind them and squeezed her hands together. _He's gonna enjoy this_, she thought angrily. "Alright, Angel, you ready?" Gary asked her. She nodded and took a deep breath. "Let's do this," she whispered. Kevin opened the limousine door and Sara climbed in, scooting over to the far side. Kevin climbed in and shut the door. Sara looked down at her hands, avoiding eye contact with him as much as possible. "I'm just gonna try to pull you out of the limo, okay? Fight me as much as you can," Kevin said quietly. _Shouldn't be too hard_, she thought. She felt the limo pull away and looked out the window, bringing her mindset to fight a man she'd once considered a good friend.

The limo stopped moments later, and Kevin put the World title over his left shoulder. The door opened and he stepped out. "Thanks, buddy," he said to the limo driver, "Come on, Angel." Sara stayed in her spot, her anger boiling. Kevin leaned down and stared at Sara, a grin on his face. "What is it, baby? Don't wanna come out?" he asked. He reached for her and Sara tried to scoot away. "Now, now, none o' that," Kevin said grabbing her wrist. Sara slapped him with her free hand and tried like hell to pull away from him. "Come on!" Kevin growled as Sara struggled. "No, let me go!" she screamed. Kevin groaned as she punched at his upper body. "Dammit!" he said when her hand hit the side of his head. He grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked. Sara screamed as he pulled her from the limousine. Kevin slammed the door shut as she leaned against the vehicle. "I don't know why you're struggling, Angel. There's nothin' you can do to get away from me," he said setting the title back on his shoulder. "Screw you, Kevin," she snapped. "Why don't you be a good little girl and grab my bag," he said heading for the back door. "I'm not your maid," she hissed. Kevin looked over his shoulder, grinning when he saw that she was standing with her arms crossed. He came back over to her and touched her cheek. Sara pushed his hand away and sneered. "For the next 30 days, darlin'…you're whatever I want you to be. I earned you fair and square, just like I earned this title. Yeah, you tried your best to make sure the Deadman walked out still champ…but you failed. Not only did I get the gold…I got the prize dog," he said caressing her bare arm, "Now get the bag, bitch." Sara narrowed her eyes and went around to the back of the limo, pulling the black bag out of the trunk. "Good girl," Kevin said as she walked by him. "Jerk," she hissed. Kevin grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her back. "Watch it, Angel…I'm not as nice as your Deadman," he growled before shoving her away. Sara shuddered and followed him towards the back door. They entered the building, and Sara dropped the bag from her shoulder. Gary came through a few moments later with the camera in hand. "Excellent work, you two. Vince is gonna be real happy with that," he said. "Thanks, Gary," Kevin said. "Yeah…thanks," Sara said quietly. Gary nodded and walked away from them. "You wanna go see Melissa before the show?" Kevin asked her. She nodded slightly and he reached for the bag. "Go on, baby girl," he said softly. Sara walked away, her head lowered, and Kevin let out a deep breath. This wasn't going as well as he'd planned. He went down to his locker room to get more of a nap in before the show.

Sara quickly went down to Mark's locker room, knocking on the door before entering. Stacy was sitting with Melissa on her lap, and Mark was nowhere to be found. "Where's Mark?" she asked. "He went to grab somethin' to eat for Melissa," Stacy answered. Sara sat down in one of small chairs and opened her arms to Melissa. Melissa smiled and came over to her. "How ya doin', munchkin?" she asked softly. "Good, mama. Daddy said I might get to travel with him the whole month," Melissa said smiling. "Oh, really?" Sara asked. Melissa nodded and said, "I have a ring name, too!" "Yeah, your dad told me. How'd you come up with that one?" Sara said grinning. Melissa shrugged and leaned against her mother's body. "It was my word of the week," she said. "I like it, darlin'," Sara said resting her chin on top of Melissa's head. Mark entered the room a few minutes later with a plate and bottle of water in hand. "Hey, dollface," he said setting the plate down on the small table, "Here ya go, munchkin." Sara released Melissa, and watched as she sat down at the table.

"Stacy, can you leave the room real quick?" Sara asked suddenly. "Yeah, sure," Stacy answered standing. Mark stared at Sara as the door shut. "What's wrong?" he asked. "What's she doing here, Mark?" Sara asked quietly. "Who, Melissa?" he asked. "No…Stacy," she said. "She's just taking care of Melissa, Sara. I can't watch her, so Stacy came along. That's what we pay her for, right?" he said. "And she can't do that at home?" Sara asked standing. "I wanted Melissa to come with me, so she could at least see one of her parents," Mark answered. "Well, it's your fault we're in this situation in the first place," she said heatedly. "Sara…," Mark said. "No, it is your fault. I directly told Vince I didn't wanna do this. The only other person he'd talk to is you. What I wanna know is what you get outta this," she said crossing her arms. "Not a damn thing, Sara," he said. "So why--." "You're gonna be World champ, baby," he said quietly. "What? Vince said he wasn't gonna do that," Sara said. "That's the only reason I agreed to it…I told him to make you World champ," he said quietly. "30 days for 30 days, huh?" she asked quietly. "No…30 days for three months," he said coming over to her. "What?" she whispered. "You're gonna be the World champion, Sara…for three whole months," he said touching her cheek. "And Vince…agreed to this?" she asked. "Yeah. Otherwise, he wouldn't have one of the biggest storylines in the company right now," he answered. "You did this…so that I…could be World champ?" she asked with tears in her eyes. "Sara…I want you to achieve everything that you can in this business…and if that means being away from you for a month, then so be it. Besides, we work together, so it's not like you're completely gone from my life," he said quietly.

Sara couldn't help but smile at that point. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed tightly. "I love you so much," she whispered. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered squeezing her as well. "Oh, my god, World champion…that's crazy," she whispered. Mark pulled away and kissed her forehead. "If anybody deserves it around here, you do, dollface," he said softly, "I don't know exactly when you'll win it, but it'll be before the summer's over." Sara smiled and kissed him hard. "You are an amazing man, Mark Callaway…complex, stubborn…sneaky…but amazing nonetheless," she whispered. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered. "I'm gonna go ahead back to Kevin's locker room, okay? Just so ya know, we had a couple skits we recorded, and they're, uh…pretty intense," she said as he set her down. "Will I have to do bodily harm to Kevin?" Mark asked grinning. "No…but kick his ass tonight, just so he'll know who he's messin' with," she said smiling. "Not a problem, sweetheart," he said kissing her once more. "Alright, I gotta go," she said pulling away from him. Mark watched as she hugged Melissa, a smile on his face. "I love you, munchkin. Take care o' daddy while I'm gone, okay?" Sara said in Melissa's ear. Melissa nodded and Sara kissed her temple. "Bye, baby," she said softly. "Bye, mama," Melissa said, her focus still on her food. Sara smiled and waved good-bye to Mark before leaving the room. She now felt a little bit better about her situation, knowing that she would reap the benefits of a sacrifice she'd made, even if it was unwillingly.


	82. Tension

**Chapter 81…Tension**

The next two weeks seemed to fly by for Sara. The news that she was going to be awarded the World championship had put a bounce in her step, and helped her get through the fact that she was away from the two people she loved the most. Kevin always got two adjoining hotel rooms, so that she wouldn't have to sleep in the same room (more so the same bed) with him. The weekend after their international trip to England and Scotland, he'd taken her to visit her mother. Lucy unwillingly allowed Kevin into her house. "If he can't come in, mom, then I can't, either. I'm kinda stuck with him," Sara had told her. Sara was able to give Nicky the weekend off, and take care of her mother. It had felt good for Sara to be able to spend time with her mother, and she was grateful to Kevin for giving up two days of his life to allow her to do so. When they pulled into the Haskins Center parking lot in El Paso, Texas, Kevin nudged Sara awake. "Baby girl, we're here," he said quietly. Sara had fallen asleep when they'd left the airport; the weekend trip to her mother's had taken a lot out of her. "Okay," she whispered stretching her arms. Her shirt came up slightly and showed off her sculpted stomach. Kevin glanced down and felt his groin tighten.

"You okay?" Sara asked quietly, yawning slightly. Kevin nodded and quickly parked. "Hey, I just wanted to let you know, me and some friends are havin' a party when we go home Friday," he said. "Alright. How many people?" Sara asked. She had been cooking dinner for Kevin for a little over a week; it was just something she wanted to do, but something that Kevin was going to have her do anyway. "About 15," he answered. "Anyone I know?" she asked with a grin. Kevin chuckled and shook his head. "One of my friends from another company is getting married, so we've decided to throw him a bachelor's party," he answered. Sara rolled her eyes playfully and said, "I'm guessing there's gonna be naked women around." _Only one, baby girl_, he thought with a grin. "Yeah, that's what I figured," she said when she saw the grin on his face. "Don't worry, baby girl. It's not gonna be a big deal," he said just to comfort her. Sara climbed out of the car and stretched her arms again, yawning slightly. Kevin grabbed their bags from the trunk, and handed Sara her own. "Come on, baby girl, only two more weeks left," he said putting his arm around her shoulders. Sara looked up at him and grinned. "Thank you, Kevin," she said as they headed inside. "For what, baby girl?" he asked. "The past two weeks, everything you've done to help me through it. I really appreciate it," she answered. "Not a problem, baby girl," he said softly.

"Are you ever gonna stop calling me that?" she asked. "Of course not," he said smiling at her, "I got somethin' for you for tonight, too, an outfit." "Really? And I guess I don't have a choice but to wear it, right?" she asked quietly. Kevin merely shook his head. "No, not really," he said quietly. Sara sighed and shrugged Kevin's arm off of her shoulders, walking ahead of him. "What are you doin'?" he asked grabbing her arm gently. "I hate it when you do that," she whispered. "Do what?" he asked. "Put me in situations where I don't have a choice but to do what I'm told," she said softly. "It's the--." "Yeah, I know…it's the fucking stipulation. I didn't think you'd take it so seriously," she whispered. "Everybody takes advantage of something at one point in their life, Sara," he said quietly. Sara pulled away from him, and Kevin decided to let her walk away. They were headed to the same place anyway. When Sara got to Kevin's locker room, she dropped her duffel bag and plopped down on the couch. _Please let the next two weeks go by just as fast as the first two_, she thought sadly. The door opened and she looked up at Kevin. "Now that you've got that outta your system, go try on this outfit," he said pulling a plastic bag out of his own duffel bag. Sara stood and took it from, going into the bathroom with her head lowered. Kevin stretched out on the couch and grabbed a celery stick from the platter on the table in front of him. He munched on a few of them while he waited for Sara to come out of the bathroom.

"You're out of your mind, Kevin," Sara said a few minutes later. "What?" he asked. "I'm not wearing this to the ring," she said through the bathroom door. "Come on out here," he said simply. "No," she responded. "Sara…," he said sternly. The bathroom door opened a few moments later, and Sara stepped out. The outfit was probably illegal in the continental United States. The upper part was a black bra a couple sizes too small, with red rhinestones covering the satin material. The skirt barely covered her private parts. It was the same material as the bra, and had little slits at the hem all around the skirt. "I look like a whore," Sara whispered breathlessly. "No, you don't. You look beautiful," Kevin said coming over to her. He grabbed her hand and turned her around, admiring the outfit he'd had personally ordered a week ago. "There's a choker to go with it," he said plainly, "And some shoes." "That's not a choker, it's a collar…and those shoes are impossible to walk in," she said quietly, her bottom lip trembling. "You'll figure out somethin'," he said quietly, "And don't worry about the…collar…it'll work out fine."

Sara took a deep breath and looked away. "Go get changed so you can get your workout out of the way," he said releasing her hand. Sara went into the bathroom and shut the door quietly. He sat down on the couch and waited for Sara to come back out. He rotated his neck a few times, groaning slightly. He was going to have to get Sara to give him a massage at the end of the night. She could do miracles with her hands, as he'd come to find out over the international tour in England. Sara quickly changed back into her sweatpants and t-shirt, placing the outfit back in the plastic bag. She slipped on her tennis shoes and sniffled slightly. A few tears had escaped from her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. She went back into the room and found Kevin rubbing his neck. "Are you okay?" she asked somewhat instinctively. "My neck's a little sore from last night," he answered. Sara slowly came over to him and motioned for him to sit on the floor. "Later tonight, after the show," he said standing, "I'll need it more then." Sara let out a deep breath and nodded. Kevin opened the door and let her out first before following, letting the door shut on its own.

A few hours later, Sara and Kevin made their way back to his locker room. "You hungry?" Kevin asked as she grabbed a clean towel from her bag. "Yeah," she said quietly, "I can munch from the platter, though." "No, you need a meal. Go ahead and take a shower, and we'll go down to catering," he said. "Should I put on that…outfit…now?" she asked. "No. We'll have lunch, and you'll go to Janet, and then you'll come back here," he answered. Sara nodded and went into the bathroom. She quickly showered, washing her hair only once, before stepping out and slipping on a pair of shorts, a sports bra, and a t-shirt, and leaving the bathroom. Kevin was watching his match from last week's RAW, versus a random new wrestler. What was interesting was the focus he'd placed on Sara. For that show, she'd been wearing a pair of tight leather pants, with "Nash's Girl" in block letters on each leg, and a black leather vest with "I Love Kevin Nash" on the back in the same type lettering. He'd made her sit in a steel chair at the top of the ramp, where everyone could easily see her. Sara stared at the screen, before letting out a slow breath. When she'd gotten to the back after that match, she'd felt like knocking Kevin right on his arrogant ass. Now…she felt a little more violent. However, she knew she couldn't act on that urge. "You ready?" Kevin asked. "Yeah," she said slipping on her tennis shoes as Kevin stood. She followed him from the room, and they headed straight for catering. Sara went through the doors and smiled slightly. Mark was sitting with Andy and Lisa, and she went to move towards their table. "Uh-uh," Kevin said quietly, grabbing her arm, "Food." Sara sighed heavily and went over to the table. She grabbed a small plate of salad and a bottle of water, and Kevin took her to a far table. Mark watched, and his jaw clenched tightly.

"Mark?" Andy said quietly. "Yeah," Mark said quietly. "You okay?" Andy asked. "No…this 'line is gettin' a little outta hand," Mark said looking at Sara. Her head was lowered, and she was pushing around the food on her plate. He could feel her sadness, even from across the room. "What do you mean?" Andy asked. "Sara was heading over here, and Kevin grabbed her arm, and pulled her back," Mark said tensely, "She doesn't deserve to be treated like that…even by me." Andy sighed and looked over at Sara. "She looks tired," he said quietly. "She went and took care of her mom this weekend," Mark said quietly. "Oh," Andy said. Sara looked over at Mark and grinned slightly. He motioned for her to come over, but she didn't move. She only shook her head slightly. He motioned again, and she shook her head again. "What are you doin'?" Kevin asked Sara. "Nothing," she whispered looking down at her plate. "I hope you're not thinkin' of goin' over there," he said sipping on his water. "It's my husband," she whispered. "I don't care. We've got stuff to do, so you need to go ahead and eat," he said matter-of-factly. "I know, Kevin," she whispered. "So eat," he said. Kevin saw Mark head over to the table and sat up in his chair.

"Kevin," Mark said politely. "Hey, Mark," Kevin spoke. "Hi, dollface," Mark said to Sara. "Hey," she said grinning slightly. "Can I talk to you?" he asked. "I've gotta eat, Mark. I'm starving," she said. "It won't take long," he said smiling slightly. Sara glanced at Kevin, and saw the silent command in his eyes, telling her not to move one inch. Mark saw the exchange and grabbed Sara's right arm, pulling her away from the table. "Come on, dollface," he said quietly, picking up her plate and bottle of water. She followed behind him, fear and elation going through her body. She was so glad that Mark had taken her away, but she knew Kevin wouldn't be happy once they got back to his locker room. Mark set her food on his table, and pulled out a chair for her. "Have a seat, baby," he said quietly. She slowly sat down and picked up her fork. "How's mom?" he asked softly. "Tired, of course. It takes so much out of her just to do the simple things," she answered. "But she's not down about it, is she?" he asked softly. Sara shook her head and looked at him. "I miss you," she whispered. "I miss you, too, dollface. How's things goin'?" he said quietly. "Okay," she answered. "Not from what I saw," he said. "What?" she said softly. "Baby doll, don't lie. We saw it, too, even from over here. What's he doin' to you?" Andy said. "Nothin', Andy. We're just really busy. You saw our schedule, Mark," Sara said looking down at her plate. "That doesn't excuse him treating like a piece o' property," Lisa said, "You don't even let Mark treat you like that." "It's not that, guys, really," she said, "Like you said, I don't let Mark treat me like that, so why am--." "But you did," Mark said quietly, "Now what's he done to you that I should know about?" Sara looked at him and saw the concern and anger in his eyes. "Not being overprotective, are we?" she asked with a grin. "When it comes to you, there's no such thing," he answered, "Now stop avoiding the question." She looked away and shrugged. "I told you, he's not doing anything, Mark," she said quietly. Mark sighed and touched her thigh gently. "Alright, dollface. But as your husband, I have the right to protect you," he said in her ear. She nodded slightly and focused on her food.

Lunch lasted for twenty minutes, before Sara finally had to leave. Mark and she said good-bye to Andy and Lisa before leaving the room; Kevin had left ten minutes beforehand. "You wanna go up to the balcony?" Mark asked. Sara so badly wanted to agree, but she knew if she did, she wouldn't get back to Kevin's locker room for at least a half an hour, and that would piss him off even more. "You don't really have a choice, dollface," Mark said grinning. She grinned up at him and whispered, "Thank you." Mark nodded and linked his fingers with hers, leading her to their place of solace. Upon arrival, Sara sat down and put her feet up on the seat in front of her. "I miss this place. I haven't had the chance to sit up here in about two weeks," she said quietly. "Well, I'm sure it misses you, too," Mark said smiling. Sara smiled and linked her fingers with his. Mark gently kissed her ring finger and caressed it softly. "So what's goin' on?" he asked quietly. "With what?" she asked. "Everything…mom, your schedule…Kevin," he answered. "We talked about mom at lunch, darlin', remember? Don't tell me you're suffering from short-term memory loss," she said grinning. Mark chuckled slightly and shook his head. "Okay, your schedule," he said quietly, "I barely see you." "Well, after we got to Scotland on that tour, Kevin and I had so many appearances back-to-back. I'm surprised I even managed to sleep either of those nights. And last week, we had appearances all day Wednesday and Thursday. It was nuts, Mark. I mean, I know we do a lot as wrestlers, but jeez…Vince is trying to get as much out of me as he can in the shortest time period possible," she said quietly. "I'm sorry, dollface," he whispered. "It's okay, Mark. Only two more weeks," she whispered. "Yeah, but it's gonna be hell on earth for me," he said quietly, "I can't tell you how much I miss you. And Melissa does, too. She's always asking me when's mommy coming home. And I don't have the guts to tell her it's my fault you're not there."

Sara looked up at him and sighed. "I miss her, too," she whispered, "Are you gonna let her travel with you anymore this month?" "No…she likes visiting every now and then, but I didn't want her on the road for a straight month. As mature as she is, she still doesn't understand why we do what we do," he answered. Sara nodded and shrugged. "I don't think _we_ understand why we do what we do," she said softly. Mark smiled and kissed her softly. Sara put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. She missed the way he kissed her; she missed everything about him. "I love you so much," she whispered resting her forehead against his. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered rubbing his nose against hers. Sara smiled and let out a satisfied sigh. "What?" Mark asked. "I needed this," she said quietly. "Needed what?" he asked. "To spend this time with you, to get away from Kevin…this job isn't as fun around him," she said softly. "Well, you know you can come to me anytime. You're stuck with me, dollface," he said quietly. Sara smiled and kissed him gently, biting gently on his bottom lip. "That's one thing that makes my day better," she whispered. "I'm serious, dollface. Don't let him ever tell you that you can't come spend time with me, whether it's for 10 minutes or two hours," he said quietly, looking into her eyes, "This angle doesn't change the fact that we're married, despite what Kevin seems to think." "I know, Mark," she said softly. Mark caressed her cheeks with his thumbs and kissed her forehead. "Come on, let's get on to the back," he said standing. Sara placed her hand in his and followed him downstairs.

"What do you have to do for the rest of the day?" Mark asked on their way back. "Hair and make-up, and then mental preparation," she answered, "It takes a lot longer to get myself ready when I'm with Kevin." "Why's that?" he asked quietly. "Just because…with me and you, the chemistry is naturally there. I don't know if it's because we're married, or because we've been together so long, or what have you. But with Kevin…I really have to concentrate on getting into character and staying there," she answered. Mark nodded and said, "Well, I guess I should feel special, then, huh?" Sara smiled and squeezed his hand. "Maybe," she said quietly. Mark smiled slightly and squeezed her hand in return. When they got to Kevin's locker room, Sara hugged Mark tightly. "I'll try and call you this week, okay?" she said softly. Mark nodded and squeezed her as well. "I don't wanna let you go, dollface," he whispered. "You have to," she whispered. "Why?" he asked. "Because…we both have work to do," she answered. Mark let out a heavy sigh and kissed her cheek. "If you don't call, I'm gonna come hunting," he said quietly. She nodded and squeezed him once more before releasing him. "Bye, baby," she whispered. Mark nodded and she watched him walk away, wanting more than ever to be able to go with him. She wiped her hands on her shirt before slowly entering Kevin's locker room. She found him sitting on the couch with a bottle of water in hand.

"Well, look who's finally decided to come to work," Kevin said heatedly. "Kevin…I--." "Shut up," he snapped standing, "You knew our schedule for the day, and you still made the decision to go…_relax_…with Mark." "He's my husband," she said quietly. "So you love to remind me," he said stepping in front of her, "And as I love to remind you, you're mine for 30 days, just like the contract says. And that means, for the next two weeks, you will do exactly as I tell you. Understood?" Sara swallowed and hesitated to answer. Kevin grabbed her throat and squeezed tightly. "Understand?" he snarled. Sara nodded quickly and looked up at him. "I'm sorry," she whispered, struggling to breath. "Yeah, you're gonna be if you pull that shit again," he growled throwing her down to the floor. Sara groaned slightly, and tears came to her eyes. _Mark, I need you so bad_, she thought sadly. "If you didn't have to be on TV tonight, I'd kick your ass," Kevin growled. Sara looked up at him through narrowed eyes. "And it'd be the last thing you do in this lifetime," she hissed. "Was that a threat, baby girl?" he asked kneeling down in front of her. "No…it's a fucking promise," she snapped. Kevin grabbed her jaw and forced her onto her back. Sara struggled to get away, but Kevin wouldn't release her. "Beg, baby, beg for me," he whispered maliciously. Sara bit down on her bottom lip to keep from screaming out. Kevin smiled at her will power; she wasn't completely broken, and she never would be. He released her jaw and she immediately tried to move away. He grabbed her arm and pulled her close, his lips brushing over hers. Sara stiffened up and squeezed her eyes shut. "God, I love your spirit," he whispered, "Go on, go see Janet." He released her, and Sara dashed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Janet's area was nearly empty; Amy was the only woman there. "Hey, Sara," Amy said with a grin, "Feel better?" "Yeah," Sara lied. "What's wrong?" Lisa asked. "Nothing, Amy, really. It's just been a long day," she answered. "What happened to your face?" Amy asked. "What do you mean?" Sara asked. "It's all red, and kinda puffy," Amy said quietly. "I was crying when I got back to Kevin's locker room, missing Mark and all," Sara said quietly. "Are you sure?" Amy asked. "Yes, Amy, I'm sure," Sara said tiredly. She didn't want Mark to find out what Kevin had done to her, because she knew all hell would break loose before the show even started. "Alright, chica, but you know I've got your back," Amy said grinning. "Yeah, I know," Sara said smiling slightly, "How are you and Matt?" "Great, of course. I'm actually gonna call him when Janet finishes," Amy said smiling broadly. "Has he proposed yet?" Sara asked. "No, but I'm not worried. I know he's the man I'm gonna marry. I'm already excited about our wedding, and I don't even know when it's gonna happen," Amy said chuckling. "You should be. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience to stand in front of the man you know you wanna spend the rest of your life with," Janet said straightening her hair with a hot straightening comb, "Right, Sara?" "Yeah…it's somethin' you'll remember even when you're old and gray," Sara said grinning. "There, Amy, I'm done," Janet said. Amy stood and glanced in the mirror. "Perfect as always," she said smiling, "Thanks, Janet." "It's what I do, hon," Janet said, "Come on, Sara, you're next." Sara sat down in the chair and took a deep breath. If there were bruises on her face, she knew there were bruises on her neck. "I'll see you later, okay, Sara?" Amy said touching her hand softly. Sara looked at her and forced a grin.

"So, how's things goin' with Kevin?" Janet asked brushing Sara's long hair smooth. "Hell on earth," Sara whispered, "I hate him, Jan…and he knows that, so he's making this month as hard as possible." "Did you hate him before?" Janet asked. "No," Sara answered honestly, "He was like a big brother to me…now, he's just become a complete asshole." "Well, ya know somethin'?" Janet asked. "What's that?" Sara said softly. "You've got Mark. At least you can look forward to that," Janet said. Sara grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I can," she whispered. Janet took her time with Sara, making sure her look was perfect. Sara had described the outfit she was going to be wearing that night, and so Janet gave her a high ponytail, leaving out tendrils around Sara's forehead and temple, as well as dark red make-up. "What's this on your neck?" Janet asked. "What?" Sara said. Janet handed her a mirror and Sara whispered, "Oh, shit." There were bruises on both sides of her neck from Kevin's hand, and they were getting darker. "You want me to put cover-up on it?" Janet asked. "Will it irritate it even more?" Sara asked in return. "Nope. Promise," Janet answered. "Okay," Sara said softly. Janet quickly covered the bruises as much possible without layering Sara's neck with make-up. "There, I think that'll do for tonight," she said once she was done. "Thanks, Janet," Sara said standing. "Piece of advice?" Janet offered. "What's that, Jan?" Sara asked. "Don't let Mark see those," Janet said softly. Sara nodded and headed down the hall towards Kevin's locker room. A huge wall of flesh stopped her in her path a few feet before she reached her destination. She looked up and smiled slightly.

"Hey," she said. Mark lifted her chin, tilting it to the left and right. "What?" she asked softly. "Amy told me something disturbing," he said quietly. _Oh, shit_, Sara thought. "What?" she asked. "She said she saw bruises," he said continuing to inspect her face. "From what, Mark?" she tried asking. "You tell me," he said quietly. "I just saw you a half an hour ago. I didn't look bruised then, did I?" she said quietly. "Exactly," he said lifting her chin up and staring at her throat. Sara tried to slow her breathing, and almost failed. "What are you looking for?" she asked softly. "Bruises," he answered running his hand across her throat. Sara shuddered slightly and Mark looked at his hand. It was covered in a pale powder. "What's this?" he asked. "Mark…," she whispered. "What's _this_?" he asked again. "Cover-up," she whispered. "For what?" he asked, his anger growing. Sara hesitated and he pulled her to the side, looking closer at her throat and finding what he was searching for. Her skin was slightly blue, and getting darker. "He's dead," he growled. "Mark, please, don't," she whispered reaching for him. Mark glared down at her and she took a step back. Sara's jaw dropped as he burst into Kevin's locker room.

"Oh, my God," she whispered going into the room. Kevin was on the ground, and Mark was on top of him, his hands wrapped around the man's throat. "Mark, please!" she said trying to pull him away. Mark punched Kevin's nose, and reached back to hit him again. "Mark, stop!" Sara screamed grabbing his arm. Mark stared at her and slowly stood, looking down at Kevin. "You put your hands on her again…I swear to God, I'll rip your throat out," he snarled. Kevin grabbed at his throat and coughed heavily. Sara ushered Mark out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Mark leaned against the wall across from her. "Are you okay?" he asked softly. She nodded slightly and said, "It's not a big deal, Mark..." Tears came to her eyes and she tried to force them away. "It is a big deal, dollface. Nowhere in that contract does it state that he can put his hands on you, and he needed to be reminded of that," he said quietly. "I know, Mark," she whispered. "You weren't gonna tell me, were you?" he asked. Sara shook her head and sniffled. "Why not?" he asked. "Because of what you just did," she whispered. Mark sighed heavily and said, "I told you…I'm your husband, and I have a right to protect you." "I wasn't hurt, Mark," she whispered. "So I should've waited until he gave you a black eye, then?" he asked. "I didn't mean it like that," she said softly. "I know, darlin'," he whispered. "Go on, get outta here. I gotta get ready for tonight," she said grinning. "You're gonna be okay? I won't leave you if you're not gonna be okay," he said seriously. "I'll be okay, I promise. Besides, we work together…it's not like I don't know where to find you," she said smiling. Mark smiled slightly and reached out his hand. Sara grabbed it and he pulled her close. "I love you," he whispered in her ear. "I love you, too," she whispered back. Mark kissed her cheek and said, "I'll be expecting that phone call tomorrow." "But--." "But nothing…you call me tomorrow, even if it's only to hear me say hello," he said softly. Sara smiled and nodded in agreement. "I'll be watching you tonight," he said kissing her forehead. "I'll try not to smile when I think about that out there," she said grinning. Mark chuckled and tapped her nose. "Be good, dollface," he said. Sara nodded and watched him walk away yet again, before entering the room.

Kevin was sitting on the couch, holding tissue to his nose. Sara headed for the bathroom, but Kevin's voice stopped her. "Thanks, Sara," he said quietly. "I'm sorry, Kevin," she whispered. "No, I meant that. I can be a real dick sometimes, and I'm glad it was Mark who put me in my place," he said looking down at his hand. Sara looked over her shoulder and let out a deep breath before sitting down beside him. "This thing, Kevin, this stipulation…it's just meant to be a storyline, ya know," she said quietly, reaching for the tissue. Kevin winced slightly and nodded. "Yeah…I guess I should've realized that sooner," he said quietly. "I'll go get you some ice," she whispered. "Okay, baby girl. Take your time, okay? If you wanna spend time with Mark, that's your right," he said quietly. Sara sighed heavily and slowly stood. "I'll be back," she whispered.

Nearly two and a half hours passed before Sara finally returned to Kevin's locker room. She'd stopped to talk to Andy about what had happened between Kevin and Mark, and he gave her advice: "If it happens again, come find me here, or call me. I'll help Mark bury the body." She'd also stopped at Mark's locker room, and ended up spending an hour and a half just sitting with him, watching his matches from the past two and a half weeks. Her final stop was Bruce's area, where she finally got a small pack of ice for Kevin. Kevin was stretched out on the couch, his right arm draped over his eyes. "Kevin?" she whispered leaning down beside him. "Yeah?" he asked quietly. "I got you an ice pack," she whispered. Kevin looked at her from under his arm, and grinned slightly. "Thanks, baby girl," he whispered, "But my nose stopped bleeding about two hours ago." "I'm sorry, I--." "No explanations needed. You don't have to answer to me, ya know," he said quietly. "I know…I just wanted to get you this ice pack, and I got sidetracked," she said quietly. "What time is it?" he asked. "A half an hour before show time," she answered. Kevin slowly sat up and patted the seat beside him. Sara slowly sat down and placed the ice pack on the table in front of her. "When's your match?" she asked softly. "Beginning of the second hour," he answered, "Against this new guy, Gene Snitsky. It's his first televised match." "What do you need me to do?" she asked. "Stand outside and look pretty," he said grinning slightly. Sara couldn't help but blush. "There we go," Kevin said touching her hand softly. Sara looked up at him and smiled a little. Her fingers linked with his and they sat together on the couch in silence.

As the show started, Sara went into the bathroom and pulled the outfit from the plastic bag. _I still can't believe I have to wear this shit_, she thought somewhat angrily, _But whatever looks good on TV_. She quickly got dressed, and touched up her make-up, making sure to cover the light bruises on her neck. She slipped on the choker/collar, glad that it covered most of the bruises. She grabbed the shoes and went out into the room. "I think the fans will like that outfit," Kevin said grinning slightly. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Don't worry. This match is a quick one, so you won't be out there long," he said putting an arm around her shoulder. "Do I have to do anything?" she asked. "No. I think if you try to get in the ring, you're gonna show off way too much," he said grinning. "I'm showing off way too much just sitting here," she said smiling. "I've got a jacket you can wear to the pit, so you don't get too many stares," he said. Sara shrugged and said, "I've worn worse." "When?" Kevin asked. Sara shrugged and said, "I'm sure of it." Kevin chuckled and squeezed her shoulder gently. "How am I gonna come out?" she asked. "Well, I'm gonna have a leash, so to speak, that hooks up to the front of the choker. I'll walk out holding it, but you'll stand behind the curtain until you feel a slight tug. Don't come out on the first one; I'll pull a little harder, maybe three times before you should come out, just so people will really be curious," he said. "Okay," she said quietly. "And as soon as we get back here, we'll head to the hotel so we can get some sleep," he said softly. Sara nodded and leaned against him. "That's fine," she whispered.

When it was nearly time for Kevin's match, they headed to the pit area. The young man he was facing, Gene, was already there stretching. "Hi, Mr. Nash, I'm honored to be working with you," Gene said extending his hand. "What's with all the formalities?" Kevin asked. "Just wanting to be polite," Gene answered. "Well, just relax, man. The crowd's hot tonight, so it's gonna be easier to perform," Kevin said shaking his hand. "Excellent," Gene said. Sara pulled the large jacket Kevin had given her tighter around her body, shivering slightly. "You okay?" Kevin asked. "Yeah, just a little chilly," she answered. John and D.J. came through the curtains a few minutes later, talking about their match. "Whoa, Angel, you hidin' somethin'?" John asked Sara as he walked by. "Ya know, John, you should stay near a monitor for the next five minutes," she said grinning slightly. "Why's that?" he asked. "You're gonna see somethin' out there once, and only once, so you might not wanna miss it," she said grinning. "Alright, Angel, will do," he said smiling. Sara chuckled slightly and shuddered again. She couldn't believe she was actually going out in front of nearly 15,000 people dressed in something that would barely cover a five-year-old child. Gene Snitsky went out first, to a mixture of cheers and boos. Ever since Kevin had gotten Sara by his side, the fans had begun to cheer him, even though he tried his hardest to get the worst reaction possible.

"Kevin, go," Vince said from the production table. Kevin hooked the leash up to the metal loop on Sara's choker, and whispered, "Remember…four tugs, the last two real hard." Sara nodded and slowly removed her jacket. "Whoa, you're goin' out there in that?!" Vince exclaimed as Sara felt the first two tugs. "Yeah, Vince," she answered on the third tug, struggling not to stumble through the curtains. "No--." Vince was cut off when Sara was pulled through the curtains. Sara's jaw dropped as the fans immediately began to cheer at the sight of her. "Come on, Angel, show your stuff!" Kevin said pulling her along. She grabbed the leash and tried to pull it away from Kevin's grip, but he wrapped it around his hand to gain leverage. Sara groaned as she was yanked unceremoniously down the ramp. She could hear cat calls coming from all around the arena, and wanted to smile so badly. She knew she was in great shape, but she'd never really showed it off to anyone except Mark. Kevin dragged her to the far side of the ring, wrapping her hands around the ring post, and tying them together with the leash. "Stay," he said jokingly. Sara snarled at him, and her eyes bore a hole through him. "Good girl," he said smiling, rolling into the ring. Sara groaned as she tried to get her hands loose; Kevin had tied to rope tightly, but not too tightly. The match ended in under five minutes; Gene Snitsky, while muscular and tall, was no match for Kevin. When the bell rang, Sara let out a sigh of relief. She was starting to get self-conscious. _How are the boys in the back gonna look at me now? Damn it, Kevin, did you think o' that one? Probably not_, she thought.

Kevin slid out of the ring and came over to Sara, eyeing her greedily. "What are you doin'?" she asked trying to move away. Kevin untied her and picked her up, rolling her into the ring and then grabbing a microphone. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet, but didn't let her go. "Damn…I mean, I knew I was lucky when I beat your boy, 'Taker…but oh, my God, I didn't know I was _this_ lucky," he said smiling. The men in the crowd cheered extremely loud, but the females booed Kevin's statement. Sara stood in the middle of the ring as Kevin circled her, his eyes wandering all over her exposed flesh. "Angel, why do you hide this body, sweetheart? You look great!" he exclaimed. Sara felt her cheeks turn red, and a slight grin came to her face. "Yeah, you definitely look great. I can only imagine what you look like underneath _that_," he said smiling devilishly. Sara's jaw dropped and she took a step back. "Oh, no, I've still got two weeks left, baby. And I think the real fun's gonna start tonight," he said grabbing her arm. He dropped the microphone and quickly pulled her from the ring, dragging her up the ramp and through the curtains. He set her down and grabbed the jacket from the production table. "There ya go," he said quietly. "What the hell was that?!" Vince asked from the table. "What was what?" Kevin asked as Sara slipped the jacket on and held it closed. "That…piece of fabric she called an outfit," Vince said in shock. "Just a little somethin' different, Vince. The fans liked it," Sara answered with a grin. "Yeah, but…ah, never mind. Just make sure it's a one-time thing. We got enough females running around here with next to nothing on. I don't want one of my top wrestlers to do the same thing," Vince said grinning slightly. Sara nodded and Kevin led her away from the pit.

"Kevin?" Sara asked softly. "Yeah, baby girl," he answered. "Do you think the guys are gonna look at me any differently because of tonight?" she asked. "Of course not, sweetheart. They understand as much I do that we're entertainers, and we do what we have to do in order to entertain. I mean, did you hear that reaction you got when you came through the curtains? If anything, they should respect you for going out there like that. It was a huge risk," he answered honestly, "You could've gotten complete silence." Sara chuckled softly and nodded. "True," she said, "When I heard those cheers, I just wanted to stop and pose." Kevin chuckled and winked at her. "Now _that_ would've been a shocker," he said smiling. "Yeah, it would've been," she answered, "We're goin' back to the hotel now?" "Yeah. I'll just grab our bags," he answered. Sara waited outside the locker room, staring up and down the halls. When John walked by a moment later, he glanced at her then looked down at the floor quickly. "What?" she asked as he passed her. "I happen to like my balls, Angel," he said looking back at her. "Wait, what do you mean?" she asked stopping him. "Promise you won't hit me?" he asked. "Yeah," she answered. "Oh, my God, you were gorgeous," he said quickly. Sara smiled slightly and asked, "Really?" "Yeah…I mean, you showed the fans tonight that…even though you get in there and kick ass with us boys…you can still be just as beautiful as you wanna be," he said, "That took a lotta guts, Angel." Sara looked down at the floor and smiled slightly. "Thanks, John," she said quietly. "Whew! I thought you were gonna hit me," he said relieved. "Nah…I promised you I wouldn't," she said smiling, "I do have a question, though." "What's that?" he asked. "Were a lot o' the boys watching?" she asked. John smiled and nodded. "I think everyone near a monitor was. Only good things were said, though, I promise," he answered, "Great job, babe." "Thanks, John," she said, "I'll see ya tomorrow, okay?" John nodded before heading away. Sara smiled and let out a sigh of satisfaction. _A job well done_, she thought proudly. Kevin came out of his locker room a few minutes later, both of their duffel bags in tow. "You ready?" he asked. She nodded and asked, "Do you want your jacket back?" "Nah, you can wear it," he answered, "Come on, let's get outta here." Sara nodded and followed him through the hall, not noticing the glaring look from her very jealous husband.

On the ride back to the hotel, Sara stared out the window, a small grin on her face. "What's that grin for?" Kevin asked. "That reaction I got," she said quietly. "Every guy loves to look at a beautiful woman, baby girl," he said softly. Sara looked down at her hands and smiled slightly. "Thanks, Kevin," she said softly. "Not a problem, baby girl," he said quietly. His right hand grabbed her left one gently, linking his fingers with her own. "Do you mind?" he asked. Sara shook her head and squeezed gently. "When are you gonna get a girlfriend, Kevin?" she asked grinning. "I'm too old to date, baby girl. No one wants an old, broken-down jackass for a boyfriend," he answered quietly. Sara looked up at him and softly said, "You're not a jackass, Kevin…" "Look at the way I've treated you," he said sadly. "We all make mistakes, Kev. It's not a big deal," she said quietly. "Yeah, it is. I had no right to control you the way I did. I'm surprised you even let me," he said. "Fear does crazy things to a person," she said softly. Kevin glanced down at her and sighed heavily. "I don't want you to be afraid of me, baby girl," he said quietly. "I know, Kevin," she whispered looking out the window. Kevin arrived at the hotel and quickly parked. "Um, I forgot somethin'," he said quietly. "Where? At the arena?" Sara asked. "No, I mean, I forgot to tell you somethin' earlier. This hotel…it was pretty much all booked up, and uh…they only had a single-bed room left," he said slowly. Sara shrugged and said, "Don't worry about it. You stay on your side, and I'll stay on my side." "Are you sure? I'll sleep on the floor if you want," he said. "It's okay. Besides, I saw you holding your neck earlier. The last thing you need to do is sleep on a hard-ass floor," she said. "I'm not concerned about me," he tried. "Well, I am. Now come on," she said climbing out of the car. Kevin grinned slightly and shook his head. _She's got the biggest heart of anyone I know_, he thought climbing out. Sara grabbed their bags from the trunk, and handed Kevin's his. They quickly entered the hotel, going up to their room.

Just as Kevin had said, it was a single-bed room, with a large king-sized bed in the middle of the room. "Looks comfortable enough," she said dropping her bag by the door, "It'll have to do." Kevin slowly shut the door and dropped his bag as well. "Get on the bed," she told him. "What?" he asked. "Shut up and do what _you're_ told for once," she said grinning, removing the stiletto shoes she'd worn on television. Kevin laid down on his stomach, resting his head on his hands. When he felt Sara sit on his butt, he looked over his shoulder at her. "What are you doin'?" he asked. "It's impossible for you _not_ to talk, huh?" she asked smiling. Kevin shrugged and laid his head back on his hands. Sara closed her eyes and placed her hands on his lower back, beginning a deep massage that she'd only done on Mark. The pressure ranged from light to deep strokes, and worked out all the kinks in Kevin's muscles. She moved over his entire back, over his shoulder muscles, and even through his thick hair. Kevin groaned out in satisfaction several times, especially when Sara's hands kneaded the tight muscles in his neck. Nearly 15 minutes later, Sara finally stopped her massage. "Better?" she asked climbing off. "Uh-huh," Kevin said lazily.

Sara smiled and climbed off the bed, shrugging off the jacket Kevin had given her at the arena. Kevin watched her remove the choker necklace, and slowly stood, moving behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, gently pulling her towards him. "What are you doin'?" she whispered. "Shh," Kevin whispered loosening her ponytail. His hands ran down her arms, across her exposed belly. "Kevin," she whispered as his lips grazed her neck, sending a shudder down her spine. Kevin removed her wedding ring and placed it on the dresser in front of them. "You did your magic," he whispered against her neck, "Let me do mine." Sara felt his hand move down over her crotch and gasped. "Please, Kevin," she tried once more. Kevin's lips crashed down on hers, and there was no going back. Sara moaned against his lips, welcoming his exploring tongue into her mouth. Kevin turned her towards him, and put her arms around his neck, picking her up. Sara wrapped her legs around his waist, and he carried her over to the bed. He slowly laid her down, easing on top of her. His lips moved from her own over her cheeks, tracing her jawline with the tip of tongue, down to the pulse point of her neck. Sara moaned as he sucked and bit gently on the smooth skin. She could feel his growing erection against her own womanhood, and that brought more moans from her throat. Kevin rested up on his elbows, looking down at her flushed skin and grinning slightly.

Sara licked her lips, and Kevin groaned before kissing her once more, easing her mouth open. Sara wrapped her fingers in his hair and pulled his face closer to hers. Kevin groaned in her mouth, his tongue dueling with hers in a heated battle. A few moments later, he finally pulled up, moving his mouth down over her neck once more. He eased the straps of the bra over her shoulder, and kissed the rounds of her breasts. Sara arched up towards him, and Kevin quickly unsnapped the bra, removing the flimsy material. His hands cupped her bountiful breasts and squeezed gently. "Oh, God," Sara whispered pressing into his hands. Kevin took one rosy peak into his mouth and suckled gently, biting and bringing it to a hard point. "Oh…oh," she gasped as his mouth worked wonders. Kevin moved to the other breast and flicked his tongue over the nipple, bringing it to the same state as the other one. He squeezed her waist gently, and traced his tongue down the valley between her breasts, dropping sweet kisses over her abdomen. His fingers gripped the edge of the skirt and he slowly pulled down over her long, toned legs. Sara shuddered once again as his fingertips ran over her thigh muscles. He placed his fingers inside the waistband on her panties and pulled gently, releasing it suddenly. The band snapped back onto Sara's skin and she gasped. It stung, but it was somewhat erotic. Kevin smiled slightly and grabbed the waistband again, Sara's hand meeting his. "What?" he asked softly. "Are you gonna do that again?" she asked softly. "Only if you want me to," he said grinning. Sara smiled and moved her hand away. Kevin released the band, and Sara moaned slightly. "You like that, huh?" he whispered pulling the band once more and releasing it. Sara moaned louder and nodded. Kevin smiled and finally removed the panties completely.

Sara looked up at Kevin through hazy eyes, and she slowly sat up, grabbing at the hem of his shirt. He allowed her to pull it over his head. Sara bit her bottom lip and stared at the muscled skin in front of her. She ran over her fingers over his nipples, rubbing them until they were hard peaks. Kevin groaned and squeezed her shoulders gently, pushing her back onto the bed. He kneeled down over the edge of the bed, and pulled her to him, wrapping her thighs around his head. Sara gasped at the feel of his mouth on her womanhood, and moans emitted from deep in her throat. Kevin licked up and down her outer walls, groaning in pleasure. Sara squeezed his head with her thighs, moan after moan coming from her mouth. When his mouth flicked over her bud of pleasure repeated, she screamed and shuddered against his mouth. Kevin caught her juices in his mouth, reveling in the taste. When she finally relaxed, Kevin removed her legs from his shoulders. "Just stay there," he whispered going into the bathroom. Sara stretched her arms and legs before climbing under the sheets of the bed. There was no point in thinking about what she was about to do; it was going to happen, of that she had no doubt.

Kevin came out a few moments later in his boxers. He slowly climbed into the bed beside her, and caressed her cheek with his hands. "You're beautiful, baby girl," he whispered against her lips. Sara nodded and tried to kiss him, but Kevin pulled back. "Are you sure?" he whispered. Sara swallowed and nodded again. "What happens between us…stays between us," she said softly. Kevin grinned slightly and leaned forward, kissing her gently. Sara smiled slightly as he eased her onto her back. She spread her legs to accommodate his weight, and ran her hands over his upper body. "God, you're gorgeous," he whispered kissing her softly. Sara smiled against his lips and ran her fingers through his hair, reveling in its softness. "You're not too bad lookin' yourself," she whispered. Kevin ran his right hand down the length of her side, caressing her thigh muscle and pulling her leg up around his waist. When he eased inside her, Sara moaned and pressed her hips against his. Kevin groaned in her ear, taking his sweet time. Sara ran her fingers up over his back, gently caressing the sweaty skin. He ran his tongue over the outside of her ear, biting gently on the lobe. Sara shuddered underneath him as he blew across her ear. He slowly began to move his hips, and Sara followed suit. They found a rhythm within moments, and their hands began to roam. "Oh, God…oh…OH!" Sara moaned as she felt her insides tighten around Kevin. "Wait, baby girl, wait," he gasped in her ear. Sara pulled his face down to hers, kissing him passionately as he began to thrust into her. Kevin groaned and eased a hand between their slick bodies, caressing Sara's womanhood. "Let go, baby," he whispered against her lips, "Let go." Sara screamed out in pleasure as she came strongly. Kevin did the same moments later, kissing her hard as his body trembled. When he finally relaxed, Sara let out a deep sigh, a slight grin on her face.

"You okay?" he asked sitting up and removing the used condom. "Yeah. You?" she asked. Kevin tossed the condom into the trash bin beside the bed and laid back down. "I feel better than I have in years," he whispered pulling her close. Sara smiled and faced him. "Good," she whispered. Kevin kissed her softly, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "What time do we have to be in Tucson tomorrow?" she asked quietly. "The show starts at seven, so by four," he answered, "Our flight leaves at one." Sara nodded and curled up to him, nuzzling his chest with her nose. "Goodnight, Kevin," she whispered. "Night, baby girl," he whispered kissing her forehead. Both people were asleep in minutes.

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**A/N: This is the last chapter I have that was already previously typed out. Thus, the five-chapters-every-two-days update will cease. I'll update whenever I've got a new chapter perfected to where I think you'll enjoy every sentence, and if that takes a week or so, I'm sorry. I have a full-time internship that requires a lot of time, so it'll take me a while to get to every night. :-)**


	83. Broken Trust

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the delay! Things have been busy, but I think you'll like this chapter! :-D

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**Chapter 82…Broken Trust**

Sara awoke the next morning alone. She heard the shower running and smiled slightly. _I can't believe I had sex with him…_, she thought suddenly, _If Mark finds out, we're both dead_. She climbed off of the bed, wrapping the sheet around herself, and grabbed her wedding ring from the dresser, quickly slipping it back on. She sighed and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was unruly and tangled, her eyes were slightly red, and the bruises on her neck were still visible. She grabbed her brush from her bag and ran it through her hair, removing the tangles. She grabbed her cell phone as well, then sat back down on the bed and turned on the television, flipping through the channels until she found cartoons. She quickly dialed Mark's phone, and laid back on the bed. "Good morning, dollface," Mark answered. "Hi," she said smiling. "You just wake up?" he asked. "Yeah. Our flight leaves at one," she answered glancing at the clock. It was only 10:15. "When are you gettin' into town?" he asked. "You're already there?" she said. "Yeah, I took my flight last night," he answered. "Oh, okay. We're gonna be there probably around three," she answered. "About last night, dollface…what the hell did you have on out there?" he said quietly. Sara cleared her throat and asked, "What do you mean?" "You know what I mean. That was borderline obscene," he said quietly. "It was for shock value, Mark, and obviously it worked," she said grinning, "I mean, did you hear that reaction I got? And John told me all the boys in the back liked it, too." "Of course they would, they've all got dicks," Mark said tensely. Sara couldn't help but laugh. "You're jealous!" she said smiling. "Yeah, you could say that. Good God, Sara, that outfit wouldn't have fit Melissa!" he said. Sara sighed heavily and closed her eyes. "I did it for my job, Mark. It's not like I wear shit like that every day," she said quietly. "Still--."

"Just drop it, Mark. It's over and done," she said tensely. "Fine," he said quietly, "What'd you do last night? You and Kevin left right after his match." "We just came back to the hotel and went to sleep," she managed to say, her heart pounding in her throat, "His back was hurting, and I was really tired." "Are you gonna go to your mom's this weekend?" he asked. "No, Kevin's taking me back to his place. Besides, I love her with all my heart, but another weekend with her would take all the energy I have," she said quietly. "Well, I'm gonna go spend some time with her. Melissa's goin' with me, too. We'll tell her you said hi, okay?" he said quietly. "Thank you," Sara said as the bathroom door opened, "I gotta go take a shower now. I'll see you later today, okay?" "Yep. Love you, dollface," he said quietly. "I love you, too, Mark. Bye," she whispered before hanging up the phone. "Is he already in Tucson?" Kevin asked rubbing his wet hair with a towel. "Yeah," she answered climbing off the bed and stretching her arms, "How long have you been awake?" "An hour or so," he answered. Sara grabbed her towel from her suitcase and went to go into the bathroom. Kevin grabbed her arm gently and she faced him. "About last night…," he started. "Last night was last night, Kevin. We both got that urge out of our system, and it can't happen again," she said quietly, "Don't get me wrong, it was fun…but it just hit me that I cheated on my husband. And if he finds out…we're both dead, literally." Kevin nodded and released her arm. "We're gonna go get some breakfast before we head to the airport, okay?" he said quietly. Sara nodded and went into the bathroom.

Kevin sat down on the bed and rotated his neck. That massage Sara had given him had seemingly cured his pain. He'd been hurting for nearly two weeks, but in 15 minutes, she'd rid him of that nuisance. He grinned slightly and laid back on the bed. _Last night was definitely fun…maybe if the circumstances are right, it _will_ happen again_, he thought with a grin, _My God, that woman is good in bed. I'd always assumed it, but now I know it for a fact_. He listened to the shower running, and scratched his belly. _I hope she doesn't bite my head off for what happens this weekend. The boys are expecting entertainment, and I'm gonna give it to 'em_, he thought grinning slightly. Sara came out of the bathroom 15 minutes later, brushing her wet hair. "You ready?" she asked. "Yeah," Kevin said standing. Sara tossed her dirty clothes into her duffel bag, and slung the bag over her shoulder. Kevin did the same with his bag, and grabbed his suitcase. He opened the door, and Sara exited the room first, followed by Kevin. They quickly checked out before heading to a nearby diner for breakfast. Sara ordered a breakfast platter, consisting of two pancakes, two scrambled eggs, and two slices of bacon, as well as a large glass of orange juice. Kevin ordered a ham sandwich and a cup of coffee. When the waitress walked away, Sara stared down at her hands, fiddling with her wedding ring.

"Ya know, Sara, I can keep a secret. The question is: can you?" Kevin said quietly. "Of course I can, Kevin," she whispered. "You and Mark are way too close for you to keep somethin' like this hidden for long," he said softly. "Well, ya know, some things he just _can't_ know about," she said quietly. "Like I said, I don't think you'll keep this hidden for long. The second question is: what do you think is gonna happen when he finds out?" Kevin said, "I'm just trying to do some crisis management here, baby girl." Sara sighed heavily and looked out the window. "I don't wanna think about that," she whispered painfully. "You should, just in case. I know you're not gonna go blurting it out to him, but eventually you're gonna tell him," he said touching her hand softly. Sara pulled her hand away and shifted in her seat. "Let's just drop it, Kevin," she whispered. "Alright…," he said quietly, "Today's kind of an easy day. All we've got is that houseshow at seven. I'm goin' up against Mark, and I was thinking of letting you get involved somehow." "Whatever works," she said quietly. "It'll be fun," Kevin said. Sara nodded, but wouldn't look him in the eye. Going through her mind were all the possible scenarios of how Mark would react once he found out she'd cheated on him. Kevin was right; she wouldn't be able to keep that secret for long.

Kevin pulled into the parking lot of the Tucson Convention Center at 3:30. After breakfast, he and Sara had walked around downtown El Paso, souvenir shopping for a little while, before heading to the airport. Once he parked, Sara climbed out and stretched. Their seats on the plane were in coach, and her legs had cramped up during the flight. _Sucks bein' six feet tall_, she thought rotating her neck. Kevin handed over her duffel bag, and they headed inside. "I'm gonna go sit in the balcony for awhile," Sara said once they dropped their stuff off in his locker room. "Alright, baby girl. See ya when you get back," he said. Sara nodded and left the room, heading straight to her destination. She arrived within minutes and sat down in the furthest seat up, resting her feet on the chair in front of her. No matter how hard she tried, her thoughts kept returning to the different ways Mark would react if he found out she'd cheated on him. _Let's see…death, of course…which wouldn't be a good thing. There's…divorce…which would probably be worse. Jesus, Sara, you really put yourself in quite a bind_, she thought sadly. "Hey, dollface." Sara looked down the steps and smiled slightly, tears suddenly coming to her eyes. She forced them away as Mark headed up towards her. "Hey," she said softly. He sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. "Kevin told me you were up here. You okay?" he said quietly. "Yeah," she said quietly, "Just wanted to get away from everything. That's what this place is for to me." "True," Mark said grinning slightly, "But you should know you can't get away from me." Sara smiled and snuggled closer to him.

"You sleep okay last night?" he asked. "No…I can't sleep that well when I'm not with you," she whispered. She'd actually spent most of the previous night tossing and turning; nightmares of Mark's reaction to her infidelity had plagued her. "Same here, dollface," he whispered, "I just imagined you were there in my arms, and I fell right sleep…stupid little grin on my face, too." Sara chuckled and looked up at him. "I'm the only one who can make you smile like that, though, right?" she asked. "You know it," he whispered kissing her softly. "Have you talked to Melissa today?" she asked. "Yeah, just this morning. As usual, she said she misses mommy…and she loves you. Her word of the week is prediction, and she even used it in a sentence," he said. "What was that?" she asked. "She makes a 'prediction' that mommy's gonna win a World title," he said chuckling. Sara chuckled softly and bit her bottom lip. "That's a nice little prediction," she said softly. "Yeah, maybe she's a psychic," he said grinning. Sara smiled and let out a happy sigh. "That'd be an interesting career for her," she said. "Nah, our little girl's not gonna be a psychic; she's too smart for that," he said squeezing her shoulder, "She got that from you." "I'm not that smart, Mark. I do some really idiotic things sometimes," she said quietly. "We all do, dollface. The good thing is that you learn from your mistakes, right? I mean, that's what life's all about: learning and moving on," he said kissing the side of her head. Sara swallowed and stared out into the empty arena. The ring was nearly put together, and the ring crew was in the midst of setting up chairs on the floor.

"Did you see the match board?" Mark asked. "No, why?" she asked. "You're wrestling tonight," he answered. "What?!" Sara exclaimed looking up at him. "Yeah, you're goin' up against Levesque," he said. "Holy shit," she said standing. "Don't worry, Paul's not here yet," he said pulling her back down beside him. "Well, he's gonna be here soon," she said going to stand again. Mark pulled her back again and put his arm around her. "Just a few more minutes, baby, please," he whispered. Sara looked up at him and saw a sadness in his eyes. "I don't get to see you much, dollface, so I wanna take advantage of every moment I can," he said softly. "Okay…okay, Mark," she whispered placing her left hand on his thigh. Mark squeezed her shoulder gently and kissed the side of her head. "So what're you gonna do with my mom this weekend?" she asked. "I don't know yet. I was thinking of taking her out for dinner, or somethin' to get her o' the house," he answered. "You think Nicky's gonna let you get away with that?" Sara asked with a smile. "She's not gonna have a choice. Everyone gets cabin fever, baby…even mom," he said quietly, "So, we're gonna get outta the house. Maybe I'll even take her to the park." "Good, get her outta the house. The whole weekend I was with her, we didn't leave the house once. I mean, I wanted to, but I knew it wouldn't be healthy for her. But I think sometimes it's okay to do things that aren't healthy," she said quietly. "Yeah, true. Indulgence is necessary, as long as it's not in excess," he said grinning. Sara smiled and looked up at him. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too," he said kissing her softly.

"Were you really mad at me this morning?" she asked. "About that outfit?" he asked. She nodded and swallowed. "Kind of. I mean, you know me…jealous 'til the end. The fact that our fans got to see what I see every night, it was unnerving," he said quietly. "But they don't get what you get," she whispered. "I realized that, dollface," he said grinning, "But it was just…weird to see you showing off so much." "Well, I didn't really have a choice in it, Mark. It was Kevin's idea," she said quietly. Mark tensed up and she squeezed his thigh gently. "I wasn't all for it at first, either, Mark. But when I came out on that stage…and that crowd blew up…honestly, I wanted to stop and pose," she said quietly, "I've never felt comfortable showing off my body…but last night was a lotta fun for me." "I suppose that makes it okay," he said quietly. "Ya know, sometimes I'm humored by your jealousy," she said smiling. "Well, at least someone is," he said squeezing her shoulder. "I've worn more revealing stuff actually wrestling," she said still smiling, " But don't worry, Mark. It's not gonna happen again, I promise." "It's okay, dollface, really. I was more shocked than anything…then the jealousy kicked in when Kevin was out there sayin' how good you looked. I really wanted to go out there and punch his face in. Now…I'm cool with it. Like you said, it was a one-time thing, so I don't have much to worry about," he said grinning slightly, "You ready?" She nodded and Mark stood slightly, stretching his arms and yawning slightly. "You okay?" she asked. "Not really…my back's been bugging me lately," he said quietly. "Come on, I'll give you a massage," she said standing as well. Mark placed her hand in his and led her down to his locker room. Once inside, Sara locked the door.

Mark stretched out on the floor, resting his head on his hands, and Sara climbed onto his butt. She gave him the same massage she'd given Kevin the night before, only a little better. She not only worked over Mark's back, she massaged his arms and even his hands. When she finished, Mark was completely relaxed. "Better?" she asked. "Of course," he answered softly. Sara leaned down and kissed his cheek softly, whispering, "You sure?" Mark looked over his shoulder at her through half-closed eyes and nodded. "Wanna take a nap?" he asked. "I can't," she said climbing off of his back, "Gotta go find Paul. I'm sure he's here by now." She helped Mark stand and put her arms around his waist. "I love you so much," he whispered squeezing her tightly. "I know, Mark. I love you, too," she said softly. "You wanna go out for dinner later, after the show?" he asked. "Not sure if Kevin and I are leaving afterwards yet. If not, then of course," she said grinning slightly. "Alright, babe. I'll see ya around, okay? And I'll make sure and watch your match tonight," he said dropping a quick kiss on her lips. Sara nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Mark stretched out on the large couch, draping his left arm over his eyes, and closed his eyes for a quick nap.

Sara ran into Paul as he headed towards the locker room area. "Hey, Paul, we're wrestling tonight!" she said to get his attention. "Excellent. Just let me drop my stuff off, and I'll meet you in the ring, okay?" he said. Sara nodded and went down to Kevin's locker room. He was sitting on the floor stretching his legs out. "Hey, I have a match tonight," she said shutting the door. "Really?" Kevin asked, "Do you want me out there with you?" "Nah, that's alright. Knowing Paul, it'll be more laid back than anything," she answered. "Alright, baby girl," Kevin said pulling on his right foot to stretch his hamstring muscle. "Do you still want me out there for your match?" she asked. "Sure thing," he answered. "I'll be down at the ring with Paul if you need me," she said before leaving the room. She quickly got down to the ring, a bounce in her step. Paul was already there, sprinting back and forth to warm up. "You ready?" he asked as she rolled into the ring. "Of course. I haven't wrestled in like two weeks, so I was pretty shocked when Mark told me I was scheduled," she answered smiling. "Yeah, I can tell," Paul said smiling, "Do you have somethin' to wear for tonight?" "Yeah, I always come prepared, Paul, you know that," she said sitting up on the closest top turnbuckle. "You know…all the boys were talkin' about last night, about that little outfit you had on," Paul said sitting on the mat. "Oh…what of it?" she asked somewhat nervously.

"I think Mark would've ripped some of those guys' balls off if he knew what they were saying," he said grinning. Sara chuckled slightly and shook her head. "It was pretty nerve-wracking for me…I mean, you know me, Paul…I'm not one to just show off like that. But I'll admit…it was definitely a lotta fun to get that kinda reaction from the fans," she said. "And what'd Mark have to say about it?" he asked smiling. "Jealous, of course. But he knows it's a one-time thing, so it's not a big deal," she said hopping off the turnbuckle, "Come on, let's work out this match." "How 'bout we just have a few big sequences, and everything else is just spontaneous," he suggested. "Yeah, that's no problem," she answered. After finishing up in the ring, Sara headed to the back for a quick lunch. She grabbed a ham sandwich and a bottle of water, then headed back to Kevin's locker room. She found him on the couch fast asleep. "Kevin?" she whispered kneeling down beside him. "Hmm," he whispered shifting slightly. "You okay?" she asked. "Yeah, just a little tired," he answered. Sara set her food on the table and laid on top of him, resting her head on his chest. Kevin's arms came around her and he wrapped his fingers in her hair. "I'm better now," he whispered kissing the top of her head. Sara grinned slightly and closed her eyes. "I guess we can squeeze in a 15-minute nap," she said softly. Kevin grinned and nodded. "You gotta wake me up," he said quietly. "Okay," Sara said softly, shifting a little to get comfortable before falling asleep as well.

Kevin awoke a half an hour later, a grin on his face as he looked down at Sara's sleeping form. He kissed her forehead gently, caressing her scalp. "Hmm," Sara whispered. "Time to wake up, baby girl," he said softly. Sara looked up at him and he lifted his head, kissing her softly. Sara shifted slightly, pressing her lips against his in return. Kevin eased her mouth open, slipping his tongue inside her warm mouth. Sara moaned slightly and straddled him. Kevin groaned at the feel of her hips on his own loins. He caressed her cheeks softly, running his fingers over her neck, sending shivers through Sara's body. "Better?" he asked quietly. "Yeah," she whispered touching her forehead to his, "I gotta eat. I'm starving." A knock on the door interrupted them. Sara stood and rubbed the moisture from her lips before going over to the door. Kevin sat up as she opened the door. "Hey, you," Mark said quietly. "Hey, what's up?" Sara answered quietly. "You hungry?" he asked. "Yeah. I brought a sandwich earlier, but I took a nap. I don't think it's any good anymore," she said quietly. "Well, let's go get some food, then," he said grinning. "I'll be back, Kevin," Sara said looking over her shoulder. "Okay, baby girl," he said as she left the room. Mark and Sara headed through the hallway holding hands. "Did you sleep okay just then?" he asked. "How'd you know I was asleep?" she asked. "You had that sleepy look in your eyes, like you'd just woken up," he answered grinning. Sara smiled and nodded. "Everyone needs a power nap every now and then," she answered, "Did you talk to Melissa today?" "Yeah, of course. She was in the middle of breakfast, so we didn't talk long. She's doin' okay, though," he said quietly. "Good…I miss her so much. I think about her all the time," Sara said softly, "I mean, of course I would…I just can't wait to see her again." "Well, I'll see if she wants to come with me Monday," he said quietly. "Would you?" she asked looking up at him. "Sure, dollface," he answered kissing her softly. Sara smiled and squeezed his hand gently. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too, dollface," he said quietly.

Lunch went by slowly for Sara. She took her time eating, wanting to cherish her time with Mark. They discussed her match with Paul that night, going over the various sets. Sara even agreed to allow Mark to come out at the end to help her win. "Just to give the fans a little treat, let 'em know we're still in it together," Mark had said with a grin. Sara put her hand in his as they left. It was nearing six o' clock, and the show started in about an hour and a half. "When's your match?" Mark asked. "Fifth on the card, right before intermission," Sara answered. "So we got plenty o' time," Mark said quietly. "Plenty o' time for what?" she asked with raised eyebrows. Mark smiled and led her down to his locker room. "What are you doin'?" she asked as he opened the door. Mark only continued to smile as he shut the door. He slowly sat down on the couch and pulled Sara onto his lap. "God, I've missed you so much, dollface," he whispered. Sara smiled as his arms tightened around her, and his lips searched for hers. "I've missed you, too, Mark," she whispered kissing his nose. Mark grinned and kissed her softly, his fingers moving through her smooth hair gently. Sara moaned against his mouth and slowly straddled his lap. "You're still not gonna win that bet," she whispered against his lips. Mark chuckled softly and continued to kiss her, moving his hands over her back. They continued this little display of affection for nearly 30 minutes, neither trying to go any further. They just wanted to reacquaint themselves with each other.

"I gotta go do…my hair and make-up…before the show," Sara finally whispered in between kisses. "What for?" Mark asked planting small kisses on her neck. "I gotta get all pretty…for the fans," she whispered running her hands over his shoulders. "You're beautiful as you are, dollface…you know that," he whispered squeezing her closer to his chest. Sara smiled against his lips and put her arms around his neck. "I love you," she whispered kissing his forehead. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered resting his head on her shoulder. "Only a week and a half left, Mark…," she whispered. "I know…and then I'm never lettin' you outta my sights again," he said quietly. "Promise?" she asked softly. "From the bottom of my heart, baby," he whispered squeezing her tightly. Tears came to Sara's eyes and rested her cheek on top of Mark's head. "It gets harder every time," she whispered. "Harder to what?" he asked quietly. "To leave you," she said quietly. Mark looked up at her and saw the tears. "I'm sorry, Sara…I'm so very sorry," he whispered trying to kiss the tears away. Sara nodded but the tears kept coming. "Please, dollface…please stop crying," he whispered painfully. Sara nodded and let out a slow, shaky breath. She looked into his eyes and saw the shame. "Hey, we can make it through anything, right?" she whispered. Mark caressed her cheek and nodded. "Anything, dollface," he said softly. Sara smiled slightly and kissed him again, more passionately this time. Mark groaned slightly and squeezed her slender waist, grabbing at the hem of her t-shirt. "Uh-uh…you're not tricking me," she whispered smiling fully. Mark chuckled and whispered, "Six more months…we'll see how long you can hold out." Sara laughed and threw her head back. "Laugh all you want. You know I can be as persistent as anybody," Mark said quietly. "Yeah…I know," she said grinning, "That's one thing I love about you, though. Your determination is so addictive." Mark smiled and caressed her sides lovingly. "I can't count how many things I love about you, dollface," he whispered. Sara turned pink and looked down at her hands. "I've missed doin' that," he whispered, "I'm gonna make up for it, baby…every single moment." Sara smiled and leaned forward, kissing him softly. "I'll look forward to it," she whispered. "You better get outta here," he said quietly. "Why?" she asked. "Before I have my way with you," he whispered pinching her rear end. Sara yelped and smacked his shoulder. "You little devil," she whispered slowly standing. "I'm your little devil, dollface," he whispered as she headed for the door. "Damn right you are," she said smiling, leaving the room and shutting the door quietly. Mark leaned his head back, resting his hands over his stomach. _Yeah, she still loves me…I can fuck up in the worst possible way…and she'll _still_ love me_, he thought contently.

Sara went down to Kevin's locker room and knocked before entering. Kevin was stretched out on the couch, his left arm draped over his eyes. Sara grinned and kneeled down beside him. "Kevin," she whispered. "Yeah, baby girl?" he asked softly. "Have you talked to Mark yet?" she asked. "About what?" he asked . "Your match," she said smiling. "We'll just wing it, baby girl," he said quietly. Sara chuckled and shook her head. No matter what, Kevin would always have a carefree attitude when it came to performing at non-televised events. "Whatever you say," she said pinching his nose playfully, then standing. Kevin grinned and grabbed her hand, pulling her on top of him. "I gotta get ready for tonight, Kevin," she said trying to get free. Kevin wrapped his arms around her and shook his head. "You're already ready," he said pushing her hair out of her face. "Maybe to you, and maybe to Mark…but the fans won't think so," she said dropping a kiss on his nose, "Now let me up. I don't wanna have to hurt you." "Yeah, yeah, idle threats," he said loosening his grip on her. Sara stood and went over to her duffel bag, pulling out her outfit for that night, her make-up kit, and her brush, then went into the bathroom. She quickly changed into her outfit for the night: a simple pair of black spandex pants with her stage name written on the back, a black sports bra of the same material with a halo in the center of it, and a black pair of wrestling boots with the Undertaker symbol on each side. She brushed her hair until it shined, deciding to leave it down for once, before moving on to her make-up. She laid an even layer of foundation over her face, applied dark blue eyeshadow to her eyelids, black mascara to her lashes, and lined her lids with a black pencil. She put a thin layer of dark red lipstick on her lips, then pursed her lips together. "There," she said to herself, "Simple…yet stunning." She smiled and grabbed up her belongings before heading back into the room.

Kevin was now sitting up, dressed in a pair of his wrestling pants: red leather with black fringes down the sides. "Oh, so you decided to get ready as well, huh?" she asked playfully. Kevin smiled and shrugged. "Might as well. It's not comfortable wrestling in jeans, baby girl," he answered. Sara smiled and put her clothes and make-up items in her duffel bag. "No Kevin Nash apparel tonight?" he asked grinning. Sara looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at him. "Not if I have anything to say about it," she answered. Kevin winked at her and motioned for her to come over to him. Sara did so, and he pulled her down onto his lap. When he leaned towards her, Sara turned her head. "What?" he asked. "I don't even let Mark mess up my make-up," she said grinning slightly. Kevin smiled and began to tickle her, bringing hearty laughs from Sara's throat. "Stop!" she gasped in between laughs. "Give me one good reason," he replied continuing to tickle her. "I…have…to…wrestle!" she exclaimed still laughing. "Tell me your really ticklish spot and I'll let you up," he said. "No…freakin'…way!" she said breathlessly. "Alright…your choice," he said moving his left hand down her thighs behind her knees. Sara screamed and began to swing. "I think I found it," Kevin said laughing. Sara kicked and swung, tears escaping her eyes as she continued to laugh. "Okay, okay, I'll stop," he said moving his hands away. Sara rolled from his lap and stood, slowly backing up. "I don't trust you," she said trying to catch her breath. Kevin stood and rotated his neck. "You shouldn't," he said before beginning to chase her around the room. Sara screamed and managed to escape him, even in the small locker room.

Finally, nearly ten minutes later, Kevin stopped chasing her and plopped down on the couch. "I think that's my warm-up for tonight," he said rotating his neck. Sara smiled and sat down beside him. "Glad I could be of some assistance," she said leaning against him. Kevin put an arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "If I had a lady like you, baby girl…I think I definitely would be married by now," he said softly, "But your kind…you're hard to find…" Sara turned pink and looked down at her hands. "I'm not that great, Kevin…I've got as many faults as the next woman," she said quietly. "Not from what I've seen," he said quietly, "You've forgiven me for being such a dick…you forgive Mark for pretty much every wrong thing he does …you forgave Shawn…you've got the biggest heart of any woman I know. That in itself makes you a cut above the rest." "You know what I learned from…that whole ordeal with Shawn?" she asked softly. "What's that, baby girl?" he asked quietly. "Hate takes too much energy. I've got enough to worry about with my career…and my family…I don't need an extra grudge to hold me down, too," she said quietly. "You know what I can't wait to see?" he asked. "What?" she said softly. "You…holding up that World title. Whenever Vince decides to let you win it…it's gonna be a sight to behold," he said quietly. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. "I'm definitely gonna have to agree with you on that," she said, "I think about it all the time…and I pray every moment I can that my mom will be there to see it." Kevin sighed heavily and rubbed her shoulder. "She will, Sara…whether it's physically or spiritually…she'll be there to see her little girl become the best at what she does," he said quietly. Sara sniffled slightly and nodded. "I know…but I'd prefer it be physically," she said softly.

At that moment, Sara's cell phone rang. Sara sighed heavily as she picked it up. "Hello?" she answered. "Hey, Sara, it's Stacy," Stacy said. "Hey, what's wrong?" Sara said. "Well…your daughter," Stacy said slowly. "What'd she do?" Sara asked. "She was outside with Marley…and she fell out of a tree," Stacy answered. "What?!" Sara exclaimed, "And you weren't watching her?!" "I was in the kitchen cooking lunch. I told her not to climb the tree, but she said she'd done it tons o' times," Stacy said. "And you believed her?! I can't believe you let her climb a fucking tree, Stacy," Sara snapped. She'd never cursed at Stacy, but this was a moment that required it. "I'm sorry, Sara," Stacy said quietly. "There is no sorry for this. I trusted you with her, and you let her get hurt. What'd she break?" Sara said angrily. "Her ankle," Stacy answered, "By the time I got to the back door, she was already struggling to hang on…I couldn't get over to her fast enough…" "You shouldn't have let her climb the damn tree in the first place," Sara snapped, "I swear…when I get home…you know what, just make sure you keep an eye on her until I do get home." She clicked her phone shut and dropped it on her bag. "What happened?" Kevin asked standing. "Melissa broke her ankle because she fell out of a tree," Sara answered before leaving the room. "Oh, shit," Kevin whispered. He'd seen Sara's anger from Melissa being in the ring; Stacy had better hope Sara didn't fire her for this.

Sara hurried down to Mark's locker room and didn't wait to knock before she entered. Mark was on the couch watching a tape from the previous night's show. "What?" he asked noting her flushed skin. "Melissa broke her ankle," she said putting her hands on her hips. "How?!" he asked. "Stacy sent her outside to play, and Melissa decided to climb that big tree in the back yard…and she fell out," she said angrily. "Stacy wasn't watching her?" he asked. "Nope…now what are we gonna do about her?" she said leaning against the door. "Melissa?" he asked. "Yeah, our daughter, right. Of course I mean Stacy," she said heatedly, "I trusted her with our daughter's safety, Mark…" "Don't tell me you're thinkin' of firing her," he said standing. "Why not?! Should I wait for Melissa to seriously get hurt?" she asked. "No…I'm just saying, maybe you should calm down a little before you make a rash decision. We don't have anybody who can watch Melissa when we're on the road," he answered. "We'll find somebody. When it comes to my daughter, you get one shot…and Stacy just fucked up royally," she snapped crossing her arms. "Sara…," Mark started. Sara looked down at the ground, her jaw clenched tightly. "Fine…if that's what you feel needs to happen, Sara…," he said quietly, "I'll bring Melissa with me on the road this next week and a half. And after the pay-per-view, we'll find another babysitter." "I'm not trying to be bitchy, Mark, I'm not…I just…I just lost a lotta trust in her after she told me she wasn't watching Melissa," she said quietly. "I know, dollface," he said coming over to her. Sara looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Hey…if I can't mess up your make-up, neither can you," he said softly. Sara smiled and shook her head. "You're so silly," she said quietly. "I'll call Stacy…and just let her know to not let Melissa out of her sights until I get home, okay?" he said quietly. She nodded and looked away. Mark kissed her forehead gently and tilted her chin up until her eyes met his. "I love you, dollface," he whispered. "I love you, too," she whispered. "Now go on…go get ready for your match," he said softly. She nodded and slowly left the room, blowing a kiss to her soulmate before she shut the door. Mark sighed heavily and plopped down on the couch. "Sorry, Stacy…but what Sara says goes," he said to himself.


	84. The Bachelor Party

**Viper, never had anyone call Sara a manipulator before. Very interesting observation. :-) And don't worry, when Mark finally does find out, it'll be a very interesting chapter. Thanks for all your great reviews, chica!

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**Chapter 83…The Bachelor Party**

Kevin pulled up to his house Thursday night around nine o' clock. Sara was asleep in the back seat, her head resting on Scott Hall's shoulder. Kevin quickly parked and turned off the car. "Alright, Shorty, tonight we've gotta set up for tomorrow, because Jesse's gonna have the party of his life. Sara's handling the cooking tomorrow, so that's taken care of," he said quietly. Sean nodded and stretched his arms. Kevin reached over his seat and looked at Scott. "Will you take her in while Shorty and I get the boxes from the trunk?" he asked. "Yeah, sure. You want me to take her to one of the guest bedrooms?" Scott answered. "No, put her in my room," he answered. Scott and Sean glanced at each other, and Kevin only grinned. "Don't worry, guys. She and I have an…understanding," he said quietly. "Whatever you say, buddy," Scott said slowly unbuckling his seat belt, careful not to wake Sara. Kevin climbed out of the car and opened Scott's door for him. Scott slowly pulled Sara into his arms and climbed out, carrying her inside as Kevin had asked. Kevin pulled out a huge box and handed it to Sean. He pulled out the second, even larger box and followed the smaller man inside. His maid was waiting at the door for him. "Hey, Dany," he said struggling to hold the box. The young, caramel-colored woman stood nearly two feet shorter than Kevin. Her brown hair hung down to her shoulders, and she was dressed in a pair of short denim shorts and a tight t-shirt. Her face was lightly covered with make-up that accentuated her natural beauty. "You got it?" she asked grinning. Kevin chuckled and nodded as he kicked the door shut. "Yeah, just some stuff for the party tomorrow night," he answered heading down the wide hallway. "Are you gonna need me for it?" she asked. "No, that lady Scott carried upstairs is working it," he answered. Dany's jaw clenched tightly and her top lip curled a little. "Not jealous, are we?" Kevin asked without even having to see her face. "What's this lady doin' here? You didn't bring a groupie home again, did you?" she asked following him. "No, I didn't bring a groupie home, mother," he said grinning. Dany waited until he'd set the box down before slapping his arm. "She's a coworker, okay?" he said facing her. "So what's she doin' here?" she asked again. "It's because of a stipulation for a storyline I'm in," he answered. Sometimes he hated having to explain his job to Dany; it was more of a hassle because she didn't understand why he put his body through so much torture to satisfy complete strangers.

"Whatever, Kevin. You hungry?" Dany said rolling her eyes. "Yeah. A burger would be great," he answered. "Yeah, but not healthy. I'll make you a sandwich," she said before leaving the room. Kevin grinned as he opened the box. "She cares about you, you know that, right?" Sean said grinning. "Oh, hush," Kevin said. "I'm serious, man," Sean said quietly. "Yeah…I know," Kevin said pulling out two bags of balloons, "Now help me with these balloons." Sean grinned and took one of the bags from his good friend. Scott walked in nearly ten minutes later and picked up a balloon from the long, mahogany table. "What took you so long?" Kevin asked. "I got the bags from the car," Scott answered. "Oh, thanks, man," Kevin said. "Yep," Scott said, "So when's everybody gettin' here tomorrow?" "Probably around eight or nine," Kevin answered blowing up the balloon in his hand. "And the entertainment?" Scott asked. "Sara is the entertainment," Kevin said grinning. "WHAT?!" Sean exclaimed standing, "Are you trying to get killed?! If Mark finds out about that, man, you're dead!" "Yeah, but he won't…nobody here other than me and Sara have to work with him…and Sara's gonna be way too drunk to remember anything about it," Kevin answered slyly. "Oh, man, you are a dog," Scott said shaking his head. "Yeah…I know," Kevin said smiling. "Alright, so what's she gonna be doin'?" Sean asked. "Well, I've got a little stage over there, with a little runway…put one and one together, Shorty," Kevin said chuckling. "Oh, my God," Sean said shaking his head. "Don't worry, man. Don't look at her as Sara…look at her as some broad we've paid a few hundred dollars to strip for us," Kevin said. Dany entered the room and dropped the plate on Kevin's lap, which held a ham sandwich. She stormed out of the room and Kevin called out, "Don't be jealous, Dany!" "I'm not!" she screamed back. The three men cracked up with laughter.

Nearly five hours later, the room was prepared for the next night's festivities. Kevin brushed his hands together and looked around. There were fifteen arm chairs for each person, as well as a small coffee table beside each one for drinks, food, and the like. Blue and silver confetti covered the ground, and there were balloons of the same color all over the place. Gift boxes covered the far right corner of the room, with two silver posts in front of them, linked by a red velvet rope. The stage Kevin had been speaking of was hidden by a curtain of silver streamers, and had taken the longest time to get perfect. A chair sat in the middle of the stage, right in front of the golden pole. The mahogany table was now covered with a black, silk tablecloth, and was prepared to hold food and drinks for the 15 people that were attending this little bachelor party. "Good work, guys. I think Jesse's gonna love it," Kevin said heading out of the room. "Yeah, I think we all will," Sean said grinning. Kevin chuckled as he headed upstairs alone. He got to his room and shut the door quietly. Sara was sprawled out in the middle of the bed, still fast asleep. "Yeah, you're gonna need your energy, baby girl, so sleep up. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day," he said before going into the bathroom and shutting the door.

Sara awoke to an alarm ringing loudly. She groaned slightly and reached over the warm body beside her, slamming her hand down on the clock. She squinted her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. It was just past one o' clock., and she needed to get up to start cooking. A pair of arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. "Good morning, baby girl," Kevin whispered. "Actually, it's afternoon," she whispered. Kevin grinned and kissed her cheek lightly. "It'll go by fast," he whispered, "Promise." Sara looked down at him and grinned slightly. She leaned down slightly and kissed him softly. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for a cute guy," she whispered against his lips. Kevin wrapped his hand in her hair and tilted her head to the right, deepening the kiss. Sara moaned and straddled his hips, pressing her hips down against his. Kevin groaned and reached for the hem of her t-shirt. "We talked about this, Kevin," she whispered as his hands moved under her shirt. "I know," he whispered caressing her belly. Sara's eyes fluttered shut as his hands inched up. "Please…," she whispered. "Are you begging?" Kevin asked slyly. "Never," she whispered. Kevin squeezed her breasts gently, and Sara leaned down, kissing him hard. Kevin eased her shirt over her head and Sara leaned her chest down to his face. Kevin smiled and took one rosy nipple into his mouth. Sara felt his erection against her crotch and moaned softly. "Yeah, you want it, don't you?" he whispered pressing his hips against her womanhood. Sara bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "Really?" he asked flipping her onto her back. The door swung open, and Kevin looked towards it. Sara tried to hide her face in his shoulder, and Kevin smiled. "Hey, Dany, what's up?" Kevin spoke. Dany scoffed and said, "Breakfast's ready, asshole." "Thank you, Dany," he said. Dany left the room quickly, slamming the door shut.

"Who the hell is that?!" Sara snapped pushing him off of her. "My housekeeper," he answered. "Why's she so pissed off?" she asked pulling on her shirt. "Jealousy escapes no female, Sara," he said sitting up. "And why is she jealous of me?" she asked. "She wishes she were in your place," he said honestly. "Where, under your thumb?" Sara asked standing. "No, Sara…in my bed," he answered. "She's right. You are an asshole," she said going into the bathroom and shutting the door. Kevin shrugged his shoulders and left the room, shutting the door behind him. He went downstairs to the kitchen, and saw Scott and Sean already at the table. "Morning, fellas," he said taking a seat. "It's about time you got up," Scott said grinning. "Excuse me for sleeping in on my day off," Kevin said. "Didn't look like you were doin' much sleeping," Dany said setting a plate down in front of him. "Stop being overprotective, mom," Kevin said picking up his fork. Dany slapped the back of his head, causing Scott and Sean to snicker. "Shut up, you two," Dany said. "Yes, ma'am," both men said simultaneously. Breakfast continued without any more interruptions. Sara came down 20 minutes later, as Kevin was finishing up. "Any leftovers?" she asked quietly. "Yeah, over on the stove," Kevin answered. Sara went over to the stove, where Dany was standing. "Excuse me," Sara said politely, grabbing a plate from the strainer. "Watch," Kevin said softly to the two men.

"What the fuck are you doin'?" Dany snapped. "I'm getting something to eat," Sara said simply. "Well, I didn't cook this for you," Dany said heatedly. "Food's food, lady," Sara said reaching for the spoon in the scrambled eggs. Dany snatched it away and said, "I told you…you want food, fix your own shit." "Fine," Sara said calmly setting the plate on the counter. She headed towards the refrigerator, but Dany grabbed her arm. "When I said fix your own shit, I didn't mean use mine to do it," she snapped. "Kevin…," Sara said as anger spread through her body. "Yeah, baby girl," Kevin said grinning. "What the fuck does he have to do with it?" Dany said stepping in front of Sara. Sara looked down at her and let out a slow breath. "I don't see what the big deal is. All I wanna do is eat somethin'," she said calmly. "Well, you got a problem, don't you?" Dany said grinning slightly. "I'm gonna say this once. Get outta my way," Sara said crossing her arms. Dany did the same thing and said, "Nope. Last time I checked, I lived in this house, not you. So if you want somethin' to eat, carry your tall ass out that front door and go get somethin'." "I don't think so," Sara said pushing Dany aside. She wasn't in the mood for this woman's attitude. Dany sneered and grabbed a handful of Sara's hair, pulling her away from the refrigerator. At that point, Sara let her anger get the best of her. She grabbed one of Dany's hands and twisted her arm behind her, pushing her into the refrigerator. "You put your hands on me one more time, I'll beat your ass all over this fucking house," she whispered in the woman's ear, "And Kevin won't do a damn thing about it." She released the woman and went back over to the stove and picked up her plate. As she scooped eggs onto her plate, something hard hit her in the back of her head. She groaned and fell to the floor, dropping the plate.

Dany dropped the plastic bottle and grabbed Sara's hair, dragging her out of the kitchen. Kevin smiled and shook his head. "You're not gonna stop that?" Sean asked. "Nothin' will happen. Dany knows better," Kevin said, just before he heard a large crash in the hallway. "Right," Scott said standing and going into the hallway, "Kevin…you might wanna get in here." Kevin sighed and stood, going into the hallway. "Oh, shit," he said at the sight. Dany was laying on the floor, having just gone through one of the wooden tables in the hallway. Sara was on top of her punching at her face. He grabbed Sara from behind, and she screamed for him to release her. "You just broke one of my favorite tables!" he growled. "Well, that bitch should've left me alone!" she hissed. Kevin dragged her upstairs and tossed her into his room. "Keep your ass in here," he growled before slamming the door shut. It opened and Sara stood there, anger apparent on her face. Kevin punched her square in her right eye, knocking her down. "You gonna hit _me_ back?" he asked. Sara scooted back into the room and shook her head. "Keep your ass in this room," he snapped slamming the door shut once more. He headed downstairs and into the kitchen, where Scott was now holding an icepack to Dany's eye. He sat down in front of her and took the icepack from Scott. "What the hell were you thinking?" he asked as Scott and Sean left the room.

"I had to show that bitch--." "Dany, as much as you'd like to think, you're not my girlfriend, you're not my wife, you're not anything like that to me. So that means that when I bring a woman home, you don't have any right to jump down her throat. Granted, you do have more right to be here than her, but she's my guest, and I expected you to treat her as such," Kevin said quietly, "With Sara…you messed with the wrong woman. She doesn't let anyone talk to her like you did. I'm surprised she let you go on as long as she did. I'm not gonna say you got what you deserved, but Sara defended herself, so I'm not gonna punish her for that. As for you…I'm giving you the next seven days off." "Kevin…," Dany started. "No…you're not talking your way outta this one, sugar." "Fine," she said quietly. "Sara was gonna cook for the guys tonight anyway, so it's no big deal. Why don't you go pack some stuff up for a week, and I'll get Scott to take you to a hotel," he said standing and handing her the icepack, "Before you leave, though, clean that hallway up." "Alright," she said quietly. Kevin left the room and headed back upstairs to his room. He opened the door and found Sara in the far corner, huddled up with her arms around her knees. He shut the door softly and went over to her, sitting down beside her. Her eye was now puffy and a fairly dark shade of blue. Sara shuddered and forced away the tears in her eyes. "You okay?" Kevin asked softly. "I'm fine," she whispered tensing up. "Dany's gone for the next seven days," he said quietly. "You should've warned me about her," she said slowly. "Well, if I'd have known she was gonna pull the overprotective-bitch mode, I would have," he said quietly.

Sara dropped her head as her bottom lip quivered. "Why'd you hit me?" she whispered. "You didn't do what I told you," he said simply. "When am I gonna be able to leave the room?" she asked quietly. "As soon as Dany's gone. You can start cooking for tonight, too," he said standing, "And change your clothes." "Into what?" she asked looking up at him. "Somethin' sexier," he said simply. Sara swallowed and nodded slowly. "Okay," she whispered. Kevin grinned and left the room as quietly as he'd entered. Sara stood and went into the bathroom. She stared at her eye in the mirror. "Hopefully I can get this to go down before tonight," she said to herself. She heard the bedroom door open and stiffened up. "Sara?" Sean called out. She let out a sigh of relief and went into the room. "Holy shit," Sean said softly. "It's not a big deal, Shorty," she said quietly, "When'd you get here?" "Kevin picked us up last night, darlin'. You were fast asleep, though," he said, "Here." He handed her an icepack and Sara placed it over her right eye. "Does Mark know how he treats you?" he asked quietly. "No…and I don't want Kevin's death on my conscience, so I'm not gonna tell him," she said forcing a grin. Sean sighed heavily and tilted her cheek so that he could see the bruise better. "I'll bring you another icepack, okay?" he asked quietly. "Nah, don't worry about it. I'll be downstairs in a little bit to start dinner for tonight, so I'll grab one then," she said. "Alright, darlin'. See ya down there," he said before leaving the room.

Sara sighed and went back into the bathroom. She finally noticed how nice it looked. It was designed with black marble material, with gold knobs on the sink and huge Jacuzzi tub. The bathroom was pretty large in size, with enough room for at least three people to move around comfortable. "Kevin isn't a normal-sized person, though," she said grinning slightly. She opened the mirror and saw various personal hygiene necessities: a toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream, razors, aftershave, and even a few pain pill bottles. She closed the mirror and looked in the little closet beside the sink. It was filled with washcloths, towels, toilet paper, soap, and even body wash. "At least he's prepared," she said softly. She went back into the bedroom and noted the huge four-post, king-sized bed in the middle. The linen were the colors red and black, with gold trimming. She habitually made the bed up neatly, and tossed Kevin's dirty clothes in a nearby hamper. The nightstand beside the bed held his alarm clock, a small black lamp, and a cordless phone. She noted that his wallet and a silver watch also were on the nightstand. She stood and walked over to the closet. It was a walk-in, of course. _My God…_my_ closet doesn't have this much shit in it_, she thought as she walked inside. The walls were at least twelve feet long. The upper part of one half of the left wall was filled with dress shirts, while the lower half was filled with dress pants. The other half of the left wall was filled with various types of jackets. There was a small case at the back of the closet which held all of Kevin's shoes: dress shoes, boots, tennis shoes, flip-flops, and even slippers. The back half of the right wall was covered with various styles of hats. The front half was filled up with workout clothes: sweatpants, basketball shorts, sleeveless t-shirts, sweatshirts, and even long-sleeved shirts. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "He's more of a woman than I am," she said leaving what seemed like a small bedroom and shutting the door, "Wonder what the rest of the house looks like." She noted the decorations on Kevin's walls, consisting of various paintings and a huge mirror beside his bed. There was a huge, 60-inch, flat-screen plasma television in the wall across from the bed. Sara shrugged and pulled her suitcase over beside the bed and plopped down on the soft mattress.

"Sexy…sexy…I can be sexy," she said quietly, "Fine…he wants sexy." She pulled out a pair of her tightest jeans, which hugged her in all the right places and were a white tiger print, and the spaghetti-stringed tanktop Liz had gotten her many years ago. It was something she'd planned on wearing for a photo shoot, just because it showed off her femininity. She slipped off her shorts and pulled on the pants, standing and zipping them up. She smoothed them over with the palms over hands, slipped on one of her black lacey bra, then finally pulled the tanktop over her head. She stood in front of the mirror and smiled slightly. Aside from the bruised eye, she looked pretty good. "Hair and make-up can wait," she said to herself. She grabbed a pair of her flip-flops and slipped them on. A voice sounded through the room, and Sara jumped. "Sara…by the door, there's an intercom," came Kevin's voice. Sara went over to the door and noticed the small box. She pressed the button to speak and said, "Yeah?" "Dany's gone. Come on out," he said. "Alright," she answered back. She took a deep breath and grabbed the icepack from the nightstand before leaving the room.

She immediately noted the many rooms on the second floor. There had to be at least eight aside from Kevin's. _Jeez, with Dany gone, I bet he's gonna make me housekeeper_, she thought eyeing the walls. There were small mirrors every few feet, with little plants underneath them. The banister was made of a dark mahogany, with the gold bar resting on top of it. "What is it with guys and dark colors," she whispered to herself. The carpet beneath her feet was dark black, golden swirls giving it a somewhat royal look. She made her way downstairs and looked around. The hallway led to what seemed like an even larger part of the house. She decided to go on a self-guided tour. The kitchen was the first place she came to, because it was the one she'd found her first time downstairs. It reminded her a lot of her kitchen at home in Texas, from the simple design of it. She left that room and went further down the hall. One door led to a small closet to hang coats in; the second door led to a huge gym with almost every piece of equipment possible; the third door led to a nice-sized office, which held a large desk at the back and a computer; the fourth, and final, room seemed to be the room Jesse's bachelor party was going to be in. Sara smiled at the sight of the silver streamers hanging down around a stage-type structure. "These guys are goin' all out," she said softly before leaving the room. She found the living room near the front of the house and saw that Kevin, Scott, and Sean were watching a basketball game. "Kitchen's all yours now," Kevin spoke up. _Great_, Sara thought before leaving the room, _This is gonna be a long day_.

Seven hours later, Sara finally finished with her cooking. She'd marinated and cooked a large ham, as well as a large turkey, baked a large, three-layer cake, a few dozen buttered rolls, fried various pieces of chicken, put together a large bowl of garden salad (made from fresh ingredients), sautéed cut potatoes, cooked fresh collard greens, made a large bowl of potato salad, and even fixed punch. She carried the food into the large party room by herself, and set the table up with plates, utensils, and napkins. "Sara!" Kevin called from the living room. She brushed her hands off and went into the living room. "Yeah?" she asked quietly. "There's a bunch o' liquor in the freezer, and a wooden box on top of the fridge. Take it in that party room," he said. "Yep," she said quietly going back into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and sighed. Several bottles of Captain Morgan, Jack Daniels, Jim Bean, Hennessey, Paul Meson, Cognac, and even Aristocrat were in front of her. She grabbed a crate from beside the refrigerator and carefully placed each bottle in it, then took the wooden box from atop the refrigerator. Glancing inside, she couldn't help but smile. It held 15 shot glasses exactly. "These guys are definitely gonna have an interesting night," she said to herself. She picked up the crate and took it back to the party room, setting up the alcohol at the end of the table, nearest to the gifts. When she finished, she went upstairs to do her hair and make-up. She knew that people were going to be heading over soon, and she knew Kevin wanted her to look her absolute best. She brushed her hair smooth, and put it up into a high ponytail. She straightened the ends with her straightening iron, putting a little curl in the very ends of her hair. She even curled up a few tendrils on the sides of her head. Moving to make-up, she hid the last of the bruise on her eye very well. The puffiness had disappeared after a couple hours, but the discoloration was still present. She lined her lids with a dark blue liner, giving her eyes a feline look. She brushed blue eyeshadow over her lids, and a shimmering blue shadow underneath her eyebrows. She curled her lashes and gave them a soft layer of black mascara, before finally brushing her teeth and drying her mouth. She applied a nice layer of blood red lipstick to her full lips, gliding a shining gloss over them to make them shimmer. She smiled and admired herself in the mirror. "Damn…I look good," she whispered to herself. She went back into the bedroom and put on a pair of black, high-heeled boots that fit perfectly underneath her pants. She made her way downstairs as the doorbell rang. _Perfect timing_, she thought as Kevin screamed out, "Sara, get the door!"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Sara said opening the door. "Whoa…hello, beautiful," said one of the young men standing in front of her. "Uh, hi," Sara said smiling, "Come on in." She stepped aside and four men walked inside. The first was a little taller than Sara, probably around 6'2" or 6'3". His blonde hair was spiked up with blue tips. He was fairly muscular, and could've easily passed for a wrestler. He was wearing a pair of loose blue jeans and a black t-shirt. The second man was an inch or two shorter than Sara, with short, unruly black hair. He was dressed in a very worn blue t-shirt, and a pair of cardigan pants. His brown eyes shone as he stared Sara up and down. The third man was seemingly stick thin, with curly black hair and brown eyes. He wore a bracelet on his right wrist, and several rings on his left hand. He wore a white t-shirt with "Yeah, I'm British, what of it?" printed on it, with a pair of black khaki pants. The fourth man was at least three inches shorter than Sara. His hair seemed to have been naturally blonde, but was now dyed the colors of the rainbow. His blue eyes were crystal clear, and he was dressed in a wife-beater tanktop with loose black jeans. "I'm Billy," the first man said sticking out his hand. Sara shook it politely. "Colin," said the second man. Sara grinned slightly and shook his hand. "Orlando," he said. Sara chuckled at his blatant accent and shook his hand. "Jeff," said the last man, "Got a question for ya." "Shoot," Sara said shutting the door. "Aren't you Angel, from the WWF?" Jeff asked. "Yeah, that's me," she answered shrugging. "I knew I knew you from somewhere. Thanks, Jeff," Billy spoke up, "Kevin didn't tell us you two were together." "We're not," Sara said chuckling, "Long story." "Where is the big mate?" Orlando asked. Sara showed the four men to the living room and said, "Kevin…some o' your friends are here." Kevin looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Welcome to my humble abode," he said spreading his arms. "You're retarded," Billy said slapping one of his outreached hands. Sara left the group and went into the kitchen to try and clean up what dishes were in there.

Over the next half an hour, the other eight men showed up. Matthew, Gary, Damien, Austin, Tim, Ryan, Erik, and Jesse introduced themselves to Sara almost as soon as she'd opened the door for them. Before long, there was more noise coming from the living room than Sara could've imagined. _It's like a bunch o' kids_, she thought as she closed up the dishwasher. She heard the noise begin to move down the hall and sighed, grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator. "Yo, sweetie," came a voice behind her. She turned around and crossed her arms. The man in front of her was probably 6'3" and 180 lbs. "I'm Austin, remember?" he said coming over to her. "Yeah, what do you want?" she asked. She wasn't in the mood to fight anyone, but if this man pushed her, she'd teach him some manners. "Some entertainment," he answered running his fingers over her arm. Sara pushed his hand away and said, "I'm sure it'll be here any moment." "Nah…I want you to entertain me," he said quietly. "Back off, buddy," she said trying to move away. Austin pushed her against the refrigerator and leaned down close. "When I see somethin' I want, I don't back off, sweetie," he said running his tongue over her cheek. Sara gasped and tensed up. "Austin, come on, man," Kevin said from the hallway. Austin winked at Sara before finally leaving the kitchen. Sara let out a deep breath and sat down at the table. "You okay?" Kevin asked. "Yeah," she said quietly, "Thank you." "No problem, baby girl. None o' these guys are gonna do anything to you, okay? That's just Austin bein' Austin," he said sitting down beside her. Sara nodded and took a swig of her water. "You look good," he said caressing her cheek gently, "Thanks for cooking dinner, and for gettin' everything ready for the guys." "Yep," she said softly. "Come here," he said taking her hand. He took her to the party room and told her to pick one of the bottles of liquor. "Why?" she asked. "Just pick one," he said.

Sara picked up one of the three bottles of Jack Daniels and looked up at Kevin. "Let's go," he said quietly. Sara looked over her shoulder, and grinned as the guys began to devour the food she'd prepared. She followed Kevin up to his room, and he shut the door behind her, locking it as well. He went into his closet and pulled out a flat box. "Here," he said quietly. Sara set the bottle on the nightstand and took the box from his hands. She slowly opened it and sighed. "What's this?" she asked quietly. "Your outfit for tonight," he answered. She pulled out a black bra similar to the one she'd worn Monday night. Underneath it was a pleated skirt which she was sure was small enough to fit Dany, who was about two sizes smaller than her. A long-sleeved, button-down shirt was on the bottom, along with a pair of white knee-high socks. "What the hell are you talkin' about?" she asked quietly, setting the clothes beside her and standing. Kevin grabbed the bottle of liquor and poured a shot. "Take it," he said quietly. Sara swallowed and hesitated. "Don't make me force you," he said quietly. "You're gonna have to--." Kevin grabbed her ponytail and tilted her head back, shoving the shot down her throat. Sara swallowed it and began to cough. "The next one will go down smoother," he said pouring another shot. "What are you doin', Kevin?" she asked as he grabbed her ponytail once more. He forced four more shots down her throat, before handing her back her bottle of water. Sara quickly gulped down half the bottle before dropping to the bed.

"I'll bring you a soda," Kevin said leaving the room. Sara let out a few deep breaths as she felt the alcohol begin to course through her body. _This can't be a good thing_, she thought shivering. Kevin came back moments later with a Coca-Cola in hand. "Here," he said handing it to her, "Get dressed. I'll be back in a half an hour." He headed for the door and Sara grabbed his arm. "Kevin…what's goin' on?" she asked slowly. "You're about to have the performance of your life," he said dropping a kiss on her forehead, "The Jack's to help you relax." Sara swallowed as he left the room and shut the door. _Just drink the alcohol, Sara. That'll make it go by faster_, she thought grabbing the bottle and pouring a shot. She downed it and quickly poured another one. After another five shots, Sara felt the room start to spin. She slipped out of her pants and tanktop, and removed her bra. She slipped on the one from the box and pulled the straps over her shoulders. She stood in the mirror and made sure she was showing enough cleavage without actually spilling out of the bra. A smile came to her face as she turned around, admiring her toned muscles and lean structure. She grabbed the skirt and slipped into it, buttoning it up in the front and making sure it covered her most private area. "Not like it's gonna stay on for long anyway," she said drunkenly. She took another shot before slipping on the white shirt. After tying it up, she went into the bathroom and touched up her make-up. She pulled her hair from its ponytail and brushed it smooth, pulling it over her chest and framing her face. _Mark, please forgive me_, she thought with tears in her eyes.

"Don't cry." Sara gasped and looked to her right. Kevin was standing in the doorway, leaning against the side. She sniffled and said, "I wasn't." "How many shots did you take?" he asked. "I lost count," she answered. Kevin grinned and pulled her close, caressing her cheek gently. "Beautiful as always, baby girl," he whispered. Sara shivered slightly and put her hands on his shoulders. "Just so ya know…there are other girls down there, about eight. You saw the stage at the front, right?" he said quietly. Sara nodded and took a deep breath. "That's your stage. You own it," he said grinning, "Just imagine the room's filled with 15 o' me, okay?" Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Cocky 'til the end, huh?" she asked softly. Kevin lifted her up and her legs came around his waist. He took her into the room and set her down on the bed. Sara watched as he rolled each sock up her lean calves, then slipped on a pair of thick pumps. "I think these should be easy to walk in," he said quietly. Sara pushed his hair behind his ears and touched her forehead to his. "Can you do me a favor?" she asked softly. "Sure, baby girl," he said quietly. "Make sure nobody touches me. They're gonna look…but if they touch me…drunk or not, I'm swinging," she said quietly. "I'll make sure and let Austin know," he said grinning. Sara chuckled and kissed his forehead lightly, then wiped away the lipstick. "Thanks," she said quietly.

Kevin helped her to her feet, and led her out of the room, his steady arm around her waist. Once in the hallway outside of the stage, Sara struggled to breath deeply. "I told you…15 o' me," Kevin whispered in her ear. "What's the song?" she asked. "There's three. Some o' the younger guys are really into these young chicks, so I got Britney Spears' "I'm a Slave 4 U" and Christina Aguilera's "Dirty". And the last song is No Doubt's "Hey, Baby". If you can, try and spend the most time with Jesse. Save him for last, as a matter o' fact," he said quietly. Sara nodded and ran her fingers through her hair. "Hey," Kevin said softly. She looked up at him, a lazy grin on her face. "You're beautiful," he whispered pulling at the tie on the white shirt, bringing her closer. "Maybe later…I'll show you how beautiful I can be," she said drunkenly. Kevin smiled and nodded. "I'll hold you to that," he said dropping a kiss on her cheek before releasing her. Sara watched him go through the door and shut it. She listened to his voice and a smile came to her face. "Gents, this is what we've all been waitin' for: the main event. This woman…beautiful doesn't even come close to describing her. And she can move like nobody's business. So trust me when I say: you're gonna enjoy this a lot more than you think you will," Kevin said as Sara came through the door, "Only one rule: you touch her, she'll rip your balls off, and she's fully capable of doing it!" She sat down in the seat and lowered her head. _Please, Mark, forgive me_, she thought once more before putting all thoughts out of her mind. The curtain opened and the music began. Over the next ten minutes, Sara danced better and more inviting than she'd ever done even for Mark. She'd enlisted the help of Scott and Sean to help remove her clothes, except for her underwear. She spent nearly 20 seconds with each man in the room, and danced the most part of "Hey, Baby" with Jesse. He was a little tentative at first, but once Sara had started grinding on his crotch, he'd began to enjoy himself. Once the third song ended, Sara smiled and held up her hands as every guy clapped and whistled loudly. Dance music started, and the eight girls who'd been standing in the back during Sara's dance came up and began to continue entertaining the guys. A hand grabbed Sara's wrist, and she spun around, prepared to defend herself. "Easy, baby girl," Kevin said wrapping a jacket around her and leading her out of the room.

Once the door shut, Sara fell to the floor, tears pouring down her cheeks. Kevin kneeled down in front of her and cupped her face. "It's over, baby girl," he whispered. "I feel so dirty…so cheap," she cried. "Come on," he whispered helping her to her feet. Sara wiped the tears from her eyes and allowed him to lead her upstairs to his bedroom. Kevin helped her onto the bed before shutting the door quietly and locking it. He slowly went over to the bed, noting that Sara had curled up into a ball. He sat down beside her and touched her shoulder. "You're not dirty, baby girl…and you're sure as hell not cheap," he said quietly. Sara slowly sat up and faced him, her eyes staring into his. She saw that same passion he'd had the night they'd had sex. "Kevin…," she whispered as his lips crashed down on hers. Kevin pressed her down to the soft mattress, running his hand over her belly. Sara moaned as his hand moved up over her breasts, caressing her neck softly. His tongue moved over her lips and teeth, before outlining her jawline and ear. Sara shuddered against him, biting down on her bottom lip. "You like that?" he whispered stretching out beside her. Sara nodded slowly and swallowed. Her heart pounded in her chest as Kevin nuzzled her ear with his nose. Her right hand went to his and she looked over to him. "Again?" she asked softly. "Only if you want to, baby girl," he whispered. Sara leaned forward and kissed him gently, pulling him closer. Kevin groaned slightly and deepened the kiss, moving his hand down through her hair.

_Fuck this nice shit_, Sara thought climbing on top of him. She wanted sex, and she wanted it rough. Kevin eased her bra off, cupping her large breasts in his hand. "Squeeze 'em, Kevin," she whispered. Kevin smiled and did as she asked, increasing the pressure. "Harder," she demanded. He squeezed her nipples tightly, and Sara moaned softly. "Like that, baby girl?" he asked pinching slightly. "Yeah…like that," she whispered. Kevin groaned at the sight of her flushed skin, feeling his dick get harder and harder. Sara pushed his hands away and grabbed at his shirt, ripping it open and sending buttons flying. "Sara…," he said quietly. Sara put a hand over his mouth and said, "For once…shut the fuck up" Her lips dropped down to his neck and she nibbled on his skin, slowly moving down over his broad chest. Kevin watched as her tongue flicked over his left nipple, and she bit down on the hard peak. He groaned softly as she moved over to his right nipple, biting down on it as well. "Holy shit," he whispered at the sudden pain. Sara moved down his belly, her hands gliding over his sleek skin. Sara roughly undid his belt, sliding it out and tossing it onto the floor. She smiled at the sight of his straining manhood, rubbing her hand over it slightly. Kevin groaned slightly and gripped the sheets around him. Sara slowly undid the button on his pants and slid them down his long, muscled legs. She pulled off his shoes and tossed them over her shoulders. She yanked the pants off and climbed back up, resting her hands on the sides of Kevin's waist. She licked her lips and slowly pulled the rock hard member from his boxers. He was as large as Mark, if not bigger. Kevin watched as she placed her mouth on him, and he clenched his teeth. Sara slowly moved her head up and down, taking him in as much as possible. Her hands moved to his cock, slowly squeezing and releasing the base to increase his pleasure. When she felt him tremble underneath her, she quickened her pace, squeezing his base even harder. Kevin groaned as he felt an orgasm coming on. He grabbed the back of Sara's head and pushed her up and down even faster. If she wanted it rough, he was going to give her what she wanted. Moments later, Sara grabbed his scrotum and he screamed out in pleasure, coming deep into her throat. Sara caught his warm liquid inside her mouth, with only a few drops escaping from the corners of her mouth. She sat up and wiped them away, looking down at Kevin with a raised eyebrow.

"Come here," he whispered motioning with his index finger. Sara climbed up his body and he pulled her face down to his, kissing her as hard as he could. Sara moaned as she felt his hand move down to her crotch. She felt a finger inside her, then another. "Oh!" she moaned against his lips. "You want it like that?" he asked. "Yeah," she whispered. "Beg for it," he said biting at her bottom lip. Sara groaned as he eased his fingers in and out, occasionally flicking over her nub of pleasure. "No!" she gasped pushing him down and straddling him, her lips crashing down on his. Kevin flipped her over, but Sara used his momentum against him, and they ended up on the floor. "Wait," he whispered grabbing a condom from the top drawer of his nightstand. He quickly slipped it on as Sara climbed back onto the bed clumsily. He grabbed her waist and pulled her back against him, impaling her. Sara moaned as Kevin began to pump his hips. "Beg for it, darlin'," he growled grabbing her hair and pulling. Sara moaned as his right hand smacked her rear end roughly. He hit her several more times, each time getting a louder moan from Sara. "Beg, goddammit," he whispered in her ear. "Fuck me, Kevin…PLEASE!" she moaned loudly. Kevin smiled and grabbed her waist again, pulling her against him roughly. He groaned as he felt her tighten around him. "I'm almost there, baby girl, I'm almost there," he whispered. Sara kneeled up, wrapping her hands in his hair as his own hands gripped her breasts. "Oh…oh….OH!" she screamed as his fingers pinched her already-hard nipples. He slammed into her repeatedly, relishing in the feel of his skin slapping against hers. His left hand snaked down her belly and rubbed her clit, and Sara screamed loudly. "There…right there," she gasped. Kevin kissed her hard, and groaned as he felt himself crash over the edge. Sara moaned loudly as her body shuddered roughly around him. Moments later, both people collapsed onto the bed, sated and exhausted. Kevin slowly pulled the covers over them and turned off the lamp. "What about your guests?" she whispered. "Scott's handling it, baby girl," he said as she curled up against him. He put his arms around her and pulled her closer. Sara managed to fall asleep within minutes, despite what was going to be a terrible headache in the morning. Kevin waited until she fell asleep before slowly climbing out of the bed. He went into the bathroom and took a long, hot shower, then went into his closet and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a sleeveless t-shirt. He quickly dressed and left the room.

Down in the party room, Scott was paying the girls their fee for the night. Kevin had told him that once Sara was done with her little dance, the girls would dance for another 15-20 minutes max, and then they had to leave. Scott showed them to the door as Kevin came down the stairs. "How is she?" Scott asked shutting the door behind the last girl. "Satisfied," Kevin answered grinning. "You slept with a married woman, man?" Scott asked. "What can I say? I'm the devil incarnate," Kevin answered. "You better hope Mark doesn't find out," Scott said. "Yeah, yeah, she and I have talked about that," Kevin said. "How many times have you fucked her?" Scott asked somewhat appalled. "Twice, counting just now," Kevin answered, "It's not gonna happen again. With all the work she's gonna have over the next week and a half, she's not gonna have any energy." "Wow…only you, man," Scott said, "So who's staying tonight?" "You, Shorty, Scotty, Colin, Gary, Austin, Tim, and Ryan," Kevin answered, "Jesse wouldn't stay, 'cause he's gettin' married tomorrow, and Billy's not staying because he's gotta be at that wedding, too. The other guys are gonna catch a cab home." "Alright. Who's cleaning this place up?" Scott said smiling. "Sara…tomorrow, when she gets up. When she beat the shit outta Dany, she took her place," Kevin said, "Speaking of Dany, I should call her tomorrow." "For what?" Scott asked. "Just…because," Kevin said. Scott chuckled and hit the larger man on the back. "Just ask her out and get it over with," he said. "Nah…she's not my type," Kevin said, "She's not in the business. I made a promise to myself when I got started – after I divorced Katie when I first started – I'm not goin' out with anyone who's not in the business." "So you're just gonna go after married women, huh?" Scott said chuckling. "Oh, fuck you," Kevin said punching his friend's arm playfully. They went down to the party room, preparing to enjoy the rest of the night.


	85. Slavery

**Chapter 84…Slavery**

Sara woke the next morning with the biggest hangover possible. She groaned slightly and yawned softly. The previous night was one big blur to her. Once she'd taken her tenth straight shot, things had started spinning. Trying to remember what had happened, Sara groaned and grabbed her head. "That takes too much energy," she whispered to herself. She slowly sat up and immediately felt nauseous. She ran into the bathroom and dropped down in front of the toilet, quickly emptying her stomach. She stayed in that position for nearly a half an hour. Once she was done, she wiped her mouth with toilet tissue, dropped the tissue in the stool, and flushed away the mixture. She slowly stood and let out a slow breath. "Okay…slow steps," she whispered. She made her way to the sink and splashed her face with cold water. She washed away the make-up from the previous night, and rinsed her face with warm water. She grabbed the closest towel and patted her face dry. "Sara?" came Kevin's voice over the intercom. Sara groaned slightly and went over to the small white box. "Yeah?" she asked quietly. "Come on downstairs," he said. "Give me a few minutes," she said quietly. "Alright, baby girl," he said. Sara rubbed her eyes and went back into the bathroom. She managed to take a hot shower without falling down, which was an amazing feat in her mind. She pulled out a pair of sweatpants from her suitcase and slowly slipped them on. She grabbed the Harley-Davidson shirt Mark had packed for her a few weeks ago and slipped it on as well. After pulling her hair into a low ponytail, she finally left the room.

Down in the living room, Kevin was sitting around with Scott, Matt, Sean, Colin, Gary, Austin, Tim, and Ryan. "Hey, baby girl," Kevin said when Sara entered. She forced a smile and went to sit down. "The guys are hungry," he said stopping her, "Go make us some breakfast." Sara stared at him in shock. "Excuse me?" she said quietly. "Breakfast," he said simply. Sara swallowed and slowly left the room, heading for the kitchen. "Damn, man. I wish I could get my woman to listen to me like that," Gary said, "She'd tell me to kiss her ass without a second look." "Yeah, well…our situation is a little different," Kevin said. "Please, do tell," Austin said. Kevin explained the stipulation of his match with Mark to his friends; they weren't wrestling fans, but they did occasionally watch. "So you actually get to keep her for 30 days?" Tim asked. "Yep," Kevin said with a smile. "I think I wanna be a wrestler now," Matt said laughing. Kevin chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, I'm with ya, Matt. We'll form a tag team, and get a manager like her," Tim said smiling. "You guys are idiots," Sean said leaving the room. "Yeah, but we have fun," Tim called after him. The group of men continued talking, while Sean went into the kitchen. Sara was leaning against the counter with her head lowered. "Hey, darlin'," he said quietly. Sara tensed up and looked up at him. "I was just about to get started. Please don't tell Kevin," she said softly. "I won't. I just came to help," he said quietly. Tears came to Sara's eyes and she looked away. "Come on, let's get those dorks some food," he said softly. Sara smiled a little and followed Sean around the kitchen. A few minutes later, Scott joined them. "What do you need, Scott?" Sara asked quietly. "I think the question's what do you need?" he said quietly, "I came to help out, too." "Thanks, guys," Sara said softly. "Not a problem. Kevin can be a dick sometimes," Scott said. Sara nodded, but focused on the biscuits in front of her. They finished preparing breakfast in silence.

"There's enough seats for everyone in here, right?" Sara asked quietly. "Yep," Scott said placing a large plate of pancakes on the large table. Sara put the bowl of scrambled eggs beside it, and Sean placed a bowl of biscuits beside that. Scott brought over the plate of bacon and sausage links and set it down. "You think they'll want coffee?" she asked him. "I already got that covered, Sara," Sean said from behind her. Sara looked over her shoulder and saw him holding two large pots of brewed coffee. "Thanks, Shorty…Scott, you, too. Thanks a lot," she said softly. "Not a problem, hon. I'll go get the guys," Scott said leaving the room. Sean took a seat as Sara brought over nine plates. The other eight men entered shortly and sat down as well. As they dived into the food, Sara sat at the counter with a small plate of her own food. Kevin looked over at him and gave a curt nod. She looked down at her food and let out a heavy sigh. She was surprised she hadn't gotten sick from fixing the food. "You wanna sit over here?" Kevin asked from the table. Sara merely shook her head. Kevin shrugged and went back to his conversation. "Can I get some orange juice?" Austin asked. Sara sighed and went over to the refrigerator, pulling out one of the cartons of orange juice. She set it on the table and moved to walk away. "I gotta pour it myself?" Austin asked with a grin. Sara let out a slow breath and opened the carton, slowly filling his mug. "Thanks, sweetheart," he said as she set the carton down. "I'm not your sweetheart," she said tensely. "Oh, really? Seems to me… you were everybody's sweetheart last night," Austin said slyly.

Sara walked away with tears in her eyes. She managed to eat her own breakfast without interruption. After the guys finished, they all left the room, leaving the table filled with dirty dishes. Sara forced tears away from her eyes as she carried the dishes over to the sink. "I'll help," Ryan said from behind her. "It's alright," she whispered. "No, really," he said standing beside her. Sara sniffled slightly as she ran water over the plates. "How long have you been a wrestler?" Ryan asked quietly. "Nearly 15 years," she answered. "Wow, that's impressive. I take it you wrestle with the guys," he said as she handed him a plate to dry. "Yeah…some are better than others, but…practice makes perfect for everybody," she said quietly. "Have you ever won a title?" he asked. Sara nodded and grinned slightly. "Several, actually," she said quietly. "Which ones?" he asked. "The Cruiserweight title…that's for the lightweights, I think 225 lbs. or less. The U.S. title, which is for any weight category. And the Intercontinental title, which is one step below the World title," she answered, "Are you a fan?" "Kind of. I mean, I watch it every now and then, but not regularly," he answered, "Do you like what you do?" "More times than not, but…there are times where I wonder if I should have made a different career choice," she said quietly. "Did you go to college?" he asked. Sara nodded as they continued cleaning the dishes. "Graduated from a school in Virginia, with a Bachelor's in Public Relations. I'd wanted to actually open my own firm…but then I met my first husband," she said quietly, "I blame it all on him." Ryan chuckled and said, "Breakfast was really good. Thanks a lot." "No problem," she said wiping her forehead with the back of her arm. They finished up quickly, and Ryan exited the kitchen while Sara cleaned off the table. As she finished, Kevin walked in.

"The party room needs to be cleaned, too," he said opening the refrigerator door. Sara's jaw clenched and she tied up the large trash bag she'd been messing with. She was too weak to argue, and even if she did, Kevin would find a way to intimidate her into doing what he wanted. Kevin grabbed an apple from one of the compartments and shut the door. "Thanks for breakfast," he said leaning against it. "Yeah, sure," she said quietly. "How do you feel?" he asked. "Like hell," she answered simply. "Well, drink a lotta water. It'll help cleanse your system," he said before leaving. Sara sighed heavily and grabbed a few large trash bags before heading down to the party room. When she entered, her heart dropped. _This is fucking ridiculous. Melissa doesn't make a mess this bad_, she thought shutting the door behind her. It took her nearly three hours to get the room completely clean. There had been leftover food on the table, boxes everywhere, confetti to pick up, and even torn garments randomly thrown around the room. She'd almost been tempted to douse bleach on every square inch of the room. Once she finished, she went back upstairs to Kevin's room. She found her cell phone and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She quickly dialed her house, and waited for Mark to answer.

"Hello, Callaway residence," answered Melissa. Tears immediately came to Sara's eyes, and she hesitated to answer. "Hello?" Melissa said. "Hi, baby," Sara said softly. "Mommy?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, it's me…it's mommy," Sara whispered. "HI! I miss you! When are you coming home?!" Melissa exclaimed. "I won't be home for another week, darlin'. But daddy said he's bringing you to work on Monday, so I'm gonna see you then," Sara said quietly. "Mommy, please don't fire Stacy," Melissa said sadly, "It wasn't her fault I fell, I promise!" Sara wiped away the tears that had spilled onto her cheeks and smiled. "I won't, darlin'…I was angry when I said that, okay? I know how much you love being with Stacy, so she won't go anywhere," she said quietly. "Thanks, mama!" Melissa said with a smile. "Is your dad around?" Sara asked quietly. "Yeah, hold on…DADDY!" Melissa screamed. Sara took a few deep breaths as she waited to hear Mark's voice. "Hey, dollface," Mark said softly. "I miss you, Mark…I miss you so much," Sara whispered. "What's wrong, dollface?" Mark asked hearing the sadness in her voice. "I just wanna come home, Mark. I miss you…I miss my daughter…hell, I even miss Marley," she said quietly. "What happened?" Mark asked. Sara sniffled and shook her head. "Nothing, Mark, I'm just lonely. You know how I get," she said quietly. "You sound like you didn't get much sleep," he said quietly. "Not any good sleep," she said softly. "Why's that?" he asked. "Kevin…had a bachelor party last night for one of his friends. And I had to play hostess for it…it was just a long night," she said quietly, "And now…he had me cook him and his buddies breakfast, and I had to clean up afterwards…and then, I had to clean…the party room they had the bachelor party in." "You're not his fucking maid, Sara, you didn't have to do any o' that," Mark said tensely. "I know, Mark…I was just too tired to argue," she said quietly. "Am I gonna have to beat some sense into him again?" he asked heatedly. "No, Mark," she said grinning at the thought, "As much as I'd love to see that…it's not necessary. Only one more week left, and then things will be back to normal." "I can't wait, baby," he said quietly, "Melissa says you're not gonna fire Stacy after all." "No…I think Melissa would hate me if I did that," she said grinning. "No, she wouldn't. Angry, maybe…hate…that's a little much," he said smiling slightly. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered in return, "Do you know when you're gettin' into Portland?" "No, not yet…probably not until Monday, though," she answered. Mark sighed and whispered, "Seven days is too long, dollface." "I know, Mark. I feel the same way," she said softly. A knock on the door interrupted her conversation. "I gotta go now. I'll try and call tomorrow, okay?" she said quietly. "You better," he said, "Bye, dollface." Sara said the same and quickly hung up her phone. She opened the bathroom door and saw a very angry Kevin.

"What the hell were you doing?" he snapped. "Talking to Mark," she said quietly. "Why?" he asked crossing his arms. "I hadn't talked to him since Thursday, Kevin," she said softly. Kevin snatched her phone away and pulled her from the bathroom. "Kevin, don't," she whispered as he threw her to the floor. "I suggest you not make any phone calls without asking me first," he said kneeling down beside her, "You got it?" "Yes," she whispered with tears in her eyes. "Stop all that goddamn crying, too," he said pulling her to her feet. Sara groaned slightly as he pushed her out of the room. "What do you need, Kevin?" she asked as he pulled her downstairs. "I just don't want you outta my sights," he said leading her into the living room. Everyone except for Scott and Sean had left, for which Sara was very grateful. Kevin sat down on one of the large leather couches and pulled Sara down beside him. He flipped the television on and turned to ESPN to watch Sportscenter. Seeing there was no interesting coverage, he began flipping through stations. He settled on a movie, and dropped the remote on the table in front of him, putting his other arm around Sara. Sara flinched slightly and her body tensed up. As the movie wore on, Sara felt her eyelids grow heavy. She needed a nap terribly, but the three men's laughter kept her from falling asleep. After the movie was finally over, Kevin moved his arm and said, "It's lunch time. What are you guys in the mood for?" "A cheeseburger, and a large Coke," Sean answered rubbing his belly. "What about you, Scott?" Kevin asked. "I think I'm in the mood for the same," Scott said, "You wanna go to McDonald's?" "What for? We got all the stuff in the kitchen," Kevin said pushing Sara to her feet. Sara merely nodded and headed into the kitchen. "Why are you treatin' her like that, man?" Sean asked. "Honestly?" Kevin asked. "Yeah, honestly," Sean said. "I'm tryin' to find her breaking point," Kevin answered, "I told her when this thing started, I broke her once before, and I was gonna do it again." "Jesus, Kev. I could see if she wanted to do that storyline, but she didn't. This isn't necessary," Scott said. "Hey, if you guys got a problem with it, you can always leave. I mean, there's the front door," Kevin said tensely. Sean and Scott looked at each other before standing. "I guess you can give us a call when you stop bein' an asshole," Scott said before leaving, Sean right behind him. Kevin sighed as he heard the door slam shut. "Give me about a week and a half, boys," he said to himself, picking up the remote.

Sara entered the living room a half an hour later, one large platter-sized plate in her hand with three cheeseburgers on it. "Where'd they go?" she asked quietly. "They left," Kevin answered grabbing one of the cheeseburgers. "Are they coming back?" she asked. "Nope," Kevin said biting into the burger. Sara swallowed and went back into the kitchen. The only two people who really knew her, and who could protect her from Kevin's wrath, were now gone, leaving her and the monster she'd once called a friend all alone.

When Kevin pulled into the arena parking lot in Portland around 2:30, he quickly parked the car. He shook Sara awake and said, "We're here." Sara nodded and slowly climbed out of the car. She'd slept maybe five hours over the past two days. Once Scott and Sean had left Kevin's house, he'd began to abuse her even more. She'd cleaned his house from top to bottom, making sure each room was perfect in case he decided to have any guests over. She'd waited on him hand and foot, making sure all his needs were met, including feeding him at three in the morning if his heart so desired. Kevin handed her the black duffel bag she always carried and put his hand around her right elbow, leading her into the building. She barely had the energy to speak with her coworkers. As they headed down the hall, Sara saw Mark and Melissa walking towards them. Her heart leapt, and a slight smile came to her face. Kevin immediately released her elbow, and she walked towards her husband. She reached for Melissa, and Melissa immediately came to her. "Hey, munchkin," she whispered in her daughter's ear. "Hi, mommy," Melissa said quietly, "You look sleepy." "I am…but hey, I've gotta work, so…," Sara said looking up at Mark. He leaned down and kissed her gently. "Come on," he whispered taking her duffel bag from her. "Where are we going?" she asked. "Where else? The balcony," he said grinning. Sara smiled and happily followed him to their destination.

Upon arrival, Sara immediately sat down and looked at the cast on Melissa's ankle. "I still can't believe you broke your ankle," she said quietly. "It didn't hurt, mama. I just wanted to see how high I could climb up the tree," Melissa said smiling. Sara grinned slightly and kissed her forehead. "My little daredevil," she said softly. Mark put his arm around her and kissed the side of her head. "You didn't call me yesterday," he said softly. "I'm sorry, Mark," she whispered. "Don't worry. You're with me now, and that's what matters," he said quietly. Sara looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I don't wanna go back with him, Mark," she whispered. "Only six days, dollface," he said quietly. "I don't know if I can deal with that," she said softly. Mark kissed her temple and squeezed her shoulder gently. "Mama?" Melissa said quietly. "Yeah, baby," Sara said. "Can we go down to the ring?" Melissa asked with a smile. Sara chuckled and looked at Mark. "What do you think?" she asked. "It's up to you, baby," he said quietly. Sara smiled and looked down at Melissa. "I suppose it's okay. But no tumbling for you," she said kissing her daughter's nose. Melissa giggled and clapped her hands. Sara slowly stood and headed down the stairs, Mark following close behind her. When they stepped out onto the stage, Sara stopped. She saw Kevin in the ring with Shawn, and there was no way in hell she was taking her daughter down there. "Melissa, this can wait," she said. "Mommy, please!" Melissa said. Sara swallowed as she saw Kevin look towards her. "Sara, if you don't feel comfortable, you don't have to go down there," Mark said quietly, "But you know I'm right here with you." She nodded and let out a shaky breath. "Alright…we'll just sit at ringside and wait for them to finish," she said quietly. Mark grabbed Sara's free hand and linked their fingers together. Sara shifted Melissa slightly, and grinned. Mark headed down the ramp and Sara walked beside him, feeling just a little more confident.

Mark climbed over the banister first, then grabbed Melissa from Sara. Sara eased over the banister and sat down beside Mark. "I take it we have an audience now," Shawn said from the ring. "Maybe," Sara said smiling at him. "I'll do my best, lil' 'Taker," he said to Melissa. Melissa smiled and nodded. "Are you wrestling tonight?" Sara asked. "Yeah, against John. Lil' man seems to think he's bigger than he actually is," Mark said quietly. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "He's got a big heart, though, and he loves what he does. That's all you can ask for, right?" she said quietly. "I agree, dollface. And he's got a sense o' humor that rivals D.J.'s," he said putting his arm around her shoulder. "Mommy?" Melissa said quietly. "Yeah, baby," Sara said. "Does it hurt when you fall in the ring?" Melissa asked. "Of course it does, darlin'. Not as much as we make it out to be, but it hurts. Once I fell down for the first time, I realized I'd never be 100 healthy again," Sara said quietly. "Do you have fun?" Melissa asked. Sara grinned and shrugged. "Depends on who I'm wrestling. Maybe once I come back with daddy, you can watch me and him wrestle against each other," she answered. "But daddy's bigger than you!" Melissa said laughing. "Yeah, but I know how to knock him down to my level," Sara said smiling at Mark. "Yeah, she can, munchkin. She scares me sometimes, ya know," he said winking at her. "Nu-uh!" Melissa said. "I'm serious. Mama's got a temper!" he said smiling at Melissa. "I do not!" Sara gasped smacking his thigh. "See, Melissa, she's violent, too," he said chuckling. "You know what I could use?" Sara whispered. "What's that?" Mark asked. "Well, two things, actually. A nice, long workout…and a nap," she said softly. "You want me to take Melissa?" Mark asked. "No…why don't you come with me?" Sara said quietly. "Stacy's not here, though," he said. "Do you know if Lisa's here?" she asked softly. "Yeah, she and Andy both are," he answered, "You think they'll mind?" "Let's go see," Sara said standing. Mark smiled slightly and followed her to the back.

Once in the back, Sara let out a breath she'd seemed to be holding since she spotted Kevin. She'd seen the looks of revenge he'd been throwing her as she talked with Mark at ringside, and wondered just how much more he was going to torture her before Sunday. They found Andy and Lisa in the catering room eating lunch with Amy and Matt. "Hey, there, baby doll," Andy said. Sara leaned down and hugged him tightly. "Hey," she said softly. "You okay, chica?" Lisa asked. "I need a favor," Sara said. "Sure," Lisa said. "Would you guys mind keepin' an eye on Melissa? I need a workout, and Stacy's not here," Sara said slowly. "No problem, hon," Lisa answered. Sara smiled and said, "Thank you so much, hon. I really appreciate it." Sara set Melissa down and asked if she was hungry. Melissa nodded and Sara quickly got her a plate of food: carrot slices, a few pieces of ham, an apple, and a bottle of water with a straw. "Here ya go, baby. Daddy and I'll find you in a few hours, okay?" she said kissing the top of Melissa's head. "Don't worry, baby doll, she'll be fine," Andy said. "Oh, if she wants to go down to the ring…she can go," Sara said smiling slightly. "Oh, so the mother instinct isn't kicking in today?" Lisa asked smiling. "I can compromise. Just don't let her in there with any o' the guys," Sara answered before leaving the room with Mark.

Sara and Mark headed to the gym hand-in-hand. Once there, Sara sat down on the floor and began to stretch her legs. "So how'd things go after we talked Saturday?" Mark asked sitting down in front of her. _Hell on earth_, Sara thought, instead saying, "We just kinda hung around his house…nothin' special, same thing I do at home." "I gave Stacy the week off, until you come back home so you can talk to her," Mark said. "Ya know, I'm not gonna say it's not a big deal, 'cause it is. But…we all make mistakes. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. She's been Melissa's babysitter for a few years, and she cares for her like she's her own daughter. I think I'd be making a huge mistake if I were to fire her," she said quietly. Mark grinned and touched her hand. "I think that's a good idea, dollface," he said softly. She smiled slightly and leaned forward, kissing him softly. "I miss you," she whispered touching his cheek. "I miss you, too, dollface," he whispered, "Come on, let's get this workout outta the way, and then we'll go take a nap." "Okay," she whispered. They finished stretching, then took their time working out together. They left the gym nearly two hours later. Sara went down to Kevin's room alone to clean up; she'd told Mark she'd meet him in his locker room in a half an hour. When she entered the room, her heart seemed to skip a beat. Kevin was sitting on the couch watching the television. She kneeled down at her duffel bag and pulled out her towel and outfit for that night.

"How long are you gonna be?" Kevin asked as she went towards the bathroom. "With what?" she asked softly. "Your shower," he said, his eyes focused on the television. "I told Mark I'd meet him at his locker room in a half an hour," she said quietly, "What do you need?" "Well, I don't have a match tonight – I was just helping Shawn out – but…Mark does," he answered. "I know," she said shifting uncomfortably. "We're goin' out there," he said grinning. "To do what?" she asked. "I haven't thought of that yet…but it's gonna be interesting," he said grinning slyly. Sara rolled her eyes and went into the bathroom, shutting the door harshly. She quickly showered and changed. She was wearing a pair of black leather lowrider pants, with a black leather vest-like shirt that showed off her stomach. She pulled on a sweatshirt and put her hair in a loose ponytail, then wrapped her dirty clothes in her towel and left the bathroom. She put the towel in her duffel bag and left the room quietly. Kevin could be as sneaky as anybody, and she didn't really want to know what he had planned for Mark's match. She went down to Mark's locker room and entered without knocking. She heard the shower running and smiled slightly, sitting down on the large couch. Her eyes closed, and within moments she was asleep. Mark came out of the bathroom 15 minutes later and smiled slightly. Sara was fast asleep, looking quite uncomfortable with her left leg draped over the edge of the couch, and her left arm hanging over the edge as well. He kneeled down beside her and put his hands on her waist.

Sara startled awake and gasped, "Don't touch me!" She bounded to the other side of the couch, her knees curled up to her chest, and rocking back and forth. "Dollface…," Mark said quietly. Sara looked up at him slowly, let out a slow breath. He slowly came over to her, his hands up. Sara's bottom lip trembled slightly and she forced back tears. "What is it, baby?" he whispered. He slowly sat down and Sara shivered. "What's wrong, baby?" Mark asked softly. Sara climbed into his lap and curled up to him. Mark put his arms around her, feeling her trembling against him. "What's wrong?" he asked again. Sara shook her head and placed her right hand on his shoulder. "Bad dream," she whispered. Mark rubbed her back reassuringly, trying to make her relax in his arms. "Well, you're okay, right?" he asked. Sara nodded and rubbed her nose in his hair. "Just hold me," she whispered. Mark sighed heavily and continued rubbing her back. He knew deep in his heart that Kevin had done something bad to her, but he also knew that Sara wouldn't tell him. For some reason, she felt the need to protect Kevin; she knew that if Mark found out about anything Kevin had done to hurt her, Mark would make Kevin pay for it with his fists. After nearly ten minutes of silence, Mark looked down at Sara and realized she was asleep again. He turned on the television to watch his match from the previous week's RAW, allowing Sara to catch up on some obviously much-needed sleep.

Sara's eyes opened, and she looked around the empty locker room, remembering that she had fallen asleep in Mark's arms. She slowly sat up, groaning slightly. She yawned slightly and stood, stretching her tight limbs. The door opened, and Mark walked in with Melissa in his arms. "So you're awake now?" he asked grinning. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked. "About an hour and a half, I think. I tried waking you up to go eat, but you wouldn't move, so I just let you be," he answered. "Hey, there, munchkin," Sara said as Mark put Melissa in her arms. "Hi, mommy. Ms. Lisa and Ms. Amy took me in the ring!" Melissa said smiling. "Really? Did you have fun?" Sara asked. "Yep! I was the referee!" Melissa said. Sara chuckled softly and kissed her nose. "Good for you, darlin'. Were you fair?" she asked sitting down. "Yes, mama. Ms. Lisa won fair and square," Melissa answered. "You sure you weren't biased? I mean, Lisa _is_ Uncle Andy's girlfriend," Sara said smiling. Melissa laughed and looked away. "Ha! I knew it! We've got a biased referee, Mark," Sara said. Mark chuckled as he sat down beside her. "She's not biased, she's just clever. I think that's a great quality to have sometimes," he said rubbing Melissa's head. "Daddy!" Melissa said moving her head away.

"What time is it?" Sara asked. "A little past seven," he answered. Sara sighed heavily and placed Melissa in his lap. "Where ya goin'?" he asked as she stood. Sara looked down at him, and he sighed. "Never mind," he whispered. Sara kissed the top of Melissa's forehead and sniffled slightly. "Take care o' daddy, okay?" she whispered. Melissa nodded, and Sara looked at Mark. "Watch your ass out there tonight, okay? I think Kevin's gonna try and pull somethin'," she said softly. "Alright, dollface," he said. Sara leaned forward and kissed him softly. "Mom!" Melissa said trying to push them apart. Sara chuckled and whispered, "I love you, Mark." "Always and forever, dollface," he whispered back. Sara quickly left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. She headed to Janet to get her hair and make-up done. When she arrived, she smiled when she saw Trish with large plastic rollers in her hair. "Hey, hon," Sara said smiling, "That's a good look." Trish smiled and posed. "You think the fans will go for this?" she asked. Sara laughed and shrugged. "Ya never know," she answered. "Why don't you come back in about 20 minutes, and I'll get those rollers out, okay, Trish?" Janet said smiling. "Thanks, Janet," Trish said before leaving. Sara chuckled as she sat down. "That girl is one of a kind," she said quietly. "I agree. So…things still hectic with Kevin?" Janet said. Sara sighed heavily and nodded. Janet was the only one she talked about Kevin with, because she knew for a fact Janet wouldn't tell anyone, especially Mark. "This weekend…I played hostess for a bachelor party, Janet. It was the most demeaning time of my life," she whispered. "Why don't you tell Mark this?" Janet asked. "I don't want Kevin to get killed. As much as I hate him, he still deserves to live," Sara answered quietly, humor in her voice. "Yeah, I suppose so. How do you want your hair?" Janet asked. "Straight down, Jan, if you don't mind," Sara answered. "Sure thing," Janet said picking up a brush. Sara sat in silence as Janet straightened her hair completely, curling only her bangs to frame her face. Trish came by right before Janet started Sara's make-up.

"You mind, Sara?" Janet asked. Sara shook her head and stood; she was actually grateful for Trish coming by, because she was about to fall asleep. "I'm telling you, Trish, the curlers would work. The fans would love it," she said smiling. "Maybe for a houseshow," Trish said laughing, "We'll test it out before we take it to national TV." Sara smiled and nodded. "Your choice, darlin'," she said. Janet quickly removed the rollers and fluffed up Trish's hair to give it more volume. "There ya go, Trish," she said once she was done. "Thanks, Janet, you're the best," Trish said before leaving. Sara sat back down and rotated her neck. "Did you at least get to see Mark today?" Janet asked quietly. "Yeah. We worked out together, and then he let me take a nap in his locker room. I swear, I think I got maybe five hours of sleep over the past two days," Sara answered, "But when he tried to wake me up…I was in the middle of a nightmare, so it scared the shit outta me when he woke me up." "What was the nightmare?" Janet asked spreading foundation over her face. Sara sighed heavily as tears came to her eyes. Janet stopped her application until Sara got herself together. "You wanna talk about it?" Janet asked her. "Rape, Janet…Kevin was raping me," she whispered. "Jesus, Sara," Janet said softly. "Exactly. It was a really weird dream, because…just because," Sara said softly, not wanting to admit her infidelity even to Janet. "You think it's a subconscious fear?" Janet asked. "I don't know, maybe. This whole time I've been with Kevin, he's done his best to intimidate the hell outta me, to let me know that he's stronger than me, that he has control over me. Maybe it's just a reflection o' that," Sara said quietly. "You ready?" Janet asked. Sara sniffled and nodded, keeping quiet so that Janet could concentrate.

Ten minutes later, Janet applied the last touches of Sara's lipstick. "There ya go," she said, "All done." Sara glanced in the mirror and smiled slightly. "Thanks, Janet," she said quietly. "Not a problem. Take care o' yourself this week, okay?" Janet said as Sara stood. "I'll try," she said quietly, "Bye, Jan." Sara headed down to Kevin's locker room, her heart pounding in her chest. She hated being around him, because of the fact that he'd learned how to intimidate her so easily. She came to Kevin's door, and took a few deep breaths before entering. Kevin was stretched out lazily on the couch, munching on a piece of celery. "Enjoy your little bout of freedom?" he asked. Sara chose not to answer, instead closing the door. "Have a seat," Kevin said sitting up. Sara slowly sat down at the far end of the couch, but Kevin grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer. "Now why do you wanna sit all the way over there?" he asked with a smile. _I don't wanna be anywhere near you, asshole_, Sara thought angrily. "I came up with an idea for tonight. It's gonna be fun," he said interrupting her thoughts. "What is it?" she asked quietly. "I'm not tellin'. It'll be a surprise for everybody. I just hope it works out," he said smiling. Sara sighed heavily and turned her attention to the television; the dark matches were always played for the wrestlers backstage. Around show time, Kevin stood and went into the bathroom. Sara shuddered as the door slammed shut. _Six more days, Sara, that's it…six more days_, she thought with hope, _Six more days and you're back in your husband's arms, back with your daughter…back with people who really love you_. A slight smile came to her face, and her chest felt a little lighter.

Over a half an hour later, Kevin came out of the bathroom dressed in his black leather wrestling pants. He threw his towel down on his duffel bag and said, "Let's go." Sara sighed heavily and slowly stood, following him out of the room. Mark's match was near the end of the first hour, and she knew something bad was going to happen. Kevin had a look in his eye that relayed his dastardly plans. When they got to the pit, Mark had already walked out onto the stage. "Wait back here," Kevin told her before going up to the production table. She saw him kneel down beside Vince and start speaking in low whispers. "Sara?" came Andy's voice from behind her. She faced him and smiled slightly. "Hey," she said quietly. "You feelin' a little better?" he asked. He'd noticed the weary look in her eyes earlier, but had chose not to say anything. "No…but hey, I've only got six more days," she said quietly. "How's he been treatin' you?" he asked motioning towards Kevin. "I don't wanna talk about it," she answered. "That bad?" Andy asked. Sara nodded slightly and crossed her arms. "Mark know about it?" he asked. "Of course not. If he did, Kevin wouldn't be here, he'd be in a wooden box buried in our back yard," she said quietly, a smile on her face. "Yeah, I figured as much. What's he doin'?" he said. "Don't know. He wouldn't tell me, but I have a feeling we're goin' out there…and somethin' bad is gonna happen," she said quietly, "With Kevin…any time he's secretive, it leads to a disaster." "Don't worry, baby doll. Vince will tell the ref, who'll tell Mark. He'll be as prepared as possible," he said tapping her nose. "I still don't like it," she said quietly. "You don't have to." "I gotta go, Andy," she whispered, "Please don't say anything to Mark." Andy watched as Kevin grabbed Sara's arm and pulled her away. _If Mark knew about this…the shit would hit the fan_, he thought somewhat angrily.

"What were you talkin' about?" Kevin asked as they waited for the cue from Vince. "Nothing," she answered. "Lying bitch," he said quietly, "You want me to force the truth outta ya?" "No, Kevin…we were talking about Mark," she said quietly. "Jesus, do you ever talk about anything else?" he asked. "Not if I can help it," she answered honestly. "Well, I hope you enjoy this as much as I will," he said right before Vince gave him the cue to go out onto the stage. Sara gasped as she felt his hand in her hair, yanking her out behind him. The crowd booed loudly as Kevin dragged her down the ramp, Sara struggling to get away. Kevin stopped at the bottom of the ramp, smiling when Mark spotted him. "Hey, there, Deadman," Kevin said smiling, keeping a tight grip on Sara's hair. "You're dead, Nash," Mark snarled from the ring. He turned his attention back to John, who knocked him down with a harsh clothesline. "Watch, Angel," Kevin said to Sara, shoving her in front of him. Sara tried to turn her head, but Kevin grabbed her jaw and forced her to watch John decimate Mark with punches and kicks. "Please, let me go!" she screamed to Kevin. "No, baby girl, just watch," he said. Tears came to Sara's eyes because of the pressure Kevin was applying to her jaw. She flinched as John laid Mark out with a crucial DDT and covered him. "One…two…three," yelled the referee.

The bell rang signaling the end of the match, and Kevin pulled Sara into the ring. He threw her into the corner as John rolled out of the ring. Kevin pulled Mark to his feet, and DDT-ed him for added effect. "Get me a chair," he demanded of Sara. "No!" she screamed. "Get me a damn chair," he growled coming over to her, "Or you'll regret it later." Sara swallowed and slowly climbed out of the ring, getting a chair from underneath the ring. She hesitated as she saw Mark sit up. "Give it to me," he yelled. Sara looked down at the chair, gripping the edges tightly. "No," she said defiantly. Kevin climbed out of the ring, and Sara backed up a few steps. Kevin went to move towards her, but Mark grabbed his hair from the ring, pulling him onto the mat. Kevin grabbed his head and pulled him down over the rope. Sara gasped as Mark fell back. Kevin slowly climbed into the ring, and Sara sneakily slid in under the bottom rope. Kevin moved towards Mark, and Sara took a deep breath before kicking him right in his groin. Kevin groaned loudly and dropped to his knees as Mark slowly stood. "Come here," Mark said quietly. Sara slowly went over to him and he softly said, "Do it. Hit him with all you got." Sara stood in front of Kevin, who had a look of pure pain on his face. "Don't do it, Angel," he said quietly. Sara's jaw tightened, as did her fists. The crowd screamed in anticipation, wanting her to hit Kevin even more than she did. "Go ahead, Angel," Mark said from behind her. Sara reached back and nailed Kevin directly in his left eye with all her strength, knocking him down to the mat. The fans cheered loudly, and Sara felt a sense of victory. For once, she'd shown Kevin up. Mark dropped out of the ring as Sara smiled broadly for the first time in what seemed like forever. "You son of a bitch!" she screamed down at Kevin, who was slowly getting to his knees, "You don't know who you're messin' with! You thought you were coming out on top, but look at you now!"

Kevin saw Mark slide in the ring with a chair and smiled inside. His plan was working perfectly. He grabbed Sara's hand, and pulled her in front of him just as Mark swung the chair. Mark heard the chair connect with Sara's back, and his jaw dropped. She fell to the mat limply, her hair strewn across the mat around her. Kevin rolled out of the ring as Mark dropped down beside her. "Oh, my God, dollface," Mark whispered moving Sara's hair out of her face, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. Angel, wake up, baby. Please wake up." Unfortunately, the mixture of stress and lack of sleep, along with the chair shot, had knocked her out completely. "Come on, baby, wake up," Mark whispered. Sara's eyes fluttered open after a few moments, and she groaned, grabbing at the back of her head. "Baby, I'm so sorry," he whispered. Sara gasped as she saw something swing towards Mark. Kevin hit Mark in the back of the neck with a sledgehammer, causing him to fall on top of Sara. Sara groaned even louder at Mark's dead weight on top of her. Kevin smiled as he pulled Mark to his feet, shoving his head between his legs. He picked him for a powerbomb, and dropped Mark as hard as he could. Sara slowly began to move, but Kevin saw her. "You stupid bitch," he snarled grabbing for her. "Please," she gasped trying to move away. Kevin's fingers latched onto her hair, and he pulled her roughly from the ring. "You're gonna pay for that punch," he growled in her ear. Tears came to Sara's eyes, because she knew he would go through with that threat. "Let me go, Kevin," she said as he dragged her up the ramp. She noticed on the large TitanTron that Mark was still laid out in the ring. She stumbled up beside Kevin, and he practically pushed her through the curtains. "Excellent work, Kevin. That was a nice little unprompted spot," Vince said from the table. "Thanks, Vince," Kevin said as Sara headed down the steps, "You mind if I go ahead and leave? I got a red-eye to Reno." "Yeah, no problem," Vince said, "See ya tomorrow." Kevin nodded and headed down the steps behind Sara. He caught up with her and grabbed her elbow, keeping a tight grip on it until they were inside his locker room.

"Bet that punch felt real good, didn't it?" he snapped slamming the door shut. Sara looked down, tears spilling down her cheeks. She didn't know how bad Mark was really hurt. "Get your shit," he growled. "What?" she whispered. Kevin backhanded her, sending her down to the floor. "Get your shit, and let's go," he snapped picking up his own duffel bag. Sara wiped the tears from her eyes and quickly did what she was told. Kevin opened the door and let her out first; he wanted to be out of the arena before Mark even got to the back. A camera was there waiting already; Vince had told him his exit would be recorded, adding more to the match between him and Mark at Bad Blood. He reached the back door, and shoved Sara through it. They got to his rental car, and Sara climbed into the passenger's seat as he hurried into the driver's seat. Sara hadn't even shut her door before the car peeled away. She slowly buckled her seatbelt, while Kevin focused on the road. Kevin glanced over at her, noting the way she sat tensed up, as if waiting for him to hit her. "Don't worry, darlin'…it's not gonna happen tonight," he said cryptically. Sara shuddered slightly, a fear spreading through her body that she hadn't felt since that day she'd been attacked by Shawn. Once they got to the airport, Sara took her things from the trunk of the rental car and followed Kevin inside. He handed her a ticket, and they quickly boarded their plane. "Sleep while you can, baby girl…I told you that you were gonna pay for that punch, and I intend to cash in on that promise," Kevin growled in her ear. Sara swallowed and shifted slightly in her seat. That ominous threat followed her even as she slipped into the land of dreams.


	86. Rebooting the System

**Chapter 85…Rebooting the System**

Tuesday was one of the longest of Sara's life. She was up at six a.m. with Kevin, to work out, of all things. They'd gone to the arena extra early, and Kevin found things to keep Sara awake and working completely. She saw Mark for all of five minutes in the catering room, but Kevin had found a way to separate her from him underhandedly. When they drove up to Kevin's house Wednesday morning, Sara felt like a train had run over her twice. She hadn't slept much the night before, because Kevin had forced her to sleep on the floor instead of in the bed. Kevin parked the car and climbed out. "Bring the bags inside," he ordered. Sara sighed heavily and managed to step out of the car without collapsing. She felt warm all over, and her throat was itching. There had been someone sick on their flight to Reno, and with her lack of sleep, it made for a dangerous combination. She slowly opened the trunk, and pulled Kevin's suitcase out, followed by her own. She shrugged the duffel bags on each shoulder, then rolled the suitcases inside. Kevin was in the living room, watching TV and stretched out on the couch. "Take 'em upstairs, and then cook somethin' for lunch," he answered. Sara sighed heavily and shut the door behind her. She managed to lug the heavy suitcases upstairs, and dropped them in Kevin's room. She rubbed her eyes and sighed again as she headed down to the kitchen. She decided to make Kevin a cheeseburger, and it took longer than usual. When Kevin came into the kitchen demanding his food, she softly said, "I'm sorry, it's taking a little longer than I thought it would." Kevin looked down at the frying pan, and then at her. "Did I say I wanted a burger?" he asked. "I just ass-." Kevin grabbed the frying pan and threw it across the kitchen, sending grease and meat flying. "I didn't ASK for a burger. You should've ASKED me what I wanted!" he screamed. Sara backed up a step, her eyes glued to the ground. "What do you want, Kevin?" she whispered. Kevin smirked and said, "Nothin' now. Clean that shit up." Sara watched him leave and had to force herself not to break down in tears. She quickly cleaned up the mess he'd made, throwing away the meat and mopping up the grease. As she finished, she heard Kevin answer the front door.

"Hey, Scott," she heard him say. _Thank God…somebody normal_, she thought. "You want anything to drink?" Kevin asked. "Yeah, sure," Scott answered shutting the door. "Sara, a couple o' beers," Kevin said as he and Scott went into the living room. "Nah, man, I'm off o' alcohol," Scott said. "Alright. Sara, a soda and a beer," Kevin said. Sara sighed heavily and grabbed a soda can and a beer bottle from the refrigerator, then went into the living room. "Hey, there, Sara," Scott spoke as she handed him the soda. "Hi, Scott," she said quietly. "You okay? You don't look so good," Scott said noting her flushed cheeks. "I'm alright," she said handing Kevin his beer. "Yeah, man, she's fine," Kevin said grinning. Sara left the room and went back into the kitchen, leaving the two men to relax. "So, man, how's your week been?" Kevin said sipping on his beer. "Good, good. I'm enjoying my new job," Scott answered. "What's that?" Kevin asked. "Working as a DJ, of all things," Scott answered, "It's new, and it's a lotta fun. All these people call in who recognize me from wrestling, and it's just funny to hear the things they say." "Wow, man, that's pretty cool," Kevin said smiling. "Yeah, it's interesting," Scott said, "I watched you on Monday night. That was a pretty tight spot you had with Mark." "Yeah, it was fun. He can sell like nobody's business," Kevin said. "Was Sara supposed to get hit with that chair?" Scott asked. "Yeah. Vince thought it'd make for good TV to see Mark groveling over her like he was," Kevin said chuckling, "I thought it was pretty pathetic, to be honest." "I think that's why you're not married," Scott said laughing. "Ya know, I think you're right," Kevin said taking a swig of his beer, "Women…they cause too much stress. I learned that the hard way from Katie. Man, she chewed my heart up and spit that shit right out." "Ya know, every woman's not like her, buddy," Scott said taking a sip of his soda. "Yeah, maybe…but guys don't take rejection too well, ya know. We're not like females. We get hurt once, we take it out on the whole female population," Kevin said honestly. "Yeah, we do, unfortunately," Scott said.

"Sara, bring me another beer," Kevin yelled out. Sara came in moments later with a beer in hand. She handed it to him, took the empty one, and left the room. "She doesn't look too good, Kevin, seriously. She looks like she has a fever or somethin'," Scott said quietly. "Well, go check on her if you're so damned concerned," Kevin said flipping through stations on the television. Scott set his drink on the table and went into the kitchen. Sara was sitting at the table, a Pepsi in her hand. "Sara?" he said quietly. Sara looked up at him, exhaustion apparent on her face. "What do you need, Scott?" she asked softly. "I just wanted to see if you were okay," he said sitting down beside her. "Doesn't matter," she whispered. "Maybe not to Kevin, but it does to me," he said quietly. "I'm just a little tired, Scott, that's all," she said softly, gulping down her Pepsi. Normally she didn't drink dark sodas, but it had caffeine in it, and she needed that to stay awake. "You look more than tired, sweetheart," he said quietly. Sara slowly stood and went over to the trash can. She dropped her can in it, and wobbled a little. Scott quickly came over to her, putting his hands on her waist to steady her. "I'm fine, Scott. Please…just let me be," she whispered. "Alright, hon. If you need me, though, just let me know, okay?" he said quietly. Sara nodded and watched him leave.

_I don't need you, I need my husband_, she thought tiredly. "So how is she?" Kevin asked as Scott sat down. "She looks like she's gonna collapse at any minute," Scott answered. "Thanks for the update," Kevin said. Scott merely shook his head. As the evening wore on, Kevin found ways to get Sara moving around more than necessary. He had her do his laundry, so that he'd have clean clothes to wear over the next few days. Once she was done with that, he demanded that she cook him and Scott dinner. "Steak, baby girl…and mashed potatoes," he said. Sara stumbled to the kitchen and began her task. She thawed out two steaks, and put them in separate frying pans, and poured instant mashed potatoes into a medium-sized pot. It took her a half an hour, but she finally finished dinner. "Are you done yet?!" Kevin screamed from the living room. "Yeah," Sara said putting the food on plates, "I'm coming." She picked up the plates, and turned to head for the living room. Suddenly, her legs collapsed beneath her, and she felt the world go dark around her. Kevin and Scott heard the crash of plates from the living room, and both men ran into the kitchen. "Holy shit," Scott whispered. Food was spread over the floor, and Sara was laying facedown. Kevin kneeled down beside her and turned her over. "What happened?" Scott asked. "The hell if I know," Kevin said smacking Sara's cheek in an effort to wake her. His efforts failed completely; Sara was out cold. He put his hand on her forehead and gasped. "Go get the, uh, the thermometer, Scott, from the bathroom," he said quietly. Scott hurried down to the bathroom and got what Kevin asked, then returned to the kitchen. Kevin took the thermometer, and slid it into Sara's mouth under her tongue. She twitched slightly, and Kevin wiped the sweat from her forehead. "How long do I have to wait again?" he asked Scott. "A minute, I think," Scott answered. Kevin waited the longest 60 seconds of his life. When he took the thermometer from Sara's mouth and eyed the digital readout, his eyes widened in shock and horror.

"What's it say?" Scott asked. "103," Kevin whispered. "What?! Is that possible?!" Scott exclaimed, "We've gotta get her to a hospital, man!" "No…we can't take her to a hospital," Kevin said picking up Sara. Her body twitched even more, and her breathing was harsh and short. "What the fuck do you mean you can't take her to a hospital?" Scott asked as Kevin hurried upstairs to a guest bedroom. "If I take her to a hospital, they're gonna call Mark…and if Mark finds out I've worked his wife pretty much to death, then I'm dead," Kevin answered laying Sara down on the large bed, "Go wrap some ice up in a few towels, and bring 'em up here." "You're crazy, man," Scott said. "Just do it, Scott," Kevin said as Sara began to convulse, "Please, help me out here, man." Scott left the room and Kevin turned Sara's head to the side so that she wouldn't choke on her own tongue. "Baby girl, I'm sorry," he whispered. Sara groaned and her limbs flailed about, hitting Kevin repeatedly. "Come on, baby girl, relax," he said softly, caressing the side of her head. Scott came back a couple minutes later with four towels in hand. "This is all the ice you had," he said dropping it on the bed, "I'm outta here." "What?" Kevin asked as Scott headed for the bedroom door. "You got yourself into trouble, Kevin. I'm not helpin' you out on this one," Scott answered, "You better pray to God she gets better, and quick." Scott then left, and Kevin listened until he heard the front door slam shut. "Oh, my God," he whispered, panic beginning to set in.

He grabbed the towels and placed two under Sara's arm pits, and the other two on both sides of her waists. Sara groaned and Kevin saw her skin color turn to a pale green. He grabbed the trash can from beside the nightstand, and held her over the side of the bed. Sara vomited for nearly five minutes, which seemed like an eternity to Kevin. When she finished, her body went limp. Kevin put the trashcan back, and laid her back onto the bed. He quickly removed her clothes, and put the ice back in the places he'd had them before. Sara began to mew softly, and Kevin pulled off his shirt, trying to wipe away the sweat from her face. His hands shook terribly in fear. "No, don't touch me!" Sara screamed out. "Come on, baby girl, relax. I'm not gonna hurt you," he whispered. Sara began to convulse again, and Kevin held her arms down. "No, let me go! Let me go!" she screamed deliriously. "Oh, my God, what have I done?" Kevin whispered trying to hold her down. After ten long minutes, Sara finally went limp again. Kevin sighed heavily and slowly released her. He went downstairs and quickly made more icepacks. Scott had only grabbed the ice from the ice trays. Kevin had an ice maker in his freezer, which made four small packs. He filled up the trays, and filled up a pitcher of water, then headed back up to the room Sara was in. He put an icepack under her neck, under each knee, and one more on her forehead. "Come on, baby girl, drink a glass o' water," he whispered pouring a cup. He lifted her head, but Sara was not waking up. He set the glass down on the nightstand and rubbed his hair. He had really gotten himself into a world of trouble now. He picked up the phone and called someone he hadn't talked to in at least three years.

"Hello?" Carlos answered. "Hey, Carlos, it's Kevin," Kevin said slowly. "Oh, wow, hey! Man, it's been awhile!" Carlos exclaimed. He and Kevin hadn't necessarily ended on bad terms; when the 'Corporation' had been broken up, though, Carlos had left wrestling altogether. "Yeah, it has. How are ya, man?" Kevin said, trying to remain calm. "I'm good. You know I went back to medical school, right?" Carlos said. "Yeah, Shorty told me. That's awesome, man," Kevin said. "I see you're still wrestling. I watched a little Monday night. What the hell does Vince have you and Sara doin'?" Carlos said laughing. "Yeah, it's pretty crazy. That's actually why I called," Kevin said. "What is it?" Carlos asked. "Well, Sara's…she's got a crazy fever, man, and she's not waking up. And I don't know what to do," Kevin said. "What's her temperature?" Carlos asked. "103," Kevin answered. "Say that again," Carlos said in disbelief. "103…I didn't believe it myself, but the thermometer's digital, so it's right," Kevin said, "I don't know what to do, man." "Take her to a freakin' hospital!" Carlos explained. "I can't…Mark's bound to find out, and if he does--." "You're dead," Carlos said simply. "Exactly. Can you help?" Kevin said. "Well, I'm not in Venice. I wouldn't be able to get out there until probably tomorrow or Friday," Carlos answered. Kevin sighed heavily and his head dropped forward. "I'll see what I can do, alright? Just try and get her to drink some water. What's your address?" Carlos said. Kevin relayed the information to him quickly. "Alright, I'll get there as soon as I can," Carlos said. Kevin nodded and thanked him before hanging up the phone. "It's gonna be a long night," he whispered.

The next 24 hours were the most scared Kevin had felt in a long time. Sara became delirious over the course of the night, and it took him nearly an hour to get her to even drink a full glass of water. Her temperature had ranged between 100°-105°, depending on how much she convulsed. Kevin barely got any sleep that night. When he tried to get Sara to drink a glass of orange juice, she'd knocked the glass out of his hands, spilling it all over him and the floor. He'd kept icepacks all around her, in hopes that it would bring her body temperature down at least a few degrees. Thursday night, Sara still hadn't awoken fully, and Kevin had yet to hear from Carlos. He paced the room, rubbing his arms roughly. _I can't take her to a hospital, I just can't. I happen to like my life very much_, he thought, _Mark would probably find a way to kill me in the most horrible way possible. Jesus Christ, I can't believe her temperature was that high. I've never seen anything like that_. Sara, who'd been still for a while, suddenly began to convulse again. Kevin groaned slightly and sat down beside her, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Relax, baby girl, relax," he whispered. Sara groaned loudly and her hand slapped his away from her face. Kevin moved her hands away, and continued to wipe away the sweat. Sara screamed loudly and began to wail on him. Her words made no sense; Kevin only managed to pick out Mark and Melissa's names, and occasionally, she mentioned her mother. After being beat on for nearly 15 minutes, Kevin stood and stepped away from the bed. He went down to his room and grabbed a belt from his closet, then went back to the guest room Sara was in. He grabbed her wrists, and buckled them together, tying her to the headboard.

"Maybe that'll help," he said softly. Sara continued her delirious speaking, sometimes screaming, and sometimes in a bare whisper. Finally, around four a.m., Sara quieted down completely. Kevin let out a sigh of relief and went to leave the room. "Don't leave me…please, don't leave me," Sara whispered from the bed. Kevin stopped and looked over his shoulder. Sara was twitching slightly, her head moving back and forth. "Mark, please…please, I'm sorry," she whispered. _Great_, Kevin thought, _Just when I thought she was done_. "Mama…mama, don't go, not you, too," Sara whispered. Kevin came over to the bed, and sat down beside her. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, tears of heartbreak and suffering. He took her temperature once more, and it read 102°. "Jesus," he whispered, "Come on, give me a break." The doorbell rang suddenly and Kevin glanced at the clock. "Four in the morning, are you kidding me?" he said leaving the room. He opened the door, and Carlos stood there with a black suitcase in hand. "Hey, Kevin," Carlos said. "Hey, come on in," Kevin said stepping aside. Carlos entered, and Kevin shut the door. "Where is she?" he asked. A loud scream echoed from upstairs, and Kevin motioned towards the noise. Carlos hurried upstairs with Kevin close on his heels. Carlos stopped in the doorway of the guest room, his jaw hanging low. Sara was straining to get her arms loose from what looked like a belt. "What the hell are you thinkin'?" he asked Kevin and going over to the bed. "Dude, she's been swinging for almost the whole day," Kevin said as Carlos pulled the belt loose. "Yeah, who cares? Do you realize she could've cut off the circulation in her arms? If that had happened, you'd be up shit creek without a paddle," he snapped. He motioned for Kevin to come over to the other side of the bed.

"What?" Kevin asked. "Hold her arm down, man," Carlos said pulling a small black box from his suitcase. Kevin grabbed Sara's right arm, but her body still moved in an effort to get away. "No, no, no!" she groaned. Carlos quickly prepared a sedative-antibiotics mixture, and told Kevin, "Hold her down." "I am," Kevin said. "Hold her down," Carlos commanded. Kevin sighed and laid down across Sara, leaving only her left arm free. Sara groaned as Carlos quickly found her largest vein and inserted the needle into it. "Ouch," she whispered. "There ya go, darlin'," Carlos whispered pumping the mixture into her vein. Kevin watched in wonder as Sara slowly began to relax underneath him. Within 30 seconds, she was completely quiet, her breathing slow and steady. "What the hell did you give her?" Kevin asked climbing off of her. "A sedative plus antibiotics. The sedative kicked in immediately; the antibiotics are gonna take a little longer," he answered, "Now I got a question for you: what the fuck happened to her?" "She's been working hard," Kevin answered simply. "No, being a wrestler doesn't do that to anybody, even considering our schedule. What did you to do to her _here_?" Carlos asked. Kevin sighed heavily and looked down at Sara. "She's been my housekeeper, and I took it a little too far. She didn't sleep much…I think maybe seven hours over the course of four days. And there was this sick guy on our flight to Reno Monday night, so maybe she caught whatever it is he had," he answered quietly. "Well, we've got a little situation here. I can only stay until tomorrow. If her temperature hasn't gone down by then, or she hasn't fully woken up, then you need to take her to a hospital," Carlos said setting the black box on the nightstand, "I've only got enough antibiotics to last 'til tomorrow." "Alright, man. Thanks a lot for comin' out here," Kevin said quietly. "Yeah, sure. Where am I sleeping?" Carlos said. "You can take the room next to this one," Kevin answered. Carlos picked up his suitcase and left the room, and Kevin shut the door behind him. He wiped his face tiredly and went over to the bed, climbing in beside Sara. She still felt extremely warm, but he trusted that Carlos' medicine would work. He pulled her close, but she didn't respond. He sighed heavily and kissed the side of her head. "I'm sorry, baby girl," he whispered, "I really am…you didn't deserve this. I'm sorry I took my anger out on you. Just get better, please…please get better." His eyes closed, and his weary body conceded to sleep.

Carlos came in several times Friday morning and afternoon, giving Sara more antibiotics. He woke Kevin up on his second trip, telling him that the larger man's body heat was not going to help bring down Sara's fever. Around seven o' clock, Carlos injected his last amount of antibiotics. Sara temperature still hadn't gone down to a normal level, and he was starting to get worried. He wiped away the sweat from her face and neck, and placed a cold compress on her forehead. "You'll be fine, hon," he whispered kissing her cheek softly. Sara groaned a little and shifted slightly. Carlos watched as she settled into the bed more comfortably. "Yeah, you're gonna be just fine," he said before leaving the room. He grabbed his suitcase from the bedroom he'd stayed in, and went downstairs. "Yo, Kevin," he called out. Kevin came from the living room, looking a little tired. "You're headed out?" Kevin asked. "Yeah. I just gave her the last shot. Like I said, if her fever's not down by tomorrow morning…she's _got_ to go to a hospital," Carlos said quietly. "Thanks again, Carlos, you have no idea how grateful I am," Kevin said opening the door, "I think I owe you my life." "Not a problem, man," Carlos said extending his hand. Kevin shook it and pulled him into a hug. "Thanks, buddy. Have a good flight," he said quietly. Carlos patted his back twice, and Kevin released him. Carlos walked through the door, and Kevin shut and locked it. He let out a sigh of relief, and went upstairs to his bedroom to take a nice long shower.

A phone rang as Kevin got out of the shower. He peeked his head out of his bathroom door, listening carefully. The noise came again, and Kevin moved through his room. He found Sara's suitcase, and pulled out her cell phone. Mark's name was on the caller ID. Kevin dropped the phone as though it had just burned him. "No way," he whispered pulling on a pair o' sweatpants, "I answer that…I'm dead." He went down to the room Sara was in and slowly entered it. Sara was laying as limply as ever, but her cheeks seemed to be less flushed. He leaned down over her, brushing her hair to her side. He went into the bathroom and wet a rag, then rang it tightly. He went back into the bedroom and pulled the covers back. He ran the cloth over her body, trying to clean her as much as possible since she hadn't showered in a couple days. Once he was done, he put the covers back over her and set the rag on the nightstand. He started thinking of how he was going to transport Sara to Los Angeles. The pay-per-view wasn't until Sunday, but he needed to be there for a special appearance tomorrow. "It's a half an hour away, I'll drive," he said leaving the room. He packed up Sara's suitcase, making sure everything she owned was inside before he zipped it up. He dragged the suitcase and duffel bag down to the front door, so that he wouldn't forget it. He then headed back up to his room to pack for his trip. He needed clothes for the next three days, as well as workout outfits, and sleepwear. When he finally finished packing, it was nearing 10:00 p.m. He took his suitcase down to the front door as well, then finally went back up to Sara's room. She had moved into a fetal position, her breathing still steady. He grabbed the thermometer and turned her onto her back. "Come on, baby girl," he whispered easing her mouth open and sliding it in underneath her tongue. After the required minute-long wait, he removed it and nearly jumped for joy. The digital screen read 99° exactly. "Thank God!" he gasped. He put the thermometer down and wiped Sara's face with one of the damp rags. Sara groaned slightly and turned to her side, going back into her fetal position. Kevin smiled as he realized that her body was now systematically returning to normal, and that she was more than likely merely asleep at this point. "Go ahead and rest, baby girl," he whispered kissing her cheek softly, then leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.

The next morning, Kevin awoke with a painful headache. He picked up the phone and dialed Dany's cell. "Hello, Kevin," Dany answered moments later. "Hey, girlie. How's your week off?" he answered slowly sitting up. "Boring as shit. I don't have anything to do," she said honestly. Kevin chuckled and ran his hand over his face. "Is that…Sara…gone yet?" Dany asked. "We're leaving today. You've got a key to the place, so you can come back anytime after 12," he answered. "About time," she said grinning. "Yeah, the place has been kinda lonely without you here," he said quietly. "Aw…are you turnin' into a mush on me?" Dany said laughing. "Of course not," he said standing slowly, "You know me…hard-ass 'til the end." "Yeah, that's you, unfortunately. Such a shame for a guy with such a great sense o' humor," Dany said, "Who broke your heart, Kevin?" Kevin sighed as he entered the bathroom. "I thought I told you that part of my life was off limits?" he asked. "I just wanna know…I don't deal with your bullshit, because you know that's not me. But I can only imagine how you treated that Sara girl," she said honestly, "Even as badass as she is." _Damn, Dany…why you gotta know me like that_, Kevin thought. "You haven't answered my question," Dany said quietly. "This lady…my ex-wife…she broke my heart. We were married for two years, and then I got into wrestling. She couldn't handle me being away all the time, so she had an affair, said it was my fault. She chewed my heart up, spit it out, and then stomped all over it…you happy now?" he said quietly. "I never knew you were married," Dany said. "I've never told anybody…," he said simply. "Why not?" she asked. "I don't need anybody's sympathy, Dany. Life goes on…no matter what, it always goes on," he said tensely. "True. But that doesn't mean you have to go on alone," she said quietly. "Why are we even talking about this?" he asked. "Because…I care about you, Kevin. I've seen glimpses of who you really are…and I like that guy…a lot," Dany said quietly. Kevin sighed heavily and turned on the shower. "Look, Dany, I gotta go. I've gotta go over to Los Angeles, and then I'm off to Las Vegas. I'll be back on Tuesday, okay?" he said. "Alright, big man. See ya Tuesday," Dany answered. "Bye, darlin'," Kevin said quietly. "Bye, Kevin," Dany said in return.

Kevin hung up the phone and tossed it into the room on his bed. He stripped down and climbed into the shower stall, relishing in the feel of the hot water pelting against his skin. Unwillingly, he took a quick shower and stepped out of the stall, wrapping a towel around his waist. He went back into his room and dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a sleeveless Polo t-shirt. After dressing, he made his way to Sara's room. He opened the door slowly and sighed heavily at the sight. Sara was in the same position he'd left her the night before. He slowly went over to the bed, pulling the covers back gently. He slowly slipped his arms underneath her naked body and pulled her up. Sara groaned slightly and put her arms around his neck. Kevin let out a slow breath, both wanting her to wake up so he would know she was really okay, but not wanting her to see him holding her naked. He took her down to his room and put on her a pair of his basketball shorts, which hung down to her knees, as well as one of his t-shirts. He then carried her down to the car outside and put her in the backseat so that she could stretch out. He put the bags in the trunk, locked up the house, and finally pulled out of the driveway around 11:30. He was supposed to be at the Staples Center no later than one o' clock, and he still had to find his hotel. Traffic was fairly good for a Saturday morning, and Kevin pulled into the Los Angeles city limits at 12:15. He found his hotel quickly, and checked in before taking Sara up to her room. He'd gotten two rooms connected by a bathroom, just for Sara. When he laid her down in the queen-sized bed, she groaned yet again. "Baby girl," he whispered, "Come on, open your eyes for me." Sara turned her back to him and curled up. Kevin smiled slightly and pulled the covers up over her shoulders. "I'll be back in a little bit, baby girl," he whispered kissing her cheek and leaving the room.

Kevin's appearance was at a half-time show for a L.A. Lakers basketball game. He arrived at the Staples Center two hours before the game began. He met the coach, some of the players like Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, and Vlade Divac, as well as the main office management, including the owner. "Who are you guys goin' up against?" he asked Jerry West, the general manager of the team. "The Sacramento Kings, probably one of our toughest conference opponents," West answered. "Oh, man, this should be a good game, then," Kevin commented. "Yeah, I'm hoping so. What are you planning on doing for us this evening, Mr. Nash?" Jerry asked. "Just playing up to the Lakers crowd, and then presenting you with a copy of the WWF's World Heavyweight title. I mean, if the Lakers can rule the basketball world, then you can rule the wrestling world," Kevin said chuckling. Jerry laughed heartily and nodded. "Well, I certainly do appreciate the honor," he said. "Not a problem. It's an honor for me to be here," Kevin said. "Well, we've got a nice little skybox prepared for you, so you can look down on the game and enjoy it without being bothered by fans," Jerry said leading Kevin through the building. _Oh, Sara would kill to be here right now. She's a huge Kings fan, so it'd be funny to see her here_, he thought grinning slightly, _Hopefully she's awake when I get back to the hotel. I mean, she's been out since Wednesday…she's gotta wake up soon_. "Mr. Nash?" Jerry asked. Kevin shook his head and looked down at the man in front of him. "Sorry about that," he said politely. "No problem. Here we are," Jerry said opening the door. Kevin entered and chuckled. The room was brightly lit, with bottles of champagne, glasses, and a fruit platter sitting on a bar to his right. There were two fairly large armchairs in front of the skybox window, and Kevin could see the court easily.

"Is somebody gonna be up here with me?" he asked Jerry. "Well, we thought a woman named, uh, Angel was going to be here as well," Jerry said. "Oh, she caught a case of the flu over this past week, and she's not feeling too good," Kevin said. "Well, it's fine. You can enjoy the game in peace, then," Jerry said. For some reason, that statement offended Kevin just then. "Ya know, Mr. West…Angel's not just a regular woman. She knows a lot about basketball, probably more than me; as a matter of fact, she's actually a _huge_ fan of the Kings. I'm sorry she couldn't be here, because she really would've enjoyed this game," he said. "If you think she's feeling better, I can always send a limo to pick her up from your hotel," Jerry suggested. "Nah, forget it. Thanks for the room, I do appreciate it," Kevin said. "Okay. Well, security will be up about 10 minutes before halftime to bring you down to the court. And then we'll just do our parts," Jerry said. Kevin nodded and watched as the small group of people left the room. He sat down in one of the arm chairs and let out a heavy sigh. This was going to be a long game.

Kevin walked into his hotel room at exactly seven p.m. The game had gone to an unprecedented quadruple-overtime, where the Kings got the win with a three-point shot from guard Mike Bibby. Kevin slowly shut the door and plopped down on the bed. "Oh, shit, I should go check on Sara," he said standing. He went through the bathroom and opened Sara's room door. She laid with her back turned to him, and she was softly snoring. Kevin grinned slightly and sat down beside her. "Baby girl," he whispered. No answered came and Kevin put his hand on her shoulder. "Come on, baby girl, time to wake up," he said softly. Sara still gave no answer, and Kevin dropped his head. Sara's cell phone began to ring, and Kevin groaned. He knew who it was without even picking up the phone. He let it ring incessantly for nearly 15 minutes, before finally going over to Sara's bag and pulling it out. Just as he'd expected, the caller ID said Mark's name. Kevin took a deep breath and flipped open the phone. "Hello," he said as calmly as possible. "Where the fuck is my wife?" Mark asked tensely. He hadn't talked to her since Tuesday, and he was more than pissed off. Even more, he was pissed at the little trick Kevin had pulled Monday night; Mark barely had time between when the referee relayed the message and the end of his match to get prepared. "She's asleep, Mark," Kevin answered. "Well, wake her up," Mark demanded. "I can't do that," Kevin said slowly. "Oh, really? Why the hell not?" Mark snapped. "Well, uh…," Kevin started, not sure as to how to explain what had happened to Sara. "If there's a single hair hurt on her head, I swear you'll never see the light o' day," Mark growled. "No, she's not hurt, Mark. She's just really tired. She's trying to catch up on some sleep," Kevin said quietly. "Let me talk to her," Mark snapped. "I told you--." "Put the fucking phone to her ear, asshole," Mark said heatedly. Kevin moved over to the bed and let out a deep breath, placing the phone on Sara's ear.

"Dollface? Dollface, you gotta wake up," Mark started, "You gotta wake up, honey. I need to talk to you. It's important." When there was no answer, he tried again, "Sara, baby…wake up…wake up for me…wake up for your mom. Come on, baby, you can do it." Suddenly, Sara groaned softly. "Mark?" she whispered. "Yeah, it's me," Mark said. "I can't see you. Where are you?" she asked quietly. "I'm on the phone, baby. I need you to do somethin' for me, okay?" he said quietly. "Okay," Sara struggled to say. She felt completely disoriented, like her body weighed about 100 lbs. more than usual. "Take the phone from Kevin," he said quietly. Sara slowly put her hand over Kevin's, and he moved his hand away, taking a few steps back. "Okay," she whispered. "Where are you, Sara?" Mark asked first. Sara opened her eyes, tears coming quickly. "I don't know," she whispered. "Are you in a hotel room, or a bedroom?" he asked calmly. "A, uh, a hotel room…I think," she whispered. "Okay…what happened to you, dollface? I haven't talked to you since Tuesday," he said quietly. Sara struggled to stay awake; her mind was beginning to shut down again. "Sara, come on, baby, stay awake," Mark said knowingly. "Huh?" Sara whispered. "What happened to you, dollface?" he asked softly. "I don't…I just wanna go to sleep, Mark," she whispered beginning to cry. "Okay, baby, okay. I'll see you tomorrow," he said quietly. Sara held the phone up and Kevin grabbed it from her, watching as she quickly fell back asleep. "Yeah," he said to Mark. "Something's wrong with her, and I know it's your fault. Fair warning…if I find anything wrong with her tomorrow…a misplaced hair, a tired look, _anything_…you'll pay for it," Mark growled before hanging up. Kevin sighed and clicked the phone shut. _Great…I'm definitely a dead man, then_, he thought setting the phone down on the dresser. He looked over to Sara and sighed. She'd wake up when she was damn good and ready, in his opinion, and he wasn't going to try to force her anymore. He went back to his room through the bathroom, and shut the door behind him. He stripped down to his boxers, ordered room service, and prepared for a night in the room.

Sara's eyes flickered open hours later. She groaned and grabbed at her head. _Did Mark really call? Where the hell am I? What happened? How'd I even get here_? she thought. She slowly sat up and looked around. She was in a single-bed room, but Kevin was nowhere to be found. She gathered her wits about her before moving out of the bed. She looked down at the clock on the nightstand and sighed. "Just past midnight," she whispered going into the bathroom. She took a nice, relaxing, hot shower, washing her hair twice, and cleansing her body thoroughly. She had no idea how long she'd been asleep, but it had to be at least Friday, because Kevin had an appearance in Los Angeles the next day. After finishing her shower, she went back into the room with a towel wrapped tightly around her body. For all she knew, Kevin could walk in the front door at any moment. She quickly dressed in a pair of cotton shorts and a wife-beater, then went back into the bathroom. As she brushed her hair dry, she noticed the second door to the bathroom. _He got connecting rooms…just like in the beginning_, she thought. She set the brush down and slowly went into the adjoining bedroom. The lights were all off, but the bathroom light gave a little illumination. Sara made out Kevin's long body in the bed nearby, and he was fast asleep. _I don't know whether to leave him be, or let him know I'm okay_, she thought. She took a deep breath and slowly went over to the bed. She kneeled down and carefully took Kevin's left hand in her own.

"Kevin?" she whispered. When he didn't answer, she pushed his hair out of his face, and leaned closer to him. "Kevin?" she whispered again. Kevin's eyes flickered open, and she caressed his cheek gently. "Sara?" he whispered locking eyes with her, "You're awake?" "Obviously," she said with a tired grin. Kevin sat up immediately, pulling her into his arms. "Oh, my God…you scared the shit outta me," he whispered. Sara let him hold her, feeling an array of emotions at that point. Anger that he'd worked her so hard, sorrow that some woman had broken his heart, and even an appreciation of the man he was underneath his hatred. Kevin kissed her softly, and Sara tensed up. Kevin didn't move any further, though. "I'm so glad you're awake," he whispered. "Where are we?" she whispered. "Los Angeles, baby girl, and I'll tell ya, you missed a helluva basketball game between the Lakers and the Kings," he answered grinning slightly. "We didn't have to be here until--." "Saturday, I know. It's Sunday morning, darlin'. You've been out since Wednesday night," he said quietly. Sara looked down and took a deep breath. "A buddy o' mine came in and helped you out, though, gave you some antibiotics to bring down your fever," he said quietly. "I had a fever?" she asked softly. "Yeah, and a high one…103," he said softly, "It took until probably Friday evening for it to go down to a normal level. Like I said, you scared the shit outta me." Sara looked up at him, pushing the hair behind his ears again. "Well, I'm fine now…still a little tired…but I'm okay," she whispered before kissing him softly. "I got you your own room. You don't have to sleep in here," he said quietly. "I know," she said standing and grabbing his hand. She pulled him through the bathroom, cutting the lights off as she did, and shut the door behind Kevin. "Sara…you don't have to," he said as she laid down. "I know," she whispered pulling him into the bed with her. She put her back to him and pulled his left arm around her waist. Kevin sighed as she snuggled into him. "Why?" he asked in her ear. "I don't wanna sleep alone," she whispered back. Kevin pulled her a little closer and kissed the back of her head. "Neither do I, baby girl," he said quietly. Sara yawned and fell back asleep within moments, and Kevin followed shortly after.


	87. Revenge

**Chapter 86…Revenge**

Sara awoke the next morning around ten o' clock completely covered by Kevin's body. She smiled slightly and wrapped her hands in his hair. "Kevin?" she whispered. Kevin grunted and said, "I'm not movin'." Sara chuckled and kissed the top of his head. "You have to," she said quietly. "Why?" he asked. "We have to go to work," she whispered. "Yeah, yeah," he whispered. "Come on, Kevin, get off," she said quietly, her voice somewhat tense. Kevin sighed softly and moved off of her. Sara sat up and rotated her neck, cracking a few bones at the same time. "Ugh, are you okay?" Kevin asked at the sound. Sara chuckled and nodded. "Yeah," she answered. "Hey," Kevin said as she climbed out of bed. Sara looked down at him with questioning eyes. "There's a restaurant downstairs, attached to the hotel. You wanna go get some breakfast before we go to the arena?" Kevin said slowly sitting up. "Yeah, I'm starving. Did Mark really call yesterday?" she said heading for the bathroom. "Yeah, he did. He was pretty worried about you," he answered turning on the television. "Of course. What'd you tell him?" she asked. "That you were catching up on sleep," he answered. Sara hesitated at the doorway, looking back at him. "What happened to me?" she asked quietly. "My friend…he thinks you caught the flu from that sick guy on the plane Monday night. It, uh, it didn't help that I didn't…give you a break when you needed it," he said quietly, shame in his voice, "I think you were bringing me and Scott dinner, and…your body just gave up, it shut down. You had a fever – I still can't believe it – of nearly 105° at one point. Carlos…that's the friend I was talking about…he flew in from God knows where and gave you antibiotics…somethin' called, uh, vancomycin. It was one of the strongest antibiotics he had available to him. He gave you that all day, and it brought you down to 99° some time Friday night." Sara sighed heavily and went into the bathroom, shutting the door quietly.

She took her time in the shower. She washed her hair a few times, and conditioned it, as well as shaved any excess hairs. When she finally stepped out, she felt absolutely refreshed. She realized she'd be going back to Mark that day. _I wonder if I have to wait until after the match_, she thought suddenly. She wrapped a towel tightly around her as the door opened. "Sorry," Kevin said, "I'm just passing through." Sara kept her head down as Kevin moved past her, went through the door to his bedroom, and shut it behind him. She smiled slightly and went into her own bedroom, shutting the bathroom door. She picked up the hotel phone and quickly dialed Mark's phone. "Hello?" Mark answered groggily. "Shouldn't you be awake already?" Sara asked with a smile. "Oh my God, dollface! Are you okay?!" he exclaimed, "I swear, if you're hurt in any way--." "Mark, Mark, relax…I'm fine, baby," she said smiling. "Are you lying?" he asked seriously. "No, I'm serious. I'm fine now," she said sitting up. "Now? What happened to you?" he asked tensely. Sara sighed heavily and slowly said, "I was just overworked, Mark. I caught something on the flight to Venice, and it attacked my immune system. That's all." "Now you're lying to me," he said angrily, "What did Kevin do to you?" "I'm not lying, Mark, I promise. I got sick, and I had a really high fever. My body just needed to recover," she said honestly. Mark sighed heavily and whispered, "You swear?" "I swear," she said softly. "Are you better now?" he asked. "I think after sleeping for nearly three days, I'd be okay," she said with a grin. "When are you going to the arena?" he asked. "In a couple hours," she answered. "I'll see you there, then, okay?" he said quietly. "Countin' the seconds," she whispered smiling. "Love you, dollface," he said softly. "Always and forever," she whispered. "Bye, baby," Mark said slowly. Sara said the same before hanging up the phone. She quickly climbed off the bed and got dressed in a pair of loose shorts and one of her favorite t-shirts. On the front, it read "Hot like Fire", and on the back it read "And I'll Burn Your Ass!" After dressing, she packed up all her belongings. A smile came to her face as she looked over the room.

"Sara?" Kevin said from the bathroom doorway. "Yeah?" she asked looking at him. "You ready?" he asked. She nodded and slung her duffel bag over her shoulder, then picked up her suitcase. She followed Kevin out of her room, and they headed down to the hotel's restaurant. After a quick breakfast, Kevin checked out of the hotel while Sara went out to the car. When he exited, Sara was already in the car, buckling up her seatbelt. Kevin dumped his bags in the trunk before sliding into the driver's seat. He pulled off slowly, and made his way to the Staples Center, where Bad Blood was going to be held. Sara didn't look at him or speak to him the entire ride; her eyes were focused on the passing streets of Los Angeles. After Kevin finally parked behind the arena, Sara climbed out, her duffel bag in her hand. Kevin watched as she practically ran into the back door, a grin on his face. _Yeah, you're free now, baby girl_, he thought climbing out of the car and retrieving his own duffel bag.

Sara quickly hurried down the hallways, waving happily to her coworkers. When she found Mark's locker room, she took a deep breath before knocking. The door opened moments later, and she jumped into the arms of her husband, her lips landing on his immediately. Mark hugged her tightly and shut the door quickly. Sara dropped her duffel bag and wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Mark groaned and pushed her against the door, running his hands up her sides. After a minute or two, Mark finally pulled away. Sara smiled and ran her hands over his face, tears coming to her eyes. "I missed you," she whispered. Mark nodded and rested his forehead against hers. "I missed you, too, dollface. But now you're back with me…and just like I said, I'm not lettin' you outta my sights," he whispered. He slowly set her down and brought her to the middle of the room. "Strip," he said. "What?" Sara asked in shock. "Strip down," he answered. "Why?" she asked. "I have to be sure," he whispered. Sara swallowed and slowly removed her clothing, standing naked before her husband for the first time in over a month. Mark looked over every inch of her body, checking for any signs of bruising, abuse, or abnormality. When he found none, he let out a sigh of relief. "Can I get dressed now?" she asked. "I don't know…now that I have you like this, I think I'm gonna try and win that bet," he said grinning. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "I don't think so, buddy," she answered.

"Hey, Mark, Kevin's here, so Sara's not too far behind." Sara eyes widened as the door opened and Andy walked through. "Oh, my God," Andy said half in fear and half in shock. "What the fuck are you doin'?! Get out!" Mark screamed. Andy quickly left as Sara grabbed her clothes and covered up. As she quickly dressed, laughter escaped her throat. "What's so funny?" Mark asked pacing the room. "I blame that on you," she answered pulling on her shorts. "Oh, really? How do you figure?" he asked. "Well, if you hadn't been so worried, I wouldn't have had to strip down in the first place. Thus, Andy wouldn't have seen me naked," she answered still laughing. "Oh…so it's my fault?" he asked picking her up suddenly. Sara smiled and kissed him softly. "You know you love me anyway," he whispered. Sara nodded and sighed happily. "I woke up this morning…and the first person I thought of was you," she whispered. "Well, I would hope it's been that way the past month," he said grinning. Sara smiled and nodded. "Of course," she whispered. "You know we've got Tuesday through Saturday off this week, right?" he asked. "Really?" she asked. "Yeah. No special appearances or nothin'," Mark answered, "How do you feel about goin' to see your mom?" "You know I'd love to do that," she said quietly, "How is she?" "Tired, of course, but still a little upbeat. She had so much fun with Melissa there," he said as they sat down on the couch. "Good, good. I missed her," Sara said softly. "Well, she misses you, too," he said squeezing her closer.

There was a knock on the door, and Andy's voice came through it. "I'm sorry, Mark. I don't wanna die today. Can I come in?" he said. Sara looked up at Mark, whose eyes were avoiding hers. "Come on in, Andy," she said smiling. The door slowly opened and Andy peeked his head in. "I'm sorry, Sara, I really am," he said slowly. "Don't worry about it, Andy. It was Mark's fault," she said. Andy came in hesitantly, keeping his hand on the doorknob as he shut it behind him. "Is he gonna hit me?" he asked Sara. "No, he won't," Sara said smiling, "Go on, have a seat." Andy slowly sat down in the chair across from them, still prepared to dash for the door if Mark made any sudden movements. An uncomfortable silence came upon the room, with Sara the only person smiling about the situation. "Come on, Andy, let's go take a walk," Sara said finally, standing up. "What?" Andy asked surprised. "Yeah, what?" Mark asked as well. "We haven't talked in a while. Let's take a walk," she said pulling him to his feet, "Be back, Mark." Mark watched as they left the room, his arms crossed and his lips sticking out like a little child's. Sara put her arm around Andy's right elbow, a smile on her face as they headed down the hallway. "So, Andy…how are ya?" she asked quietly. "Thankful to be alive at this point," he said smiling. Sara laughed and slapped his arm playfully. "That was definitely a, uh…funny moment," she said. "So where we headed, baby doll?" he asked. "Balcony. I need to relax for a while," she answered. They quickly headed towards their destination, arriving within a few minutes.

"So…what's goin' on?" Andy asked as they sat down, "Mark told me you had a rough week." Sara sighed and nodded. "More like a rough two weeks," she said quietly. "What happened?" he asked quietly. Sara looked away and swallowed, tears coming to her eyes. "What'd he do to you, baby doll?" he asked touching her hand. "You can't tell Mark," she whispered, "You can't ever…_ever_ tell Mark…you gotta promise me that. If Mark finds out…both me and Kevin are dead." "Alright, baby doll…I promise," Andy said quietly. Sara swallowed and looked out at the empty arena. "I had sex with Kevin, Andy…twice," she whispered, "The first time was…the night I wore that really skimpy outfit. The second was…at a bachelor party Kevin had for his friends…I was really drunk, and I don't really remember what happened, just that I had sex with Kevin again." "Oh, God," Andy whispered. Tears spilled onto Sara's cheeks, and her head dropped. "You can't tell him, Andy…please, you can't," she whispered. "I'm not, darlin', I'm not. Kevin didn't…force you, did he?" Andy said quietly. Sara shook her head and wiped her tears away. "I wanted it. Both times, I wanted it," she whispered. Andy let out a slow breath, looking away from her. The time she'd had sex with him, there were extenuating circumstances. She and Mark had practically been apart, and it was a heat-of-the-moment situation. Her infidelity with Kevin was entirely mutual, plus Sara was married. "Please don't hate me, Andy," she whispered. "I don't, sweetheart. I'm just…I don't know how I feel about this," he said quietly. "I feel like throwing myself off a building," Sara whispered. "Well, you certainly can't do that, baby doll," he said quietly, "Are you gonna tell him?" "No…I can't. I don't have the guts to," she said softly, "I know that…if I tell him right now, especially right now…he'd try to rip me to pieces…and then he'd go after Kevin." Andy merely nodded in agreement.

"Is that all that happened?" he asked quietly. Sara swallowed and shook her head. "He treated me like a doormat, Andy, like I was a fucking child. He yelled at me every chance he could…he put his hands on me every chance he could…he abused me, physically and emotionally," she said softly, "The first two weeks were great. I mean, the only difference was that I was traveling with him. I slept in a different room, I used my own bathroom, I did what I wanted. But the second two weeks…it was damn near traumatizing, Andy." "And this past week? Mark said he saw you for about 30 seconds Tuesday, and that was the last time he talked to you until yesterday. He was goin' outta his mind worrying about you," he said quietly. "When I said Kevin treated me like a doormat, I meant it. I was his slave, Andy…and this past week was beyond belief. I slept maybe six or seven hours from Saturday through Tuesday. I was cooking, cleaning, playing hostess…whatever he wanted me to do, he made sure I did it. On the flight back to Venice Monday night, there was a sick guy on the plane, and I think I caught whatever he had. Wednesday night, I was cooking dinner…and my body just shut down from lack of sleep and that virus. Kevin told me I had a fever of almost 105° at one point," she said quietly, "But a doctor friend of his flew in and managed to get my fever down. After a couple days, I stabilized, and just caught up on sleep. I barely remembered Mark calling yesterday; I thought was a dream. I woke up this morning feeling absolutely refreshed, though…but I guess being asleep for a couple days will do that to anybody." "You sure you don't want me to tell Mark about that? Kevin shouldn't be allowed to get away with this, baby doll," he said quietly. "Yeah, I'm sure. As much of an asshole as Kevin was…I still don't wanna see him dead," she whispered with a grin. Andy smiled slightly and put his arm around her. "As big a heart as ever," he said quietly. Sara shrugged and rested her head on his shoulder. "Being a mother will do that," she whispered.

Andy chuckled and shrugged. "I suppose so," he said quietly. "How's Lisa doin'?" Sara asked. "She's good. She was really worried about you this week. We both saw what happened Monday night. Mark was really pissed off when he got to the back," he said quietly. "I didn't know what was gonna happen," she said softly, "When I got to punch Kevin…God, I can't tell you how good that felt. He had been acting like a dick the whole weekend, and finally…I was able to knock him down a notch." "Yeah, you looked like you enjoyed that. Did you expect that chairshot, though?" Andy said quietly. Sara shook her head and said, "I should've guessed Kevin was gonna find a way to make sure I got hurt. He was scheming the whole day, but I just figured he was goin' after Mark. The chairshot knocked me out completely…I had been stressed out, and I was tired…it was a bad combination. And Kevin didn't help by pulling my hair as hard as he did afterwards." "That's why Mark was so ticked off. He saw the footage afterwards, and I had to stop him from putting his foot through the TV screen," Andy said chuckling lightly. "Wow…I can only imagine," she whispered. "I can only guess how happy you are that it's all over," he whispered. Sara smiled and let out a deep sigh. "This morning, I woke up…and all I could think was, 'It's over…it's finally over.' I've been looking forward to this day for a month, Andy. I missed my husband more than I could've ever imagined, and I missed my daughter even more. I mean…to be taken away from your child, it's like hell on Earth," she said quietly. "But Mark took good care of her, and Stacy, too," he said. "Yeah, I know she was in good hands, Andy. But…I think I'm getting overprotective like my mom was of me," she said smiling slightly. "You think that's a bad thing?" he asked. "No, of course not. Melissa does, but of course she would," Sara said chuckling.

"We should probably head back now," Andy said quietly, "I'm sure Mark's already starting to worry." "Just let him know I'm up here. I just wanna relax for now," Sara said. Andy stood and kissed the top of her head. "Will do, darlin'," he said softly, walking down the stairs. Sara smiled and took a deep breath. She felt even better to be back with her husband, to be able to walk around freely, and to be able to talk with Andy just as she had before the stipulation had kicked in. She knew he was disappointed in her infidelity, but she also knew that he wouldn't tell Mark. She would have to do that on her own time, when she felt comfortable, and Andy had accepted that without argument. She watched as the production crew put the finishing touches on the set for the pay-per-view. It looked amazing, as usual, with colors of dark red throughout the arena and apparent on the stage. The large TitanTron was circular that night, with large imitation drops of blood around it. "Appropriate stage for an appropriate show," she said softly. She sat there in silence for nearly two hours, just appreciating her job and her life in general. As horrible as that past month had been for her, it gave her a new level of gratitude of the life she had.

When Mark came walking up the stairs towards her, she smiled broadly. "I didn't think you'd still be here," he said quietly, sitting down beside her. "Why not? You know I lose track o' time up here," she said smiling. "Yeah, I know," he said putting an arm around her. Sara leaned into him happily, her right hand resting on his thigh. "You up for sparring?" he asked quietly. "Maybe in a little while, maybe not," she answered, "I just really wanna relax, Mark. It's been a rough week, ya know." "Yeah…I know," he said softly, "I talked to Kevin." Sara swallowed and asked, "What'd he tell you?" "Everything. I forced him to," he said quietly, "If Andy hadn't have been there…I'd be on my way to jail." Sara sighed heavily and looked up at him. "I'm so glad you're okay, baby," he whispered hugging her tightly. _He didn't tell you everything_, she thought somewhat relieved. "Me, too," she said softly. "If you don't wanna spar today, it's okay," he said quietly. Sara sighed heavily and shook her head. "I don't really want to. As much as I slept the past couple days, I'm still weak. I didn't work out this month as much as I wanted to, and should have. I'm just hoping Vince will start me in a storyline as soon as possible, so I can get back to wrestling," she said quietly. "Come on, let's go eat," he said standing. Sara smiled and placed her hand in his, standing as well, following him down the stairs happily.

Down in catering, Sara and Mark sat with Andy and Lisa. They discussed their matches for that night; Andy was going up against Shawn, Lisa was fighting Ruthie, and Mark, of course, was fighting Kevin in a rematch from the previous month's pay-per-view. After lunch, Sara headed down to the ring with Mark. He was meeting Kevin there to practice for their match that night. "You sure you don't wanna go take a nap in my locker room?" Mark asked as they walked down the ramp. "Mark, I slept plenty this weekend. Granted, it wasn't necessarily willing sleep, but still…my body's completely recharged," she answered. "Alright. I just don't feel comfortable with you out here with him," he said quietly. "I'm not with him, I'm with you," she whispered grinning. Mark smiled slightly and put his arm around her shoulder. "You love me?" he asked quietly. "Of course," she whispered. "Good," he said softly. Sara smiled as he rolled into the ring. She sat on the banister, and watched as Mark and Kevin put together a very powerful match. She could tell there was more intensity than usual in Mark's movements, and that the match was going to favor him that night. A half an hour later, Vince came walking down the ramp. "Sara?" he called. Sara looked over her shoulder and hopped off the banister. "Yeah?" she answered. "Can I talk to you?" he asked. Sara looked back at Mark, who was in the middle of powerslamming Kevin. "Yeah, sure," she answered. She followed him up the ramp and to the back. "Where are we goin'?" she asked. "My office," he said. Sara swallowed nervously and followed without further words. When they arrived, Vince let her in first and shut the door behind him.

"Have a seat," he said curtly. Sara sat down in one of the armchairs, and he sat down on the couch adjacent to her. "What's wrong?" she asked. "I should ask you that. Mark came into my office a couple hours ago, ready to rip Kevin apart. He said somethin' about Kevin abusing you while you were with him. Is there anything you wanna say about that?" Vince said. "There's nothin' to say about it, Vince. It happened, I got through it, and now I get to go back with my husband," she said quietly. "You know I care about you, Sara. If Kevin hurt you, he can be punished for that," he said honestly. "It doesn't matter, Vince. I got through it, just like I've gotten through everything you've ever put in my way. Now I'm looking forward to reaping the rewards," she said crossing her arms. Vince let out a slow breath and nodded. "Indeed you shall, Sara. You completed the stipulation, and now…I can guarantee that you will be World champion before you retire," he said smiling. Sara smiled broadly and asked, "Are you serious?" "After this past month, and what I've heard you went through…nobody is gonna stop me from making you the World champion," he said honestly. Sara looked down at her lap, the smile still stuck on her face. A realization dawned on her at that point. "But Mark's gonna win his match tonight, and that makes him World champ. Am I gonna have to fight him?" she asked. "Of course not. I'm gonna go to creative at the end of this week, and we're gonna work somethin' out. I'll just say…it's gonna be an interesting summer for you," he said grinning. Sara slowly stood, as did Vince, and she shook his hand appreciatively. "Thank you, Vince. I won't let you down," she said quietly. "You never do, sweetheart. That's why I'm not worried," he said grinning, "Oh, yeah, about tonight…we're throwing in a little twist." _Not again_, Sara thought.

"Don't worry, it's nothin' like last month. We have a cage we're going to suspend above the ring. The thought behind it is that neither Kevin nor Mark want you to interfere in the match, so you're going to be put in the cage. It's sturdy, and we're gonna have you try it out after Mark and Kevin finish practicing for tonight. But, as the end of their match draws near, you're gonna power out of the cage," Vince said. "How?" she asked. "Pulling the bars apart. They're not that thick, so it's gonna be pretty easy. We want the fans to see just how strong you are, and how fed up you are about the whole situation with Kevin. You're gonna drop down to the ring, and help Mark win the match," he answered. "Does he know about this?" she asked. "Yes, both he and Kevin know about it. They both think it's a great idea," he said. "Alright, then. I'll go check it out," she said as he walked her to the door. "Thanks for everything you do for me, Sara. I don't think I ever tell you that enough," Vince said quietly. "I love my job, Vince. As hard as it is sometimes, I'll always love it. So whatever it takes to entertain the fans…you know I'll do it…willingly or not," she said quietly. "I know. I still just wanted to say thank you," he said.

Sara smiled slightly and exited the room, shutting the door softly behind her. She made her way back to Mark's locker room, where she changed into a pair of running shorts and a tanktop, then went down to the gym. _Life is great_, she thought as she began her usual run on the treadmill, _I'm gonna be World champion, and nobody's gonna stop me. Vince is right…this is gonna be a very interesting summer_. Mark walked into the gym nearly an hour later, as Sara was finishing up her stretching. "There you are," he said sitting down in front of her. "When'd you finish up?" she asked. "About 15 minutes ago. Everything okay with you and Vince?" he said quietly. Sara grinned and nodded. "He just let me know that I won't be fighting you for the World title," she answered. Mark smiled and winked at her. "Hey…that means I have to lose it," he said smiling slightly. "At least you won't lose to a woman," she said smiling back. "I'd lose to you any day o' the week, dollface," he said softly. Sara felt her face warm up, and Mark chuckled slightly. "I love makin' you blush," he whispered. Sara smiled broadly and looked down at her hands. "Crazy man," she said softly. "Yeah, crazy for you," he said quietly. "You're distracting me, ya know," she said slowly standing. Mark followed suit and smiled down at her. "That was kinda the point," he said as she went over to the free weights. "I'll meet you in your locker room in an hour, okay?" she said sitting down on the bench. "Promise?" he asked. "Promise," she whispered. Mark winked and left the room, leaving Sara feeling like a giddy schoolgirl.

Finishing up her workout in only a half an hour, Sara fairly skipped back to Mark's locker room. When she entered, she found Mark stretched out on the couch fast asleep. She smiled and grabbed her towel and brush from her duffel bag. As she headed into the bathroom, Mark's voice stopped her. "Not even gonna say hello?" he asked. "You looked too comfortable," she answered smiling. Mark looked at her from underneath his arm and smiled. "Good workout?" he asked. "Better than usual," she answered, "I had a lotta energy for some reason." "I think I can guess why," he said still smiling. "Yeah, it's all because of you," she said before going into the bathroom. Mark grinned and shifted slightly before going back to sleep. Sara quickly showered, cleaning herself of the sweat and grime accumulated from her workout, before stepping out of the shower and wrapping the towel around herself. She stepped in front of the mirror and smiled slightly. As she brushed her hair dry, she noticed her eyes shined brighter than they had the past month. _It's definitely because o' Mark_, she thought happily before going back into the locker room. She pulled out her outfit for the night: the same pants she wore Monday night, a black and gold lacey tube top, and a black mesh sheer top to go over it. As she dressed, Mark groaned slightly and shifted on the couch. "You okay, baby?" she asked pulling the tube top over her head and fixing it over her chest. "Yeah," he answered quietly. "Want a massage?" she asked. Mark looked over at her and shook his head. "I'm alright, really, just slept too long," he answered slowly sitting up. Sara pulled on the mesh shirt, then stood in front of him.

"What do you think?" she asked turning around in a full circle. Mark smiled and pulled her onto his lap. "Beautiful as usual," he said before kissing her passionately. Sara moaned slightly and wrapped her fingers in his hair, pulling his face closer to hers. Mark's hand drifted down to Sara's belly, easing under the mesh shirt and squeezing her breast. Sara gasped and pressed her chest into his hand. "God, I missed you so much," she whispered, "I missed everything about you, Mark…" "Like what?" he whispered. "The way you touch me…the way you kiss me…the way your eyes see into my very soul," she whispered against his lips, "Your voice pulling me from my sleep…the way you made all my problems go away…everything." Tears came to Mark's eyes, and he removed his hand from underneath her shirt. "I caused you so much pain this month, dollface," he whispered painfully, "I wish I could do it all over again…I would've never agreed to do that 'line if I would've know how much bullshit you were gonna have to deal with." Sara smiled slightly and kissed him softly. "I'm glad I did it, Mark. It made my love for you even stronger. I appreciate what we have so much more now, more than I ever did," she said quietly. She pushed his hair behind his right ear and smiled. "I love you, Mark. I always will…no matter what," she whispered. Mark smiled slightly and touched his forehead to hers. "I love you, too," he said softly. Sara smiled as a knock on the door came.

"Yeah," Mark said looking towards it. Andy walked in slowly, still worried about having a repeat of what had happened earlier that day. "Hey, I got the tape from Monday night," he said slowly. "Do you wanna see it?" Mark asked Sara. She nodded slowly and Andy put the tape into the VCR and turned on the TV. She moved off of Mark's lap, swinging her feet to the floor. Mark put his arm around her, pulling her closer, as the start of his match showed on the screen. Sara watched the tape with a pained heart. The match was going perfectly, until Kevin pulled her out onto the stage. The camera had shown Mark's reaction, and Mark's eyes had darkened to a degree Sara had never seen before. There was a mixture of sadness and anger in them, and she knew that if he'd been able to, Mark would've left the match right there and beat Kevin to within an inch of his life. A smile came to her face as she watched herself punch Kevin; she felt a sense of victory once again. When Mark hit her with the chair, though, her heart sank. She remembered the pain of the impact, and the darkness that had followed. Tears came to Sara's eyes as she watched Kevin slam the sledgehammer into Mark's neck, knocking him out. She sniffled slightly, and Mark squeezed her shoulder gently. He tensed up watching Kevin pull Sara up the ramp. "What'd he say to you?" he asked when he saw Kevin whisper in Sara's ear. "That I was gonna pay for punching him," she whispered. "Did he hit you?" he asked. Sara hesitated before nodding slightly. "How many times?" he asked. "Over the month…I lost count," she said softly. Mark's jaw clenched tightly, and he let out a slow breath. "He'll pay…I'll make sure he pays, dollface," he whispered. Sara swallowed and nodded slightly. Sara watched as Mark stormed up the ramp, the camera following him into the back. He searched for Kevin, finally going into his locker room after a member of the production crew told him Kevin and Sara had already left. The screen went black moments later, and the tape stopped.

"Andy, will you leave for a few minutes?" Mark asked quietly. "Sure," Andy said taking the tape and quickly exiting the room, letting the door shut on its own. Mark had felt Sara trembling against him, and pulled her into his lap. "I'm sorry, Mark…I didn't know that was gonna happen," she whispered with tears in her eyes. "Hey, don't apologize, dollface," he whispered. Sara put her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. "I couldn't do anything," she whispered, "I couldn't do anything to stop him. I wanted to, but I couldn't. He treated me like I was nothin', Mark…like I was a piece o' property. I've never been so afraid of anyone before, not even Shawn…I just couldn't find the courage to stand up to him…and he fed on that fear." Mark sighed heavily and rubbed her back comfortingly. _I'm gonna kill him_, he thought angrily, _I'm gonna make sure he gets everything he deserves tonight_. "I'm sorry, baby," he whispered, "I'm sorry you had to go through that…" Sara nodded slightly, running her fingers through his hair gently. "But everything's gonna be okay after tonight. I'm gonna go talk to Vince real quick, okay?" he said softly. "For what?" she asked softly. "I'm gonna ask him if it's okay to change the match to no-DQ like it was last month," he said grinning slightly, "That'll give me the chance to really beat the shit outta Kevin." "But you and Kevin already have the match worked out," she said quietly. "If he wants to pull shit like Monday night…I can go that route, too," he said, "The match will go down like we have it planned…just not necessarily in the supposed order he thinks it will." Sara smiled slightly and kissed him gently. "I love you," she whispered. "Anything for you, dollface," he whispered. Sara slowly moved from his lap and Mark stood. "I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?" he said moving towards the door. Sara nodded and watched him leave, knowing that if Vince allowed the match to be changed on such short notice, it was going to be a bloodbath.

"Hey, where ya headed?" Andy asked as Mark walked by him. "Vince's office," Mark answered. "You need me to keep you from gettin' fired?" Andy asked grinning. Mark grinned slightly and shook his head. "I'm not hittin' anybody but Kevin tonight, buddy," he said. "Alright," Andy said. "Do me a favor. Go keep an eye on Sara. She's really torn up about that footage," Mark said quietly. Andy nodded, and Mark walked away. He went directly to Vince's office, knocking on the door when he got there. "Come in!" Vince answered from inside the room. Mark opened the door, and his jaw clenched tightly. Kevin was sitting with Vince, looking over a sheet of paper. "Yeah, Mark, what can I do for you?" Vince asked. "I need to talk to you…alone," he said glaring at Kevin. _Oh, shit…Sara must've told him somethin' else_, Kevin thought. "Give us a minute, Kevin," Vince said. Kevin nodded and quickly left the room, not even bothering to spare Mark a glance. "What's up, Mark?" Vince asked. "I want the match between me and Kevin to be no-DQ," Mark answered. "What? It's less than four hours to show time, Mark. There's no way to change it that quick," Vince said standing. "You've done it before," Mark said simply. "What brought this on?" Vince asked. "I don't know how much you know about what actually went on while Sara was with Kevin, but she told me…she told me he put his hands on her, Vince…he hit my _wife_," Mark said heatedly, "There's no way I can let him get away with that." "Your match is already scripted, Mark. I saw you practicing earlier," Vince argued. "So? I've been wrestling for more than 15 years, Vince. I know how to make a match run smoothly," Mark countered. Vince sighed and ran his hands over his face. "You can either make the change, Vince…or I'm gonna kill him out there tonight," Mark said quietly, his voice laced with pure hatred, "And no referee or security guard is gonna stop me." "Fine, Mark…I'll figure out how to work the change into the program," Vince said quietly. Mark nodded slightly and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Kevin was standing to the side, and Mark merely glared at him. He decided not to start a fight in the middle of the hallway, and went back to his locker room to relax before the show.

After Mark had left the room, Sara had left as well, heading for Janet's area. Andy had accompanied her, telling of Mark's request to watch over her. "Back to bodyguard mode, huh?" she asked grinning slightly. "Maybe," he answered with a smile. "I'm fine now, Andy, really. It was just hard to watch, ya know. When I was with Kevin, we never really watched footage of his matches. So it was weird gettin' used to watching again," she said. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Yeah, I promise, I'm fine. Just let Mark now I'll be back after I get Janet to fix me up," she answered. Andy let out a heavy sigh and agreed. Sara winked up at him before going to Janet's area alone. When she arrived, Lisa was sitting in the chair talking with Ruthie about their match. "Hello, ladies," Sara smiled. "Hey, you. How are ya?" Lisa asked. "I'm doin' a lot better than I was Monday night," Sara answered honestly. "Yeah, I bet. Is Mark okay?" Ruthie said. "Yeah. He went to talk to Vince about his match tonight with Kevin," Sara said. "What about it?" Lisa asked. "He wants to make it no-DQ," Sara said grinning. "But it's like four hours to show time," Ruthie said. "Yeah, Mark knows that. But he also has a way with Vince, ya know. Vince knows that if he changes the match, even as close to show time as it is, Mark will find a way to make the match even better," Sara answered, "It's gonna be great, I can't wait…even if I do have to be in a cage 15 feet above the ring." "They're puttin' you in a cage?" Lisa asked. Sara chuckled softly and nodded. "So I don't interfere in the match," she said, "But there's gonna be a twist. I get to force my way outta the cage by pulling the bars apart. It should be fun." "Oh, for sure. I mean, is it gonna be hard, ya know, to pull the bars apart?" Ruthie asked. "Nah. The bars are pretty thin, so it's not gonna be too hard. A challenge? Yes. A problem? No," Sara said with a smile.

"Sara?" The hair on the back of Sara's neck stood up, and she took a deep breath before turning around. "Yeah?" she asked. "Can I talk to you?" Kevin asked. "What for?" she asked. "We've got a promo together," he answered, "Vince wants it to be recorded before the show." "I'll come find you when I'm done," she said simply. "Alright, baby girl," Kevin said. Sara's eye twitched when he said that endearment; it unnerved her how he could be so caring one moment, and so evil in the next. "Fine," she said quietly. Kevin walked away with his head lowered, and Sara faced the three women. "Wow…," Lisa said quietly. "What?" Sara asked. "He looks a little…I don't know…scared," Lisa said. "He should be," Sara said with menace, "He treated me like shit, Lisa…and now, it's time for some payback." "I'd really hate to get on your bad side, sweetheart," Ruthie said smiling. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "I'm really a forgiving person, ya know. But some people…some things can't be forgiven," she said quietly. The two women nodded, and Janet quickly finished Lisa's make-up. After Lisa left, Sara and Ruthie made small talk as Janet fixed up Ruthie for the night. She straightened Ruthie's hair curling the ends of her bangs, before moving on to Ruthie's make-up. She finished a half an hour later. "Hey, have fun with your match tonight," Sara said as Ruthie walked away. "Thanks, Sara. I'll make sure and keep an eye on Mark's," Ruthie said with a grin. Sara smiled and gave a curt nod as she finally sat down.

"So, you're gonna be pulling bars apart tonight, huh?" Janet asked as she ran a large brush through Sara's thick tresses. "Yep. I can't wait, Janet. I think the fans have forgotten just how strong I can be, ya know, so this is the perfect opportunity," Sara answered. "How do you want your hair tonight?" Janet asked. "Be creative, hon," Sara answered smiling. Sara sat in silence as she felt Janet's fingers work magic. Janet put the front half of Sara's hair in rows of twists, putting rubber bands at the crown of each row. With the loose hair, she crimped them with crimping irons. It gave Sara a sophisticated, yet menacing look. She applied Sara's foundation smoothly, then lined her eyes with a dark blue liner. The shadow she put on Sara's lids were of a lighter blue, and gave Sara's eyes a cat-like look. Finally, she put Sara's favorite dark red lipstick on her lips, going over it with a layer of gloss to make them shine. "There ya go, sweetie," Janet said when she was done. Sara looked in the mirror and smiled brightly. "Amazing, Janet…absolutely amazing," she said softly. "You said be creative," Janet said grinning. "I know…it looks great," Sara said standing, "Thanks, hon." "Not a problem. Kick ass out there tonight," Janet said. "Will do," Sara said before leaving. She slowly made her way down to Kevin's locker room. She ran her hands over her pants before knocking on the door. It opened moments later, and Kevin stood there in his wrestling gear. "You look good," he said quietly. "Let's just get this over with," Sara said crossing her arms. Kevin let out a slow breath and led her down to the recording room for the night. Inside was a mock set-up for an interview session.

"Hey, Cole, we're here," Kevin said as Sara shut the door. "Hey, Kevin, give me a second," Michael said. Sara leaned against the door, fiddling with her wedding ring. "You gonna wear that on-screen?" Kevin asked looking down at her hand. Sara merely nodded, her thoughts focused on all the pain he'd caused her over the past 30 days. "What's this interview for?" she asked quietly. "The match tonight, and you being in that cage," Kevin answered. "Are you gonna have to touch me?" she asked. "At the end, yes," he said quietly. Sara shivered slightly and let out a slow breath. "Alright, Kevin. I'm just gonna ask you about your match tonight, any thoughts you might have. You know, the usual pre-match shot," Michael said. "Alright," Kevin said. "I'm also gonna ask about 'Taker's attitude about the match, with regards to what you did to him Monday night. And about the cage that Angel's gonna be in for the match," Michael added. Kevin nodded and looked down at Sara. "You need a moment?" he asked quietly. "Yeah," she said softly. Kevin went over to Kevin, leaving her alone. Sara dropped her head, imagining having to be with Kevin for another month. Tears immediately came to her eyes, because she couldn't imagine how much more punishment he could put her through. _I know he'd find a way to put me on my deathbed_, she thought sadly. She slowly walked over to Kevin, her arms crossed and her eyes lowered. "You ready?" Kevin asked. Sara nodded, keeping her eyes closed. "We'll just have Angel stand over to the side, where you can still see her, but just so the focus isn't on her," Michael said. Sara stood where the cameraman asked her, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill over.

"And go, Cole," the cameraman said moments later. "Kevin Nash, you have a huge championship title defense against the man you beat for the title last month, the Undertaker. Are you worried at all about not retaining your title?" Michael began. "Michael Cole, nothing about the Undertaker scares me. I beat him last month, and I have no doubt that I'll beat him again tonight. With Angel by my side, of course," Kevin said grabbing Sara's elbow and pulling her into the shot. Sara felt a tear slide down her cheek, and she looked up at Kevin with pure hatred. "You don't think Undertaker will take his anger out on you because you took his manager from him?" Michael asked. "First of all, I didn't _take_ anything away from the Deadman. I won that match fair and square last month, Cole. Angel's been just that to me, as a matter of fact, a complete angel. Sure, she's had her temper tantrums every now and then, but we got those smoothed out, didn't we, sweetie?" Kevin said looking down at Sara. Sara swallowed and looked down at the floor. "Speaking of Angel, I hear you have a very unique surprise involving her in tonight's match," Michael said. "Yes, I do, Michael. My darling little Angel will be put in a cage above the ring, so that I don't have to worry about her safety. I do care about some people, ya know," Kevin said putting his arm around Sara's shoulders and squeezing her close. "One last question, Kevin. I've been informed from Vince McMahon himself that tonight's World title match will now be no disqualifications. That practically give Undertaker carte blanche to do what he wants to you. Any qualms about that?" Michael said. Kevin's face turned pale, and his arm dropped from Sara's shoulders, bringing a slight grin to her face. "What?!" Kevin exclaimed. "It's no disqualification," Michael repeated. "Yeah, I heard you the first time!" Kevin said before storming off the set. Michael looked at Sara, who was still grinning. "I think tonight, Kevin Nash…is gonna take a walk on the Dark Side," she said cryptically, "He's gonna find out what happens when you mess with the Phenom." She headed off the set, and moments later, the cameraman said, "And it's a wrap." "Alright, thanks, guys. We'll go show that to Vince and see what he thinks. We'll let you know if he wants it shot over again," Michael said. Kevin nodded and opened the door for Sara, walking out after her and shutting the door. "See ya in a few hours," she said before heading away. Kevin watched her walk way, his mind running wild knowing that his match was now no-DQ. _Maybe I should go write out my will right now_, he thought somewhat seriously, walking towards his own locker room.

Sara entered Mark's locker room with a smile on her face. "Hey, you," Mark said as she plopped down beside him, "Where'd you disappear to?" "Hair and make-up, and then a recording with Kevin," she answered, "He just found out that the match has been changed to no-DQ." "Oh, yeah? What'd he have to say about it?" Mark asked grinning. "I think he's in his locker room puking up his lunch," Sara said chuckling. Mark smiled fully and put his arm around her shoulder. "Excellent," he said quietly, "Mind games can do wonders, dollface." "I agree," she said leaning against him fully. As the show began, Sara and Mark sat hand-in-hand on the large couch watching the television. The first match was Lisa versus Ruthie, which Sara paid close attention to. She loved to watch the women wrestle, because sometimes their matches were better than the men's. Lisa's character, Victoria, had calmed down over the past few months and was now a babyface. Ruthie, however, had gone back to her roots as a heel, and was doing her best to get a negative reaction from the crowd. "I've got a promo to cut," Mark said near the end of the second hour. "You want me to come with?" Sara asked as he stood. "Nah, stay back here and relax, dollface. Besides…you're right here," he said putting his hand over his heart. Sara smiled and turned pink. "I love you, too," she said softly.

Mark smiled and grabbed his ring jacket before leaving the room. He slipped on the jacket as he walked down the hall towards the entrance. He put all other thoughts from his mind as he walked down the hallway, focusing only on the thought that Kevin had actually had the guts to put his hands on Sara. When he arrived at the interview area, Jonathan Coachman was already there. Mark stood to the side, waiting for Jonathan to tell him he was ready. "Alright, 'Taker," Jonathan said moments later. Mark stepped into the camera view and his face became as stationary as possible. "Undertaker…," Jonathan began, interrupted by cheers from the crowd in the filled arena. Once they quieted down, Jonathan began again. "Undertaker, tonight you go one-on-one with one of your most heated adversaries, Kevin Nash, for the World Heavyweight championship. This past Monday night, Nash made a sneak attack on you. Let's take a look," he said. The large plasma television screen behind them began to play the end of Mark's match. His heart clenched as he watched it once more. When it finished, he looked down at Jonathan with cold eyes.

"Monday night, Nash got the upper hand on you. Do you think he's going to carry that advantage into tonight's match?" Coachman said. Mark's jaw clenched, and he took a deep breath. "Nash made two mistakes Monday night. First, he attacked me from behind. That shows me that he's a coward; he doesn't have the guts to bring it to me face-to-face. Secondly, he got Angel involved. That chairshot was not meant for her, and she knows that. Tonight, I'm going to make sure…any chair I swing will make contact with Kevin Nash and Kevin Nash only," he said slowly. "Angel will be suspended above the ring in a steel cage tonight, Undertaker. Do you think that's for her safety, or to ensure that she will not get involved in the match?" Coachman said. "Both, Coachman. Angel has found herself in dangerous situations over the past few weeks, by fault of Kevin Nash. By being in that cage, she is ensured safety from any harm. However, as much as she may want to, the cage also guarantees that she will not get involved in the match. This is between Nash and I, and it will stay that way," Mark said. "Are you confident in your abilities to win tonight's title match, and reclaim the World Heavyweight championship?" Jonathan asked. "Coach…tonight, I will guarantee…Kevin Nash will rest…in…peace," Mark growled before walking away.

Sara and Kevin walked up 20 minutes later. Sara immediately went up to Mark, placing her hand in his. "Good promo," she said softly. "Thanks," he said quietly, heading up the stairs to the pit area, "You gonna be okay in that cage?" Sara let out a slow breath and nodded; she'd stood in the cage earlier that day. It was large enough to make her feel comfortable, but small enough to confine her. "Don't worry, Angel. Just show the fans what you're about," he said softly. She grinned slightly and nodded. The match before them, Shawn versus Andy for the Intercontinental title, wrapped up within the next few minutes, and Shawn came through the curtain. "So the dark duo's back, huh?" he asked grinning. Sara smiled and winked at him. "Give us a half an hour," Mark said quietly. Shawn chuckled and headed by Kevin. "You better watch your ass out there tonight," he said quietly, "Mark's lookin' more pissed off than usual." "I know," Kevin said simply. Andy came through the curtains moments later with the Intercontinental title in hand. "Congrats, Andy. It's about time if you ask me," Sara said quietly. "Thanks, Angel. Be safe out there, okay?" Andy said quietly. Sara nodded and lowered her head. Andy walked past Kevin roughly, wanting to punch the man right in his jaw. Kevin sighed heavily and thought, _Who _didn't_ she tell?_ Mark's music began, and Sara released his hand. "See ya out there," she whispered touching his arm. Mark looked down at her and winked before walking through the curtains.

Kevin stepped up beside her, and Sara crossed her arms, avoiding contact with him. Kevin tried to think of something to say, but failed. When his music started, he rotated his neck and took a deep breath. Sara felt his hand in her hair, and she gritted her teeth as he yanked her onto the stage. "Let me go!" she screamed. Kevin ignored her pleas and raised the World title with his free hand. "This isn't goin' anywhere," he said smiling. Sara tried to pull away, but Kevin's grip was tighter than usual. Tears came to her eyes as he pulled her down the ramp. "Stop fighting," he growled in her ear. Sara struggled even harder, striking his chest with her fists. Kevin came up to the ring, and shoved her towards it. He went up the stairs as Sara climbed in under the ropes. The cage was in the middle of the ring, and the door was wide open. "Come on, Angel," Earl Hebner said holding the door. Sara hesitated, and Kevin grinned, pushing her inside. Earl shut the door quickly as Sara faced him. He padlocked the door, and Sara grabbed the bars. "Sorry, Angel," he said quietly. Sara's jaw clenched as Hebner stepped back from the cage and gave the signal to raise it. Sara gasped as she felt the cage began to rise. It wobbled a little beat, and Sara felt her chest tightened. _I cannot believe I have to do this shit_, she thought angrily. "You're dead, Nash…that's a promise," Mark growled stepping into Kevin's face. Sara watched the large TitanTron screen, and took a deep breath as the bell rang, signaling the start of the match.

Mark immediately began to dominate the match, beating Kevin literally from pillar to post. The match went as planned for nearly 20 minutes. Sara turned around in the cage, testing the bars for what little flexibility she could find. Suddenly, she heard the crowd gasp in unison. She glanced at the TitanTron, and her heart dropped. Kevin had just put Mark down with a boot landing directly in his forehead. She tried to slow her breathing as Kevin dropped out of the ring and got a chair from beside the announcer's table. _No, no, no_, she thought. Kevin slid into the ring as Mark slowly stood. When he faced Kevin, Kevin nailed him on top of the head with the chair. Sara groaned and covered her eyes. "Come on, Deadman, come get some," Kevin said pulling Mark to his feet. He dropped him back down with a harsh clothesline. He dropped an elbow on Mark's chest, before pulling him into a sleeper hold. Sara watched as Mark began to fade. "Goddammit," she whispered, "Come on, 'Taker." The fans began to chant Undertaker's name, giving him a surge of energy. He got to his feet slowly, laying elbows into Kevin's ribs. "Yes, yes," Sara whispered clapping. Kevin grabbed a handful of Mark's hair and pulled him down to the mat. He picked up the chair and hit Mark repeatedly, Mark's groans echoing throughout the arena. "Stop, stop!" Sara screamed as the cage wobbled more. Kevin looked at the TitanTron, an evil smile on his face. He climbed out of the ring and pulled a sledgehammer from underneath it. As he slid into the ring, Sara's jaw dropped. Kevin smiled and said loudly, "This one's for you, Angel!" He waited for Mark to stand, before planting the sledgehammer in the middle of Mark's back, knocking him back down to the mat.

Sara groaned and found the bars she was supposed to pull apart. The match progressed as she worked apart the metal. It took her a few minutes, but she finally managed to pull one bar completely off. The crowd cheered loudly at her test of strength, proving to Sara that they still recognized what she was fully capable of. She pushed the second bar apart far enough to where she could squeeze through. She looked down and gasped. Mark was laid out, and Kevin was on top of him punching at his face. She quickly slipped out of the opening, the bar she'd pulled apart in her right hand. When Kevin heard her drop down to the ring, he grinned and slowly stood. When he faced Sara, she hit him directly in his ribs with the metal bar. He groaned loudly and fell to the mat clutching his midsection. Sara dropped down beside Mark and said, "Come on, 'Taker, he's all yours!" Mark nodded slightly and Sara quickly rolled out of the ring. Mark stood and kicked Kevin in his ribs as hard as he could, flipping over the big man. He looked down at Sara, and simply said, "Chair." Sara smiled and pulled a chair from under the ring, sliding it under the ropes. Mark leaned over and picked up the metal object, then went over to Kevin. He picked up the big man and growled, "Payback's a bitch, motherfucker." He placed the edge of the chair over Kevin's Adam apple, then shoved the chair and Kevin down to the mat, causing Kevin to fall backwards, clutching at his throat and coughing wildly. _Holy shit_, Sara thought, _That could do permanent damage_. However, she smiled and clapped excitedly. Mark picked up Kevin and flipped him over, then dropped him in the Tombstone piledriver. He crossed Kevin's arms over his chest, and the referee counted the pin fall victory.

Sara smiled as she slid into the ring. Her first instinct was to jump into Mark's arms, but that would've been contradictory to Mark's character. She watched as Mark pulled Kevin over to the corner, kicked him in his head several times, then placed the chair around his neck. He motioned for Sara to come over to him, and she grinned slightly, moving towards him. Kevin went to move away, but Mark planted a few stiff boots in his midsection. He then turned his attention to Sara. He put his hands on her waist, and slowly sat her on the top turnbuckle. "Jump down…on the chair," he said softly. "What?" she asked. "Payback, Angel," he said quietly. Sara smiled and nodded as Mark moved back. Sara swallowed and slowly stood on the second rope. The fans cheered loudly as they saw what she was going to do. She took a deep breath before jumping down onto the chair, closing it abruptly around Kevin's throat. Kevin jolted and blood flew from his mouth. Sara grabbed the World title from the announcer as the referee dropped down beside Kevin, who was twitching seemingly uncontrollably. Sara handed Mark the title, and he pulled her to his side with his right arm. With his left hand, he held the World title up proudly. The cheers of the fans seemed to the shake the building to its very foundation. "Come on, Angel," Mark said quietly. He moved to the ropes as paramedics came running down the ramp. Sara slipped under the bottom rope, and Mark climbed out as well. Sara smiled as they headed up the ramp. At the top of the stage, the couple faced the crowd once more. Sara held up Mark's right hand, and Mark held up the title yet again, basking in the approval of the crowd. After pausing for effect, they finally headed through the curtain. Sara closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, and Mark rotated his neck, groaning slightly. "What the hell was that?" Vince asked from the table. "What?" Mark asked. "That ending. For all I know, you just broke his neck," Vince said standing. Sara looked up at Mark, who had an apathetic look in his eyes. "He got what he deserved, Vince," she said quietly, putting her hand in Mark's and heading away.

Mark and Sara were met by Andy and Lisa in the back. "Wow…," Lisa said quietly. "That's one way to put it," Sara said grinning. "Did it feel good?" Andy asked quietly. "Yeah…it did, Andy," she said honestly. "Looked like it," Andy said grinning, "What'd Vince have to say?" "Nothin' I didn't expect," Mark said wiping his forehead with the back of his arm, "I don't think he knew how far I was gonna take it." "You took it as far as it needed to go, Mark," Sara said quietly. "Come on, let's go get cleaned up," Mark said quietly. Sara nodded and waved good-bye to Andy and Lisa. "Do you regret jumping on that chair?" Mark asked as they headed down to his locker room. Sara sighed heavily and squeezed his hand slightly. "Out there…no. Back here, yes. I didn't want to hurt him, Mark. As much as he hurt me…I didn't want to actually injure him," she said quietly, "But the opportunity was too good to pass up. That…was probably the highest moment I've had in the ring…and the lowest. For the first time in my career…I intentionally hurt one of my co-workers." Mark let out a slow breath and put his arm around her shoulder. "I don't think he'll be one o' your co-workers for long, dollface," he said quietly. "Why do you say that?" Sara asked. "When I told you I'd made Kevin tell me everything…the first person I went to afterwards was Vince. And I'll be surprised if Kevin's around much longer," he said quietly. They arrived at his locker room, and they quickly entered. "Are you serious?" Sara asked facing him. "As much as it doesn't seem like it, baby, Vince is very overprotective of you. Both as one of his top performers, and on a personal level…he kind of sees you as his daughter in a way. And when I told him the shit Kevin did to you…it was like Kevin had done that to Stephanie. I've never seen Vince so pissed off," Mark said honestly. Sara sat down on the couch, her mind whirling with this new information. Mark slowly kneeled down in front of her, grimacing slightly because of the pain in his limbs. Sara looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Don't worry, dollface. People come and go around here…some go better than others. The ones who go out the hard way…usually go that way because they deserved it. And Kevin deserved to go out like that," he said quietly. Sara nodded slightly and looked away. "Ya know…I like your hair like that," Mark whispered grinning. Sara finally smiled and looked back at him. "You should thank Janet. She's the miracle worker," she said softly. "I'll do that," he said kissing her softly. "Go take a shower," she said quietly. Mark nodded and slowly straightened up. Sara watched as he limped into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. A knock on the door came moments later. Sara stood and slowly opened it, shocked to find Vince standing in front of her. "How is he?" she asked quietly. "He's on his way to the hospital…the paramedics suspect a crushed larynx," he answered. Sara looked down in shame. "Hey…," Vince said quietly, tilting her chin up. Sara let out a slow breath and swallowed. "Like you said…he got what he deserved. I really am sorry for what you went through," he said quietly, "That was Kevin's last match. His contract is up tomorrow, and I'm not renewing. He knew that…Mark knew that. That's why Mark's not in the trouble you thought he would be." "What about me? I could've injured him a lot worse," Sara said quietly. "Accidents happen," Vince said grinning slightly. "What?" Sara asked shocked. "That's how I saw it," Vince said before walking away. Sara smiled slightly and shut the door. Sure, Vince could be a rather hard employee to work for, but there were times where Sara wouldn't have wished to work for anyone else.

Mark came out of the bathroom nearly 20 minutes later, dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He tossed his ring gear into his duffel bag, and Sara stood from the couch. She had changed into a similar outfit after Vince had left. "You ready?" he asked quietly. She nodded, deciding not to tell him of Vince's short visit. Mark grabbed both duffel bags and let Sara out of the room first. As they headed out, they were stopped by Shawn and Paul. "What's up, guys?" Sara asked tiredly. The adrenaline from Mark's match had worn off, and she was now exhausted. "Just wanted to say…good job out there," Shawn said grinning slightly, "For whatever reason…Kevin deserved what you did to him." Sara nodded and looked up at Mark, who was grinning slightly. "I think I'll watch what I say and do around you from now on," Paul said smiling. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," she said quietly, heading out the exit door. "Wow, man…what a way for Kevin to go out," Paul said to Mark. "The worst deserve the worst," Mark said honestly. "Well, he got it," Paul said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," Mark said waving good-bye and leaving the arena. He and Sara walked to his rental car together, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. They quickly climbed inside, and Mark drove to the hotel he was staying in. When they arrived, Sara slowly climbed out, yawning as she did. "Almost there, dollface," Mark said softly. They went up to his room, and Sara collapsed into bed. Mark shut the door and turned off the lights. He climbed into bed behind her, pulling the covers over them and wrapping his arm around her waist tightly. "Life is back to normal, baby," he whispered in her ear. Sara nodded and smiled slightly. "I love you, Mark," she whispered. "I love you, too, baby," he whispered kissing her cheek, then falling asleep quickly, with Sara not too far behind him.


	88. Back in the Mix

**Hey, guys, sorry for not updating in a while. This chapter goes into a lot of depth, though, so I think it makes up for it-D

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**Chapter 87…Back in the Mix**

Sara awoke the next morning with a smile on her face. She was pulled tightly against Mark's body, with his cheek resting against hers. She took a deep breath, letting it out in a content sigh. "Hmm…," Mark said softly, squeezing her to him even more, "You feel good." Sara looked over her shoulder, smiling broadly. "So do you," she whispered. Mark's lip landed on hers, and she moaned softly as the kiss turned passionate. Mark went to move on top of her, but grimaced in pain. "What is it?" Sara asked with concern on her face. "Everything," Mark whispered laying back down. Sara slowly sat up, looking down at him with tears in her eyes. "You gonna be okay?" she asked softly. "Yeah, just give me about 15 minutes," he answered touching her hand. "I'll go take a shower," she said climbing out of bed. Mark watched as she went into the bathroom, a grin on his face. _In sickness and in health_, he thought of their wedding vows. When Sara finally came back out of the bathroom 20 minutes later, Mark had just sat up. Sara smiled slightly and sat down at his side. "A little better?" she asked softly. "Yeah," he said kissing her gently. Sara smiled against his lips, whispering, "I love you." "I love you, too, dollface," he said quietly. "What time are we leaving?" she asked quietly, "It's almost ten o' clock." "The flight's at 12:30," he answered softly. "I'll order breakfast, okay?" she said softly. Mark nodded and slowly rolled off of the bed as Sara picked up the phone. She dialed room service and ordered eggs, bacon, toast, and orange juice for both she and Mark. "It should be here in about 15 minutes," she said as Mark headed for the bathroom. "Alright, dollface," Mark said going into the bathroom and shutting the door.

Sara stood and went over to her suitcase, pulling out underclothes, a pair of loose jeans, and a t-shirt. She lotioned up her legs and slipped on her panties, socks, and pants, then slipped on her bra and shirt. Mark came out of the bathroom as she brushed her hair dry. Sara smiled as he stood behind her, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her against him. "You're getting me wet," she said softly. Mark raised his eyebrows and smiled. "I tend to have that effect on women," he said grinning. "Oh, you pervert," Sara said moving away from him. Mark chuckled and pulled shorts and a t-shirt from his suitcase. A knock came on the door a few minutes later. Sara opened it and smiled at the bellhop. "Thanks," she said politely. "Not a problem, ma'am," the man said quietly. Sara took the cart from him and kicked the door shut. She pushed the cart over to the side of the bed Mark was sitting on, facing the television. "Here ya go," she said removing the cover from his plate. Mark smiled as she pulled a chair up to the cart and sat down. "Mark…," she said suddenly. "Yeah," he asked scooping eggs onto his toast. "I think I wanna go see mom alone," she said softly. "Are you sure, baby?" he asked. "I, uh…when I got sick this past week, I had a bunch o' nightmares. And one of 'em was about mom…I don't think I have much longer with her," she said quietly, poking around her food with a fork. "Sara, I told you before you even left to go with Kevin…I'm gonna help you through this," Mark said swallowing his food, "I meant it." Sara set her fork down and leaned back in the chair. "What?" Mark asked. "I'm not hungry," she whispered. Mark sighed and took her hand in his own, squeezing gently. "You gotta eat somethin', baby," he said quietly, "You want me to feed you?" A grin slowly came to Sara's face and she shook her head. "Go on, eat up. We'll check out and head to the airport after we finish," he said quietly. "Alright," she said softly. They ate in silence for the next ten minutes. Once done, Sara grabbed her duffel bag and suitcase, and opened the door. Mark walked out behind her, shutting the door quietly.

As they checked out, a few fans came up for autographs. Sara smiled and happily obliged as Mark handled the check-out process. "It's good to see you back with 'Taker. You two rock!" one young man said. "Thanks," Sara said smiling. "Did you really crush Nash's throat?" the second kid asked. "It certainly seems that way, doesn't it?" Sara said as she signed his notebook. "What was even better was when you pulled the cage apart, though!" the third young girl said, "You're such a great athlete." "Aw, thanks," Sara said signing her little index card. "Thanks, Angel," the trio said before walking away. Sara looked up at Mark and grinned. "At least the fans liked it, huh?" she said softly. Mark nodded and grinned down at her. She was always willing to accommodate the fans, no matter what the situation. The hotel receptionist handed him his bill and he quickly signed it. "There ya go, Mr. Callaway. Thank you, and we hope you come again," she said brightly. Mark nodded and slipped his credit card back in his wallet, then picked up his suitcase. "Come on, dollface," he said softly. Sara smiled and followed him out of the hotel. They quickly made their way to the airport, and checked their bags.

Sara's cell phone rang, and she quickly answered it. "Hello," she said. "Hey, mommy!" Melissa exclaimed, "When are you coming home!" Sara chuckled softly and looked at Mark. "Tomorrow, munchkin," she said smiling. Mark smiled, knowing who she was talking to immediately. "Are we gonna go see Nana this week?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, we are, munchkin," Sara said quietly. "I miss you, mommy," Melissa said quietly. "Oh, I miss you, too, darlin'. Have you been taking care of daddy?" Sara said quietly. Melissa laughed and said, "Yeah, mommy. I told him he shouldn't eat too much ice cream!" Sara laughed and said, "Oh, really? That's my girl." "And Stacy took me to the movies yesterday. And we saw _Shrek_!" Melissa said. _Oh, no_, Sara thought, _That's no kids movie_. "And she took me shopping, mommy, and I got some new clothes, and books, and toys, and a new watch!" Melissa said happily, "And she took me to McDonald's, and she let me play in the balls as long as I wanted!" "Oh, really? Well, I'm glad you've gotten to do so much with Stacy. Now I'm gonna take you away, and keep you all to myself," Sara said smiling. "Will daddy be there?" Melissa asked. "Of course," Sara said chuckling. "Well, it's okay, then," Melissa said. Sara laughed and leaned against Mark. "I gotta go now, darlin'. But I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" she said. "I love you, mommy!" Melissa exclaimed. "I love you, too, munchkin," Sara said smiling. "Bye, mommy," Melissa said. "Bye, darlin'," Sara said before clicking the phone shut.

"Is she excited about tomorrow?" Mark asked putting his arm around. Sara smiled and nodded. "I am, too. It's been too long. I think I might take her to town…just to spend some quality time with her, ya know," she said quietly. "When are you goin' to see your mom?" Mark asked quietly. Sara sighed and lowered her head. _Being pulled in two directions once again, Sara. Your mother…or your daughter_, she thought sadly. "I told you I'd come with you, dollface," Mark said quietly, sensing her indecision. Sara let out a slow breath as tears came to her eyes. "Now there's no way I'm lettin' you go alone," Mark said squeezing her shoulder gently. Sara grinned slightly and nodded. "Thank you," she whispered. "No problem, dollface," he whispered kissing the side of her head. They boarded their plane a few minutes later, and took off for Las Vegas. They arrived at the arena around two p.m., and quickly grabbed their bags, heading inside hand-in-hand. They went up to the match board, and Sara smiled at the sight. She was wrestling Randy Orton. He was such an energetic person; he brought everything he could to the ring, and she always had fun with him. Mark smiled slightly at her energy. He knew this match meant a lot to her, because she was getting back into what she loved as much as him. "You don't have a match," she said quietly. "After last night, dollface, I'm not sure I _want_ to wrestle," Mark said honestly. Sara looked up at him and squeezed his hand gently. "Who knows, maybe Vince has somethin' planned for you," she said quietly. Mark grinned and shrugged. "I guess we'll see," he said. The quickly made their way down to Mark's locker room and changed into workout clothes. As Sara exited the room, Jim Dotson stopped her. "Hey, Vince wants to talk to you," he said. "Right now?" she asked. "Yeah," Jim answered. "Alright, thanks, Jim," she said as Mark came out of the room. "What's that about?" he asked as Jim walked away. "Vince wants to see me," she answered. "I'll meet you in the gym, then, okay?" he said kissing her cheek.

Sara smiled and headed the opposite way in search of Vince's office. When she arrived, she knocked on his door and entered upon hearing his voice. "Hey, Sara," Vince said. Sara smiled and said, "Hi, Vince." "You look well rested," he said pointing to the seat in front of his desk. Sara sat down and nodded. "I feel well rested, Vince. I saw my name on the match board tonight, and I'm really excited to get back to wrestling," she said. "Well, good, because I've got a lot planned. I just wanted to let you know what creative came up with," he said. Sara sat back in the chair more comfortably, a grin on her face. "We're going to have a tournament for the number one contender spot, kind of a King of the Ring-type fashion. There'll be 16 wrestlers involved, including you, and we've already got the brackets and results formed up. The semifinals and final match will be at Vengeance next month, so you're going to be wrestling twice that night. I hope that's okay," Vince said. Sara smiled and nodded. "I'll just have to work extra hard in the ring this month," she said. "Excellent," Vince said, "What we have to figure out next is how to make your number one contender's spot last until Summerslam. I was thinking you'd defend the spot every Monday after Vengeance, and finally wrestle at Summerslam for the title." "Whatever it takes, Vince," Sara said still smiling. "Okay, then. I guess I'll see you around, then," Vince said standing. Sara stood as well and shook his hand. "I really wanna thank you for this opportunity, Vince. I can't say that enough. It is a huge risk, but I'm gonna bust my ass to make sure it's worth it," she said quietly. "And I appreciate that, Sara. But your heart and your drive to be the best at what you do is why I'm trusting you with the World title. As long as I see that, it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks," he said honestly. Sara smiled and nodded slightly. "I'll see ya around," she said before leaving the room. She quickly headed to the gym, where she found Mark on the floor, laying flat on his back and with his eyes closed.

"Mark, are you okay!" she gasped dropping down beside him. Mark grinned slightly and looked up at her with one eye. "You're way too overprotective, dollface," he said softly. Sara's jaw dropped and she smacked his arm. "What the hell are you doin' on the floor?" she asked. "Trying to ease the pain, baby," he whispered. Sara looked away and let out a slow breath. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's okay," he said quietly, "What'd Vince have to say?" "I've got a very interesting month," she answered looking back at him, "There's a tournament for the number-one contendership, and I'm gonna be a part of it." "Wow, that's great," Mark said slowly sitting up. Sara smiled and nodded. "And Vince said that my 'heart and drive to be the best' is why he trusts me with the World title, and as long as he sees that, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks," she said happily. Mark smiled and kissed her softly. "Well, I see it, too, baby," he said quietly. "Come on, let's work out," she said plopping down. After stretching completely, Sara stepped on the treadmill. "You still gonna run for 45 minutes?" Mark asked. "Well, I'm gonna be wrestling tonight, so probably not. I think I'm only gonna go for a half an hour," she answered. "Alright," Mark said stepping on the second treadmill. Sara grinned slightly and began her run, turning her thoughts to her match that night. She put together several different spots for the match, which would highlight both her and Randy's strengths. _Gotta be a little equal_, she thought. Once they finished, Sara stepped off, feeling rejuvenated. She sat down on the floor and stretched her legs out in front of her. "Better?" Mark asked softly, sitting down beside her. "Yeah. Running always gives me a little boost of energy," Sara said quietly. "You're gonna need it, Angel," Randy said from the doorway of the small gym. Sara smiled and looked over her shoulder. "I take it you saw the match board," she said. "Yeah. You ready for this?" he asked. "God, you're one cocky son of a bitch, Randy," she said smiling. "Yeah, but the ladies love me," he said smiling, his dimples apparent. Sara rolled her eyes and chuckled softly. "Whatever you say. I'll meet you down at the ring in an hour, okay?" she said. "Sure thing, Angel," Randy answered before leaving.

"He is definitely cocky. I thought _I_ had an ego, but damn, the kid's got me beat," Mark said. Sara shrugged and said, "He's got those boyish good looks. He can't help but be cocky." "Do I have boyish good looks?" he asked grinning. "Nope," Sara said looking down at her hands. "Excuse me?" Mark asked. Sara smiled fully and looked back up at him. "Randy can't hold a candle to you, baby," she said softly, "Nobody can." "Yeah, that's what I thought," he said. "He sure can't hold a candle to your ego, either," she said standing. Mark chuckled and she helped him to his feet. "Come on, let's finish up here so I can watch you kick his ass," he said leading her over to the free weights. They finished up as quickly as possible, before heading down to the ring. Randy had yet to arrive, and the ring was empty, so Sara and Mark got into the ring to spar until Randy came. Sara knew how sore Mark was, and avoided hitting him too hard. Mark noticed that, and suddenly dropped his hands. "What?" Sara asked. "You're going easy on me," he said quietly. "I know," she said quietly. "Why?" he asked. "You're sore…from last night. I don't wanna make it any worse, Mark," she answered honestly. "Don't worry about me, dollface," he said putting his hands back up, a slight grin on his face. "Are you sure?" she asked quietly. Mark nodded and motioned for her to attack. Sara let out a deep breath and threw a jab, which Mark easily blocked.

As she threw more punches, varying her attack as much as she could, Mark smiled slightly and blocked nearly everything. "You're makin' this a little too easy, dollface," he said softly, hitting her with a jab, "You gonna hit _me_ back?" Sara swallowed as the memory of Kevin hitting her came to her mind. She dropped her hands and turned her back to him. "What is it?" he asked quietly. "Nothing," she said quietly. "You're lying," he said simply. "I don't wanna do this right now," she said softly. Right after she said that, she heard Randy's voice as he came down the ramp. "Alright, Angel, I'm ready for my ass-whooping," he said laughing. "We'll talk later," Mark said slowly getting out of the ring. Sara forced away tears, sniffling slightly, before facing Randy. "Come on, youngin'," she said grinning slightly. Randy slid into the ring with his trademark grin plastered on his face. "Just one thing, Angel. Tonight…no chairs involved," he said smiling. Sara couldn't help but laugh. "Deal," she said shaking his hand, "But I hope you have some better ideas, 'cause I was thinking of using that as my trademark." Randy chuckled and nodded. "I can think of a few things to do other than crushing my throat," he answered. Mark watched as Sara practiced for her match that night. He noticed her energy, and the smile on her face after every move Randy executed. Mark realized that, for the first time in a long while, Sara was truly having fun with her job. It took the two people only 45 minutes to hash out their match for the night, and it was going to be a real battle for Sara. Their match limit was 20 minutes, and they were wrestling for nearly the entire time. It was going to go back and forth several times, just so Sara would feel like she'd truly earned her way into the tournament.

"I think the fans are gonna like that," Randy said as they headed up the ramp to the back. "Yeah, me, too," Sara said, "It feels good to be gettin' back to wrestling." "Are you excited about the tournament?" Randy asked. "Yeah, definitely. I don't know who all is in it yet, so it'll be interesting to see who I might have to wrestle," she answered. "How far are you gonna make it?" Randy asked. "The whole thing," she answered. "Wow, that's great, Angel. So you're gonna be tryin' to take the title from Mark?" he asked. "She couldn't beat me if she tried," Mark said smiling. Sara elbowed him in the stomach, and said, "That's not what you said earlier." Mark put his arm around her and rubbed her sweaty hair. "We'll keep that between us, dollface," he said grinning. "You hungry, Angel?" Randy asked. "Yeah, I am, actually. Give me a half an hour. I'll meet you down in catering," she answered. Randy nodded and headed down towards the locker room area. "What, am I not invited?" Mark asked frowning. "No, I want to be all alone with the _stud_ Randy Orton," Sara said smiling innocently. Mark smiled and shook his head. "Right," he said softly. "You know you're free to join us, Mark. I just think you tend to scare the guy," she said quietly. "I'm not scary," Mark said simply. "To me, no…to yourself, no. But to these guys…especially after last night, I'd have to say they're very much afraid of you," she said quietly. They arrived at his locker room, and Sara entered first.

Mark shut the door behind them and leaned against it. "You think that's true?" he asked. Sara sighed and grabbed a towel from her bag. "I don't know if you noticed, but Randy went easy with me today. We usually practice a lot more…vigorously. But I think he was scared you were gonna pound him into pulp if he even acted like he was hurting me," she said quietly. Mark ran his hands through his hair and let out a slow breath. "What am I supposed to do, Sara? Last night was between Kevin and I…not everybody in the back," he said quietly. "I know that, Mark. I'm just sayin'…the guys saw a side of you they'd never seen before. Hell, _I_ saw a side o' you I never saw before. It's gonna take everyone a while to see that it _was_ between you and Kevin, and that you're not usually like that in the ring," she said quietly. "You think I took it too far?" he asked softly. Sara came over to him and kissed him softly. "You took it as far as it needed to go, remember? I just don't think the boys know how far it needed to go. They don't know what I went through, only you and Vince and Andy knew…they don't have to understand why you did what you did, just that it was something that needed to happen," she said softly. "What, am I supposed to go around to every guy and tell them that?" he asked with frustration. "No, Mark, I'm not saying that…I don't know what to do, either," she said quietly. Mark sighed and placed his forehead on hers. "I love you, you know that, right?" he said softly. Sara nodded and kissed him gently. "Come on, let's go clean up," she whispered taking him into the bathroom, ignoring the grin on his face.

After showering, and trying hard to avoid Mark's roaming hands, Sara stepped out of the stall and wrapped a towel around herself. She went back into the locker room, covering her mouth when she saw Andy asleep on the couch. She shut the bathroom door behind her quickly and went over to the couch. "Andy!" she gasped pushing his shoulder. Andy's eyes opened slowly, and she whispered, "You better get outta here before Mark comes outta the bathroom." "Oh, shit, not again," Andy said dashing for the door. He made it out right as Mark came out of the bathroom. "Who was that, dollface?" Mark asked. "Randy stopping by to see if I was ready yet," she answered shutting the door. "I swear that kid has a crush on you, darlin'," he said grinning. "Nah, not Randy. He's a ladies' man," she said smiling, "There is no such thing as 'one girl' to guys like him." Mark chuckled and shrugged. "What are you wearing tonight?" he asked. "Michelle said she had somethin' new that she wanted me to try on, so I'm gonna go check that out after I eat," she answered, "You comin' to eat?" "You sure?" Mark asked. "Mark, who cares what the guys think? As long as you're not in trouble with Vince, then it doesn't really matter," she said quietly. "Alright, dollface," he said. They quickly dressed before heading down to catering hand-in-hand.

Randy hadn't arrived yet, so Sara and Mark grabbed their food before sitting at one of the empty tables near the back. "So Vince didn't tell you any of the other guys in the tournament?" Mark asked as he chewed on a piece of chicken. "Nope…but I don't think I wanna know. I want it to be a real challenge, ya know. I'm sure he'll mix the styles up, because there are a lotta great guys on the roster. For all I know, I could end up facing Shawn for the spot," she answered. Mark grinned slightly and shrugged. He saw Glenn walk in and waved. Although they had not worked together in a while, he still talked with the man regularly. Glenn came over moments later with a plate of food and a bottle of water. "Hey, Mark," Glenn said, "Mind if I sit with you guys?" "Nah, go ahead," Sara said grinning slightly. "I saw you're wrestling tonight, Angel. Glad to be back in the mix?" Glenn said grinning. "Oh, for sure. I realized how much I missed it when I wasn't doin' it," she answered. "Yeah, I know how ya feel," Glenn said, "I'm waiting for a good storyline to come my way." "Are you wrestling tonight?" she asked. "Yeah, against Show. That's gonna be interesting, since we're both giants," Glenn said smiling slightly. "Just don't break the ring before I get out there, please," Sara said grinning. Glenn chuckled and shook his head. "I'll try not to, but when I'm in the ring with a guy even bigger than me, anything can happen," he said grinning. "True," Sara said chuckling, "Who knows? Maybe Vince will put you in a line with Mark." "Maybe. That'd be pretty interesting. We could renew the whole brother-versus-brother angle," Glenn said grinning at Mark. "Or we could be a team for once," Mark said grinning, "It's hard fighting you every night." "Gettin' old on me, man?" Glenn asked smiling. "Oh, shut up," Mark said smiling as well, "Here comes Randy." Sara looked over her shoulder and waved at the younger man.

Randy came over slowly, waving back to her. "Hey, Angel," he said taking a seat, "You feelin' okay?" "Yeah. You didn't beat me up too bad," she answered, "I'll feel it tomorrow, though, especially with our match tonight." "Yeah, me, too. But I think the fans are gonna like it," he said grinning. "Of course," Sara said grinning as well, "Are you gonna eat anything?" "Oh…right," Randy said standing. Sara watched him walk to the food table, then looked back at Mark. "Told you he's nervous around you," she said quietly. "He shouldn't be. I'm the same person I was before yesterday," Mark said quietly. "People been bugging you about last night?" Glenn asked. "Not directly. But I've seen the stares," Mark answered. "Don't worry about it, man. Things get outta hand sometimes when certain lines get crossed," Glenn said quietly. "That's the thing, Glenn. Things didn't 'get outta hand'…I did to Kevin what I'd planned on doing…it's just nobody knew about it, including him," Mark said quietly. "That's one of the good things about this business. Nobody ever knows exactly what's gonna happen in that ring. But ya know what? The fans thought it kicked ass, and that's all that should matter," Glenn said quietly. "You sure you're younger than me?" Mark asked grinning. "Definitely sure," Glenn said smiling. Randy came back over and slowly sat down.

"Will you ease up, Randy? I'm not gonna bite your head off," Mark said grinning. "You sure?" Randy asked. "Yes, Randy, I'm sure," Mark answered. Randy relaxed a little more, and lunch went by fast. Sara and Randy discussed their match in detail, getting input from both Mark and Glenn. They ended up considering changing a few things around, giving Randy more of an offense. "Honestly, Angel, the fans are gonna see you as the complete underdog. If Randy has control during most of the match, it'll make your victory that much more sweeter for the fans," Glenn told her. "True. I never really thought of that factor," Sara said as they left the lunch room. "Just keep it in mind, Angel. You don't have to change the match completely, just a little," Glenn said. "Thanks for the advice, Glenn," she said grinning. She headed down to Michelle's little room, knocking on the door when she arrived. "Yeah," came a bubbly voice from inside. Sara opened the door and smiled. "Hey, there," she said. Michelle smiled and said, "I was wondering when you were gonna show up. Here." She handed over three pieces, and Sara held them up. The leather bottom was made like underwear, with two straps linked to the waistband. There were studs around the waistband, as well as on the straps. The second piece was a simple black strapless bra, and the third piece was an off-the-shoulder mesh shirt, with silver lining on the cuffs and hem. "What do you think?" Michelle asked nervously. "Let me go try it on," Sara said grinning. She went into the bathroom and quickly changed. The straps came up over her hips, giving her abdomen a more slender, defined look. She went back into the room and took a deep breath.

"Well?" Michelle asked. Sara smiled and nodded. "It looks good. I'm thinkin' I'll tape my hands up kinda like a boxer, to give it a more menacing look," she answered. "Whew! I thought you wouldn't like it, 'cause it's so simple," Michelle said. "I'm a simple person when it comes to my wrestling gear," Sara said. She slipped on her sweatpants, thanked Michelle again, and left to go to Mark's locker room. When she entered, she saw that Mark was not there. She grabbed wrist tape from his bag and sat down on the couch, beginning to wrap her hands as she had planned. She wrapped each hand twice, making them look a little tougher than usual. Mark came through the doorway with Andy as she finished up. "Wow, planning on beatin' the shit outta somebody tonight, dollface?" he asked as she tossed the tape roll to her side. Sara smiled and flexed her hands. "Maybe," she said innocently, "I've decided Randy's face is too pretty, so I wanna rearrange some features." Mark chuckled and dropped down beside her. Andy popped a tape into the VCR and turned on the television. "What's this?" she asked. "Me and Mark's matches from last night," he answered. After Andy's match, he paused the tape. "What'd you think?" he asked. Sara smiled and said, "It was a great match, Andy, probably your best one. Shawn always brings out the best in his opponents, and you're no different. You really played up to your heel character, and the fans loved it. You and Shawn have natural chemistry, and I think the 'line could continue if Vince wants it to." Andy smiled broadly and played the tape. "Thanks, baby doll," he said sitting back down.

Mark's match was a little different. Every punch was real, every kick was real, and every move was executed in the most physical way possible. Sara even flinched near the end when Mark shoved Kevin's throat down onto the chair. "You okay?" Mark whispered in her ear. Sara nodded and took a deep breath. When she watched herself jump onto the chair, and saw Kevin's body jerk, her jaw dropped slightly. "Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" Jim Ross screamed, "Angel just closed that chair over Kevin Nash's throat!" "That could've crushed his throat, J.R. I guess the saying's right: hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!" Lawler said. "The dark duo is once again reunited, ladies and gentlemen! If this is a sign of things to come, then the WWF will never be the same!" Ross said. "Wow, J.R., Nash is bleeding from the mouth! I think she did permanent damage," Lawler said. "I've never seen anything like that, King. Look at Angel's eyes, she's got no remorse!" Ross said in shock. "Look at all the crap Nash put her through, though, J.R. That was just a little payback," Lawler explained. Sara let out a slow breath as the tape ended. "What do you think?" Mark asked. "Well, I certainly don't feel any better about what I did," she said quietly. "Don't worry about it, Sara. You know he deserved that," Andy said pulling the tape from the VCR. "That's not the point," she whispered leaving the room.

Andy looked at Mark as the door slammed shut. "Is she okay?" he asked. Mark shook his head and sighed. "As much as he hurt her, as much as he abused her…she still feels like she went too far," he said quietly. "I guess I could see how she feels that way. I mean, I was watchin' with some of the guys, and when she jumped down, all their jaws dropped. They couldn't tell if it was real or fake. A lot of 'em were really concerned about Kevin," Andy said sitting down. "Well, if they knew what she went through, they'd see why she did it," Mark said quietly. "They all looked at me for answers, but I told 'em to go to Sara if they really wanted to know. I didn't feel it was my place to tell them," Andy said honestly. "Do you think we _should_ tell them?" Mark asked. "No. That was between you, Kevin, and Sara. The only reason I know is because Sara took it upon herself to tell me. I know you guys better than anybody here, so I understand. Don't worry about the other guys. All they need to understand is that what happened last night won't happen again, because Kevin's gone. When you work with them, it really is all fun and games…last night was personal," Andy answered honestly, "Your temper didn't get the best of you, despite what they may think. All they saw as far as that 'line was what happened on RAW every week. They don't know the gritty details, and like I said, they don't need to. They just need to understand that when you get in the ring, you're in character completely. But last night, you went out there as yourself, and you defended your wife, and that's completely acceptable."

Mark smiled slightly and leaned his head back. "Thanks, Andy," he said quietly. "Not a problem," Andy said standing, "I'm gonna go find Lisa and grab somethin' to eat." Mark nodded and Andy quietly left the room. Mark stared up at the ceiling, digesting Andy's words. _He's right…I wasn't my character last night. Kevin hurt my wife…he hit my wife…he made it personal. This line o' work is way too violent to take the chance of making shit personal_, he thought, _Hopefully, he's learned that lesson_. The door opened and Sara walked in. She sat down beside Mark, leaning her head against his shoulder. "You okay?" he asked softly. Sara nodded and let out a deep breath. "Don't worry, Sara. Things are back to normal now. You won't be jumping on anybody else's throat anymore," he said putting his arm around her. Sara couldn't help but chuckle. "That's good to know," she whispered, "I don't know if I could actually do that to anybody else." Mark yawned slightly and Sara whispered, "Let's take a nap." Mark smiled and stretched out on the couch, Sara resting on top of him. He put his arms around her and pulled her close. "I love you, dollface," he whispered. "I love you, too, Mark," she said softly. They slept for nearly an hour, waking up around 7:30. Sara climbed off of Mark's chest, yawning and stretching her arms. "Better?" Mark asked sitting up. "Yeah," she answered, "I needed that." Mark smiled and pulled her onto his lap. "These mesh shirts tease, dollface," he whispered pulling at the hem. Sara smiled and said, "That's the point." "Oh, really?" Mark asked easing his hand underneath it, caressing her skin. Sara kissed his nose softly and stood. "I gotta go get pretty," she said heading for the door. "You're already pretty, dollface," Mark said from the couch. Sara turned pink, but didn't look at him. "I know you're blushing," he said chuckling. "I'll be back before the show starts," she said leaving, a smile stuck on her face.

Down at Janet's, Ruthie was getting ready. She had a match versus Trish and Lisa near the middle of the first hour. "Hey, Sara," Ruthie said. "Hey, hon, how are ya? You and Lisa had a great match last night," Sara spoke. "Aw, thanks, hon. I'm doin' alright, I suppose. I bruised my arm up real bad last night, but other than that, I'm cool. How are you? You had a pretty interesting spot out there last night yourself," Ruthie said as Janet brushed her hair smooth. "Yeah, it's not one of my higher points," Sara said quietly. "Ah, don't worry about it, hon. From seeing you wrestle over the years, I know that last night was…an exception to the rule," Ruthie said quietly, "For whatever reason, you felt the need to do what you did…and as long as you're okay with that reason, it doesn't matter what I or anyone else thinks." "I just don't want anyone to think less of me…or Mark, ya know. It's just-." "I told you, sweetie, don't worry about what anyone thinks. You and Mark know why what happened last night happened…and that's all that matters. If it makes you feel any better, that took some real guts to do what you did…dropping down from that cage like that. Oh, my goodness, it couldn't have been me! I'm scared to death o' heights!" Ruthie said smiling. Sara smiled and chuckled, relieved that at least one co-worker still saw her in the same light as before Sunday night. "There ya go," Ruthie said quietly. "You and Trish got somethin' special planned tonight?" Sara asked changing the subject. "Nah, not too much. I get to keep my title, so that's what matters," Ruthie answered, "What about you? I saw you against Randy on the match board. Vince has put your right back into the mix, huh?" "Yeah, I'm really excited. I love wrestling, ya know…always have, and always will," Sara said grinning. Janet finished up a few minutes later, and Ruthie stood. "It'll be good to see you in the ring again. I hope it leads to somethin' big," Ruthie said before walking away. Sara smiled and sat down in the chair. _If only you knew, Ruthie_, she thought. She wasn't telling anyone of her impending success in the tournament. _For all I know, they probably think I'm not gonna make it past the first round_, she thought.

"What can I do for ya, hon?" Janet asked, bringing Sara back to reality. "Do you have time to do the hairstyle you had from last night?" she asked. "Sure thing, hon," Janet answered picking up one of her large brushes. Sara sat in silence as the feel of the brush through her tresses relaxed her. She went over the sequences of her match with Randy in her head, remembering exactly which spots were going to be different. Janet finished her hair a half an hour later. "Okay, done with that part," she said moving in front of Sara, "Simple make-up?" "Yeah, the stuff that won't come off when I sweat," Sara answered grinning. "Gotcha. So you're wrestling Randy tonight?" Janet said. "Yeah," Sara said grinning, "Mark seems to think he has a crush on me. I told him Randy has a crush on anything with boobs." Janet chuckled and nodded. "He does have a way with the ladies," she said quietly. "Why, thank you, Janet," said Randy from behind her. Sara smiled at the sound of the younger man's voice. "Hey, Randy," Sara spoke. "Hey, I just wanted to run over the match once more before the show," Randy said, "Ruthie told me you were here, so I figured I'd stop by." "Alright," Sara said grinning. The two people talked as Janet finished up Sara's hairstyle, moving next to her make-up. Randy watched as Sara was transformed into an even more beautiful person, often finding himself staring. Sara thanked Janet and stood, looking up at Randy. "What?" she asked. "Nothin'," Randy said looking away. Sara rolled her eyes and smiled genuinely. "You're too horny for your own good, Randy," she said before walking away, leaving Randy completely embarrassed.

Sara quickly made her way back to Mark's locker room, a bounce in her step. _Randy's energy must be contagious_, she thought chuckling to herself. When she entered, Mark looked up at her, a slight frown on his face. "We still have to talk," he said quietly. "What?" she asked shutting the door behind her. "About earlier…right before you and Randy practiced for your match," he said quietly. Sara swallowed and looked down at the floor, leaning against the door. "Why'd you drop your guard so fast?" Mark asked standing. Sara didn't answer, and Mark slowly came over to her, noticing how fast her chest was rising and falling. "What'd I say to make you drop your guard like that?" he asked softly. Sara shook her head, her bottom lip trembling slightly. "Talk to me, baby," he said quietly, putting his hands on her shoulders. Sara flinched involuntarily and kept her eyes down. Mark slowly picked her up and carried her over to the couch, sitting down with her on his lap. She was trembling against him, and he sensed her underlying fear. "Please…talk to me, Sara. I hate to see you like this," he whispered rubbing his hand over her back. "Kevin hit me this one time…after I got in a fight with his housekeeper…and he asked if I was gonna hit _him_ back," she whispered slowly, "He said it the same way you did…" "Oh, shit," Mark whispered as her head dropped, "I'm sorry, dollface…I'm so sorry." "No, it's not your fault…my mind's way too active," she said softly. "Don't…it's not your fault, either, you know that," he whispered kissing her cheek softly, "Kevin took that stipulation three steps too far, and we got him back for it. You don't ever have to worry about him again, okay?" Sara nodded slightly and looked at him, a grin coming to her face. "I love you," she whispered. Mark smiled and leaned forward to kiss her. Much to his surprise, Sara met him halfway. She slowly straddled his lap, pulling his arms around her waist and resting her own arms around his neck. "Not worried about messing up your make-up?" he whispered against her lips. Sara shook her head and continued to kiss him, biting gently at his bottom lip as she did. "Why not?" he whispered. "Two reasons, really," she said softly, planting soft kisses over his face, "First…Janet can redo this quite easily. And two…I care what you think a lot more than what the fans think." Mark smiled and squeezed her waist gently. "I love you so much, dollface," he whispered. Sara smiled and nodded. "I know, baby," she whispered.

A knock on the door interrupted them. "Yeah?" Mark said as Sara shifted off of his lap, resting her legs on his own instead. The door opened and Andy walked in with Lisa. "Figured I'd better be safe than sorry," Andy said. Sara smiled and snickered slightly. "Hey, Lisa," she said to the other woman. "Hey, Sara…um, your…lipstick…," Lisa said smiling slightly. Sara stood with red cheeks, immediately leaving the room. "Not a word, Andy," Mark warned. "Hey, I wasn't gonna say anything," Andy said seating Lisa in one of the arm chairs. Mark grinned and asked, "So who are you wrestling tonight?" "This new guy, Shelton Benjamin," Andy answered, "He just came over from Smackdown, so I think Vince is really trying to push him to the forefront, ya know." "Is he gonna beat you?" Mark asked. "Nah, of course not," Andy answered with a chuckle, "But it's gonna be a fast-paced match, a lotta close calls, ya know." "Cool deal. Is he excited to be on RAW at least?" Mark said. "Yeah, he is. It's kind of an adjustment period for him, ya know. I know how he feels, though, leavin' all the people you go to know on Smackdown, and coming over to a brand-new show," Andy said, "The match should be fun to watch." The two men talked over the next 45 minutes, watching the recording of Sunday Night Heat as they did. "We're gonna head out," Andy said as the fireworks signaling the start of RAW began, "Lisa's got the second match of the night, and I told her I'd watch."

Mark nodded as his locker room door opened and Sara walked through. She smiled and sat down beside him, motioning towards the television. "Watch," she said linking her fingers with his. "See ya around, Mark," Andy said before leaving with Lisa. "Yep," Mark said turning his attention to the television. Vince's music started, and he walked out onto the ramp. "What's he doing?" Mark asked. "Just watch," Sara answered still smiling. Mark shrugged and put his arm around her, pulling her closer. Vince stepped into the ring and grabbed the microphone from the ring announcer. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Vince started, immediately being showered by boos from the crowd. "Please, give me a little respect!" Vince snapped. More boos came, and Sara chuckled. Vince knew how to play to the crowd's emotions better than any performer he'd ever hired. "I have a big announcement regarding the number one contendership," Vince started up again. The fans quickly quieted down and Vince grinned slightly. "Thank you. Now, as you all know by now, the Undertaker regained the World Heavyweight title from Kevin Nash last night at Bad Blood," he said. The fans burst into cheers, and Sara squeezed Mark's thigh gently. "Now normally, one of the top-ranked RAW superstars would automatically be named number-one contender-." Suddenly, Shawn's music hit, and the crowd cheered insanely loud. Shawn strutted down the ramp, his trademark smirk planted on his face. Over the past couple years, Shawn had achieved a level of popularity few had ever seen in the business, despite his rocky past. Shawn climbed into the ring, being handed a second microphone by one of the ring crew personnel.

"Vin-man…Vinnie Mac…boss! Seems to me you've forgotten one minor little detail as far as this 'number-one contendership' situation goes…I already _am_ the number one contender!" Shawn said stepping into Vince's face. "Shawn, calm down…and step back," Vince said sternly. "What, are you trying to screw me over, Vince? I earned my shot for the title, fair and square, when I pinned Shamrock last week, and you're _not_ takin' it away from me!" Shawn snapped. "Listen, dammit! I'm not taking your title shot away from you. You're absolutely right. By pinning Ken Shamrock on RAW last week, you earned your title shot at Vengeance against the winner of last night's title match, which was the Undertaker," Vince said. The crowd cheered loudly and began an "Undertaker" chant. "However, Shawn, both you and the Undertaker need to prepare for a title defense at Summerslam," Vince continued, "Annie, if you could pop that little chart up on the TitanTron for me…" The camera view turned to the large screen, and an empty tournament bracket was shown. "There are 16 Superstars on the RAW roster who will get the opportunity to become the number-one contender, and get a title shot at one of the biggest pay-per-views of the year. Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Rob Van Dam, Edge, Triple H, Christian, Brock Lesnar, Goldust," Vince said as each name popped into the outer most brackets, "Big Show, Kane, Matt Hardy, The Rock, John Cena, Bubba Ray Dudley, Randy Orton…and finally, Angel!" The crowd exploded at the sound of Sara's stage name. She actually heard several "Angel" chants throughout the crowd, which brought a huge smile to her face. "Now, tonight will be the first four qualifying matches to get into the tournament. And your very first match begins…right now!" Vince exclaimed as John's music started.

"What do you think?" Sara asked looking up at Mark. "You got a huge pop, baby. The fans are itchin' to see you kick some ass," he said grinning slightly, "Do you know how the brackets are gonna end up at Vengeance?" "No, and I don't really wanna know. I really wanna come in every week and be surprised, ya know," she said quietly. "That's good, dollface," he said kissing the side of her head. "This means I'll be fighting Shawn at Summerslam…and winning," she said softly. "Ironic how these things work out, huh?" he asked kissing her forehead. Sara smiled and leaned against him, sighing contently. She knew he had something to do with Shawn becoming champion so that she could beat him. When John pinned Marc nearly 15 minutes later, she smiled. "Excellent. I'll get to beat him in a couple weeks," she said smiling. Mark chuckled and squeezed her shoulder gently. After the triple threat match between Lisa, Ruthie, and Trish (Ruthie emerged victorious), Matt and D.J. wrestled the second qualifying match. D.J. easily dominated the match, with little offense from Matt. When the bell rang signaling the end of the match, Sara smiled. "Wonder when I'll be facing him," she said quietly. "Probably at the pay-per-view, dollface, from the way the brackets looked," Mark said grinning. "That'll be fun," she said softly. The next hour passed by fast. Glenn and Paul wrestled their match, and Sara cringed every time each man fell. They were so big and powerful, she truly feared they would knock down the ring. Near the end of their match, there was a knock on Mark's locker room door.

"Yeah," Mark said. "Hey, 'Taker, Vince wants you and Sara to do a promo before her match," one of the cameramen said. Sara stood and stretched her arms. "What do we have to do?" she asked. "He wants 'Taker to try and convince you to let him come down to the ring, and for you to argue against it," the man said, "The reasoning is that you want to win the match on your own." "How long?" she asked. "They're going to commercial in a few minutes, and he wants it shot right now, so it can be shown before your match," he answered. "Alright, that's fine," Sara said as Mark stood. Sara faced Mark and closed her eyes, getting into character quickly. Mark took her hands in his and she grinned slightly. "You ready?" the cameraman asked. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. Mark released her hands and she crossed her arms. "And go," the man said. "Listen, Angel, you helped me last night. Let me come out there with you tonight," Mark said. "I told you, no! This is my match, and I'm gonna win on my own," Sara snapped. "You really think you can win this on your own, Angel? I mean, come on…be serious. This match…this whole tournament…it's for a shot at the _World Heavyweight title_. You need my help," he argued. "Of all the people who'd doubt me, I never…never thought you'd be one of 'em. I think you've forgotten, _Deadman_…I was the first female in the King of the Ring, I was the first female in the Royal Rumble-." "Yeah, but you didn't win those, did you?" Mark asked with a raised eyebrow. Sara's jaw dropped and she let out a slow breath. She slapped him hard, her breathing fast. "You know what? I'll show you…I'll show everybody. I belong in that tournament…and I'm gonna win it," she snapped before storming out of the room. The camera faced Mark, and he grinned slightly. "That's right, Angel…you show 'em," he said quietly.

"Alright, thanks," the cameraman said before leaving the room. Mark rubbed his cheek and grimaced. That slap had had feeling behind it; his words had hit Sara deep in her heart, which was what he wanted. He wanted her to have a little extra aggression, to understand that even though Mark himself didn't doubt her, there were people who did. He left the room, searching for her. He found her near the entranceway, sitting on the floor with her head lowered and her eyes closed. "Angel," he whispered kneeling down in front of her. "Get away from me, Mark," she whispered. Mark sighed heavily and looked away. Once she went into character, she'd never called him by his real name. _I really hurt her_, he thought sadly. "Good luck out there," he said softly. "I don't need your fucking luck," she snapped standing and going up to the pit. Mark slowly stood and went over to the nearest monitor, wanting to watch Sara at what would probably be her very best. The show came back from commercial, and Jim Ross mentioned what had happened between Mark and Sara during the break. Mark saw the pain in Sara's eyes when he expressed his doubts, and he let out a slow breath. Andy came up beside Mark and grinned slightly. "That slap hurt?" he asked quietly. "Yeah. She was really pissed off," Mark answered quietly. "But that's good, right?" Andy asked. "Yeah. I just hope she doesn't take it out on Randy," Mark said grinning. Andy chuckled and nodded as Randy's music hit. The younger man walked out, and Mark shook his head. "What?" Andy asked. "He's too cocky for his own good," Mark said. "He can't help it. I think it's genetic," Andy said. Mark chuckled and shrugged. Sara's music hit and he watched her immediately run down the ramp, sliding into the ring. The bell rang and Mark crossed his arms. "Here we go," he said quietly.

As Glenn had suggested earlier, Randy dominated much of the match. Sara had various periods of offense, but for the most part, she got the crap beaten out of her. There were several times where the fans chanted "Angel", which gave Sara a surge of energy. The match wound down as the show passed the 11:00 mark. Randy had put Sara in a camel clutch, and she was truly struggling to get out of it. "He's got that on too hard," Mark said tensely, "She can't fucking breathe." "Calm down, Mark," Andy said grinning, "They're just doing what Glenn suggested." "Regardless…that doesn't mean Randy has to overpower her like that," Mark said crossing his arms. He watched as she finally got to the ropes, and let out a sigh of relief. Sara held her throat, coughing heavily, and struggled to get to her feet. "You okay, Angel?" Hebner asked her. She nodded slightly as Randy came charging towards her. She grabbed the top rope, and dropped down, sending Randy flying over it onto the floor. The fans once again began to chant her name as she laid on the mat, struggling to catch her breath. _Come on, Sara, this is yours. You're almost there_, she thought before slowly rolling onto her stomach. Randy slid into the ring slowly, and planted a boot right in her midsection, flipping her over. She groaned and grabbed her ribs. Randy grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her to her feet. Sara quickly kicked him in his stomach and laid him out with a DDT. She took a few deep breaths, feeling the air of anticipation from the crowd, before slowly getting to her feet. She pulled Randy to his feet, but he pushed her hands away and hit his finishing move, the RKO. "One…two…," Hebner counted. Sara quickly kicked out before his hand came down the third time, much to the appeasement of the crowd. "Dammit!" Randy screamed hitting the mat. He pulled her to her feet roughly, and went to swing her to the ropes. Sara quickly reversed it, kicked Randy in his midsection, and nailed him with "Angel's Touch". "One…two…three!" Hebner counted. The fans exploded with cheers, and Sara slowly got to her feet. Earl grabbed her hand and held it up.

"My God, she did it! Angel's in the number-one contender tournament!" Jim Ross exclaimed. "That's a miracle, J.R.!" King said in shock. "No, it's not a miracle, King. Angel did exactly what she said she was going to do. She showed _everybody _she belongs in that tournament. Good night, ladies and gentlemen! We'll see you next week in Milwaukee with four more qualifying matches! Good night!" Jim screamed before the show officially went off the air. Sara came through the curtains moments later, followed by Randy. Mark got her attention, a grin on his face. Sara glared at him before walking past, completely ignoring his outreached hand. "Wow…," Andy said quietly, "She really was pissed at you." "Yeah…she was," Mark said quietly. "You gonna go talk to her?" Andy asked. Mark sighed and nodded. "Just let her know you only said what you did because you were trying to motivate her," Andy said quietly. "She knows that. She just hates that I said it the way I did," Mark said as they headed down the hall. "Alright, man, I'll see you guys tomorrow," Andy said. Mark nodded and entered his locker room, finding Sara stretched out on the floor. "Dollface?" he said quietly, shutting the door. "What?" she snapped. "How do you feel?" he asked coming over to her. "Just fine," she snapped. "Do you need anything, like an icepack or some aspirin?" he asked. "I'm fine, Mark," Sara said heatedly, "It was just one match." "Yeah, but it was a rough-." "Look, I've been doin' this for 14 years…I don't need your pity," she snapped standing and going into the bathroom. Mark sighed heavily and sat down on the couch.

Sara struggled to take a shower. Every time she moved, her muscles seemed to scream their pain. Tears came to her eyes even as she washed her hair. However, she would not cry out. She would not give Mark the satisfaction of seeing or hearing her in pain. If she was to prove she could really hang with her male co-workers, she would have to bear the pain just as they did. She finally stepped out of the shower stall 20 minutes later, dried off, and dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, before going back into the locker room. Mark was sitting on the couch, his head in his hands. Sara swallowed and stuffed her outfit into her duffel bag, then slung the bag over her shoulder. "Are you ready?" she asked stiffly. "Yeah, dollface," he said quietly. Mark slowly stood and grabbed his bag, opening the door and walking out. Sara walked out behind him, her head lowered as it began to pound incessantly. "Hey, Angel, that was a great match," John said as she walked past. "Thanks, John," she said grinning slightly, "You had a good match yourself. I'll see ya next week." John nodded and watched her walk down the hall behind Mark, noticing her slight limp.

The ride to the hotel was a tense silence. Sara faced the window intentionally, not wanting Mark to see the tears in her eyes. When he finally parked in the hotel parking lot, Sara bit down on her bottom lip and forced the tears away. She slowly climbed out and followed Mark inside. They quickly went up to their hotel room, where Mark went into the bathroom as Sara climbed into the bed. She turned off the lights and covered her eyes with her hand, struggling with all her might to keep her crying silent. Mark came out a few minutes later and climbed into bed behind her. However, instead of curling up against her like he always did, he slept with his back to her. Sara's bottom lip trembled, but she turned onto her side and closed her eyes, falling asleep within a few minutes. Mark laid there, his mind struggling to understand why Sara was hiding her pain. He'd seen it at the arena, in the car ride to the hotel, and even now. _Her pride…that's the only reason_, he thought sadly. He slowly faced her, putting his left hand on her hip, before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

Sara awoke in the middle of the night with one of the worst headaches possible. Tears came to her eyes immediately, and she couldn't stop them. She didn't have the energy to get out of bed to get aspirin. "Just go away," she whispered, "Just go away." Mark shifted slightly against her, and she gasped softly as pain shot through her body. "Dollface?" Mark whispered. "Yeah…," Sara said slowly, trying to move as little as possible. "What's wrong, baby?" he asked softly. "Nothing," she whispered. It hurt even to talk. Mark turned on the bedside light and his jaw dropped. Sara's cheeks were red and soaked with tears. "What is it, baby?" he asked touching her cheek softly. "I just have a…bad headache," she whispered. "Why didn't you get some aspirin?" he asked quietly. "I…," she whispered, "I…" "It's okay, dollface," he whispered slowly climbing out of the bed and going over to his suitcase. He grabbed the aspirin from one of the outer pockets and a glass of water from the bathroom. He came back over to the bed and helped Sara to sit up. Sara groaned and covered her eyes as more tears came. "What?" Mark asked softly. "My back…," she whispered. Mark slowly helped her remove her t-shirt, and his jaw dropped again. Her entire back was bruised, and very nearly purple. "My God," he whispered. "What? What is it?" Sara asked softly. "I'll be right back, sweetheart," he said handing her the cup and aspirin. Sara watched him grab the ice bucket and leave the room. She quickly downed the aspirin and water, letting out a slow breath after swallowing the water.

Mark came back moments later and grabbed a towel from the bathroom. "Lay on your stomach, baby," he said quietly. Sara struggled to do as he asked, the pain becoming blinding. Mark dumped the entire bucket of ice into the towel before laying it on her back. "Ouch," she whispered painfully. "Why'd you hide it?" Mark whispered. "You doubted me…for the first time since I've known you…you doubted me," she whispered through tears, "I had to show you…I had to show everybody." "Sara…you know I don't doubt you," he said caressing her cheek gently, wiping away the tears, "I only said that because that's what everybody else was thinking." "The way you said it…that's what you felt deep in your heart, that I couldn't be World champ," she said quietly. "That's not true, I swear," Mark said honestly, "I'm your biggest fan, dollface, you know that." "It hurt…it hurt me so bad, Mark," she whispered. "I know, dollface…I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," he said softly. "How'd my back look?" Sara asked quietly. "Like hell," Mark answered. "That's what it feels like," she whispered. "Well, don't worry, you're gonna be fine, sweetheart," he said quietly. "At least I don't have to wrestle for the rest of the week," she said grinning slightly. Mark smiled and kissed her nose. "I love you, Sara…with all my heart," he said quietly. "I love you, too, Mark. I need your support…I can't do this by myself," she whispered. "And you have my support, dollface…every last bit of it," he said softly. Sara let out a deep breath and closed her eyes, succumbing to the exhaustion and falling asleep. Mark grinned slightly and turned off the light, falling back to sleep as well.

Mark awoke first when the alarm clock rang at 11:00. He groaned slightly and reached over to turn it off. "I don't wanna get up," Sara said quietly. "Melissa's gonna be waiting for you," he said grinning. Sara smiled and put her right hand in his. Mark smiled and kissed the back of it. "Feel any better?" he asked softly. Sara swallowed and nodded slightly. "Thank you," she whispered. Mark pushed her hair behind her ear and said, "I love you, Sara. I always will. I don't want you to ever again think that I doubt what you can accomplish." "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Don't apologize. You had reason to believe what I said…but I want you to know that that's not what I feel in my heart. I know what you can do…and I know what you're going to do will shock every fan, and every person you work with…and I can't wait for that day," he said quietly. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. "When do we leave?" she asked softly. "A few hours," he answered, "If you wanna sleep for another hour, that's fine." "Okay," she whispered before slowly closing her eyes.

Mark ran his fingers through her hair, grinning slightly as he watched her fall asleep. He yawned slightly before climbing out of the bed and going into the bathroom to take a hot shower. Once he was done, he came back into the room and dressed in a pair of jeans and one of his Harley Davidson t-shirts. He struggled to brush his hair dry; it tangled so easily when he did it. Sara shifted slightly on the bed, grimacing in pain. "You okay, baby?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, I'll be alright," she said softly. "You want some breakfast?" he asked. "Yeah…pancakes," she answered grinning. "Oh, goin' all out, huh?" he asked with a smile. "Oh, hush," she said slowly sitting up. "Let me check your back," he said coming over to her. Sara turned her back to him and he ran his hands over the skin softly. "Does it still hurt like last night?" he asked quietly. "No…it's tender, but it doesn't hurt as much," she answered. "Alright. Why don't you go take a shower, and I'll order breakfast," he said quietly. Sara nodded slightly and climbed out of bed, going into the bathroom and shutting the door.

Sara's cell phone rang and Mark answered it. "Hi, Daddy!" Melissa said excitedly. Mark smiled and said, "What are you doin' on this phone this early?" "Daddy, it's noon!" Melissa said laughing. "That's not the point," Mark tried, "What do you need, sweetheart?" "When are you and mommy coming home?" she asked. "We'll be there by three o' clock, munchkin," he answered. "Okay," Melissa said with a sigh. "Not being impatient, are you?" Mark asked. "No!" Melissa said simply. "Right," Mark said sarcastically. "Stacy's gonna take me out for lunch now, so I gotta go, daddy!" Melissa said excitedly. "Alright, baby girl, I'll see you when I get home," Mark said smiling. "Bye, daddy!" Melissa said. "Bye, munchkin," Mark said before clicking the phone shut. He picked up the room phone and quickly dialed room service, ordering breakfast for both himself and Sara. Sara came out of the bathroom a half an hour later, a towel wrapped tightly around her. "Melissa called. She's gettin' impatient for us to come home," Mark said with a smile. "I can't wait to see her," Sara said going over to her suitcase. "She said Stacy's taking her into town for lunch, so they should be getting home about the same time we will," he said. "Good. I think I'll just spend a couple days with her before we go see mom," Sara said pulling out a pair of sweatpants. "That's fine, dollface," he said quietly.

Sara slipped on one of her favorite tanktops, the one Liz had given her at her bachelorette party, as there was a knock on the door. "That should be room service," Mark said going over to the door and opening it. The bellhop standing there turned pale as he looked up at Mark. "Your breakfast, sir," he said somewhat nervously. "Thanks, kid," Mark said as the man rolled the cart into the room. "Where would you like this, sir?" he asked. "The balcony, please," Sara said with a grin. "Yes, ma'am," the man said. Once the man left, Mark shut the door and smiled. "That's why I never let you answer the door," Sara said coming over to him, "You scare the crap outta everybody." "You gotta admit, it was pretty funny," he said pulling her close. "Breakfast's getting cold," she said softly. Mark shrugged and leaned down, kissing her gently. "I love you," he whispered against her lips. "I love you, too, Mark…but I'm starving," she said smiling slightly. Mark led her out onto the balcony, and they commenced with breakfast. Afterwards, they straightened up the room and checked out of the hotel. "A couple more hours, dollface, and we'll be home," he said as they boarded their plane. "I know…I'm countin' the seconds," she responded honestly. The flight seemed to inch by for Sara, but once they landed in Texas, she got a burst of energy. Mark drove back to their home, taking only 20 minutes before he pulled into the driveway. "I'm surprised you didn't get a ticket," Sara said as he parked. Mark chuckled and said, "I'm just lucky, I guess."

Sara climbed out and grabbed her duffel bag from the cab of the truck. She struggled to pull her suitcase out, and Mark put his hand over hers. "I'll get it, dollface," he said softly, "Go see our little munchkin." Sara looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Go on," he whispered kissing her forehead. Sara nodded slightly and went into the house. "Melissa, mommy's home!" she said loudly. "Mommy!" Melissa screamed from upstairs. She came hurtling down the banister, and Sara caught her easily. Even with a cast on her right ankle, she was still as risqué as ever. Sara was becoming used to her daughter's unique way of greeting her. Melissa wrapped her arms tightly around her mother's neck. "You can't ever leave again, mommy," she said kissing Sara's cheek. Sara smiled and hugged her tightly in return. "I won't, munchkin," she whispered, "I promise." She carried Melissa into the living room, where she plopped down on the couch. "So did you miss me?" she asked smiling. "Yes, mommy," Melissa said quietly. "I missed you, too, munchkin. What do you wanna do today?" Sara said stroking her daughter's cheek. "Hang out with you," Melissa said simply. Sara smiled and kissed her nose as Mark came through the door with their bags. "We'll do just that, sweetheart," she whispered, "Where's Marley?" "The back yard," Melissa answered. They went out to the backyard, and Sara called out Marley's name. The small dog came running from around the left side of the house, barking his head off. Sara smiled and set Melissa down on the ground, then kneeled down. The dog crashed into her, actually knocking her over. "Well, hello to you, too, little buddy," she said laughing as the animal licked at her face. "He missed you, too, mommy," Melissa said kneeling down at Sara's head. "Oh, really? How do you know?" Sara asked her. "You kinda know those things with dogs, when they really miss their owners," Stacy said.

Sara looked up with a grin. Stacy had just come from the side of the house where Marley had ran from. "Hey, hon," she said smiling. "Hey, Sara. Glad to be home?" Stacy said as Sara stood, Marley wiggling in her arms. "More than you'd understand," Sara said smiling, "Melissa didn't cause too much trouble, did she?" "No, of course not," Stacy answered with a smile. Sara leaned down and picked Melissa up, holding her in one arm and Marley in the other. "Come on, let's go back inside," she said kissing Melissa's cheek. As they walked past the kitchen, Sara heard Mark moving around. "What are you doin' in there?" she asked. "Go relax, dollface," Mark said simply. Sara smiled and continued on her way to the living room. She sat down in the middle of the couch, letting Marley down onto the floor. "So, how many days do you have off?" Stacy asked. "I've got the rest of the week. I don't have to go back to work until Sunday," Sara answered happily, "I'm just gonna relax here for a few days, and then I'm goin' down to see my mom." "Can I go, mama, please!" Melissa asked. "You're goin', sweetheart, don't worry. You think I'd leave you alone after being separated for a whole month," Sara said kissing her cheek. Melissa smiled and leaned into her mother. "I love you, mommy," she whispered. "I love you, too, munchkin," Sara whispered back. "How is your mom doin', Sara?" Stacy asked. Sara looked up at her and let out a shaky breath. "She's okay, I guess. Still in the hospital, but I keep praying her doctor will let her come home," she said quietly. "I'll keep her in my prayers, too," Stacy said smiling slightly. "Thanks, Stace," Sara said softly. "Do you need me to do anything else for you?" Stacy asked. "Nah, you can go on home. Mark will pay you before you go," Sara said looking down at Melissa. "Alright, hon. I'll be back Sunday morning, before you guys leave," Stacy said standing. Sara smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Stacy," she said softly.

"So, munchkin, what's first on our list of things-to-do today?" Sara asked Melissa. "I don't know, mama. What do you wanna do?" Melissa asked. "Well, you can't really do much with this thing on," Sara said pointing to Melissa's cast. "I can walk," Melissa said climbing off of the couch. Sara watched as Melissa limped around the room, straining with each step. "Come here, munchkin," Sara said holding her arms open. Melissa came over to her and Sara picked her up. "Just because you can walk, baby, doesn't mean you should. It hurts, doesn't it?" she said quietly. Melissa nodded slightly, keeping her head down. "Don't worry. I'll spend the next couple days spoiling you," Sara said kissing the top of her head. "Really?" Melissa asked. "Don't take advantage of it, though," Sara said winking at her. "I won't, mama, I promise," Melissa said smiling. Sara turned on the television and flipped through the stations, finally settling on cartoons for Melissa as Stacy walked back in. "I'll be back on Sunday morning, okay, Melissa?" she said slipping on her jacket. "Okay, Stacy," Melissa said, her focus fully on the television. Sara smiled and looked up at Stacy. "We'll see you Sunday," she said. Stacy nodded slightly and left the house, shutting the door behind her.

Mark came in ten minutes later with a couple of plates in hand, along with two tall glasses. "What's this?" she asked. "Snack," he answered setting the dishes on the table. "Hungry, munchkin?" Sara asked picking up one of the plates. It had a ham-and-cheese sandwich and a few celery and carrot sticks on it. Melissa grabbed one of the celery sticks absentmindedly and started munching on it, her focus solely on the television. Mark chuckled and sat down beside them. They ate their lunch, then headed out to the backyard. "So, dollface, we've got five days off. What are we gonna do?" Mark asked as Melissa sat a few feet away, playing with Marley. "I thought we could just stay in for a couple days, ya know, just sit around the house with Melissa. We can go to Daytona Thursday or Friday. That'll give me plenty o' time with mom," Sara answered as his hands moved through her hair. "You sure? We can go tomorrow if you want, baby," he said quietly. "Nah, it's okay, Mark. Really," she said leaning against him, "Besides, I'm goin' to see her again after we get back from the international tour." "Okay, baby," Mark said kissing the side of her head, "Are we taking Melissa with us for that?" Sara grinned and nodded. "She'll love Italy," she said quietly. "We might wanna call Stacy and let her know we won't need her for this week," he said resting his arm around her shoulder. "We'll call her later," she said softly. Mark smiled and kissed the side of her head once more. "I love you, dollface," he whispered. "I love you, too, Mark," she said quietly. "Mom, Dad, let's go walking," Melissa said suddenly. "Darlin', I told you-." "Please, mommy!" Melissa said. "I'll carry her, dollface," Mark said quietly. Sara grinned and shrugged. "Alright," she said to Melissa. Mark helped her to her feet, and scooped up Melissa into his arms. They headed off to explore their humongous backyard, smiling the entire time.


	89. Coming to Terms

**Chapter 88…Coming to Terms**

Sara stepped over the threshold of her mother's house late Thursday night, Melissa asleep in her arms. Her mother was still in the hospital, but knew that Sara, Mark, and Melissa would be in town. "You want somethin' to drink, Sara?" Mark asked softly, shutting the door behind them. "No, I'm okay," Sara answered softly. She took Melissa up to her bedroom and laid her down in the middle of the bed. "I'm gonna sleep in mom's room tonight," Sara said when Mark entered the room. "Okay, baby," Mark said pulling her against him, his chin resting on her shoulder. "Look at her, Mark. She's so innocent. She doesn't know anything about hardship," Sara said softly, tears threatening to fall from her eyes, "And I don't want her to." Mark let out a deep breath and whispered, "We can't stop that, Sara…as much as we may want to, we can't. It's a part of life." Sara let out a shaky breath and moved away from him. "I'll see you in the morning," she whispered leaving the room, shutting the door quietly. Mark sighed heavily and climbed into the bed, placing a protective hand over Melissa's back before falling asleep. Sara went down to the living room, her eyes scanning over the place where she'd spent much of her life before she got married. _Who knows…maybe I'll use this place as a getaway from Mark every now and then. Of course, he'd think to look for me here…but I'm not gonna sell the place_, she thought moving to the shelves which held pictures and photo albums. She pulled the very first one from it's place at the top shelf, and sat down in her mother's arm chair.

The album contained pictures of Sara at her very youngest, the first being of her mother holding Sara the night she was born. Sara flipped through the pages slowly, reminiscing on her childhood with her mother. Sure, times were hard sometimes, but her mother always made sure Sara had what she needed. _Hell, she worked two jobs to give me what I needed…she sacrificed so much for me…and I couldn't do anything for her_, she thought sadly, tears starting to pour down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, mom…I'm so sorry," she whispered closing the photo album. She put it back on the shelf, grabbing the next one beside it. She went through this process for over three hours, flipping through the pages of her yesteryear, and wondering why God had chosen to take her mother at this point. "Dollface?" Mark said softly from the living room doorway. Sara looked up at Mark, sniffling slightly. "Oh, baby," he whispered coming over to her. Sara sobbed as he pulled her into his lap. "Why, why…why my mom? Why now?" she cried into his shoulder. "I don't know, baby. I don't know," he said softly, rubbing her back gently. "You always have the answers, Mark. Tell me, why!" she said angrily. Mark swallowed and tried to comfort her. "I wish I could, baby," he whispered. Sara pushed away from him and stood. "Sara, don't push away," he whispered reaching for her arm. "Leave me alone!" she screamed pushing him back. Mark continued reaching for her, eventually pulling her close to him. Her hands beat against his chest for several minutes in anger, but he continued to hold her.

Sara collapsed against him, crying into his chest. "I don't understand, Mark…I just don't understand," she cried as he stroked her back. "Come on, dollface," he whispered slowly picking her up. Sara wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on h is shoulder. "Do you still wanna sleep in mom's room?" he whispered going up the stairs. "No…," Sara whispered. "Do you want me to sleep downstairs?" he asked softly. "No…," she answered quietly. Mark took her into her bedroom, slowly laying her down in the bed beside Melissa. He climbed in behind her, pulling her close. "I told you I wasn't letting you go through this alone, dollface," he whispered in her ear. Sara wrapped her arm around Melissa and kissed the back of her head. "I want to go to the hospital alone tomorrow, Mark," she said softly, "I don't want Melissa that close to death." "Sara-." "Please, Mark…just give me tomorrow," she said quietly. Mark sighed and kissed the back of her head. "Okay, dollface," he said quietly. "Thank you," she whispered. Mark pulled her a little closer and whispered, "I love you, Sara…with all my heart. Whatever you want me to do…I'll do it." "I know. I love you, too," she whispered closing her eyes. Melissa faced her and gripped her shirt before falling back asleep. Sara smiled slightly and rubbed the back of her daughter's head. "Good night, Mark," she whispered. "Good night, dollface," he whispered back. Sara let out a heavy breath before finally falling asleep.

Mark awoke the next morning with Melissa laid over his chest. "My little munchkin," he whispered kissing her forehead. He slowly put her on the bed beside him and pulled the covers over her. He went downstairs into the kitchen, and saw a note posted on the refrigerator. Sara had gone to the hospital already, and wouldn't be back until late that night. Mark sighed heavily and moved about the kitchen in silence, fixing a small breakfast for himself and his daughter, his thoughts focused on the pain he'd heard in Sara's voice the night before. _I really hope she can make it through this okay. She knows I'm here for her…but I don't know how much she's gonna let me help her_, he thought sadly. "Daddy?" Melissa said from the doorway. "Yeah, come on in, munchkin," he said quietly. "Where's mommy?" Melissa asked sitting at the table. "She went to see Nana," Mark said setting a bowl of oatmeal in front of her. "Why didn't she take us?" Melissa asked. Mark went to answer, but he couldn't. "Is Nana gonna die, daddy?" Melissa asked softly. "Don't worry about that, munchkin," he said quietly, giving her a spoon. Melissa sighed and said, "Okay." Mark sighed and fixed his own bowl of oatmeal before sitting at the table.

"Do you know Nana's sick, munchkin?" he asked quietly. "Yes," Melissa answered. "How sick?" he asked. "She's in the hospital, daddy," she said softly. Mark ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "Do you wanna see her?" he asked. Melissa shrugged and scooped oatmeal into her mouth. "How about we just stay here for the day?" he asked. "Okay," she said quietly. Mark grinned slightly and touched her hand. "Mommy's gonna be back tonight, okay? I know you wanted to spend time with her, but you're gonna be with us for the next week. We'll have plenty o' time to spend with you," he said. "I know, daddy," she said. "Go on, eat up," he said quietly. After breakfast, Mark took Melissa into the living room. "Does Nana have any good movies, daddy?" Melissa asked. "I'll check," he said going over to the movie case. He found five movies that would be okay for Melissa to watch and held them up. "We've got _The Lion King_, _Aladdin_, _Lady and the Tramp_, _Beauty and the Beast_, and _The Little Mermaid_, all Disney classics. I think Nana got these specifically for you," he said grinning. "Oh! _Aladdin_ first!" Melissa said smiling. Mark smiled and popped in the tape, sitting down with his daughter as the movie began.

After watching two of the movies, Mark fixed lunch. He gave Melissa a small sandwich, a glass of juice, and an apple to munch on as she watched her third movie. While in the kitchen, he picked up the phone and dialed Sara's cell phone. "Hello?" Sara answered moments later. "Hey, baby," Mark said quietly. "Oh, hi. How's Melissa doin'?" Sara asked. "She's fine. She's eating lunch, and watching her third movie," he answered pouring a glass of orange juice. "Good. I'm sorry for leaving the way I did," she said quietly. "Don't worry about it, dollface. How's mom?" he said. "Asleep right now. Her nurse just came in and gave her a bath, and now I'm just sittin' here. We talked a lot once I got here, though, about…everything," Sara said slowly, "The past month…my future…her…future." "It's okay, Sara, you don't have to talk if you don't want to," he said quietly, "I just wanted to hear your voice." "Thanks, Mark," she whispered. "No problem, dollface. What time do you think you'll be gettin' back?" he asked. "Well, visiting hours are over at 9:30, so probably around ten," she answered. "Alright. Melissa wants to see her Nana…I guess I'll let you decide whether you want her to or not," he said quietly. "I don't…I can barely stand to sit here," Sara whispered, "She's too young for this. I've told you that." "She knows that her grandmother is sick, Sara," he said quietly, "That doesn't mean she doesn't want to see her." "No," Sara said tensely, "I won't have my daughter in therapy because she had to deal with death before her time." "Sara-." "Stop trying to change my mind," she snapped, "You said you were going to let me decide, and I have. She's not coming to this hospital." "Fine, dollface," he said tiredly. "I'll see you when I get home," she said. "I love you, Sara," Mark said. "Yeah…I know. Bye, Mark," she said before ending the call. Mark sighed and put the receiver back on the hook. He took his plate and glass into the living room, joining Melissa for the second half of their movie marathon.

Sara stepped into her mother's house at 10:30 p.m., exhausted beyond belief. She had talked with her mother for the most part of the day, with the exception of her mother sleeping. Sara had told her of everything that had happened during the storyline, even admitting her infidelity. "You're going to have to tell him eventually, Sara. Lying to your husband is inexcusable…no matter what you've done," Lucy had told her. After lunch, they'd began to reminisce about various times of each of their lives. It took everything Sara had had not to burst into tears. She hung up her jacket in the hallway closet before trudging upstairs. When she entered her bedroom, Mark looked up from the bed. "Hey," he said quietly. Sara shut the door and kicked off her shoes before climbing into the bed beside him. Melissa was fast asleep on his stomach, her hands gripping his t-shirt tightly. "Mom wants to see Melissa tomorrow," she whispered resting her head on his shoulder. "What do you wanna do?" he asked putting a strong arm around her shoulders. "I don't know now, Mark. I keep telling myself if I let Melissa go to the hospital…and see her grandmother like that…it's gonna do damage that I can't fix. I'm tired of not being able to fix things in my life, of not being in control. But my mom said that I have to bring Melissa to her…because she's not gonna be able…to see her any other way," she said, her bottom lip trembling.

"What'd Dr. Johnson say about lettin' her come home?" Mark asked quietly. "I didn't even ask. Mom barely had energy to eat. I had to feed her because she was too weak," she whispered, tears coming to her eyes. Mark squeezed her shoulder gently, feeling her shaking against him. "Every night I pray, Mark…I pray that she'll get better…that the cancer will just go away. But you know somethin'? I think God stopped listening to me a long time ago," she whispered. Mark was stunned by her statement. He wasn't as religious as he probably should've been, but he still understood that God listened to prayers all the time, even if the answer was no. "I'm gonna go take a shower," Sara said softly. Mark watched her go into her small bathroom and shut the door. "He's listening, dollface…I can promise you that," he whispered, "But every prayer can't always be answered." Sara came out nearly a half an hour later, wrapped in one of her favorite towels. Her mother had given it to her when she'd graduated from college; it had Sara's full name and graduation date embroidered on it, as well as the phrase, "I'll always be proud of you!" She quickly dried off and dress in a pair of cotton shorts and a t-shirt before climbing into bed beside Mark. She curled up against him and rested her head on his shoulder. His arm instinctively came around her, pulling her closer to him. "I love you, Mark," she whispered putting an arm over Melissa's back. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered. Sara grinned slightly and settled more comfortably against him before succumbing to sleep.

Sara awoke the next morning with Melissa curled up against her. The shower was running in her bathroom, and she knew Mark was there. "Mama?" Melissa whispered with a yawn. "Yeah, sweetie," Sara said softly, rubbing the back of her head. "Are we going to see Nana today?" Melissa asked. Sara swallowed and kissed Melissa's forehead. "Do you want to?" she asked. "Yes. I had a dream about her," Melissa said. "Really? What'd you dream?" Sara asked. "We were at home, watching a movie because I was sick…and she went and made me chicken noodle soup. She told me soup makes everything better," Melissa answered. Sara smiled as tears came to her eyes. _If only it were that easy, darlin'_, she thought sadly. "Alright, I'll take you to see her. How 'bout we have some breakfast first?" she said quietly. "Okay…but no oatmeal. I think daddy burned it yesterday," Melissa said. Sara chuckled and said, "Alright, pumpkin…no oatmeal." She climbed out of the bed with Melissa in her arms, taking her down to the kitchen. "You want cereal instead?" she asked. "Lucky Charms," Melissa said. "That's too sweet, munchkin. How about some Cheerios?" Sara said pulling the box from on top of the refrigerator. "Okay," Melissa answered. Sara poured a small bowl and set it in front of Melissa with a spoon. "There ya go," she said. "Can I have some orange juice, too?" Melissa asked. "Sure, hon," Sara said before pouring a small glass of juice and handing it to her. Mark entered a few minutes later, dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple black t-shirt. "Morning, dollface," he said kissing the top of her head. "Good morning," she said softly. "You sleep okay?" he asked. "Yeah. No bad dreams, at least," she said forcing a grin. Mark poured himself a bowl of cereal before sitting down at the table. "Are we going to see mom?" he asked quietly. "Yeah. Melissa wants to see her, so…I can't say no to my own child," she said quietly. "Okay, dollface," he said softly.

After breakfast, Sara bathed Melissa and dressed her in shorts and a small 'Angel' t-shirt. She'd bought the t-shirt for Melissa's third birthday, and it seemed like Melissa never wanted to wear anything else. She sent Melissa downstairs with Mark while she took a shower. Sara took her time in the shower, wanting to put off going to the hospital as long as possible. Her mother was practically skin and bones; she couldn't have weighed more than 100 lbs. Her hair was all gone, and she wore a scarf to hide the fact that she was bald. Her skin had a leathery look from all the radiation, and her eyes seemed to be bulging from her face. However, there was still a little spark in her eyes. _She's not gonna go down easy. No matter what, she's always been a fighter, and she always will be_, Sara thought as she stepped out of the shower. She quickly dressed in a pair of comfortable denim shorts and one of Mark's t-shirts, before brushing her hair dry. When she went downstairs, Mark was sitting with Melissa in his lap, talking quietly. "You know Nana's really sick, right, honey? So you may not be able to spend as much time with her as you'd like," she heard him say. "I know, daddy. I know mom doesn't want me to see her, too," Melissa said quietly. "Well, that's only because she doesn't want to see you upset," Mark said, "And I don't, either." "I won't be, daddy, really," Melissa said. Mark grinned slightly and kissed her forehead. "You're a little too mature for your age, sweetheart," he said quietly. "There's no such thing as too mature," Sara said quietly, coming over to them. "You sure about that?" Mark asked softly. Sara picked Melissa up off his lap and nodded. "I was just like her when I was her age," she said grinning slightly, "I always knew more than people wanted me to." Mark stood and said, "We don't have to do this, dollface." "I know," Sara whispered, "Come on." Mark grabbed the keys from the hallway and opened the front door. He let Sara out first and locked the door behind them.

As Mark drove to the hospital, Sara stared blankly out the window. She'd promised herself when Melissa asked her to go to the hospital that she would hold herself together. _Mothers are supposed to be strong for their daughters…they're supposed to hold it together when the world is falling apart around them_, she thought. Mark reached over and touched her hand. "You okay, dollface?" he asked quietly. She smiled slightly and nodded. "It's for the best," she whispered. The rest of the ride was silent, with the only sound being Melissa humming in the back seat. Mark pulled into the parking lot of the hospital nearly 20 minutes later. He quickly parked the car and turned it off. "You wanna go let mom know Melissa's here before I bring her up?" he asked quietly. "Yeah," Sara answered taking a deep breath. She climbed out of the car and entered the place she'd come to hate with all her heart. She took the elevator up to the 13th floor where her mother's room was. "God…even the floor number is unlucky," she whispered as the doors opened. She went down to her mother's room and knocked on the door. "Come in," came Nicky's voice. Sara slowly entered the room, a slight grin on her face. "How'd I know you'd be here?" she whispered. Nicky smiled and stood. "How is she?" Sara whispered. "She's doin' a little better than usual. I think she's excited to see Melissa," Nicky answered. Sara swallowed and looked away. "Don't worry, Sara. Lucy understands that you don't want Melissa to see her like this, so she'll try her hardest to hide her sickness," Nick said quietly. "It won't matter. Melissa already understands how sick she is. I just don't want to tire mom out," Sara said quietly.

"She won't, sweetheart," Lucy said suddenly. Sara went over to the bed and hugged her mother. "How do you feel?" she asked. "I'll be better when I see my granddaughter," Lucy answered. Sara grinned slightly and said, "Mark's bringing her up right now." "Good," Lucy said quietly, "I want to spend some time alone with her." "What?" Sara asked surprised. "You and Mark go relax for while. Nicky's gonna stay here with me while Melissa and I have a grandmother-granddaughter talk," Lucy answered. "Mom…," Sara said softly. "There's no need in arguing, missy. I may be in this bed, but I'm still your mother," Lucy said strongly. Sara smiled and kissed her forehead. "Yeah, you are," she whispered. "Nicky, will you help me up?" Lucy asked her trusted aide. Nicky happily complied, easing Lucy into a sitting position, putting several pillows behind her back to help ease her pain. "I'll go get Mark," Sara said softly. She went out to the hallway, where Mark was sitting with Melissa. "I'll be right back," she told Mark. Mark merely nodded his head. Sara swallowed as she went back into her mother's room. "Hey, there, Melissa. You're gettin' bigger by the minute," Lucy said from the bed. Sara looked down at Melissa, who had a slight smile on her face. "Thanks, Nana," she said quietly. "You wanna hang out today?" Lucy asked her. "Yes, ma'am," Melissa said quietly. Lucy smiled and spread her arms. Sara slowly placed Melissa on the bed beside her, touching her head. "Daddy and I will be back in a few hours, okay?" she asked. "Okay, mommy," Melissa said looking up at her. "Don't worry, Sara, she'll be fine," Lucy said. Sara swallowed and nodded slightly before leaving the room.

"What're you doin'?" Mark asked once she shut the door. "Mom wants to be alone with Melissa for a while," she answered. "How long?" he asked. Now that they were actually in the hospital, he was feeling the same reservations Sara had been having. "A couple hours," she whispered. "Are you okay with that?" he asked touching her arms. "I have no choice," she whispered, "I can't say no to my child, and I sure as hell can't say no to my mother." "Alright, dollface. Let's go walking," he said putting an arm around her and leading her down to the elevator. They went sightseeing downtown, looking at several shop windows. "Mark…," Sara suddenly said. "Yeah, baby?" he asked quietly. "I want another tattoo," she said softly. "What?" he asked in shock. "I wanna get mom's name," she answered, "On my ankle." "Alright, but where at?" he asked. "The place I got my first tattoo. It's a little shop called 'The Ink Spot' not too far from here," she answered. "Walking distance?" he asked. "Yep," she answered. "Alright, babe, whatever you want," he said as they walked down the street. They quickly came upon the shop, and Sara stepped over the threshold, Mark right behind her. Sara recognized the man behind the counter immediately. "Hey, there. Haven't seen you in a while," Mike said. "Hi. Mike, right?" she said smiling. "Yeah, that's me. So how'd your tattoo turn out?" he asked. "Excellent. Thanks a lot," she said. "I'm guessin' you're here for another one, then," he said grinning, "Feel free to look around." "Thanks, Mike," she said going over to the wall of colorful drawings.

"You know him?" Mark asked quietly. "He's the one who did the angel on my back, Mark," she said quietly. "Oh," Mark said simply. Sara grinned and rolled her eyes. His jealousy humored her beyond belief. "It wasn't that big a deal, Mark. I mean…I did have to take off my shirt in front of him, and that was-." "Sara," Mark said tensely. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Alright, alright. Help me pick one," she said still smiling. "It's your tattoo, dollface," he said quietly. Sara scanned through the pictures for nearly ten minutes, before settling on a red heart with black roses covering the right side of it. There was a white ribbon over the middle of it, where a name could go. "That one," she whispered pointing to it. "You sure, hon?" he asked. "Positive," she said quietly. "Alright," he said. Mark looked over at the man Sara had identified as Mike, motioning for him to come over. "Found it?" Mike asked Sara. "Yeah," she said softly, pointing to the picture. "Alright. It'll take a couple hours," he answered. "How much?" Mark asked. "I'll go 150, just because of the color," he answered, "Where are you gettin' it?" "My right ankle," Sara answered. "Alright, come on back," Mike said heading for the back of the parlor. Sara and Mark followed him, and she climbed onto the high bench. "Give me a few minutes to print out the stencil," Mike said before leaving the room.

"Why are you doin' this, Sara?" Mark asked quietly. "A dedication, Mark. She's my mom, and I love her more than she'll ever know. Everything I've done…no matter how shitty…she's always been there for me," Sara answered quietly, "She was my support beam when everyone else turned their back on me…she's my foundation, my rock…she's everything to me…and I couldn't do anything to help her. So I'm gonna let her know that, no matter what, she'll always be with me." She said this all with tears in her eyes. Mark held her hands in his own and softly said, "She's gonna be in your heart, Sara." "And her heart will always be with me," she said quietly, leaning down and touching her forehead to his. Mark wiped away the tears and whispered, "I love you." Sara smiled and kissed his nose. "I love you, too," she whispered back. Mike came in a few minutes later and Mark stood. Mike sat down where Mark had been and motioned for Sara to lay down. He quickly prepared the area for tattooing by shaving away dead skins and sterilizing it with rubbing alcohol. He placed the stencil on it and pulled away the plastic sheet. "It's gonna take about ten minutes to dry, okay?" he said. "Yep," Sara said. "I'll be back," Mike said before once again leaving the room. Alone together, Mark and Sara talked about their plans for the next week. When Mike came back, he pulled on a pair of latex gloves. "You ready?" he asked Sara. "Yeah," she answered quietly. "Fair warning, this is gonna hurt a little more than the other one did, because I have to go over your bone," he said. Sara held out her left hand and Mark gripped it in comfort. "Okay," she said softly.

Sara squeezed Mark's hand several times throughout the process. Mike had been right; this tattoo hurt her a lot worse than the one on her back. "Relax, Sara, don't tense up," Mark suggested quietly. "It hurts," she said with a smile. "Just think, you don't tense up in the ring, so why tense up now," he said grinning. Sara chuckled and Mike said, "Don't move." "Sorry, Mike," Sara said squeezing Mark's hand. He'd tensed up at the command from Mike. "I'm fine, Mark," she whispered. "Oh, so those are your initials I put on her back?" Mike asked. "Yeah," Mark answered somewhat tensely. "That was one of my favorite projects. Did she tell you about that night?" Mike said continuing his work. "No, not really," Mark answered. "She came in around 9:00, 9:30, and you could tell it was her first time ever stepping into a tattoo shop. I introduced myself, and told her to look around and call me when she was ready. It took her maybe all of five minutes to find what she was looking for. It was a nice piece, a lotta detail to it. I think it only took about an hour and a half, right, Sara?" Mike said. "Yep. I was scared shitless, Mark. Me and needles don't really get along, so I was pretty nervous. But Mike here helped me through it, told me to just relax and let him do his thing, so I did. And you saw how it turned out," she said smiling. "Yeah, I did. Shocked the hell outta me, that's for one," Mark said relaxing once more.

"But it wasn't really that random a decision, to be honest. I'd always wanted a tattoo, ever since I went to college. But if I would've gotten one then, mom would've kicked my ass," Sara said chuckling, "It was school, Rugby, school, APO, school, and then maybe more Rugby." "You played Rugby in college?" Mike asked. "Yeah. We took state my last two years. It was pretty awesome," Sara answered. "Where'd you go to school?" Mike asked. "Radford University, in southwest Virginia," she answered. "No way. I graduated from Tech," Mike said looking up at her. "Wow, what a small world. I actually hated Tech, but still," Sara said chuckling. "Yeah, I don't think many Highlanders liked us Hokies," he said, "But you sure came to our football games." "Only because _we_ didn't have a football team," she said. "They do now," Mike said going back to his work, "They're actually pretty decent." "Wow…I tell ya, the school you graduate from always makes the best changes _after_ you leave," Sara said grinning. "This is true," Mike said smiling, "Where'd you go to school, Mark?" "I had a basketball scholarship to Texas AM, but I left Spring semester of my last year to wrestle," Mark answered. "Wow…you love what you do?" Mike asked. "Of course," Mark said, "I couldn't see myself doin' anything else." "Maybe you could do tattoos. You've got some interesting ink work yourself," Mike said. "I haven't gotten a new tattoo in years, though. Once I filled my arms up, I quit with the whole tattoo process," Mark responded. "How many do you have?" Mike asked. "Individually, over 100," Mark answered. "Holy shit," Mike said looking up at him. "Yeah…I was pretty tattoo-crazy when I was younger," Mark said chuckling, "I think I got maybe half of 'em within a two-year period." "Jeez, Mark," Sara said looking up at him. "Yeah, dollface, I was a wild child when I was in my twenties," he said touching her forehead. "And here I was, thinkin' you were so innocent," she said grinning. "Is there such a thing?" Mike asked jokingly. "No, I don't really think so, Mike," Sara answered with a smile.

Over the next two and a half hours, Mike worked diligently on Sara's ankle, wanting the tattoo to turn out as well as the one he'd done on her back years ago. When he was finally done, Sara stretched her arms and yawned. "You okay?" Mike asked. "Yeah. I think my foot's gone dead, but other than that," she said smiling at him. "Let me clean it up, and we'll be done," he said smiling back at her. Sara flinched slightly as he wiped rubbing alcohol over that tattoo, rinsing it off with purified water. He placed a small sheet of plastic wrap over it, taping it down with medical adhesive. "There ya go," he said taking off his gloves. Sara sat up with the help of Mark, and she looked down at her ankle. The tattoo looked amazing, just like her first one. "You're amazing, Mike, you really are," she said quietly. "Aw, thanks," Mike said standing, "Come on out front." Mark helped her stand, and they followed him out. Sara paid for the tattoo, giving Mike a 50 tip for his excellent work and conversation. "Thanks, Sara," Mike said seeing the large tip. "I think I can say if I ever want another tattoo, I know who I'm comin' to," she said grinning at him. "That's good to hear. I'll look forward to your next one," he said. "Bye, Mike," Sara said before leaving the building, Mark right behind her.

"You really like that guy, huh?" Mark asked as they headed down the street, walking slowly because Sara was in pain. "He's nice. I didn't really talk to him that much the first time I was here," she answered. "So that's all? He's nice?" he asked. Sara looked up at him, question in her eyes. "What's the problem?" she asked. "You don't think you were a little too friendly? I mean, a 50 tip, Sara? That's a little excessive," he said quietly. "Well, I paid 150 for the tattoo, so what's 50 more?" she asked. "I'm just askin', dollface," he said. "You're just being your usual jealous self," she said grinning. Mark smiled and wrapped his hand around hers. "I can't help it. Any guy would be jealous if they were married to you," he said quietly. Sara chuckled and squeezed his hand gently. "Yeah, I love you, too," she said softly. "How's your ankle feel?" he asked. "Okay. It burns a little, but it's nothin'," she answered. "Good. It'll stop burning by tomorrow, and it'll be healed up in about a week or two, depending on how well you take care of it," he said. "I know, Mark. I've been through this process before, remember?" she said smiling. They got to their car, and Mark headed towards the hospital. "You think Melissa did okay with mom?" Mark asked. "Yeah…," Sara said looking out the window, "Mom's the best when it comes to hiding weakness…even when she's in the hospital." Mark placed his hand over hers, and Sara linked her fingers with his. They rode the rest of the way in silence.

Sara walked into her mother's room with an unsteady heart. Tears came to her eyes at the sight: Melissa was curled up beside her mother, fast asleep, with Lucy gently caressing her head. "Hey, you," Lucy said quietly. "Hi, mom," she whispered coming into the room, Mark behind her. "Hey, there, Mark," Lucy spoke. "Hi, mom," Mark said quietly, "Is she okay?" "Yeah, she's just tired. We really did talk about a lotta stuff," Lucy answered. "Like what?" Sara asked. "Anything she wanted to talk about," Lucy answered honestly, "Me…her feelings about you and Mark both as her parents and public performers…everything." "How long has she been asleep?" Mark asked. "She just went to sleep probably ten minutes ago," Lucy answered. Mark slowly picked up Melissa, cradling her in his arms. "Still my little angel," he said quietly. "Mark, will you take her back to mom's house? I'll call you when I'm ready to be picked up," Sara said quietly. "Sure, dollface," Mark said, "Bye, mom." "Bye, sweetheart," Lucy said softly. Mark left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him as Sara sat down beside Lucy's bed. "So what'd you talk about?" she asked. "She asked me if I was going to die, Sara," Lucy said bluntly. Tears came to Sara's eyes, and her bottom lip quivered. "You can't, mom…you can't leave me," she whispered. "There's nothing either of us can do about it, Sara. I've told you that time and time again," Lucy said softly. Tears escaped Sara's eyes and she lowered her head.

"What's that on your ankle?" Lucy asked softly. Sara sniffled and slowly stood, sitting down on the bed where Melissa had been. She set her ankle where her mother could see, resting her chin on her knee. "It looks good," Lucy said grinning, "Do you like it?" "Yeah…," Sara whispered, trying to hold back her tears. "Come on, sweetheart," Lucy whispered motioning for Sara to lie down. Sara did so, placing her arm around her mother's waist and letting her tears flow freely. Lucy simply sat there, allowing Sara to express herself in any way possible. "Let it out, baby, let it out," she whispered rubbing the back of Sara's hair. Sara cried for nearly a half an hour, gripping her mother's nightgown tightly. So many emotions were running through her, and she couldn't control any of them. "I don't know what to do anymore, mom…I tried so hard to help you, and I failed. I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry!" she cried. "It's okay, Sara," Lucy whispered. "No, it's not," Sara cried, "I hate that I couldn't help you, mom…I hate it!" "Don't worry, baby. You know I'll always be with you, always," Lucy whispered. Sara sniffled as the tears slowly ended. "I'm gonna get Dr. Johnson to let you come home soon," she whispered. "For what?" Lucy asked. "I hate hospitals, mom. When I come see you next weekend, I wanna be able to spend time with you all day, not just during visiting hours," Sara said quietly. Lucy sighed heavily and looked away. "What? You don't wanna leave this place?" Sara asked looking up at her. "No, that's not it, Sara…," Lucy said slowly. "What, mom?" Sara asked more frantic. "I talked to Dr. Johnson last night. I asked her…to be honest with me," Lucy said quietly, "About how long I have left." "What'd she say!" Sara asked. Lucy took a deep breath and stared down at her beloved daughter. "I've got two and a half months…_maybe_," she whispered. Sara's jaw dropped as the tears returned. "You're not even gonna see me win the title?" she asked shakily. Lucy shook her head, and tears came to her own eyes. "More than likely not. But you know I'll be there with you…in spirit, rooting you on like I always have," she whispered. "Mama…," Sara started. "Don't say anything, Sara. I'm still trying to come to grips with it myself," Lucy said quietly, "When you're not here, all I'm thinking is have I raised you the best I could, have I done the best I could as your mother, your guardian, your friend…all I think about is you. You are, and always have been, the center of my life, the reason I live. And you're the best daughter any mother could hope for."

Sara looked away and tried to take deep breaths. _God is punishing me…He's punishing me for what I did to Mark_, she thought somewhat angrily. "Sara?" Lucy said touching her shoulder. Sara looked back at her mother and swallowed. "We'll have to make it a good few months, then, huh?" she asked quietly. "What do you mean?" Lucy asked. "I'm calling Vince, and telling him I can only work Monday's. If I've only got you for mere weeks, I'm not working anymore than I have to," she said quietly. "Are you sure you wanna do that, Sara? You just got back from that storyline with Kevin, and you've got this new tournament thing goin' for you. Don't mess it up because of me," Lucy argued. "If Vince doesn't give me what I want after I put up with Kevin Nash for 30 days, then I'll quit. You mean more to me than that job ever will," Sara said bluntly. Lucy sighed heavily and shrugged slightly. "Alright, baby, if that's what you feel you have to do," she said quietly. Sara picked up the phone and quickly dialed Vince's cell number. "Hello, Vince McMahon," he answered. "Vince, it's Sara," she said quietly. "Hey, Sara, what is it?" he asked. "I, uh, I can't go to Italy and Germany…for the tour," she said slowly. "Is your mom okay?" Vince asked, knowing without any doubt that was the reason. "No…she's not. I'm, uh…I'm only gonna be able to work Monday's for awhile," Sara said. Vince sighed and said, "I was really planning on using you at houseshows this month, Sara, to test out some newer wrestlers and whatnot." "Get Mark to do it," Sara said simply. "I already had plans for him," Vince said. "Vince…please don't argue with me on this. I have to spend time with my mom. You don't understand how sick she really is," she whispered, "And please don't ask me to choose…because you know I'll choose her any day o' the week." Vince sighed heavily, and Sara waited for a response nervously. "Alright," he said after a few long moments, "I can work somethin' out for the houseshows…but I will expect you to be to work promptly every Monday." "Thanks, Vince," Sara said quietly. "I'll see you in Milwaukee," he said. "Bye," she said before hanging up the phone.

"That was pretty easy," Lucy said, unable to hide her grin, "Not many people can get away with giving Vince McMahon an ultimatum." "What can I say? I've got stroke," Sara said smiling slightly. "Come on, baby. Let's talk about some things," Lucy said. Sara laid back down beside her, and the two began to discuss anything and everything that came up. Before Sara realized it, it was nearing the end of visiting hours. "You should call Mark," Lucy said quietly. Sara reached over and dialed her mother's house phone. "Hello?" Mark answered. "Hi, Mark," Sara said quietly. "Hey, dollface, you ready?" he asked. "Yeah," she said simply. "I'll be there in 20 minutes," he said. "Alright, baby. Bye," Sara said before hanging up the phone. "You're a lucky woman, Sara. Mark really cares about you, more than I ever would've guessed a man could care for a woman," Lucy said as Sara sat up. "Yeah…I know, mom," she said quietly. "When are you gonna tell him?" Lucy asked. Sara swallowed and shrugged. "I don't know, mom. But I can't tell him now," she whispered. "You have to tell him soon. My daughter was not raised to lie to anyone, regardless of what she's done," Lucy said touching her shoulder. "I know, mom…I know," Sara whispered, "I'll tell him soon." "You swear on your life?" Lucy asked seriously. "Yes, mom, I swear," Sara answered honestly. She would tell Mark eventually, just not anytime soon. If she told him before her mother died, she knew for a fact he'd leave her and not give a second thought about it, and Sara couldn't deal with her grief alone. "Alright. I'm trusting you on that," Lucy said.

The women sat in silence until Mark stepped into the room. "Hi, mom," Mark spoke, a sleeping Melissa in his arms. "Isn't that how you walked out o' here earlier?" Lucy asked grinning. Mark kneeled down and hugged her with one arm, careful not to wake his daughter. "We went back home, and had a nice little father-daughter talk. I think all the talking she's done today has tired her out," he said quietly. "I think a good talk is necessary every once in a while," Lucy said quietly. "Yeah, me too. That's one thing I love about Melissa, though. She'll talk about anything, and I cherish that I'm so close to her while she's still so young," he said quietly. Sara smiled slightly and climbed off the bed. "Alright, mom. We're gonna get outta here so you can get some sleep," she said hugging her mother somewhat tighter than usual. "I love you, Sara," Lucy whispered in her ear. "I love you, too, mom," she said quietly, "I'll see you tomorrow." Lucy nodded and released her. "Good night, Mark. Give my granddaughter a kiss for me tonight," Lucy said smiling slightly. Mark nodded and left the room, Sara right behind him.

On the ride home, Mark glanced over at Sara. "What'd you mean you'd see her tomorrow? We have to fly to Green Bay," he said quietly. "I'm not going," Sara said softly. "What? Does Vince know?" he asked. "Yeah. I called him and told him I'm only gonna be able to work Monday's for a while," she answered slowly. "Why?" Mark asked. Sara sighed heavily and looked at him. "Mom's not gonna be here much longer, Mark, and I wanna spend as much time with her as I can," she said, struggling not to cry. "I'm sorry, Sara, I shouldn't have asked," he said quietly. "No, it's okay. I was going to tell you when we got back to mom's house," she said softly. "Do you want me to keep Melissa with me during the week? Or let her stay at home with Stacy?" he asked. "She's goin' on the international trip…after that, just let her stay at home with Stacy," she answered, "But bring her to the arenas on Monday's." "Alright, dollface, no problem," Mark said quietly. Once they got back to the house, Sara took Melissa up to her bedroom and laid her down. "I told her I wasn't gonna leave her again, Mark…I feel like I'm abandoning her again," Sara whispered as Mark closed the bedroom door. "You're not abandoning her, Sara, you're spending time with your mother. Melissa will understand," he said quietly. "Are you sure?" she asked. "I'll help her to," Mark said. "You promise?" she asked. "On my life," he whispered pulling her close. Sara put her arms around his neck and he lifted her up. Sara wrapped her legs around his waist, and he grinned slightly. "You sure?" he whispered. "Never been so sure of anything in my life," she whispered. Mark took her into the bathroom, where they showered and made love for the first time in over a month. Afterwards, they climbed into bed, with Melissa laying between them. "Goodnight, Sara," Mark whispered. "Goodnight, Mark," Sara said softly, laying her hand over his. They both fell asleep comfortably within minutes.


	90. Triumphs & Defeats

**Chapter 89…Triumphs Defeats**

Sara walked into the Norfolk Scope around one o' clock the day of Vengeance with a bounce in her step. The past few weeks had been somewhat rejuvenating for her. Her mother had been released from the hospital, allowing Sara to spend even more time with her. Even though she'd had to care for her mother, making sure to feed her properly, bathe her, and make her mother take her prescription medicines, it was a time for her to really connect with her mother on a different level. Sara had even slept with her mother in Lucy's bed Saturday night, just as she did so many times as a child. Before she'd left early Sunday morning, Nicky had promised her they would be ordering the pay-per-view on television, and would watch Sara's matches with pleasure. Vince had been extremely nice in giving her six days off a week, but did use her as much as possible every Monday leading up to the pay-per-views. Sara was facing D.J. in the semi-final match, and Paul (whom people were starting to call 'Trips' backstage, a shortened version of his stage name) in the final match. Sara headed down the hallway, searching for Mark's locker room. She found it a few doors down from Vince's designated office. She knocked, but heard no answer. She grinned and entered, expecting to find her husband asleep on the couch as usual. Mark was nowhere to be found. Sara dropped her bag on the couch, shrugging her shoulders before leaving the room and heading for the arena gym.

"Sara!" she heard as she walked down the hall. She slowly turned, a full smile on her face. She'd seen Mark only four days of the past three weeks, and she was dying to just hold him and never let go. Mark walked up to her, a grin on his face. "Hey, you," she whispered. "Hey, you, yourself. How's mom?" he asked quietly. "She's okay. I mean, she's a lot more tired than usual, but we've had a good time together," she answered quietly. "Good, good. I'm thinkin' I'll go see her this week, with Melissa again, ya know," he said quietly. "That'd be nice. She'd really like that," Sara said softly. Mark embraced her, pulling her as close to him as possible. "I've missed you," he whispered. Sara wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered, "I missed you, too." They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, simply remembering what the other felt like. "Aw, isn't that cute?" came a voice behind them. "Shut up, Andy," Sara said, her face still buried in Mark's chest. "Do I not get a hug?" Andy asked grinning. "Not if you wanna keep your arms," Mark answered, his cheek resting on top of Sara's head. "Well, how about your daughter?" Andy asked.

Sara looked around Mark's body and smiled. Melissa was in Andy's arms, a smile on her eager face. "Hi, mommy," she said. Sara slowly took her from Andy, squeezing her close. "Hi, munchkin," she whispered in her ear. "How's Nana?" Melissa asked. "She's at home, trying to relax. I took good care of her, though," Sara answered honestly. "Can I go see her this week?" Melissa asked. "We'll talk about it, sweetheart," Sara answered. "Okay, mommy," Melissa said quietly. "Can I get my hug now?" Andy asked grinning. Sara smiled and hugged him tightly. "Hi, buddy," she whispered. "How ya doin', baby doll?" he asked quietly. "As well as can be expected. My mom's watching the show tonight, so I'm excited about that," she said quietly, "I told her I'd fly down right after RAW tomorrow night." "I still don't see how you managed to convince Vince to let you work one day a week," Andy said grinning. "I got it like that, Andy," she said winking at him. "You guys hungry?" Andy asked. "I'm actually headed to the gym," Sara said looking up at Mark. "I'll take her, dollface," he said grinning. "Thanks," she said handing Melissa to him. The two men walked away, and Sara continued on her way to the gym. When she arrived, she was happy to see D.J. and Paul working out together. "What's up, you two? Ready to get your asses kicked tonight?" she asked going over to them. "What's up, Angel? You ready to get _your_ ass kicked?" Paul asked grinning up at her from the bench he was laying on. "I guess we'll see, huh?" she asked. "How long you gonna be, Angel?" D.J. asked. "An hour and a half, tops," she answered. "Alright. How 'bout I just meet you in the ring?" D.J. said. "Sure thing," Sara said before stepping onto one of the nearby treadmills. She quickly tuned out the two men, focused solely on her pace and breathing.

"You really think Vince is gonna make her World champ?" D.J. asked Paul quietly. "I honestly don't know, D.J. I mean, Shawn's winning the title tonight, so it might be an ironic twist," Paul whispered back. "Still…I don't think anybody in the back would take her seriously," D.J. said quietly. "What?" Paul asked shocked. "I'm just sayin', man…the simple fact is, she's a woman," D.J. whispered. "And she's been doin' this for nearly 13 years. Most men can't say that, D.J.," Paul argued, a little angry. "But still, man…," D.J. said quietly. "Fuck that, D.J. She's busted her ass just like we have…why can't she get a title reign…just like we have," Paul snapped quietly, storming past D.J. D.J. sighed and watched his friend leave the gym. His eyes wandered to Sara, and he realized that Paul was right. Every day, Sara came to work, and she worked as hard as the best in the company. Not one of the top males in the company could say they had never been World champion. _If that's what Vince wants to do…so be it_, he thought before continuing his workout. Sara noticed D.J. leave the gym without speaking to her, and wondered what was wrong. _I hope he's not upset about me beating him…it's scripted, so it's not a big deal_, she thought finally stepping off of the treadmill. She'd lost track of time, and ended up running for nearly 45 minutes. As she stretched out on the floor, Andy walked in. She grinned as he sat down on the floor in front of her. "How ya doin'?" he asked quietly. "I'm okay, Andy. Being able to spend time with my mom…I've got memories to last a lifetime, ya know," she said quietly, "She's not energetic in any way, but she's still got that fire in her eyes that I've known since I can remember."

"That's good, sweetheart. You nervous about tonight?" Andy asked. "A little. I mean, being the number one contender is a big deal…to the boys and to the fans," she said quietly, "I just…it's like there's a tension, ya know." "Don't worry about it. You've shown everybody that you want this," he said as she grabbed her right ankle. "I know…I just think they believe I don't deserve it," she said softly, "I heard D.J. and Paul talking, Andy…D.J. doesn't think I should be champ 'cause I'm a woman. They didn't think I heard, but I did." "Do you believe you deserve it?" Andy asked. Sara looked up at him with a bright light in her eyes. "Then that's all that matters," he said touching her cheek softly. Sara smiled slightly and whispered, "You're a good friend, Andy." "Nah, I just have a little more faith than most people," he said sitting down in front of her. "I'm really worried, Andy…I mean, I don't want the guys to snub me because of Vince's decision, ya know. I really care what they think about me," she said quietly. "I know you do, sweetheart. But what you should really care about is what Mark, Vince, your mom, and I think. We're all behind you, and that's all the support you should want," he said quietly. Sara looked down at her hands and sighed. "What if nobody wants to work with me?" she asked softly. "They're not gonna have a choice," Andy said simply.

"That may be true, Andy…but if they don't want to work with me, it's gonna show in the matches," Sara said painfully. "I think that…even if they don't wanna work with you, darlin'…you're gonna show them why Vince is making you World champ. Just like you did when you first got here, you'll earn their respect all over again, on an even deeper level. It'll all work out in the end, you know that. So quit worrying so much about the future, and just think about tonight," he said quietly. "Okay, Andy," she said softly. "Promise?" he asked. "I promise," she said grinning, "Now will you go away so I can finish my workout?" "Yes, ma'am. Just don't work out too hard…you've got two matches to wrestle, remember?" Andy said standing. Sara looked up at him and nodded. "Yes, father," she said sarcastically. Andy smiled down at her and winked before leaving the room. Sara smiled and let out a deep breath. _All over again…I'm only gonna have three months to earn their respect all over again. I shouldn't have to earn it again in the first place…men are so stubborn sometimes_, she thought standing and continuing with her workout. An hour later, Sara headed down the ramp to the ring. D.J. was already there, sitting with Shawn, while Paul stood outside the ring. "Hey, Angel," Shawn spoke as she rolled into the ring. Sara grinned slightly and bounced against the ropes. "What's up, Shawn," she said. "You excited about tonight?" he asked. "Of course. It's a big step for me," she answered. "Very true. Did you ever think you'd make it this far?" he said. "Without a doubt. It's how I imagined my last few months, ya know. Just bein' able to go with the top dogs," she said grinning. "I'm definitely gonna watch my back, then," Shawn said sliding out of the ring, "See you two around." D.J. nodded and stared at Sara. "So you're excited about tonight?" he asked leaning against the ropes. "Yeah, D.J., I really am. It's been one of my dreams since I got into wrestling to make it to the very top…tonight isn't the end for me," she said honestly. "Good for you, Angel," D.J. said. "Let's get this match set up," Sara said rotating her neck.

The next couple of hours was hard for Sara to get through. She knew that D.J. doubted her ability to carry the company, and knew that he probably was losing this match unwillingly. After she finished working with him, Paul rolled into the ring to plan out their match. "You okay?" Paul had asked as they'd practiced a few sets. "I'm just nervous about tonight," she answered. "Why? It's just like any other night," Paul said. "No, it's not, Paul…it's different," she'd said quietly. "Don't worry about D.J., Angel. You know you deserve what's goin' down, and so do I, and a lotta guys in the back. They may not necessarily agree with it, but they know you deserve it," he'd said honestly. Sara merely nodded, but in the back of her mind was the fact that her co-workers didn't believe that she should be champion. After working through her second match, Sara quickly headed back to Mark's locker room. When she entered, her spirits lifted immediately. Mark was on the floor playing around with Melissa. "I've got the two biggest kids in the world," she said shutting the door. "Hey, dollface," Mark said as Melissa tackled him to the floor. "Be careful, Melissa. Your ankle's still not fully healed," Sara said pulling a towel from her duffel bag. "Yes, mama," Melissa said as Mark held her up. "Mark, be careful with her," Sara said heading for the bathroom. "Yes, mama," Mark said smiling. Sara chuckled slightly and shut the bathroom door behind her. She took a hot shower, taking the time to collect her thoughts. _D.J.'s gonna do his best to wear me out tonight, I just know it. He packed as much shit into that match as he possibly could. Why? I've worked with him for so many years…how could he think I don't deserve to be World champ? I thought he was such a nice guy_, she thought somewhat angrily, _I just have to go out there, and show him why I'm still around after 12 years_. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself.

"Dollface?" Mark said through the door. "Yeah?" she answered back. "I'm goin' to work out my match with Shawn. I'm leaving Melissa here with you, okay?" he said. "Sure, Mark," Sara said running her brush through her thick hair. She heard the locker room door shut and went into the room. Melissa was laid out on the couch, fast asleep. "Aw, daddy wore you out," Sara said leaning down and kissing Melissa's forehead softly, "Sleep well, munchkin." She then pulled out her outfit for the night, the same piece she'd worn in her qualifying match for the tournament. She slipped on a pair of sweatpants over the outfit, then pulled on her wrestling boots. Her signature 'A' with a halo over it was printed on the outside of each boot. "Be right back, munchkin," Sara said before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. She went down to catering to grab a quick snack. The show started in a couple hours, so she didn't want to eat a full meal. As she gathered celery and carrot sticks, she heard whispering behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, and practically every wrestler was staring at her. They all quickly looked away, but Sara had seen the questioning in their eyes. _Jesus…Andy was right_, she thought quickly grabbing a bottle of water and leaving the room. She quickly went back to Mark's locker room, really not talking to anyone she passed. She couldn't believe that after all the matches she'd wrestled, all the injuries she'd dealt with, all the storylines she'd been a part of, her co-workers still didn't respect her as much as she thought they did. She entered Mark's locker room and shut the door harshly. "Sons o' bitches…all of 'em," she whispered. She sat down beside Melissa's sleeping form and munched on one of the celery sticks. A knock on the door came 15 minutes later, and Sara answered it..

"Hey, Angel," Paul said quietly. "What do you need, Trips?" she asked tensely. "I just wanted to talk about tonight," he answered. "You think I can't remember the match, Trips?" she asked. "You know that's not it, Angel," he said honestly. Sara let out a deep breath and let him in. "We have to be quiet, because Melissa's taking a nap," she said shutting the door. Paul sat in one of the empty armchairs, and Sara sat back down beside Melissa. "So what's up?" she asked. "You nervous?" Paul asked. Sara sighed and looked down at Melissa. "I'm more pissed off," she said quietly, "I just don't understand…why so many people doubt me." "You remember when you first came into the company? And so many people thought you wouldn't last more than three years? Remember how many guys were ticked off when you got the Intercontinental title?" he asked. "Yeah…I remember," she said quietly. "But you showed them then that when Vince made the decision to put that title on you, it was because he wanted to shock everyone, and he knew you could pull it off," he said. "I know," she said looking back at him. "The guys didn't think you should've had that title, but you showed them what you were all about," he said grinning, "That's what I think you should do tonight, and at Summerslam. Prove to them that you can pull off being World champ just like you did as Intercontinental champ."

"I shouldn't have to prove _anything_," she snapped, "I've been here 12 _years_. I've seen more guys come and go than a lotta people can say. I've gone through more shit than anybody, so why do I have to _prove_ anything?" "Because that's what the guys are expecting of you. Sure, you've had hardships…but so has everybody else. You can't expect the guys to take it easy on you because you've been through so much," Paul argued. "I never said anybody should take it easy on me. I know what it takes to be a wrestler. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here," she argued back. "I'm just sayin', Angel…go out there tonight and show the boys why you're still around. Show them why we used to call you the '9th Wonder of the World'. That's all I'm askin'," Paul said quietly. "I will, Trips. You don't have to worry about that," she said heatedly, "I've earned my place in this company already…but if that's what you want…if that's what the 'boys' want…I'll show you why I belong here." Paul stood and headed to the door. "See ya in a few hours," he said before leaving the room. Sara ran her hands over eyes and sighed heavily. _So much doubt…I haven't felt this unwelcome since I stepped into this company_, she thought somewhat sadly. The door opened moments later, and Mark walked through with Andy. Sara put a piece of celery in her mouth and chewed mindlessly. "Dollface, you okay?" Mark asked grabbing a towel from his own duffel bag. "Yeah," she answered, "Just thinkin' about tonight." Mark grinned and winked at her. "You're gonna do fine," he said before going into the bathroom.

Andy sat down in the empty arm chair and stared at Sara. "Who said somethin'?" he asked. "Everybody, Andy," she whispered. "What do you mean?" he asked. "I went down to catering to grab a snack…and everybody was whispering behind my back. When I looked at 'em, they were all staring at me…with doubt in their eyes," she said quietly. Andy let out a slow breath and came over to her. "What'd I say to you earlier?" he asked kneeling down in front of her. "I know, Andy, but still…you should've been there. It was like I was back in 2002, when I first got here…like nobody wanted me here," she said painfully, "I never thought I'd have to go through that again." Andy grabbed her hands in his and squeezed gently. "You earned it, baby girl. You're where you are now because you've earned it. Vince has seen that, and he's rewarding you for it," he said softly. "Why does he have to be the only one who sees it?" she asked quietly. "Vince is usually the only one who sees such potential in people. I mean, look at me. I've been around almost ten years, and I'm finally gettin' a good run as a champion. Most people thought that when that group was disbanded, I'd be outta here quicker than hell…but I'm still here doin' my thing, just like you. So stop worrying what the boys think. If I worried about what they thought, I'd have quit a long time ago," he said quietly.

"But you're different, Andy. It comes down to the fact that you're a man…and I'm a woman…and women aren't fit to be World champions," she said, tears coming to her eyes. "Says who?" he asked. "My co-workers," she whispered looking down, "And in this business…what your co-workers think is almost as important as what your boss thinks." "There…that's the key word, Sara. _Almost_ as important," he said quietly, "Vince's opinion is what you should be worried about." "You're using my words against me," she said with a grin. "Of course. Whatever it takes to make you realize that you _are_ World championship material," he said quietly, wiping away the tears that had fallen onto her cheeks. Sara smiled and kissed his forehead gently. "Thanks, Andy," she whispered. "Not a problem, baby girl. But you might wanna go get all pretty and stuff. There's a line at Janet's," he said quietly. "Will you come with me? I don't really wanna talk to anybody else right now," she said quietly. "Sure," he said standing. Sara went into the bathroom and shut the door. "Mark, I'm goin' down to Janet's. Melissa's still asleep, so I'm just gonna leave her here, okay?" she said. "Sure thing, dollface," Mark said from the shower. Sara reached for the doorknob, but Mark's voice stopped her. "You sure you're okay, dollface?" he asked peeking through the shower curtain. "I'll be alright, Mark," she said looking back at him. "Come here," he said softly. Sara went over to him, and Mark leaned down to kiss her. "You're soaking wet," she said grinning. "So?" he asked cupping her chin gently and kissing her. Sara smiled against his lips and whispered, "I love you." "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered, "See ya when you get back."

Sara smiled and nodded, then left the bathroom. She and Andy went down to Janet's, where there was indeed a small line. Lisa was in the chair getting her hair straightened, and Trish and Amy were waiting in line. "This is gonna take a while," Sara said to Andy. "Do you wanna come back?" he asked. "I think I'll just do my own look tonight," she said heading away. Andy followed beside her, noticing that she was walking with her eyes on the ground. "Head up, Sara. Don't let the guys see they're gettin' to you," he said quietly. Sara looked up at him and grinned slightly. "Always the motivator, huh?" she asked quietly. "Well, somebody's gotta do it," he said grinning. Sara smiled fully and shook her head. "Yeah, somebody's gotta do it," she whispered. "So your matches are all set up?" he asked. "Yeah. The first one is gonna be tough, because D.J. packed as much shit into it as he could," she answered, "But the second one will be a little easier. I'm wrestling for 20 minutes with D.J., and then Paul and I are gonna go at it for another 20." "Wow…Vince really gave you guys a chunk o' the show," he said quietly. "Yeah, no kiddin'," she said, "I don't think I've ever wrestled for 40 minutes straight," she said quietly. "So Trips is goin' first?" he asked. "Yeah…," she answered. "Your idea…or Vince's?" Andy asked. "I think it's Vince's idea," she answered. "Can you handle that?" he asked. "I don't have a choice, Andy. It's just one more way for me to prove myself," she said quietly, "And that's what everybody wants…for me to prove that I deserve the number one contender spot." Andy sighed heavily and said, "You shouldn't have to prove anything." "I know that, Andy…but if that's what they want, I'll give it to 'em," she said as they came up to Mark's locker room, "Listen, thanks for your support, Andy…it really means a lot to me." "You know I'm here for you, sweetheart," Andy said hugging her tightly. "I know, but it's still important to me," she said hugging him back. "I'll make sure the guys are around a monitor for your matches," he said kissing her cheek, "If I have to tie 'em down one by one." Sara smiled and kissed his cheek in return. "Thanks," she said softly. "Go on…go get even more beautiful," he whispered. Sara turned pink and released him. "I'll see ya around, Andy," she whispered. Andy grinned and winked at her. "See ya, baby doll," he whispered before walking away.

Sara smiled and went into the locker room. Mark had just pulled on his wrestling tights, and Melissa was now sitting up on the couch. "You don't look any different," Mark said grinning at her. "Janet had a long line, so I'm just gonna do my own thing," she said shutting the door. "Come here," he whispered reaching for her. Sara placed her hand in his and Mark pulled her down onto his lap. "You're gonna do just fine, dollface," he said once again. "I know, Mark…I'm just…antsy, ya know," she whispered. "Why don't you call mom? See how she's doin'," Mark said quietly. "That's a good idea," she said grinning, "Melissa, you wanna come with?" "Yeah," Melissa answered. Sara stood and picked up Melissa, then grabbed her cell phone and left the room. She went out to the back parking lot and sat down on the curb, dialing her mother's house number as she did. "Hello, Sara," Nicky answered. Sara smiled and chuckled. "The wonders of caller ID, right?" she said. "You know it. Hold on one second," Nicky said. "Hi, baby," Lucy said moments later. "Hey, mom. How ya doin'?" Sara asked. "I'm okay. Nicky's makin' sure I'm comfortable. The show starts in a couple hours, right?" Lucy said. "Yeah. I won't be on 'til around 9:30, though. I'm wrestling two matches straight," Sara answered, "First D.J., then Paul." "How long is that total?" Lucy asked. "About 40 minutes," Sara said. "Jeez, Sara. That's a long time," Lucy said. "I know, mom…but I'm okay with it," Sara said quietly. "The guys been talkin' again?" Lucy asked knowingly. "Yeah, of course. It was worse today than it has been the past few weeks. But I can handle it. I wouldn't be here if I couldn't handle it," Sara said quietly. "That's my girl, always the stronger one. You kick as much ass as you can tonight, okay?" Lucy said quietly. "I will, mom," Sara said, "Melissa wants to talk, okay?" "Okay, darlin'," Lucy said. Sara handed the phone to Melissa, who put it to her ear. Sara smiled as she listened to Melissa talk to her grandmother. _They've always been close_, she thought happily, _I'm glad Melissa's gotten to spend time with mom. She'll remember it later on in her life_. A few minutes later, Melissa said goodbye and handed the phone back to Sara. "So you're really okay, mom?" Sara asked. "Yeah, Sara, really. I can't wait to see you tonight. I know I've told you this time and time again…but I'm so proud of you," Lucy answered. "Thanks, mom," Sara said quietly. "I'll be watching you, okay?" Lucy said quietly. "Alright, mom. I love you," Sara whispered. "I love you, too, Sara. Bye, sweetheart," Lucy said. "Bye, mom," Sara said softly. She clicked her phone shut and took a few deep breaths.

"Are you gonna get hurt tonight, mommy?" Melissa asked. "Maybe, sweetheart. The guys I'm wrestling are a lot bigger than me…hell, all of the guys I wrestle are bigger than me. But mommy knows how to be safe in the ring, okay?" Sara answered, "Just think…in a month, you'll get to wear my World title around the house." Melissa smiled and kissed her mother's cheek. "Kick butt, mommy," she said quietly. Sara smiled and stood. "I plan on it, sweetheart," she said going back into the arena. She quickly went back to the locker room and put Melissa on the couch beside Mark. "How's mom?" he asked. "She sounded tired. But she said she was gonna be watchin' me," Sara answered pulling her hair care materials and make-up kit from her suitcase. "That's great, dollface. With mom, me, Andy, and Melissa watchin', I know you're gonna be at your best tonight," he said watching her go into the bathroom. Sara smiled and shut the door behind her. She used her steam irons to straighten her thick hair before pulling it up into a half ponytail. She left out tendrils on the side of her head, and curled the ends of the lower half of her hair. She moved on to make-up, laying a thin sweat-proof foundation on her face, making sure it looked smooth and even. She brushed a dark blue eyeshadow over her lids, and lined it with a shiny gold liner she'd found while shopping a few weeks ago in Daytona. She completed the look with her favorite crimson lipstick. When she finished, she stepped back and looked in the mirror. "I could do this for a living," she said to herself.

Mark knocked on the door and Sara opened it. "Wow…impressive," he said grinning. "Oh, shut up," she said slapping his arm. "Vince needs you for an interview, sweetheart," he said smiling. "Thank you, messenger boy," she said walking past him, a smile on her face. "Hey…I'm nobody's messenger boy," Mark said as she left the room. Sara went down to the entranceway, and found Vince standing there with Josh Matthews. "Hey, Sara, we just need somethin' real quick to show during Heat," Vince said. "Alright, what's it about?" she asked. "Your matches tonight," Vince said grinning. Sara chuckled and nodded. "How long is it?" she asked. "30 seconds to a minute," Vince said, "Real short." "Give me a minute," she said. "Sure," Vince said turning his attention back to Josh. Sara turned her back to the two men, closing her eyes and zoning out. _Show them…show them all_, she kept thinking. After a few moments of silence, she faced Vince and said, "I'm ready." "Alright," Vince said stepping away. Sara stepped up to Josh, looking down at him with darkened eyes. _For all I know, he probably thinks I'm not worthy, too_, she thought angrily. "Three…two…one, go," Vince said.

"Angel, tonight, you have the possibility of becoming the number one contender. No one ever thought you'd make it past the first round. How do you explain your success?" Josh said. "Josh…the more people doubt me, the more I'm gonna gut it out. Goin' against Cena was no real challenge. I've whipped his ass many times before. As far as the Rock…we've had our battles in the past. He's beat my ass, and I've beaten his. Tonight will be no different, because nobody is going to stop me from getting what I've earned. Whether I face Triple H or Edge in the finals is completely irrelevant, because I'm going to win the whole thing," Sara said confidently. "You do realize that, if you become the number one contender, you will be facing the winner of the World Heavyweight title match tonight at Summerslam. That means you could be going up against the Undertaker, whom you've managed for quite a long time," Josh said. "Business is business, Josh. 'Taker understands that, and so should you. I will win this tournament tonight, and I will go on to Summerslam. And nobody, Josh, _nobody_…even 'Taker…is gonna stop me from achieving the ultimate goal in this business: being the World Heavyweight champion," she said crossing her arms. "I wish you the best of luck tonight, then, Angel," Josh said. "I don't need your luck, Josh. I don't need _anybody's_ luck…I'm gonna go out there and do what I've done my whole career. I'm gonna prove to everybody that I _deserve_ to be the number one contender…and I _deserve_ to be the World Heavyweight champion," she said heatedly before walking away.

"And cut," Vince said, "That was great, Sara. Thanks a lot." "Not a problem," she said, "You need me for anything else?" "Not until your match," Vince answered. "I'll see ya then," Sara said before walking away. She went back down to Mark's locker room, glad to be done with her work for a couple of hours. She plopped down on the couch and leaned into the cushions. Her eyes closed, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep. Mark walked in with Melissa in his arms, and smiled at the sight of Sara's sleeping form. _Her adrenaline rush must've worn off_, he thought. "Why's mommy sleeping, daddy? Doesn't she have to work tonight?" Melissa asked quietly. "Yeah, she's just catching a nap beforehand," Mark answered. "Does she always do that?" she asked. "Sometimes…depends on how much work she has to do. Why don't we go talk to some o' the guys so she can rest?" he said quietly. "Okay," Melissa said excitedly. Mark left the room as quietly as he'd entered, shutting the door softly behind him. He spent the next hour and a half getting a feel of the mood for Sara's two matches. All of the guys expressed interest in it, but no one said they would specifically watch it.

Around eight o' clock, Mark went back to his locker room. Sara was still fast asleep, and Mark grinned. He put Melissa in the armchair, then kneeled down beside Sara. "Dollface?" he whispered touching her cheek. Sara jumped up, her breathing fast and her face flushed. "What time is it?" she asked hurriedly. "It's only eight o' clock, baby. Relax," he said softly. Sara looked over at Melissa, who had a concerned look in her eyes. She let out a few deep breaths and rotated her neck. "You okay?" he asked her. "Yeah…I shouldn't have slept so long," she said quietly. "Don't worry, dollface. The show just started, so you're fire," he said touching her knee. "I'm gonna go stretch out," Sara whispered, "Get in character…you know the deal." "Yeah, I do," he whispered kissing her forehead, "We'll all be watchin' you, dollface." Sara grinned slightly and nodded. "I know," she whispered before leaving the room. "Is she okay, daddy?" Melissa asked. "Yeah. Just remember that mommy knows what she's doin' out there, okay? If she looks like she's hurt, she's probably not, because she's just acting," he said bringing her over to the couch and turning on the television to watch the show.

Sara found a dark corner close to the entranceway, and began her intense stretching routine. She made sure to extend the time it took so that she could truly get into character as much as possible. When nine o' clock rolled around, Sara made her way to a television monitor to watch Paul's match. It showcased both his and Adam's physical and mental skills. Both men were heels, but Adam turned out to be the lesser of two evils, because he got the most cheers. Near the end of the match, Sara went up to the pit. D.J. was already there waiting. "Angel," he said stiffly. "Rocky," she said just as tensely. Vince looked up at D.J. and said, "Watch it, Rocky." "Yeah, yeah, Vince, I got ya," D.J. said. Sara looked at Vince, who winked at her. The bell rang moments later, and Sara heard Paul's theme music playing. _Okay…here we go_, she thought rotating her neck. Adam came through the curtains, and Sara winked at him. "Good job out there, buddy," she said quietly. "Thanks, Angel. Kick ass out there," he said high-fiving her. "Of course," she responded. Paul walked through the curtains moments later, and he winked at her. "Have fun," he said quietly. Sara smiled and nodded slightly. "You want this, Angel?" D.J. asked as Paul walked away. "Still got doubts, Rocky?" she snapped. "Rocky," Vince warned again. "Well, you better get out there and prove it," D.J. said as his music hit. Sara sighed heavily as he walked through the curtains. "I tried, Angel," Vince said from the table. "It's alright. I'll have to do what I do best…beat the shit outta the men I work with," she said grinning. Her music hit moments later, and Sara took a deep breath. _There's no goin' back now_, she thought stepping out onto the stage.

Mark watched the match with somewhat bated breath. He couldn't help but be worried about Sara's safety. He knew D.J. didn't want to sell to her, and especially didn't want to lose to her. It was strange, because he'd always been one of her staunchest supporters when she'd made her return after Shawn's attack. The match was brutal, and Mark had to cover Melissa's eyes several times. Anger coursed through Mark's body as he watched Sara take sick bump after sick bump, knowing that she was only doing it to prove her endurance. When she finally pinned D.J. after hitting 'Angel's Touch', Mark let out a heavy breath. _And she's got another match, with no break_, he thought angrily, _Damn it, Vince, she can only do so much_. Paul ran down to the ring, immediately capitalizing on Sara's weakened state. He hit his finishing maneuver, the Pedigree, and covered Sara. She was barely able to kick out before the three-count. "Daddy, is mommy okay?" Melissa asked nervously. "Yeah, sweetheart, she's fine," he whispered rubbing her shoulder. Ten minutes into the match, Mark heard Sara's cell phone ring from her suitcase. He quickly answered it, not bothering to check the ID screen. "Yeah?" he said hurriedly, his eyes glued to the television screen. "Mark, is Sara around?" Nicky asked slowly. "She's in the middle of a match, Nicky. What's wrong?" he asked, his attention still halfway on the screen. "Her mom…she got rushed to the hospital, Mark…they don't think she's gonna make it," Nicky said. Mark now focused completely on the call. "What? Sara said she was fine earlier," he said. "Yeah, she was…but she was watching Sara's match, and her eyes just drifted shut, and she stopped breathing," Nicky said, trying not to cry, "I called 911 as fast as I could, and did CPR until they got here…I don't know if I did anything to help her." "Oh, God…," Mark said rubbing his hand over his face. "Erika said she'd call Sara back if…if…I'm sorry, Mark," she said quietly. "Don't worry, Nicky. You did everything you could, and Sara will appreciate that…no matter what happens," he said. "Alright. I'll, uh, I'll talk to you guys later," Nicky said, "Bye, Mark." "Bye, Nicky," he said quietly before clicking the phone shut.

"Is Nana okay, daddy?" Melissa asked from beside him. "I'm not sure, munchkin," he whispered, "Let's hope so, okay?" Melissa nodded and looked back at the screen. Mark leaned back into the couch, watching as Sara nailed Paul with a desperation DDT. _Come on, Sara…get up, baby…get up and win this thing_, he thought, _Enough o' this bravado shit. You're gonna kill yourself out there_. As the referee got to the middle of his ten-count, Sara stirred, slowly getting to her feet. Mark watched her mount an amazing offense, hitting Paul with several different moves, each of which caught him off-guard, and wore him out. "That's it, dollface, that's it," Mark whispered. As the end of the match finally drew near, Mark picked up Melissa and his ring jacket before leaving the room. He met Andy near the entranceway and handed him Melissa. Andy had agreed to watch her while Mark wrestled, so that Sara could stretch out in his locker room in peace. "What is it?" Andy asked noticing Mark's distance. "Sara's mom…she got sent to the hospital, Andy," Mark whispered. "Shit," Andy whispered. "Yeah, I know. Just keep an eye on her while I'm out there, okay?" Mark said quietly. "Yeah, no problem," Andy said shifting Melissa in his arms. Mark slipped on his ring coat and stared at the nearby television monitor. Sara had just set Paul up for her finishing move, but he could tell she was hesitating. "What's wrong with her?" Andy asked. "I don't know," Mark said crossing his arms.

"What are you waiting for!" Paul whispered. "Something's wrong," Sara whispered back. The crowd was in a frenzy, cheering so loudly that Sara could barely focus. "Just drop me, Angel. Everything's gonna be okay," Paul whispered. Sara let out a slow breath and did as he said. The move went smoothly, and the fans erupted even more. She draped herself across his chest, pulling his left leg up as the referee counted to three. Sara rolled off of him, sitting up with the biggest smile on her face. _I did it…I hope you're proud, mom_, she thought slowly getting to her feet. Paul rolled out of the ring as the referee raised her hand. "Your new number one contender…Angel!" Lillian Garcia said from ringside. Sara raised her right index finger, and said, "I'm the number one contender!" "Angel, Angel, Angel!" the fans chanted excitedly. Sara dropped to her knees and looked around. The fans were on their feet giving her a standing ovation. Tears came to her eyes, and she slowly got back to her feet. She dropped out of the ring, making her way up the ramp still holding up her right hand. When she walked through the curtain, Mark was standing with Andy and Melissa. "You did it, dollface," he said when she reached him. "Yeah…I guess I did, huh?" she whispered back. "I'd hug you, but you're all sweaty," he said winking at her. Sara chuckled softly, then groaned and grabbed at her ribcage. "What is it?" Mark asked. "Probably just bruised ribs," she answered, "No biggie…part o' the job, right?" "You took a lot more punishment than you should have, Sara," Andy said quietly. "I just hope I earned a little respect," she said looking down.

"Don't worry, Angel…you did more than that," Paul said from behind her. Sara faced him and crossed her arms. "Congratulations, Angel…you deserve it," he said extending his hand. Sara hesitated, but she shook his hand in respect. "Thanks, Paul," she said quietly. "No problem," he said, "I'll see you tomorrow." Sara nodded and watched him walk away. "There ya go, baby doll. If the guys don't think you're as good as them, then fuck 'em," Andy said quietly. Sara smiled and took Melissa from him. "Thanks, Andy," she said, "I'll see you back in the locker room, Mark." Mark watched her walk away and sighed heavily. "Keep an eye on her, Andy," he whispered. "No problem," Andy said as Shawn walked up. "You ready, big man?" he asked. "Yeah, let's do this," Mark said walking up to the pit with him. Andy quickly caught up to Sara, discussing her two matches on the way to Mark's locker room. "So what'd you think?" she asked. "It was pretty brutal, Sara," he said honestly. "Yeah…I'm startin' to feel it," she said quietly. Andy quickly took Melissa from her, grinning slightly. "You've lifted enough today, darlin'," he said quietly. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "She's a feather compared to D.J. and Paul," she said. They arrived at Mark's locker room and Sara reached for Melissa. "Nu-uh. You're gonna stretch first," he said opening the door. Sara smiled and shook her head. "Alright, dad," she said sarcastically. Andy sat down on the couch, his eyes going back and forth between Sara and the television. He wasn't going to say anything about her mother, because he didn't want to worry Sara if there was no need.

Sara stretched out on the floor, laying flat on her back, simply relaxing. As she stretched out her muscles, she turned her eyes to the television. Mark and Shawn had amazing chemistry in the ring, partly because of their history, and partly because of their great athletic skills. Their match seemed to fly by, because when she finished stretching, the match was nearly over. When she heard her phone ring, she smiled and grabbed it from her bag. "Hey, mom, did you-." "Sara…it's Erika." "What is it?" Sara asked quietly, turning her back to Andy. "Sara…I'm sorry to have to tell you this-." "Don't…please, don't," Sara whispered, her voice shaking. "Sara, I'm sorry. We did everything we could. Your mom passed away ten minutes ago," Erika said slowly. Sara covered her hand with her mouth, holding back tears. "I need you to come in as soon as you can to…identify the body," Erika said. "Okay…," Sara said shakily, "I can come in…Tuesday morning." "That's fine. I'm so sorry, Sara," Erika said. "Thank you," Sara said before shutting the phone. Andy watched her drop the phone on the floor, and put Melissa on the couch beside him. "Sara?" he said softly, coming over to her. Sara slowly faced him, tears in her eyes. "Oh, baby," he whispered pulling her close to him. Sara stiffened up immediately, not wanting to be in contact with anybody, even Andy. "Don't touch me," she whispered. "What?" Andy asked. "Get away from me," she whispered starting to shake. Andy slowly released her, and she pushed past him, storming into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

"What's wrong with mama, Uncle Andy?" Melissa asked from the couch. "She's gonna have to tell you, babycakes," Andy said sitting down beside her. "Was that about my Nana?" Melissa asked. "I think so, sweetheart," he said quietly. Tears formed in Melissa's eyes and Andy pulled her into his lap. "It's gonna be alright, Melissa," he whispered as she started to cry, "Everything's gonna be okay." Mark came into the room ten minutes later, a towel wrapped around his neck. Melissa was fast asleep in Andy's arms, but he noticed the redness in her face. "Is she okay?" Mark asked shutting the door. "Sara's mom died, Mark," Andy whispered, "Sara got a call…about ten minutes ago…and she shut herself in the bathroom." "Oh, shit," Mark whispered going to the bathroom door. "Sara, baby, it's Mark. I'm comin' in, okay?" he said slowly. The door was locked. "Sara, open the door. Sweetheart, it's me, open the door," he said. There was no sound whatsoever coming from the room. "I'm gonna have to bust this door down," Mark said. "You want me to go get Vince?" Andy asked. "Yeah," Mark said, "And take Melissa with you. I don't want her to see this." Andy nodded and left the room. "Sara, baby, don't make me knock this door down. I don't want to, but I will if I have to," Mark said once the room door shut, "You can't stay in here forever. Don't shut me out, baby, please." When he got no answer, he let out a slow breath. "Please, Sara, open the door," he said once more, hoping that she would listen to him.

The door opened suddenly and Sara stood there, her face paler than he'd ever seen before. "Come here, baby," he whispered opening his arms. "I'm fine," she whispered. "No, you're not," he whispered. "You don't know how I feel…so don't try to tell me," she said heatedly. "I'm not, Sara," he said dropping his arms. "We have to get outta here," she said moving past him, "We have to fly to Winston-Salem early, so we need to get some sleep." Mark watched as she pulled on the sweatpants she'd had on earlier, as well as a sweatshirt. "Sara…," he tried again. "We have to leave," she whispered picking up her cell phone and dropping it in her duffel bag. Mark grabbed her elbow, but she spun around and yanked away. "Don't touch me," she snapped. "Okay, dollface," he said softly. A knock on the door came and Sara opened it. "Are you okay?" Vince asked, his eyes wide with concern. "I'm fine, Vince," she said walking past him, "I'll see you tomorrow." "Andy…I need a huge favor," Mark said. "What is it?" Andy asked. "Will you and Lisa take Melissa to Winston-Salem with you? Sara's not sleeping tonight, and I don't want Melissa there for what's gonna happen," he said quietly.

"What happened?" Vince asked. "Her mom died, Vince…while she was wrestling," Mark said. "Announce it to the whole fucking world, why don't you!" Sara yelled at him from a few feet away. Mark sighed and looked at Andy. "Sure, Mark," Andy said quietly. "Does she need time off?" Vince asked quietly. "I told you I'd be to work tomorrow, Vince," Sara snapped, "Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" "We're not doin' that, dollface," Mark said. "Yeah, whatever," she snapped turning her back to them, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "We'll be in Winston-Salem tomorrow," Mark said quietly, "Try not to put her in a match…she's not gonna have any energy." "No problem," Vince said, "I can figure somethin' out with creative tonight." "I'll pay you back for the plane ticket for Melissa, Andy," Mark said quietly. "Don't worry about it, man. Just make sure Sara's okay," Andy said just as quietly. "I'm gonna try," Mark said slinging his bag over his shoulder, "I'll see you guys tomorrow." He kissed Melissa's forehead and whispered, "Love you, munchkin." He walked past the two men and grabbed Sara's elbow, leading her out of the building. The car ride back to the hotel was an almost deadly silence. Mark kept glancing at Sara to make sure she was at least awake. She was in shock, and her mind was struggling to deal with it. When he pulled into the hotel parking lot, he noticed Sara's head had dropped forward. "Uh-uh, dollface, stay awake," he whispered forcing her head back up. Sara swallowed and pulled her chin away from his grip. "Don't touch me," she whispered breathlessly. Mark sighed and quickly parked.

Sara climbed out of the car and Mark led her inside. They got to his room, and Mark let her in first, then shut the door behind him. "Where's my daughter?" Sara whispered facing him, "Where is Melissa?" "She's spending the night with Andy and Lisa," he answered coming over to her, "You and I are gonna talk." "What the fuck is there to talk about? My mom's dead!" Sara screamed. "I know, baby," he whispered reaching for her. "Don't fucking touch me!" she whispered backing up, her bottom lip trembling. "You gotta let it out, dollface," he whispered reaching for her again. "No, I don't," she whispered, tears coming to her eyes. She stiffened up and said, "My mother did not believe in crying…over anything." "That may be so, but she also doesn't want you to turn into a shell because of her death," Mark said quietly. Sara swallowed and crossed her arms. "Come here," he whispered. "No," she said simply. "She was my mother, too, Sara," he said quietly. "Mother-_in_-_law_," Sara said quietly, "You didn't know her like I did…you didn't grow up with her. She was there for me, Mark…she was _always_ there." "And she always will be, dollface," he said softly. "She left me, Mark…she left me here," she whispered struggling not to cry. "She's in your heart, Sara…she's in your blood…she's in Melissa…there's nowhere you can turn where she won't be," he said softly.

"Stop bullshitting me, Mark! She's gone, and she's not coming back!" Sara screamed in frustration. "She's not gone, dollface," he whispered stepping towards her. Sara backed up, but Mark grabbed her elbows. "Don't hold it in," he said softly. Sara's knees buckled, and Mark quickly caught her. Her skin had paled once more, and he rushed her into the bathroom. Sara leaned over the toilet, vomiting while Mark held up her hair. "It's okay, dollface, it's okay," he whispered rubbing her back. After she finished, Mark set her up against the tub, pushing her hair behind her ears. "Hold on," he whispered before pouring a glass of water. He handed it to her, and Sara quickly drank it. She dropped the cup beside her as the tears finally released themselves. Mark sat in front of her, watching as her barriers crumbled. His heart broke at the sight of his wife in such a weakened state. He had completely shut down when he found out his father died, not accepting help from anyone, including Sara. Now that she was in the same situation, he didn't know how to help her. Sara sat in front of him for nearly two hours, crying in a way she'd never cried before.

When she finally stopped, Mark took her hands in his. She tried to pull away, but Mark kept his grip. "You're not going through this alone, Sara," he said quietly. "And just what the fuck are you gonna do to help me! Last time I checked, you didn't want anybody helpin' you through your tragedy! So don't tell me you know what the fuck you're doin' now!" she snapped standing and walking past him. Mark groaned slightly and stood; he hadn't had time to stretch out properly, and now his muscles were aching. Sara was pacing back and forth, her head lowered and her arms crossed. "What're you thinkin' about, dollface?" Mark asked sitting on the bed. "Funeral arrangements," she said calmly. "I can help you, Sara," he said quietly. "And I told you, I don't want your fucking help," she snapped, "I don't need you, Mark." Mark looked down at his hands and sighed. He knew she was saying these things because of her grief, but they still hurt. He looked back up at Sara, who was still pacing. "Are you gonna pace all night?" he asked quietly. "If I feel like it, I will," she snapped. "Sara, stop snapping at me. I'm trying, dollface…what do you want from me?" he asked painfully. Sara looked at him, sniffling slightly. "I want you to leave me the fuck alone," she snapped. "I won't do that, dollface," he said quietly. "'Dollface' this, and 'dollface' that… Jesus Christ, you're a fucking leech. I can't get rid of you!" she hissed, continuing to pace. "Why would you want to?" he asked quietly, almost afraid to hear her answer. "I don't want you, I want my mother," she said tensely.

Mark sighed and glanced at the clock. It was nearing two o' clock, and they had to be up in six hours to catch their flight to North Carolina. "Sara, you have to get some sleep," he said softly. "I don't have to do anything," she snapped. "Your body's gonna collapse, sweetheart," he said. "Maybe that's what I want, Mark. Maybe I don't wanna be here anymore," she said softly. "Well, that's not your decision to make," he said. "Says who?" she asked glaring at him. "God," he said simply. "Oh…God…where was God when my mother was dying? Where was God when I needed Him the most! Where was God when I was praying for Him to save my mother!" she yelled. "God hears all prayers, Sara…even if the answer is no," he said softly. Sara stopped and stared at him. "How dare you," she whispered slapping him with all her might, "My mother is dead! And you come up with that bullshit reason why God didn't save her! You son of a bitch, I hate you!" Mark's heart clenched, and he felt hot tears prick his eyes. The slap didn't hurt him as much as her words did, and she knew it. "Fine, Sara…if you wanna go through this alone, be my guest. But don't you _ever_ talk to me like that again," he said tensely. "I've been talkin' to you like that since we've been together, so don't go get all macho on me now," she snapped at him. "There's a difference between then and now. Then, you weren't being a hateful bitch," he said heatedly. Sara stopped her pacing and stood in front of him. "What did you say to me?" she whispered. "You heard me," he growled. Sara reached back to punch him, but Mark blocked her hand and pulled her onto the bed, covering her with his body.

"Mark!" she gasped. Memories flooded her mind of that night he'd raped her, and this was how it had started. "Please don't be hateful, Sara," he whispered painfully, "You're killin' me…I'm tryin' to help you, that's all. I'm not trying to control you, I'm not trying to…hurt you. I just…I just wanna help you." Sara's bottom lip trembled, and tears came to her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mark," she whispered honestly, "I'm sorry." Mark touched her cheek gently, easing off of her. "I love you so much, Sara…and it's breaking my heart to see you like this. Please don't push me away," he whispered. Sara gripped his shirt tightly, sobs wracking her body once more. "Let it out, dollface…let it out," he said softly, caressing her back. "I don't know what to do, Mark…she was everything to me. I don't know what to do without her," she cried. "You've got me, baby. You'll always have me," he said kissing her forehead gently. "You swear?" she asked quietly. "On my life," he said softly. Sara looked up at him, and he saw desperation. "I swear I'm always gonna be there for you, dollface," he said quietly. "Always and forever?" she asked softly. Mark leaned down and captured her lips, kissing her as passionately as he could. Sara moaned against his mouth, her hands rubbing his massive shoulders. "Always _and_ forever," he whispered pulling up finally. Sara sighed and rested against his warm body. Mark reached over and turned the lamp off, setting the alarm as well. "I think we can get about five and a half hours o' sleep," he said quietly. When Sara didn't make a sound, he looked down and grinned slightly. She was already asleep. He slowly climbed out of bed and sat down on the floor. If he didn't stretch, he wouldn't be able to move when he woke up. A half an hour later, he climbed back into the bed, feeling a little better. Sara groaned slightly and he put his arms around her, pulling her tightly against his body. "Rest easy, dollface," he whispered before falling asleep as well.


	91. Working Through It

**Chapter 90…Working Through It**

Sara woke to the sound of the alarm blaring from the nightstand. She groaned and grabbed her head. "You okay, dollface?" Mark asked shutting off the alarm. Sara looked up at him and let out a deep breath. "Yeah…just a headache," she whispered. "Here," he said grinning slightly. Sara took the aspirin and water from him, taking the medicine quickly. She set the glass on the nightstand and slowly sat up. "Is my mom really gone, Mark?" she asked softly. Mark sat down beside her, touching her cheek. "As long as she's in your heart, dollface, she's never really gone," he said softly. Sara looked down and sighed heavily. "I was a grade-A bitch last night, wasn't I?" she whispered. "Don't worry about it, dollface," he said kissing her forehead softly, "Why don't you go take a shower, and I'll order us some breakfast." Sara looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mark…I never meant to hurt you," she said slowly. "I told you…don't worry about it," he whispered, "We're still in love, right?" Sara nodded and sniffled. "And we're still married, right?" he asked grinning. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. "So it's okay," he whispered caressing her cheek with his thumb. She leaned forward and kissed him softly. "I love you so much," she whispered. "I love you, too, dollface. Now go take a shower so we can eat before we leave," he said quietly. Sara smiled slightly and climbed out of bed, going into the bathroom and shutting the door. Mark sighed heavily and picked up the phone. He ordered breakfast first, then immediately called Andy's cell phone.

"Mornin', sunshine," Andy answered. "You're an idiot," Mark said smiling slightly. "Hey, man. How's Sara?" Andy asked. "A little better. Last night was really hard…she did a lotta yelling, said a lotta harsh things…but she's okay now. It's gonna be a tough week…hell, it's gonna be a tough month. She's got the funeral to plan, plus wrestling," Mark answered quietly, "But she understands that she's not alone in this, so it won't be as hard as it could be." "Yeah," Andy said. "How'd Melissa do last night?" Mark asked. "She was an angel, Mark. She practically slept the whole night," Andy said, "She woke up on the drive to the hotel, and wanted Sara, but she understood that you and Sara just needed the night alone." "Good…I worry sometimes if she's being raised too fast, ya know. I mean, bein' on the road with us…bein' around so many adults, and seein' so much o' the world. She's only three, and she knows more than your average teenager," he said quietly, "I just wanted her to have a normal childhood." "Kids of wrestlers don't have normal childhoods, buddy," Andy said chuckling. "Yeah, but we can always hope," Mark said chuckling as well. "So when are you guys planning on gettin' into North Carolina?" Andy asked. "Our flight's in a couple hours, so probably in four hours," Mark answered. "Alright, so we'll just meet you at the arena, then," Andy said. "Alright, cool. Thanks again, Andy. I don't know what we're gonna do when you get married," Mark said with a smile. "Oh, you know me, I'll be around," Andy said chuckling, "I shouldn't be too hard to find." "See ya in a little bit, man," Mark said. "Later, Mark," Andy said. Mark hung up the phone and stretched out on the bed. He was completely exhausted; the argument he'd had with Sara the night before had drained him of what little energy he'd had after wrestling Shawn. He closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath. _Help us through this, please, God. I love her so much, and I want everything to be okay. I know it's gonna be different, but I just want us to be okay_, he prayed silently.

Sara came out of the bathroom 20 minutes later, and found Mark fast asleep. She sighed softly and quickly got dressed. As she pulled on a t-shirt, there was a knock on the door. She answered it and grinned slightly at the bellhop. "Your breakfast, ma'am," he said jovially. "Thanks," Sara said taking the cart from him. "Have a good day, ma'am," he said nodding slightly at her. Sara shut the door softly, not wanting to wake her husband before she had to. He had sacrificed hours of sleep to help her calm down, and he was paying for it. She sat down on the bed at his feet, and Mark stirred. "Smells good," he whispered. "Why don't you sleep for a little while, Mark?" she asked softly. "But I'm hungry," he said slowly sitting up. He eased up behind her, to where she was now sitting between his legs. Sara grinned slightly and leaned back against him. "I love you, dollface," he whispered in her ear. Tears came to Sara's eyes, and her head dropped forward. "What is it, baby?" he asked hugging her close. "You're too good to me, Mark," she whispered, "I treated you like shit last night…I don't deserve your love." Mark's jaw dropped and he forced her to look at him. "We've been through too much for one little argument to mess things up. No matter what you say or do to me, Sara, I will always love you," he said softly. Sara's bottom lip trembled as she thought of her infidelity. "Darlin'…our love is eternal. Haven't you realized that? Nothin'…absolutely _nothing_…is ever gonna tear us apart," he whispered. "You swear?" she asked softly. "Sara…I love you, and nothin' will change that. Hell, I fell in love with you the moment I met you. When I tell you I'll love you always and forever…I mean it from the bottom of my heart," he said quietly. Sara smiled slightly and kissed him softly. "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered. "Food's gettin' cold," he said smiling.

Sara grinned and faced the cart. For once, she allowed Mark to feed her, cherishing in his sensitivity. When he finished, Mark stood and went into the bathroom. Sara pushed the cart near the door, then laid back down on the bed. _So much to do now…I don't know how to plan a funeral_, she thought sadly, _I knew I'd have to do it sooner or later, but I didn't know it'd be this soon. But Mark said he'd help me, so I guess it won't be too hard_. Her cell phone rang and she scrambled off the bed to answer it. "Hello?" she said quietly. "Hi, mama," Melissa said. "Hey, munchkin. You sleep okay last night?" Sara said sitting back down on the bed. "Yes, mama. Are you and daddy okay?" Melissa answered. "Yeah, we're fine, sweetheart. We just needed to talk about some things," Sara answered. "About Nana?" Melissa asked. Tears came to Sara's eyes and she let out a shaky breath. "Yeah…about Nana, sweetheart," she said slowly. "Is Nana okay, mama?" Melissa asked quietly. Sara hesitated to answer, her tears spilling onto her cheeks. "Mama…," Melissa whispered. "No…she's not, munchkin…she died last night," Sara said with her head down. "I'm sorry, mama," Melissa said quietly. "Don't apologize, sweetheart, it's not anyone's fault," Sara said sniffling. "When am I gonna see you, mommy?" Melissa asked. "In a few hours, I promise. Daddy and I are flying to the next town, and Uncle Andy's gonna bring you there, so we'll see you at the arena," Sara answered. "Okay, mommy. Bye," Melissa said. "Bye, darlin'," Sara whispered. The phone disconnected, and Sara flipped hers shut. She laid down on the bed and curled up, beginning to cry again. _It was my fault, mama…I'm so sorry. I tried so hard to help you…but my best wasn't enough_, she thought sadly.

Mark came out of the bathroom 15 minutes later rubbing his hair with a towel. He looked down at Sara's sleeping form and realized she'd been crying again. "Oh, dollface," he whispered sitting down at her side. Sara groaned slightly in her sleep and shifted. Mark leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. "Sara?" he whispered. Her eyes fluttered open, locking with his. "Yeah," she said softly. "I'm gonna get dressed, and we'll get outta here, okay?" he said quietly. Sara nodded and slowly sat up. "Melissa called," she said softly, "I had to tell her…that her…Nana was dead…" Mark hugged her tightly, rubbing her back gently. "It's okay, Sara," he whispered. Sara suddenly stiffened up, and Mark realized she was shutting down again. "Sara, don't," he said in her ear, "Don't shut down, sweetheart." "Please let me go, Mark," she whispered. "Sara-." "Let me go," she demanded. "Fine, dollface," he said quietly, releasing her. Sara dashed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Mark rubbed his hands over his eyes, sighing heavily. _It's gonna be up and down for a while…I just gotta stick through it. I can't leave her to deal with this alone_, he thought standing, _She's strong…but she's not that strong_. Sara came out as Mark tied up his boots.

"Are you okay, dollface?" he asked quietly. "Yeah," she said quietly. Mark looked up at her. Her face had the same pale color as last night, and her eyes were bloodshot. "Dollface?" he whispered reaching for her hand. Sara swallowed and looked down at the floor. "Come here, baby," he said softly. Sara shook her head and asked, "Are you ready?" Mark dropped his hand and let out a slow breath. "Yeah," he said standing. Sara backed up and grabbed her bags, heading for the door. Mark followed out the room behind her, noticing that she kept a good distance between them. On the car ride to the airport, during the flight, and even on the ride to the arena in Winston Salem, Sara didn't say a word to Mark. It was becoming more and more real that she would not longer be able to visit her mother. When Mark pulled into the parking lot of the arena close to 2:00, Sara quietly asked, "Are you coming to Daytona with me tomorrow?" Mark pulled into an empty space and cut the car off. "Do you want me to?" he asked looking at her. Sara swallowed and looked up at him. "Yes," she whispered. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Yes," she said softly. "Do you want Melissa to be there? We can get Stacy to watch her," he said quietly. "I want her to come with us," she said softly. "Okay, dollface. Let's just get through today, and we'll go down to Daytona tomorrow," he said quietly, caressing her cheek. Sara nodded slightly and climbed out of the car. Mark popped the trunk before climbing out as well.

Inside, Sara walked down the hall with her head lowered, ignoring the stares she was getting from her co-workers. She figured they were simply shocked that she was actually the number one contender for the World Heavyweight title. When they got to Mark's locker room, she dropped her duffel bag by the door and plopped down on the couch. "Why don't you talk to Vince about some time off, Sara? I got it when my dad died, so I'm sure he'll be understanding for you," Mark said sitting down beside her. "I'm goin' to work out," Sara said standing. "Sara…," Mark said quietly, "You need time off, baby." "Don't tell me what I need!" she snapped before storming out of the room. Mark sighed heavily and rested against the couch. "Here we go again," he whispered. A knock on the door came a few minutes later. "Yeah," Mark said. Andy entered with Melissa in his arms. "Daddy!" Melissa said reaching for him immediately. Andy handed her to him and grinned slightly. "Hi, munchkin," Mark whispered hugging his daughter tightly, "You doin' okay?" "Yeah, daddy. Uncle Andy took good care of me," she answered. "I didn't tell her to say that, I swear," Andy said smiling. Mark chuckled and looked up at his close friend. "Thanks again, man, I mean that," he said quietly. "It's not a problem, Mark, really. Lisa was more than happy to help out. She told me to tell you, if you need anybody to watch Melissa when we're at the arena, she's up for the job," Andy said. "Thanks, Andy, I appreciate that," Mark said as Melissa leaned into him.

"How's Sara doin'?" Andy asked. "It's touch and go, Andy. I mean, last night was really harsh. But she finally calmed down enough to go to sleep. But this morning, it was like we were back to square one," Mark answered. "Do you think she's gonna be okay?" Andy asked. "I'm not sure, buddy. I hope so, I really do, but…I don't know," Mark said honestly. "Is she gonna take time off?" Andy asked. "She says she's not, but she's gonna have to. Vince is gonna make her, that's for sure," Mark answered. "Probably," Andy said, "If you want, Lisa and I will take Melissa so you and Sara can spend that time alone." "Nah, it's okay, Andy. You two do enough for us," Mark said, "Besides, Melissa had to spend enough time away from her mother last month. She doesn't need to spend anymore." "Where's mama?" Melissa asked quietly. "She's working out, munchkin. You might not see her too much today, because she's got a lotta work to do," Mark answered looking down at her. "Okay, daddy. Can I spend time with you?" Melissa said. "Sure, munchkin. You wanna go down to the ring?" Mark said grinning slightly. Melissa nodded and Mark slowly stood. "Have you checked the match board yet?" Andy asked. "No, why? They got me lined up against somebody tough?" Mark asked. "Nobody's tougher than you, daddy," Melissa said. Mark smiled and kissed her forehead. "You got that right, munchkin," he said quietly. "D.J.," Andy said quietly. Mark's jaw clenched and he took a deep breath. He'd been more than angry at how much punishment D.J. had inflicted on Sara the night before. "You're not gonna kill him, are you?" Andy asked grinning slightly. "No, I won't kill him," Mark said quietly, "It was just a match." Andy nodded as they headed down the hall towards the ring.

Sara quickly made her way to the gym, pulling her hair into a tight ponytail. She rode on one of the bikes for nearly an hour, expending as much energy as possible. Afterwards, she stretched out her aching legs and moved on to an intense arm workout. When she headed back to Mark's locker room, it was close to four o' clock. She bumped into Paul on the way there. "Hey, Sara," he said quietly. "What do you need, Paul?" she asked, continuing to walk towards Mark's locker room. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about your mom," he said quietly. Sara stopped and stared up at him. "How do you know about that?" she asked quietly. "Vince…he told us," Paul answered. "Thanks, Paul," she said before walking away, heading instead for Vince's office. She'd passed it on the way to the gym. When she arrived, she went right in, not bothering to knock. Vince was sitting on the couch talking with Stephanie, working on the show layout for that night. "Sara," he said looking up at her.

"You told everyone about my mom?" Sara asked angrily, "Why?" "I just told them that they need to take it easy on you, because you're goin' through some stuff right now with your mom's death," Vince answered honestly, "I know they're givin' you a bunch o' crap because I made you the number one contender, so I told 'em to back off." "I don't need anybody's sympathy, Vince. I get enough o' that from Mark. Don't do me any favors, okay?" Sara said tensely, "If I expect to be respected around here, I can't have people thinkin' the boss is playing favorites." "I don't play favorites, Sara. You of all people should know that," Vince said stiffly. Sara swallowed and looked down. "Look, it's pretty obvious you need some time off," he said quietly. "I really wish people would stop telling me what I need," Sara snapped heading for the door. "Well, whether you want it or not, I'm giving you time off. You're only working Monday's until Summerslam," Vince said standing. Sara looked over her shoulder with tears in her eyes. "Don't take this away from me, Vince," she said quietly. "I'm not taking anything away from you, Sara. I'm giving you what you really need, which is time," he said quietly. Sara sighed heavily and looked down. "Go on, go get ready for the show," Vince said.

Sara nodded slightly and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. She ran into Andy on the way back to Mark's locker room. "Hey, you," he said quietly. "Hi, Andy," she said softly. "How ya holdin' up, baby doll?" he asked quietly. "I'm fine, Andy," she answered. "You know you can't lie to me, right? Maybe Mark…maybe even Vince…but not me," he said quietly. "Why does everybody wanna talk about this? Just let it go," she said tensely, "I can deal with this by myself." Andy put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed gently. "Don't push away the people who care about you, baby doll. You know we love you, and we just want to help you," he said softly. Sara took a deep breath and looked up at him. "Vince gave me a month off," she said quietly, "I mean, I'm working Mondays…but that's it." "That's good, hon. Mark's gonna be there for you, and I'm only gonna be a phone call away," he said softly. "Do you know where he is?" she asked. "He took Melissa to get somethin' to eat. He's wrestling D.J. tonight," he answered. "That's not gonna be pretty," Sara said grinning. Andy chuckled and shook his head. "Not at all. But we'll see, I suppose. You're goin' up against Shelton," he said quietly. "Okay, that shouldn't be too hard," she said softly. "Nope," he said grinning. Sara smiled slightly and looked up at him. "Thank you, Andy," she whispered. "No problem, baby doll," he said quietly. "Will you tell Mark he can find me up in the balcony if needs me?" she asked as they arrived at Mark's locker room. "Sure thing," Andy said. Sara hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. "Thanks," she said before going into the locker room and shutting the door. Andy smiled slightly and headed away. _She'll be fine in due time_, he thought happily.

Sara quickly showered and changed into a pair of tight black velvet pants with her sign on each pants leg, and a black silk vest that was low cut. _Enough to show femininity, but enough to kick ass in_, she thought running her brush through her hair. After her hair was completely dry, she pulled it into a low ponytail and headed for the balcony. It was fairly peaceful there, the only noise being the sound of her coworkers practicing in the ring below. _I've gotta let Mark help me through this…he loves me so much more than I ever thought he could. I can't push him away, because he's gonna get sick of it. He's patient…but he's not that patient_, she thought staring out at the empty arena, _Maybe being on the road one day a week _will_ be good for me. Vince isn't doin' it to be hateful, of course. He just wants me to be at my best, so that I don't have to worry about the guys givin' him any reason for me not to be World champ_. "Dollface?" Sara looked down the stairs and smiled slightly. Mark was heading up with Melissa in his arms. "Hi," she said quietly. "You okay?" he asked quietly. Sara reached for Melissa, and he handed her over. "I'm better now," she said kissing Melissa's cheek, "Vince has given me some time off. I'm only working Monday's until Summerslam." "Good, baby," Mark whispered sitting down beside her. "Do I get to stay with you, mommy?" Melissa asked. "Of course, hon. We're gonna sit around the house and do nothing all day. How's that sound?" Sara said smiling at her. "Like fun," Melissa answered smiling as well. "We can even build a dog house for Marley while we're home, so he can have his own little place," Sara said.

"Do you know you're wrestling tonight?" Mark asked. "Yeah, Andy told me. I'm gonna go find Shelton in a little while. I just wanna sit up here, and relax for a little bit," Sara answered, "He told me you've got D.J.." "Yeah. I won't kill him, dollface, don't worry," he said putting his arm around her. Sara grinned and looked at him. "I wasn't worried," she said quietly. "Sure," Mark said kissing her forehead. Sara chuckled and leaned against him. "So, dollface…only a month 'til you're walkin' around this place World champ. You nervous?" he said quietly. "Kinda. I mean, I know I can handle it for a while…but I'm nervous about three months," she answered. "You know if Vince thinks you're gettin' overworked, he'll take it off of you," Mark said quietly. "I know…I just wanna be able as much as I can while I _am_ champ," she answered. "You will, dollface. The World champion is pretty much the mouthpiece of the company. You're gonna be traveling all across the country doing appearances, autograph sessions…pretty much, you're gonna be doin' what you learned in college, PR," he said grinning. Sara chuckled and said, "I take it you speak from experience." "Of course, dollface," he answered. "Good. I've got a great teacher, then, on how to be a good World champ," she said quietly. "Don't get me wrong, Sara. I've made my share of mistakes. You should talk to all the guys…once you're champ, of course. Don't wanna spoil the surprise," he said grinning. Sara smiled and nodded. "Of course not…and what a surprise it's gonna be," she said quietly. They talked for the next 20 minutes before heading to the back.

Sara gave Melissa to Mark and went to find Shelton Benjamin. She found him in the men's locker room. "Hey, Angel," he spoke. "Hey, Bennie," she said grinning at him. It was a nickname they'd given him once he'd come over from Smackdown. After being caught with a small tub of "Ben Jerry" ice cream, the nickname had stuck. Shelton chuckled and looked at the floor. "I'm not livin' that one down, huh?" he asked. "Of course not, buddy," she said smiling at him. "You're not gonna kick my ass too bad tonight, are you?" he asked as they walked down the hallway. "I'll try not to. You never know, though," she said grinning. "Damn, thought I was gonna catch a break," he said. "So what do you wanna do tonight?" she asked. "Simple match. We've got around ten minutes, I think. Enough time for us to both get in a decent offense," he answered. "Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to have more of an offense. With me being number one contender, it'd be natural to show people why I won that tournament," she said looking at him. "Sure, no problem. By the way, congrats on that. It's a hell of an accomplishment," Shelton said. "Thanks, Bennie. That means a lot to me," she said quietly. "Are you lookin' forward to Summerslam?" he asked. "Of course. Shawn and I have…a lotta history," she said looking away. "Were you together or somethin'?" Shelton asked. Sara laughed aloud and shook her head. "Heavens, no. It's quite the opposite, actually. We were more like mortal enemies…but it's a long story," she said grinning, "Back when we were both very different people." "Maybe I'll hear the story sometime," he said. "Yeah, when both Shawn and I are long gone," Sara said chuckling slightly, "Nobody really talks about it anymore. It's in the past, and we like to leave it there, ya know. It was rough on both of us, and we're both past it." "Gotcha," Shelton said as they walked out onto the ramp. They went down to the ring and rolled in. "The fans are gonna be comin' in within the next hour and a half, so let's make this quick," Sara said bouncing off the ropes. "Sure thing," Shelton said. They mapped out their match in a record half an hour. When they got to the back, Sara said, "I'll meet you here around 9:30, okay?" "See ya then," Shelton said. Sara nodded and went to Janet's area. Thankfully, there was no one there.

"I missed you yesterday, Sara," Janet said as Sara sat down. "Yeah, I know. You had a line, so I just did my own make-up," Sara said. "Yeah, I noticed. It looked good. I kinda wish the ladies would take a lesson from you," Janet said grinning. Sara chuckled and said, "But you enjoy what you do, right?" "Oh, of course. It's just that when everyone comes at the same time, two hours before the show, it's a real hassle to get 'em all done," Janet answered. "Yeah, I understand, Jan. I'm sure the line will come in about an hour, when I'm long gone," Sara said smiling. Janet chuckled and applied Sara's foundation. "We goin' simple tonight?" she asked. "Of course. You know what works best, of course," Sara answered. Janet nodded and used dark blue eyeshadow, silver eyeliner, a little rouge to even things out, and a layer of crimson lipstick covered with gloss to give it shine. She pulled Sara's hair into a tight French braid to complete the look. A half an hour later, she brushed her hands together. "There ya go, sweetheart," she said smiling. Sara looked in the mirror and smiled as well and stood. "You're the best, Jan," she said hugging the smaller woman. "Thanks, Sara," she said returning the hug. "See ya around, Jan," Sara said before leaving for the catering room. Inside she grabbed a plate of cut carrot sticks, a little Ranch dressing, and a bottle of water, then went back to Mark's locker room.

Mark was sitting on the floor playing with Melissa, and when Sara entered, he looked over his shoulder at her. "See how beautiful mama is, munchkin?" he said to Melissa. Sara turned pink and looked down at the plate in her hands. "And see how daddy can make her blush?" he said smiling at Sara. "Oh, shut up," Sara said sitting on the couch, "What are you two doin' anyway?" "Rock, paper, scissors," Melissa answered, "I beat daddy like six times." "Maybe you should try a new game, Mark," Sara said smiling. "No, I'm going to beat her…eventually," Mark argued playfully. "Whatever you say, hon," Sara said watching the two interact. Mark was the toughest man alive, but when it came down to his daughter, he was a complete softie. Of course, only Sara knew that, and she wouldn't tell anybody about it. "Did you talk to Shelton?" Mark asked in the middle of yet another defeat in the child's game. "Yeah. It's gonna be a fun match," she answered. "You're not gonna beat him up too bad, are you?" he asked grinning at her. "No. I'm gonna win clean this time," she said smiling slightly, "But Paul's comin' out the end to challenge for a rematch for the number one contendership. We're gonna have that match next week." "You're gonna win, right, mommy?" Melissa asked. "Of course, sweetheart. Nobody's stopping me from bringing the World title home," Sara answered winking at her. "So I can wear it, right?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, munchkin," Sara said smiling.

The next few hours passed by quickly. Sara spent the time in the locker room relaxing with her family. Mark helped to keep her mind off of her mother's death, and Melissa helped her to keep her mind off of her match. It was just quality family time to Sara, even if they were in an arena. When the show started, Sara watched the first two matches before leaving the locker room to stretch for her own match. Shelton was already at the entranceway, so they decided to stretch together and talk out the match. They had a seven-minute limit, and had divided up the time so that Sara would start off with the upper hand, lose it for a few minutes, then pick it back up at the end. "Hey, Angel," Shelton said quietly. "Yeah, Bennie?" she asked stretching out her arms. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about your mom," Shelton said quietly. "Don't worry about it, Bennie," Sara said quietly, "I'm dealing with it." "If you need anything, let me know," Shelton said. "Thanks, Bennie…but I'm gettin' everything I need from Mark and Melissa," she said softly. "That's good," Shelton said, "But all the guys…we're here for you, too." Sara smiled slightly and nodded. "Thanks," she said quietly. "Angel, Benjamin, you two are up after commercial," a stagehand told them moments later. "Thanks," Sara said standing up fully.

"Ladies first," Shelton said. "Oh, no, losers first," she said chuckling. Shelton laughed and headed up the stairs to the pit. The match was easy for Sara, nothing compared to the hell she'd gone through the night before. Shelton sold like nobody's business, and really helped her to look even better. After the ending bell rang, Paul's music hit and Sara stood, glaring up the ramp. Paul came out with a microphone in hand. "Angel…it seems to me we have got a…_huge_…problem," he said. The referee handed Sara a microphone, then climbed out of the ring quickly. "What's that, Triple H?" she asked. "There was a mistake last night. You see, by some miracle, you managed to beat me for the number one contender's spot," Paul said heatedly, "And for no reason on God's green earth should there be a female number one contender. That's almost as bad as the thought of having a woman as World champion. We all know that's not going to happen, though." "And just how do you figure that, Paul? I beat your ass fair and square. I didn't pull your tights, I didn't put my feet on the ropes…I pinned your shoulders to the mat for the three-count. So I'm going to Summerslam, and I'm going to win the World Heavyweight title," Sara snapped. "That's where you're wrong, Angel. There's no way I can sit around and watch you go to the biggest pay-per-view of the summer with a shot at the Heavyweight title. I'm challenging you to a rematch for next week. If you win, you can keep your spot in the main event of Summerslam. If I win, though, I take my rightful place as the number one contender," Paul said heatedly, "What do you say, little girl?" "You know what, Triple H? You're on, because, frankly…you ain't got the balls to beat me," she snapped before throwing the microphone down. The fans cheered loudly and began to chant "Angel!" loudly. Sara smiled and crossed her arms. "Fine…next week, Angel, I'm going to make you my _bitch_!" Paul screamed before leaving.

Sara grinned and climbed out of the ring, heading up the ramp slowly. When she got to the back, she met up with Paul. "Good promo," she said. "You, too. Next week's gonna be pretty brutal. You up to it?" Paul said. "I think if I could wrestle for 40 minutes straight last night, I can take a 20-minute main event match with you. Hell, I did that last night," she said grinning. Paul chuckled and nodded. "I know we're not supposed to know this right now, but…you're gonna make a hell of a World champ," he said quietly. Sara turned pink and looked away. It seemed there was a least one of her coworkers who believed in her abilities. "Don't let anybody tell you that you don't deserve it, either. If it means anything, Angel…I'd wrestle you any day o' the week," he said quietly. Sara smiled slightly and looked back at him. "It means a lot, Paul. Thank you," she said softly. "Not a problem, sweetheart. You're gonna go down in history, you know that, right?" he said as they walked down the hallway. "That's the goal, I guess," she said grinning, "To set the standard for any female who comes here and thinks she can hang with you guys." "I don't think we're gonna have anybody like you until the next generation of wrestlers," he said quietly, "Speaking of which, how's Melissa doin'?" "She's good. Her ankle's healing up well, but she's still as active as ever," Sara answered, "Even an injury doesn't keep her down." "Sounds a lot like her mom and dad," Paul said smiling. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "Must be in the genes," she said. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow," Paul said when they came up to Mark's locker room. "I'm only working Monday's, because of…," she said quietly. "You don't have to explain, Angel. I'll see ya next week," he said quietly. "Thanks, Paul," she said softly. "Later, hon," Paul said heading away. Sara entered the locker room and let out a slow breath.

"You okay, dollface?" Mark asked. Sara smiled and nodded. "Paul's behind me…on winning the title," she said quietly. "How do you know?" he asked. "He just told me…said he'd wrestle me any day o' the week, as a matter of fact," she said sitting down on the floor in front of him. "See, baby, you've got people behind you. Whether they say it to your face or not, they do believe you have the abilities to be the top person," he said quietly. Sara smiled up at him and shrugged. "All I care is that you're behind me," she whispered. Mark leaned forward and she kissed him gently. "I love you, too," he whispered. "How is she?" Sara asked looking at Melissa, who was fast asleep beside Mark. "Tired. The traveling wears her out," he answered. "Well, we won't have to go anywhere until next Monday, so she can relax a little," Sara said quietly. "You wanna bring her with us next Monday?" he asked. "We're not goin' back to Texas this week, so we might as well bring her with us. I don't like the idea of her taking a plane by herself," Sara answered. "Yeah, true," Mark said touching Melissa's back. "Besides, I'm sure Stacy misses hanging out with her," Sara said grinning. Mark smiled and nodded. "Probably," he said quietly. "What time are we flying out?" Sara asked softly, "To Daytona?" "We'll leave early tomorrow morning, around seven," he answered, "We'll be in Daytona by 10:30." Sara swallowed and nodded. "Okay," she whispered. Now that her work was done, her mind was wondering back to the fact that her mother was dead.

Mark touched her cheek softly, caressing it with his thumb. "You still with me?" he asked softly. Sara grinned and nodded. "Thank you," she whispered. "Not a problem, dollface," he said quietly. Sara rotated her neck and began to stretch out. After stretching, she went into the bathroom to take a shower. The hot water soothed her body and her mind, giving her a sense of peace. For a moment, she forgot that she was in a sold-out arena. When she went back into the locker room, Mark was gone, a small blanket placed over Melissa's body. Sara grinned slightly and kneeled down beside her. "My little munchkin," she whispered caressing her cheek, "Mark's right…mom will live on through me, which means she's in you, too. I know you're gonna miss her, baby…but I'll be here for you. Both me and your dad will be here…because we love you more than anything." Melissa stirred slightly, but did not awake. Sara smiled slightly and got dressed in her favorite sweatpants, a pair she'd bought over five years ago while on an international tour in Germany, and a t-shirt. As she brushed her hair dry, Mark walked back into the locker room, wiping his face with a towel. "Hey, dollface," he said quietly. "You okay?" Sara asked quietly. "Yeah, I'll be fine in a little bit. Nothin' a good shower won't solve, right?" he answered. Sara smiled and nodded. "Of course," she said softly. "I'll be out in a bit," he said going into the bathroom.

A knock on the door came a few minutes later. Sara slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and answered it. "Hey, Angel, Vince wants me to film you watching the end of the match," a cameraman said. "Sure," Sara said stepping back, "Give me a second." "Sure," he said. Sara picked up Melissa and knocked on the bathroom door. "Yeah," Mark answered from inside. Sara went into the bathroom and said, "Vince wants to record me watching Shawn's match, so can you keep Melissa in here?" "Sure, dollface," Mark answered. Sara laid Melissa on the bathroom floor, careful not to wake her. "I should be done soon, but I'll knock when I am, okay?" she said. "Yep," Mark answered. Sara smiled slightly and left the bathroom. "You ready?" he asked her. Sara grabbed her brush and ran it through her hair, pulling her hair into a loose ponytail. She rolled up the sleeves of her t-shirt to show off her arms, then nodded. "Yeah," she answered. "Hold on," the cameraman said, "Vince just wants the end of the match." "Okay," Sara said looking at the screen. Shawn had stepped up his game over the past two years, and Sara knew that if she was going to have a quality match with him, she was going to have to step up her game as well. "Alright, one second," the man said to her. She crossed her arms as Shawn hit the superkick on Matt Hardy. "Alright, we're rolling," he said. Sara took a deep breath and eyed the screen. After the bell rang for the end of the match, she grinned slightly. "Yeah, you enjoy it while you can, Michaels. I earned the number-one contender's spot last night. At Summerslam…I'm taking your title. I hope you'll be ready for it. I know _I'll_ be," she said proudly. The screen went black, signaling the show was now off the air, and the cameraman said, "We're done. Thanks a lot, Angel." "Not a problem," she said opening the door for him. He walked out and Sara shut the door behind him.

Mark came out a few minutes later with a still-sleeping Melissa in his arms. "How'd it go?" he asked Sara. "Easy as pie, baby," she whispered taking Melissa from him. "I'll be ready in a few, okay?" he said quietly. Sara nodded and sat down on the couch with Melissa. "Mama?" Melissa whispered. "Yeah, baby," Sara said rubbing her cheek softly. "Are we goin' to Nana's house tonight?" Melissa asked quietly. Sara swallowed and looked up at Mark. "Yeah, we are, munchkin," Mark said, "Go on back to sleep, okay?" Melissa sighed and settled comfortably into Sara's arms, falling back asleep in moments. "Don't worry, Sara. She'll understand when she's older," Mark said quietly. "I didn't want her to have to understand at all, Mark," Sara said looking down at Melissa, "She's so young." "We can't ever be prepared for these type o' things, dollface, you know that. The only thing we can do is talk to her about it, make her feel like she can be open with us…even about death," he said quietly. Sara sighed heavily and nodded. "I know," she whispered. Mark dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, then packed up his duffel bag. "Alright, baby, let's get outta here," he said slinging his bag over his shoulder. Sara slowly stood and took her bag from him. They left the room and headed to their rental car. On the ride to the airport, Sara prepared herself mentally for the roughest week of her life.


	92. Hidden Emotions

**Chapter 91…Hidden Emotions**

Mark stepped into his mother's house with Melissa in his arms. He let out a deep breath and looked around the living room. Nothing had been touched since Sunday night. He looked back down the hallway and saw Sara still standing on the front porch. "Come on, dollface," he said quietly. Sara's bottom lip trembled and she shook her head. Mark went back to her, opening the screen door. "The first step is always the hardest, dollface," he whispered. "She's gone, Mark," she whispered, "She's really gone." Mark sighed and whispered, "I can't force you to come inside, Sara…that's something you have to do on your own." He then shut the screen door and went upstairs to Sara's bedroom. He placed Melissa on the bed, pulling the covers over her. When he went back downstairs, Sara was still on the front porch. "Please come in, dollface," he said quietly. "I can't, Mark…I don't have the strength," she whispered. "Yes, you do. You can deal with anything, dollface…even this," he said quietly. A tear fell from Sara's left eye as she stepped into the house. "There ya go," Mark said shutting the front door and locking it. "Come on, let's go upstairs," he said putting an arm around her waist. Sara trembled against him and whispered, "I'm sleeping in mom's room." "Okay, dollface," he said quietly. Sara allowed him to help her up the stairs, but when they got to her mother's room door, she stopped. "What is it?" he asked. "Just…go to bed, Mark," she said quietly. "Are you gonna be okay?" he asked. "Like you said…I can deal with this," she answered softly. Mark sighed and left her side. Sara didn't move until she heard the bedroom door shut. She took a few deep breaths before entering her mother's bedroom. She forced away tears as she shut the door behind her. _Mama…help me through this, please_, she thought climbing into the large bed in the middle of the room, _As much as Mark is trying, he can't be there for me like I really need him. I need _you_. Please…please help me to be okay_. She pulled the comforter over her and cried herself to sleep.

Mark awoke the next morning with Melissa on his stomach. He shifted slightly, only to realize Sara was tucked against his side, her body curled in the fetal position. He sighed heavily and carefully put his arm underneath her head. Sara groaned slightly and faced him, placing her arm over Melissa's back. Mark kissed the top of Sara's head softly, squeezing her closer to him. "Hmm," Sara groaned. "You okay, dollface?" he asked softly. "My back hurts, but I'll be alright," she whispered. "Do you want some aspirin, baby?" he asked quietly. "No, Mark, I'm fine," Sara said quietly, climbing out of the bed. Mark watched her go into the bathroom and shut the door harshly. He let out a slow breath and looked down at Melissa. He grinned and placed her on the bed where Sara had been, then slowly sat up. Just as Sara did, he woke up almost every day with a new ache. He rotated his neck and took a few deep breaths before swinging his legs off the side of the bed. The door to the bathroom opened and Sara walked out, running her hands over her eyes. "Baby?" Mark whispered. Sara looked at him and came over to stand in front of him. "Yeah," she said quietly. "You sleep okay?" he asked quietly. Sara nodded and grinned slightly. "I woke up around three a.m., and I was just really lonely, so I came in here," she answered. "Good dreams?" he asked quietly. "Not really, that's why I came in here," she said quietly, "You hungry?" "Kinda," he said pulling her down onto his lap. Sara smiled and rested her shoulder on his head. "You know everything's gonna be okay, right?" he said softly. Sara nodded slightly and looked into his eyes. "You're amazing," she whispered. "Really?" he said quietly, "I thought it was you, dollface." Sara chuckled softly and kissed him gently, wrapping her fingers in his hair. Mark ran his fingers down her arm, sending shivers through her body.

"Bathroom," he whispered against her lips. "Mark…," Sara said quietly. "No arguments, dollface," he said quietly. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. Mark slowly lifted her and looked down at Melissa. "As long as you don't make too much noise, she should stay asleep," he said softly. Sara's jaw dropped and she felt her neck redden. "You're the one who makes all the noise," she said as he carried her into the bathroom. Mark shut the door quietly and Sara grabbed at the hem of his t-shirt. "When's the last time we made love, Mark?" she asked softly. Mark kissed her gently, pulling her as close as possible. "I think…a few weeks ago…and then before you left with Kevin," he said quietly. Sara swallowed and stiffened up. "I'm sorry, Sara, I didn't mean to bring it up," he said softly. "No, it's okay," she said quietly, "Make love to me, Mark." Mark smiled slightly and kissed her deeply, caressing her cheeks with his fingertips. Sara moaned softly against his mouth, pulling him closer to her, afraid that he would disappear if she didn't hold him tight. Mark's mouth dropped down to her jaw, planting soft kisses down her neck. He slowly pulled her shirt over her head, smiling as he did so. He dropped the shirt beside him and lifted Sara onto the counter behind her. He slowly eased off her sweatpants, running his fingers down her legs and making her tremble even more. "Still sensitive, huh?" he whispered. "Only with you," she whispered touching his cheek. Mark grinned and kissed the bottom of her feet, moving slowly up her legs. Sara gasped in pleasure, trying to hold in her moans.

"Not too much room in here, but…," Mark whispered removing her underwear, "I think I can make it work." Sara smiled as he tossed the fabric over his shoulder. Mark got down on his knees and pulled Sara toward him, wrapping her legs around his head. Sara bit down on her bottom lip at the feel of his mouth on her nether regions. Mark groaned slightly as he felt her legs squeeze his head. He flicked his tongue up and down her walls, remembering just how good she tasted. "My God," Sara whispered gripping the edge of the counter tightly. Mark reached up and cupped her breasts, squeezing the nipples into hard peaks as he continued to use his tongue to pleasure his wife. "Mark…Mark…oh, OH!" Sara moaned softly. She moved her hips upwards towards his mouth, trembles going through her body as she felt an orgasm coming on. Mark felt her trembling and quickly pulled away. Sara's jaw dropped as he stood. "What the hell!" she exclaimed quietly. Mark grinned and pulled her up, pushing her against the door. Sara smiled as he pulled her up, easing inside her. His lips crashed down on hers and he began to pump furiously. "Wall," she panted against his lips, "Door…too much noise." Mark chuckled softly and shifted to the wall adjacent to the door. "There, right there," she gasped as he resumed pounding inside her. Mark groaned and squeezed her waist tightly, his lips traveling over her face and neck. Sara gasped as her body shook with another orgasm.

"Don't stop," she whispered kissing Mark's earlobe, "Don't stop, baby." Mark grunted as he struggled not to explode too soon. Sara's hands roamed over his chest, pinching his nipples slightly as her lips captured his. He planted one hand on the wall to maintain balance, and moved his other hand to her breast, squeezing gently. "Harder, Mark," she whispered biting down on his bottom lip. Mark groaned and squeezed her breast harder as she asked. "You want it rough, dollface?" he asked nibbling on her ear. "Please," Sara whispered. Mark smiled evilly and set her down on the wall. Sara put her hands on the counter, smiling as Mark entered her from behind. "Yeah, yeah!" she whispered pushing her hips back against his own. Mark grunted and ran his hands over her muscled back, relishing in how they contracted against his touch. "You are amazing, baby," he whispered squeezing her rear end. "Hit me, Mark," she gasped. "What?" Mark whispered. "Hit me…hard," she gasped. Mark grinned and smacked her butt, which caused Sara to moan loudly. "Oh, you like that, huh?" he whispered smacking her again. "Yes…yes," she whispered through gritted teeth. "Oh, my God," Mark groaned as he felt her clamp down on him, "Baby, I love you so much!" Sara bit down on her bottom lip as an orgasm shook her body. Mark grunted and pumped his hips more vigorously, coming moments later after her. Sara dropped her head forward, letting her body quiet from the ride Mark had taken her on. "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered.

Mark smiled and leaned down, kissing the back of her neck softly. Sara grinned and looked over here shoulder at him. "I missed that," she whispered kissing him gently. Mark smiled against her lips and turned her towards him. "I missed it, too, dollface," he said softly. "Come on, let's take a shower before Melissa wakes up," she said quietly. Mark nodded and turned on the shower. They made love once more, more gently and lovingly this time, before cleaning each other and going back into the room. Melissa was still asleep in the middle of the bed. "Told ya so," Mark said quietly, pulling on a pair of boxers. Sara smiled and leaned over Melissa, kissing her cheek softly. "Love ya, munchkin," she whispered. "I'll go make breakfast, okay?" he said slipping on a pair of black jeans. Sara nodded, her eyes focused on Melissa's face. Mark smiled and left the room, shutting the door quietly. Tears came to Sara's eyes as she realized how close she had come to telling Mark what had happened between her and Kevin. "I'm sorry, munchkin…you'd be so disappointed in your mama," she whispered to Melissa. Sara sniffled slightly and went over to her suitcase. She had to go to the hospital today to identify her mother's body, so she pulled out a pair of nice black dress pants and a white, long-sleeved silk shirt. She quickly got dressed and pulled her hair into a tight ponytail, then wrapped up the hanging hair into a bun. As she applied her make-up, Melissa sat up in the bed.

"Mornin', munchkin," Sara said quietly. "Hey, mama. Where's dad?" Melissa answered climbing out of the bed. Sara smiled and looked down at her. "He's downstairs makin' us some breakfast, sweetheart. You wanna go check on him for me? Tell him I'll be down in a few minutes, okay?" Sara said kneeling down in front of her. Melissa hugged her mother's neck, causing Sara to smile widely. "Everything will be okay, mama," Melissa said quietly. Sara swallowed and looked at her. "What do you mean, sweetheart?" she asked quietly. "Nana came to me last night, in my dream," Melissa said looking down at her hands, "She said she was happy, and that everything was gonna be okay between you and daddy." Tears came to Sara's eyes quickly, and she tried to breathe deeply. "Really, munchkin?" she whispered. Melissa nodded and looked up at her. "Go on downstairs," Sara whispered. Melissa kissed her cheek quickly before leaving the room. Sara got to her knees and put her hands together. "Mama, you went to Melissa. Thank you so much. I didn't know how she was gonna deal with this. Thank you for showing her that you're okay, so she could tell me. And I'll tell Mark about Kevin. I promised you that, and I'm gonna live up to that promise. If you say we're gonna make it through this, I believe you. And ya know, you can come see me in my dreams, too," she prayed quietly, tears in her eyes, "Be safe in heaven, mama. Look down on me everyday and know that I love you more than I ever could've guessed. I hope I can still make you proud…even though you're not here physically. I can feel you all around me, and in my heart. And I'll think about you everyday, I swear. Amen." She slowly stood after her prayer and brushed off her pants. A knock on the door came moments later.

"Dollface?" Mark said quietly. "Yeah?" Sara answered. Mark came in and shut the door behind him. "You okay?" he asked softly. Sara came over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "As hard as today will be, Mark," she whispered, "I'm gonna be okay knowing I have you and Melissa behind me." Mark smiled and kissed her softly. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you, too, baby. What's for breakfast?" she asked. "Nothin' too special. Just some eggs and toast," he answered. Sara grinned slightly and hugged him a little tighter. "It's special enough for me," she whispered. "Just come down when you're ready," he whispered kissing her cheek before leaving the room. Sara smiled slightly and finished her make-up, then left the room and went downstairs to the kitchen. Melissa was sitting at the table with a full plate of food. "Hungry, munchkin?" Sara said grinning. "Daddy's a good cook," Melissa said scooping eggs into her mouth. Sara smiled and sat down between Melissa and Mark. "When are we leaving?" Mark asked softly. "I'm going alone, Mark," Sara whispered. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Yeah…if you could…start calling around funeral homes," she said slowly. "Don't worry, dollface. I'll take care of everything, okay?" he said touching her hand. Sara grinned slightly and whispered, "Thank you." "When do you want to have the funeral?" he asked quietly. "Friday…I'm gonna need a few days, and I'm sure the funeral home will, too," she said softly. Mark nodded slightly and squeezed her hand. "Just don't shut me out, dollface," he said softly. "I won't, Mark," she said quietly.

Breakfast continued in near silence, the only sound being Melissa humming. Afterwards, Sara sent Melissa into the living room while Mark walked her to the door. "Are you sure you wanna go alone?" he asked her again. "Yes, Mark, I'm sure. I need to do this by myself. It's the first step," she said softly. "First step to what, dollface?" he asked quietly. Sara looked at him with tears in her eyes. "To accepting that she's really gone," she whispered. "You did that last night, baby…when you stepped into this house knowing she wasn't here anymore," he said touching her shoulders. Sara shook her head and backed away from his reach. "This is the real first step, Mark," she whispered opening the door, "I'll be back." Mark sighed and watched her leave. "I know, dollface," he said softly, "I'll be here." Mark waited until she pulled away in the car before shutting the door. He went back into the living room, where Melissa was watching television. "So, munchkin, what are we gonna do 'til mama gets back?" he asked plopping down beside her. "I don't know, dad," she answered, "We could just watch TV." Mark smiled and put his arm around her. "The days of youth. Enjoy them, munchkin," he said softly. Melissa laughed heartily and said, "You're too serious, daddy." "Yeah, I know, munchkin. One o' my many faults," he said quietly. "Don't worry, daddy. Mommy will be okay," Melissa said quietly. "How do you know, munchkin?" he asked. "Nana told me," Melissa said looking up at him, "In my dream last night. She said you and mommy are gonna be okay." Mark grinned slightly and kissed her forehead. "That's good to know, baby," he whispered. Melissa leaned into him and Mark let out a deep breath. _I hope Nana's right, munchkin_, he thought squeezing her to him.

Sara pulled into the hospital parking lot and parked the car. "You can do this, Sara," she whispered to herself, "Just get out of the car." She took a deep breath and slowly climbed out, locking the door and closing it gently. She'd called Erika on her way there, so Sara knew she'd be waiting for her inside. When she walked through the hospital doors, sadness came over in her waves. _She's really gone_, she thought again. Erika was waiting at the front desk. "Hey, Sara," she spoke when Sara walked up. Sara forced a grin and softly said, "Hey, doc." Erika hugged her tightly, hesitating to release her. "I really am sorry, Sara," she said quietly. "It's okay. I knew it was gonna happen sooner or later…just not this soon," Sara whispered back. "We really tried our hardest to save her," Erika whispered. Tears came to Sara's eyes and she pulled away. "Let's just get this over with," she whispered looking down. Erika nodded and led the way to the elevators. "Is Mark here with you?" she asked on the way down to the basement. "He's at home with Melissa. I didn't want her here, so he stayed with her," Sara whispered. The doors opened moments later, and Erika walked out first, Sara right behind her. Sara was led to a small white room with a two-way mirror. "The doctor will pull the sheet back. I just need you to tell me-." "I know," Sara whispered. Erika knocked on the window and the doctor inside the adjoining room nodded slightly before pulling the sheet back.

Sara gasped as tears spilled onto her cheeks. "Mama…," she whispered painfully. "Here," Erika said handing her a few tissues. Sara covered her eyes and sat down in the chair behind her. Sobs shook her body for almost 15 minutes, and she longed for Mark to be there with her to hold her. "That's her," she whispered finally, "That's my mother…" Erika nodded and knocked on the window once more. The doctor covered up the body and pushed it away. "I'm sorry, Sara," she whispered facing Sara. "Stop apologizing, doc. If it was her time, it was her time. There was nothin' nobody could do," Sara whispered wiping her cheeks dry. "I just wish I could've given you more time with her," Erika said quietly. "I got 31 years with her, doc. I can't ask for much more than that," Sara whispered. They left the room and went back up to the first floor. "Do you know when the funeral will be?" Erika asked when they stepped out of the elevator. "Friday," Sara whispered still sniffling. "I'd like to be there," Erika said quietly. "Sure, definitely. I have to…get everything in order," Sara said slowly, "But I'll call you and let you know." Erika hugged her once more, and this time, Sara returned the hug. "Thank you, Erika…for everything you did for my mom. I know she appreciated it, and I do, too," she said quietly. "I could've done more," Erika said quietly. "You did as much as you could," Sara whispered releasing her. "If you ever need anything, you know how to reach me," Erika said softly. "Thanks…but I've got my husband and daughter to live for now. They'll help me through this," Sara whispered. "I know…I was just saying," Erika said quietly. "I know…thank you," Sara said softly, "I'll give you a call as soon as…I know when the funeral is." Erika nodded and said, "I'll talk to you soon."

Sara nodded slightly before leaving the hospital for the last time. The ride back to the house was painful; Sara cried the entire time. When she pulled into her mother's driveway, she noticed Nicky's car parked on the street. Sara took a deep breath as she cut the car off. She wiped her cheeks dry and stepped out of the car. Lucky came bounding around the house, and Sara kneeled down. "Hey, you," she whispered as the dog came over to her. Lucky barked and Sara rubbed his fur. "You're comin' home with me, ya know. We need a big dog in the house," she whispered. Lucky barked once more and licked her face. Sara grinned slightly as Melissa came around the corner of the house. "Hey, munchkin," she said rubbing Lucky's fur. "Hey, mama. Lucky and I were playing in the backyard, and he came running when he heard the car," Melissa said grinning. "Why don't you take him back to the backyard?" Sara said slowly standing. "Okay," Melissa said quietly. Sara watched as her daughter ran away, Lucky bounding after her. She went into house and shut the door behind her. In the living room, Mark was sitting talking with Nicky. Nicky stood immediately when Sara entered the room, hugging her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Sara," she whispered. "It's okay, Nicky, really," Sara whispered hugging her back, "Thanks for everything…you did for my mom." "Have you been to the hospital?" Nicky asked releasing her. "Yeah…that's where I'm coming from," Sara said softly. "I wish I could've gone with you," Nicky said. "Don't worry about it, Nicky," Sara said plopping down beside Mark, "Did you call around?" "No, dollface, not yet," Mark answered. Sara kicked off her shoes and stood, going upstairs to her bedroom.

"She's not taking this well, is she?" Nicky asked quietly. Mark let out a deep breath and shook his head. "When she found out Sunday night…she practically screamed at me for three hours," he said quietly, "I'm trying to help her, but it's like…damned if I do, damned if I don't." "How's Melissa doin'?" Nicky asked softly. "A lot better than I thought she would be. I guess she's too young to really understand what's goin' on," he answered, "But at the same time…she knows a lot more than she's letting on." "Have you talked with her about it?" she asked. "I don't know how, to be honest, Nicky. Death…it's such a…hard topic to talk about, ya know," Mark said quietly, "And she's so young…" "I know, Mark…but if you want her to turn out okay after this, you should talk to her about it," Nicky said quietly. "I think Sara would bust my balls if I did that," he said quietly, "She barely wanted to take Melissa to the hospital last week." "I could tell that. But ya know, Lucy and Melissa talked a lot about…everything. And Melissa's a lot more mature than you'd think," Nicky said quietly. "Oh, trust me, I know how mature my daughter is. I just don't know how to deal with it," he said quietly. "She needs you, Mark…she's young, but she still needs her father…and her mother. You two are gonna have to sit down soon…probably before the funeral…and just talk with her," Nicky said quietly. Mark heard Sara's bedroom door open, and she came trudging down the stairs, dressed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. "I'm going for a run," she said heading for the front door.

Mark stood and followed her. "Dollface…," he whispered. "Not right now, Mark. I'll be back," Sara said leaving the house, slamming the door behind her. Mark sighed and lowered his head. _Damned if I do, damned if I don't_, he thought going back into the living room. "Is that what she's been like since Sunday?" Nicky asked. "More or less," Mark said quietly, "I tell her constantly not to keep me in the dark…not to hide what she's feeling, or thinking, but it doesn't seem to mean anything to her." "It does, Mark…I'm sure it does…she's really gonna need you to stay strong…it's gonna be trying, but she's gonna need you to fall back on when she finally does break down completely, and starts the acceptance process," Nicky said. Mark nodded and sighed heavily. "The thing that scares me, Nicky…I don't know if I can be as strong as she needs me to be," he said quietly, "She's so touch and go, and it's frustrating…I'm scared to death that my patience is gonna run out. That's the last thing I want to happen, because I know she's not gonna be able to make it without me." "You think that makes her mad?" Nicky asked. "I don't know, maybe. She's always been proud of the fact that she can deal with anything…and it's killin' her that she can't deal with this on her own, that she actually has to reach out for help…as much as she understands that I love her, and I'd do anything for her…and despite the fact that we've been married for almost four years now…she still feels like she has to deal with her problems on her own. I'm a last resort for her, and it angers me to no end that she feels that way," he said honestly, looking down at his hands, "I'm her husband, Nicky…not her lackey. I know she's hurting, but a man can only take so much abuse…so much hate…even from the woman he loves."

Nicky sighed heavily and softly said, "It'll pass, Mark…you know that." "No…it's been like this since we got together, Nicky," he said quietly, "No matter what, I've always sacrificed everything for her…my pride when she needed a verbal punching bag…my body when she needed an actual punching bag…I love her with all my heart, I really do…but she's gotta start giving back to me. After almost four years of marriage, and three years of bein' together before that…I can't take much more." "Marriages have rough spots, Mark. All relationships do…if you love her as much as you say you do…you won't let anything stop you from being together," Nicky said. Mark sighed and stood, going to the back door. Melissa was still in the backyard, playing around with Lucky. He smiled slightly as, despite the small cast on her ankle, she tumbled with the large animal. _Just like her mother…instead of resting up and healing, she goes out and does what makes her happy_, he thought grinning slightly, _She doesn't let anything hinder her…such an amazing kid_. "Mark?" Nicky asked from behind him. He let out a slow breath and faced her. "Yeah?" he said quietly. "She needs you right now…and you're gonna need her just as much in the future. Your relationship is completely interdependent, and because of this…sometimes one person is going to be more dominant than the other. You've gotta be willing to be the one dominated sometimes," she said quietly. Mark sighed and his shoulders dropped. "I know, Nicky," he said leaning against the door, "But I've been dominated since we got together…and frankly, I'm sick of it." "It'll work itself out, Mark," she said grabbing her purse from the table. Mark led her to the door and opened it. "You know what I find helps me a lot?" she asked quietly. "What's that, Nicky?" he asked. "Prayer…you'd be surprised at how much relief it offers," she said before leaving the house, "Just give me a call when you two have the funeral arrangements finalized." Mark sighed and watched her get into her car, then pull away from the house. He slowly shut the door and locked it, then headed out to the backyard. This next few days were going to be hard for Sara to get through, but it was going to be even more difficult for him to get through.


	93. Ultimate Mistakes

**First off, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed my story. You really don't understand how much your comments mean to me, or how they influence the way I write certain characters, or what I divulge about certain characters.**

**Secondly, I apologize for the wait in getting this story updated. I wanted to get a lot written so I could post it all at once. :)**

**Finally, the next four chapters are rated close to NC-17 doesn't offer that, so I assign it myself). There is extreme violence, uncomfortable situations, and explicit sexual scenes. If you can't handle it, don't read it:)****

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Chapter 92…Ultimate Mistakes

Mark pulled into the driveway of his home early Thursday evening. Sara was fast asleep in the passenger seat, and Melissa was sitting wide awake in the back seat of their car. "Are we home, daddy?" she asked quietly. "Yeah, munchkin, we're home," he answered parking the car. He touched Sara's hand, and she startled awake, pulling her hand away. She climbed out of the car and opened the back door, quickly pulling Melissa out. Mark sighed and popped the trunk, watching in the rear view mirror as Sara grabbed her duffel bag and suitcase before heading inside. Mark sat in silence with a pain in his heart he'd never known. Sara had completely shut down while they were in Daytona, showing affection only to Melissa. She hadn't even looked at Mark with love since the morning she'd gone to identify her mother's body. He'd tried his hardest to get her to say more than three words to him, but had failed every time. The day of the funeral had been the hardest. Sara had shed one tear during the entire ceremony, and that was when her mother's casket was lowered into the ground. Mark had even tried to get her to scream at him like she'd done the previous Monday night, calling her completely selfish, rude, cold, and every other word but 'bitch'. Sara had only stared ahead, her eyes as blank as a sheet of paper. A knock on the window brought Mark out of his daydream. He looked up at Andy and grinned slightly, climbing out of the car. "You do realize your trunk's wide open, right? Some crazed fan could be on the property and grab your stuff without you even knowing," Andy said grinning. "Yeah, but my wallet's in my back pocket, so it wouldn't be a problem. I could always buy it back on e-Bay," Mark said grabbing his belongings from the trunk and slamming it shut, "Besides, we've got Marley runnin' around here, so he'd be barking his little head off, like an alarm system."

"So, how is she?" Andy asked quietly. "I wish I could tell you, Andy…but I don't have a clue," Mark said quietly, his voice laced with pain, "She hasn't spoken more than three or four words to me at a time…I don't even think that's a full sentence…I'd rather have her yell at me than ignore me completely." "Yeah…you want me to try to talk to her?" Andy said quietly. "I'm at my wits' end, Andy. Whatever you think will work," Mark said. They entered the house, and found Sara in the living room with Melissa on her lap, smiling and laughing. "Hey, baby doll," Andy said going over to her. Sara's smile disappeared immediately, and she glanced up at Andy. "Hi," she said quietly. "You wanna somethin' to eat?" he asked. "Whatever," she said quietly, looking back at Melissa, "You hungry, sweetheart?" "No, mama. Daddy got me dinner on the way here," Melissa answered. Sara's jaw twitched and she let out a slow breath. "Alright, munchkin," she whispered setting her on the couch. Melissa nodded and kissed her mother's cheek. "Love you, mama," she said softly. "I love you, too, baby," Sara said smiling, dropping a kiss on her forehead. She then stood and followed Andy out of the room. Mark sighed and plopped down heavily beside Melissa.

"You okay, daddy?" Melissa asked climbing onto his lap. Mark looked at her and touched her cheek. She looked so much like her mother. "I'll be okay, munchkin. You know me, tougher than anybody," he said softly. "Can we go outside and play with Marley and Lucky, daddy?" Melissa asked. "What would mom say?" he asked her. "I don't know, daddy," she said smiling. Mark chuckled softly and hugged her tightly. "You know I love you, too, right? I know mom's been hogging you, but I wanna spend time with you, too," he said quietly. "I know, daddy," she said. "What do you two talk about?" he asked. Melissa looked away, squeezing her hands. "You can tell me, munchkin," he said quietly. "Mommy told me not to," she said sadly. Mark looked away as tears came to his eyes. _So…she's not only cutting herself off from me…she's taking my daughter away, too_, he thought. "I'm sorry, daddy," Melissa said quietly. Mark looked back at her and shrugged. "I guess you two gals can have your secrets," he said forcing a grin, "Come on, let's go outside." He slowly stood and shifted Melissa in his arms. "You'll tell me eventually, won't you?" he asked as they left the room, "You don't have to keep secrets from your dad." "When mama says I can," she answered straightforwardly. Mark sighed and kissed her temple. "I love you, munchkin," he whispered. "I love you, too, daddy," Melissa said wrapping her arms around his neck. Mark smiled slightly and headed to the backyard.

Sara followed Andy into the kitchen with her head lowered. Andy could feel the pain that was simmering at her surface, ready to explode if provoked the right way. He'd known her for a long time, and knew that she was holding back something that would completely rip her apart. He fixed a couple sandwiches, and poured two tall glasses of orange juice, and they sat down at the large counter. "So…how ya doin', baby doll?" he asked quietly. "Fine," Sara said softly. "Don't lie to me, Sara. We've been through way too much for you to start lying to me," he said looking her straight in the eye. He saw behind her blankness a pain that went to the depths of her heart. "I'm fine," she said tensely. Andy reached for her hand, but Sara pulled away. "You know, you can pull that bullshit with Mark, but I know you differently," he said leaning back in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest. "Whatever," she said quietly. Andy sighed and leaned forward. "It's okay to cry, baby doll," he whispered. Sara looked up at him, her left eye twitching. "I don't have to cry," she said quietly. "Is that what you tell yourself, Sara?" he asked quietly. "Why are we even talking about this?" she asked going back to her food. "It's pretty obvious you need to," he answered taking a swig of his juice. "It's pretty obvious you don't know what I need, Andy," she said quietly. "I would if you'd tell me," he argued. Sara ignored him and focused on her food. "Please, Sara…," he whispered. Sara dropped her sandwich and stood, grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator and leaving the room. Andy watched as she stormed out, waiting a few minutes before following. He caught up with her right before she entered her bedroom. "Sara, stop," he said grabbing her elbow. Sara spun around and slapped him, pulling her arm away. "Don't…touch me," she hissed. Andy stared at her in shock; that was the first time, in the nearly ten years he'd known her, that she'd ever hit him. "Fine," he whispered, "You don't want my help…that's all you had to say." "I thought I did," she hissed.

Andy took a deep breath before walking away. Sara swallowed as she felt yet another small piece of her heart break off. _I'm sorry, Andy…you don't understand…nobody understands_, she thought going into the bedroom. Andy searched the rooms on the first floor, then headed outside, glad to have finally found Mark. Mark was on the ground, wrestling around with Melissa. Andy smiled and stood at the side of the pool. Mark spotted him, and held Melissa down with one hand. "Daddy, let me up!" she yelled laughing. "Why? You've been a bully the whole time," he said grinning at her. "Nobody can bully you, dad!" she said as he began to tickle her. Mark smiled as she began to laugh heartily, wriggling around underneath his hand. "Damn right, munchkin," he said letting her up and pulling her into his arms. "How is she?" he asked Andy. Andy merely shook his head. "You gotta talk to her, man," he said quietly. "I've tried, Andy," Mark said. "Try again…don't let up. Whatever you have to do, you have to get her talking…_now_. I saw her pain, Mark, and it wasn't pretty. And if she keeps up like she is now…she's gonna break down, and she's not gonna be able to get back up," Andy said quietly. Mark looked down at Melissa and sighed heavily. "It's okay, daddy," she said hugging him tightly. Mark looked at Andy and nodded. Andy reached for Melissa, and she went with him willingly. "Uncle Andy's gonna watch you for a few hours, okay?" Mark said quietly, "I have to go talk to mom." "I know, daddy," she said quietly. Mark couldn't help but grin. He rubbed her hair and said to Andy, "Take her into town for a few hours…get her away from here." Andy nodded and watched his friend head into his house, his head hung low. "Come on, little girl," he said going into the kitchen and grabbing his car keys. He left the house quietly, shutting the door behind him.

Mark headed up the stairs, taking deep breaths as he did. He'd waited until he'd heard Andy's car pull away before deciding to approach his bedroom. The door was slightly open, so Mark entered slowly. Sara was lying in the middle of the bed, her back towards the door. "Dollface?" he whispered. He saw Sara's body tense up, and he let out a deep breath. "Can we talk?" he asked quietly. "About?" she said quietly. "You," he answered sitting down on the bed, "You're starting to worry me, dollface." "I don't wanna talk, Mark," she said quietly. "You have to," he said quietly, "You've been a shell for the past week, and it's killin' me to see you like this, dollface." Sara climbed off of the bed and left the room, Mark close on her heels. They got to the living room and Mark grabbed her elbow, spinning her around. "You can't keep ignoring me like this, Sara," he said tensely, "I can't deal with this." "You're the almighty Mark Callaway, you can deal with anything," she spat. "Yeah, you're right. I can handle your screaming, I can handle your hitting, I can handle your abuse…what I can't deal with is you walking around like I don't exist. What I can't deal with is you showing more attention to Melissa than you do me. What I can't deal with you is being so fucking uptight about your mom's death," he said heatedly, "Death happens, Sara…it's as much a part of life as the air you breathe. What you need to do is suck it up that mom's gone, and move on! At least you got to grow up with your mother, unlike some people on this planet. Stop being a spoiled brat, and start treating me like your fucking husband."

"I don't need you for anything, Mark," she snapped pushing him back, "You don't know what the fuck I need." "Everything isn't about you, Sara! Are you so blind that you can't see the effect you're having on the people around you? You worked Tuesday and Wednesday when Vince specifically gave you the time off, and you were so distracted, Cena and Shawn had to practically carry you in your matches!" he yelled, "You are being totally careless, and this shit's gotta stop!" "Don't preach to me like you're my goddamn father, Mark. You don't own me, and you can't dictate to me like I'm some blithering idiot," she snapped. Mark grabbed her left hand and held it up. "_This_ says I do," he growled pointing to the wedding ring, "You're my wife, little lady, and you've forgotten what that means…I have the right to protect you from everybody, even yourself." "I'm doin' just fine without you, Mark," she snapped pulling her hand away. "Not from what I can tell. You're struggling right now to hold everything in, dollface, and it's tearing you apart. After seven years of being with me, you still don't get it that you don't have to do everything by yourself," he said loudly, "We're in this thing for life, _together_!" "Fuck you, Mark," she snapped, "I was just fine before you came along, and I'm perfectly fine now! You're not the fucking king of the world. Not everyone's gonna rely on you for all the answers, especially me!" "I'm not saying I have all the answers, Sara, you know that! I'm asking you to trust me to help you!" he snapped back. "I don't want your fucking help!" she screamed slapping him hard. Mark's jaw tensed and he looked away. "I warned you, Sara," he growled. "Warned me about what, asshole?" she snapped slapping him again, "Oh, not to talk to you like that. Right, 'cause that makes me a hateful bitch. Well, if I want to hate you, I can do that. If I want to hate the whole fucking world, I can do that! You don't own me, and you sure as hell don't own my feelings, so don't think you can control them!" Mark put up his hands and nodded. "Fine…fuck you, Sara. I'm done…I don't care how you decide to deal with mom's death," he growled tensely, "I'm done with this shit." He turned to leave the room, but Sara's voice stopped him. "If you don't care about that, Mark…you won't care that I fucked Kevin…_twice_."

Mark could feel his lungs contract, and his heart seemed to stop inside his chest. "What…did you just say?" he whispered slowly facing her, his voice laced with disbelief. "I didn't stutter," she hissed. Mark stared into her eyes, and saw that she was telling the truth. Her eyes were dark and sinister, as if she'd found joy in just crushing his heart. "Oh…so the big man does have emotions then," she whispered menacingly. Mark's jaw tightened and he swallowed slowly. "When?" he whispered. "Second week, after I wore that hot little number down to the ring that got you all riled up," she said grinning slightly, "And then the night of his friend's bachelor party. I'll tell ya, Mark…it felt good…it felt _real_ good." "You're lying," he whispered painfully. "You wanna put money on it?" she asked raising one eyebrow. Mark's eyes widened, and tears came to Sara's eyes for the first time in over a week, as she suddenly realized her confession. "Oh, God," she whispered. She never saw Mark's fist, but it connected solidly with her left eye, sending her flying back several feet and knocking her out. Mark gasped and his heart rate suddenly soared through the roof. He leaned against the doorway with his head lowered, in a way still not believing that Sara had slept with another man, let alone with Kevin. He ran upstairs and went into his bedroom closet. At the very back of one of the shelves was a large shoebox. He pulled it down and went back downstairs, this time going into the kitchen. He sat down at the counter and opened the box, pulling out one of the two fairly large-sized bottle of Jack Daniels and a shot glass. He hadn't drank heavily out of bitterness in years. Before he'd met Sara, he was definitely not the greatest person. He'd drink every liquor possible on the road, stop at every strip club he could get into, and was generally a miserable person. With Sara in his life, he found he didn't need alcohol to solve his problems. He poured a shot and downed it, then took yet another shot. _Fuck this_, he thought dropping the glass and putting the bottle to his lips. He gulped several times before putting the bottle back down. A somewhat peaceful anger came over him as the liquor burned down his throat into his stomach, and began to work its way through his bloodstream. He grabbed the bottle and the shoe box and went into the living room, dropping down on the couch. He looked down at Sara, who was still laying in the middle of the floor. There was a dark bruise around her left eye where his fist had connected, which was swelling up pretty quickly. "I hope it was good for you," Mark spat putting the bottle to his lips once more.

An hour later, Sara's right eye opened and she groaned slightly. Her head was pounding, and her left eye was in enormous pain. The memory of her and Mark's argument flashed before her, and tears came to her eyes. _I didn't want you to find out like that, Mark_, she thought sadly. She slowly turned onto her side and pushed herself up. "Don't you fucking move." Sara swallowed and slowly went to stand. The sound of a gun cocking made her freeze. "Move, and I'll put a bullet in your fucking head," Mark growled standing. Fear caused Sara to tremble violently, and the tears escaped from her eyes. Mark grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her to her feet roughly. Mark held a nine-millimeter handgun right underneath her chin, his index finger resting on the trigger. "Mark, please," she gasped. "You bitch…how could you do that to me?" he said angrily, yanking her head back. "Mark, stop," she whispered putting her hand on his chest. "Don't fucking touch me!" he yelled. Sara dropped her hand and looked down. She smelled the liquor on his breath, and knew that she couldn't push him too much. "I loved you so much, Sara…of all people…Kevin…," he said sadly. "Mark, listen to me…I didn't want it to come out the way it did," she cried, "I was gonna tell you later-." "Oh, bullshit, bitch! You enjoyed every minute of it," he growled throwing her roughly to the hardwood floor. Sara groaned slightly as he kicked her directly in her ribs. "Please, stop, Mark," she whispered. Mark ignored her and planted another boot in her midsection. Sara coughed loudly and tried to scoot away. "Oh, no, you're not goin' anywhere," Mark growled grabbing the back of her shirt. She tried to crawl away, but Mark just laughed bitterly.

"You always thought you were stronger than me, Sara," he growled hitting her in the side of her head with the gun. Sara groaned and collapsed to the ground. Mark tossed the gun to the side and rolled her over, sitting on her stomach. Sara tried to push his hands away from her face, but he kept reaching. "Mark, get off me!" she said through tears. Mark sneered and backhanded her hard. "Don't fucking talk to me like that!" he yelled. Sara still struggled to get from under him, but his power was too much for her. He wrapped her hands around her throat and began to squeeze. Sara raked at his hands and face, but her oxygen supply was being depleted. Mark watched her face pale, and released her. He slowly stood and pulled her to her feet. Sara grabbed at her throat and coughed, trying to get air back into her lungs. Bitter tears came to Mark's eyes, and he punched her directly in her stomach. Sara fell to her knees clutching her stomach, tears pouring from her eyes. "Mark, please, stop," she whispered. Mark's foot connected with her mouth, sending her flying back. "You selfish bitch! All you think about is yourself," Mark said reaching for her. Sara failed miserably to defend herself, as Mark grabbed the front of her shirt and leaned down against her. His fist landed on her already-bruised left eye several more times, turning it completely purple. Her nose was busted when he threw her into the wall beside the living room doorway. Mark pulled her to her feet one last time and grabbed her collar, holding her a few inches off the ground. "You get your shit, and you get the fuck outta my house!" he growled, "You got until Sunday to get out of my life." "Mark, please, don't," she whispered. Mark growled and set her down on her feet, then pushed her through the glass table in front of the couch. The table shattered immediately from the impact, glass spreading across the floor around Sara. Mark watched as Sara's right eye closed and she went completely limp. He grabbed his keys from the kitchen, and a suitcase he'd packed and left by the door, and left his home, slamming the door shut behind him.

On the road, Mark called Andy's cell phone. "Hey, buddy," Andy answered moments later. "I need you to watch Melissa tonight," Mark said simply. "Is everything okay?" Andy asked. "Please…just do it, Andy," Mark said quietly. "What happened?" Andy asked. "Don't worry about it. She'll be okay," Mark said, talking more about Melissa. "Alright, man. Lisa's in town, so we're gonna hang out together tonight. I probably won't be home until tomorrow, though," Andy said. Mark nodded and thanked him for taking care of his daughter. He sped up slightly, his anger getting the better of him. _She deserved it_, he thought of the way he'd left Sara, _She deserved every bit of it_. He pulled into Stacy's driveway nearly a half an hour later. He climbed out of his truck slowly, rotating his neck before he did. Andy was his friend, but Mark didn't want to reveal what Sara had told him…or what he'd done to Sara. _He probably already knows_, he thought, _That bitch tells him everything anyway_. He grabbed his suitcase from his trunk, headed up the sidewalk leading to Stacy's small house and knocked on the door. It opened moments later, and Stacy stood there in a pair of shorts and a long t-shirt. "Mark?" she asked quietly, "What are you doin' here?" "Can I come in?" he asked shakily, looking down at his feet. "Sure," Stacy said, picking up on his vibe of anger and pain, "Come on in, Mark."

Mark stepped over the threshold and shut the door quietly. He watched Stacy take his suitcase into a room, and he plopped down on the couch in her living room. It was a bit low to the ground, rundown, and looked like it had been bought at a Salvation Army. He sighed and leaned back into the couch, stretching his legs out in front of him. He'd drank the entire first bottle of Jack Daniels, as well as half of the second bottle, and it was finally starting to really hit him. He never even noticed Stacy sit down beside him. "So…what happened?" she asked quietly, slowly facing him. Mark sighed heavily and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She looked up at him with pure concern on her face. He swallowed and sat up. "This couch is too low to the ground, Stacy. You need another one," he said quietly, a grin on his face. Stacy grinned slightly and looked down at her hands, her cheeks turning pink. "You're too adorable," he whispered. "Stop…," she said softly. Mark chuckled slightly and held his hands in his head. "So what happened?" she asked again. Mark swallowed, hesitant to answer. "You can tell me, Mark," she said quietly. "She cheated on me, Stacy," he whispered, "Sara…slept with Kevin." "Nash! The same guy she had to spend last month with!" she asked quietly. Mark nodded and sighed heavily. "Shit, Mark, I'm sorry," she said quietly, "What'd you say to her?" "I can't explain how…hurt I was…I just…left her at home," he said slowly, "I told her to get out, to not be there when I get back from work." "Doesn't she have to work, too?" she asked. "She'll probably call Vince and try to get the day off," he said quietly. "I'm sorry, Mark," she said again. "It's okay, Stacy," he said touching her hand.

Mark looked at her intently, noticing the round girly shape of her face. Her wide eyes stared at him with pure innocence, not understanding the ups and downs of a marriage, but willing to help those she cared for through their own troubles. Her blond hair was pulled into a low ponytail, the tail hanging over her right shoulder. There was no make-up covering her face, but she was still naturally beautiful. The oversized t-shirt hung on her body like a large coat, and the shorts barely peeked out from underneath them. Her long legs, however, looked freshly shaven, and Mark suddenly longed to rub his hands against them. "Mark…," Stacy whispered, "You're staring." "I know," he said quietly. "Mark…," she whispered taking her hand in his, "If you wanna talk-." "I don't…want to talk," he said softly, his eyes staring into hers. Stacy's chest rose and fell quickly, and she felt nervousness course through her body. Mark leaned forward and touched her cheek gently. "Mark…this isn't right," she whispered swallowing. His lips barely grazed hers, and Stacy gasped against his mouth. "I know you're hurt, Mark, but you can't do this," she whispered, "It won't help." Mark ignored her pleas, even though he knew she was right, and brushed his lips against hers once more. He brushed her cheek with the tip of his thumb, before fully capturing her mouth. Stacy moaned softly in his mouth, placing her left hand on his neck. Mark gently pulled the rubber band from her ponytail, tossing it onto the small table in front of his. He ran his fingers through her silky locks, before pulling her body closer to his, easing her onto his lap.

"Mark," Stacy said pulling away. Mark's lips went to her throat, biting gently at the soft skin. Stacy's eyes drifted shut, and she lost all semblance of right and wrong. She carefully straddled his legs, and Mark groaned against her mouth. She couldn't have weighed more than 110 lbs., but the feel of her against his crotch sent a surge of blood rushing through his head. Stacy's lips ran over his cheek, which was rough with stubble, which she found humorous. Giggles escaped from her mouth, and Mark looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "What's so funny?" he asked softly. "You're usually so clean-shaven," she said quietly as his hands moved up her thighs, sending shivers through her body. "Been a long week," he whispered kissing her once more, moving his hands underneath her t-shirt. "Do you have protection?" he asked softly. Stacy swallowed and nodded. "You're a little freak, then, huh?" he asked smiling lazily. Stacy giggled softly and shook her head. Mark grinned as she stood, grabbing his hand and helping him stand. He followed her into her bedroom, kicking the door shut. Stacy faced him, and he pulled her close, his lips crashing down on hers. Stacy moaned as his tongue explored her own mouth, caressing her own. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Mark picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. Mark groaned and slowly eased her onto the queen-sized bed beside her. His hands drifted down her waist over her smooth, lengthy legs. "These are comin' off," he whispered pulling at her shorts. Stacy nodded and slowly lifted her hips, allowing Mark to gently remove the shorts. "How long are your legs, Stacy?" he asked softly, kissing her neck once again. "Around…43 inches," she gasped, "They're the main reason I'm so tall." Mark smiled as he slipped his hands underneath her shirt, caressing her soft skin. As his hands moved upward, Stacy arched up against his touch. Mark smiled when he realized she wasn't wearing a bra.

"You always this free, Stacy?" he whispered in her ear rubbing his thumb over her nipple. Stacy moaned slightly and shook her head. "Only at home," she whispered. Mark pressed his hips against hers, groaning at her softness. He used his left hand to cup her mound, feeling her wetness of her panties. Stacy grabbed at the hem of his shirt, and Mark helped her to remove it. "How'd you get so big, Mark?" she asked softly, rubbing her hands over his massive chest. "Genetics, baby," he said grinning. Stacy smiled and pulled his face down to hers, kissing him softly. Mark groaned and flipped onto his back, pulling her on top of him. Stacy scooted down his body and removed his boots and jeans, frowning slightly when she saw his straining erection. "What's wrong?" Mark asked quietly. "You're huge," she whispered. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you, Stacy," he whispered. Stacy grinned and grazed her hand over the tip of his cock, bringing a sharp hiss from Mark. She slowly removed his boxers, tossing them on the floor beside her. Mark groaned loudly when she took him in her mouth, her tongue running over the flared head. He watched as she worked pure magic, going from fast- to slow-paced, prolonging his release. Shivers ran through his body as she started to move up and down faster and faster, and before he knew it, he'd exploded in her mouth. He screamed out his pleasure, grabbing the back of Stacy's head and pulling her up to him. He kissed her roughly, almost animalistic, but his grip on her hair eased as she returned the pressure.

Stacy straddled him once more, pulling her shirt off. Mark smiled slightly as he flipped her onto her back, his mouth moving down her jawline, over her slender neck, and down to her small chest. She wasn't as endowed as he liked, but it was fun nonetheless. He used his tongue to bring her nipples to hard peaks, before squeezing them gently. Stacy moaned loudly and rubbed her legs against his sides. "Please, keep going," she whispered pressing her hips up against him. Mark kissed her gently, easing his left hand between them, pulling her panties to the side and inserting a finger inside her. Stacy gasped slightly and came almost immediately. "Oh, this is gonna be fun," Mark whispered licking her earlobe, then beginning to ease his finger in and out of her tight passage. "Oh…oh…oh," Stacy gasped moving her hips in rhythm with his finger. Mark slowly inserted a second finger inside her, widening her passage even more. He kissed her once more, running his tongue over her perfect teeth, and her full bottom lip. He nibbled gently on her bottom lip before sucking on the hollow of her neck, giving her a nice hickey as she trembled around his finger, coming yet again. "Can I eat your pussy, Stacy?" he whispered, "I really want to." Stacy nodded furiously, and Mark eased down her lengthy body, pushing her feet up to spread her legs. "Stay like that," he whispered before running his tongue lightly up her walls. Stacy gasped against the feeling, wanting so badly to wrap her legs around his head to lock him in place. Mark smiled and used his fingers to spread her lips, sticking his tongue in her tight hole and twirling it around. "My God," Stacy gasped pushing her hips into his face. Mark groaned and began to use his tongue more feverishly, moving from her clit to her hole several times.

When she came a third time, her body shook more violently. "Please, Mark," she begged softly. Mark smiled and moved up her body, planting soft kisses on her perfectly flat stomach, over her tiny breasts, until his lips were on hers once more. "Where are your condoms?" he whispered against her mouth. "Top drawer…beside the bed," she gasped running her hands over his chest, pinching his nipples slightly. Mark groaned at the feel and kissed her hard, pulling her hands over her head. He slowly lifted up and grabbed a small package from the top drawer of the nightstand, then slipped on the condom. He eased himself between her legs, pulling them around his waist. Stacy put her hand between their bodies, guiding the tip of his cock to her opening. "I haven't had sex in a long time, Mark," she whispered. "How long?" he asked softly. "Since I found out I couldn't have kids," she said softly. Mark kissed her gently and caressed her cheeks. "I told you I wouldn't hurt you," he whispered. She nodded and pulled his face back down to hers, moaning loudly when he pushed himself inside her. Mark groaned loudly as well, the feeling better than he ever could've guessed. It was almost like having sex with a virgin, because she was so tight. "Tell me if I'm hurting you," he whispered. "Shut up," she gasped wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him roughly. Mark groaned and began to move inside her, his pace slow and torturous. Stacy moaned and put her hands at the small of his back, pushing him against her to take all of him inside her. Mark got the hint and quickened his pace, pounding his hips against her own. Stacy met his pace within moments, and their sounds of passion echoed off her walls. "I'm gonna come, Stacy, I'm gonna come," he growled in her ear. Stacy moved her hand between their slick bodies and fingered herself to bring on her own orgasm. When she felt her insides tighten up, she removed her hand and wrapped it in Mark's hair, pulling him into a heated kiss. Mark groaned against her mouth and pumped furiously over and over again. "YEAH!" he yelled out arching up and shoving himself inside her. Stacy screamed out as her body shook more violently, causing Mark's own orgasm.

Mark finally collapsed on top of her, holding himself only by his forearms. He dropped his head to her bare chest as tears of shame came to his eyes. He'd just cheated on his wife, and despite the fact that she'd done it to him as well, he still felt completely worthless now. Stacy watched him roll off of her and sit up. "I'm sorry, Mark…," she whispered touching his back softly. Mark shrugged and removed the condom, tossing it in the trash can nearby. "An eye for an eye," he said softly. Stacy slowly wrapped her arms around him, and he cried like never before. For nearly a half an hour, Mark cried over the choice Sara had made to cheat on him, the choice he'd made to physically attack her, and the choice he'd made to have sex with Stacy. Stacy simply kneeled beside him, caressing his sweaty hair lovingly. When he finally stopped, Stacy rested her chin on his head. "You know everything's gonna work out, right?" she whispered. "How can it, Stacy?" he whispered painfully, "This is the worst thing we could've done to each other. How can we get through this?" "Because you love each other…love solves all problems, Mark…even these problems," she whispered. Mark sighed heavily and sniffed slightly. "Please don't think I used you, Stacy," he said quietly, looking into her wide blue eyes, "I don't want you to take it like that." "I feel like I used you, Mark," she said looking away. "I'm gonna go take a shower, okay?" he whispered. Stacy nodded and moved her arms away. "Can I stay here? I can't go home," he whispered. Stacy nodded and said, "Your suitcase is in the spare bedroom. It's a full-sized bed, though." "It's no problem," he said slowly standing, "Thank you." Stacy nodded and said, "Are you hungry?" "You don't have to cook, Stacy. I'm in your home, not the other way around," he said. "It's not a big deal, Mark. I enjoy cooking," she said quietly, "Go take a shower." Mark nodded slightly and grabbed his clothes from the floor before leaving the room.

Stacy went into her own bathroom and took a hot shower, washing her sweaty hair, before coming back into her room and dressing in a pair of sweatpants and a small t-shirt. As she walked past the guest room, she heard a phone ringing. It wasn't her house phone, or her cell phone. She found Mark's cell phone on the living room table and answered it. "Hello?" she asked. There was no answer on the other end, so Stacy again said, "Hello?" "Is Mark around?" came Sara's voice. "He's not available, Sara," Stacy answered. "Okay," Sara whispered. The call suddenly disconnected, and Stacy sighed, hanging up the phone and putting it back on the table. She went into her pint-sized kitchen and prepared a meal of spaghetti and toast. As she fixed two plates, Mark walked into the kitchen. "Sara called," she said quietly. Mark swallowed and looked away. He left the kitchen, and Stacy let out a deep breath. She carried the plates into the living room, where Mark was sitting on the couch staring at his cell phone. "Here ya go," she said softly, setting the plate down in front of him. "What did she say?" Mark asked quietly. "Nothing…I told her you weren't available, and she hung up," Stacy answered. Mark swallowed and nodded. "Good…I don't wanna here anything from that bitch," he said spitefully. Stacy's chest tightened, and she looked down at her own plate of food. "I'm sorry, Stacy," he said quietly. "It's okay, Mark…you have a right to feel the way you do," she said softly. "Thank you for dinner," he said quietly. Stacy grinned slightly and nodded. "No biggie," she whispered. They ate in silence, watching a movie on television. After dinner, Stacy took the plates into the kitchen and put them in the sink, running hot water over them. "I'm gonna go to bed," Mark said from the doorway. "Okay, Mark," she said looking over her shoulder at him. Mark nodded slightly and went into the guest bedroom. The bed was a lot smaller than he was used to, but it would have to do. He'd called Andy and told him to bring Melissa over to Stacy's house before he went home the next morning. "Is everything okay, Mark?" Andy had asked him again. "Yeah, it's fine," Mark had lied. "Alright, I'll be over to Stacy's around nine," Andy had said before they'd ended the call. Mark climbed into the bed, and tears came to his eyes once more. _If this is a test, God…then I failed miserably_, he thought. For the first time since his father died, Mark cried himself to sleep.


	94. Separation

**Chapter 93…Separation**

Andy stepped inside his house at 10:00 the next morning with Lisa. He'd dropped Melissa off with Mark at Stacy's place, wondering in his mind why Mark was even there in the first place. Lisa shut the door behind him and they headed upstairs. However, Lisa stopped in the living room doorway, her mouth wide open at the sight. There was glass everywhere, and even spots of blood on the living room floor. Sara was lying on the couch, a thick blanket over her, and her back facing the doorway. "Andy…," Lisa gasped. Andy stopped halfway up the stairs and looked back at her. "Yeah, babe," he said coming back down to her. He looked into the living room, and his own jaw dropped. "What the hell," he whispered slowly going into the living room. He kneeled down and touched Sara's shoulder. Sara jumped up immediately, her breathing fast and uneven. "My God," Andy whispered at the sight of her face. Her left eye was dark blue and swollen, and there was dried blood on her chin. "Sara, what the hell happened here?" he whispered slowly moving her hair out of her face. Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she looked away. "Come on, baby doll, talk to me," he whispered. Her bottom lip trembled, and she began to cry quietly. "Baby doll…," he whispered. "He knows, Andy…," she whispered starting to shake.

Andy's eyes widened and forced her to look at him. "How?" he asked quietly. "We were arguing…and he walked away…and I blurted it out," Sara whispered. "And he hit you?" he asked tensely. "More like…beat the shit outta me," she cried. "Oh, shit…," Andy said looking back at Lisa, "Will you go run her a bath?" "Sure, babe," Lisa said before dashing upstairs. Andy looked back at Sara, who was crying of pure shame. "Sara, hon…where else are you hurt?" he asked slowly. Sara shook her head and whispered, "I deserved it, Andy…Mark had every right…" "No, he didn't…he was hurt, yes…but nothing gives a man a right to hit a woman, no matter what she's done," he argued back. He pushed her hair behind her ears and whispered, "Where are you hurt, sweetheart?" Sara slowly pulled up her shirt, and Andy gasped at the sight of the dark bruises on her ribs. "Come on, baby doll," he said quietly, pulling her into his arms. "He's gonna leave me, Andy," she cried, "He told me to get out of his house, to get out of his life." "He's not gonna leave you, Sara…he loves you too much," Andy said taking her upstairs. "Not enough…I betrayed him, Andy…love doesn't erase betrayal," she whispered. "Maybe not right away, baby doll, but it does eventually," he said softly. He took her into her room, where there was a hot bath waiting for her. "Lisa," Andy said. Lisa nodded slightly as Andy set Sara down carefully.

"Come on, sweetheart," Lisa said as Andy left the room. Sara undressed with Lisa's help, tears running down her cheeks the entire time. Lisa gasped at the sight of the bruises covering Sara's midsection, never guessing that Mark would ever put his hands on her in that way. She helped the Sara into the tub, before pouring hot water over her body. Sara slowly washed her body clean, going carefully over the bruises on her arms and midsection. She wasn't one to bruise easily, but when she did, she _really_ bruised up. Tears poured from her eyes as Lisa washed her hair. It was more from the pain in her head than from what she'd gone through. "I'm sorry, Sara," Lisa said quietly. Sara merely shook her head, indicating it wasn't Lisa's fault. Once she was finally clean, Lisa helped Sara out of the tub. They went into the bedroom, where Sara put on a pair of shorts, and grabbed one of Mark's favorite shirts, the Harley-Davidson t-shirt she'd got him for Christmas many years ago. No matter how many times she washed it, his scent never seemed to leave it. She slipped it over her head with tears in her eyes. "You wanna come back downstairs?" Lisa asked as Sara sat down on the edge of her bed, fingering the hem of the oversized shirt. "No," Sara whispered. "Okay, darlin'. If you need anything, we'll be right downstairs," Lisa said quietly. Sara stared at her hands, her bottom lip trembling. Lisa sighed softly and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Lisa went downstairs and helped Andy clean the living room. "That son of a bitch, I can't believe he did that to her," Andy growled sweeping up the glass. "What did she do to make him that mad, Andy?" Lisa asked. Andy sighed heavily and looked at his fiancée. "She slept with Kevin, Lisa," he said quietly. "What?" she gasped. "I know, it's not like her…I don't know why she did it, to be honest. But that didn't give Mark the right to do that to her," he said quietly, going back to sweeping the glass. "I know, Andy…," Lisa said quietly. She held the dustpan while Andy swept the glass into it. She dumped it into a trashcan as Andy mopped up the blood from the floor. When they finished, Andy went up to Sara's bedroom with an icepack. She was lying in the middle of the bed, crying silently. "Baby doll?" he said softly. Sara sniffled slightly and glanced her over shoulder at him. "Yeah?" she whispered. "Are you hungry?" he asked. "No, Andy," she whispered. "Listen, I want you to come downstairs with me and Lisa. I don't think you should be alone right now," he said quietly. "I just wanna sleep, Andy," she said as he sat down at her side. "Let me see," he whispered turning her head to the side. He placed the icepack over her eye, and Sara flinched. "Andy, you don't have to," she whispered. "I know…but you need it," he said quietly, "And don't even think of telling me I don't know what you need."

Sara's bottom lip trembled and she let out a slow breath. "I'm sorry for hitting you yesterday," she whispered. "My jaw's not made o' glass, sweetheart. Don't worry about it," he said caressing her cheek softly, wiping away the tears. "No…you're like my best friend…I shouldn't have hit you," she whispered. "I don't think you realized what you did, Sara…you've been a shell for the past week. The only person you opened up to was Melissa," he said quietly, "Why is that?" "The shell thing, or Melissa?" she whispered. "Both," he answered. "I shut down after I saw my mom's body," she said quietly, "It was the first time I'd ever had to identify a body, and it kinda sent me into shock. I felt like I couldn't reach out to anybody, except Melissa." "Why?" he questioned, "She's only a child, darlin'." "The morning I had to go…identify mom's body…Melissa told me that mom had come to her in her dream, sayin' she was okay," Sara answered, "And because o' that, I felt an even deeper connection…like I could talk to mom through Melissa. I know it sounds stupid-." "No, it doesn't. That's Lucy's grandchild, so of course you're gonna wanna be close to her," Andy said quietly, "But that doesn't mean you should've shut Mark out. He loves you, Sara, and he only has your best interests in mind." "You're wrong, Andy…he doesn't love me anymore…and he shouldn't," she whispered as the tears returned. "Sara…I know you two better than anybody. You're gonna get through this, just like you got through everything else," he said quietly, "But you know what you need to do, right?" "What?" she asked quietly. "Stop coming to me so much. You're married to Mark…he's the one you should be going to when you're stressed out," he answered, "I know we've always been close…but did you ever think about how Mark feels about you comin' to me all the time?"

Sara sniffled slightly and looked up at him. "I know how he feels about it, Andy," she whispered, "He hates it." "So why do you still do it?" he asked. "I don't know…I can't talk to Mark about the half the stuff I talk to you about," she said quietly. "You should be able to…he's your husband, Sara," he said wiping her cheeks, "There shouldn't be secrets in a marriage." "I know that now, Andy," she cried turning her back to him. Andy grabbed her shoulder and gently turned her back onto her back. "If I could take it all back, I would. I never wanted to hurt him, Andy, you know that. He's my whole life…and now my life's over," she continued crying, "I can't live without him." "You said the same thing after he raped you, baby doll…and look what happened. You got back together, and you ended up marrying him. If you two weren't meant to be together, don't you think that would've been the end of your relationship?" he said quietly. "We were apart for three months, Andy," she whispered. "And you got back together," he pointed out. "I don't want to spend the last three months of my career without him," she cried. Andy sighed and softly said, "You might have to, baby doll…he needs time…just like you did after he raped you." "This is different, Andy. Even after what he did to me, I couldn't hate him. I tortured myself by staying away from him. With this…he hates me…he really hates me. He's never gonna love me again," she cried. "Do you remember what the preacher said after you and Mark said your vows?" he asked. "I remember that day like it was yesterday, Andy. Next to the day Melissa was born, it was the happiest of my life," she whispered. "Then you remember him saying that love never gives up. No matter what, it never loses faith, it's always hopeful, and it endures through every circumstance," he said quietly, "You will get through this, Sara…and so will Mark. And you'll be better people because of it." "How can you even look at me, Andy? I did the worst thing possible a wife could do to her husband," she cried. Andy sighed and stroked her cheeks softly. "Even the worst sins can be forgiven, sweetheart," he whispered.

Sara sighed heavily and touched his hands. "What should I do, Andy?" she asked quietly. "Give him time," he said, "You'll see him Monday at work. Try to talk to him then, okay?" Sara slowly sat up, grimacing from the pain in her stomach. "Do you have some ace bandage?" he asked quietly. She nodded and told him where it was. Andy went into the bathroom and got the bandage out of the closet. He went back into the room and motioned for Sara to lift her shirt. She did so slowly, and Andy wrapped the bandage around her waist tightly. "They don't feel broken, do they?" he asked. "No…just bruised," she answered putting the shirt back in place. "Alright. Why don't you come downstairs?" he said getting off the bed. Sara swallowed and allowed him to help her down to the living room. Lisa was sitting on the couch watching television. Sara slowly sat down beside her, and Marley jumped up onto her lap. "Hey, you," Sara whispered rubbing the dog's fur gently. Marley seemed to feel her pain, and simply rested in her lap, allowing her to stroke him. "You feel okay, Sara?" Lisa asked. "Yeah…thanks, Lisa…for helping me," Sara said quietly. "No problem, chica. I'm here for you," Lisa said hugging her gently. Andy came in with a small mug and handed it to Sara. "What's this?" she asked quietly. "Just some tea, baby doll," Andy said sitting down beside Lisa, "It'll help calm you down." Sara sighed and sipped on the hot liquid. "Thanks, Andy," she said quietly. Andy looked at her, grinning slightly. "No thanks needed," he said before turning his attention to the television.

The day seemed to inch by for Sara. All she wanted was to hear Mark's voice, to try to explain what had happened between her and Kevin. When the phone rang around nine o' clock, Andy answered it. "Hello?" Andy said. "Is she still there?" Mark asked tensely. Andy glanced at Sara, who stared at him with tearful eyes. "Yeah, she's still here," he answered. "Why? I told her to get the fuck out of my house," Mark growled. "This is still her house, too, Mark," Andy said. "Last time I checked, I bought the land and had that house built," Mark said tensely. "Maybe you should talk to her, Mark," Andy said going into the kitchen, motioning for Sara to stay where she was on the couch. "Why? There's nothin' she can say that'll make things different," Mark said. "You know she feels bad for what she did," Andy said. "Yeah, and I bet you know every little detail," Mark growled. "No, I don't know every detail. Yes, she already told me what happened-." "Because she goes to you for everything. Did you ever think to tell her to come to me, Andy?" Mark said angrily. "I told her that over and over, Mark," Andy admitted, "No matter what we talked about, I told her to go to her husband." "Well, that doesn't matter now," Mark growled. "What do you mean by that?" Andy asked. "I'm filing for divorce," Mark snapped, "I want that cheating whore out of my life." "Mark, don't make any rash decisions," Andy argued. "Rash! Rash! She slept with another man, Andy! Not just another man, _Kevin_!" Mark screamed, "The same man who treated her like a goddamn slave!" "Listen, Mark, you both just need some time. You need to calm down, and she-." "I need to calm down! What the fuck kinda statement is that! I have every fucking right to be pissed at her! And I plan on being pissed off for a long fucking time," Mark growled, "Now you let that bitch know she needs to get the fuck outta my house! I'm coming home on Sunday, and I don't wanna see her ass there, or I'll put her out myself!" The phone call ended and Andy sighed, turning off the handheld phone. He ran his fingers through his newly-cut hair, groaning slightly. He set the phone down on the counter, leaning against it.

"What did he say?" Sara whispered from the doorway. Andy looked up at her as she came into the room, Marley and Lucky at her heels. "What'd he say, Andy?" she whispered. "Don't worry, Sara, he's just angry," he said quietly. "What did he say?" she asked slowly, her bottom lip trembling. "He's gonna file for divorce, Sara," he whispered. "I knew it…I knew it," she whispered looking down at the floor. Andy came over to her and touched her shoulders. "Listen to me, Sara. It's gonna be okay," he said quietly, "I've been you guys' mediator almost since you got together, so trust me on this one, okay?" Tears came to Sara's eyes and she shook her head. "Not this time, Andy…it's not gonna be okay this time," she whispered. "Come on, you're goin' to bed," he said putting an arm around her shoulder. Sara allowed him to lead her upstairs, where he put Lucky right outside her door. He helped her into bed, and Marley laid down beside her. "Sleep, sweetheart," he said pulling the covers over her. Sara sniffled and nodded slightly. "Sleep," she whispered putting an arm around Marley. "I'll see you in the morning," he said before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly. Sara broke down into tears when she heard the door shut. "Mama…you said everything was gonna be okay…you said me and Mark were gonna be okay. How are we gonna get through this, mama?" she cried, "I hurt him so much, mama. Even if we don't get divorced, he's never gonna trust me again. I don't know how to make this marriage work now, mama. Please, help me. Please don't let me go through this alone. I can't do it, mama…I can't." A few minutes later, Sara closed her eyes and fell into a restless sleep, her heart ripped to shreds knowing that Mark wanted to divorce her.

Mark pulled into his driveway Sunday afternoon. The only reason he had to come back was so he could get his stuff for the road trip that week. He'd left Melissa at Stacy's, just in case Sara had ignored his warning and was actually still in the house. _I hope she isn't…I might just kill her ass this time_, he thought turning off the car and climbing out. He noticed Andy's green Honda Civic over near the garage, and was somewhat glad his friend was there. Mark entered the house quietly, listening for the sounds of people. When he was satisfied with the silence, he shut the front door and went upstairs. Inside his bedroom, there was no indication Sara had slept there. _She actually left…my God, she actually left_, he thought letting out a heavy sigh, _I'm sorry, dollface…but this is somethin' that has to be done_. He dumped his suitcase on the bed and pulled out his dirty clothes, throwing them on the floor beside him. Marley and Lucky came trotting out of the closet as he pulled out t-shirts from his drawers. "Hey, boys," Mark said rubbing their heads gently, "Hope you weren't gettin' into trouble in there." He then stood and went into the closet to retrieve jeans and his duffel bag. When he cut on the light, his jaw dropped. Sara was fast asleep on the floor, covered only by one of Melissa's blankets. Mark noticed that her left eye was still slightly bruised, and looked a little puffy. There were bruises on her throat and upper arms as well. His top lip curled, and he grabbed a handful of her hair, startling her awake. "Mark!" she gasped, screaming as she was pulled roughly to her feet. "I thought I told you to get the fuck out of my house!" he snapped dragging her from the closet. "Mark, please, don't!" she said trying to pull away. "I bet you haven't even started packing yet, have you?" he yelled pulling her from the room. Sara grabbed onto the doorway, and screamed for him to let her go.

Andy's bedroom door swung open, and he dashed over to them, quickly pulling Mark away from Sara. "What the hell do you think you're doin'!" he screamed. "Getting that bitch out of my house!" Mark yelled as Sara fell to the floor, gripping the doorway tightly. Lisa went over to her, rubbing her shoulders gently. "I told you, Sara, get your shit and get the fuck outta here!" Mark screamed. Sara trembled violently as she looked up at him. "Get downstairs, Mark," Andy snapped pushing the bigger man backwards. Mark groaned and turned away, Andy following him down into the kitchen. "She has a right to live here, Mark," Andy said as Mark leaned against the counter. "Not anymore," Mark growled. "What were you gonna do, beat the shit outta her again?" Andy snapped. "Look, man, she got what she deserved," Mark snapped back. "No…she didn't. You could've killed her, do you realize that?" Andy said, "With Shawn, at least she had a fighting chance. You, you're three times her size! She couldn't even defend herself!" "She shouldn't have. She fucked Kevin, Andy. What part of that don't you understand!" Mark screamed. "Oh, I understand…but that doesn't give you the right to put your hands on her," Andy argued, "Thursday night, or now." "Whatever," Mark growled, "She better be packin' her shit right now." "And what are you gonna do if she isn't?" Andy said crossing his arms, "Because you've got to go through me if you plan on even _attempting_ to hit her."

Mark sighed and sat down on one of the barstools. "What am I supposed to do, Andy?" he said quietly, "I loved her so much." "And you still do…even if you can't see it," Andy said honestly, "I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told you last night. You both need time…don't think this is gonna just go away, because it's not. You just need some time to work it out." "I don't want to work it out, Andy," Mark growled standing up, "You can't forgive someone for this kinda thing…ever!" He headed upstairs with Andy right behind him. In his bedroom, Sara had a suitcase out on the floor and was tossing clothes into it roughly. Mark swallowed and watched as she packed the clothes down until it was practically spilling over. Sara went into the closet and pulled out her second large suitcase. As she packed it, she looked over her shoulder. Mark let out a deep breath at the sight of the tears on her cheeks. "I talked to my lawyer Friday. What you did is grounds for a divorce," he said tensely. Sara's bottom lip trembled, but she nodded slightly. "I know," she whispered shoving her underclothes into the suitcase, "I'm leaving. I'm just gonna…move to mom's house." Mark came over to her, knowing that Andy was watching him closely. "Sara…," he said quietly. "I'm leaving, Mark. I'm sorry I wasn't outta here before you came back," she whispered. "No…listen," he said plopping down on the bed. Sara wiped her cheeks with the back of her arm, but she couldn't stop crying. "I understand your decision, Mark," she whispered, "Will you at least let me see Melissa sometimes?"

Mark sighed heavily and looked down at his hands. He felt completely torn. He loved Sara with all his heart…he still did, just like Andy said. It hurt him to see her in so much pain. But at the same time, she'd took his heart and crushed it by sleeping with Kevin. "Listen…stay here, Sara," he said quietly, stopping her from packing. "What?" she asked looking at him. "Stay here…I'll find somewhere else," he said quietly. "I can't stay here, Mark…I don't belong here anymore," she whispered. "Yes, you do…it's your house, too," he whispered. "I'll stay in town, probably in a hotel," he said quietly, "And I'll bring Melissa to work tomorrow so you can see her." Sara watched him stand, her mind completely blown away. "I didn't say I wasn't gonna go through with the divorce," he said quietly. Tears returned to her eyes and she nodded. "Okay," she whispered. Mark's finished packing up his own suitcase, then grabbed his duffel bag. He leaned down close to Sara's face and growled, "I don't wanna see you outside of work…I'll bring Melissa by once a week, and you get her for a day. Other than, don't you call me for _anything_! And I'll let you know about that divorce." Sara shuddered and nodded. "I'm sorry, Mark," she whispered. "Fuck you…you're absolutely worthless. I should've known you'd do somethin' like this eventually…you're way too unstable to be a faithful wife. You always want everything. Well, I hope you're happy. 'Cause now you got nothin'," he snapped before storming out of the room, pushing past Andy. Sara slowly sat down on her bed, her head lowered and tears streaming down her cheeks. _How could I think I could ever be in a real relationship? He's absolutely right…I'm worthless_, she thought sadly, _Hell, I can't even raise my child now_. She climbed onto the bed, and got under the covers, her back facing Andy.

Andy sighed heavily and went downstairs, where Mark was standing in the living room. "You feel better now? You know you just destroyed whatever will power she had left, right?" Andy asked. "Whatever, Andy," Mark said quietly. "No, not "whatever". You didn't have to say what you did up there…that was too much, Mark," Andy said crossing his arms. "I didn't hit her, did I?" Mark snapped. "You might as well have," Andy snapped back. Mark pulled off his silver chain and pulled his wedding ring off. He'd never worn in on his finger, because it could've slipped off. His chain was so big, too, that the ring hung right over his heart. _I don't need it anymore_, he thought. He shrugged his duffel bag over his shoulder and faced Andy. "Why don't you give this to her? I'm not gonna be needing it," he said dropping the ring in Andy's open hand, "We're getting divorced." Andy sighed and asked, "That's what you wanna do?" "Yeah, Andy," Mark said tensely, "You gonna say I can't divorce her? Or wait…that I _shouldn't_? Well, news flash, buddy. You're my friend, but you can only give so much fucking advice. And since you care so much about her, you take care of her." He then walked out of the living room and left the house, slamming the door behind him. Andy sighed and went back up to Sara's room, where Lisa was sitting at Sara's side, caressing her head softly. Lisa looked up at Andy and shook her head. Andy came over to them, struggling whether to give Mark's wedding ring to Sara. "Baby doll?" he said quietly, "Mark…told me to give you this." Sara looked up at him with now bloodshot eyes. "What?" she whispered. Andy took her hand in his and placed the wedding ring in it. Sara gasped as she looked down at it. "I'm sorry, baby," he said quietly. Sara turned her back to both people, curling up into a ball and crying loudly. Andy sighed and helped Lisa off the bed, leaving the room with the door cracked slightly.

"My God, Andy…what the hell is Mark's problem?" Lisa asked as they went downstairs. "He's hurting, Lisa…real bad…he doesn't know how to deal with this, so he's taking the easy way out," Andy answered sitting down on the couch. Lisa sat down beside him, leaning into his body. "How is she gonna get through this? I've never seen her so miserable before," she whispered. "I don't know, baby…I really don't know," he answered, "I don't know how to help her anymore." "I wish I knew how to help her," she said as Andy flipped through stations. "Me, too, baby. She'll come to us when she's ready," Andy said, "For now, we just need to let her cry." Lisa sighed and nodded. Upstairs, Sara cried for nearly four hours. Mark had done to her what she'd done to him Thursday night. He'd ripped her heart right of her chest, and he did it almost with a smile on his face. The phone rang beside Sara's bed around 9:30, and she reached over, pulling it to her ear. "Hello?" she whispered hoarsely. "Mommy?" Melissa asked. Sara gasped and sprang up.

"Munchkin, hi! Where are you?" Sara asked. "Daddy said I can't tell you," Melissa said quietly, "He said I can only talk for a few minutes." Sara's bottom lip trembled and she nodded. "Okay, munchkin. Is daddy taking care of you?" Sara said quietly. "Yes, mama. He took me shopping today, for new clothes. He said we're moving into a new house," Melissa said, "Are you leaving, mommy?" "No, baby, I'd never leave you," Sara said quietly, "It's just that…daddy and I…we got into a really big fight, munchkin…and we need some time apart." "How long, mommy?" Melissa asked. "I don't know, munchkin," Sara whispered, "Probably for a long time." "How long, mommy?" Melissa asked again. "We're getting divorced, munchkin…I'm only gonna be able…to see you…once a week," Sara said through tears, "I'm sorry, Melissa…I'd always hoped I could be the mother you deserved…but I couldn't. I made some bad choices and now, they're comin' back to haunt me." "It's okay, mommy. Nana came to see me again last night," Melissa said, "We were…at our house, watching TV. She said that you and daddy were gone…talking about stuff outside." Tears came to Sara's eyes again, and she whispered, "I love you, Melissa…I'm gonna spoil you rotten when daddy brings you over." "I love you, too, mommy. Daddy wants to talk now," Melissa said, "Bye, mommy." "Bye, munchkin," Sara whispered. "I hope that gave you a little satisfaction. You've turned our daughter into some kind of fucking freak," she heard Mark growl a few moments later. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. "What's this shit about her having dreams about her grandmother?" Mark snapped. "She came to me first, Mark, talking about those dreams," Sara tried explaining. "Whatever, Sara. Why don't you tell mom to come visit your crazy dreams, and leave my fucking daughter alone!" Mark snapped before hanging up. Sara hung up the phone and curled back up in the bed. She knew she had to go to work tomorrow, and she prayed she would have the energy to get out of bed the next morning. _I won't have a choice…Vince is already bein' way too nice in giving me six days off_, she thought before falling into a restless sleep.

The next morning, Sara awoke to a blaring alarm. She reached over and slammed it off, groaning slightly as she did. Her midsection was still a little tender. She grabbed the clock and stared at it. It was going on 6:30 a.m., and her flight was at 9:00. She stumbled into the bathroom and cut on the shower, stripping down before stepping into the stall. Her muscles ached somewhat, but it was her heart and mind that she knew would never heal up. She cleaned her body, then stepped out and wrapped herself in Mark's bathrobe. It hung down almost a foot longer than Sara was tall. Tears formed in her eyes, and she struggled to hold them in. As she dressed, there was a soft knock on her bedroom door. "Baby doll?" Andy asked from the other side. Sara slipped on her sweatpants and t-shirt, then opened the door. "Yeah?" she whispered. "How ya feelin'?" he asked. "I have to go to work…I don't have a choice," she said quietly. "You can ride with me and Lisa to the airport. Our flight's in an hour," he said quietly. "Okay," Sara said. "When's your flight?" he asked. "Take off is at, like, 9:06…or somethin'," she whispered. "Alright. Lisa and I will just wait for you in Providence," he said quietly. "Thanks, Andy," she said quietly. "Are you all packed up and whatnot? Lisa's downstairs cooking breakfast," he said softly. "I'm not hungry, Andy," she whispered. "Well, you're gonna put somethin' in your stomach before we leave," he said gently taking her hand in his and leading her down to the kitchen. Sara couldn't help but grin when he seated her at the counter island. "Thank you," she whispered. Andy nodded and kissed the side of her head softly.

Lisa put a plate of toast covered in jelly, as well as a cup of coffee, in front of Sara. "There ya go, sweetheart," Lisa said quietly. "Thank you, Lisa…for everything," Sara whispered. "It's no biggie, Sara. You know I'm here for ya," Lisa said quietly. Tears came to Sara's eyes, and Andy rubbed her back gently. "It's alright, Sara," he whispered. Sara forced the tears away and let out a slow breath. "I'll get through it," she whispered painfully, "It hurts…but I'll get through it…just like I've gotten through everything else." Lisa and Andy looked at each other, then back at Sara. "If you wanna talk about it, Sara…," Lisa said quietly. "I don't," Sara whispered. "Alright, baby doll, we won't force you," Andy said touching her hand softly. Sara looked up at him, forcing a grin. "Thank you, Andy," she whispered. "No problem, hon. Come on, let's eat up so we can get outta here," he said quietly. Sara nodded and munched on the toast Lisa had given her. It had been the first thing she'd had to eat since Sunday morning. When she finished, Lisa put the plates in the sink and they sat together while Andy took their luggage out to his car.

"You've only got to work today, right?" Lisa asked. "Yeah…I nearly gave Vince a heart attack when I worked Tuesday and Wednesday last week. I don't even know why I did it. I just didn't want to be at home, alone. I wanted to be around people who cared about me, ya know. Not that they could see it…because I was closed off from everybody," Sara said quietly, "So I'm just gonna work today, and do whatever Vince wants me to." "That's good, hon. You should take advantage of the six days off a week you get," Lisa said cracking a smile, "You could just go into town and max out all of Mark's credit cards, or take a sledgehammer to his motorcycles." Sara honestly laughed for the first time in over a week. "Wow, Lisa, you're brutal," she said wiping away the tears from her eyes. "That's it…just gotta get you smilin' more," Lisa said quietly. Sara sniffled slightly and whispered, "It's gonna be up and down for a while." "And that's okay. Just know that me and Andy really do care about you, and we want to help you with whatever you need," Lisa said quietly. "Thank you, Lisa," Sara whispered. Andy came back into the kitchen a few minutes later. "I swear, I think you two pack like we're leaving the country!" he said leaning against the counter. Sara smiled and chuckled softly. "Sorry, Andy," she whispered. "Don't worry about it. I'm used to it with Lisa," he said quietly, tapping her nose playfully, "Come on, let's get outta here." Sara slowly stood, but she glanced at Andy. "I'll meet you at the car," she whispered before dashing upstairs. In her bedroom, Sara picked up Mark's wedding ring from off the nightstand. She also grabbed the diamond pendant necklace he'd bought her years ago. She slipped the large wedding ring onto the necklace, before putting it around her neck. She took a deep breath before leaving the room, knowing inside that today would be one of the hardest of her life.

Andy pulled into the parking lot of the arena in Providence just after 1:30. Sara's plane had landed an hour and a half after his and Lisa's. Sara sat in the back seat, fiddling with Mark's wedding ring on her necklace. On her flight, she'd taken off her own wedding ring and placed it on the necklace so that the diamond rested between her and Mark's rings. "We're here, baby doll," Andy said turning off the car. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "You can do this, you know," he said as Lisa climbed out of the car, "It's just another day on the job." Sara swallowed and nodded. "Thanks, Andy," she whispered. She grabbed her duffel bag from beside her and climbed out of the car, shutting the door quietly. Andy led the way into the building, keeping an eye out for Mark. When they arrived at Mark's locker room door, Andy knocked quietly. "Yeah," came Mark's voice gruffly. Andy opened the door and peeked inside. "What?" Mark asked looking up at him. "Sara's here," Andy said quietly. "So?" Mark snapped. "Are you even gonna try to talk to her?" Andy asked. "Only through a lawyer," Mark answered. "Where's my daughter?" Sara said coming from behind Andy, "You said she was gonna be here." "Stacy's got her in catering," Mark answered standing. "Stacy's here?" Sara asked softly. "Yeah…I needed somebody I could trust to watch her while we're on the road," Mark said, emphasizing 'trust', "And since you're obviously not gonna be around, I turned to next best person." Sara swallowed as he glared at her, his green eyes dark with fury and pain. "Fine, Mark," she whispered before leaving the room.

"Jesus Christ, do you have to be such an asshole?" Andy said closing the door. "I'm not the one who cheated, Andy," Mark snapped sitting back down on the couch. "So what the hell did you go over to Stacy's place for?" Andy asked crossing his arms, "Why were you at her place at nine in the fucking morning?" "That's none of your goddamn business," Mark snapped. "If you did anything with that girl…then you have no right to judge Sara," Andy said heatedly. Mark slowly stood, crossing his arms as well. "I did to Sara what she did to me, Andy," he said plainly. "And you don't feel one ounce of regret?" Andy asked. Mark swallowed and looked away. "Yeah…that's what I thought. Now multiply that feeling by about a thousand, and you'll know how she feels," Andy said before leaving the room. "Whatever," Mark growled sitting back down on the couch. He was sick of the guilt trips from both Stacy and Andy. Since they'd had sex, Stacy had been trying to convince him to go talk to Sara, to at least attempt to work things out. "She cheated on me first," he whispered turning on a tape of the previous Monday's show, "I got my revenge." When Sara's match with Shelton came on, Mark moved to fast-forward through it, but changed his mind. Even knowing her mother had died the previous night, she'd still gone out on RAW and gave it her all. She had so much energy, even in the face of tragedy, and she was going to make a great World champion. Mark sighed and grinned slightly. _Yeah…she's gonna make a great World champion. I'll be cheering her on…even if she doesn't know it_, he thought.

Sara found Melissa in the catering room sitting with Stacy, just as Mark said she would be. Stacy watched as Sara walked over, at a loss for words. "Stacy," Sara said politely. "Hi, Sara," Stacy spoke. Sara kneeled down beside Melissa and hugged her tightly, not wanting to let go for anything. "I miss you, mommy," Melissa said. Sara slowly picked her up and grabbed the plate of food she'd been eating off of. She left the room without saying another word to Stacy. "Where are we goin', mama?" Melissa asked. "To the ladies' locker room," Sara answered, "I need to get changed, and you need to finish eating. Then, I'll take you to my favorite place in an arena." "The ring?" Melissa asked excitedly. Sara chuckled and kissed her cheek. "Almost as good as that, munchkin," she said softly. They went down to the women's locker room, where the entire locker room stared as Sara as she sat down in a cubby hole, and placed Melissa on the floor in front of her. Lisa came over and kneeled down. "He give her over easily?" she asked quietly. "She was with the babysitter," Sara said shrugging, "He brought Stacy on the road with him." Lisa sighed and looked down at Melissa, rubbing the small girl's head. "Hey, you," she said quietly. "Hey, Aunt Lisa. How are you?" Melissa said politely. "I'm just fine. Your dad takin' care of you?" Lisa asked. "Mmhmm," Melissa said nodding her head, "But I miss mommy." Sara smiled slightly and pulled off her sweatpants. "Are you wrestling tonight?" Lisa asked standing and leaning against the small wall beside Sara, separating the cubby holes. "Yeah…against Jay. Should be an easy match," Sara answered.

"You gettin' nervous about Summerslam?" Lisa asked quietly. "Not really, ya know. What can I say? It's my destiny," Sara answered with a smile. "Yeah, it is," Lisa said, "If you want me to watch Melissa while you're practicing-." "No, it's fine, Lisa, really. I'll just have her sit in a chair beside the ring and watch," Sara answered. "Mommy, are you gonna let me get in the ring?" Melissa asked looking up at Sara. "If you're really good, munchkin," Sara answered smiling at her. "I'll be an angel, like you," Melissa said going back to eating. Sara chuckled and shrugged. She slipped on a pair of silver nylon shorts, which came to just below her butt cheeks, and had her stage name written on the back of them in black lettering. She pulled her sweatpants back on, before slipping off her t-shirt. Her top for that night was of the same color and material as her shorts, but tied up behind her neck, with cross strings going over her back. It was pretty revealing for Sara, but it was comfortable. Once she was finally dressed, she ran a brush through her hair, pulling it into a loose ponytail. She dropped the brush in her bag and picked up Melissa, who was now done with her food. "Ready, munchkin?" Sara asked. Melissa nodded and stood, leaving the room well aware of the stares she'd been getting while she'd been in there. She quickly made her way up to the balcony, waving mindlessly to the people that she passed. When she arrived, she sat down and put her feet up on the seat in front of her.

"This is your favorite place, mama?" Melissa asked looking out at the empty arena. "Yeah, darlin'," Sara answered. "Why? It's so far away from the ring," Melissa said looking up at her. Sara smiled and kissed her nose. "It's peaceful up here, munchkin. Nobody bugs mama," she said quietly, "Now you and I are gonna have a talk." "Okay, mama," Melissa said. "Where are you and daddy staying?" Sara asked first. "I can't tell you, mama. Daddy said-." "I don't care what your father said. Tell me," Sara said simply. Melissa sighed and looked down at her hands. "Mama, I don't wanna get in trouble," she said quietly. "You won't. If your father even thinks of punishing you, I'll deal with it," Sara said. "Stacy's house," Melissa said softly. "Okay, next question. What's daddy doin' staying with Stacy?" Sara said quietly. "I don't know, mama. That's where Uncle Andy dropped me off at Friday morning," Melissa said quietly. Sara pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a deep breath. "How early Friday morning?" she asked. "Like early…I think it was, um, 9:30," Melissa answered. "So daddy stayed with Stacy the night before?" Sara asked. "I think so," Melissa answered. Sara closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "Did he say when he was gonna leave her house?" she asked. "No, mama," Melissa said quietly. "How close did he and Stacy seem to be?" Sara asked. "I don't know, mama. Daddy wasn't wearing a shirt…and Stacy was still asleep," Melissa said softly. "Oh, my God," Sara whispered painfully. "Daddy was in his own room, though, mama," Melissa said quietly. Sara let out a slow breath and looked down at her daughter. "Whatever happens with me and your father…I want you to know that I'll always be your mother," Sara whispered. "I know, mama," Melissa said. Sara sighed and removed the necklace from around her neck. "Here, munchkin," she whispered placing the necklace around Melissa's throat, clipping it into place. "What's this, mama?" Melissa asked. "That's, uh…a necklace your dad got me a long time ago…and that's our wedding rings," Sara whispered, "I want you to have that, okay?" "But it's so pretty, mama," Melissa said quietly. "I know, munchkin…that's the point. No matter what happens between us, I want you to know that your father and I created you out of our love…and just like diamonds are forever, so is our love for you," Sara said softly.

"Can I have my daughter back now?" Sara looked up into Mark's eyes, taking a deep breath. "I haven't had that much time with her, Mark," she whispered. "You forgot to ask if I cared," Mark snapped reaching for Melissa. "No, daddy! I wanna stay with mama!" Melissa said gripping Sara's t-shirt tightly. "Mark, please," Sara said quietly, "She's my daughter, too." "Again, you forgot to ask if I cared," Mark snapped pulling Melissa away. Melissa broke out into tears, and Sara's heart clenched. Mark's eyes dropped to the necklace, and he glared at Sara. "What the hell is this?" he snapped. "A gift for her," she whispered. "She doesn't need anything from you, Sara," Mark snapped reaching for the necklace. "Daddy, stop!" Melissa cried. Mark ignored her and removed the necklace, tossing it back to Sara. "You keep that shit. The last thing she needs is a reminder of the woman who slept with another man, then had the nerve to say how much she loved her daughter," Mark snapped before leaving, Melissa crying into his t-shirt. Sara's jaw dropped and she tried to breathe deeply. _This is too much_, she thought, _Now he's just being spiteful_. She stood and went down to Mark's locker room. She heard him yelling from two doors down, and she burst into his locker room. He was standing over Melissa, threatening her with a leather belt.

Sara immediately stepped between him and Melissa, her eyes narrowed. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" she snapped. "I told her I'd whip her little ass if she told you where we were staying," he said. "If you lay one hand on her, Mark, I swear to God, I'll kick your ass," Sara snapped. "Really? That's what you tried to do Thursday night, didn't you?" he growled. Sara's jaw dropped and she slapped him with all her might. "Don't talk to me like that," she hissed, "Yeah, I fucked up…big time. But you don't have to rub it in my face, Mark." "Oh, I'm about to do more than that," he said stepping close to her, a sneer on his face. Sara swallowed and stood up straight, her head raised defiantly. "Do it, then," she whispered, "Let Melissa see how much of a monster you really are. Let her see how much you really hate her mother." Mark took a deep breath and looked away. "Melissa, go find Uncle Andy," he said quietly. "Mama," Melissa said tugging at Sara's sweatpants. "Do what your father tells you, Melissa," Sara said, her eyes not leaving Mark's face. "But-." "Get outta here, Melissa," Sara said sternly. Melissa slowly left the room, shutting the door behind her. "So is this where we're gonna fight it out, Mark? In an arena locker room?" she asked crossing her arms, "Try not to kick my ass so much this time, why don't you? I've got a match. The last thing I need is to go out there with a huge black eye or bruised ribs." Mark sighed heavily and asked, "Are you trying to provoke me?" "No…I just wanna talk," she whispered.

Mark plopped down on the huge couch as Sara put the necklace back around her neck. "What about?" he asked. "Why you're at Stacy's house," Sara said. Mark sighed and leaned forward. "I went to her place," he whispered, "After we fought." "You mean, after you beat the shit outta me," she said quietly. Mark sighed and nodded. "Did you sleep with her?" Sara asked. Mark let out a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "I guess that says everything," Sara said going towards the door. "Sara, wait," he said standing. "You know, Mark…I can't say anything…revenge is revenge, either way you slice it. And you got yours," she said softly, "I hope it was sweet." She left the room and shut the door quietly. Mark groaned and sat back down on the couch. "Revenge isn't sweet, dollface…it's bitter," he whispered. Sara went down to the men's locker room and knocked on the door. Glenn answered it and grinned slightly. "Here to change with the men now, hon?" he asked jokingly. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Sorry, I don't qualify for that, big man. Is Jay in here?" she said with a grin. "Yeah, hold on," Glenn said shutting the door. Sara leaned against the wall, her arms crossed tightly. _I knew it_, she thought, _There's no way we can make it now…two wrongs don't make a right, and this is as wrong as it's ever gonna get_. Jason came out moments later, and Sara looked up at him. "Hey, you. We got a match tonight," she said grinning. "Oh, great. I guess I'm the lucky one who gets to get his ass kicked," Jason said smiling. "No, not too bad, I promise. I'll let you get a hit in…in the beginning," Sara said smiling, "Come on." They walked down the hall side by side, discussing spots for their match.

That night, Sara took her frustration and anger at Mark out on Jason. The poor man was thrown around the ring with an intensity Sara hadn't shown since winning her first Intercontinental title. When she finally pinned him, Shawn's music hit. Sara grabbed a microphone from Lillian and looked up towards the stage as Shawn walked out. "Hey, Angel. That was a pretty decent showing for a woman," Shawn said smartly. Sara smiled and nodded. "What do you want, Michaels? Here to just hand over the title so you don't have to be humiliated at Summerslam?" she asked. Shawn chuckled and shook his head. "No, of course not, Angel. I've got a little more pride than Christian does," he said pointing towards Jason, "I'm here to see what you're really made of." "What do you mean by that, Shawn?" she asked leaning against the ropes. Shawn headed down the ramp, shifting the World title onto his shoulder. "You see, Angel," he said, "Personally, I think it's a load o' crap that I have to fight you at the biggest pay-per-view of the summer. So I figured, we could just get this outta the way right now." Sara stepped back as Shawn slid into the ring. He speared her down, as planned, and began to nail her with right hands. Sara blocked his next hit, flipping him over her head. She rolled over, but Shawn was already on his feet. He nailed her in her ribs with a hard kick, flipping her over. Sara groaned and grabbed at her midsection. It was still tender from Thursday night, but Shawn didn't know that. He planted another boot in her midsection, and Sara screamed in pain. Shawn grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her to her feet. "I hope it's good for you, sweetheart," he snarled before nailing her with a DDT.

The entire arena went dark as Sara laid out in the middle of the ring. A loud gong sounded, and Shawn looked towards the ramp. The lights came on moments later, and the fans burst into cheers. Mark was standing right behind Shawn, his hand raised high. Shawn turned around and walked right into a chokeslam. Mark rolled Sara out of the ring, and helped her stand. He put a steady arm around her waist, helping her up the ramp carefully as the fans chanted her name. "You okay?" Mark asked in her ear. "I'm fine," she whispered back. When they got to the back, Sara immediately pulled away from him. "What the hell was that?" she snapped at him. "Vince's idea," he said before walking away. Sara sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. _Of course Vince has no idea what's happened between us_, she thought. Shawn came through the curtains moments later holding his back. "Holy crap…that one hurt a lot more than I thought it would," he said to Sara. "Sorry about that, Shawn," Sara said quietly. "Hey, don't worry about it," Shawn said, "You lookin' forward to the pay-per-view?" Sara smiled and nodded. "I just wish my mom could be here to see it," she said quietly. "She's watchin' from heaven, you know that," he said quietly. Sara nodded and rubbed her ribs gently. "You okay?" he asked seeing the grimace on her face. "Yeah…," she answered. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Don't worry about it, Shawn, not your fault," she said quietly. Vince came up and said, "I need you in a spot with Mark real quick, arguing about what just happened." "Alright," Sara said. "The cameraman's already there waiting," he said before walking away, "You got two minutes, then we come back from commercial." Sara nodded and waved good-bye to Shawn before running down to Mark's locker room. She knocked and the door opened, Mark standing there. "Vince wants us to argue about what just happened," she said. "Okay," he said stepping back. Sara stepped inside, followed by the cameraman. "You got 30 seconds til we come back," he told Sara. Sara nodded and sat down on the couch, grabbing a towel.

"And go," the cameraman said. "What the hell was that, 'Taker?" she snapped before wiping her face with the towel. "You looked like you were in trouble," Mark said simply. "Well, you know what? When I go up against Michaels at Summerslam, I'm gonna have to do that on my own. So why don't you do me a favor? Stay the hell outta my business," she said standing, "I've been getting my ass kicked for the past 12 years. I've never needed a man's help in my fights, and I sure as hell don't wanna start now." "Angel, don't take it like that. You've been by my side for a long time, and I don't wanna see you hurt," Mark said quietly. Sara took a deep breath and said, "Too bad…pain is a part of my life, Deadman…whether I like it or not." "If you don't want my help, that's fine, Angel. But don't say I didn't offer," he said before moving out of the shot. Sara tossed the towel on the couch and plopped down. The cameraman motioned that the shot was over, and Sara picked up the towel as he left the room. "What was that about, Mark?" she whispered. "What?" Mark asked leaning against the wall. "You know what I'm talking about," she said quietly, her eyes locking with his. "I don't know," he said quietly. Sara slowly stood and went over to him. "Are we done, Mark?" she asked softly, "Tell me now." "Yeah…we are," he answered quietly. Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she nodded. "Okay," she whispered stepping back, "Give me two days…and you can have the house back. Melissa needs stability, and that house gives her that. I don't want to keep anything, I want Melissa to have it all. She deserves that much." Mark nodded and looked down at the floor. "And please let her keep the necklace. I'm not gonna be there, so I want her to remember me," she said quietly. "Okay," Mark said quietly. Sara nodded and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Have a nice life, Mark," she whispered before leaving the room. Mark sighed and slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. "Not without you, dollface," he whispered painfully.

Sara headed down the hallway with her eyes on the ground. When she got to the women's locker room, she grabbed her duffel bag and walked right back out. Andy stopped her on her way out of the building. "You okay?" he asked quietly. "I'm fine, Andy," she said softly, "I'm just gonna take a cab back to the airport. I've got a red-eye back to Houston, and I'll take a cab home, too. Thanks for what you did for me at home." "What happened?" he asked knowingly. "I'm leaving, Andy…for good. I told Mark to give me two days, and then he could have the house back," she said softly. "I'll be home Wednesday afternoon, okay?" he said quietly. Sara nodded and hugged him tightly. "I'm gonna miss you, Andy," she whispered. "You know I'm only a phone call away," he said hugging her back. "I know…but still…," she whispered. Andy nodded and whispered, "I know…call me when you get home." "I will…I promise," she said before releasing him. Andy watched as she left the building, a sudden feeling in his heart telling him that something bad was going to happen, and soon.


	95. Near Tragedy

**Chapter 94…Near Tragedy**

Sara sat in the bathroom of her bedroom Wednesday night. Her mind wandered to all the good times she and Mark had had over the years they'd been together. _All we went through…and we couldn't get through the biggest battle_, she thought sadly, a pen in her hand. "Mark…I've loved you from the moment I met you. I knew, from the moment I'd stepped foot into the WWF, that you would be a huge part of my life. I didn't know how huge, though. You taught me so much about myself, and I'll always love you for that. I took advantage of your love for me on so many occasions, but you didn't mind. You are truly a selfless man, and I'll never be able to show you how much that means to me. Take care of our daughter, please. Make sure she has everything she needs, and everything she wants. Spoil the hell out of her, because she deserves it. Teach her what it means to be honest, to love, to not be afraid to cry, to not be afraid to kick any guy's ass who even looks at her wrong. Teach her the meaning of hard work, of sacrifice, of dedication. Let her know every day how much her mama loved her, and what I would've done for her if I'd had more time with her. Help her along that path to womanhood, please, even if you need Stacy's help. Please tell Vince I'm sorry for letting him down, and for letting the company down. He was my father when I didn't have one. He gave me chance after chance to go down in history, and I'm indebted to him for that. Tell Andy that I am sorry for always coming to him with all my problems. He was right all those times, over all these years, to tell me to come to you. I should've listened to him. Lastly, I hope that one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me, to understand that I always believed you were the only man for me. I love you…always and forever. Your wife, Sara Marie Callaway." Sara put the pen down and set the note down beside her, placing the necklace with her and Mark's rings on top of the note. She slowly picked up the razor blade as tears streamed down her face. "I'm sorry, Mark," she whispered running the blade vertically over each of her wrists. As the blood began to pour, Sara dropped the blade and stretched out on the bathroom floor. "God, forgive me," she whispered as a blackness consumed her.

Andy walked into the house at exactly 10:30 p.m. The houseshow had lasted longer than he thought it would, even though it had started at 3:00. Lisa stepped in behind him, and Andy shut the door. "You think Sara's asleep?" she asked quietly. "I don't know. I told her we'd be back late tonight, but she didn't say if she'd be awake," he said as they headed up to his room. Lisa dropped her bags on the floor, and plopped down on the bed. "You think I should go check on her?" she asked quietly. "Yeah…just to let her know we're here," he answered. Lisa stood and left the room, going down to Sara's bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, and Lisa entered. "Sara?" she called out, seeing that Sara wasn't in the bed, "I just wanted to let you know Andy and I are home now." Lisa looked around the room and sighed. The bathroom door was open slightly, and Lisa walked towards it. "Sara?" she called out again. Lisa's eyes went to the floor, and her jaw dropped as she slowly opened the door. "ANDY!" she screamed as loud as she could, dropping down beside Sara's body, "Oh, my God! Andy!" Andy came dashing into the bathroom, and his jaw dropped as well. "Oh, my God," he whispered kneeling down beside Sara. Blood nearly covered the space between the tub and sink, and Sara's face was absolutely pale. "Go call 911, Lisa!" he said checking for a pulse, "And tell them to haul ass!" Lisa stood and ran into the bedroom. "Come on, baby, you're not gone yet," Andy whispered struggling to find a pulse, "I'm not lettin' you leave like this." He grabbed towels from the closet, and wrapped them tightly around Sara's bleeding wrists, then checked for a pulse once more. He finally found it as Lisa came back into the bathroom with two leather belts.

"Is she still alive, Andy?" she asked with tears in her eyes, "Please say she's still alive." "I don't know, baby," he whispered as the towels turned red with blood, "Get me more towels." Lisa nodded and reached into the closet, tossing him two thick towels and the belts. "I've never seen so much blood, Andy," she whispered tearfully. "Why don't you go wait for the ambulance, okay?" Andy said looking up at her, "She's not goin' anywhere…not if I have anything to say about it." Lisa nodded and slowly stood, leaving the bathroom. Andy leaned down to Sara's ear and whispered, "You took the easy way out, baby doll. But you're not there yet. You better get your ass back, and right now. Shit hit the fan with you and Mark, yes, but that doesn't give you the right to give up on your whole life." He tied the belts around each of Sara's wrists, creating a makeshift tourniquet, trying to stop the blood flow. An EMS technician entered the room a few minutes later. "Sir, I need you to step away," the woman said. Andy stood and backed up as the woman kneeled down beside Sara. "How long has she been bleeding?" she asked Andy. "I don't know…I came home, and my fiancée found her here," Andy answered shakily. "When was that, sir?" she asked as another technician came into the bathroom. "About 10 minutes ago…but there was so much blood already," he whispered. "Does she have a pulse?" the man asked. "Yeah…it's faint, but it's still there," Andy answered. "Alright, let's get her outta here," the woman said as the man helped lift Sara's limp body onto a gurney.

Andy watched as they rolled her out of the bathroom, and he noticed the necklace on the floor. He picked it up and read the note, tears coming to his eyes. "My God, Sara…," he whispered leaving the bathroom. Lisa was at the bottom of the stairs with his keys in hand. "They're flying her to the hospital in town," she whispered. "Alright, let's go," he said quietly. "What's that?" Lisa asked pointing to the paper and necklace in his hands. "Her suicide note," he whispered walking out of the house. They rode to the hospital in silence, and arrived within 20 minutes of the helicopter. Andy rushed inside and immediately asked whether Sara had made it. "Sir, I need you to calm down. Mrs. Callaway has been rushed into the operating room," the nurse answered, "What is your relationship with her?" "I'm a friend of the family," Andy answered. "Well, unfortunately, I can't give you anymore information until her husband is notified of her status," the woman said. "I'll call him," Andy said pulling out his cell phone. He went outside and sat down on the bench, hitting speed dial on his phone. Mark's phone rang for an eternity, before he finally answered it.

"What's up, Andy?" Mark said. "Mark, Sara-." "I don't give a damn what she's done now, Andy," Mark snapped. "Listen to me, goddammit! Your wife-." "I'm not married anymore, Andy. For all I care, Sara can go jump off a bridge," Mark said heatedly. "She slit her wrists, Mark," Andy said. There was silence on the other end, and Andy thought Mark had hung up the phone. "Mark? I know you hate her guts, but-." "Where are you?" Mark asked. "The main hospital in Houston," Andy answered. "I'll be there in a half an hour," Mark said quietly, before disconnecting the phone call. Andy groaned and shoved his phone in his pocket. He went back inside and sat down beside Lisa in the waiting room. "What'd he say?" she asked. "He'll be here in a half an hour," Andy said quietly. They sat in silence until Mark rushed into the waiting room, a sleeping Melissa in his arms. "Where is she?" he asked hurriedly. "Surgery," Andy answered. "Oh, no," Mark whispered sitting down beside Andy. "She had a note and everything, Mark…she's been thinking about this-." "Since I told her we were done," Mark whispered painfully. Andy handed him the letter and necklace, and watched as Mark's eyes looked over the page. "Oh, dollface," Mark said softly, tears escaping from the corners of his eyes, "Andy, please take her."

Andy took Melissa and handed her to Lisa. He followed Mark to the receptionist's desk. "Yes, sir," the woman said. "My wife is…in surgery," Mark said quietly. "Are you Mr. Callaway?" she asked. "Yes, ma'am," Mark answered. "Your wife had a blood transfusion. We had her blood type in stock," the woman said, "She's been moved to room 334." "Can I go up?" Mark asked. "Yes, sir," she answered. Mark looked back at Andy, who said, "Go to her, Mark." "You and Lisa…can come up, too," Mark said quietly. "We'll be up in a little bit," Andy said, "She needs you…just you." Mark nodded and headed for the elevators. When he stepped onto the third floor, he quickly found the room Sara was in. "Oh, baby," he whispered going over to her bedside. There were two bags of type B+ blood being pumped into her left and right arms. He pulled up a seat and looked down at the necklace. He removed her wedding ring and looked at it. "I was stupid, dollface," he whispered putting the ring back on her left hand, "I should've realized we really are in this for life. I know shit's tough right now…but as soon as you get outta here, we're gonna go home…we're gonna go home together, and we're gonna work this out." He slipped the necklace over her head, before placing his own wedding ring on his silver necklace. "I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry for giving up on us," he whispered taking her left hand in his. He lowered his head and began to pray.

"Lord…I know I'm lost…I know I'm lost without You. My whole life has been spent with You watching from the outside, and I'm so sorry for that. I've sinned so much more than the normal person, and I'm sorry for that. But I beg you…don't take my wife from me. Let me work things out with her. Give her back to me, Lord, and give us a second chance to get it right," he cried, "Don't let our daughter grow up without her mother. Don't force me to live without my soulmate. We can get it right this time, I promise. Please don't take her." Andy came in an hour later to find Mark crying silently. "Mark?" he said quietly. Mark looked up at him and whispered, "I was never gonna leave her, Andy. I just needed time…just time." "I know," Andy said quietly, "She didn't." Mark dropped his head onto Sara's left hand, caressing it gently. "I love her so much, Andy. I can forgive her for anything because I love her so much. I told her way before we got married that, no matter what, we'd always be together…we'd work through everything, no matter what," he said quietly. "Listen, Lisa and I are headed home. Do you want us to take Melissa?" Andy said quietly. Mark merely nodded his head. "Okay…give me a call if you need anything," Andy said heading for the door. "I need you to pray for her, Andy," Mark said quietly. Andy looked back at him and nodded. "Are you gonna come home tonight?" he asked. Mark shook his head and looked at Sara's pale face. "She needs me, Andy," he whispered, "Just like I need her." "Alright. Lisa and I'll come back tomorrow," Andy said quietly, "You might wanna give Vince a call…to let him know about this." Mark nodded, but continued staring at Sara. Andy left the room, leaving a crack in the door. Down in the waiting room, Lisa was cradling Melissa against her. "How is he?" she asked. "Upset," Andy answered helping her up, "I told him we'd be back tomorrow." "Do you think she's gonna make it, Andy?" Lisa asked as they left. "She lost a lot of blood…a _lot_…but she's got a fighting chance…if she's still got the will to be alive," he answered.

Throughout the night, Mark went from praying quietly to sobbing openly. Never in a million years would he have guessed Sara would attempt suicide. As the sun rose, Mark stood and stretched his arms, yawning slightly. He sat back down and put his hand back in Sara's left one, squeezing gently. "You gotta wake up, dollface…Melissa needs you…_I_ need you," he whispered. A nurse came in around nine a.m. to replace the two bags of blood. "Will she be okay?" Mark asked quietly. "I'm not sure, sir," the man said, "She lost a lot of blood." "How much?" Mark asked. "Almost four pints, sir…that's half her blood," the man answered. Mark looked down at Sara, who still had a pale complexion. "When will you be able to tell if she's okay?" he asked. "Tomorrow, sir. We have to give her time to accept the blood transfusion," the man said, "I suggest you go home, sir, and sleep. We'll call you if there's any change." Mark let out a heavy sigh and leaned down to Sara's ear. "I'm gonna go home for a few hours, dollface, just to take a nap. I'll be right back at your side, though," he whispered, "I need you to wake up soon, though, baby. We've got a lot to talk about." He kissed her forehead gently and stroked her cheek before leaving the room.

The drive home was hard, because Mark was completely exhausted. When he finally parked in front of his house, it took all his energy to get out of the truck. Lucky and Marley came bounding up, and Mark smiled slightly. "I see you two missed me," he said kneeling down and rubbing their heads. He went into the house and up to his bedroom. When he stepped into the bathroom, tears came back to his eyes. There was dried blood all over the floor, and he knew it was all Sara's. He grabbed a few dark towels from the closet and dropped them over the floor, soaking up as much of the dark liquid as possible. He tossed the towels into a trashcan and wiped up the excess blood with small hand towels. When he finished, he stripped down and stepped into the shower stall. The hot water pelted over his skin, and Mark leaned against the wall. "You gotta make it, dollface…life's already short enough, so why end it before you have to," he whispered running a bar of soap over his skin. After he showered, he dried off and pulled on a pair of 'West Coast Choppers' boxers, setting his alarm for 4:00 p.m. He climbed into the bed and passed out within moments.

When the alarm sounded, Mark shot up out of the bed, slamming his hand down on the clock before going over to the dresser. He grabbed a t-shirt and pulled it over his head, then went into the closet and grabbed a pair of jeans, pulling those on as well. He slipped on his boots and went downstairs. Lisa and Andy were in the living room with Melissa. "Daddy!" Melissa said running over to him. Mark leaned down and picked her up. "You okay?" he asked quietly. "Yeah…where's mama?" she asked. Mark sighed and softly said, "She's in the hospital, munchkin. I'm goin' to see her now." "Can I go?" she asked. "I don't know, baby…mama's really tired, and she's trying to get her energy back," he answered. "Please, daddy," Melissa said. Mark sighed and nodded. Melissa smiled and hugged his neck tightly as he went into the living room. "I'm going back to the hospital," he said quietly. "Okay. Is she going with you?" Andy said. "Yeah…maybe it'll help," Mark said rubbing Melissa's back. "Alright. Call if you need us," Andy said. "Thanks, Andy," Mark said grabbing his keys and leaving the house. He pulled into the hotel parking lot a half an hour later, and quickly parked. With Melissa in his arms, he hurried up to Sara's room. She still hadn't moved, so Mark sat down in the seat he'd been in the night before. "Dollface…Melissa's here. She'd love to talk to you," he said taking Sara's left hand in his own.

"Mama?" Melissa said quietly, "Daddy took me home. I got my cast off the other day, and my leg was all blue and yucky. But now I can run around with Lucky and Marley like I used to. Uncle Andy said he was gonna teach me how to swim, too. He let me climb the big tree in the backyard today, but I didn't fall this time. I got to the very top! And Aunt Lisa braided my hair in…a French braid. She said you wear it on TV sometimes. She said I looked just like you with my hair in a braid." Sara didn't move, and Mark let out a slow breath. "Is she okay, daddy?" Melissa asked him. "She's sleeping, baby," he said quietly, "She's really tired, so she's catching up on her sleep." "Why can't she do it at home?" she asked. "She's sick, baby. So she had to come to the hospital so they could help her get better. But she's comin' home, isn't that right, baby?" he said squeezing Sara's hand once more. Mark turned on the television in the room, and set Melissa in a chair in front of it. "You bein' here is really helpin' your mom get better," he whispered kissing her cheek. He went back over to Sara's bedside, and looked down at her. The color was slowly returning to her face, so he knew she'd be okay. He smiled slightly and sat down at her side. "I oughta kick your ass for that little stunt, dollface…but I know why you did it," he whispered taking her hand in his, "Heartbreak can lead to disaster, baby…I know, because I went down that road myself. But just like I did…you're gonna make it. And we're gonna be stronger because of it."

The hours passed by, and Mark took Melissa to a diner for dinner. Andy and Lisa came to sit with Sara while he was gone. When he came back, the two people were watching Smackdown on the television. "Is it a good show?" Mark asked quietly. "Yeah…I gotta admit, we may be the flagship show on RAW, but these guys are gonna be kickin' our asses soon," Andy said grinning, "Maybe I oughta go back to that show." Mark smiled and placed Melissa in Lisa's arms. "I wanna be a wrestler, daddy," Melissa said looking at the screen. Mark chuckled and rubbed her head. "Sure you do, munchkin," he said going back over to Sara's bed. He slowly sat down beside her, placing her hand back in his. "Hey, you," he whispered, "I'm back. I took Melissa to dinner, because she was complaining about hospital food. I guess we kinda know what she means. I hope you're catching up on your sleep, and having good dreams. If you see mom, tell her I said hi. And that I'm sorry I hurt her daughter…I'm sorry I caused her daughter so much pain. I hope she forgives me, and doesn't curse me from the heavens." He chuckled slightly and leaned down, kissing Sara's forehead softly. He sniffled slightly and lowered his head, beginning to pray silently once more. He was interrupted an hour later by Andy tapping his shoulder.

"We're gonna head home. Lisa's falling asleep, and Melissa's knocked out," Andy said quietly. "Okay. Thank you, Andy," Mark said quietly. "No problem. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Andy said as Lisa left the room with Melissa. Mark nodded and looked back down at Sara. "I think I'll go with you," he said slowly climbing off the bed. "Are you sure?" Andy asked. "Yeah…I need a full night's sleep, and the doctor said Sara needs a good night's rest, too," Mark said quietly. "Alright," Andy said. They left the room together, and Mark drove home alone. He wanted to spend some time thinking of what to do once Sara woke up, when to bring her home, and when they were going to actually talk. He finally drove home after an hour of driving around the city of Houston. He went up to Melissa's room, where she was stretched out in the middle of her bed, her covers kicked onto the floor. Mark smiled slightly as Marley came trotting up. "Come here, boy," he whispered picking up the small dog and setting him in the bed beside Melissa, "You're more her dog than mine." He pulled the covers back over his daughter and kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams, munchkin," he whispered before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him. He went down to his room, smiling at the sight of Lucky curled up at the end of the bed. "You're just makin' yourself right at home, aren't you?" Mark asked kicking off his boots. The dog looked up at him, then went right back to his comfortable position on the bed. "Off," Mark commanded gently, pulling off his t-shirt. Lucky whined softly, but Mark stared at him. The dog slowly jumped off the bed, laying down at the end of the bed instead. "Good boy," Mark whispered shutting the bedroom door and climbing into the bed. His eyes closed, and he was asleep within minutes.

The next morning, Mark went right back to the hospital, this time without Melissa. When he entered Sara's room, there was a doctor checking her pulse. "How is she?" Mark asked quietly. "She's gonna be just fine, Mr. Callaway. All we're waiting on now is for her to wake up," the doctor said. "Good," Mark said sitting down beside Sara, once again placing her hand in his, "I do have one question." "Okay," the woman said to Mark. "She's a wrestler. How long is she gonna need off?" Mark said. "A couple weeks, just to get her energy back up. We're going to give her medicine to get her cell count back up, but she's accepted the blood transfusion nicely. If she wakes up today, she can probably go home Monday," she said. "Well, we have to be in Philadelphia that day. Will she be okay to travel?" he asked. "It depends on how she's feeling, it really does. I wouldn't suggest it, but she seems like a fighter, so she might be up to it," she answered. Mark smiled and nodded. "Yeah, she's a fighter alright," he whispered squeezing Sara's hand gently. "She's got a good strong pulse now, so I'll just let her sleep for now. If she wakes up, please come get me," the doctor said. Mark nodded and looked up at her. "Thank you so much," he whispered. "It's what I do," she said before leaving the room. Mark smiled slightly and looked back at Sara. "My little fighter indeed," he whispered.

After a couple hours, Mark stood and went to the window. "Thank you, Lord…we're gonna be okay, and I only have You to thank for it. You're a miracle worker, and I truly believe that now. I'll learn how to come to you more and more, to rely on your more and more for whatever problems I have, no matter how big or small," he said quietly, "And I know Sara will, too. I'll make sure of it." He sat down beside Sara and leaned down to her face, kissing her forehead gently. "You are an amazing woman, Sara Marie Callaway. I knew it from the moment I saw you," he whispered, "You're a fighter, independent, loving, hard-headed…but you never give up on anything. You admit when you've made a mistake, just like me. And I admit, dollface, I made the biggest mistake of my life for even contemplating leaving you. Please…just wake up for me, dollface. Open those big, beautiful brown eyes of yours so I can tell you how much I love you." He slowly kissed her lips, not expecting any response. When pressure returned on his lips, his eyes shot open. Sara stared at him with tears in her eyes. "Oh, my God, dollface," he whispered kissing her more feverishly. Sara's hand went to his cheek, and she wiped away the tears that had fallen. When he pulled up, Sara let out a slow breath.

"I didn't think I was ever gonna see you again," she whispered as tears escaped her own eyes. "You're stuck with me, dollface," he whispered kissing her once more. Sara slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, wrapping her fingers in his hair. "I missed you so much, Mark…when I was…in that dark place," she whispered against his lips, "I called for you…but there was nobody there." "Well, I'm here now, baby," he whispered crying softly, "And I'm not goin' anywhere…ever." Sara cried and hugged him as tightly as she could. She felt so weak, though. "Did you find me?" she asked softly. "No…Lisa and Andy did…he called me, and I came right over," he whispered. "Is Melissa okay?" she asked as he sat back up. "Yeah, she got her cast off, and she's back to her normal self," he said softly, "Waitin' for her mama to come back home." "I take it we have…a lot to talk about," she whispered. "Yeah…we do…but we're gonna get through it," he said touching her hand softly. Sara reached up and touched the ring on his necklace. "It's where it should've been the whole time," he whispered, "Just like yours." Sara looked down at her own wedding ring, and the tears returned. "How can you even look at me, Mark?" she whispered turning her head away. Mark touched her chin and gently tilted her head towards him. "Because love endures through every circumstance," he whispered. "Even the worst?" she asked softly. Mark wiped away the tears and nodded. "Even the worst, darlin'," he whispered, "I'm gonna go get the doctor, and see if you can come home today. Do you feel up to it?" "I shouldn't be here in the first place…but that's the decision I made," Sara whispered.

Mark leaned down and kissed her once more before leaving the room. When he returned with the doctor who'd been there before, Sara had just sat up. Mark came over to her and grinned. "Impatient as usual," he whispered kissing her softly. Sara smiled and looked down at her hands. "Mrs. Callaway, I just want to check a few things, okay?" the doctor said to Sara. Sara looked at the older woman and nodded. Sara had to take deep breaths while the woman checked her heartbeat, her lung capacity, her blood pressure, and even her pupil dilation. When she was done, Mark took Sara's hand in his own. "Well, doc?" he asked quietly. The woman smiled at the couple. "You're well enough to go home. But you're going to be on strict bed-rest for the weekend. Your husband told me you have to be in Philadelphia Monday morning, so I'm going to give you some medicine to help get your energy back up. However, I can't give you clearance to do any strenuous physical activity for at least 14 days," she said. Sara nodded and looked at Mark. "Just enough time before Summerslam," she whispered. Mark leaned forward and kissed her gently. "Shawn won't know what hit him," he whispered. "Give me a few minutes, and I'll be back with the necessary documentation and a wheelchair," the woman said. Mark and Sara both nodded absentmindedly, too enamored with each other. The woman smiled and left the room.

"Melissa's gonna flip when she sees you," Mark said quietly. "So she's a gymnast now, huh?" Sara asked quietly, a smile on her face. Mark chuckled slightly and shrugged. "She told me she still wanted to be a wrestler," he said quietly. "She can be anything she wants," she whispered, "Did you call Vince?" "No…I knew you were going to be okay, so there was no need to worry him," he answered. Sara looked away as the tears returned. "I'm sorry, Mark…I'll never be able to say that enough," she whispered looking down at the bandages around her wrists, "For everything I've done to hurt you." "Hey, let's not even worry about it today, okay?" he whispered. Sara sniffled slightly and nodded. "Okay," she whispered. The doctor came back ten minutes later with a clipboard and wheelchair. "Do you have a change of clothes?" she asked Sara. Sara shook her head and looked at Mark. "The only clothes…are the ones from…," he whispered. "Don't worry about it. Those gowns cost pennies on the dollar," the woman said handing a pen and the clipboard to Sara. Sara signed in the places marked, and handed the clipboard back to the woman. "Okay. Here's your medicine," she said handing Sara a brown paper bag, "Take two pills every hour for the next few days, and you should start to feel better. If you don't, come back to the hospital." Sara nodded as Mark helped her into the wheelchair. "Here's my card if there's any problems while you're at home," she said handing Mark a small business card. It read Dr. Leigh Jordan. "Thanks, Dr. Jordan," he said quietly. "No problem," Dr. Jordan said smiling, "I'm glad I could help." Mark rolled Sara down to his truck, and helped her inside. On the drive back, he placed his right hand over her left one, linking their fingers together. "We're gonna be fine, dollface," he whispered. Sara sniffled and nodded slightly. "I believe you," she whispered.

When they pulled up in front of the house, Mark turned off the car and looked over at Sara. "What?" she whispered staring at her hands. "I hate to think I almost gave up the best thing that ever happened to me," he whispered. "I'm far from that, Mark," she whispered painfully, "I'm an attention-freak who thinks she's too good to ask for help, who wants things her way or no way at all, who-." Mark cut her off by kissing her gently. "I hate it when you do that," Sara whispered when he pulled away. "Why?" he asked. "I hate when you cut me off when I'm admitting my flaws," she whispered. Mark climbed out of the truck and came over to her side, pulling her carefully into his arms. Sara wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled slightly. "I love you, Mark," she whispered slowly. Mark grinned and kissed her once more. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered. "Always?" she asked. "And forever," he completed going up the stairs. The door opened and Sara smiled at Lisa. "Welcome back, hon," Lisa said hugging her carefully, "Don't you ever do that again!" Sara chuckled slightly and hugged her carefully. "If Mark has anything to do about it, I won't," she said quietly. Mark carried her into the house as Lisa shut the door. "How is she, Mark?" Andy asked from the living room. Mark smiled and entered the room. Andy shot up and came over to them, hugging Sara tightly. "Careful," Sara whispered. Andy looked at her and asked, "Where are your clothes?" "Trash," she answered quietly. "Good," he said grinning slightly, "I oughta kick your ass, ya know." "Maybe in a couple weeks," she said smiling as well. "Is that when you can get back in the ring?" Lisa asked standing beside Andy.

Sara nodded and looked down at her wrists. "I'm sorry, you guys," she whispered. "You're okay, and that's all that matters, sweetheart," Lisa said touching her shoulder. Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she shook her head. "It's not okay…I shouldn't have caused you guys so much pain," she whispered. "Don't worry, baby doll. You're home now," Andy said quietly. "Where's Melissa?" Sara asked softly. "Outside with Lucky and Marley. Ever since she got that cast off, she's been a little firecracker," Andy said grinning. Sara smiled and looked at Mark. "You're on bed-rest, dollface. I'll bring her to you," he said quietly. "Okay," she said as Mark took her up to their room. He laid her in the bathroom, and set her gently on the floor. "Hold on, okay?" he whispered. Sara nodded and watched as he ran her a bubble bath. She slipped off the hospital nightgown and he picked her up, setting her into the large tub. He bathed her gently, moving over the stitches on her wrists with care. When he was done, he wrapped her in one of her favorite blue towels and carried her back into their room. He pulled off his t-shirt and put it on her, then helped her under the covers. "Are you hungry?" he asked. "Starving," she whispered. "Alright. I'll go fix you a sandwich," he said quietly. "Mark…," she whispered. "Yeah, baby," he asked sitting down at her side. "Am I really stuck with you?" she asked softly. Mark smiled and kissed her gently. "Without a doubt, dollface," he whispered before leaving the room. Sara fiddled with her wedding ring until there was a knock on the bedroom door.

Melissa walked in with a plate and glass. Sara smiled as her daughter came over to the bed. "Hey, there, munchkin," she whispered. "Hi, mama. Daddy said I could bring you lunch, but I had to promise not to 'jump all over you when I saw you'," Melissa said handing Sara the plate. Sara put the plate and glass down on the nightstand and motioned for Melissa to get on the bed. She hugged her daughter as tightly as she could, and kissed her temple. "How are ya, munchkin?" she asked quietly. "I missed you, mommy," Melissa answered. "I missed you, too, munchkin. But I'm home now," Sara said softly. "Good…are you and daddy still getting divorced, mommy?" Melissa asked looking up at her. Sara shook her head and caressed her cheeks. "We're gonna be just fine, baby," she whispered, "We've got some things to…work out…but we're gonna be just fine." "Good," Melissa said resting on Sara's legs. Sara stroked her head softly as she bit down on the turkey sandwich Mark had made her. When she finished, she had Melissa take the plate and glass back downstairs. "I'm gonna sleep now, okay, darlin'? As soon as I get better, we'll go play with Marley and Lucky," Sara said before Melissa left. "Okay, mommy," Melissa said before shutting the door. Sara yawned and stretched out on the bed, her eyes drifting shut and a peaceful sleep overtaking her.

Sara awoke the next morning curled up against Mark, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist and his nose buried in the back of her head. She smiled and yawned slightly. "Good morning," Mark whispered kissing her cheek. Sara looked over her shoulder at him, and touched his cheek softly. "It is," she whispered. Mark smiled and kissed her softly. "You feel okay?" he asked. "Yeah…I don't know how I'm gonna stay in bed all weekend," she whispered, "I feel better already. The medicine helped a lot." "Well, I can take you downstairs and we can watch a movie. Andy and Lisa took Melissa to the mall for a few hours," he said quietly. "What time is it?" she asked. Mark glanced over his shoulder, then looked back at her. "Quarter after eleven," he said softly. "I'm hungry," she whispered. Mark smiled and rolled out of the bed, slowly picking her up. They went downstairs, and he set her on the couch. "What do you want to eat?" he asked quietly. "Eggs…and bacon," she whispered. Mark grinned and kissed her once more before going into the kitchen. Sara flipped through the stations before settling on cartoons. Mark came in 15 minutes later with two plates of food. "Shit," he whispered. "What?" she asked. "We need another table," he said quietly. Sara looked up at him, and he sat down beside her. "Don't worry about it," he whispered. Sara set her plate on her lap, and began to eat her food. "Why are we watching cartoons?" he asked grinning. "What can I say? I'm a kid at heart," Sara answered. Mark chuckled and put a forkful of eggs in his mouth. "I forgot how good a cook I am," he said grinning. Sara laughed and shook her head. "Some things don't change," she whispered. "Of course not, dollface," he said kissing the side of her head. Sara smiled and bit into a juicy piece of bacon. "This is gonna take forever to work off," she said chewing happily, "But who cares?" Mark chuckled and shrugged. "You'll burn it off just by sitting there," he said smiling at her.

After breakfast, Mark took the plates back into the kitchen. He went into the living room, and found Sara with her head on her hands. "What's wrong, dollface?" he asked sitting down beside her. "Can we sit outside, Mark?" she asked softly. "Sure, baby," he answered slowly picking her up. He carried her out to the pool and sat down in one of the chairs, rubbing her back gently. "You wanna talk?" he asked quietly. "No," she whispered, "I don't know what to say anymore." Mark swallowed and let out a slow breath. Sara rested her head on his shoulder, her fingers twirling the ends of his hair around. "I'm tired, Mark," she whispered. "Okay, baby, I'll take you upstairs," he said moving to stand. "No…I wanna sleep outside," she said quietly. "Thought you said you'd never sleep outside," he said softly. Sara smiled and settled into his arms even more. "You've carried me around enough," she whispered, "Just let me stay out here." "Okay, baby," he whispered. Sara yawned and closed her eyes, falling asleep in moments. Mark sighed and kissed her forehead softly. He sat outside for another 15 minutes before taking her upstairs, laying her carefully in the middle of their bed. Noticing spots on the bandages on her wrists, he went into the bathroom and got clean bandages and a wet rag. He came back into the room and carefully removed the bandages. Tears came to his eyes at the sight of her stitches. "Oh, dollface…we're gonna make it, baby, I promise. If it kills me, I'll make this work," he said wiping the spots of blood from each wrist before wrapping them with the clean bandages. He dumped the dirty materials into the trashcan beside his bed, then climbed into bed beside her. "I love you, Sara," he whispered before closing his eyes and falling asleep as well.

Andy walked through the door around four o' clock with his hands full of bags. Melissa went into the living room with Lisa as he kicked the door shut. He should've known that shopping with Melissa and Lisa would be an interesting experience. They'd gone to every single store in the mall, most of the time not even making a purchase. Lisa had bought Melissa several sets of clothes, as well as a few books. Andy had bought two pairs of shoes, a few pairs of jeans, and a couple of t-shirts. All of his things had only taken up two bags. Melissa and Lisa, however, ended up with four bags apiece. He put Melissa's new belongings in her room, then went down to his room. When he went downstairs, he found Lisa and Melissa playing with Marley on the living room floor. _She's gonna make a helluva mother one day_, he thought watching them from the living room doorway, a slight grin on his face. "What's wrong, baby?" Lisa asked from the floor. "Nothin'," he said coming over to them, "You have a good time today, munchkin?" Melissa smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Uncle Andy," she said hugging his neck. Andy smiled and hugged her tightly. Her parents had raised her right. "You treat my daughter right?" Andy released Melissa, who ran into the open arms of her father. "Hey, munchkin," he whispered picking her up, "You have fun?" "Aunt Lisa got me clothes, daddy! And new toys!" Melissa said smiling. Mark looked at Lisa and said, "You didn't have to, Lisa." "I know, but I wanted to," she said grinning, "Besides…for some reason, I can't say no to her." Mark chuckled and kissed Melissa's cheek. "I know what you mean," he said quietly.

"How's Sara?" Andy asked helping Lisa up. "She's really tired. The medicine is working…but she's still tired," he answered quietly. "Is she asleep?" Lisa asked. Mark nodded as they sat down on the couch. "I think she'll be a little better tomorrow," he said quietly. "Good," Andy said turning on the television. "You guys up for a movie?" Lisa asked. "Yeah, sure," Mark said quietly. Lisa stood and went into the small closet holding the DVD collection. "What are you in the mood for?" she asked. "Somethin' Melissa can watch," Mark answered. Lisa smiled and pulled out _Mrs. Doubtfire_. She came back out and put the DVD into the player. As the movie started, Melissa settled into her father's arms. "Mommy's okay?" she asked quietly. "Yeah, sweetheart, she just needs to sleep," Mark answered kissing her cheek. "Okay," Melissa said turning her attention to the television. The movie ended around six o' clock, and Mark set Melissa beside him. "I'm gonna go check on mama, okay?" he said standing. Melissa nodded while Lisa went to get another movie from the closet. Mark went upstairs and entered his bedroom quietly. Sara was still fast asleep, curled up against Lucky, the large dog asleep as well. Mark grinned and went over to Sara's side. "Dollface?" he whispered touching her cheek gently. Sara's eyes fluttered open and locked with his. "Hmm?" she said softly. "You feel okay?" he asked quietly. Sara swallowed and shook her head. "I feel weak, Mark," she said quietly. "I'll go make you somethin' to eat, okay?" he said caressing her cheek with his thumb. "I just wanna sleep," she said softly. "You need to get some food in you, dollface," he said quietly, "You only ate a little bit this morning." "Okay…we have soup, right?" she asked quietly. Mark nodded and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he said. Sara nodded and closed her eyes once more.

Mark went down to the kitchen and pulled a can of tomato soup from the cabinet. He quickly warmed it up, and toasted a couple pieces of bread. He was back up in his bedroom 10 minutes later. He set the tray down on the nightstand and sat down beside Sara. "Smells good," she whispered opening her eyes. Mark watched as Lucky jumped off the bed and left the room. He smiled slightly and helped Sara to sit up. "I think we woke him up," she said softly. "Yeah, he didn't seem happy about it," he said grinning. Sara smiled and reached for the bowl. "Can you hold it?" Mark asked softly. "I can try," she said quietly. Mark set the bowl in her hands, but Sara grimaced and shook her head. Tears came to her eyes as Mark took the bowl. "Don't worry about it, dollface," he whispered, "Your energy will come back." "God, I fucked up so bad, Mark," she whispered. "Listen, we'll talk about everything tomorrow. For now, I just want you to rest," he said quietly. Sara sighed and nodded. "Okay," she whispered. Mark slowly fed her, but she only managed to eat half of what he'd made. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "For what, dollface?" he asked setting the bowl down. "For everything, Mark…I never meant for things to happen like this," she said quietly. "We'll talk about it tomorrow, okay?" he said quietly. "I know…I just can't apologize enough," she whispered. "If you're up to it tomorrow, we'll ride out to the lake…and we'll talk about everything there," he said cupping her face, "Just get some rest for now." Sara nodded and he helped her lie back down. "I love you, dollface," he whispered kissing her softly. "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered before falling back asleep. Mark sighed and pulled the covers over her. Tomorrow was going to be a very emotional day for both of them. _No more secrets_, Mark thought leaving the room, shutting the door quietly, _She'll tell me everything…and I'll tell her everything_.


	96. No More Secrets

**Chapter 95…No More Secrets**

Mark awoke the next day lying on the couch, Melissa asleep on his chest. After feeding Sara, he'd come back down and taken Melissa outside to the pool. They'd talked for close to two hours about what had happened to Sara, and why it had happened. Mark was so glad he could speak to Melissa about such mature topics, because he wanted her to understand that he and Sara would be married for life. He wanted to help her understand that, no matter what they fought about, her parents would always be together. He glanced at his watch and sighed. It was nearing one o' clock, and he didn't want Sara to sleep too late. He carried Melissa upstairs and went into his bedroom. The bed was empty, and he heard water running in the bathroom. He went into the bathroom, and found Sara sitting in the tub, tears pouring down her cheeks. He set Melissa down and ushered her out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Sara looked up at Mark, and he felt her sorrow. "Baby," he whispered cutting the water off. "Mark, I'm so sorry," she cried looking down at her wrists, "I almost let everybody down…I'm so sorry." Mark sighed and rubbed her back gently. "Did you sleep okay?" he whispered. Sara shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. "I dreamt about mom," she whispered, "She said she was disappointed in me, Mark…she said she didn't raise a quitter…and by doing what I did, I was a quitter." Mark let out a slow breath, continuing to rub her back. "Sara, you're not a quitter," he whispered, "You would be a quitter if you didn't fight to stay alive…but you did fight. You realized your mistake, and you knew your life wasn't complete…so you're not a quitter." "Look at these, Mark," she said showing her wrists, "This is what a quitter does!" Mark touched her stitches gently and said, "Just think of them as battle scars, dollface. You were in a battle…and you came out of that battle." Sara sniffled and shrugged. "Maybe I'll see it that way eventually," she whispered. "Come on, I'll help you," he said quietly, grabbing a rag from the side of the tub.

Sara was grateful for Mark's help, because she'd had only enough energy to get from the bed to the bathroom. After he finished, he took her back into their bedroom, where Melissa was sitting on the bed rubbing Marley's fur. "Are you okay, mama?" Melissa asked from the bed. "Yeah, hon, I'm just a little tired. But your dad's taking care of me," Sara said as Mark set her down on the bed. "I'm goin' to fix you some food, okay, dollface?" Mark said grabbing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from the dresser. "Okay, baby," Sara said reaching for the clothes. Mark grinned and held them up. "Come on, Mark," she said smiling as well, reaching for them. Marley jumped up and latched onto the shorts with his teeth. "Now look what you did!" Sara said trying to pull Marley away from her shorts. Mark chuckled and released the clothes. "Be back in a bit, dollface," he said before leaving the room. Sara smiled and looked down at Marley, who had taken his place back in Melissa's lap. "You sneaky little devil," she said rubbing his head. "Mama?" Melissa said quietly. "Yeah, munchkin," Sara said pulling on the shorts. "Are you and daddy gonna be okay?" Melissa asked. "You know, darlin'…I think we will," Sara said quietly, "I love him so much, and you know I'd never hurt your dad on purpose. It's just that…sometimes, I do. And when I do, I don't realize that I'm hurting him until after it's over." "Does daddy hurt you?" Melissa asked. "Sometimes…but that's what a marriage is, baby. Gettin' through the rough spots, so you can enjoy the good times even more," Sara answered pulling the t-shirt over her head.

"Daddy said he hit you," Melissa said quietly. Sara sighed and laid back on the bed, resting her hand on Marley's side. "Yeah…he did, darlin'…," she said softly, "But he's never done it before, and I hope we never get to that point where it happens again." "Are you going back to work tomorrow?" Melissa asked. Sara let out a slow breath and nodded. "I have to, baby," she said quietly. "But you're tired, mama," Melissa said. "Yeah, I know, sweetheart. But you've gotta understand…if you love what you do, you'll deal with anything," Sara said, "And I love what I do." "I know, mama," Melissa said. "Just think, baby, in a couple weeks, you get to wear the World title around the house," Sara said smiling. Melissa smiled and clapped her hands together. "I'm gonna be World champ!" she said excitedly. Sara chuckled and pinched her cheek. "We'll be co-World champ, okay?" she said grinning. Melissa smiled and nodded. "Great, baby. Are you gonna give me a good challenge? I'm not lettin' that title go easy," Sara said. "I know, mama. Just don't hurt me too much," Melissa said. Sara smiled and rested her head on the pillow beside Melissa. "Of course not, sweetheart," she said quietly. Mark came back a few minutes later with a plate of salad, and a cup of fruit punch. "Here ya go, sweetheart," he said sitting down at her side. Sara slowly sat up, and he placed the plate on her lap.

"Munchkin, why don't you go downstairs with Uncle Andy?" Mark said to Melissa. Sara watched as Melissa climbed off of the bed with Marley and left the room, shutting the door quietly. "How are you really feelin', dollface?" Mark asked quietly. Sara looked down at the plate and sighed. "Scared out of my mind, Mark," she said honestly. "Why?" he asked softly. Sara looked at him with tears in her eyes. "We have to talk," she whispered. "I know, dollface," he said quietly. "I don't want this talk to make things worse…," she whispered as a tear fell from her eye. Mark touched her cheek and wiped the tear away. "It won't, baby. After today, we're not gonna have anymore secrets between us. We're gonna get everything off our chest, good and bad. I'm gonna tell you everything, and I want you to do the same. And then…we're gonna pray," he whispered, "We're gonna pray for the strength to get through this, to forgive each other, and to be loyal and honest from here on out." "You think He'll listen to us?" she whispered. "He didn't take you from me, dollface…that's all the proof I need," he said quietly. Sara swallowed and nodded. "Okay…we'll pray," she whispered. Mark grinned slightly and kissed her forehead. "Why don't you go ahead and eat up? I'll go fix us some sandwiches to take on the trip," he said softly. "Okay," she said looking down at her plate. Mark slowly stood and left the room. Sara took her time eating; the salad Mark had made gave her a little more energy than she expected. When she finished, she set the plate on the nightstand and put her feet on the floor.

"Okay…one step at a time," she whispered. She went into the closet and pulled on a pair of sandals, then made her way down to the living room. Mark was sitting on the couch with Andy and Melissa. "What are you doin' walkin' around?" Andy asked, "I thought you were on bed-rest." Sara grinned slightly and carefully came over to them. "I'm feeling a little better," she said sitting down on Mark's lap. His arms came around her and he rubbed his nose in her hair. "Are you sure?" Andy asked. "Stop being overprotective, Andy," she said grinning. "You ready?" he asked. Sara looked at him and let out a slow breath. "Yeah," she whispered. Mark looked at Andy, who nodded knowingly. Mark slowly stood and set Sara down on her feet. "We're gonna take my motorcycle out there, okay?" he said as they headed towards the front door, "Can you handle that?" Sara nodded and linked her fingers with his own. "We gotta get out there somehow," she said quietly. Mark opened the front door and let her out first, then followed and shut the door behind him. This was going to be the hardest conversation he would have with his wife.

"Hold on tight, dollface," Mark said as they climbed onto his motorcycle. Sara nodded and put her arms around his waist, resting her head on his back. Mark started the machine up, smiling as it seemed to purr between his legs. Mark drove slowly across the land, surveying the purity of the scene, while not wanting to make Sara too uncomfortable. It had been a while since she'd ridden behind him. When they reached the lake, Mark stopped the motorcycle and put the kickstand down, then turned it off. "It's so beautiful out here," she whispered. "Yeah, it is," Mark said as she climbed off. He followed suit and pulled out a blanket from one of his saddlebags. He spread it out and helped Sara onto it. He slowly sat down beside her, watching as she sat Indian style, resting her forearms on her knees. Sara looked up at him, hesitation blatant in her eyes. Mark sighed and touched her cheek. "Just remember, dollface…we're gonna be together after this," he whispered, "Nothin' is gonna break us apart…_nothin'_." Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she looked away. She couldn't bring herself to drudge up all her secrets, all the nights she'd spent talking to Andy instead of Mark, all the days she'd spent thinking whether she'd made the right decision in marrying Mark, and even the fact that she and Andy had slept together. "You want me to go first?" he asked softly. Sara swallowed and shrugged. "I'm so scared right now, Mark," she whispered. "I know, dollface…so am I," he whispered, "I'll go first, okay?" Sara let out a slow breath and nodded, preparing her mind for the onslaught.

"Okay," Mark whispered, "First…I did sleep with Stacy…once." Sara looked away with tears in her eyes. "And I'll regret it for the rest of my life, Sara. I did it because I wanted revenge…I wanted you to know how I felt when you told me you slept with Kevin. As soon as I was done with her, I cried…out of pure shame. I cried because of what you'd done, and of what I'd done to you," he whispered. "Have you ever…before?" she asked softly. "No…I've looked at women, yes…but I always compare them to you," he said quietly, "Whenever we argued…I always wondered if we were gonna make it through…I wondered if we were strong enough to fight for our marriage." Sara looked back at him, the tears having fallen down her cheeks. "I wonder that all the time, Mark," she whispered, "I've never been in a real relationship. With Roddy, it was always my way or no way at all. To be honest, I'm surprised we've lasted as long as we have. When you said…I was unstable…it hit a nerve." Mark sighed and linked her fingers with his. "I'm always thinking whether I can make a relationship work, even ours…even as perfect as we are together, I always doubt that I have the abilities to be…who you want me to be…who you need me to be," she whispered. "I've accepted who you are from the moment I saw you…stubborn…ambitious…absolutely beautiful…my kinda lady," he whispered. "No, I'm not…I'm an adulteress, Mark," she whispered, "That can't be forgiven…" "Yes, it can," he whispered. "I always wonder whether I can raise Melissa the way my mom raised me…if I can help her to become strong-willed, and independent…but at the same time, I don't want her to be a mirror image of me…I want her to grow into an individual," she said softly. "And she will, dollface…we're both gonna make sure of that," he said squeezing her hands gently.

"Mark…the night you…raped me…," she whispered removing her hands from his, "I…" "No more secrets, dollface," he whispered. Sara shuddered and looked down at her hands. "I slept with Andy," she whispered. Mark's jaw dropped and he sat back, staring in the same shock as when she'd admitted sleeping with Kevin. "Oh, God," he whispered. "Mark, I'm so sorry," she cried softly, "I don't know what I was thinking…I was so hurt…all I wanted was for the pain to go away." Mark dropped his head as tears came to his eyes. "And you turned…to…Andy!" he gasped through gritted teeth. Sara's bottom lip trembled and she nodded. "I'm so sorry," she whispered reaching for his hand. Mark pulled away, and Sara looked away, her hand covering her eyes. Mark tried to breathe deeply, now questioning whether this "talk" was a good idea. "I know I was wrong, Mark," she cried, "I've known that every single day since it happened." Mark was more disappointed than angry. After all, he _had_ raped her. For that alone, he couldn't be as angry as he wanted. Besides, Sara had felt enough of his rage already. "Anybody else?" he whispered tensely, almost instantly regretting it. "No…nobody else," she whispered shakily. Mark looked up at her, slowly pulling her hand away from her eyes. Her eyes were red and slightly swollen, and he felt the pain in her heart. "We'll make it, dollface," he whispered, "Whatever it takes, we'll make it."

"How, Mark?" she cried softly, "I broke your heart…you broke mine…how can we fix that?" "Faith…we should have faith that we were meant to be together. Every marriage goes through trials and tribulations, dollface," he whispered, "I've never expected us to be any different…but I knew, from our very first date…that I would love you for the rest of my life. And…over the past seven years…I've learned that…we will eventually stumble." "I fell, Mark," she whispered, "I fell hard." "We both have…we just have to pick ourselves up…pick ourselves up, learn from our mistakes…and move forward," he said quietly. "Can we move forward, Mark?" she asked locking her eyes with his. Mark took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Yes…we can, dollface," he whispered. Sara slowly moved to her knees, and Mark followed suit. "Now…we pray," he whispered, "For forgiveness…for strength…for guidance." Sara nodded and they clasped each others hands tightly. Mark slowly began to whisper, and Sara focused on his words. He began to thank God for allowing him and Sara to have their talk, for giving them strength to be so honest with each other, and especially for granting her a second chance at life. He then began to pray for Sara, hoping that her injuries would heal in time for the pay-per-view, and that she would have the strength to give the best match of her life so her co-workers could see how passionate she was about her job. He thanked God for the abilities they'd been blessed with to be able to perform as well as they did for as long as they had been. Tears came to both their eyes as Sara begged for forgiveness, begged for the strength to work for Mark's love all over again, to have him trust her like he'd always had, to be the wife she'd always dreamed of being. She prayed for ability to raise Melissa the best she could, especially after she retired. Mark prayed for the strength to give forgiveness to Sara, and for her to be able to forgive him. He also prayed to have her trust him again, and to be the husband she deserved, and that he'd always wanted to be.

The prayers went back and forth for nearly four hours. Sara and Mark had both cried their hearts out, gripping each other's hands tightly the entire time. Sweat glistened on their skin from the sun's radiant heat, but their hearts were open. "We say these things in your Son, Jesus Christ's name," Mark whispered at the end. Sara felt a peacefulness come over her, and a slight grin came to her face. "You feel it, too, don't you?" Mark whispered. She nodded slightly and slowly sat back down, stretching out on the blanket. Mark laid out beside her, their fingers linked together. "I've never felt like this, Mark," she whispered. "Like what, dollface?" he asked softly. "So…calm…like everything's gonna be okay," she said looking at him. Mark looked at her and grinned slightly, lifting up on his elbow. "That's because it will be…He's lookin' out for us now, dollface," he said caressing her cheek, "We just have to go to Him everyday…in good times and in bad times." Tears came to Sara's eyes and she nodded, bringing her hand up to his own cheek. "I love you so much," she whispered. Tears came to Mark's as well, and he nodded slightly. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered leaning down and kissing her gently. Sara sighed against his lips, wanting nothing more than to make love to him. The sun was beginning to make its descent in the west, the wind blew slightly through Mark's hair, and the lake was serene. It was like a scene out of a romance novel.

"I know what you're thinkin', you little pervert," he whispered grinning. Sara felt her neck redden and she smiled. "How's that?" she whispered. "You're trembling…you tremble when you wanna make love," he whispered kissing her earlobe. Sara shuddered against his touch. Her skin felt more alive than ever, more in tune to Mark's touch, more able to be brought to its peak. Mark trembled as he ran his fingers down her elbow, his lips moving down her cheek, over her neck. Sara swallowed as her heart pounded inside her chest. His hands went up under shirt, and she gasped as he slowly squeezed her left breast. Mark moved his thumb over her nipple, grinning slightly when she arched towards him. His lips locked with her own, and he eased her lips apart, slipping his tongue inside her mouth and tasting her sweetness. Sara moaned against his mouth, moving her right hand to his cheek, up through his thick hair. The kiss was gentle, full of blinding, unconditional love. Mark slowly eased on top of her, her legs going around his waist. He slowly eased her shirt off, his head dropping down to her right breast. Sara smiled as he bit down gently on her nipple, pulling slightly at what had become as hard as a pebble. "Oh," she whispered feeling his erection against her womanhood. Mark grinned and moved back up to her mouth, kissing her with all the love he felt. "I love you, dollface," he whispered planting soft kisses over her eyes, nose, and cheeks. Sara nodded slightly and pulled his shirt over his head. Her hands glided over his smooth, yet muscled skin, taking in the sheer power he held inside him. She'd felt his power, time and time again, and it was still something that both scared and amazed her. Mark's chest contracted against her soft touch, and he groaned in her mouth. Sara moved her hands over his broad shoulders, moving up his neck. She smiled when she felt the pulse in his throat; it was pounding almost as hard as her own.

"You like knowing you do that me?" Mark whispered at the hesitation of her fingers. Sara looked into his eyes and caressed his cheeks with her thumbs. "Yeah…I kinda do," she whispered. "Good…I love it," he whispered leaning back down and capturing her lips. Sara moaned softly and squeezed his neck gently. "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered. Mark smiled as his right hand moved down her side, squeezing gently. Sara moaned softly and Mark reached between them to unbutton her shorts. Sara lifted her hips slightly to give him reach to pull them off, smiling when he also removed her underwear. Mark slowly moved down her body, kissing every inch of her gleaming skin, feeling the tenseness in her body. He knew, though, the tenseness was not because of fear, but from her need for a release. Sara's chest rose and fell quickly, and her breathing was harsh and fast. Mark eased his face down between her legs and flicked the tip of his tongue over her womanhood repeatedly. Sara moaned and shuddered violently, the release more powerful than she could've expected. When she finally stilled, Mark planted soft kisses on her belly, running his tongue over the strained muscles. Sara took deep breaths as he continued to move upwards to her face. She grinned as he looked into her eyes. "Absolutely beautiful," he whispered kissing each side of her head. Sara slowly reached up, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Maybe now you'll get a tan," she said softly, a playful grin on her face. "Now that's not nice, dollface," he whispered kissing her neck softly. Sara giggled and ran her fingers over his back, gently kneading the tight skin. "But you know I love you," she whispered biting gently on his earlobe. Mark groaned as her tongue moved sensually over his ear, before she blew softly over the wet skin.

"I take it that feels good," Sara whispered kissing his exposed neck. Her lips moved over the rough stubble he'd grown in, leaving red marks over her chin. Mark slowly rolled over, pulling Sara on top of him. Sara grinned slightly and leaned down, kissing him gently as his hands moved up over her back. She slowly moved down the length of his body, running her hands over his nipples, causing them to stiffen. She grabbed at his belt and practically yanked it off. Mark touched her hands and stared into her eyes. "It's okay, baby," he whispered, "We can take it slow this time." Sara grinned and slowly unbuttoned his jeans, sliding them down his legs. Mark kicked off his boots so that Sara could remove the pants. She slowly slid up his legs, straddling his hips and settling over his erection. Mark groaned at the feel of her against him, even though he wasn't inside her. Sara leaned down and captured his lips once more, grinding her hips torturously against his. She moaned softly as he carefully lifted her up, removing the stiff erection from his boxers. He pushed himself inside her, and Sara sat up, biting down on her bottom lip. "Oh, baby," she whispered through gritted teeth, "You feel so good…" She moved her hips in a small circle before beginning to rock back and forth. Mark groaned and squeezed her waist gently, moving his hands over her ribs and grasping her voluptuous breasts, his thumbs rubbing over her already-tight nipples. Sara gasped at the feeling and leaned her head back, quickening her rocking pace. Her fingers linked with his and squeezed his hands. "Dollface," Mark whispered, "Oh, dollface." Sara felt her insides tighten up once more, and she dropped down, kissing Mark as passionately as she could. Mark slipped a hand between them and stroked her womanhood, bringing more moans from Sara. Within moments, they reached their peak and Sara shot up, screaming out his name loudly. Mark groaned loudly and slammed upwards inside her, gripping her hips tightly. Sara shook repeatedly before dropping down beside him, tears of elation escaping from the corners of her eyes. Mark's arms came around her comfortingly, and Sara kissed his sweaty chest. "I love you, dollface," he whispered kissing her forehead. Sara let out a content sigh and nodded against him. "I love you, too, Mark," she said softly, her eyes drifting shut at the same time as Mark's.

Mark awoke just as the sun was beginning to set. Sara was sitting facing the beautiful sight, her naked back towards him. Mark slowly crawled up beside her, putting his arm around her shoulder. "It's really special, isn't it?" he whispered. Sara rested her head on his shoulder and nodded. They watched in silence as the sun finally dipped behind the horizon, leaving a red glow in the sky. Sara looked up at him and whispered, "I dreamt about mom." "What happened?" he asked. "She thought it was noble of me to…have the talk with you that I did…to be so honest with you. But…I still have a long way to go to get her trust again," she whispered. Mark caressed her cheek gently and kissed her forehead. "We've both got a long way to go, dollface," he said softly, "But we'll get there." Tears came to her eyes, spilling onto her cheeks before she could stop them. "You wanna go for a swim?" Mark asked softly. Sara grinned and kissed him softly. "Sure," she whispered. Mark helped her to her feet, glancing down at the bandages on her wrists. "Are you sure, dollface?" he asked quietly. "The lake isn't that deep, Mark. I'll just stand in the shallow end," she said walking towards it. Mark grinned and followed her. The water was cool enough for a comfortable swim. Sara went in deep enough to where the water came up to her waist, watching as Mark swam in the deeper end. A smile came to her face as he propelled himself back and forth in front of her. He came over to her, putting her arms around his neck. "Hold on, dollface," he whispered. Sara kissed his nose as he moved backwards, the stability of the lakebed disappearing from underneath her. "It's so beautiful out here," she whispered as he treaded water, keeping both of them afloat. "It sure is, dollface," he whispered, "But not as beautiful as you." Sara turned pink and rested her head on his shoulder. "Oh, come on, let me see that beautiful blush," Mark whispered in her ear.

Sara smiled and looked him in the eye, whispering, "Yeah, you love to make me blush." "I sure do," he said softly, "Nobody does it like me." Sara rolled her eyes playfully, shaking her head slightly. "Silly man," she said kissing him softly. "Only with you, dollface," he said kissing her back. They stayed in the water for another 15 minutes, before Mark headed back towards the shore. They both took their time getting dressed, then climbed onto Mark's motorcycle. "You ready to go back?" he asked softly. "I wanna go for a ride, Mark," she said quietly. Mark grinned and started up the motorcycle. "You gotta learn how to ride, then, dollface," he said before slowly pulling off. It didn't take Mark as long to get back to the house. When he parked his bike in the garage, Andy came walking in. "I was gonna send out a search party soon," he said grinning. Sara smiled and climbed off, hugging him tightly. "It's good to know you care so much," she whispered. "Better?" he asked as Mark climbed off the motorcycle. Sara merely nodded, going back to Mark's side and placing her hand in his. "Where's Melissa?" Mark asked. "Upstairs playin' with Lisa," Andy answered as they headed inside. "Sara, why don't you go in and check on her?" Mark said softly, looking down at her. Sara nodded slightly and walked away, entering the house through the back patio door.

"We need to talk," Mark said looking down at Andy. "Okay," Andy said following Mark to the deck in the backyard. Lucky came trotting up as Mark sat down. "Sara told me about you two, Andy," Mark said quietly. Andy let out a heavy sigh and looked away. "The only reason I'm not kickin' your ass is because of the…extenuating circumstances," Mark said quietly. "I figured as much," Andy said looking back at him. "Are you still in love with her?" Mark asked. "No," Andy answered honestly, "I'm completely head over heels in love with Lisa. My only feelings for Sara are for her safety and stability." "Good. This topic is now in the trash. We won't ever bring it up again," Mark said quietly, "I trust you around her only because we've known each other for so long…but I need your help now." "Whatever you want, man," Andy said. "If she ever comes to you about anything concerning me and her…you send her to me…no matter what," Mark said, "That's how she and I are gonna build our relationship up back to before…" "I got ya, Mark. Don't worry, I'll make sure she understands that," Andy said. Mark ran his hands over his eyes and let out a tired sigh. "Did everything go okay out there?" Andy asked. "It was hard…in the beginning. But we talked…and we prayed…a lot. And I think everything's gonna be okay now," Mark answered. "Good," Andy said quietly, "You really think she'll be ready for Summerslam?" Mark swallowed and nodded. "For two reasons. One: she's got no choice but to be ready. She can't blow this chance…even for us," he said quietly, "And two: she wants it too much to let her personal life interfere with her job. I think, though…after tomorrow's show, we're gonna go down to Daytona. I still don't think she's fully accepted her mother's death. It's been two weeks, and I haven't seen her shed a tear over her mom…so we're gonna stay in Daytona when she's not working."

"What about Melissa?" Andy asked. "I don't know. I mean, Sara sure as hell isn't gonna want Stacy to watch her…I don't know," Mark answered, "And I don't want to put the burden on you and Lisa. I couldn't do that to you guys." "Do you know how hard it is to separate Lisa and Melissa? They're like two peas in a pod," Andy said grinning, "Lisa would jump at the chance to keep her while you guys are in Daytona." Mark ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "It'd only be until Summerslam," he said quietly. "I bet Lisa would wish it was a lot longer," Andy said chuckling softly. "Thanks a lot, man," Mark said quietly. "It's not a problem, trust me. Besides…I think it's good practice for Lisa," Andy said grinning, "She's always telling me how much she wants to be a mother after she retires." "So she's brought up the retirement subject, too?" Mark asked. "Yeah…she's not gonna do it for another few years, but still," Andy said. "How long have you two been together?" "Goin' on four years," Andy answered, "We're both real excited about the wedding." Mark grinned and nodded. "You should be…it's an exciting day," he said. "I'm sure it will be. We talk about it every chance we get," Andy said quietly. Mark smiled and stretched his arms out to the side, yawning loudly. "When's your flight?" Andy asked. "Six in the fuckin' morning," Mark said gruffly. Andy chuckled and shrugged. "Gotta love airports," he said as they stood and entered the house. "Yeah…right," Mark said sarcastically, shutting the back door behind him.


	97. Making History

**Viper-sa, I want to thank you personally for all your reviews. It wasn't until I started posting my story here on FanFiction, and getting great questions from you that I started to really analyze my story. So thank you!**

**Steph3:16, I often get the question of how much drama can an author put into one story. With 'A Life in Professional Wrestling', it really is a career lifetime. I wanted to pack as much into Sara's career, and personal life as possible, and I'm glad you've enjoyed it!**

**In general, I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. However, unfortunately,this story is now beginning to wind down. It's been eight years in the working, so it's a relief and a sad fact that it must end eventually. Don't worry, I've still got great ideas left to put into it, but I must now turn to the last three months of Sara's career. Thank you all for being such loyal readers and reviewers!****

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Chapter 96…Making History

The next three weeks were quite difficult for both Sara and Mark. She'd had the stitches in her wrists removed after a week, and the wounds healed up pretty quickly after that. They'd nearly given Vince a heart attack when they told him about Sara's suicide attempt. Vince laid the thickest guilt trip on Sara possible, trying to make her understand the effects it could've had on the entire company. The time they spent in Daytona was also emotionally draining. Mark had finally gotten Sara to open up about her mother's death, and she spent each day crying her eyes out for hours at a time. They prayed every morning before breakfast, and every night before they went to bed. The medicine Dr. Jordan had given her had helped keep her energy up, though, and she was able to start working out again the Monday before Summerslam. Mark helped her practice in the ring when no one was around, just to quicken her reflexes and make sure she could handle what she would go through Sunday. The morning of the pay-per-view, Sara was wide awake way before ten a.m. She sat down on the balcony, her eyes staring out at the cool blue sky above Baltimore. _I'm going to win the World title tonight…my God, I'm actually gonna win the World title tonight_, she thought as nervousness began to run through her veins. She slowly stood, placing her hands on the banister in front of her. _I never would've guessed I'd last this long…let alone become World champion_, she thought with a grin, _My life is now complete…I've got my family, my career…and me._ The balcony door slid open and Sara glanced over her shoulder.

"Hey, dollface," he said quietly. Sara smiled and faced him, opening her arms slightly. Mark moved towards her, putting his hands on the banister and trapping her. "Good morning to you, too," she whispered as he kissed her softly. "It _is_ a good morning…it's gonna be a beautiful day, just like you," he said softly. Sara turned pink and bit down on her bottom lip. "Am I really gonna win the World title tonight, Mark?" she asked quietly. "You sure are, dollface," he said quietly, "And you're gonna have the best match of your whole career." "I'll try to-." "No…you _will_…you have no choice," he said caressing her cheeks, "You have to make everybody in the back regret ever doubting you, and the only way to do that…is to put it all on the line tonight." "I know, Mark," she whispered looking down, "I'm so scared." "Of what, dollface?" he asked tilting her chin back up. "I don't want to fail," she said quietly, "Because that'll prove all the boys were right about me." "If you don't want to fail, dollface, you won't," he said grinning slightly, "You're too defiant to let anybody's doubts distract you from achieving your goal." "Come on," she said taking his hand and pulling him inside. Mark shut the door as Sara went down to her knees. He kneeled down beside her, and they clasped each other's hands tightly.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, I pray. Thank you so much, Lord, for blessing us with yet another day together. Thank you for giving us yet another day to prove our love for You, and our love for each other. Thank you for the opportunity we've been given to be international celebrities, and to hopefully be a role model to at least one viewer. I pray to thee that Sara is able to put on her best show tonight, that she makes no mistakes, that she truly earns her place in history. I pray that You give her confidence from the moment she steps out of this room, to the moment she falls asleep. Help her to know that she has people supporting her in her goals, and that we believe in everything she's trying to do for herself. I ask thee to protect her tonight, so that she will not be seriously injured, and can thoroughly enjoy winning the World title. I say these things in Your Son, Jesus Christ's name…Amen," Mark said quietly. "Amen," Sara whispered kissing the back of his hand. Mark smiled and kissed the back of her hand in return. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you, too, Mark," she said quietly. Mark helped her to her feet and pulled her close. "You're gonna do fine tonight, dollface," he said pushing her hair behind her ears, "Do you believe it?" Sara grinned slightly and nodded. "I don't feel any real pressure," she whispered, "Like…I know He's gonna take care of everything." "Good, dollface…He will," he said softly, "Come on, let's go clean up." Sara nodded slightly and followed him into the bathroom.

After showering, Mark ordered breakfast from room service. "What time do we have to be at the arena?" Sara asked sitting on the bed after she finished dressing. "In an hour," Mark answered sitting down beside her. Sara let out a slow breath and laid back on the bed. Mark leaned over her, caressing the side of her face. "What's on your mind, dollface?" he asked softly. "I'm so scared, Mark," she whispered. "Why? You're gonna do fine, dollface," he said quietly, kissing her softly. "I'm not scared of getting hurt…I'm scared of what the boys are gonna say," she said softly. "Just worry about what Vince thinks, and what I think. We believe in you, baby, so you should believe in yourself," he said, "The boys are gonna think what they want, but when they see you out there busting your ass just like they do, they won't have any right to say you don't deserve the title." Sara let out a slow breath and nodded. "You want a massage?" he asked quietly. Sara shrugged and Mark merely grinned, motioning for her to turn over. Sara did so, placing her head on her hands. She groaned softly as his hands moved over her lower back, up towards her shoulders. Mark felt her slowly relax under him, the tenseness leaving her body completely. A knock on the door came ten minutes later, just as Mark finished with Sara's massage. He stood and went over to the door, opening it slightly. "Your breakfast, sir," the young woman said politely. Mark opened the door and the woman rolled the cart inside as Sara sat up on the bed. "Good morning, ma'am," the young woman said to her. "Good morning," Sara said. The woman left the cart at the foot of the bed before leaving the room, Mark shutting the door behind her.

Sara uncovered the tray on the cart, and set it on the floor beside the bed. Mark pulled up a chair in front of her, picking up a fork as he did. "Grace, Mark," Sara said softly, a grin on her face. Mark set his fork down and nodded. Sara put her hands together and closed her eyes. "God is grace, God is good. Let us thank Him for this food. Bow our heads, we all be fed. Give us, Lord, our daily bread. Amen," she whispered. "Amen," Mark said quietly. Sara placed a napkin over her lap, then picked up one of the two forks. "So we'll head to the arena after this?" she asked quietly. "You anxious to get there?" he asked grinning. Sara smiled slightly and shrugged. "I guess so," she whispered, "I guess just a little anxious to get the match worked out so I can be really confident about it, ya know." Mark grinned and winked at her. "I'm sure Shawn's anxious about that, too," he said quietly. Sara smiled and shrugged slightly. "Maybe," she said quietly. "Do you have any plans for the match?" he asked. "I do," she said simply, a grin playing at her lips. Mark looked at her with raised eyebrows. "It's a surprise, Mark," she said softly. "Okay, dollface," he said smiling, "I can wait." "Good," she said chuckling softly, "I'll make sure to tell Shawn not to…divulge anything to you." Mark rolled his eyes playfully, chewing slowly on his omelet. Breakfast continued over the next 15 minutes, before Sara finally set her fork down over her plate. "That was good," she whispered. "Mmhmm," Mark agreed, his mouth still full with the last remnants of his omelet. Sara chuckled and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Mark followed suit moments later. Afterwards, they grabbed their duffel bags and left the room for a memorable day.

Mark pulled into the hotel parking lot around 11:00 a.m. He touched Sara's hand softly and looked into her eyes. There was a fire there that he hadn't seen since Wrestlemania. Mark grinned and they climbed out of the car together. Sara linked her fingers with his and slung her duffel bag over her right shoulder. "Let's go," she whispered. They headed inside, making their way down the hall in search of Mark's locker room. "You gonna go work out?" Mark asked when they found it. "Yeah, just for a little while. I'm gonna get enough of a workout tonight," she said dropping her duffel bag on the couch. "This is true. I'm gonna go find Melissa, okay? Hopefully Andy's here by now," Mark said as they left the room. Sara nodded and headed the opposite way down the hall. Her mind was now running wild with ideas for her match with Shawn that night, and she wanted to go ahead and get her workout out of the way so that she could find Shawn. Sara ran on the treadmill for a half an hour at a fast pace, before stretching out on the floor. As she went over to the free weights, Mark walked in with Melissa in his arms. "Mama!" Melissa said excitedly. Sara smiled as Mark came over to her. "Hey, munchkin," she said sitting down on the bench, "You have fun with Uncle Andy and Aunt Lisa?" "Yes, mama, but I missed you," Melissa answered. Mark handed Melissa over, and Sara hugged her tightly. "Mama! You're sweaty!" Melissa said laughing. Sara chuckled and kissed her cheek softly. "Yeah, I love you, too, sweetheart," she whispered. "Are you winning the title tonight, mama?" Melissa asked smiling broadly. "Hush, darlin', it's a secret!" Sara said placing her finger over Melissa's mouth, "I don't want anybody to know, okay?" Melissa nodded and said, "I can keep a secret." "Yeah, I'm sure you can," Sara said kissing her forehead.

"Have you seen Shawn yet?" Mark asked sitting down beside her. "No, not yet. I was gonna finish my workout, then go clean up and look for him," she answered. "Okay. Do you need a spotter?" he asked. "No, I'm good," she answered looking up at him, "Don't worry, I won't lift too heavy." Mark grinned and kissed her softly. "Okay, sweetheart," he whispered against her lips, "I'll see you in a little bit." Sara nodded as he took Melissa from her and left the room. A smile came to her face as she grabbed a couple of ten-pound weights. Because of her wounds, it was going to take her a while to get back to her normal lifting routine. She did as much as she could over the next 45 minutes, before going back to Mark's locker room. He was sitting on the couch with Melissa, watching a tape of his match from Monday night. "How's it look?" she asked grabbing a towel from her bag. "Good, good. I'm happy with it," Mark answered. Sara winked at him before heading into the bathroom. As the water ran over her, Sara looked down at the scars on her wrists. Dr. Jordan had told her they would fade within the next few months, but for now, Sara would have to bear with them. _God, I hope you've forgiven me for this. I made the biggest mistake of my life trying to commit suicide, and I'm so sorry for it_, she thought running her fingers over each one, _These are just a reminder that, no matter how bad things get, they will eventually get better…and that I should never quit_. She washed her hair thoroughly, before scrubbing her body clean. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. She wiped the steam from the mirror and smiled slightly. "I'm gonna be World champ," she whispered beginning to run her brush through her hair.

After drying off, Sara went back into the locker room. Mark and Melissa were now gone, so Sara pulled her duffel bag over to the couch and sat down. "Somethin' to make an impact," she whispered looking through her outfits. She pulled out a pair of sparkling blue tights, with her logo on the left side, and her name on the right leg. She slipped on a thong, then pulled the pants on. Smoothing them over, she grabbed the matching halter top out of her bag and slipped it over her head. She ran her hands over the material, making sure her hair wasn't caught anywhere. She sat back down on the couch and quickly pulled on her black boots. She slipped on a loose t-shirt and pulled her hair into a loose ponytail. "Okay…now I gotta go find Shawn," she said standing and leaving the room. She found Shawn in the catering room sitting with Paul and John. "Afternoon, gentlemen," she said sitting down with a bottle of water and plate of food. "Good afternoon to you, too," Paul said grinning, "You feelin' nervous, yet?" "Kinda…but I know everything will work out," she answered. "So how do you feel knowing you're gonna lose to a woman, Shawn?" John asked grinning. Sara looked at Shawn, who had a playful grin on his face as well. "You know, John…I'd lose to this woman any day," Shawn answered winking at Sara, "Besides…you've lost to her more times than I can count, so you can't say anything." Sara chuckled and took a swig of her water. "Yeah, I love you, guys, too," she said quietly. "You know you're gonna miss us," Paul said taking a bite of his chicken.

"I can't believe I only have three months left," Sara said quietly, digging around in her plate of chicken salad. "Yeah, no shit. And you know it's gonna fly by," Paul said. "Unfortunately," Sara said letting out a heavy sigh, "I know it's time for me to retire, but at the same time…I'm not ready to leave yet." "Trust me, Sara…when it comes time for your last match…you'll be ready for it," Shawn said touching her hand. "I guess you're right," she said quietly. "Hey, what's this talk about retirement?" John said, "We've still got three months with you!" Sara chuckled and shrugged. "I can only imagine what three months with you is gonna be like," she said playfully. "Oh, that one hurts, Angel," he said smiling. Sara rolled her eyes and put a forkful of salad into her mouth. Sara sat at the table with a smile on her face nearly the entire time. The three men knew just what to say to rid her of any nervousness or fear. When they finished, Sara and Shawn headed for the balcony instead of the ring. Sara plopped down and put her head in her hands. "You're gonna do fine, Sara," he said rubbing her back in a friendly manner. "I just hope my mom is watching, Shawn," she said quietly, "This is all for her…I just want her to be proud." "I'm sure she's been proud of you since your very first match," he said quietly. "That was a long time ago," Sara said grinning. "Yeah, it was," he said quietly, "You were so green…so nervous. But you didn't mess up once…and that in and of itself told me you were gonna be here fore a long time."

"Ironic how it's me and you for the World title, huh?" Sara asked sitting up. "I prefer the term poetic justice," Shawn said quietly, "I mean…it was only a matter of time after I came back where it'd be me and you in the ring. It's just all the better that it's for the title." "Shawn…be honest. Do I make a credible champion?" Sara asked. "Well, let's take a look at your résumé. Intercontinental champ: three times. U.S. Champion, I think, twice. Cruiserweight champion. Hell, I'm surprised you and Mark didn't become a tag team and take those titles. You're practically a Grand Slam champion, hon. The only logical thing to do now is hold the World title," Shawn said. "Screw logics. Do I make a credible champion?" she asked quietly. "Of all the wrestlers in the back, Sara…there's maybe four people I'd want the World title to be on. Mark, Paul, John…and you," he said quietly, "You've earned it just like any of us have." "I can't help but feel…I don't know, like the guys don't respect me like I thought they did," she said softly, "I mean, I get out here and bust my ass just like they do…I sacrifice my body just like they do." "I know, Sara…just think, after tonight, you will have done the impossible. You will have set a standard for the females that come into this company. I don't know if you've noticed, but over the past couple years, we've moved more and more away from just having eye candy. The ladies can get in the ring and actually pull off a decent match. Our women's division has gotten stronger, in a way, because of what you've done. Those women look up to you. They know they can't actually wrestle with the guys, just because of the physical differences…but they know that they can get in the ring with women like themselves, and put on some real tough matches. You've given more to this company than you'll ever realize," he said quietly.

Sara rested her elbows on her knees, leaning forward. "I suppose so," she whispered. "Well, I know so…and Vince knows so…and the guys know so. Don't think they don't respect you…because they do," he said quietly, "And they're gonna respect you even more once you're World champion. Because only the most talented get to hold that title." Sara grinned and shrugged. "I'm not that great, Shawn…I still mess up," she said quietly. "I said you were great, darlin'…I didn't say you were perfect. Nobody's perfect," he said. "I wanna be perfect…so that nobody will doubt me," she said quietly. "All you have to do is go out there tonight, and give it your all. That's all anybody expects…that's all they want to see. As long as you can come to the back afterwards, look everyone in the eye, and tell them you did everything in your power to entertain the fans…they'll respect you," he said, "Everybody has doubts, Sara. It's natural. But once they see you tonight, they'll have no reason to doubt." "You really believe that? It still comes down to the fact that I'm a woman," she said pushing her hair behind her ears. "That's your problem. You've got to stop seeing yourself as just a woman, because you're not. You're a WWF superstar, and have been for a long time. If you were just another woman, Vince would've stuck you in the women's division, and you wouldn't have had the career you've had. But he didn't…and he made sure the fans didn't see you that way, either. 12 years is a heck of a long career, and you've got a list of accomplishments most people would kill to have. And you're gonna add one more accomplishment to that list tonight," he said honestly. Sara grinned and looked up at him. "Thanks for the support, Shawn," she said quietly. "Not a problem. You ready to go work out this match?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "People won't know what hit 'em," she said standing. Shawn smiled and followed suit. "I'll agree with that 100," he said following her down the stairs.

Shawn and Sara worked together for the next three hours, trying to make their match both as physical and as psychological as possible. They were aware that fans knew about their history, and wanted to tell that story all over again through their match. When they finally finished up, they headed to the back. "It's gonna be physical…definitely physical," Shawn said as they walked through the curtains, "You up for it?" Sara smiled and shrugged. "I guess so," she said playfully. "Yeah, yeah. You know you're ready for this," he said grinning at her. "I've been ready since Wrestlemania, Shawn," she said quietly. "Speaking of Wrestlemania," Shawn said pointing down the hall, "Isn't that a Hall of Famer?" Sara looked in the direction his finger was pointing, and her jaw dropped. "Bye, Shawn," she said before dashing away. A smile came on her face as she jumped into the arms of her ex-husband. "What are you doin' here!" she exclaimed. "Hello to you, too, sweetheart," Roddy said hugging her back. "What are you doin' here!" she repeated squeezing his neck. "Vince sent me tickets…said if I missed this show, I'd regret it," he said as he set her down. Sara smiled slightly and turned pink. "So it's true, then, huh?" he asked quietly, "Am I really looking at the next World champ?" She looked away and nodded slightly. "My God…talk about goin' down in history," he whispered, "I'm so proud o' you, sweetheart." "Thanks," she said quietly. "How are you doin'?" he asked softly, "Mark told me about your mom." "I'm doin' okay, Roddy…Mark's really helped me through it," she said softly, "I don't know where I'd be without him, ya know." Roddy nodded as his pregnant fiancée walked up. "Hi, Sara," Michelle spoke politely. "Hi, Michelle," Sara said glancing down at her belly, "Wow…how many months?" "Five," Michelle answered, "We're having a boy." "Congratulations. Children are a real blessing," Sara said grinning. "Yes, they are. We're so excited," Michelle said placing her hand in Roddy's, "Roddy tells me you're going to win the top title tonight."

"Yes, I am," Sara said proudly, "I'm really happy about it." "It's about time, if you ask me," Roddy said grinning. "Don't start, Roddy," Sara said smiling. "Alright, alright, I won't. I'm just sayin'…," he said. "I know, Roddy. But I'm glad it's happening now…I'm ready for it," she said quietly, "I wouldn't have been ready if it would've happened any sooner." "Well, that's good, sweetheart," Roddy said as they headed down the hall. "How's your mom, Sara?" Michelle asked. "Um…she died…about a month ago," Sara said quietly. "Oh, I'm so sorry," Michelle said. "It's okay. I know she's in a better place," Sara said simply. "That's good," Michelle said politely. "Have you eaten yet?" Roddy asked. "I hate a few hours ago with some o' the guys," Sara answered, "I was gonna go pick up a snack, though." "You wanna sit with us?" Roddy asked. "Sure," Sara said. Sara led them down to catering, where she grabbed a plate of fruit and a bottle of water. The trio sat down at one of the tables near the back. "So how's Melissa?" Roddy asked. "Growing at a mile at a minute," Sara answered, "She's gonna be tall." "How tall is she now?" Michelle asked. "She's at the middle of my thigh, so goin' on three feet. But I know, once she hits puberty, she's gonna go through the ceiling," Sara said smiling. "Do you think she'll be a wrestler, too?" Michelle asked. "I really don't know, Michelle. If it's what she wants to do, I can't stop her. She's like me, she's gonna do what she wants, no matter what I say. All I can do is prepare her for it," Sara answered honestly. "Do you want her to be a wrestler?" Michelle asked. "Honestly, no. It's such a stressful job, especially if you're successful. But…like I said, she'll make that decision for herself. I'm not gonna force it on her, and I'm not gonna stop her from doing it," Sara said.

Mark walked in a few minutes later with Melissa, Andy, and Lisa. Melissa ran over to her, and Sara smiled. "Hey, munchkin," she said hugging her daughter. "Hi, mama. Are you done working yet?" Melissa asked. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "It's an all-day job, sweetheart, you know that," she answered, "Why? You wanna go down to the ring, don't you?" Melissa smiled and Sara chuckled softly. "Looks like we've got a future Superstar on our hands, Sara," Roddy said grinning. "Hi, Uncle Roddy," Melissa said hugging him. "Hey, you. Your mom's right, you're growin' up fast!" Roddy said hugging her back, "You remember Michelle?" Sara watched Melissa stare at the woman, and had to force down a smile. "Yes," Melissa said simply. "Hi, Melissa. How are you?" Michelle said with a smile. "Fine," Melissa said before looking back at Sara, "Come on, mama, please!" "Okay, okay," Sara said standing, "Roddy, it was good seeing you. Michelle, I hope you enjoy the show." She then picked Melissa up and left the room, waving to Mark on her way out. "You're serious about this wrestling thing, aren't you?" Sara asked as they headed down the hallway. "No…it's just fun," Melissa answered smiling. Sara chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Yeah, that it is, sweetheart," she said softly. In the ring, she tumbled around with Melissa, making sure that her daughter didn't hurt herself. After a half an hour, Sara finally allowed Melissa to pin her in the middle of the ring. "Okay, baby, it's time to go now," Sara said slowly sitting up. "But, mama," Melissa started. "No buts. Other people need to use the ring, sweetheart," Sara said rolling out of the ring, "Come on." Melissa pouted, but Sara crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Don't even think about it," she said sternly. Melissa came over to Sara, and Sara helped her out of the ring. "We'll get a ring put in the backyard, then you can wrestle all you want," she said as they headed up the ramp.

For the next hour and a half, Sara relaxed in Mark's locker room with her husband and daughter. She just didn't want to be around the hustle and bustle of her coworkers. Around 6:00, Sara made her way to Janet's area. She found the chair occupied by one of the new women's wrestlers, Gail Kim. "Hey, Gail," Sara spoke. "Hi, Angel, how are you?" Gail said as Janet curled her thick black hair. "I'm good. A little tired, but you know how it is," Sara said grinning. "Yeah, for sure. But you've gotta be excited about your match. I mean, you're goin' for the World Heavyweight title," Gail said with a smile. "Yeah, I'm real excited. But I'm nervous, too, ya know," Sara said quietly, "It's not everyday I'm in a match for the World title." "This is true. But you know you deserve it," Janet said grinning. Sara turned pink and looked down at the floor. "See, Gail, even the toughest of these people can blush," Janet said chuckling softly. Sara smiled and shrugged slightly. "Do you and Shawn have a pretty tough match planned?" Gail asked. "I won't say anything…you'll have to see for yourself," Sara said with a grin. "Well, I'll definitely keep an eye on your match. You gotta watch mine, though. I'm up with Nora against Trish and Ruthie," Gail said, "I'm kinda nervous about it, it bein' my first pay-per-view and all." "Don't worry, Gail. The ladies will take care of you, just do your part as best you can," Sara said. "Thanks for the advice, Angel," Gail said as she stood. "Not a problem. I'll look forward to your match," Sara said with a smile. "Same here. I'll keep an eye on you and Shawn tonight," Gail said before walking away.

Sara sat down where Gail had been, pulling her hair out of its ponytail. "So you're nervous, huh? I don't see why. You know you're gonna make a great champion," Janet said quietly, running a brush through Sara's hair. "I know, Janet…it's just…I don't know what people's reactions are gonna be when I walk through that curtain with that belt around my waist. Hell, I don't know what _my_ reaction is gonna be," Sara said quietly. "You're gonna feel a little of everything, darlin'…but mostly a sense of finality. You're gonna be able to tell Melissa, Mark…everybody…you're gonna be able to say, "I've done everything in this business possible." And that in itself is gonna nullify any negative crap anyone has to say," Janet said honestly. "How can you be so positive, Janet?" Sara asked softly. "I've seen what you can do…I've seen what you've been through to get where you are…and I know that you love what you do as much any of those guys you wrestle with. And _that_ is why I can be positive…and why you should be just as positive," Janet answered. Sara smiled and relaxed in the chair. "What do you want tonight?" Janet asked. "French braid. I don't want my hair in the way tonight," Sara answered simply. "Alright, I'll see what I can do," Janet said with a grin. Sara closed her eyes and let Janet work her magic as she did every night. 45 minutes later, Sara's hair and make-up was completely done. "What do you think?" Janet asked. Sara looked in the mirror and smiled. Her hair was pulled back into a tight, yet elegant French braid, with flat bangs and a few tendrils hanging loosely on each side of her face. Her make-up was simple: a pale foundation, glittery black eyeshadow, black eyeliner and mascara, and a dark red lipstick. "You're a miracle worker, Janet, plain and simple," she said standing and hugging the woman, "Will you make sure to watch my match?" "Of course, darlin'. I promise," Janet answered. Sara released her and took a deep breath. "Thanks, Janet," she said softly before walking away. Janet smiled and began to straighten up her work area.

Sara went up to the pit area, peeking out the curtains at the arena. Fans were beginning to file in, and a smile came to Sara's face. _You all are gonna be a part of history, and you don't even know it_, she thought happily. "Nervous?" Sara looked over her shoulder at Vince, a grin on her face. "At this point, no…as the match draws closer…probably," she said honestly. "You're gonna do fine, Sara. I've got faith in you," Vince said quietly. "That makes me feel a little better," she said quietly. "You're gonna have a promo before Mark and Randy go at it, just about the match," he said. "Okay," Sara said looking back through the curtains, "You think they know they're gonna be a part of history?" "With the Internet having such a big role nowadays, probably. But I don't think they really believe it's gonna go down," he said quietly. "All the better. I wanna silence the nonbelievers tonight, Vince…I want them all to see I am the best at what I do," she said closing the curtains and stepping away from them. "And you very much will be. Why don't you go relax, watch the pre-show…and I'll see in a couple hours," he said touching her shoulders in a fatherly fashion, "I just want to say…I've never been more confident about a decision I've had to make than when I made the choice to put the World title on you." Sara smiled slightly and gently hugged him. "Thank you, Vince…I won't be able to say that enough," she said quietly. "You'll be perfect tonight, sweetheart…I know it," he said returning the hug, "Now get outta here. I don't wanna see you again until you're up here ready to go out." Sara nodded and headed down the stairs, a slight grin on her face. Vince had believed in her for so long, but tonight, his belief in her helped her to feel more confident about her match. She went down to Mark's locker room, and sat down beside Melissa on the couch. "When's your match, mama?" Melissa asked her. "Not for a few hours, munchkin. Right now, I'm just gonna sit with you, okay?" Sara said as Melissa climbed onto her lap. "Okay, mama," Melissa said resting her head on Sara's shoulders. Sara smiled and kissed her forehead, turning her attention to the television.

The next two hours passed by slower than Sara would've liked. Gail's match with Trish, Nora, and Ruthie was absolutely amazing. _Shawn was right. The women's division has come so far since I came into the company_, Sara had thought. At 8:30, Sara placed Melissa in Mark's arms and slowly stood. "Kick ass when you get out there, Sara," Mark said quietly, "Make 'em believe." Sara smiled and leaned down, kissing him softly. "I will," she whispered kissing the top of Melissa's head, then leaving the room. "Is mama gonna be okay, daddy?" Melissa asked Mark. "Shawn's gonna take care of her, munchkin. She'll be sore when she gets back here, but she'll be okay," he answered. "You promise?" Melissa asked. "I can't promise that, baby. Anything can happen in the ring…we just have to hope that mama knows what she's doing, okay?" he said quietly. "Okay," Melissa said quietly, resting comfortably in his arms. Sara found a small corner by the pit, and began to stretch out for her match. While she stretched, she prayed silently that God would protect her from serious injuries, and would help her to truly be at her best for this match. As she finished stretching, a stagehand walked by and told her Josh Matthews was waiting for her near the pit. "Thanks," Sara said slowly standing. She rotated her neck before going over to the interview area.

"Hey, Angel," Josh spoke. "Hey, kid," Sara said grinning slightly. "I'm pretty much gonna ask you about the match, your feelings, the whole nine yards," Josh said. Sara nodded and took a deep breath. "Three, two, one, go," the cameraman said moments later. Sara crossed her arms and stood with a sneer on her face. "Angel…in just a little bit, you're going to be facing Shawn Michaels for the World Heavyweight title. With the history between you two, what does this match mean to you?" Josh started. "By now, I'm sure every single person watching knows that Shawn and I aren't the best of friends. We certainly have a…colorful past. It's poetic justice that I'm facing him tonight for the biggest prize in our industry," Sara said, "This match is a culmination, of sorts, of everything that Shawn and I have ever been through. And I'm very much looking forward to kicking his ass tonight." "A month ago, you achieved what many call the impossible, in that you became the first-ever female number one contender. Tonight, you have the chance to achieve the impossible once again, in becoming the first-ever female World Heavyweight champion. What do you have to say to the people who doubted you could get this far?" Josh said. "You know, Josh…I'm going to tell you, and the people, what a very good friend of mine told me today. I'm not _just_ a woman…I'm a WWF Superstar. I've been a WWF Superstar for 12 years, and if people still doubt me after 12 years…then their opinions really mean nothing to me. I know what I've done in that ring, what I've been through to get to this point in my career…and I can walk away tomorrow knowing I've done everything possible. As long as _I_ can see that…it doesn't matter what anybody else feels," she said honestly. "Do you think you can win the World Heavyweight title, Angel?" Josh asked. "If I had any doubts, Josh, I wouldn't have gotten through that number-one contender's tournament, would I?" Sara said with a grin before walking away.

Mark came walking up with Andy, Melissa in his arms. "Good promo," he said quietly, handing Melissa to Andy, "Who was that good friend?" Sara smiled and said, "Shawn." Mark chuckled slightly and shook his head. "How did I know?" he asked quietly. "The night's just full o' surprises," she said grinning. "Yeah, I bet it will be. Any crazy bumps?" he said. "Just one," she answered, "Through the Spanish announcers' table. You'll make sure to cover her eyes?" "Sure thing, dollface," he answered, "When is it?" "I'm gonna dump Shawn over the top rope, then go for an Asai moonsault," she answered, "As soon as you see Shawn go over the top rope, cover her eyes, okay? I don't want her to see me takin' that bump." "Alright, dollface, I will," Mark said quietly, "Andy's gonna watch her while I wrestle. Do you want us out here to watch your match, or back in the locker room?" "Back in the locker room," Sara said grinning slightly, "I wanna see your face last." "Okay, darlin'," Mark said. Sara touched his hand softly, and he looked down at her. "Kick ass out there," she whispered kissing his cheek, then wiping away the lipstick. "I'll try, dollface," he said softly. Sara smiled and watched him walk up the stairs to the pit. She went back to Andy, and dropped a kiss on Melissa's forehead. "See ya in a little while, munchkin," she whispered. "Okay, mama," Melissa said quietly. Sara winked at Andy before walking past him, finding the dark corner she'd been in and sitting back down, resting her elbows on her knees and lowering her head. She felt a calmness come over her as she slipped into character, knowing that, with the exception of her bump through the announcer's table, things were going to go smoothly. A half an hour later, she heard the bell ring, signaling the end of Mark's match. She took a deep breath and slowly stood, rotating her arms and neck as she headed to the pit area. Mark and Paul came through the curtains within moments of each other. "Have fun out there, Angel," Paul said when he walked past her. Sara nodded and took a few deep breaths. "We'll be watching, Angel," Mark whispered touching her shoulder, "Make 'em believe." Sara grinned slightly and nodded. "I will," she whispered before heading up the stairs.

Shawn came up moments later, the World title in his right hand. "You ready, Angel?" he asked quietly. "I've been ready for this for a month, Shawn," she said softly. "Good. Let's give these fans a good show, okay?" he said quietly. "Hey, look who you're talkin' to," Sara said with a grin. Shawn chuckled and put the title around his waist. "I'm gonna miss this bad boy," he said touching the small plate with his name on it, "But I know it's goin' to a better place." Sara felt her neck redden, and she looked up at him. "Thanks, Shawn," she whispered, "That means a lot to me." "No problem. Now turn around so I can focus," he said winking at her. Sara smiled and did as he asked, closing her eyes as she heard Lillian Garcia's voice from the arena. "The following match is for the World Heavyweight championship!" she said excitedly. The fans erupted in cheers, which brought a smile to Sara's face. Her music started, and she took a few deep breaths. "Headed to the ring, from Daytona, Florida, the number one contender: Angel!" Lillian said with a smile. Sara stepped out onto the stage, a look of pure focus on her face. As she walked down the ramp, her eyes scanned the darkened arena. Lighters were lit sporadically around the arena, much like whenever Mark came out. Sara rolled into the ring and raised her hands high, a smile already on her face. _Yeah, eat it up, people. You're looking at the next World champion_, she thought satisfactorily. Shawn's music hit, and Sara stood in the far corner, resting her arms on the ropes. "Coming to the ring, weighing in at 246 lbs., from San Antonio, Texas…the World Heavyweight champion: Shawn Michaels!" Lillian screamed over the roaring crowd. Shawn strutted cockily down the ramp, and Sara sneered hatefully. _Always cocky…no matter what_, she thought angrily. Shawn rolled into the ring and removed the title from around his waist, holding it up as cameras flashed all around him. Sara stared greedily at the title, wanting to snatch it away from him right then and there. Earl Hebner took the title from Shawn and held it up for all the fans to see as Shawn and Sara stepped into each other's faces.

"You ready for this, Angel?" Shawn asked grinning. "You know I'm ready," she said quietly. "You sure? I'm not goin' easy," he said tapping her chin. Sara sneered and shoved him back. "Alright, let's go," he said quietly. The two people circled each other, glancing out at the crowd as they did so. The screams were at a fever pitch when they finally locked up in a collar-and-elbow tie-up. Sara managed to push Shawn back into the corner, her fingers pulling on his ponytail. They switched positions several times, before Shawn finally threw the first punch, connecting solidly with her jaw. Sara groaned slightly as her head snapped back. Shawn hit her twice more, before she put up an arm, blocking his next shot. She returned the hits, punching and chopping him until they were in the opposite corner across the ring. She punched him directly in his stomach, then laid in a few well-placed kicks to his ribs. Shawn groaned slightly as she reached back and chopped him as hard as she could. If he wasn't going easy on her, she wasn't going easy on him. Shawn shoved her back to try to get out of the corner, but Sara came right back. Shawn grabbed her head and took her down with a side headlock takeover. Sara put her legs around his neck in a headscissors, but Shawn flipped over on top of her. She put her arms around his waist, and they bridged up together. Shawn kneed her in her stomach and went for a powerslam, but Sara switched in midair. She chopped him twice, before slinging him into the ropes. Shawn bounced back and nailed her with a facebuster, driving her face into his knee. He grabbed her braid and yanked her up, pushing her into the closest corner. He drove his shoulder roughly into her midsection three times, and Sara groaned with each blow. Shawn grabbed her hand and whipped her hard to the opposite corner. The velocity sent Sara crashing into the turnbuckles, and she collapsed to the mat, grabbing at her lower back.

Shawn strutted over to her, his cockiness garnering boos from the crowd. He grabbed Sara by the neck, pulling her to her feet. He pushed her to the corner she'd just hit, then whipped her to the opposite side of the ring. When she bounced back, he hit a strong backbreaker. Sara groaned and grabbed at her back once more. _Please, God, help me through this_, she thought as the pain in her back increased. Shawn pulled her to her feet and knocked her back down with a stiff right punch. Sara grabbed her jaw as tears came to her eyes. Shawn wasn't going easy on her, but she knew it was so that she could prove her abilities. Shawn grabbed her braid, pulling her to her feet once more. He attempted a back suplex, but Sara flipped over, and attempted a kneebuster. Shawn nailed her in her forehead with punches, and she dropped him back to his feet. Shawn Irish whipped her across the ring, but when she bounced back, Sara caught the foot he'd had up to boot her. She put her arm under his knee, and whipped him across the ring. Shawn groaned and grabbed at his knee as Sara stood. She grabbed his left leg, pulled him to the middle of the ring, and snapped on the Figure Four Leglock Ric Flair had made famous. Shawn screamed from the pain in his knee, and Sara cinched the move on as tight as she could. Shawn struggled with all his might to get to the ropes; it took him nearly 30 seconds to do this. When Sara saw his hands on the ropes, she snarled and released his legs, slowly standing. When he stood, she dropkicked him in his right knee, knocking him back down to the mat. She went to the opposite side of the ring, bounced off the ropes, and came flying towards Shawn. Shawn grinned as he ducked and pulled down the top rope, sending Sara flying to the ground. Sara groaned as she hit the hard floor, knocking the wind out of herself.

As she tried to take deep breaths, Shawn dropped out of the ring. He kicked Sara in the back of her head, then moved over to the two announcer's tables. He ripped off the cover pieces, and threw the television monitors to the ground. He picked Sara up and slammed her onto the English announcer's table, where Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler had been sitting. He punched her in the side of her head before climbing onto the table himself. He threw her left arm around his neck, and grabbed a handful of her tights. Sara blocked the suplex, and nailed him with right hands. Shawn jumped off the table, and Sara nailed him from behind with a double axe handle. She threw him back into the ring, then went up to the top rope and went for the double axe handle once more. Shawn blocked her with a kick to the stomach, and put her head under his right arm for a DDT. Sara flipped him over the top rope, and Shawn hit the floor hard. Sara stepped onto the ring mat outside the ropes, looked over her shoulder as Shawn stood, and took a deep breath. She hopped onto the second rope, and went for the Asai moonsault. Shawn ducked, and Sara crashed completely into the Spanish announcer's table. She felt blood spurt from her nose as the crowd began to chant, "Holy shit! Holy shit!" Shawn rolled into the ring to break the referee's count, then rolled back out as Sara slowly crawled from the rubble. She grabbed at Shawn's leg, trying to pull herself to her feet. Shawn grinned slightly before punching her back down to the floor. He pulled her up and threw her roughly into the ring, then slid in and went for a pin fall. Sara kicked out right at two, and Shawn climbed onto her stomach, nailing her in the jaw with stiff right punches. He got off her, going over to one of the corners and sitting up on them, a grin on his face.

Sara slowly got to her feet, trying to wipe away the blood on her mouth. Shawn hopped off the top rope and began to punch her again. He whipped her across the ring, and took her down with a harsh clothesline. Sara groaned as her head bounced off the mat, and she curled up in pain. Shawn stepped back and held up his arms to give her a few moments. Sara grabbed at the ropes nearby, using them to get to her feet. Shawn came back over to her, grabbing her jaw tightly before slapping her down. Sara gasped at the sting, and she took a deep breath before getting to her feet again. Shawn came towards her, but she blocked his next punch, nailing him with fists of her own. She went for an Irish whip, but Shawn reversed it, hitting her with a crucial spinebuster when she bounced back. Shawn grabbed her left leg, going for a second pin fall. Sara kicked out before three, and Shawn slid out of the ring. He grabbed the chair Lillian had been sitting in, then slid back into the ring. Earl tried to grab the chair, but Shawn chased him out of the ring. He put the chair around Sara's neck, then slowly made his way to the top rope. Sara's eyes widened as she remembered what had happened when she'd done the same thing to Kevin a couple months back. She removed the chair and rolled out of the way right before Shawn jumped down. As Shawn straightened up, Sara hit him with a hard spear, driving her shoulder into his midsection. She climbed on his chest and nailed him in the head with stiff punches as Earl threw the chair out of the ring. She pulled Shawn to his feet, and hit three consecutive vertical suplexes, delaying the third one for effect. She grabbed his right leg and covered him, but Shawn kicked out at two. Sara stood and kicked him in the side of his head before pulling him roughly to his feet. She swung him to the opposite corner, then took a deep breath before launching herself towards him with a back handspring elbow. When Shawn stumbled out of the corner, Sara hit him with a bulldog. Shawn laid out in the middle of the ring, and Sara hopped across him, jumped onto the second rope, and nailed her Asai moonsault. She covered him for the pin once more, but Shawn kicked out yet again.

Sara groaned and stood, going to Shawn's feet. She pulled him to the closest corner, then launched him into the corner. Shawn's head bounced off the post, and he started bleeding from his forehead. Shawn slowly stood, and when Sara came over to him, he hit her with punches to the jaw and a knee to the gut. He whipped her to the ropes, but Sara knocked him down with a forearm to his forehead. They both slowly stood, as exhaustion was now beginning to set in, but Sara got the upper hand. She got Shawn with an inverted atomic drop, and as he hopped around clutching his crotch, Sara grinned before knocking him down with a stiff clothesline. She went for another pin attempt, but Shawn kicked out at one. Sara quickly climbed to the closest top turnbuckle, and jumped off, nailing Shawn in the middle of the chest with an elbow. She went for yet another pin fall, but Shawn kicked out at two. Sara hit the mat in frustration, but anticipation was spreading in her body. _Only a few minutes now_, she thought as she pulled Shawn to his feet. He pushed her hands away and went for an Irish whip. Sara reversed the move, and when he bounced back, she locked in a tight sleeper hold. Shawn slowly went down to both knees, and Sara grinned, shoving him down to the mat. She turned him over and went for the pin, but Shawn kicked out right before three.

The fans began to chant her name, and Sara wiped away the blood on her mouth with the back of her arm. She pulled Shawn to his feet, and punched him stiffly in the jaw. Shawn shoved her back, but Sara nailed him again with a stiff right punch. Shawn pushed her back a second time, but she came right back with a right punch. Shawn shoved her back, bounced off the ropes, and ducked a third punch, pulling Sara into a hard DDT. He went for the pin fall, but Sara kicked out right before three. He went for the pin twice more, but Sara kicked out both times. The third time he covered her, Sara kicked out with anger. Shawn pulled her to her feet, slinging her left arm over his neck. He grabbed a handful of her tights and hit a snap suplex. Sara groaned slightly, but Shawn didn't let up. He suplexed her twice more before hopping to his feet as Sara curled up. He grabbed her head and pulled her roughly to her feet, nailing her in the ribs with a few knees, before whipping her to the far corner. Sara quickly jumped onto the top rope, and flew at him with a crossbody plancha. She hopped to her feet, which brought loud cheers from the crowd. She circled Shawn's body with a grin on her face. "It's mine, Shawn! It's all mine!" she hissed pulling him to his feet. She shoved his head between her legs, looking out at the crowd. She grabbed his arms behind his back, clasping her hands together tightly. She jumped in the air, but instead of dropping onto her knees like Paul's finishing maneuver (the Pedigree), she sat down, which drove Shawn's face completely into the mat. She slowly turned him over and grabbed his right leg, placing her forearm over his cheek. "One…two…three!" the fans chanted with the referee. As the bell rang, Sara scooted back to the closest corner, tears coming to her eyes as she realized that the match was over…and she was the World Heavyweight champion.

"Your NEW World Heavyweight champion: _ANGEL_!" Lillian screamed from ringside. Earl kneeled down in front of Sara, holding the World title. "Here ya go," he whispered. Sara looked up at him, asking, "Is it true?" "As true as the day is long," he said quietly. He helped her to her feet, and Sara slowly took the title from him. Sara raised the title with her right hand, and Earl raised her left hand. Tears spilled onto Sara's eyes as she noticed every single person in the arena was on their feet, giving her a standing ovation. She dropped down to her knees in the middle of the ring, clutching the World title tightly to her chest. "That was for you, mom," she whispered. She slowly looked up at the crowd, who was still applauding her, and got to her feet. Earl placed the belt around her waist, and Sara's hands rested over the large front plate. "My God, I actually did it," she whispered holding her hands up. Cameras flashed around her, and she went to the right far turnbuckle, climbing onto the second rope and holding her hands up high. She repeated this on the other three ropes, wanting to soak up as much of the attention as possible. She finally climbed out of the ring and placed her hand over the belt. A smile came to her face as she walked up the ramp, and she wiped away the tears that had fallen onto her cheeks. She stopped at the top of the ramp and faced the crowd, raising her arms once more before going through the curtains. Vince tossed her a towel, and she wiped the blood from her mouth. "You okay?" he asked with concern. "I'm fine, Vince," she whispered removing the belt from her waist. "Good," Vince said pulling her into a tight hug. "Do you have a thing for hugging me when I'm all bloody?" she asked softly, returning the hug. "Only when I see you do your absolute best," he whispered, "That was amazing, Sara. I'm proud of you." "Thanks, Vince…thanks a lot," she said quietly. Vince released her and looked into her eyes. "You know this is the start of somethin' special, right?" he said quietly. Sara smiled and nodded slightly. "I'm lookin' forward to it," she whispered. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow morning," he said quietly. Sara sniffled and headed down the stairs, the title belt hanging from her right hand.

The sight of practically all of her coworkers standing before her stopped Sara the moment she hit the bottom of the stairs. Even the wrestlers from Smackdown were a part of the crowd. She wiped her nose with the towel in hand, taking a deep breath as they parted down the middle. Not one person congratulated her, and Sara's jaw tightened. _Fuck it…I'm not begging for their acceptance_, she thought heading down the parting. Suddenly, one person began to clap. Sara stopped as the applause grew until each person was clapping. Sara looked over her shoulder, tears in her eyes. D.J. walked up to her, a slight grin on his face. "Congrats, Angel…you proved it," he said quietly. He hugged her tightly, and Sara let out a slow breath as she hugged him back. "Thank you, D.J.," she whispered. Every person came up and hugged her, despite her bloody and sweaty state. "Thank you all," she said quietly, "This means…everything to me." The group dispersed, and Shawn walked up holding a towel to his forehead. "You should go get that looked at," he said motioning to her nose. "Yeah, what about you? You're bleeding buckets," she said grinning. Shawn smiled slightly and hugged her tightly, patting her back in a friendly gesture. "You're gonna do just fine, Sara…you know that as much as I do. I just hope you're ready for it," he said releasing her. "I'm ready, Shawn," she said quietly. "Good," he said grinning, "By the way…thanks for the shout-out in your promo earlier." Sara chuckled and shrugged slightly. "What can I say? You made a good point," she said smiling slightly. "I'm just glad you realized it," he said quietly. "I'm stubborn…but eventually, I do see the light," she said softly, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" "Sure thing. Bye, darlin'," Shawn said before walking away. Sara took a deep breath before walking back to Mark's locker room. She knew she would find him there, waiting for her to return.

"Angel, can I have a moment?" Sara turned around, looking at the smaller woman in front of her. "Yeah," Sara said. "I just want a quick interview for the website," the woman said, "I'm Charlene." "Okay, Charlene," Sara said. They found a couple of empty seats in the hallway and sat down. Charlene pulled out a tape recorder, and asked, "Angel, you're the new World Heavyweight champion. What went through your mind when that final bell rang?" "Honestly…it took Earl Hebner handing me the title for it to really set in. I mean, we're talking about the World Heavyweight title here. I'm still in shock," Sara answered chuckling. "Okay…tonight, you're going down in history. The first woman World Heavyweight champion. What does that mean to you?" Charlene asked. "I don't think of it that way, Charlene…I just see myself as the World Heavyweight champion. I stopped looking at myself as just a woman a long time ago, when I started competing with men on a regular basis 12 years ago. But…there are people who will still look at this win as history-making, because quite simply, it is. And for them…I hope they're all proud of me, because I'm proud of myself. I proved to everyone…that I am an equal to the men I wrestle with. I proved tonight that I can hang with the best, and reach the pinnacle of this business. I don't think I'll ever be able to put into words just how happy I am," Sara said with a smile. "Excellent. Last question: Are you going to be a fighting champion?" Charlene said jotting notes on her notepad. "As World Heavyweight champion, you have to welcome all challengers…and I do, with open arms. If anybody in the RAW locker room wants to come challenge me…or even anyone from Smackdown, if they feel the inclination to jump ship and try and take me out…bring it on. The World Heavyweight title is mine…and it's going to be mine for a very long time," Sara said confidently. Charlene smiled as she turned off her tape recorder. "Thanks, Angel. That was a great match, too. Fans are gonna remember you forever…you set a helluva precedent," she said shaking Sara's hand. "Thanks, Charlene…I appreciate that," Sara said standing, "Have a good night." "You, too, Angel," Charlene said as Sara walked away.

Sara went down to the trainer's room, where she found Shawn stretched out on the one of the tables being bandaged up. "I see you took my advice," she said walking up to him. Shawn chuckled, then grimaced at the pain in his head. "Well, if you hadn't slung me into that corner so hard, I wouldn't be here," he said grinning. "If you hadn't ducked that moonsault, _I_ wouldn't be here," she said smiling. "You seen Mark yet?" he asked. "No…I wanted to come here before I saw Melissa," she answered quietly, "I told Mark to cover her eyes for that bump, but she still had to see me bleed…I hate it that she had to see that." "Don't worry. Mark was there to explain what happened," Shawn said quietly. "I know…it still sucks, though," she said undoing the braid. She shook her hair loose and sighed contently. "I'm gonna feel this in the morning," she said quietly. "You know why I was so hard, right?" he asked quietly. "Yeah…I know. Thank you," she said looking him in the eyes, "I proved I wanted it." "Yeah, you did. You were pissed when you walked down those stairs, though. I wanted to bust out laughing," Shawn said chuckling softly. "That was your idea!" she exclaimed. Shawn smiled and shrugged slightly. "What can I say? I'm an evil bastard," he said. Sara's jaw dropped and she threw her towel at him. "I can't believe you would dupe me like that…and get everybody in on it!" she said crossing her arms. "Yeah, but it was priceless. I'm tellin' ya, talk about a Kodak moment," Shawn said continuing to smile. "Yeah, keep talkin'. I'm gonna beat the hell outta you again," Sara said with a smile of her own. "Give me a couple days to rest, please," Shawn said as Bruce finished his bandage.

"You won't need stitches, Shawn. Just keep that area clean, and take some aspirin before you go to sleep," Bruce said helping Shawn to sit up. "Thanks, Bruce," Shawn said slowly getting off the table, a grimace on his face, "See ya tomorrow, Sara." Sara smiled slightly and climbed onto the table as he left the room. "Why do always bust your nose in big matches?" Bruce asked placing a small icepack on the bridge of her nose. Sara grimaced, but shrugged her shoulders. "It was an accident, Bruce," she said grinning. "Yeah, yeah. So…you're World Heavyweight champion. Where do you go from here?" Bruce asked in his best interviewer voice. Sara chuckled and wiped her face with a clean towel. "The last three months of my career, Bruce…I make an even bigger impact in these three months than I have the past 12 years," she answered. "You think you can make a bigger impact than you already have?" he asked taking off the gloves he'd used with Shawn, washing his hands, and pulling on a pair of clean latex gloves. "If Vince trusts me enough, I can," she answered. "As long as you stop busting your nose, you're gonna be fine," Bruce said pulling out gauze and medical tape, "How's your head feel?" "Fine, for now. In the morning…I don't wanna think about it," she answered taking the ice pack away from her nose. Bruce grinned and wiped away the blood, then placed the gauze over the bridge of her nose, keeping it in place with the medical tape. "There ya go, sweetheart. You got aspirin already?" he said removing the gloves. "Yep. All Superstars carry aspirin. It's one of those 'make-sure-to-pack' items," she said with a smile. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow," Bruce said grinning at her, "Travel safe." Sara smiled and picked up the World title, then left the room, shutting the door quietly. She finally made it to Mark's locker room a couple minutes later. She took a deep breath before entering the room.

Mark was sitting on the couch with a sleeping Melissa in his arms. "I was wondering when you were gonna show up," he said quietly. Sara grinned and said, "You knew I'd come back eventually." "How do you feel?" he asked slowly setting Melissa beside him and standing. "Still ridin' a high," she said smiling. Mark smiled and pulled her into a huge hug. Sara chuckled softly and squeezed his neck. "I did it, Mark…I really did it," she whispered. "Yeah, you did, dollface," he whispered kissing her softly, "You know I'm so proud o' you, right?" Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she nodded slightly. "I still can't believe it," she whispered, "I mean…it's right here…but I still can't believe it's mine." "Well, it is, dollface. And nobody can ever take that away from you," he whispered kissing her more passionately. Sara moaned softly as his hands moved over her back. "I gotta take…a shower," she whispered against his lips. "Right," Mark whispered continuing to kiss her. "I'm serious, Mark. I'm startin' to feel all grimy," she said quietly. Mark grinned slightly and pulled her hands from around his neck, gripping them gently. "I'm proud of you, dollface. I can't say that enough," he whispered. Sara smiled and kissed him softly. "Thank you, Mark. I'll be out as soon as I can," she said quietly. Mark nodded and released her hands, watching as she dropped the title beside Melissa before going into the bathroom and shutting the door. Sara took her time in the shower, scrubbing herself clean and washing her hair before stepping out of the stall. She wrapped a towel around herself, then went back into the locker room. Mark watched as she dressed in a pair of her favorite sweatpants, and a loose t-shirt, a grin on his face the whole time.

"And just what is so entertaining?" Sara asked as she slipped on her tennis shoes. "I can't believe I'm sitting in a room with the World Heavyweight champion," Mark said grinning. Sara smiled widely, feeling her neck redden. "I'm not gonna scream. I promised myself I wouldn't scream," she said tossing her outfit and towel into her duffel bag. "Yeah, but you know you wanna," Mark said chuckling softly. "Yeah…I do. I really, really do," she said biting on her bottom lip. "Come on, let's get outta here," Mark said slowly standing with Melissa in his arms. Sara slung her duffel bag over her right shoulder, and Mark handed her the title. "There ya go, dollface, your prize," he whispered. Sara smiled and looked down at the large belt. "My prize," she whispered running her hand over the gold. "Come on, dollface," he whispered opening the door and letting her out first. Sara couldn't help but smile as she left the building. Tonight was by far the best of her entire career, because she knew she had proved herself to everyone who had questioned her abilities. The trip back to the hotel was quiet, Mark focused on the drive, and Sara staring out the window, a smile on her face. "You gonna sleep with that smile on your face?" Mark asked as he pulled into the parking lot of their hotel. "Maybe," she said softly. "Good," he whispered. Sara let out a happy sigh as Mark parked the car. "What time is our flight?" she asked climbing out. Mark gently took Melissa from the backseat, grinning when her arms tightened around his neck. "Nine," he whispered shutting the car door. Sara linked her fingers with his and they headed inside. "I hope I can even sleep tonight," she whispered. "You will," he said softly. "What makes you so sure?" she asked quietly. "Your eyes were drifting shut in the car," he said grinning. Sara yawned slightly and nodded. "Yeah…adrenaline's wearing off," she said softly. "Told ya," he said stepping inside the elevator. Sara smiled and leaned against his arm. "I love you, Mark," she whispered. "I love you, too, dollface," he said softly. They stepped onto their floor and quickly arrived at their room door. Mark opened it, and Sara walked inside first. Mark set Melissa down in the middle of the bed, and he and Sara kneeled down on opposite sides of the bed. They prayed together for a few minutes, before climbing into the bed. "Good night, dollface," Mark whispered placing his hand over Melissa's back. Sara smiled and yawned even more. "Goodnight, Mark," she whispered in return, placing her hand over his. Mark linked his fingers with hers and closed his eyes. They both fell asleep a few minutes later.


	98. A Dream Come True

**In all my excitement for posting the next chapter, I skipped one! OMG, I'M SO SORRY! I hope you all forgive me. This chapter is about the day after Sara won the World title. Again, I beg your forgiveness, and hope this doesn't screw up anything for you.  
Shannon****

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Chapter 97…A Dream Come True

Sara awoke the next morning in the most pain she'd felt in a long time. Her head was pounding incessantly, her forearms and upper body was covered in bruises, and the muscles in her legs seemed to be wound tight. She groaned as she slowly sat up, tears coming to her eyes. "Dollface," Mark said quietly. "Hmm," she whispered, slowly laying back down. "What do you need, baby?" he asked softly. "I can't move, Mark…it hurts to even talk," she whispered. "You know what I find helps best? Just laying there, moving each body part once every few seconds, to get the blood flowing. It's gonna hurt until you get up and start moving around, but once you get the blood flowing, you'll start to feel better," he said quietly. "That's what you do?" she asked quietly. "Yep…that's why it takes me so long to get out of bed some mornings. Each day is different…sometimes the pain is pretty nonexistent…some days it's blinding," he answered quietly. "So is this what I'm gonna feel like every morning after I wrestle?" she asked softly. "Only if you have matches like last night every single night," he answered grinning. Sara chuckled softly, then groaned and clutched her ribs. "They hurt, Mark," she whispered. "Well, goin' through an announcer's table will do that to them," he said grinning. "Oh, sure, make fun of me. That makes me feel better," she said grinning. "Anything to take your mind off the pain, dollface," he said touching her hand and linking her fingers with his. "Thank you," she whispered. "So it hurts everywhere?" he asked softly. "Pretty much…but I'm just gonna lay here for a while," she said quietly, "What time is it, anyway?" Mark looked over at the clock and answered, "Seven on the dot." "So we should be outta here by 7:45," she said softly, "Why don't you go take a shower? And then, while I'm taking my shower, you can order breakfast." "You think we'll have time for that?" Mark asked. "Yeah…just don't take so long in the shower," she said grinning. Mark smiled and leaned over, kissed the side of her head, then climbed off of the bed and went into the bathroom.

Sara took her time moving each of her limbs. She was moving to finally sit up when Mark came out of the bathroom ten minutes later. "How do you feel?" he asked quietly. Sara rotated her neck slowly and put her legs over the edge of the bed. "A little better," she whispered. Mark kneeled down in front of her, his eyes scanning the damage left from her match. "You want some aspirin?" he asked after a few moments of silence. Sara shook her head slightly, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Will you help me up?" she asked quietly. "Of course, dollface," he whispered kissing her softly. He slowly stood, his hands on her waist, and pulled her up with him. Sara grimaced slightly as her muscles tightened slightly. "Walk it off, dollface," he said softly. "Thanks, coach," she said playfully. She moved away from him, her hands on her hips, limping slowly to the bathroom. Mark let out a sigh as the bathroom door shut quietly. "Daddy," Melissa said softly from the bed. Mark grinned and kneeled down beside her. "Yeah, munchkin?" he asked quietly. "I'm hungry, daddy," she said quietly. Mark smiled and kissed her forehead. "Okay, I'll order breakfast," he said picking up the phone, "What do you want, sweetheart?" "Pancakes, daddy, with lots of syrup," Melissa said sitting up with a smile. Mark chuckled and dialed room service. He ordered two pancakes and a small glass of apple juice for Melissa, an egg-and-ham omelet, two pancakes, and a few slices of bacon along with a glass of orange juice for himself, and a sausage-and-egg biscuit, a banana, and a cup of coffee for Sara. A knock on the door came just as Sara finally walked out of the bathroom nearly a half an hour later. Mark answered it and took the cart from the petite young woman in the hallway. "Thank you," he said politely. The small woman smiled slightly before walking away.

Mark shut the door and rolled the cart over to the bed. "Better, baby?" he asked Sara. "You won't believe how much," she said softly, "Sorry I took so long." "It's okay…you just gotta eat while you get dressed," he said grinning. Sara chuckled and slipped on a pair of panties and a sports bra, then grabbed the biscuit sandwich and took a huge bite from it. "Mama!" Melissa said chuckling. "Don't talk with your mouth full," Sara said with her own mouth full of food. "Yeah, look who's talkin'," Mark said chuckling, putting a piece of bacon in his mouth. Sara winked at him and slipped a t-shirt over her head with one hand, continuing to munch on her biscuit. After dressing (and trying not to make a complete mess while eating), Sara packed up her dirty clothes and zipped up her suitcase, the World Heavyweight title on top. She wasn't risking putting it in her suitcase, and losing it on the flight to Hershey. "I take it you're gonna be extra careful with that, huh?" Mark asked as they left the room. Sara smiled and gripped the title belt tightly. "Of course," she said pulling her suitcase behind her. Mark chuckled and let Melissa out before shutting the door behind them.

Mark pulled into the parking lot of the arena at 1:00 p.m. Sara climbed out with the title in one hand and her duffel bag in the other. She helped Melissa out of the backseat while Mark grabbed his bag from the trunk. "Let's hope everyone's as happy for me today as they were last night," she said quietly. "Don't worry so much, dollface," Mark said putting an arm around her shoulder. Sara grinned up at him as he led her inside. She was immediately stopped by Jim Dotson as soon as she walked through the door. "Hey, Angel, Vince wants to see you," he told her. "Right now?" she asked. "Yep. He said as soon as you walked through the door to send you to his office. It's down the hall, right around the corner from 'Taker's locker room," he said pointing to his right. "Thanks, Jim," Sara said heading away. "Oh, yeah…congratulations, sweetheart," Jim said with a grin. Sara smiled and looked back at him. "Thanks, Jim," she said quietly. Jim nodded and took his spot back in the seat he'd been in when they walked in. "Told ya, dollface," Mark said softly. Sara smiled and quickly headed to Vince's office. When she arrived, she took a deep breath and slung her duffel bag over her left shoulder before knocking quietly. "Yeah, come on in," Vince said from inside. Sara opened the door, smiling at the sight of Vince sitting on a large black leather couch. "Hey, you," Vince said standing, "How are you feeling?" Sara shut the door and shrugged. "I could barely walk this morning…but it's worth it," she answered grinning. Vince smiled and pointed to the seat across from him. "Have a seat," he said sitting back down on the couch. Sara took her seat and placed the title over her lap.

"Let me guess, you carried it onto the plane," Vince said grinning. Sara smiled and nodded slightly. "I wasn't lettin' it out of my sight for one moment," she answered. "Well, you certainly deserve it. I just wanted to talk with you about what's gonna happen over the next month, as far as your schedule, and whatnot," Vince said handing her a packet of papers. Sara glanced through it, and noticed she had about half of the entire month off. There was an international tour in Australia, but other than that, it didn't look any different than usual. "I know it doesn't look like much, but I have to…help you understand that now that you're the World champ, you're going to be wrestling on every show on that list, televised and non-televised. It may not necessarily be in the main event, but you will be wrestling," Vince said, "You're now the leader of the pack, and all the guys are going to be looking to you as to how they're supposed to perform, and act in general." "I know, Vince," Sara said grinning. "What I'm going to do is start you right off in a feud with Chris Benoit. Unforgiven is in Edmonton, so that's why I chose him as your opponent for that pay-per-view. Tonight, you're going to be on Jericho's little show doin' an interview about last night, and Shawn is gonna come out and just talk a lot of crap about the match last night. That'll set up your match for tonight," Vince said. "Is it gonna be like last night?" she asked. "No, of course not. Just tone it down a little bit, make it a little more technical, ya know," Vince answered.

Sara nodded and asked, "Is he here yet?" "Not that I know of, but he should be here soon," Vince said, "What I'm going to do is see how you perform over the next month, before I start giving you more responsibilities like special appearances. Like I said, as World champ, you're now the figurehead of the company, and you're going to be what people see outside of the arena. But I'm going to wait until after the pay-per-view to give you those kind of responsibilities, just so you can get used to wrestling such a loaded schedule." "Okay, that sounds fine," Sara said confidently. "You sure?" Vince asked grinning. "I'm gonna bust my ass these last three months, Vince. But when it comes to it, I want to be able to make the decision as to who I give up the title to," Sara said. Vince smiled and nodded. "I think I can work with that," he said. "When is the segment going to be with Jericho?" she asked. "The top of the second hour, right at the beginning. Get with him to work out exactly what you're going to be talking about, and then talk with Shawn about how he's going to come out," Vince said, "I think Jericho's here, probably in catering." "Alright, that's good. I can talk with him, then get a workout in before I talk with Shawn," she said moving to stand. Vince stood as well, and said, "It's going to be a good month for you, Sara. The fans are really going to have the chance to see what you're about." "Thanks a lot, Vince…I can't say that enough," Sara said quietly, "To be honest, I'm still a little in shock. It all seems like a dream." "Well, it's not, sweetheart…it's reality, and it's a great reality at that. I'll see you later, okay?" he said leading her to the door. Sara smiled and nodded before leaving the room, Vince shutting the door behind her.

Sara dropped the title off at Mark's locker room, then went down to catering. She found Chris sitting with Paul and D.J. "And look who makes her grand entrance," Chris said with a smile. "Hi to you, too, Chris," Sara said taking a seat beside him. "How do ya feel, sweetheart?" he asked sincerely. "I'm okay. I had bruises everywhere this morning, but hey, it's part o' the job, right?" she said grinning. "This is true. You ready for tonight? You've gotta wrestle Shawn again," Chris said. "Yeah, I'm up for it. Last night was a lotta fun, so we're gonna do the same tonight," she answered. "You're goin' through a table again?" he asked. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Less violence, more wrestling," she answered simply. "Ah, gotcha," Chris said, "Well, I'm sure it'll be a good match." "I'm hoping so. How long are you gonna be?" she said. "Give me 15 minutes. I'll meet you out at the ring," he answered. "Alright. Bye, Paul, bye, D.J.," Sara said standing. "Bye, darlin'," Paul said grinning. Sara smiled and left the room, heading immediately to ringside. The ring was already set up, so Sara rolled inside and sat down in one of the corners. _I can't believe I'm actually the World champ…and people are actually happy for me. I was expecting so much resistance. I work with some pretty cool guys_, she thought with a grin, _I just hope they can deal with me being champ for three whole months…I mean, they're probably expecting me to lose at Unforgiven…but I'm not. I'm gonna go out in a blaze o' glory_.

"Hey, Angel." Sara looked to her right and smiled at Adam. "Hey, you," she said. "I just wanted to tell you, you had a great match last night. All the guys were really impressed with that bump you took through the announcer's table. That was nuts," Adam said rolling into the ring. "Yeah, it hurt…a lot," Sara said chuckling, "I definitely felt it this morning." "I bet. So…how does it feel?" he said sitting down in front of her. "Crazy, Adam…never in a million years did I think I'd be able to say that I won that title. I mean, the other titles…Cruiserweight, U.S., Intercontinental…those are understandable. But the World title…it's just crazy, ya know," she said quietly. "I would say so. Has anybody said anything negative?" he said. "No, surprisingly. I can't tell you how scared I was they were all gonna blackball me," she said quietly, "Having a woman as World champ…it's just unheard of, ya know." "Yeah…but you also said last night, you're not just a woman. You're a Superstar, just like all of us," Adam said grinning. "Yeah, I know…but still, I'll have doubts for the next few weeks or so," she said quietly, "I can't help it…I'm self-conscious." "Well, you shouldn't be…you showed us all last night that you deserve that title. Hell, you've shown people you want it for the past 12 years," Adam said honestly. "Thank you, Adam…that really means a lot to me," she said quietly. "Not a problem, Angel," Adam said slowly rolling out of the ring, "I'll see you around, okay?" Sara nodded and watched as he headed to the back. A smile came to her face as she realized that the guys really did respect her, and wanted to see how she would hold up as champion. _I've got a lot to live up to, though. Shawn…Mark…Paul…even D.J. was a great champion. But I can do it, with their help_, she thought.

Chris can jogging down the ramp a few minutes later, and Sara slowly stood. "Hey," she said as he climbed into the ring. "Hey," he said standing. "So, I'm the guest of honor tonight, huh?" she said grinning, sitting on the turnbuckle of the corner she'd been in. "Yeah, it looks that way. What'd you have in mind?" he said. "I don't know, Chris, it's your show," she said chuckling. "Well, we have about five minutes before Shawn is supposed to come out. So, how 'bout we just kinda bullshit about last night…I can throw in the whole 'wow-woman-as-world-champ' spiel," he said. "Okay, that works. What are you gonna ask?" she said hopping off the turnbuckle. "Probably making fun of last night, how Shawn lost to a woman…that way, we can reiterate that you're _not_ just a woman…you're the World champ, baby," he said in his best character voice and winking at her. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "That's fine, Chris," she said smiling. "Alright, seriously, though. You think the fans will want to see me telling them what's obvious, or do you think we should bring up the doubts people had?" Chris said quietly. "I just want to be able to speak my mind tonight, about everything," Sara answered leaning against the ropes. "Alright. I'll think up a few questions that'll help you out with that, and let you know what they are in a couple hours, okay?" he said. Sara nodded and climbed out of the ring, Chris right behind her. "I got a question, Chris. Where the hell did they find that huge ass TV for your set?" Sara said grinning. "Now that's a secret, sweetheart. But I will tell you this, it cost a helluva lotta money," Chris answered with a grin. "Did Vince buy it, or you?" she asked. "There's no way in hell I'd spend that kinda money on a television! Vince did that…called it 'just a piece of equipment'," Chris answered chuckling, "Yeah, a piece of equipment worth about ten grand!" "Oh, my God, are you serious!" Sara exclaimed as they walked through the curtain. "Yeah," Chris said. "Wow…well, that's pretty damn impressive, Chris," she said smiling, "I'll see you around, okay?" "Yep, later," Chris said as Sara walked away.

Sara went immediately to the small arena gym; it only had a small set of free weights and one treadmill. She quickly jumped on the treadmill, setting the time limit for 30 minutes. After completing her run, she moved over to the free weights and did what she could. As she finished up, Shawn walked into the room. "My God, what are we supposed to do in _here_!" he exclaimed. Sara chuckled as she set down the 15-lb. barbell in her hand. "That's what I thought," she said smiling. "How are ya, sweetheart?" he asked quietly. "I'm good, Shawn, really. Adam congratulated me again, gave me a nice little motivational speech . That kinda made my day, ya know," she said softly. "Good. I take it you've seen the board already?" Shawn said sitting down beside her on the bench. "Yep…Vince told me I'm gonna be wrestling on every show this month, televised _and_ non-televised. It's gonna be a helluva challenge to go from somewhat fulltime wrestler to completely fulltime," she said quietly. "But you know you're up for it," he said grinning. "Yeah, I am," she said wiping her head with the back of her arm, "I woke up this morning, and I'll tell ya, I thought I'd never be able to move again. Every single part o' my body hurt, especially my ribs. I'm not goin' through another table for a long time," she said grinning.

"Yeah, I would expect so," Shawn said chuckling, "You shocked the hell outta me by even wanting to do it. But it was a good way to prove you would take as many risks necessary to get that title. By the way, I bet you carried it on your flight." Sara smiled and nodded slightly. "Yeah, I couldn't help it…I didn't want it outta my sight for one moment," she responded. "Don't worry, I did the same thing back when I won it the first time…it's a good feeling to see your name on that belt, it really is," Shawn said standing, "You wanna clean up first, or go ahead and work out our match for tonight?" "We can go ahead and get it outta the way. No point in cleaning up, then gettin' dirty all over again," Sara said following him out of the makeshift gym. "Any ideas for tonight?" Shawn asked as they headed towards the ring. "Yeah, less crazy bumps," Sara said with a smile. Shawn walked through the curtains and Sara stepped out behind him. "It'll never get old," she whispered. "I'll agree with that 100," he said quietly. "I'm serious…even three months out from retirement, and I still get excited coming out on this stage…makes me wonder if I'm really supposed to be retiring," she said as they walked down the ramp. "Yeah, and three months is still a long time…the last thing you want to do is sign a new contract, and then decide _that_ was a bad choice. It's better to leave for a while, and test the waters to see if retirement is really what you want to do," Shawn said rolling into the ring, "That way, you don't have an obligation to work unless you _do_ sign a new contract." "Yeah, you're right…I don't think I'll be signing a new contract," Sara said with a smile, rolling into the ring after him. "I didn't think so," Shawn said as she stood, "Come on, let's get our work done."

After spending nearly an hour in the ring, Sara and Shawn finally headed to the back. "Hey, Angel, I was just coming to find you," Sara heard Chris say from down the hall. "I'll catch ya later, Shawn," Sara said before walking towards Chris. "Hey, I got the questions down," Chris said with a grin. "I don't like that look," Sara said smiling. "No, they're not that bad, I promise," he said still grinning. "Sure," Sara said sarcastically. "Whatever, Angel…the fans are gonna get a kick outta them." "Alright, well, tell 'em to me already," she said crossing her arms. "Okay, okay. First off, I'm gonna introduce you as the new World Heavyweight champ. That's when you make your grand entrance. Once you're in the ring, I'll go through the whole "woman-as-world-champ" spiel I was telling you about," he said. "Okay, so far, so good," she said grinning. "Alright…then I'm gonna say how I think your win was a fluke, that you just got lucky. That's when you can say your piece about how you've busted your ass, and all that stuff," Chris continued, "I'm gonna just spout off how crappy I think it is a woman managed to beat the great Shawn Michaels, "Mr. Showstoppa" himself." "Oh, and I can say how I guess I stopped the "Showstoppa"," Sara said grinning. "Yeah, exactly. And I'll say I don't think a woman, even as great as you, can beat a good man like Shawn Michaels a second time any day of the week," Chris said, "And you can step up in my face with a smart-ass remark, and we'll look like we're about to throw blows, and that's when Shawn comes out, and you two get into it. I think a bunch of referees will come out at that point to pull you two apart." "Sounds like a good plan, Chris, I like it," she said, "If you go too far, though, don't think I won't kick your ass out there." Chris smiled and shrugged. "It's live TV, Angel…you know me, I'll go as far as I can to make a great TV moment," he said before walking away. Sara sighed heavily and went down to Mark's locker room. _Dammit, Chris, you could've given me a better warning than that_, she thought somewhat angrily, _If he makes me look like a fool out there, I'm gonna rip his balls off_. She went into the locker room, grabbed a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt from her duffel bag, walked straight past Mark and Melissa, and went into the bathroom, shutting the door harshly. She stripped off her dirty clothes and stepped into the shower stall, letting the hot water wash away her anger.

"Dollface?" Mark asked moments later. "Yeah, Mark," she said quietly. "You okay?" he asked. Sara let out a slow breath and wiped water from over her face. "What happened?" he asked leaning against the wall beside the shower door. "Nothing, Mark," she said quietly. "Somebody do somethin' to you?" he asked. "No, Mark," she answered. "Well, you came storming through here mad as hell, so--." "Just let it go, Mark," Sara snapped. Sara covered her eyes and let out a slow breath. The last thing she wanted to do was to get Mark mad at her. Things between them were still a little too shaky, and Sara felt she couldn't do anything to anger him, or the situation would blow up in her face again. "Okay, dollface," Mark said quietly before leaving the bathroom, "I have the tape of your match from last night." Sara sighed and scrubbed the grime of her workout from her skin, as well as washed her sweaty hair. When she stepped out, she wrapped the towel around her body tightly and wiped the steam from the mirror. _I'm sorry, Mark…_, she thought as she dried off and dressed in the clothes she'd grabbed. When she went back into the room, Melissa ran into her legs. Sara smiled slightly and picked her up, dropping her clothes in her duffel bag. "You okay, mama?" Melissa asked quietly. "Yeah, baby, I just needed a good shower," Sara answered kissing her cheek. "You wanna go ahead and watch that tape?" Mark asked. Sara nodded and slowly sat down beside him. As the tape played, Sara ran her fingers through Melissa's hair as Mark's finger's stroked her shoulder gently. "I love you, Sara," Mark whispered suddenly. Sara looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "What is it, sweetheart?" he asked softly. "I…I-I have to go," she whispered placing Melissa in his lap. She left the room before Mark could stop her. "Is momma really okay, daddy?" Melissa asked looking up at Mark. "I don't know, munchkin," he said softly, dropping a kiss on her forehead, "You hungry?" "A little, daddy," she answered smiling. Mark chuckled and turned off the VCR and television, then stood and left the room for catering.

Sara rushed up to the balcony, tears threatening to spill the entire time. When she arrived, she plopped down and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. It had been nearly a month since her confession, and she still feared Mark would leave her at any moment. Every time he said he loved her, she felt he was saying it to fulfill some kind of quota for the day. _How could he still love me? How! I slept with another man…_twice! _And with Kevin, no less! He doesn't really love me…he has every right not to_, she thought painfully. "Baby doll?" Sara wiped her cheeks quickly before looking over her shoulder at Andy. "Hi, Andy," she said quietly. "Worried about tonight?" he asked coming down to her. "Not really," she said simply. Ever since Mark and Andy had talked a few weeks ago, Sara had forced herself not to talk about any aspect of her and mark's relationship with Andy. "I see you're wrestling tonight," Andy said sitting two seats away from her, "Are you up for it?" "Yes, Andy," she said quietly. "What is it, baby doll?" he asked quietly. "I…just forget it, Andy," she said quietly. Andy sighed heavily and slowly stood. "How long is this tension gonna last, baby doll?" he asked softly. "Until my marriage is back where it was before my mom got sick," she whispered. "You think that's what really started everything?" he asked. "Please stop…just…don't worry about it, Andy," she said quietly. "Okay, baby doll…I guess I'll see you later," he said before walking away.

Sara struggled to breathe deeply. She wanted now more than ever to be able to confide in Andy, but she didn't want to give Mark any more reason to be angry at her or Andy. She wiped away the tears that had spilled onto her cheeks as she sat up straight. "You're at work, Sara Marie. Professionalism at all times…you break down at the hotel," she whispered sternly. She sniffed slightly and took a few deep breaths. _Okay. Think about your match tonight. You know Chris is gonna go as over the edge as possible, so no point in even stressing over that_, she thought, _It should be a strong match…not as bad as last night, but enough to show my actual wrestling abilities. The boys appreciated my physicality…now I want respect for my technical abilities_. After over two hours of going over the various sequences in her head, Sara finally stood and stretched her arms. She stifled a yawn and went back down to Mark's locker room. He wasn't in the room, but she heard the shower running. _Great…he's definitely gonna wanna know why I walked out like I did…I can't tell him now, though, not at work_, she thought pulling out a pair of black pinstripe dress pants that rode low on her hips. She grinned and pulled out a silk, collared, button-down white vest, as well as a black, long-sleeved pinstriped vest. Both vests came down just below her breasts, showing off her toned abs, and a wide black tie completed the outfit. The entire outfit gave Sara a very chic look. She quickly dressed, making sure the hem of the black vest covered the white vest. She straightened the collar of the white vest, pulling the sleeves from under the black vest and folding those up twice.

As she slipped on a pair of tennis shoes (she wouldn't wear her heels until she had to), the bathroom door opened and Mark walked out with a towel around his waist and another in his hand. Sara couldn't find it in her to even make eye contact. She slipped on a broad leather belt with a square platinum buckle, then headed for the door. "Dollface, don't leave like that, please," Mark said quietly. Sara licked her lips and slowly faced him. "That's a good look for you," he said quietly. "Thank you," she whispered. "Shows how toned you really are," he said rubbing the extra towel through his locks. "Thank you, Mark," she said softly. Mark slowly sat down on the couch, continuing to rub his hair with the towel. Sara knew it would end up in a mess of tangles if he continued, so she grabbed her brush from her bag and motioned for him to sit on the floor. She slowly sat down behind him and began to run the brush through his now semi-dry hair. Once she was done, Mark's hair was so silky that it kept slipping through her fingers. She grinned and planted a soft kiss on his head. "I've always loved doing that," she whispered. "You don't have to be afraid, dollface," Mark said quietly, slowly turning to look up at her, "I'm not going anywhere…ever." "How'd you know?" she asked softly. "You get this look in your eyes…it tells me everything, darlin'," he said touching her cheek, "I love you, okay? When I tell you that, it's because I mean it, not because I feel I _have_ to say it." "I know, Mark," she whispered. "Sara…you never questioned that before, and…even with what happened…please don't start now," he said honestly, "Because every second I look at you, I love you even more than the one before."

Tears came to Sara's eyes, and Mark gently kissed her, caressing her cheek with his thumb. Sara pulled away, sniffling slightly. "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered. Mark stood and pulled Sara to her feet as well. "Andy came to me a couple hours ago," he said putting his hands on her hips. "I didn't say anything to him about us, Mark, I swear. I know you hated that before," she said hurriedly, "I barely even talk about work." "I think that's the problem, dollface," he said softly, "Let me get dressed, okay?" Sara swallowed and sat back down as Mark quickly dressed, slipping a large black t-shirt over his head before sitting down beside her. "Mark…I don't want to have this conversation here…please," she said looking down at her hands. Mark took a deep breath and gently turned her face up to his. Her eyes pleaded with his own, begging him to put off the topic. "Okay, dollface…for now," he whispered, dropping a soft kiss on her lips, "Why don't you go see Janet? You know…get even more beautiful." Sara smiled as her cheeks turned a deep shade of red. Mark smiled and kissed her again, this time more deeply. Sara moaned softly and placed her right leg over his lap, slowly straddling him. Mark's hands drifted over her exposed stomach, around her waist, to her toned lower back muscles. Sara felt his hips press up against hers, and a grin came to her face. "You're still tryin' to win that bet, huh?" she whispered gliding her tongue over his earlobe. Mark groaned softly and planted soft kisses on her neck. "You know…I actually forgot about it…but now that you've reminded me," he whispered pulling her even closer to his chest. Sara smiled and bit down on her bottom lip. "Yeah, you'll lose when you're ready," he whispered truthfully, "You've always been that way." Sara smiled slightly and stared into his eyes. "That's why I love you so much…you know me so well," she whispered. "You should go," he whispered running his fingers through her hair. Sara swallowed and stood with a grin on her face. She got to the door and stopped with her hand on the knob.

"What?" Mark asked turning on the television. "Melissa?" she asked quietly. "Off with Lisa probably being spoiled," he said grinning. Sara smiled slightly before quietly leaving the room. Mark had agreed without any argument that they could no longer have Stacy as their babysitter, and so would bring Melissa on the road with them. Lisa had agreed without hesitation to watch over Melissa if and whenever she was needed. Sara made her way down to Janet's area, speaking cordially to coworkers that she passed. Once she arrived, she smiled at the sight of the empty chair. "You're lucky, Sara. I just got through with Gail and Ruthie," Janet said as Sara sat down, "And you've got that shine in your eyes. Still ridin' a high from last night?" Sara chuckled and shrugged. "Somewhat. Tonight's a little more nerve-wracking. To actually walk out there with the World title…it's a different crowd, ya know…who knows how many of them were actually watching last night to see what I went through," Sara answered. "Even if they didn't, they're gonna see tonight how much you earned it. I check the match board, too, ya know," Janet said running a thick brush through Sara's hair. "Yeah…it's gonna be fun wrestling Shawn again. I'm worried about Jericho," Sara said smiling, "I've got an interview at the start of the show with him, and I know he's got some one-liners that are gonna damn near kill me out there." "Well, just remember…you're the World champ now, so you gotta make him respect you…show or no show, sweetheart," Janet said truthfully. "I suppose you're right, Jan," Sara said quietly. "How do you want your hair?" Janet asked softly. "I don't know, Jan…whatever," Sara whispered, her eyes dropping to her lap. Her doubts had returned.

"Not gettin' nervous again, are you?" Janet asked grinning. "You know me, Jan…scared about the big storylines," Sara answered. "Well, you know somethin'…I'm looking forward to watching you as the World champ…because I know you'll appreciate it more. A lot of the guys, just in my opinion, who've held that title more than three times…they don't appreciate it as much as they did when they first got it," Janet said placing a protective cover over Sara's torso, "With you, I know you're gonna give 100 however long you have that belt…because you know how important it really is." Sara grinned slightly and shrugged. "Can you make me look really beautiful, Jan? Like a movie star?" she asked quietly. "I'm sure that won't be too hard," Janet said with a smile. Sara nearly fell asleep as Janet straightened her thick hair, then pulled it into a very class French roll. The loose ends were done in thick Shirley Temple curls. Janet then fluffed up Sara's bangs, putting only a slight curl in them. Finally, she added a small amount of make-up to Sara's face, accentuating her lids with silver liner, a golden shadow, and black mascara for her lashes. She put on a layer of crimson lipstick, followed by glittery glass to give them a shine. "There…you're a movie star now," Janet said with a smile. Sara chuckled as she looked into the mirror. "Wow…wow, Jan," she whispered, "This looks…really good." "I do what I can, sweetheart," Janet said straightening up her tools. "Thanks, Jan. I'll see you later, okay?" Sara said standing, "I'm gonna go find my daughter now." Janet chuckled and said, "Lisa was here with her about an hour and a half ago. Melissa wanted me to make her look just like you. I gave her a French braid, and fluffed up her bangs, and that did it for her." "Thanks, Jan. See ya!" Sara said before heading down the hall. She found the women's locker room and knocked on the door.

The door opened and Amy smiled. "Wow, impressive," she said letting Sara inside, "I'm diggin' that outfit, hon." "Thanks. I had it hidden in the back of my closet and figured what the hell, might as well, ya know," Sara said smiling, "Is Lisa here?" "Yep, in the bathroom with Melissa," Amy said grinning. "Thanks, Amy," Sara said before going into the bathroom, where she found Lisa applying rouge to Melissa's round cheeks. "Mama!" Melissa said excitedly, "Wow, you look pretty!" "Why, thank you, munchkin. You're looking pretty good yourself," Sara said coming over to the sink. "I didn't think you'd mind, Sara. It comes off real easy," Lisa said standing fully. "No, don't worry about it. It's okay for today," Sara said grinning, "She's gonna be a real heartbreaker one day, though." "Yeah, she is," Lisa said helping Melissa off the sink, "Speaking of which, you and I have to go shopping together, 'cause that outfit is killer!" Sara chuckled and held up her arms. "Think it'll make an impression?" she asked. "Fans won't know what hit 'em," Lisa answered smiling, "I like your hair, too. Janet always does such a good job with you." "Well, thanks, Lisa. You don't think I should cover up some, thought?" Sara asked checking her reflection in the mirror, "I feel like I'm gonna be goin' out there showing too much." "In our business, I don't think there's such a thing as showing too much," Lisa said grinning. "Forget you heard that, Melissa," Sara said looking down at her daughter. "Okay, mama," Melissa said innocently.

Sara went back to checking her reflection, fluffing her bangs up a little more. "Can I say somethin', Sara?" Lisa asked quietly. "Yeah, sure," Sara said debating whether to button her white vest all the way up. Right now, she only had the bottom two buttons clasped, and was showing more cleavage than she felt comfortable doing. "Andy's a little worried about you," Lisa said softly, "It's like…ever since you and Mark, ya know, got back together, Andy--." "Melissa, go wait for me in the locker room," Sara said quietly. "Okay, mama," Melissa said leaving the bathroom and shutting the door. Sara let out a slow breath as she locked eyes with Lisa. "I'm just trying to fix my marriage, Lisa. And Andy…Mark was always jealous of my friendship with him. So…to try to make Mark happy…I have to distance myself from Andy, so…I won't give Mark any reason to be angry, or-or not trust me," she said quietly. "How does that make you feel, Sara?" Lisa asked. "That doesn't matter," Sara whispered. "Well, I'll tell you how it makes Andy feel. You're breakin' his heart, Sara. He's so upset that you won't talk to him anymore. It doesn't even have to be about you and Mark; you're ignoring him completely," Lisa said quietly. Sara shook her head and went to the door. "I can't, Lisa," she whispered reaching for the knob. "Says who? Mark? The Sara I knew didn't let anyone control her…even her husband," Lisa said crossing her arms. "You don't understand…you can't understand," Sara said quietly before going into the main locker room. "Come on, Melissa," she said picking Melissa up from in front of Amy, then leaving the room.

"Are you okay, mommy?" Melissa asked as they headed down the hall. "Yeah, I'm okay, munchkin. Just a lot of feelings goin' through me right now," Sara answered pinching her daughter's cheek, "But I'm at work, so I have to act like a grown-up, you know, be professional." Melissa smiled and Sara shifted her more comfortably in her arms. "Where's dad?" Melissa asked. "Comin' to look for you," Mark said from behind Sara. Sara spun around with a smile on her face. "Oh, wow, dollface," Mark whispered, "You look great." Sara blushed deeply and looked down at the floor. "You have fun with Aunt Lisa, munchkin?" he asked looking down at Melissa, "Oh…I see you did have fun." "Janet did her hair, and Lisa put a little make-up on her cheeks," Sara said quietly, "I'll take it off…if you want." "It's okay, dollface…she looks just like her mother," he said taking Melissa from her, "Absolutely beautiful." Sara smiled and crossed her arms. "You're just full o' compliments today, aren't you?" she asked quietly. "Always, dollface," he answered, "Look, Shawn and Chris are lookin' for you. They wanted to talk about your segment with them." "Thanks," she said turning to walk away. "Sara?" Mark said quietly. "Yeah," she responded looking over her shoulder. "I love you, dollface," he said quietly. Sara winked at him and said, "Always and forever," then walked away.

Shawn spotted Sara and waved. "Wow, nice outfit," Chris said when he saw her. "Thanks, Chris. Sorry about taking so long, I was with--." "Don't worry about it. There's still a couple hours before show time," Chris said, "We just wanted to go through the segment real quick." "Oh, excellent. I guess I should be worried then," she said grinning. "Well, at least you'll know what to expect," Chris said slyly. "Yeah, yeah," she said grinning. "Alright, let's find an empty room around here," Chris said. "There's one around the corner," Shawn said. "Lead the way, o' former leader," Chris said smiling. Sara chuckled and followed the two men down the hall.

The pyrotechnics for the opening of RAW kicked off at exactly nine p.m. Sara sat near the entrance with the World title draped over her legs. Her nerves were at an all-time high, and she feared to no end how the fans would react to her. Vince had come to her after she'd met with Chris and Shawn, telling her she had a new theme song. "It was created over the weekend, but I think you'll like it," he'd said. Chris' music hit, and Sara slowly stood. "See ya out there, Angel," Chris said before walking through the curtains. Sara watched on the nearby monitor as he strutted out onto the stage. "Just as cocky as anybody," she whispered placing the belt over her right shoulder and heading up the stairs to the pit area. "You ready for this?" Vince asked from behind the production table. "I think so," she said quietly. "Don't worry, Angel…the fans loved you before last night, and they're gonna love you even more now," Vince said grinning. Sara smiled and nodded. "You and Chris have somethin' special worked out, I take it," he said. "Yeah, he's gonna be quite the little asshole tonight," she answered, "But I think he's gonna be sayin' what everybody's thinking…so it's no big deal." "Well, I'll be listening," Vince said as Chris grabbed a microphone in the ring.

"Welcome to RAW IS JERICHO!" Chris exclaimed. The fans cheered loudly, and Sara chuckled softly. "And I welcome you all to both mine and your favorite part of the show: the Highlight Reel, baby!" he continued, "And tonight…I have a very interesting guest. Now, unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple months, then you know that way back in June, there was a 16-man tournament for the number-one contendership. 15 men and one woman were entered into that contest…and lo and behold, who would win it? None other than our resident female ass-kicker, Angel!" An "Angel" chant started, and Sara smiled slightly. "That in itself was a miracle! Angel overcame the challenge of not only entering into the contest by beating Randy Orton, but she then went on through the quarterfinals, semi-finals, and then the finals, where she played the 'Game' and won, knockin' the living hell out of Triple H!" Chris said with a smile, "Last night, however, little Miss Angel made history. In one of the best matches of the whole year, she beat the Heartbreak Kid, Mr. "Showstoppa" himself: Shawn Michaels!" The fans booed loudly and Chris shrugged. "Yep, she pinned his shoulders to the mat, one…two…THREE! So now…I want you all to give a big round of applause, and welcome _your_ new World Heavyweight champion: ANGEL!" he screamed. The arena went dark and music blared over the P.A. system. "Don't treat me like a woman, don't treat me like a man, don't treat me like you know me…treat me for just WHO I AM!" Sara took a deep breath as she stepped through the curtains onto the stage. A barrage of lights below her lit up her silhouette, and Sara placed her left hand on her hip, a slight grin on her face. The reaction was out of this world, because even in the darkened arena, Sara could see that every person was on their feet giving her a standing ovation. _My God_, she thought happily as she headed down the ramp. Chris acted politely and held the second rope down for her. Sara climbed into the ring and held up the World title proudly, a huge smile on her face. The lights came back on, and she went to each corner, holding up the large championship belt. Finally, she took the second microphone sitting on one of the chairs, placing the World title back over her right shoulder.

"Last night, Angel, you made history…you made history like no other woman has ever done before. By beating Shawn Michaels for the World title, you're gonna be remembered for eternity! That make you happy, Angel?" Chris said as she sat down. "Jericho, as the World Heavyweight champion…as the first-ever _female_ World Heavyweight champion, I'm flying high right now," Sara said smiling, "Like you said, I went through four of the best Superstars RAW had to offer…and I outlasted 15, if you wanna count the whole damn tournament! Last night was the best night of my career, because here I stand…with the biggest prize in the industry draped over my shoulder." "Last night was definitely an interesting one, Angel. If I could direct your attention to the GI-NORMOUS JeriTron 5000, let's check out some 'highlights' from your match!" Chris said pointing to the large television screen. Sara watched as the footage showed various bits of her match with Shawn, and a proud smile came to her face. _You were truly at your best last night_, she thought. After a minute and a half, the footage ended showing Sara with tears streaming down her face, holding the World title up high. Sara looked at Chris, who now had a deep scowl on his face. "Here in the World Wrestling Federation, we have a little saying, Angel. I'm sure you've heard it a dozen times: never say never. A few years ago, if someone had asked me if there'd ever be a woman World champion…damn straight, I'd have said NEVER! But you…you had to go and screw things up, didn't you? Ms. I-can-hang-with-the-boys wanted to go all out and become World champion," he snapped. Sara smirked and shrugged. "So, Angel…now that you're at the top o' the pile…what do you have to say for yourself?" Chris asked. Sara slowly looked out at the crowd with a smile on her face. "Let's face it, Jericho…last night at Summerslam, I think I proved that I could beat any man at any time. I am the only female World Heavyweight champion in the history of the WWF. And I'll tell ya, that feels pretty damn good!" she said happily. Chris scoffed and shook his head. "You know, I love being in this business, and I love being in the absolute best company in this business. I've always been proud, never been ashamed, to be a part of it…until now! Because you, Miss Angel, are the greatest embarrassment that this business has ever seen! _You_ are proof that the business is in a downward spiral, especially the World Wrestling Federation! I still can't believe that you are the new World Heavyweight champion…that just makes me absolutely _sick_!" he screamed. "Listen, Jericho…I earned my place in history last night. Okay? I _earned_ it…and no one can ever take this away from me, especially you!" she said stepping into his face.

"Really! Well, who died and made you queen of the world, missy! Last night, you got lucky. Hell, I think you winning that title is the biggest fluke in WWF history!" Chris snapped. "I'm not a fluke, Jericho. I've been busting my ass for 12 years…12 WHOLE YEARS!" Sara screamed, "And in case you didn't notice, I've beaten the best there are, and I've done it with a smile on my face!" "Oh, and now, because you're the World Heavyweight champion, because you beat the "Showstoppa"…you think you're really somethin', huh? I don't think you have a snowball's chance in hell of ever beating Shawn Michaels again. In fact, no great woman can beat a good man on any day, no matter who she is, especially for the World title! I mean, what used to be _the most important_ championship in this entire industry…held by such legends as Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair…is now in the hands of an incompetent _woman_!" Chris said stepping back and circling her, "The last shreds of credibility this business had were thrown away when the 'powers-that-be' decided that this _girl_ was championship material! The thought of you as a credible and believable champion is an idea even more ridiculously enhanced than fake breasts! Let's get this straight: 'Y2J' is no 'Heartbreak Kid'! I would never, _EVER_ hit a woman…but _you_ are not a woman. _You_ are a hideous, grotesque freak of nature, and I will beat the living hell out of you to restore some credibility to that belt!" Sara glared at him as she eased the belt off of her shoulder. "I know a lot of the 'boys' in the back have a problem with me being the World Heavyweight champion. But I'm gonna tell them, and you, jerk-off: I'm a worthy champion! And if you think you have the balls to take this title from me…you can give it a shot! But heed this warning: every angel has a dark side, and believe me…last night was the tip of the iceberg!" she snapped.

Shawn's music hit, and Sara faced the ramp as he strutted down and climbed into the ring. He snatched the microphone away from her, and Sara's top lip curled. "Ahem! Jericho's right…tonight is probably the most embarrassing night of every Superstar in that locker room, especially those 15 other guys who tried to even get that title!" Shawn said loudly, "And if you think I'm just gonna stand idly by and watch you drag that title through the mud, then you are deadly mistaken, Angel!" Chris hit Sara from behind, and the fans booed incessantly. Both men stomped at her upper body, then pulled her to her feet and dropping her back down with a double-DDT. Shawn grabbed the World title and draped it over her strewn body, then kneeled down at her head. "You, Angel, are gonna make history again tonight…for having the shortest title reign possible! Tonight, I'm gonna take back what you stole from me…and make you regret the day you even met me. You see, I'm gettin' my rematch _tonight_," he snapped before dropping the microphone and leaving with Chris. Sara grabbed at her head as she slowly got to her feet, the fans cheering her on as she did. "You know somethin'…my entire career, people have doubted me," she said picking up the title, "From the top of this company, Vincent K. McMahon…to the Deadman himself, Undertaker…I've had to go against all odds in everything I tried to do. But tonight…nobody's doubts…nobody's concerns…nobody's _anything_ is gonna stop me from keeping this World Heavyweight championship around my waist. Shawn…I guess you didn't learn your lesson last night. Well, school is in session, so I hope you're ready to start learning…tonight, I'm gonna prove to you, to Jericho…to everybody who _ever_ doubted me…I'm the World Heavyweight champion for a reason: because I have what it takes. When I said every angel has a dark side, I meant it. I hope you're ready, Shawn, because tonight…this angel is sending you straight to hell!" she said darkly before dropping the microphone and climbing out of the ring. Mark met Sara as soon as she walked through the curtains. "Good job out there," he said grinning, "How's your head feel?" "It's okay. I was able to block the impact," she answered as they headed back to his locker room. "You got a helluva reaction out there," he said quietly, "I'm proud of you, dollface." "Thank you, Mark," she said softly. Mark smiled and put his arm around her shoulder. "You're gonna do fine," he whispered. Sara nodded slightly and put her arm around his waist.

Sara's match with Shawn that night was superb, possibly better than the night before. Shawn was able to bring out her true abilities, and put her over to the fans as a true-grit, world-class athlete. When the final bell rang, Sara rolled off of Shawn and let it sink in all over again that she was World champion. As she got to her feet, Earl handed her the World title. "Good match, Angel," he said quietly. Sara merely grinned and held the title up high with her left hand as the show went off the air. Shawn slowly stood, and Sara locked eyes with him. Shawn grabbed a microphone from Lillian and said, "Ya know, Angel…I'm about to admit something that it would kill 90 of the guys in the back to say." "Really?" Sara asked putting the title over her left shoulder. "I lost to the better person. You're right…you _have_ been busting your ass for the past 12 years. And in my eyes…you really deserve that title. And if anybody in the back has a problem with that…then screw them, because you know what you can do in this ring, the fans know what you can do in this ring, and _I_ know what you can do in this ring. So, I just want you to know…it was a real honor," he said before extending his left hand. The fans began to chant Sara's name, and a smile came to her face as she shook Shawn's hand proudly. "Thank you," she mouthed. Shawn merely smiled and nodded his head slightly. He raised her left hand, turning her to face each side of the arena so everyone could see her. Afterwards, they climbed out of the ring and headed up the ramp side by side. "That meant a lot to me, Shawn…it really did," she said quietly. "Well, it was all true," Shawn said. Sara stepped through the curtain, and Vince stood from behind the table. "That match was off the charts, Sara," he said, "I couldn't have bet money it would've been as good as it was." "Thanks, Vince," she said wiping her forehead with her hand. "I'm serious, Sara. That was even better than last night's match, and you didn't have to go through any tables," Vince said grinning. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "Tonight was about technical wrestling, not the hardcore stuff…I guess I proved myself again," she said. "You certainly did. I'll see you tomorrow in Indiana," he said grinning. Sara nodded and headed back to Mark's locker room.

Once there, she immediately took a hot shower, washing her now grimy hair. Her muscles didn't ache as badly as the night before, but she knew when she woke up in the morning, it would be tough to get out of bed. After showering, she went back into the locker room. "You were amazing tonight, dollface," Mark said quietly. Melissa was fast asleep in his arms. "Thanks, Mark," she whispered, "Your match was great, too. You and Glenn really have chemistry in the ring." "Funny what two big men can do together, huh?" he asked with a grin. Sara chuckled and pulled on a pair of mesh shorts, then a loose t-shirt. "What time is our flight tomorrow?" she asked. "I think around 10:30," he answered, "We should get to Ft. Wayne around noon." "Okay," she said packing up her duffel bag. Mark slowly stood, careful not to wake his daughter. "You want me to take her?" Sara asked shouldering her duffel bag. "It's okay, dollface," he said quietly. Sara smiled as they left the locker room. The next few weeks would be very interesting for her.


	99. The First Challenge

**Well, guys, it took a month and a half, but I finally managed to kick my writer's block:-D Don't all rush to the site at once to read the chapter now:-P I want to thank those that contacted me asking me about updates, for it shows your loyalty. I want to say it's an honor to write for all of you! And without much ado, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!  
-Shannon****

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Chapter 98…The First Challenge

Sara pulled into the arena in Bakersville, California, for RAW at 11:00 a.m. Mark had been given the week off to nurse Melissa through a terrible cold, so Sara was stuck traveling alone for that time period. The traveling was rough on Melissa, Sara knew this. We're gonna have to get another babysitter for her…it's not fair to her to lug her across the country four days a week. Her body can't handle that, she thought climbing out of the car with her duffel bag. Inside the arena, Sara had to stop herself from instinctively searching for Mark's locker room. Instead, she made her way to the women's locker room. A sign on one door caught her eye, and her jaw dropped. On a black background, golden letters outlined with silver spelled out her stage name. "My own locker room," she whispered slowly opening the door. Inside was a small covered platter of vegetables, along with several bottles of water. Sara shut the door quietly and glanced around. A somewhat large leather couch was in the room, with a huge television sitting on a stand across from it. Sara dropped her duffel bag on the couch and slowly sat down on it. "Oh, my God," she whispered settling into the soft leather more comfortably. She spotted the sheet of paper on the table and picked it up.

Sara,

Hope you like the set-up. This is how it's gonna be for the next three months. Hope it's not a problem.

Vince

Sara's jaw dropped even further, and she let out a slow breath before standing and leaving the room. She immediately went down to Vince's office, knocking on the door when she arrived. "Yeah, come in," Vince said. He was staring down at a pile of papers with his reading glasses on. He looked up and grinned. "You're here mighty early," he said. "Mark's off, so I had to travel alone. Better to get here early, so I can steal the gym," she said grinning. Vince chuckled and pointed to the seat in front of him. "I take it you found your locker room okay, then," he said as she sat down. "Yeah, it was…oh, my God, Vince, what'd I do to deserve that?" she said in shock. "You performed really well over this past week, Sara, that's what you did. I'm really looking forward to going to Australia tomorrow as a matter of fact," he answered. "Yeah, me too. I'm kinda sad Mark and Melissa won't be able to go, but…ah well," she said. "Is she feeling any better?" he asked. "She's still got a fever, so I'm pretty worried about her. But I know Mark will take care of her," she answered. "Yep, of course he will," Vince agreed, "Have you seen the match-board yet?" "No, I went lookin' for Mark's locker room, and I had to stop myself when I realized he wasn't here," she said chuckling. Vince chuckled and nodded. "I could see how that could happen. Well, you're up against Jericho tonight, but expect interference from Shawn. We're gonna be setting up for your title defense at Unforgiven," he said. "Okay, excellent," she said going to stand. Vince went to tell her what type of match she'd be having, but decided to let her be surprised by Shawn later that night. He'd already informed Shawn not to say anything until they were in front of the fans. "I'll see you around, Vince," Sara said shaking his hand. "Sure thing," Vince said with a grin.

Sara nodded slightly before leaving the room. She went back down to her locker room and grabbed her phone, then went outside and immediately called up Mark. "Mornin', dollface," Mark said. "Hey, hon. How's she doin'?" Sara said quietly. "She's comfortable. Her fever's still high, so I think I'm gonna take her to the doctor if it's not down by tomorrow," he answered, "She managed to eat some soup this morning, though, so I think that's a sign." "Good, good. I miss her. I wish I could be there," she said softly. "Hey, don't worry, I'm takin' care of her, dollface," he said quietly. "I know, I know…it's that mother instinct, ya know," she said grinning slightly. "I know. So who's your victim tonight?" Mark asked with a smile. "Jericho, but Shawn's apparently gonna interfere to set up for our match at Unforgiven," she answered. "So you've got an exciting three weeks, then," Mark said. "Yeah, it should be fun. It's just so…I don't know, it's weird honestly to be facing Shawn at a pay-per-view called 'Unforgiven', ya know," Sara answered, "I mean, our history…it's just weird." "I know what ya mean, dollface. When he came back, I was definitely skeptical…but he did what he had to do to get back to the main-event spot…so we have to respect that," Mark responded. "I know, Mark, I wasn't sayin' I didn't respect him. Of course I do. He's the only one I'd feel right goin' up against for the World title. But, ya know, if someone would've asked me three years ago if I thought he'd still be around…I'd have said no," she said quietly, "But it's great to have this 'line with him. I think it's helping both of us settle some scores."

Mark chuckled and asked, "You think there's some underlying feelings about what happened?" "Maybe, maybe not. But I'm not gonna lie…to be portrayed as better than him in the ring…it makes what I went through worth it," she said quietly. "I guess that's a good thing," Mark said. "Oh, Vince gave me my own locker room, too," Sara said with a smile. "Really?" Mark asked. "Yep. He said it's gonna be that way until my last night," she answered, "It was such a shock, let me tell ya. I come into the arena, and automatically start lookin' for your room. It took me a minute to realize you weren't here with me. And I was headin' for the women's locker room, when all of a sudden, I see my name on this door…are you listening?" "Yes, dollface, I'm listening," he answered. Sara smiled and continued. "So I go in, and I've got this huge couch, and a big TV, and snacks, and water…it was great, Mark, it really was," she said. "So we're gonna have separate locker rooms now?" he asked. "I think it's only for show, Mark. Don't worry, I'm gonna be in your locker room just as much as I always have been," she said smiling. "Okay, dollface…I see how it is," Mark said jokingly. "Oh, don't even," she said, "Look…I wanted to ask you somethin', and it's kinda serious." "Okay, baby," he said. "Do you think we should find another babysitter for Melissa?" she asked slowly. Mark let out a slow breath, and Sara did the same. "I mean, she's too young for this, Mark…she got sick 'cause she's on the road all the time. Her immune system can't handle this," she said quietly. "I know, Sara," he said softly. "And next month, my schedule's gonna get crazy hectic, and I don't want her on the road for that, either," she continued.

"So how do you wanna go about finding someone?" Mark asked. "You don't have a problem with it?" she asked. "I was actually gonna talk to you about it when you got home next week," he answered. "Oh…well, I guess you can put an ad out in the paper," she answered, "Or…" "Or what, dollface?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair. I can't believe I'm actually gonna say this, she thought shaking her head. "Or what, baby?" he asked again. "Do you think we should call Stacy?" she said softly. "What?" he asked in complete shock. "Look…to be honest…I wouldn't trust anyone else with Melissa. It took us forever to even find her, and I don't wanna go through that process again. Do you remember how many people we had to sift through to find her? Not to mention the ones who knew we were wrestlers…I just…Melissa needs someone, and she needs someone now. And, I can…stuff my pride down…for Melissa," she said quietly. "Are you sure about this, dollface? It won't be easy to find someone else, but we can do it," he said, "I don't want you to have to…do somethin' you don't want to." "I don't have a choice, Mark. As hard as it is for me to admit, Melissa needs her babysitter back. Besides, this is only until I retire. Once I do, she's gone for good," Sara answered. "Okay, dollface, if that's what you do wanna do, I'm okay with it. Do you want me to call her?" he said. "No…I'll call her…after I get back from Australia," she answered. "Don't you think you should let her know beforehand? Just so we can set up a time for her to come by next week," he argued. Sara sighed heavily and rolled her eyes slightly. "Fine…I'll call her tomorrow before I leave for Australia," she said quietly. "Okay, that's fine…hold on, okay?" he said quietly. "Yeah," Sara said.

"Mama?" Melissa said quietly a few moments later. "Hey, munchkin, how ya feelin'?" Sara asked. "It hurts, mama," Melissa whispered. "Oh, baby, I know…bein' sick sucks a whole bunch," Sara said quietly, "But don't you worry, 'cause your dad is right there for ya. He's gonna take care o' you, baby." "He said I might have to go to the doctor…I don't wanna, mama," Melissa said. "I know you don't, munchkin, but the doctor will help you feel better. You wanna feel better, don't you?" Sara asked. "Uh-huh," Melissa said quietly. "So don't be scared, 'cause daddy's gonna be there with you if you have to go," Sara said. "When are you coming home, mama?" Melissa asked. "Not until next Tuesday, baby. I'm goin' to Australia this week, but I'll make sure and bring you back some nice little toys, okay?" Sara answered. "Okay, mama…dad wants to talk now," Melissa said quietly, "I love you, mama." "Love you, too, munchkin. I'll talk to you tomorrow," Sara answered. "Sorry, she was reaching for the phone. You know me, couldn't resist her," Mark said moments later. Sara chuckled and said, "I know…I'm glad I got to hear her voice." "Yeah, same for her. So when are you gonna be home?" he said quietly. "Next Tuesday. I've got RAW tonight, and we're all flying out tomorrow morning for the Australia trip, and we won't get back to the states until late Saturday night, so I'm just gonna stay in Sacramento for the weekend, do RAW, and fly home Tuesday morning," she answered. "Sounds like a plan. You'll call me after your match?" he said. "You know it. Watch it, okay, let me know what you think," she answered. "I promise," he said. "Thank you," she said with a smile, "I love you, Mark." "I love you, too, dollface," he said quietly. They said their good-byes before Sara hung up her phone, a slight smile on her face. Even through the hardest decisions, she knew Mark would be by her side. I love that man more than I'll ever understand. I can truly say now…no matter what, we'll always be together, she thought happily before going back into the arena.

After getting a decent workout, Sara went back to her locker room (it was still hard to believe that actually had her very own room) and cleaned up. She dressed in a pair of shiny blue, leather low-rider pants, and one of her baby-tees being sold on the WWF website. It had her logo on the front, with the phrase "Not every Angel is innocent" on the back in gold, cursive letters. She pulled on a pair of tennis shoes before heading down to catering. She grabbed a plate of food, and a water bottle, before taking a seat with Shawn and Paul. "Afternoon, Angel," Paul spoke grinning, "Lovin' the shirt." Sara smiled and shrugged. "These things tend to speak the truth, huh?" she said jokingly. "Yeah, they do. Who came up with that phrase?" Paul said. "Me, of course," she answered, "I think a while back, a couple weeks before I won that tournament." "Well, it's a good one, definitely fits your personality," Shawn said with a smile, "How's Melissa?" "So-so. I talked to Mark when I first got here, and her fever hasn't gone down, so he might take her to the hospital tomorrow," she answered, "I'm so worried about her…but I know Mark's gonna take care of her." "Exactly. She's a fighter, like her mama, so she's gonna be just fine," Shawn said. Sara chuckled and shrugged slightly. "Depends on what I'm fighting, I guess," she said, "So, Vince told me you're gonna be interfering tonight." "Yeah, but not too much. We gotta keep that title on you until at least Unforgiven," he said with a grin, "It's gonna be a pretty hardcore match, too." "What do you mean?" she asked. "Vince didn't tell you?" he asked. Sara shook her head as she chewed on her salad. "Oh, well…it was his idea in the first place," Shawn said. "Well, don't keep me in the dark here," she said grinning. "It's a ladder match, Angel," Shawn said quietly. Sara's jaw dropped in response. She'd never been in a ladder match before in her entire career. "Are you serious?" she asked quietly. Shawn nodded and grinned slightly. "Don't worry. Just call up the office and tell the video people to put together a tape of ladder matches so you can see how they're done, and we can put together somethin' over the next couple weeks," he said. Sara nodded and ran her fingers through her hair. "You're gonna pull your hair out if you keep that up," Paul said grinning. "Oh, shut up, Paul," she said rolling her eyes playfully. "I guess Vince wanted you to be surprised about our match, then," Shawn said. "Well, he got it…I'm surprised," Sara said quietly. "Don't worry so much, Angel. I've been in a few ladder matches, so I can help you out if you need it," Shawn said grinning. "Yeah, me, too," Paul added. "Thanks, guys. I'll hold you to that," she said.

Lunch continued for the next half an hour. Chris walked up with John while Sara was in the middle of a speech about the younger wrestlers. "I mean, come on, Shawn…think back to when we were in the group. Look at how hard people had to work just to get in that group, and then how hard they had to work to stay there. The guys around nowadays don't really have an appreciation for the business like we did; they don't see how lucky they are to be here," she said. "Yeah, but look at it this way: the business has changed so much since you came in. There's a whole new generation of guys, and girls, here that got into the business a different way than we did. There aren't independents like there used to be. WCW is still hangin' on, but by the skin o' their teeth. There's TNA, but it's not nationally syndicated like we are. So the newer guys are gettin' maybe a year or three experience before they get here, which isn't enough. You can't hold that against them, 'cause it's not their faults," Shawn argued, "All we can do is pass on our knowledge to them." "All I'm sayin' is these kids – cause that's what they are, kids – need to work a little harder before they start walkin' around like they own the place," Sara said. "So are you gonna tell Vince how to run his company now?" Chris asked grinning. "All I'm sayin', since you decided to butt in, Chris, is that Vince has OVW for a reason. It's a training ground, so let them train. Don't bring 'em up before they're ready, because it's not doin' anybody any good," she answered. "You should open up a school when you retire, Angel," John spoke up, "Ya know, give the 'kids' a little bit o' preparation before they even hit up OVW." Sara chuckled and shook her head. "The only thing I plan on doin' when I retire is takin' care o' my daughter," she said with a smile. "Yeah, right. We'll probably see you on the road at least once a month, if not more," Paul said chuckling. "Hush that nonsense. I'm home-schooling Melissa, so I'm gonna be a stay-at-home mom," she said back. John choked on his water, causing the other three people to laugh heartily. "That's a joke if I ever heard one," he managed to say. "You don't think I can do it?" she asked. "Yeah…for a while," he answered, "I've known you for a coupe years now, and from what I've seen…even motherhood isn't gonna keep you down for long." "Watch it, John," Sara warned. "Sorry, sorry," he said before quickly leaving the area. Sara eyed the other three men, who all had smirks on their faces. "You guys agree with him?" she asked crossing her arms. "No comment," they said simultaneously.

Sara huffed and stood, grabbing her water bottle and leaving. "I'm gonna go find her before she does harm to someone. I'll see you guys later," Chris said with a grin. "Yep, later," Paul said, "So, you wanna bet that either she or Mark is gonna open up a school in the next ten years?" Paul asked quietly. "Yeah, definitely. She's too much of a firecracker to sit around for long, even for Melissa," Shawn said, "But I think she's right about these newer people comin' in…they're just not ready for it like they should be, which is why a lot of 'em fall flat on their faces." "But you've got a point, too, Shawn. I lose count o' the number o' guys that come up to me askin' for advice on a match or a promo. They don't get that experience anywhere else, so here, they have to hit the ground runnin'," Paul said quietly. "It's gonna be real interesting to see where the business will be in about 15 years. A lot of us veterans aren't gonna be around to teach them the ins and outs of the business, so we just gotta make sure we can give 'em as much knowledge while we're here, and pray to God they keep the cycle of learning goin'," Shawn responded. "Very true," Paul said.

Sara struggled to keep herself busy for the rest of day. After lunch, she found Shawn and Chris, and they worked out the match for later that night. After an hour, all three people were satisfied with the work done, and Sara went back to her dressing room. Mark, I miss you so much…this job isn't fun without you…it's just work, she thought sadly, plopping down on the couch. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Sara took a deep breath and slowly stood, opening the door. Her jaw dropped slightly at the sight of Andy. "Hi, baby doll," he said quietly. "Hi, Andy," she said softly. "So…you got your own dressing room, huh?" he asked quietly. Sara nodded slightly and leaned against the door. "What do you need, Andy?" she asked quietly. Andy looked down at the ground and said, "Honestly, Sara…I need our friendship back." Sara bit down on her bottom lip and let out a slow breath. "I can't, Andy…," she whispered. "Why?" he asked, his voice full of hurt. "Mark…," she said softly. "Right…gotcha. Well…at least I can say I tried," he said quietly, "Here…it's the tape from last Monday." Tears came to Sara's eyes as she watched him walk away. I'm sorry, Andy…but I have build my husband's trust in me back up first, she thought shutting the door softly. She put the tape in the VCR and plopped down on the couch to watch.

Around 6:30 p.m., Sara headed down to Janet's to get fixed up for the night. Just her luck, Lisa was already in the chair. "Hey, Sara," Lisa said politely. "Hi, Lisa," Sara said quietly, looking down at the floor. The argument the two women had a week ago was still very much at the forefront, and Lisa was bitter and angry with Sara because of it. "Sara, I'm gonna be a while with her," Janet said. "You think about an hour?" Sara asked looking up at her. "You know me so well," Janet said with a smile. "Of course. I'll be back," Sara said forcing a smile before walking away, her head lowered. "Everything okay with you two?" Janet asked running a brush through Lisa's dark locks. "No, she's being retarded," Lisa answered tensely. "Whoa…what happened?" Janet asked. "Well…I don't wanna put her business out like that…you can ask her for details if you want. But due to circumstances, she's practically cut Andy out of her life…and it's ridiculous," Lisa said honestly. "Well, I hope things get better between you two," Janet said. "Me, too, Janet," Lisa said quietly. Janet managed to complete Lisa's look in the hour she'd told Sara she would. Lisa's hair was now in three different ponytails, with the loose hair crimped and pulled into a complete ponytail. Lisa also put the hanging hair in tiny Shirley Temple curls. Her make-up was done with natural colors, accompanied only by a little rouge on Lisa's cheeks. Sara walked up as Lisa climbed out of the seat. "Told ya an hour," Janet said smiling. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. "Bye, Janet," Lisa said before walking away. Sara watched her departing form before plopping down heavily in the chair.

"So…what's up with you two?" Janet asked quietly. Sara sighed heavily and crossed her arms. "What'd she say?" she asked quietly. "She said she didn't want to put your business out like that, and to ask you for details," Janet answered preparing clean make-up and hair instruments. Sara groaned softly and dropped her head forward. "I can't tell you what happened, Jan…and in all honestly, I don't want to…it's too private. But just know that I've had to distance myself from Andy…and Lisa just can't understand," she said quietly. Janet touched her shoulders from behind and whispered, "It's gonna be okay, Sara…everything always works out with you." "I hope you're right, Jan," Sara said softly, "I really hope you're right." "How do you want your hair, sweetie?" Janet asked, changing the topic. "Be creative," Sara said quietly, a slight smile on her face. Janet chuckled softly and nodded, picking up her wide brush. Sara sat in complete silence as Janet's fingers moved through her hair. "You want it out of your face, right?" Janet asked. "Yep," Sara said softly. "Alright," Janet said quietly. After a half an hour, Janet finally moved to Sara's make-up. She spread foundation evenly over Sara's skin, before moving on to a glittery blue eyeshadow. She designed the shadow to accentuate Sara's dark hair and wrestling pants, giving her a great feline look. She lined her lids with silver, before brushing light red rouge over her cheeks. "Spread your mouth a little," she said quietly. Sara did as she was asked, and Janet put a deep red color on her lips, covering it with gloss as a final touch. "There…done," Janet said putting the cap back on the gloss. Sara looked in the mirror and smiled. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, with a thick braid hanging out of the dark blue bow. Her bangs were straightened, and a few tendrils hung from the sides. "Thanks, Janet, you're wonderful," she said hugging the woman. "You're welcome. I'll keep an eye on your match tonight," Janet said returning the hug.

Sara nodded before heading back down to her room to watch the matches recorded for Sunday Night Heat. Inside, she shut the door and plopped down on the couch, flipping the television on with the remote. Randy and Jay were wrestling in the main event, which made Sara smile. Regardless of the fact that they knew very few people actually watched the Sunday show, they still wrestled as though they were in the main event of RAW. As the match drew to a close, a knock came on the door. Sara sighed heavily, hoping it wasn't Andy again, and slowly opened the door. "Hey, Angel…everything okay?" Chris asked. "Yeah…sorry, Chris, just tryin' to relax before the show," she said opening the door more fully. "Do you mind if I come in?" he asked. "Yeah, sure," she answered stepping to the side. Chris walked in, nodding slightly with a smile. "Nice…very nice," he said sitting down on the couch. Sara shut the door and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "What'd you need, Chris?" she asked quietly. Chris glanced at her and put his hands up. "Easy, champ, easy," he said grinning, "I just wanted to talk out our match again." "Sorry, Chris…I've just had a lot on my mind today," she said sitting down at the other end of the couch. "It's okay. You mind?" he asked pointing to the vegetable tray on the table. "No, go ahead. I can't believe Vince got that huge thing…I hope he didn't think I was gonna eat it all by myself," she said grinning. Chris grabbed a few of the celery sticks and chuckled. They discussed their match for the next half an hour, until they were thoroughly content. "Okay. I'll see you in about an hour, okay?" Chris said finally standing. Sara nodded and grinned slightly. "I'm lookin' forward to it," she said sarcastically. Chris chuckled and waved goodbye before leaving the room. Sara sighed and sat down in front of the television to stretch as thoroughly as possible.

The match that night was definitely a physical one. Since Chris had wrestled in Japan and Mexico, he brought a brutality Sara had rarely dealt with in the ring. Near the end of the match, Sara saw Shawn come running down the ramp, and boos from the fans echoed throughout the arena. Shawn slid into the ring and clotheslined Sara down, causing Earl to signal for the bell. Shawn climbed onto Sara's stomach and nailed her with stiff punches to the side of her head. Sara tried to block the hits, but failed. Shawn stood as Chris slid out of the ring and pulled a ladder out from underneath the ring. Shawn whipped her into the ropes, before dropping her down with his superkick. Sara groaned and turned to her side, grabbing her jaw. Shawn and Chris held both ends of the ladder as Sara struggled to get to her feet. When she stood, they rammed the ladder into her back, knocking her back down to the mat. Sara screamed and grabbed at her lower back. Shawn took the ladder from Chris and dropped the top end onto Sara's back. Sara screamed even louder and tried to move away. Chris planted a boot on the back of her head, and Shawn hit her twice more with the ladder. "Stop!" Sara screamed clutching her back. Shawn dropped the ladder and looked at Chris. "Pick her up!" he snapped. Chris grabbed a handful of Sara's hair and pulled her to her feet while Shawn took a microphone from Lillian. He went over to Sara and grabbed her jaw tightly. "Angel, you signed your own death certificate when you beat me for that World Heavyweight championship! You took away my pride and joy, woman! That title means more to me than life itself!" he growled. Sara dropped to her knees out of exhaustion, but Chris put her in a rear headlock and kept a tight grip on her hair. "At Unforgiven, Angel, I'm going to be the one sending you to hell! I hope you like the taste of steel, sweetheart…because I'm gonna shove that ladder down your throat!" he snapped before slapping her down to the mat. Sara groaned and curled up as Shawn and Chris finally exited the ring. Earl dropped down at her head and leaned down to her ear. "You okay, Angel?" he said, "We're off the air now." Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she whispered, "No, Earl…" "You need a stretcher?" he asked. "No," she said softly. "I'll get the trainer down here," he said before signaling for Bruce. He helped her to the edge of the ring as Bruce came running down the ramp followed by a couple of medical technicians. Sara slowly sat up, grimacing at the stabbing pain in her back. "Come on, Angel," Bruce said putting her arm around his neck. Earl jumped out of the ring and put her other arm around his neck. They carefully walked up the ramp, Sara wincing with every step.

Bruce immediately took her to his medical room, where he laid her on the table. Shawn came in as Bruce laid icepacks over her back. "Oh, goodness, Sara, I'm so sorry," he said quietly. "Don't worry about it, Shawn…this comes with having the title," she said quietly. "No, I didn't mean to hit you so hard," he said quietly. Sara reached out her hand, and Shawn took it gently. "You want me to call Mark? You know, beg for my life," he said grinning. Sara chuckled slightly and shook her head. "I've been through worse, Shawn…Bruce will…take care of me," she said wincing slightly as Bruce moved the packs over her back. "Yeah…you're a fighter," he said squeezing her hand. Sara forced a smile and said, "I'll see you on the plane in the morning." Shawn nodded and squeezed her hand once more before leaving the room. Tears came to Sara's eyes and she let out a shaky breath. "You want me to go get your cell phone?" Bruce asked. "Will you? I know Mark's worried out of his mind right now," she answered. "I'll be back in a little bit," he said before leaving the room. Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she rested her forehead on her hands. She hated being categorized as unique for doing the same thing as her coworkers, wrestling through the pain. It was nothing new to her, so she shouldn't be given special treatment for what she went through. "Baby doll." Sara sniffled slightly and looked up at Andy. "Yeah," she said quietly. "You okay?" he asked. "I'm fine, Andy," she said quietly. "You didn't look it," he said quietly. "Well, I am…," she said softly. Andy shook his head and dropped her duffel bag and the title beside the table, placed her cell phone in her hand, then left the room. Sara bit down on her lip as she checked to see if she had a signal, before immediately dialing her home.

The phone rang a few times before Mark answered. "Hey, dollface, you okay?" Mark asked, his voice full of concern. "No, Mark…," Sara whispered shakily. "Sara…who's fuckin' idea was that?" he asked tensely. "Um…all three of us. I've got…a ladder match at Unforgiven, so we wanted to…introduce it tonight," she said quietly. Mark sighed heavily and whispered, "Melissa's worried out of her mind, dollface…" The tears fell, and Sara hesitated before speaking. "Where is she?" she asked. "Right next to me," he said quietly, "You wanna talk to her?" "Yeah," she said softly. "Mommy! Are you okay!" Melissa exclaimed moments later, "Mr. Shawn was really hitting you tonight!" "I know, baby. Mama's just fine, I promise. I'm gonna take some medicine, and go back to the hotel, and go right to sleep," Sara answered. "You swear?" Melissa asked with a seriousness Sara hadn't heard since her match at Wrestlemania. "I swear, munchkin," she answered honestly, "It hurts right now, yes. But once I stretch out my back, and take the medicine Bruce is gonna give me, I'll be just fine." Melissa sighed and asked, "When are you coming home, mommy? I miss you." "I won't be home until next Tuesday, remember, munchkin? I have to go to Australia to work," Sara answered. "Will you bring me back something?" Melissa asked. Sara smiled and said, "I don't know. You have to be good for daddy." "I will, I promise!" Melissa exclaimed. Sara chuckled and let out a deep breath. "Okay, baby…I'll get you somethin'," she said. "What are you gonna get me?" Melissa asked. "Well, if I tell you, what's the fun in that?" Sara said smiling. "Come on, mama, tell me," Melissa begged. "Don't beg, sweetheart. Don't ever beg…for anything," Sara said quietly. "Okay, mama," Melissa said. "Whatever I decide to get you, you're gonna love. I guarantee it," Sara said. "Ooh, guarantee…I like that word. I'm gonna use it this week…once I find out what it means," Melissa said. Sara smiled and sniffled slightly.

"Daddy says I have to get a new babysitter," Melissa said quietly. "Yeah, munchkin. You can't keep traveling on the road with daddy and me. That's how you got sick," Sara answered. Mark had called her earlier in the day to tell her he'd gone ahead and taken Melissa to the hospital. They'd put her on antibiotics to break her fever, and flu medicine to help her through the illness. "I know, mama…is Stacy coming back?" Melissa said. "Do you want her to come back?" Sara asked. She heard the hesitation from Melissa and smiled slightly. "I know she hurt you and daddy," Melissa said slowly. "That's true…but if you want her back, munchkin…I'll try and bring her back," Sara said quietly. "I don't," Melissa answered truthfully. Good for you, munchkin, Sara thought, before saying, "Okay...let me talk to daddy." "I love you, mama," Melissa said softly. "I love you, too, munchkin. I'll talk to you soon," Sara said quietly. "I'll go in town and get the ad put out tomorrow or Wednesday," Mark said moments later. "Thank you, Mark," Sara said quietly. "No problem, dollface," he said, "You want it to say the same thing as last time?" "Yeah, pretty much. Someone with extensive experience in babysitting and house care…preferably a young woman, since that's what Melissa likes. But make sure to put that it's only a short-term job," she said quietly. "Will do, sweetheart," he said quietly. "Mark…," she said softly, struggling to decide whether to tell Mark about her concerns over her dwindling friendship with Andy. "Yeah, dollface," he said quietly. Sara let out a deep breath and simply said, "I love you." "I love you, too, dollface," Mark said. Sara grinned and sighed contently. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better," he said quietly. "It's all you," she said. "Oh, well, thank you," he said with a smile. Sara chuckled and rested her head on her hand. "Look, Melissa's fallin' asleep on my side, so I'm gonna put her to bed. Call me before you leave for the airport, okay?" he said quietly. "It's gonna be really early, 'cause it's like a 20-hour flight," she said quietly. "That's no problem, dollface. It may take me a while to get to the phone, but I'll answer," he said grinning, "Especially if I know it's you calling." Sara felt her neck redden and smiled. "Yeah, I know you're blushing," he said. "You're so full o' yourself," she whispered. "And you love me for it," he said quietly. "You know it," she said, "Talk to you soon." "I love you, dollface," he said softly. "I love you, too. Bye, Mark," she said quietly. Mark said the same, and Sara finally clicked her phone shut.

Bruce walked into the room moments later. "Well, this certainly isn't the person I left in here," he said with a smile. Sara grinned and waved the phone slightly. "The hubby will do that to me," she said with a grin. Bruce removed the icepacks from her back, sighing as he did so. "You're gonna be pretty bruised up tomorrow," he said quietly. "I'm expecting it," she said grinning, slowly sitting up. "Here's some ibuprofen; it's pretty strong. I want you to take two before you go to bed tonight, and then two before you get on the plane tomorrow, okay?" he said handing her four separate packets. "Sure will, Bruce. Thanks," she said standing. She grabbed the title and slowly put the duffel bag over her shoulder. "Take it easy tonight, Sara, and make sure you stretch before you get in bed. Otherwise, you won't be able to move an inch in the morning," he said. Sara nodded slightly before finally leaving the room. As she neared the exit, she ran into Chris. "Hey, Angel, how you feelin'?" he asked. "I'll be fine, Chris. I talked to Mark," she answered. "Of course. I take it he's on the next flight out to kill me and Shawn," he said somewhat seriously. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "He'd miss us, 'cause we're headed out so early," she answered. "Oh, whew! I think I'll double-check the locks on my hotel room door just to be sure," he said opening the back door for her. "You're retarded," she said walking out of the building. "No, I'm scared for my life," he said with a smile. "Trust me, he's not gonna be after you, Chris," she said as they got to her rental car, "At least…not this week." She smiled as a feigned look of horror came to Chris' face. "I'm kiddin'!" she said opening her trunk and tossing her bag in with the title. "Hey, easy with that, Angel. That's precious," he said grinning. Sara smiled and nodded. "Sorry, buddy. I'll be careful with it, I promise," she said smiling, "I'll see you in the morning, okay?" "Yep…bright and early at five a.m.," he said sarcastically. "Lookin' forward to it," she said with her own sarcasm. Chris chuckled as she climbed into the car.

Sara waved goodbye before finally pulling away, while Chris headed to his own rented vehicle. It took her a while to arrive to her hotel that night, because there was a lot of traffic on the road. When she finally pulled into her hotel parking lot, she let out a heavy sigh. Her back was definitely hurting, and she needed to stretch out soon. She quickly parked and made her way up to her room, waving courteously to the night receptions at the front desk. Once inside her room, she stripped down to her underwear before slowly sitting down on the floor. She stretched her limbs for nearly an hour, before she was content she would be able to move in the morning if she went ahead to sleep. She took a long, hot shower to relax her muscles even more, before climbing into the large bed. She said a few prayers for her family and fellow coworkers before finally turning off the lights and laying down. I hope I can make it through this week without Mark here…I have to make it without him. I'll understand how he feels being on the road all the time when I'm retired, Sara thought as she drifted into sleep.


	100. Crossing the Line

**Told you guys I had ideas for this story! Yeah, it's been a few days, and I HAVE AN UPDATE:-D I'm more excited to type this stuff than you guys are to read it. I stayed up til seven a.m. today finishing up this chapter. Although the story is winding down, I'm gonna make these ending chapters as exciting as ever. I don't settle for mediocrity, and I know you won't either. Thus, enjoy!****

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Chapter 99…Crossing the Line

A phone ringing pulled Sara from her sleep. She groaned loudly and snatched the receiver off the hook. "What?" she mumbled. "Good morning, Mrs. Callaway, this is your three a.m. wake-up call," a friendly male voice said. Sara sighed heavily and thanked the person before dropping the phone back on its hook. She groaned as she sat up, her back very tender from the night before. It didn't hurt as much as she expected it to, for which she was very grateful. It took her a few minutes to get her feet over the edge of the bed, and a few minutes more to finally have the strength to stand. She slowly made her way to the bathroom, cut on the shower to a near scalding temperature, and relieved herself before stepping into the steaming water. "Ah," she sighed as the water pelted against her skin. She moved her limbs around to get the blood flowing, and rotated her neck thoroughly. After washing her aching body, as well as her thick hair, she stepped out of the tub and pulled a towel loosely around her. She went back into the room and grabbed her cell phone from her bag. She let out a deep breath as she called her house phone. It seemed to ring forever before Mark's voice finally came through. "Mornin', dollface," he said quietly. "Right," Sara said softly, "Sorry it's so early." "It's not a problem, dollface…I've got a confession to make," he said quietly. "Oh, really? What's that?" she asked moving off the bed. "I'm sleeping next to a…very beautiful, young brunette," he said grinning. "You didn't let her stay up all night, did you?" she asked. "Of course not, dollface. She fell asleep as I put her to bed after I talked to you," he answered. "Okay…what are your plans for the day?" she asked pulling out underwear, sweatpants, and t-shirt from her suitcase. "Well, I'm gonna sleep in…maybe go to town around noon and put that ad in the paper, take Melissa out for lunch…just relax with her, ya know," he answered. "Lucky you," she said getting dressed.

Mark chuckled and said, "Don't worry, dollface. I'm sure you'll sleep the whole flight." "I hope so. Either that or go insane. You know how John can get on a long plane flight," she said grinning. "Well, just let him know if he messes with you, he's got me to deal with next Monday," he said smiling slightly. "Sure will, babe," Sara said taking the ibuprofen Bruce had given her the previous night. "You think your phone will work while you're over there?" Mark asked. "If it doesn't, I'll find a way to call you," she answered, "You know I can't go a day without talkin' to you." "Yeah, I know," Mark said. "Like I said last night, you're full o' yourself," she said running her brush through her hair. "What time is the flight?" he asked. "Take-off is at 5:30," she answered, "But we have to be there by 4:30." "How long is it gonna take you to get to the airport?" he asked. "About 20 or 30 minutes," she answered. "Anybody ridin' with you?" he asked. "Nope…I'm on my own this week, Mark," she said quietly. "What about Andy and Lisa?" he asked. Sara let out a slow breath and plopped down on the bed. "What's wrong?" he asked. Sara hesitated to answer, and tears filled her eyes. "I, uh…I don't talk to Andy much anymore, Mark," she whispered. "Why not?" he asked. "Um…," she whispered. "Sara…don't worry about how I feel about Andy. It was never my intention to break you two apart. I know how much he means to you…and I trust you, dollface," he said quietly. Sara let out a shaky breath and whispered, "I was just trying to fix our marriage, Mark…I never wanted to hurt him." "I know that, dollface…but you don't have to cut people out of your life to fix our marriage. You don't have to sacrifice your happiness for me…you've done that way too many times already. I love you, regardless…and you know that," he said softly. "I don't think he even wants to talk to me anymore, Mark…and Lisa's pissed at me because of how I just stopped talking to Andy," she said quietly. "Do you want me to call him?" Mark asked. "No…it won't do any good. If he wants to still try and talk to me, it's on him. I don't have the guts to go up to him now," she whispered. A tear fell from Sara's eye, and she sniffled slightly. "Don't cry, dollface…things are goin' too well for you for you to be crying right now," he said quietly. "I love you so much," she whispered. "I love you, too, dollface. If you can, call me while you're over there. If not, I'll talk to you Saturday night," Mark said. "Okay. Bye, Mark," she said softly, "Sweet dreams." "You, too, dollface. Bye," he said quietly. Sara clicked her phone shut and let out a heavy sigh. _Who knows? Maybe this time in Australia will bring me and Andy back together_, she thought standing and putting her phone in her pocket. She shouldered her duffel bag, before exiting the room with her suitcase dragging behind her.

Sara arrived at the airport at four o' clock. A few of her coworkers were already there, including Shawn, Paul, Chris, and D.J. "Morning, fellas," she said plopping down in the empty seat beside Paul. "You look as happy to be here as a snowball is happy to be in hell," Shawn said with a smile. Sara chuckled then winced slightly. "Your back?" Chris asked quietly. "Yeah," she answered, "I took some ibuprofen when I got up, so I'll be okay in about an hour. I'm planning on sleeping for most of the flight." "Yeah, I think everybody is," D.J. commented. "Did you manage to talk to Mark this morning?" Shawn asked. "Yeah, for a little bit. I'm hoping my cell phone works in Australia. Otherwise, it's gonna be hard to call him, 'cause we're pretty much gonna be either on the bus or at the arena. But I do have to get away for a little while so I can get some stuff for Melissa," she answered. "Yeah, I gotta shop from Bridgette," Shawn said grinning, "And Tracy, too, of course." "Maybe we could do some shopping together, then," Sara said. Shawn chuckled and shrugged. "I don't know…I've been shopping with Tracy before, and it takes her five hours to buy one thing," he said with a smile. "Oh, shut up, Shawn," Sara said leaning her head back, "I'm not that bad." "Right…that's what all females say," Paul said jokingly. "You guys are idiots. Wake me up when they announce boarding, please," she said resting her head on her left hand. "Sure thing," Paul said. Sara drifted into sleep, but was awoken seemingly only moments later.

"Everybody's gettin' on the plane, Sara…can't have the World champion left behind," Andy said quietly. Sara swallowed and went to stand, grabbing at her back as she did. "Easy," he said taking her hand gently, helping her to an upright position. "Thank you, Andy," she whispered putting her duffel bag on her shoulder. Her suitcase had been taken with all other wrestlers' belongings to be stored below the large plane. Andy nodded slightly and she followed him onto the plane. "Where you sittin'?" he asked moving through the aisle. "Don't know. I just wanna go to sleep," she said quietly. "Well, Lisa's saving a seat for me, and I think there's an empty one beside that…if you want," he said quietly. "I'd like that, Andy," she said quietly. Andy grinned slightly and continued to move through the aisle. He found Lisa quickly; she'd found an empty row near the back of the plane. "Hey, babe…there's room for us to stretch out a little," Lisa said, before looking up at Sara. "Don't worry about it, Andy…I'll find somewhere else," Sara said before walking away. She looked around and found a couple of empty seats beside John. "Just my luck, I get stuck beside you for the next 15 hours," she said grinning and sitting down. "I won't bug you, Angel, promise," John said quietly, "You had it rough last night, so I'll keep my music down." "Thanks, John, I appreciate that," she whispered. Several flight attendants came by before the plane took asking if anyone needed pillows or blankets. Sara requested a couple of pillows and a thick blanket. Once the man returned with her items, Sara stuffed one pillow behind her head, put one in her arms to hold, and wrapped the blanket around her tightly. She was back in dreamland within moments.

The plane took off at exactly 5:30 a.m. With only one stop to refuel in Japan, they arrived in Brisbane, Australia, around 8:00 p.m. that night. Sara had slept for most of the flight, finally waking two hours before they landed. She spent those two hours listening to John practice some pieces to use while they were working in Australia. "It sounds good, John," she kept telling him with a grin. "Are you seriously listening?" he'd asked, "This is important to me, Angel." "I know, John," she said smiling. "So what are you gonna do tonight? Our show isn't 'til tomorrow, so you wanna go out with some o' the Smackdown guys?" John asked. "Are you flirting with a married woman, John? That's real dangerous ground, considering who my husband is," Sara said smiling. "I know, I don't have a death wish for when we get back. I'm just sayin', we don't get to see those guys much, and this is our second to last co-sponsored show of the year," he answered. "You're not gonna let this go, are you?" she asked as the pilot announced that the plane had finally come to a stop, and that Vince would be addressing them all before they got off the plane. "Nope. You gotta relax out here, Angel, while you still can," he said smiling. "Alright, fine, I'll go for a couple hours," she answered. "Excellent. We'll talk about it more after we get off this plane," John said quietly as Vince stood at the front of the plane.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. We've got three buses outside the airport for transportation. No hotels on this trip, 'cause we're all sleeping on the buses. We're pulling out tomorrow morning for the arena at ten a.m., so if you're goin' out tonight, at least be back before then," Vince said grinning slightly, "And if you get in trouble, it's your asses!" Everyone chuckled, but knew Vince was dead serious. Every single person represented the company, and any negative actions on their part would reflect back on the WWF. If that happened, Vince would make sure they learned their lesson, either through heavy fines, severe suspension, or at worse, termination. Sara grabbed her duffel bag, and followed John off the plane. "We're not goin' anywhere fancy, are we?" she asked. "A club," he answered. "And just where the hell am I gonna change?" she asked. "Airport bathroom," he said grinning. Sara rolled her eyes slightly and said, "You guys are idiots. We're gonna take over the bathrooms." "Nah, everybody goin' changed on the airplane before we landed. We're just waitin' on you," he said. "Oh, keep me outta the loop. I see how it is," she said claiming her suitcase. "Just hurry up. We'll meet you outside at the buses," John said. Sara nodded and went into the nearest bathroom. She pulled out a pair of fitted blue jeans, and a spaghetti-stringed, blue silk tank top with a silver 'A' on the front. She quickly changed outfits and pulled on a pair of low-heeled boots. She brushed her hair smooth, before applying a small amount of make-up. This whole process took all of ten minutes. She stuffed her other clothes into her suitcase and zipped it back up, and put her make-up and brush back in their appropriate pockets. She finally left the bathroom and exited the airport.

"Wow…quick change," John said as she walked up to the bus he was standing beside. "You're on this bus?" she asked. "Yeah…I saved you the back row…you know, in case you needed to stretch out while we're on this trip," John said. "Oh, thanks, John," she said stepping onto the bus. John put her suitcase underneath the bus while she dumped her duffel bag in her seat. She quickly exited the bus, excited to be hanging out with her coworkers without Mark constantly watching over her. "Alright, so who are we goin' with?" she asked going up to John. "Well, it's me, Shelton, Adam, and Randy from RAW. And Glenn, Brock, Dawn, and Paul London from Smackdown," he answered as the people he'd listed walked up. "What do you say we get this show on the road?" Randy said cockily, "I'm ready to paint the town red!" "Oh, brother," Glenn said grinning. Sara smiled and hugged Glenn tightly. She missed him being on RAW, because he and Mark had great chemistry both as a tag team and as enemies. "Hey, you," she said quietly. "I know it's late, but congratulations, World champ," Glenn said quietly. He had not been at Summerslam, because he was at home nursing a bruised rib. Sara felt her cheeks turn pink, and she pulled away from him. "Thanks, Glenn," she said quietly. "So, you brought your Smackdown crew with you, huh?" she asked grinning. "Yeah," he said watching the group of people interact, "How's Mark?" "He's okay…at home with Melissa," she said quietly.

"Come on, guys, we managed to get, like, a whole row o' cabs to wait for us," Dawn said excitedly. Sara groaned softly and lowered her head. She'd heard of how talkative Dawn was on her show, and how it took her actually having something to do in order to be productive. _Just another pretty face_, Sara thought. "Don't worry, Sara, you can hang with me. I feel old in this group, too," Glenn said with a grin. Sara chuckled and nodded. "I was really excited to be goin' out without Mark for once, ya know," she said quietly, "But I think I'd prefer him to this bunch right about now." "Your cell phone work?" he asked. "Yeah, but it's really early over there. We're 12 hours behind them, ya know," she answered. Glenn chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. You're gonna have to be up early to talk to him, then," he said with a grin. Sara laughed and sighed as they came up to the cabs. Adam, Randy, and John were at the first cab. Brock, Shelton, and Paul were at the second cab. That left Dawn to ride with Sara and Glenn. "We're goin' to the Monastery Nightclub, everybody," John said before climbing into his cab. Sara sighed and slid into the backseat with Glenn, while Dawn sat in the front seat. "Just follow those cabs in front of you, please," Sara politely said to the driver. "Sure thing, ma'am," the man said with a thick Australian accent.

Sara tried to make conversation with Glenn during the ride, but Dawn's incessant talking with the driver was like a knife in her spine. When they finally arrived at the chic club, Sara paid the driver a handsome tip for having to put up with Dawn for the nearly 20 minutes it took to get to the club. Once inside the club, Sara looked around and noticed that there were two levels. The bottom floor was obviously for dancing, and there was a bar on each wall. Even though it was only a Tuesday night, the bottom level was packed. The top floor was hidden off by opaque walls: thick enough to hide the VIP areas, but thin enough to see shadows. "You wanna go up there?" Glenn asked in her ear. "Yeah…this music is gonna give me a headache soon," she answered. They made their way up to one of the small booths on the second floor, and a waitress who couldn't have but barely 21 years old came up to the door. "You guys want anything to drink?" she asked. "Yeah, I'll have a beer," Glenna answered. "Can I just get a club soda?" Sara asked. "Sure. Be back in a few," the woman answered. Sara sighed and leaned into the small couch, running her fingers through her hair. She smiled as Glenn struggled to get comfortable in the small plush chair. "You wanna switch?" she asked. "Please," he said with a chuckle. They both stood, and Sara sat down comfortably in the chair, her arms settling into the soft fur. Glenn stretched out his legs in front of him, and put his arms across the back of the couch. "Much better," he said with s content sigh. "Yeah, I bet," Sara said chuckling.

"So…what made you even wanna come out?" Glenna asked. "I think it was because Mark wasn't here; I wanted to be a little risqué, ya know…do somethin' out of the ordinary. And John wasn't lettin' up until I agreed to hang out with him and his friends, so…here I am," she said shrugging. "Yeah, but you're not with John and his friends," he said smiling. Sara chuckled and nodded. "That's not my kinda crowd anymore, Glenn. Maybe about five or six years ago…but I'm more mature now, ya know," she said as their waitress came back with their drinks. "Yeah, I hear ya. I'm startin' to think about retirement now," he said as the woman popped the top off of his beer. "Janice been talkin' about it?" she asked, referring to his wife of six years. "Yeah…it's time for me to really be home with her now. I mean…she can't take me being on the road so much…besides, I've been at it for a long time now…almost as long as Mark," he answered. "Wow…I didn't know that," Sara said sipping on her club soda. "Yeah, so it's startin' to wear me out…," Glenn said watching the waitress leave. "You're such a male," Sara said chuckling softly. Glenn hunched his shoulders and said, "She's nothin' compared to Janice." Sara smiled and continued to sip on her club soda.

"You said Melissa was sick," Glenn said. "Yeah, her doctor's got her on antibiotics, 'cause she caught the flu from traveling with me and Mark so much," Sara said quietly, "We're gettin' her a new babysitter. Mark's gonna put out an ad in the paper, and we're gonna go from there. We'll probably hire somebody next week." "What'd Melissa say about that?" Glenn asked, remembering how headstrong the small child was. "She's all about it. Traveling was fun…for the first week," Sara said chuckling, "It got old for her real quick, even bein' around me and Mark. But…we didn't have anybody to watch her…so, we had to bring her with us." "Yeah, it's understandable. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone real easy," he said nursing his beer. John came rushing into the room with Randy, both laughing hysterically. "Come on, Angel, the dance floor is callin' your name!" John said reaching for her hand. "Ya know, John…you and lover-boy over there seem to be havin' enough fun without me," she said forcing a grin, "I'll come down in a little bit." "Okay, okay, fine. I see how it is," John said looking down. "Come on, John, I saw this really hot chick on the dance floor! Let's go get her number!" Randy said pulling John out of the room. "Wow…that kid, I swear…," Sara said rolling her eyes slightly. "Who, Randy?" Glenn asked. "Yeah…he was such a sweet kid when he came into the company…the fame's just gone to his head," Sara said, "It sucks when that happens…especially to the good ones." "Yeah, I see that, too. Well, he'll crash eventually…or come to his senses about the dangers of the road," Glenn commented. "I don't know…he's young, he's rich, and he's good-looking…and he knows it," she said, "It's a dangerous combination." "This is very true," Glenn said quietly. "Alright, so tell me about life with the Smackdown crew. How you haven't gone insane working with that Dawn woman is beyond me," Sara said chuckling. Glenn chuckled and nodded in agreement.

For the next few hours, Glenn and Sara spent much of their time in the booth just catching up on each other, before Randy and John succeeding in pulling her from the booth. "You've been stuck in that booth with that old man for three hours. You're gettin' your sweet little ass on the dance floor now!" Randy said in her ear as he and John pulled her down the stairs. Sara sighed heavily as John put his arm around her waist and pulled her to the floor with him. "Relax, Angel, I don't bite," he said grinning. Sara sighed and shook her head, a grin on her face. "It's your death, John," she said beginning to sway to the music. Although she hadn't been drinking, she could tell John had been. "I'm serious, John…you need to watch yourself when you're out with Randy," she said in his ear, "He could get you into big trouble." A slow song started, and John asked, "Would you do me the honor?" "You're hopeless," she said resting her head on his shoulder. It was so different from dancing with Mark, because she was only a few inches shorter than John. _This just feels too weird_, she thought as John's hands drifted low on her hips. "John…," she said quietly, her voice full of warning. "Sorry, Angel," he said. Sara tried to focus on helping John not fall over completely, but he was beyond drunk. "Look, I'm gettin' outta here," she said before the song was even halfway over. "Angel, don't," he said putting his thumbs in the loops on her jeans. "What are you doin', John?" she said trying to move away, "Let me go." "Come on, please…just finish the dance," John said pulling her towards him. "I believe she asked to be let go."

Sara looked over her shoulder, and into the eyes of Andy. "Oh, my God, Andy. What are you doin' here?" she asked. Andy looked at John with a raised eyebrow. "I don't think she should have to repeat herself, John," he said crossing his arms. John immediately removed his hands, and held them up. "I'm sorry, Angel," he said honestly. "Don't worry about it, John…just think about what I told you…Randy's bad news," she said as Andy put a gentle hand around her elbow and pulled her away. "I could've handled that, Andy," Sara said as he pulled her up to one of the empty booths. "I know you could have. I'm sorry about that. It's just…seein' you like that brought back memories of you and Shawn in the club that night…," he said quietly. Sara sighed and looked down at the floor. "Well, thank you, Andy…for still lookin' out for me," she said softly. "Hey…," he said touching her chin. Sara looked up at him with sincerely apologetic eyes. "You know I'm always here for you," he whispered. Tears came to her eyes, and he pulled her into an embrace. "I'm sorry, Andy…I'm sorry for how I've treated you," she said putting her arms around his waist. "Don't worry about it, Sara…I understood, I really did," he said, "What do you say we just hang out here for a little bit?" "Okay," she said.

There were two small couches across from each other, so Sara and Andy sat on either of them. "Where's Lisa?" Sara asked. "Out with some o' the ladies. Trish, Amy, and a couple o' the women from Smackdown. They went to another, quieter bar. She knew all the guys were goin' to this one, so the women decided to go some place different," Andy answered. "Oh…," she said quietly. "She doesn't hate you, Sara…she was just hurt," he said quietly. "I never meant to hurt anybody, Andy," she said looking down at her hands. "Hey…no explanations needed, okay?" he said leaning forward and taking her hands in his own. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. "Okay," she said quietly. "Which bus are you on?" he asked. "The third one, I think," she answered, "John saved me the whole back row so I could stretch out as much as possible after each show." "Man, if Mark had seen that--." "I know, Andy, trust me," Sara said laughing, "I kept tellin' John, it's his funeral, it's his funeral." "He was so blatant about it, too. Wow, he's got some balls," Andy said smiling. "Not too much, though, 'cause he made his move while Mark's 12 hours away," she said laughing. "I really did miss talking to you, Sara," he said quietly. "I know, Andy…I really missed talking to you, too," she said quietly. "Come on, let's get outta here. It's too loud here. We can just go talk on the bus you're on…at least 'til everyone gets back," he said standing. Sara grinned and stood as well. "I thought you'd never ask," she said before placing her hand around his elbow, and allowing him to lead her out of the club.

A cab transported them back to the airport, and Andy paid the driver as Sara climbed onto her bus. It was nearing midnight, and there were a few seats occupied by sleeping bodies. Sara smiled slightly as she made her way to her seat. _Now I wish I would've brought a pillow or somethin'_, she thought as she realized this would not be a comfortable trip if she didn't purchase a pillow and blanket of some sort. Andy came up to her nearly ten minutes later; he was now dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. "Great thing about bein' parked outside an airport," he said quietly. "Will you come with me so I can change?" she asked. "Sure," he said. They exited the bus, and quietly retrieved Sara's suitcase from under the bus. Andy waited outside the airport's women's bathroom while Sara quickly changed into more comfortable clothes. Once they were finally back on the bus, Sara rotated her neck and let out a yawn. "You still up for talking?" he asked. "I'm so tired, Andy…even with all the sleep I got on the plane…," she said leaning her head on his shoulder. Andy put his arm around her and pulled her a little closer. "Melissa's gettin' a new babysitter," she said quietly, "You know she's sick, right?" "Yeah…I talked to Mark a couple hours ago. He filled me in on it," he answered. "Oh…did he say anything about me?" she asked. "Of course. I told him you were out with some o' the guys, and he just asked me to…keep an eye on you," he answered. Sara felt a mixture of emotions when she heard that news. _He said he trusted me…I guess maybe he doesn't after all_, she thought sitting up, turning her back to Andy. "It's not like that, Sara…he just wants to make sure you're okay out here on your own. Yeah, you're with your coworkers, but he knows you don't really hang out with them outside o' work," Andy said touching her back. A smile came to Sara's face, and she took a deep breath. "You both know me so well," she said quietly. "Well, he's your husband, so he's supposed to," he said rubbing her back gently. "And what about you, Andy?" she asked softly. "Hmm…that's a good question," he said grinning. Sara faced him, and noticed the smile on his face. "We've been close for years, Sara…we always will be. Nothin' will stop that…ever," he said quietly. Sara grinned slightly and leaned back into his comforting arms. "Thank you, Andy," she said quietly. "No problem, baby doll," he said quietly. Sara yawned and shivered slightly, so Andy pulled her a little closer. "Just until you fall asleep…then I gotta go back to my bus," he said in her ear. "Okay," she whispered. Her eyes drifted shut, and exhaustion conquered her once again as she fell into a deep comfortable sleep.

The buses pulled in front of the Suncorp Stadium bright and early at 11:00 a.m. Since the WWF rarely made large trips outside the country, when they did make these trips, the Superstars would perform in the largest venue available. The stadium was regularly used for events such as rugby and soccer, but could be changed around for wrestling events as well. Tonight, the audience would reach nearly 55,000 people. Sara awoke as everyone began to exit the bus. A slight smile came to Sara's face as she remembered falling asleep in Andy's arms the night before. She realized that while he didn't love her in the capacity he used to, he still very much cared for her as a close friend. _And that's all I ever wanted_, she thought grabbing her bag and exiting the bus. Andy saw her climb off the bus and waved her over. Sara smiled slightly and went over to him and Lisa. "Mornin'," she said quietly. "Same to you," Andy said grinning, "You sleep okay?" Sara nodded and watched as John entered the building with sunglasses on, his head hung low. "I bet he has a huge hangover," she said quietly, "I told him to watch himself last night." "What happened?" Lisa asked as they headed towards to the back door entrance. "Mr. Cena tried to pull a move on our Sara, sweetheart," Andy answered with a chuckle. "Oh, goodness…he can't still have his balls, then," Lisa said with a smile. Sara smiled as well, and hugged Lisa tightly. "I missed you," she said in her ear. "I missed you, too, sweetheart," Lisa said returning the hug. "Come on, let's go on inside," Andy said placing his hand in Lisa's. Sara nodded and followed them inside.

Sara found her dressing room, which was two doors down from the women's locker room. "Lisa, if you wanna get dressed in here, it's okay, ya know," Sara said opening the door to her room. "Are you sure?" Lisa asked. "Yeah, come on in. This room gets lonely without Mark here anyway," Sara answered entering the room. Lisa followed behind her and shut the door. "So, did you have fun last night?" Lisa asked as Sara dropped down on the couch. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "It was okay. Other than that little incident with John, I enjoyed myself. It was nice to just relax with everybody," she answered. "What exactly happened?" Lisa asked sitting down as well. "I was talkin' to Glenn up in this little VIP room, and John and Randy pull me out to dance. They said I'd been up there long enough," Sara said chuckling, "So, I danced with John for a little bit, and a slow song came on. He asked me to dance with him, and I agreed. Well, his hands start sliding down my hips and I kinda warn him about it. But he's really drunk, so I just try and leave. And get this, he puts his thumbs in the loops on my jeans, and keeps me there. But Andy walks up as I tell John to let me go, and he gives John a warning of his own. I think John realized he'd made a mistake and he let me go. So, it was an interesting end to that night." "Man…I didn't think John was that kinda guy," Lisa said quietly. "He's not, Lisa…he hangs out with Randy too much," Sara said looking down at her hands. "Yeah, I've heard some o' the ladies say he harasses them sometimes," Lisa said. "Ya know, this locker room is a hell of a lot different than when I first came in. Yeah, the guys gave me shit…but not like nowadays. It's really sad," Sara said quietly.

A knock came on the door and Sara answered it. "You're lookin' pretty rough," she said to John. "I feel pretty rough," he said quietly. "I warned you, didn't I?" she asked crossing her arms. "I know, Angel…look, I just wanted to apologize for last night," John said, his eyes not meeting hers. "Hey," Sara said quietly, forcing him to look at her, "I'm a lot more forgiving than Mark…but from now on, I suggest you keep your distance from Mr. Orton. 'Cause he's gonna get you in some real trouble one o' these days." "I'll try, Angel," he said. "No…no trying. I know he's someone you consider a friend…but you gotta ask yourself. Is he really making you a better person by being in your life. If the answer's no, which I'm positive it is…then you've got a choice to make. And I suggest you make it while we're over here," Sara said quietly. John let out a deep breath and nodded. "That's a good boy," she said grinning. John smiled slightly and opened his arms slightly. Sara rolled her eyes playfully and hugged him. "Playa 'til the end, right?" she asked. "You know it," he said, "I'll see ya around, Angel." Sara watched him walk away before shutting the door quietly. "You're right…you are a lot more forgiving than Mark is," Lisa said with a smile. "Hey, I gotta bring somethin' to our relationship, right?" Sara asked sitting back down. "Well, the show doesn't start until seven. What do you say we go souvenir shopping?" Lisa asked. "I don't know, Lisa. I have to check the matchboard to see who I'm wrestling. I'm gonna be wrestling in the main event of all three shows, plus I'm World champ, so--." "You don't have to explain, Sara…I get it," Lisa said standing. "Wait, what's that supposed to mean?" Sara asked standing as well. "Look, you're World champ…you're in a whole 'nother playing field now," Lisa said shouldering her bag. "Lisa, come on, be reasonable," Sara said, "I didn't say I couldn't go at all, just not right now." "Well, when are you gonna be able to hang out?" Lisa asked. "I can't answer that, you know that," Sara said crossing her arms. "Exactly. I'll see you around," Lisa said before leaving the room.

Sara sighed as the door slammed shut. "Are you fuckin' kiddin' me?" she snapped plopping down on the couch. She sighed and checked her watch; knowing it would be late in Houston, she decided to call Mark anyway. She grabbed her phone and left the arena quickly, dialing her house as she did. The phone rang several times before Mark answered. "Hey, dollface," he said quietly. "Sorry, I know it's late over there," she said quietly. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. I've been thinkin' about you all day," he said, "How was the flight?" "Long," Sara said with a chuckle, "It's lonely without you over here." "Yeah, Melissa misses her mommy," he said quietly. "Oh, I miss her, too. Did you put that ad out today?" she said. "Yep. It'll be run until Friday. I'm gonna have the list narrowed down to 10 by Sunday, and we can go through it when you get back Tuesday. Hopefully, we can have someone hired by Thursday or Friday," he answered. "Can you do me a favor and have it narrowed down to five?" Sara asked running her fingers through her hair. "Sure thing, dollface. I'll do phone interviews, okay?" he asked. "That'll work. That way, for the five you pick, we can do face-to-face interviews in town. We can even bring Melissa to 'em to see if she likes the person," she said. "I'll let her look at the résumés with me, get her opinion. I mean, the person is gonna be _her_ babysitter, after all," he said grinning. "Yeah, that's fine," Sara said.

"So you feelin' okay?" he asked. "Mmm…I'm alright. I went out last night with a few o' the guys from both shows. I ended up talkin' with Glenn for a few hours, danced a little bit, and left with Andy," she said, choosing to leave out the incident with John. "Oh, so you guys are talkin' again?" he asked. "Yeah," she answered smiling, "He said he understood where I was comin' from, and that we'll always be close, no matter what." "Good, dollface. I'm happy you got your buddy back," he said. "Well, now I'm havin' problems with Lisa," she said sighing. "What do you mean?" he asked. "She wanted to go souvenir shopping today, but I told her I couldn't go right now, because I have business to take care of first. And she cops an attitude about me bein' world champ, and not havin' time for my friends anymore…and she practically stormed out o' my dressing room. So I'm like, what the fuck, ya know. I can't help it that I take care of business before pleasure," she said. "Yeah, I understand, dollface. I should've warned you about that. As World champion, everyone's gonna be vying for your attention. And those that don't get it are gonna be pissed off about it. But this is a time when you realize who's _really_ your friend, and who's just there for the good times," he said quietly. "But she was there for the bad times, Mark…just like Andy, she was always there. It just sucks she has to act like this," she responded. "Yeah, I know, baby…but you'll get through it. I know you will," he said quietly. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too," Mark said softly.

"Melissa's asleep, I take it," she said. "Yeah, she's been out for a couple hours. We spent pretty much the whole day in town. I got another tattoo," he said. "What!" Sara exclaimed. "Yep…but I think you'll like it," he said quietly. "Where'd you get it? Your arms are both full," she said. "You'll see, dollface," he said grinning. "Come on, tell me," she said with a smile. "You'll just have to wonder until Tuesday, then, won't you?" he asked. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "I can't believe you went and got another tattoo," she said, "How'd Melissa react?" "She loved it, said her daddy was the toughest man in the world 'cause he didn't move an inch during the whole thing," he said. "How long did it take?" she asked. "Not that long. Only about an hour and a half, maybe two," he answered. "Wow, it can't be that big, then," she commented. "Nope, not that big. And stop questioning it, 'cause I'm not gonna give you anymore clues," he said chuckling softly. "Darn. I was so close," she said smiling. "You trust me, right?" he asked. "Of course," she answered. "So trust me when I say…you'll love it," he said, "I'm hopin' it'll be fully healed by the time you get home." "Yeah, yeah, quit teasing me," she said with a grin. "But it's so much fun," he said chuckling. "Well, I'll count down the minutes 'til I'm back in your arms," she whispered. "Me, too, dollface," he said quietly. "I'm serious…these bus rides aren't gonna be fun. I'm on a different bus than Andy, and you know I don't really talk to anybody else," she said quietly. "I know, dollface…but you'll get through it," he said quietly, "Besides…this is a small taste of what the next three months are gonna be like. You know I'm not gonna be with you when you're traveling all the time." "I know, Mark…," she said. "I'm sure you didn't call to get all sad again, now did you?" he asked. "No…," she said softly. "So perk up, champ," he said grinning. Sara smiled and rolled her eyes. "Silly man," she said, "That I love." "Yeah, I thought so," he said smiling. "Look, I'm gonna head back inside. I'll talk to you later, okay?" she said. "Sure thing, dollface. I love you," he said softly. "I love you, too, baby. Bye," she said quietly. Mark said the same, and Sara clicked her phone shut as the back door swung open.

Lisa walked out with Trish and Amy laughing heartily. Sara let out a heavy sigh as they walked past her without so much as speaking. _I guess Mark's right_, she thought. "Sara, you wanna come with? We're goin' shopping," Trish said looking back at her. "I can't, Trish. Sorry…but you girls have fun," she said. "We will," Lisa said shortly. Sara sighed and entered the building with her head lowered. "Yo, Angel, you up for an early morning workout?" John asked. "I'll find you, John. I gotta go check the match board real quick," Sara said. "Already did it. You got a tag match: me and you against Shawn and Chris," he answered. Sara grinned and shrugged. "Alright, John. I hope you can keep up with me," she said chuckling. "Oh, is that a challenge, missy?" he asked. "You had a rough night last night. It'd be unfair of me to take advantage of you like that," she answered with an innocent smile. "Oh, low blow," he said chuckling. "Sorry, Johnny. I'll let it go," she said. "Please," he said. "Seriously, though, are you sure you're up for the gym? I don't want you puking all over the place," she said grinning. "I'll take it easy, mom," he said sarcastically. Sara chuckled and punched his shoulder lightly. "It's a habit," she said grinning. "Did you call Mark?" he asked motioning to her phone. "Yeah…he told me he got another tattoo," she answered. "Holy crap, where at? I thought his arms were all filled up," he said. "I thought so, too…but he said it was pretty small, and that I'd like it, so I guess not," she answered. "You didn't tell him about last night, did you?" he asked, his voice full of dread. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Don't worry, you're safe, John," she answered. "Okay," he said as they finally found the gym. Randy was already inside at the free weights. Sara looked at John, who shrugged slightly. "Yo, Angel…you dipped out pretty fast last night," Randy said. "Yeah…that wasn't my environment," Sara said stepping onto one of the treadmills. "Too bad. We could've had a lotta fun," Randy said grinning as he completed his bicep curls. "Uh-huh," Sara said setting a time of 15 minutes. "You sure you wanna run today? You've got a big match," John said. "It's only my warm-up, John. Besides, when did you get concerned about my workout plan?" she said back. John winked at her before going over to Randy. Sara took a deep breath as she stretched out her legs a little bit. She stepped back onto the treadmill to begin her run. Once in her zone, she was focused solely on her workout.

"I can't believe you let her little bitch boy punk you out last night, man," Randy said quietly. "Dude, unlike you, I happen to like my balls right where they are," John responded beginning to stretch. "But you gotta admit, she's really hot. Even after havin' a baby, she's got a body like--." "Dude, shut the fuck up. Show her some respect," John said heatedly. "Why? She's no better than any o' the other broads in this company," Randy said back. "Maybe not, but she's also the World champ," John argued. "So what? Only reason she got it is 'cause she's Vince's little pet," Randy said. "You know that's not true. She's busted her ass for years to get where she is," John said tensely. "Man, you _are_ losin' it. What's got you all wound up?" Randy asked. "Nothin', man…I'm just sayin'…," John said quietly. "Yeah, whatever. All you need is to get laid, and you'll be back to your usual self. I got a couple girls' numbers last night at that club. I'm meetin' up with 'em in a few hours. You should come with," Randy said smiling, "I don't wanna hog all the glory from ya." "I think I'll pass," John said. "Oh, no, you're not backin' out on me. I don't know what that little bitch said to you last night, but you better get your head on right. You're rich, and women are begging to fuck you every night o' the week…take advantage of it while you can, man. I know I am," Randy said smiling. "You can't go to one town without fuckin' some broad, can you?" John asked. "Of course not. Not when it's so easy to get some," Randy answered. "You don't know what chicks have nowadays, man," John argued. "That's what they make condoms for, dumbass," Randy said punching John's shoulder before leaving the room. _Angel's right…you're a bad influence, Randy_, John thought before going over to the treadmill beside Sara. He set his own time for a half an hour, and began a light jog.

Sara finished up her workout in a couple hours, and went back to her dressing room. She took a nice shower, slipped on a pair of loose jeans, and one of Mark's t-shirts she'd packed for herself, then pulled on her tennis shoes. She went in search of Andy, because she needed someone to go shopping with. She found him in catering with Shawn and Paul. "What's up, fellas?" she asked coming up to their table. "Hey, you. We've got a match tonight," Shawn said. "Yeah, John told me. I'm gonna go souvenir shopping, but I'll be back in a couple hours. That okay?" she said. "Yeah, sure. Paul and I were headed out to do the same, so you wanna come with us?" Shawn answered. "Yeah, sure," she answered grinning. "As long as you promise not to take forever buying somethin'," Paul said. Sara chuckled and nodded. "I promise, guys," she answered. "Alright. We'll meet you out back in a few minutes," Paul said. Sara smiled and left the room. _That was easy_, she thought heading for the door. Lisa, Trish, and Amy came through the door with their arms filled with bags. "Hey, Sara," Amy spoke smiling, "You missed out on a great time!" "Sorry, Amy. Maybe we'll go out in the next city," Sara said. "Where ya headed?" Trish asked. "Out with Shawn and Paul," Sara answered.

Lisa scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You don't have time for me, but you have time for them?" she snapped. "Lisa, don't start, okay? I don't know what your attitude is, but you can shove it. I'm not gonna bust my ass to impress you. I don't need to," Sara snapped back. "Right…you just gotta impress the 'boys'," Lisa said tensely. "Whoa, ladies, chill," Trish said stepping between them. "Yeah, Lisa, chill," Amy said quietly. "I don't have to fuckin' chill. Before you won that title, Sara, you were one o' us. Now…the only thing on your mind is gettin' in the 'good ole' boys' club," Lisa said stepping towards Sara. "Lisa, don't even go there. This is a fight you can't win," Sara said tensely. "Yeah, can't win, my ass. You're no better than any of us females, Sara. Yeah, you can fight with the guys, big fuckin' deal. I'm sure there are tons o' women in the world who can do what you do, and do a fuckin' better job of it," Lisa snapped, "And they don't have to be the boss' pet to do it." Sara's jaw clenched, and Trish and Amy looked at the floor. "First of all, you have no fucking idea what I've gone through to get where I am, Lisa. You've been here all of, what, four years? Second of all, who died and made you Miss Thing? Last I checked, you weren't doin' much other than shakin' your ass to get a reaction What have _you_ ever done other than see how little clothing you can get away with wearing," Sara snapped. "Oh, yeah? Well, last _I_ checked, I found your ass on your bathroom floor with slit wrists 'cause your husband was gonna leave your cheatin' ass!" Lisa snapped. Sara's jaw dropped, as did Amy's and Trish's. "How dare you," Sara whispered. "Fuck you, Sara. You're just a walking hypocrite," Lisa said before storming past her. Sara looked from Trish to Amy, who wouldn't meet her gaze. "Please don't say anything to anybody else," she whispered. "We won't, Sara," Amy said honestly. "Yeah, my lips are sealed…but if you ever wanna talk…about anything…you know we're here for you," Trish added. Sara nodded and headed towards her dressing room. She grabbed her phone and went back outside, quickly dialing her house phone.

"Hello?" Mark's groggy voice came. "Mark…," Sara whispered shakily. "What is it, dollface? What happened?" Mark asked waking up more fully. "Lisa…," she whispered. "What, baby?" he asked. "Mark, she…I ran into her, and she was…with Trish and Amy. And I told Trish I was goin' out with Paul and Shawn…and Lisa turned psycho on me, Mark. We-we got into this huge argument…and she spouted out about…me slitting my wrists…and how you-you were gonna leave me because I cheated," Sara said, trying not to cry, "And Trish and Amy were standin' there!" "She didn't!" Mark exclaimed. "She did, Mark…," she whispered breathing fast, tears coming to her eyes, "She was mad I was hangin' out with Shawn and Paul…she said I was just tryin' to get into the boys club." "Oh, my God," Mark said. "I don't know what to do, Mark. I was supposed to be in her wedding…I can't be in her wedding now," Sara said. She wiped away the few tears that had fallen, and took a deep breath. "What should I do?" she asked, "How can I fix this?" "I told you earlier, dollface. As World champion, you're gonna find out who your true friends are…," he said quietly. "I thought she _was_ a true friend," she said softly. "Well, obviously not, dollface. Are you gonna talk to Andy about it?" he asked. "I don't know…it'd break his heart to know she said that kinda stuff," she said as the back door opened, "And I don't want him in the middle o' this." "Maybe you should talk to him, just to get his opinion, dollface," he said quietly. "Angel, you ready?" Paul asked from a few feet away. "I gotta go, Mark. I'll talk to Andy, I promise," she said. "You gonna be okay? I can talk to you for as long as you need me," he said quietly. "Yeah, I'll be okay. Shawn and Paul are too goofy for me to be sad for long," she said grinning slightly. "True. Don't say anything to 'em unless you feel comfortable, though," he said quietly. "I won't, Mark. Thanks for talkin'. I'm sorry about callin'--." "Don't even, dollface. You call me anytime you need me," he said.

Sara smiled and said her goodbyes before clicking her phone shut. "Alright, fellas, let's get outta here," she said facing Shawn and Paul. "You okay, Angel?" Paul asked. "Yeah, I'll be alright. I'm just a little stressed right now," she answered. "Bein' world champ will do that," Shawn said grinning. Sara chuckled as they headed down the street. As promised, Sara didn't stop in every shop that caught her eye…only every other shop. After two hours, the trio headed back to the arena. Sara had a few small bags in hand. She'd purchased a small stuffed koala bear, a coloring book about Australia, and a small porcelain koala bear statue for Melissa. For Mark, she simply got a t-shirt and a couple pair of boxers. She bought herself an ivory necklace, a bracelet made from seashells, and a pair of sunglasses. It was items she could easily pack into her suitcase or duffel bag. She also purchased a couple of pillows and a blanket with the Australian flag embroidered on it. "Alright, back to work, gentlemen. Shawn, I'll find John, and you can find Chris. We'll meet up in the ring in a half an hour, okay?" Sara said. "Sure thing, boss lady," Shawn said winking at her. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "You're an idiot," she said. "That you happen to have the honor of working with," he said smiling. Sara rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I think it's you who has the honor of working with me," she said winking at him. "Oh, look at that, Paul. She's got a World title, and now she thinks she's the best in the business," Shawn said chuckling. "Thought bein' World champ meant I _am_ the best?" she asked as they came up to her locker room. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. See ya in a half an hour, darlin'," Shawn said before walking away with Paul. Sara entered her dressing room, her eyes narrowing at the sight of Lisa.

"What the hell are you doin' here?" she snapped slamming the door shut. Lisa slowly stood and let out a slow breath. "Sara…I'm sorry," Lisa said quietly. "No need to apologize, Lisa. You showed your true colors. Get the hell outta my dressing room," Sara said dropping the bags in her hand. "Sara, please, I really am sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did," Lisa said. "Yeah, you shouldn't have…but you did. Now get the hell out…before I put you out," Sara said swinging the door open. Lisa sighed and headed for the door. "Can you ever forgive me?" she asked quietly. "No…now get out," Sara said shoving Lisa through the doorway and slamming the door shut. She rubbed her fingers through her hair and let out a heavy sigh before kicking into work mode. She pulled the World title out from her suitcase and smiled. "Yeah, I earned you," she said setting it on the table. She grabbed her duffel bag and pulled out a pair of light blue, silk pants with her stage name written on the left leg. She pulled out the matching halter top, then quickly slipped into the outfit. She pulled on her black wrestling boots before heading out of the room. She found John near the men's locker room sitting on a black case with his notebook. "Yo, Johnny boy, come on. We gotta go meet Shawn and Chris in the ring," she said. "Alright, hold up, I got one last line to write," he said jotting down notes on one of the pages. "Should I be afraid?" she asked smiling. "Nah, that's not for you, that's for Shawn and Chris," he answered hopping off the box, "Come on, let's get to the ring."

The doors to the stadium opened up at 6:00 p.m. exactly. Sara sat in Janet's chair as she heard the buzz in the arena begin to get louder. "They're really excited, huh?" Janet asked pulling Sara's hair into a tight ponytail. "Yeah. We only come here maybe twice a year, so they get crazy when we finally do show up," Sara answered. "Have you talked to Mark today?" Janet asked. "Yeah, a couple times. I miss him…but I gotta get used to traveling without him. Next month, Vince is gonna start havin' me do special appearances, and Mark's not gonna be with me for those, so…," Sara said. "Don't worry, you know you got me to talk to," Janet said with a smile. Sara chuckled and nodded slightly. "Yeah, I know, Jan," she said. Janet took a small piece of Sara's hair and wrapped it around the ponytail, pinning it down with a couple of bobby pins. She curled the ends of the loose hair, as well as Sara's bangs, before moving on to her make-up. Taking only ten minutes, Janet spread foundation over Sara's face, before lining her eyes with black liner, light blue eyeshadow, and light red rouge on her cheeks. She put a natural tone color on her lips, shining it with cherry gloss to finish. "There ya go, babe," Janet said, "Simple, but beautiful." Sara smiled and stood. "Thanks, Janet," Sara said hopping out of the chair and heading to catering. She grabbed a banana and a bottle of water before going back to her dressing room. When she entered, she sighed. "What's up, Andy?" she asked shutting the door quietly. "Can we talk?" he asked. "Yeah, sure," she answered sitting down beside him, "What's up?"

"Lisa told me about what happened earlier," Andy said quietly. Sara sniffed and looked down at her hands. "It doesn't matter anymore, Andy," she said painfully, "I don't care." "Yes, you do," he said looking over at her. "What do you want me to do? She started that shit," Sara said tensely. "I know, Sara…and she's sorry. She really is…she never meant to take it as far as she did," he said quietly. "Well, she did…I'm sorry, Andy, but I won't be in your wedding," she said. "Don't say that, Sara. You know I want you there," he said facing her. "I never said I wouldn't be there…I just won't be in it," she said quietly. "You're gonna break her heart, Sara," he said. "Well, she broke mine, Andy…I can't forgive that. If she'd said it in private, maybe…but she said that shit in front o' Trish and Amy. I didn't want anybody here to know my business. That was between me, Mark, and Vince," Sara snapped, "She had no right to cross that line." "I know that, Sara…and she knows that," Andy tried arguing. "And she still said it…Mark told me somethin', and I didn't think it was true…now I do. Once you're World champ, you find out who your true friends are. I'll be cordial to her, Andy, for you…but there's no way in hell I'm ever gonna be her friend again," Sara said quietly. "That's your final decision?" Andy asked. "Yes, Andy…and please don't question it again," she answered. "Okay, baby doll…I won't," he said quietly. Sara sighed and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. Andy rubbed her back gently, and she looked up at him. "I said some pretty cruel things to her, too, Andy," she said quietly. "I know…she told me," he said, "But she admitted…she was the one who took it too far." Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she looked away. "I can't believe she said what she did, Andy," she whispered. "Me, either, baby doll…me, too," he said quietly, "What'd Trish and Amy say?" "I made 'em promise not to tell anybody else," she answered. "Good…it won't do any good to have somebody's business spread around the locker room…especially that kind," he said. Sara sniffed slightly and nodded. "So, do you have a good match planned?" Andy asked. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. "This time, I get to beat Shawn's ass with a ladder," she answered. "Good…payback's a bitch," he said grinning. "Yeah, it is," Sara said quietly.

The night passed by fast for Sara. John's promo before the match was great; he managed to get the crowd hyped up, despite the fact that he was a heel. He and Sara had great chemistry as a tag team, and did their best to get the biggest reaction possible from the crowd. After the match, Sara took a nice hot shower and dressed in a pair of comfortable sweatpants, a small t-shirt, and a pair of flip-flops. She packed her duffel bag and left the room. Outside, she saw Randy talking with a small group of females. She noted John wasn't with him and smiled slightly as she climbed onto the bus she'd ridden on. John was sitting in the row in front of her, headphones on his ears. She grinned and pulled on one of the earpieces. "Hey, Angel, that's violating," he said pulling the headphones off. "I see you're not out there with your buddy," she said dropping her bag on the floor in front of her seat. "Yeah, I took your advice," he answered quietly. "Good for you, Johnny boy," she said setting up her pillows. "You sleepin' the whole ride?" John asked. "If you're quiet enough, I can," she said grinning. "Yes, mama," John said grinning as well. Sara smacked the back of his head and chuckled. "Jeez, Angel…you're so violent," he said chuckling. "Shut up, youngster," she said plopping down in her seat and pulling the blanket over her head. "Yes, mama," John said under his breath. Sara smiled and yawned, closing her eyes and succumbing to sleep. Hopefully, the rest of the trip would go by as uneventful as possible. Sara didn't know if she could handle anymore confrontations with Lisa.


	101. Loose Ends

**I wonder how you all would react if I told you this was the last chapter. Well, IT IS...for a while. As a college student, I have a life that must be attended to. I've worked hard the past week to make up for not posting for two months straight. I have Finals Week (which stands for Fuck, I Never Actually Learned Shit) next week, a test tomorrow (b!tch teacher, for having a test a week before the final), and tons of studying to catch up on. After Finals week, I'm going home for a week to relax, before coming back for summer school. Thus, I have to put this story on hiatus for a while. I hope you'll forgive me, but I can't sacrifice my academics any longer. Enjoy this chapter!**

**viper-sa: you will always hate on Sara for cheating on Mark, won't you? He's forgiven her, why can't you:-P Don't worry, my friend Nicole feels the same way, especially about Lisa sayin' the stuff she did.**

**Steph: thank you for being such an avid reader of this story. It makes me feel good to know I have such loyal readers as you.**

**DCG: Thank you as well for being so loyal. I can only hope to make the ending of the story as good as the entire story has been, soley for people like you. :-)**

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Chapter 100…Loose Ends

Sara pulled up in front of her home late Tuesday afternoon. The trip in Australia had gone extremely well; Sara hadn't seen much of Lisa over the last two days, and had seen even less of her once they'd gotten back to the states. Andy had told Sara Monday night that he and Lisa would be going back to her home in Florida for the week. Sara climbed out of the car with her duffel bag, and retrieved her suitcase from the trunk. Lucky came trotting up with Marley right beside him. "Hi to you, too, gentlemen," Sara said kneeling down and rubbing both dogs' heads, "I hope you took care of my husband and daughter." Lucky barked a couple times, and Sara smiled. "Good boy," she said before standing back up and picking up her suitcase. When she entered the house, Melissa came hurtling towards her. "Munchkin!" Sara exclaimed dropping her bags and picking up her daughter. "Mama!" Melissa exclaimed hugging her mother's neck tightly, "What'd you get me? What'd you get me?" Sara chuckled and said, "Hi to you, too, darlin'." Melissa smiled and kissed her cheek. "I'll make a deal. You help me take my stuff upstairs, and I'll give you your gifts," Sara said. "Deal," Melissa said smiling. Sara set her down and handed Melissa her duffel bag. They went upstairs, where Sara found Mark laying facedown in the bed. "Okay, we gotta be quiet, munchkin," she said quietly. "I know, mama. Daddy said he wanted to take a nap before you got home," Melissa said quietly. Sara smiled and put her suitcase beside the bed, slowly sitting down. She pushed Mark's hair back behind his ear and kissed his cheek softly. Mark's arm came around her waist, and he pulled her onto the bed, drawing squeals from Sara. Mark smiled and kissed her neck softly. "I've missed you so much," he whispered against her lips. Sara smiled and kissed his forehead softly. "I missed you, too," she said softly. "You get me anything?" he asked. "You're just like your daughter," she said quietly. Mark chuckled and kissed her once more.

"Mama, we had a deal!" Melissa said from the bedside. "I know, munchkin," Sara said continuing to kiss Mark. "Mom!" Melissa said tugging on Sara's pants leg. "Okay, okay," Sara said trying to climb from under Mark's body. "Oh, no, you're not goin' anywhere," Mark said kissing her ear, "Did you get my message last night?" Sara could feel herself turn red from her cheeks down to her toes. "I take it you did," Mark whispered chuckling. He'd left her a particularly sensual message, letting her know just how much he wished she was back in his arms, and what he would do once she was. "So…that means we have business to take care of," he whispered kissing the side of her neck. "Mom, dad, stop!" Melissa said pulling on Mark's foot. "My God, child, go away!" Mark said laughing. "Nope! That's nasty! And mama said she was gonna give me my gifts if I helped her take her stuff upstairs," Melissa said back. "Did you really?" Mark asked looking down at Sara. "Yeah…so you gotta get off," she answered. Mark rolled his eyes with a grin and moved his arm. Sara slid from under him and grabbed her suitcase. "Alright, munchkin," she said unzipping the suitcase. She pulled out the small bags and handed them to her daughter. Melissa smiled as she pulled out several small items. Sara had went shopping in Sydney and Melbourne as well, and couldn't help but pick up small things for Melissa. Melissa smiled and hugged her mother tightly. "Thank you, mama!" she said excitedly. "Now, you gotta be careful with those statues. They break easily," Sara said kissing Melissa's cheek, "Why don't you go put up your toys, and go back downstairs?" "Are you and daddy--." "That's none o' your business, missy," Sara said setting Melissa on her feet, "Now get…and shut the door behind you." "That's nasty, mama," Melissa said grabbing her new belongings and leaving the room, shutting the door quietly.

"She's right, ya know," Mark said from the bed. Sara smiled and climbed onto his waist. "Really? Well, you must not believe that, since you decided to have phone sex last night," she said smiling. "Technically it wasn't phone sex, since you weren't on the phone with me," he said rubbing her sides. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "I suppose you're right," she said leaning down and kissing him gently. Mark groaned and flipped her onto her back, deepening the kiss. Sara moaned softly against his lips, running her hands over his shoulders. Mark eased a hand under her shirt, and Sara arched up towards him. Her eyes closed at the feel of his hand on her left breast, and she bit down on her bottom lip. Mark leaned down and kissed her once more, running his thumb lightly over her nipple. "Is this…what you were talkin' about in…that message?" she whispered. "Maybe," he answered moving his hand down. Sara's eyes fluttered opened, and immediately went to the blue-greenish color on his neck. "What…is that!" she exclaimed sitting up. Mark smiled and asked, "You like?" Sara stared in shock at the sight of her own name on Mark's skin, in the same font that Mark's initials were on her back. "Mark…," she whispered running her fingertips over it, "Does it still hurt?" "Nope…it's almost healed up," he answered. "Why?" she asked staring into his eyes. "Because you're my wife…and you're always gonna be my wife. I love you with all my heart, and I always will. We're always gonna be together, dollface…and this is a sign of my commitment to you," he said softly. Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she pulled his face down to hers, kissing him passionately. Mark eased her back down onto the bed, and he whispered, "I love you, dollface." "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered hugging him tightly, "You know you can't hide that, right?" "That was the point. I want everybody to see just how much I love you," he said quietly. Sara smiled as the tears fell from the corners of her eyes. "I hope those are tears of happiness…'cause I can't take this thing off," he said kissing the tears away. Sara chuckled and kissed him once more. "I'm happier than you can imagine," she whispered. "So…what'd you get me?" he asked smiling. Sara rolled her eyes and said, "Unlike Melissa…I didn't make a deal with you…now come here."

An hour later, Sara went back downstairs cleaned up and refreshed. She found Melissa in the library with a book Sara had bought her in Sydney. It was a history book about Sydney, with great pictures illustrating the history as well. "You like, munchkin?" Sara asked. "Uh-huh, mama. The pictures are really pretty. Did you really see all this over there?" Melissa answered looking up at her. "I sure did, sweetheart. I'm sad you couldn't be there with me, so I got you the next best thing," Sara answered sitting beside her. "Are you happy to be home, mama?" Melissa asked. "More than you can imagine, munchkin. I missed you and daddy when I was working," Sara answered. "We missed you, too. Daddy did his homework, like you asked," Melissa said. "Really? Do you know where it is?" Sara asked. "In his office," Melissa answered before going back to her book, "That's where he called everybody." "Alright, munchkin. Tomorrow, you're gonna get to meet all those ladies," Sara said, "And we'll all make a choice by Thursday." "Okay, mama," Melissa said, her eyes scanning the page of the book where she'd left off. Sara smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Love you, munchkin," she said softly. "I love you, too, mama," Melissa responded. Sara stood and went down to Mark's office. On his desk were five file folders. Sara sat down in the large leather chair and scooted up to the desk. The first woman was 35 years old and unemployed, but had babysat for a family friend off and on the past year. Sara groaned slightly and immediately closed the file. She picked up the next one and grinned slightly. A professional résumé sat in front of Sara; the person had worked in daycare centers since graduating from undergraduate college with a degree in Elementary Education. She was now in school for her Master's degree in Education, with a focus on Elementary Education as well. She'd lived in California for a few years before moving to Texas for graduate school. Sara placed the file to her left for more consideration. The third person was originally from Texas, and owned her own daycare center. Sara realized it would be impossible for she and Mark to drop Melissa off at a daycare center, because they wouldn't be home to pick Melissa up. She placed the file to the right, and looked through the fourth folder. The woman had worked as a housekeeper in Virginia, California, and now Texas. She had gone to culinary school, and was able to take care of small children. Sara smiled slightly, until she realized the person was only 20 years old. "My goodness, she's a child herself," Sara whispered placing the folder to the left, "But Melissa might like that…Stacy was only 22, after all." Sara picked up the final folder and let out a deep breath as she opened it. "What do you have to say?" she said to herself. The woman was 26 years old, had been a housekeeper to a professional sports athlete, and before that, had worked in a daycare center for six years. "Hmm…maybe," Sara said closing the folder and placing it to the left. She picked up the phone and set up face-to-face interviews with each woman for the next day. One of the women's voice had sounded a little familiar to Sara, but she brushed it off.

Mark entered the room as Sara hung up with the last woman. "What grade do I get on my homework, professor?" he asked grinning. "I'll give a B+…for effort," Sara answered with a smile. "Well, Melissa helped, so blame it on her," he said coming over to the desk, "Seriously, though…do you like the choices? I kept the other five folders, if you don't like those." "No, Mark, you did great. Thank you very much," she said, "But you've gotta come with me on the interviews tomorrow." Mark dropped his head and Sara chuckled softly. "It won't be that bad. The first one isn't until one in the afternoon," she said standing. "That means I have to get up before noon," he argued. "Oh, wow, before noon. You better get used to it, 'cause you go back on the road with me Monday," she said. "Yeah, yeah, I know," he said pulling her to him, "Are you ready to get another babysitter for her? 'Cause I don't think Melissa's all about it right now. She wanted to be with you all last week." "Maybe so…but I'd hoped back in March that the only traveling she'd be doing was the international trips. So…she's done all the traveling she's gonna do for now," Sara answered putting her arms around his waist. "Okay, dollface," he said kissing her softly. "Nu-uh, not in this office. Not when our daughter's 30 feet away," she said grinning. Mark chuckled and said, "I wasn't even thinkin' that, pervert." "Jeez, that means you're rubbing off on me," she said with a smile. "I'd hope so," he said kissing her once more, "Come on, Melissa wants to go outside." Sara nodded and grabbed the folders. "I'm just gonna look over 'em again," she said. Mark nodded and she followed him outside to the patio.

Melissa sat at the edge of the pool with her feet hanging in the water. "Daddy, can you take me in the pool?" she asked. "Are you sure, munchkin? It's gettin' a little chilly," Mark said. "Only for a little while," Melissa said. "Alright, go put on your bathing suit I bought you, and bring your life jacket with you," he answered. Melissa smiled and dashed inside. "I hope Andy teaches her how to swim soon, before it gets cold," Sara said looking over the first woman's folder, "Why'd you pick this woman?" Mark glanced at the folder and shrugged. "Melissa talked to her, and they seemed to get along well enough," he answered. "She's older than me, Mark," she said. "I know, dollface…," he said. Sara looked at him, but he merely shrugged again. "Alright, I'll trust you on that one," she said dropping the folder beside her. She opened the second folder and smiled. "I really like this one," she answered, "Professional résumé and everything." "Yeah, I called her, and she wanted to fax it to me, so I said sure. It'd be a nice experience for her, getting some in-house training," he said. "Did Melissa talk to her?" she asked. "Nah, not that one. She was real picky about the ones she wanted to talk to," he answered. "Who'd she talk to?" Sara asked. "That first one…the fourth one, who went to chef school…and the fifth one. She was all about that fifth one," Mark answered. "How come?" she asked. "I think it was the whole 'professional athlete' housekeeping gig," he said, "She told me it'd be like having Stacy, but nicer." Sara chuckled and dropped the folders beside her chair. "Tomorrow's gonna be interesting," she said quietly. "At least I didn't get the nuts this time," he said wrapping his hand around hers. "Yeah, I know, babe," Sara said softly, "I can't tell you how grateful I am you did all that. Did you get a lotta calls?" "Wednesday, no…but Thursday and Friday, I was practically bombarded. The phone wouldn't stop ringing!" he said chuckling, "But it'll be worth it. I think I got a good bunch to pick from." "Good…and like you said, if these don't work out, we've still got those other five," she said as Melissa came running out of the back door. "Whoa, slow down there, munchkin!" Mark said picking her with his free arm. Melissa laughed and squirmed in Mark's grip. "Be right back, dollface," Mark said standing and going over to the pool.

Sara watched in humor as he slid into the shallow end, Melissa still in his arms. "What do ya say to a little floating lesson, munchkin?" he asked. "Okay, daddy," Melissa answered smiling. "Alright…all you gotta do is lay back, relax your arms and legs, and let your life jacket do the work. It's gonna keep you up, okay?" he said easing her into the water. "Okay," Melissa said. Mark rested her on top of the water, telling her to relax, and let her float a little bit at a time. "See how easy it is, munchkin?" he asked. "Am I swimming?" she asked. Mark chuckled and shook his head. "Not quite, munchkin, but you'll get there," he answered, "How 'bout we master this floating thing first?" "Okay, daddy," Melissa answered smiling. Mark ended up spending two hours in the pool with Melissa. She wouldn't get out until she'd mastered floating _without_ the life jacket. "I see what you're doin', you little devil," Mark said finally helping her out of the pool, "Uncle Andy's not here, so you're gettin' me to teach you how to swim." Melissa smiled innocently as Sara wrapped her in a towel. "You said it, daddy," she said. Sara chuckled and took her inside to clean up. Mark grabbed the second towel by the poolside and followed them. "You want me to cook dinner?" Mark asked as Sara took Melissa into the downstairs bathroom. "If you don't mind," Sara answered. "Yeah, just let me take a shower," Mark answered. Sara nodded and closed the bathroom door.

Mark quickly showered, washing his hair with a bar of soap, before stepping out and dressing in a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, then heading down to the kitchen. He made a large pot of spaghetti, cooked enough beef for himself, Sara, and Melissa, and toasted some bread. He set the table as Sara walked into the dining room. "Smells good," she said kissing his cheek. "Thank you," he said kissing her back. Sara sat Melissa down, then went into the kitchen to help Mark bring the food back. He carried the pot of spaghetti, while she brought in the beef and basket of toast. "It looks good, daddy," Melissa said smiling. "Thanks, munchkin. I bet it tastes good, too," he said grinning, "Be right back." Sara sat down, while Mark brought in three cups, and a pitcher of water. "Here ya go, baby," Mark said pouring a small glass of water for Melissa, "You wanna say grace?" Melissa nodded and Mark sat down, lowering his head. "God is grace, God is good, let us thank Him for our food. Bow our heads, and all be fed. Give us, Lord, our daily bread," Melissa said, "Amen." "Amen," Sara and Mark said grinning. Sara put a small serving on Melissa's plate, then a larger portion on Mark's plate, before serving herself. She gave out the same amount of meat sauce, then finally picked up her fork. "What time are we seeing those ladies tomorrow, mama?" Melissa asked. "Well, we've got our first interview at one o' clock. And then, we've got one at 2:30…another one at 4:00…the fourth one at 5:30…and the last one at 7:00," Sara answered, "Some will be shorter than others, but I wanted to give them all an equal chance to impress you."

"Shouldn't they impress you?" Melissa asked. "Yes, munchkin, but the person's going to be your babysitter, so you have to like her more than daddy or I do," Sara answered. "Are Uncle Andy and Aunt Lisa coming to visit this week?" Melissa asked. "No, munchkin, they went to Aunt Lisa's house in Florida," Sara answered quietly. "Isn't their wedding soon?" Melissa asked, "And aren't you gonna be in it?" Sara let out a heavy sigh and looked down at her plate. "Yeah, the wedding is soon, munchkin, in a couple weeks…but mama's not gonna be in it," she answered honestly. "Why not, mama? I thought Aunt Lisa asked you to," Melissa said. "Yeah, she did…but…I'm just not gonna be in it, okay?" Sara said, "Please, don't question me right now, Melissa." "I'm sorry, mama," Melissa said. "It's okay, darlin'…we're still goin'. I'm just gonna be sittin' in the audience with you and daddy," Sara said. "Okay…," Melissa said going back to her dinner. Mark reached over and touched Sara's hands gently. She looked up at him, and he merely winked at her. She grinned slightly and looked down at her plate. Dinner continued for the next half an hour, before Sara finally cleared the table. "Go brush your teeth, munchkin," she said picking up Melissa's plate, "And get ready for bed." "Yes, ma'am," Melissa said leaving the dining room. "You handled that Lisa situation well," Mark said helping her take the dirty dishes into the kitchen. "It's so hard, Mark…I was so happy about her and Andy getting married…and being in the wedding. I mean, they were both in my wedding, for goodness sake. I wanted to return the favor," Sara said setting the dishes in the sink. Mark sighed and pulled her close. "Andy will understand, dollface," he said quietly. "I know he will, Mark…it's just…it pisses me off to no end that she took that argument as far as she did," he said quietly. "I know, dollface…let's just try and relax while we're home this week, okay?" he said. "I'll put these in the dishwasher, and I'll be in the living room in a few minutes," she said pulling away from him. Mark dropped a kiss on her cheek before leaving the room. Sara quickly rinsed the dishes out before placing them in the dishwasher, and turning the machine on. No matter what, she always tried to keep her kitchen as clean as possible. Once done, she dried her hands and went into the living room.

Mark was sitting on the couch with Melissa in his arms. "What are we watching?" she asked. "RAW from last night," he answered, "Melissa went to bed early last night, so she wanted to watch it." "It wasn't too rough a show, was it?" Sara asked. "Nope…surprisingly, nobody went through a table," Mark answered putting an arm around her shoulders. Sara chuckled and leaned into his warm body. Her eyes drifted shut near the middle of the show. Mark felt her relax against him and grinned slightly. "Mama's asleep, munchkin," he said to Melissa. Melissa looked over at Sara, then up at her father. "Is she really tired from work?" she asked quietly. "Probably," he answered, "We'll watch the rest of the show, then head to bed, okay? Tomorrow's gonna be a long day." "Okay, daddy," she said quietly. Mark kissed the side of her head, then kissed the top of Sara's head. She let out a deep sigh and leaned into him even more. Mark grinned and turned his attention back to the television. Around 10:30, the tape finally ended, and Mark told Melissa to go upstairs to bed. He carefully picked Sara up and carried her to their room. As he laid her in the bed, Sara's eyes fluttered open. "What time is it?" she asked softly. "10:30, dollface," he answered, "You're exhausted, so go on back to sleep." "Are you coming to bed?" she asked. "I'm gonna go tuck in Melissa, but I'll be right back," he answered. Sara turned onto her side, and Mark pulled the covers over her, kissed the side of her head softly, before going down to Melissa's room. She was already in her bed. "Okay, munchkin, sweet dreams. You want a nice breakfast tomorrow?" he said pulling the covers up to her belly. "Yeah, daddy," she answered grinning. Mark put the koala bear Sara had gotten her in Australia in her arms, and kissed her forehead. "I'll get up nice and early and make you your favorite, pancakes," he said with a smile. "Thank you, daddy," she said quietly. "No problem, munchkin. See ya in the morning," he said standing. "Goodnight, daddy," Melissa said. "Goodnight, munchkin," Mark said before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly. He went back down to his room and quietly shut the door, climbing into bed behind Sara. He pulled her closer, prayed silently for a few minutes, before finally closing his eyes and going to sleep as well.

Sara awoke the next morning, feeling the body of Lucky behind her. She rolled her eyes playfully and moved off the bed. "Spoiled thing," she said going into the bathroom. She took a nice bubble bath, running her hands her sore muscles, and trying to relax as much as possible. _I hope these interviews go well…I can't take Melissa with me next week. She just got over the flu, so she can't handle this traveling_, she thought dipping her hair back in the water. She sighed contently and smiled slightly. _Thank you, God, for blessing me with my family. As much as I miss my mama, I know she's safe with you…and that she's looking over me right now. I hope you're as happy in heaven, mama, as I am here on Earth. I might need your help these next few weeks, mama…Lisa really hurt me in Australia…but I pray to God that you'll help me to forgive her. I've learned how to forgive so many people over the years for hurting me in the worst way possible. And I know I said I would never forgive her…but I know, with your guidance, I'll be able to. We both made mistakes in saying what we did…and I really do care for her like a sister. I'm happy she's with Andy, and that she's made him as happy as Mark has made me. So, please…help me to open my heart, and forgive her like I forgave Shawn, Kevin, and even Mark. I say these things in Jesus Christ's name…Amen_, she prayed silently. Sara then washed her hair gently, before cleaning her body and climbing out of the tub. She wrapped her towel around herself, before heading back into the room. Lucky was still fast asleep in the middle of the bed, this time with Marley asleep behind him. "You two spoiled brats," Sara said chuckling. She pulled on her underwear, then dressed in a pair of faded, slightly fitted jeans, and a loose, white Tommy Girl baby tee. As she brushed her hair, Mark walked in with Melissa on his heels.

"Daddy said he was gonna dump you in the shower if you weren't up by now," Melissa said. "Jeez, I can't say anything around you anymore," Mark said looking down at Melissa. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "I'm serious, dollface…she's a little playback recorder," he said coming over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "What time is it?" she asked kissing him softly. "Noon," he answered, "We should head to town soon." "I don't even have time to eat, do I?" she asked. "I'll make you a sandwich, and you can eat in the truck…if you promise not to spill anything," he said grinning. Sara chuckled and kissed him once more. "I promise," she whispered. "Okay, dollface," he said before leaving the room. Sara picked up Melissa and set her down on the dresser, then went back to brushing her hair. "Are you nervous, munchkin?" she asked noticing Melissa swinging her legs. "A little…I want you to like the people," Melissa answered. "I told you, munchkin…as long as you like your new babysitter, I'll like her," Sara said grinning. "I know, mama…," Melissa said. Sara put on a little make-up, pulled her hair up in a half ponytail, then brushed the loose hair silky smooth. "You think they'll like?" she asked Melissa. "You look gorgeous, mama," Melissa said smiling. Sara smiled and kissed her forehead softly. "Come on, let's get downstairs before your father has a coronary," she said picking Melissa up. Mark was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. "I was headed up there," he said grinning. "Mama said you were gonna have a coronary," Melissa said smiling. "Told ya, dollface…she's playback," Mark said chuckling. Sara smiled and kissed the side of Melissa's head. "Come on…let's get outta here," she said. Mark opened the door and let his two favorite females out first, then called Marley and Lucky from upstairs. The two dogs came running down within moments, and Mark let them out before finally shutting the door behind him.

The first stop was Kemah Boardwalk near the edge of the city. It took Mark nearly 45 minutes to get there. He found a parking spot near the boardwalk, and Sara climbed out with Melissa. Lucky jumped out from the back of the truck, and Mark quickly put a leash on his collar. Sara grabbed Marley and did the same, handing the leash over to Melissa. "There ya go, munchkin, he's all yours," she said. Melissa smiled as Marley trotted in front of her, careful not to go too fast. Mark had told the first woman, whose name was Amanda Wimmer, to meet them in front of a store called The Toy Crossing. He informed her of what he would be wearing, and that he would have his two dogs with him. The woman had seemed a little hesitant about the animals, of which Mark had immediately made a mental note. He would not have someone in his home who would not take care of his beloved pets. Once they arrived at the store, Melissa handed Marley's leash to her father, and opened her arms to Sara. "You're spoiled," Sara said picking her up. "I know," Melissa said smiling innocently. Sara chuckled and took her to the railing. "You wanna go on a boat ride this week?" she asked. "No, mama…I don't like the ocean. It's dirty, it stinks, there's bad animals…it's bad," Melissa answered. "Yeah, I don't like the ocean much either," Sara said with a grin. "Didn't you live near the ocean, mama?" Melissa asked. "Yep. That doesn't mean I liked it," Sara said chuckling.

Mark watched as his wife and daughter interacted, and he grinned slightly. _Absolutely beautiful…both of 'em_, he thought happily, _God, I'm so blessed…she's such an amazing woman. Thank You, Lord…I'd be lost without her_. A few moments later, a short, stocky woman came up to Mark, a nervous smile on her face. Her shoulder-length brown hair was curled slightly, and her face was donned with light make-up. Marley and Lucky sniffed at her feet, and Mark grinned as she twitched uncomfortably. "Mr. Callaway?" she asked. "Amanda?" he asked. "Yep, that's me," she answered. "Well, it's nice to meet you," Mark said extending his hand. "It's nice to meet you, too, sir…are these…your animals?" she asked looking down at Marley and Lucky. "Yep…this is Lucky, and this is Marley," he said pointing to each dog. "They're…nice animals," Amanda said as the two dogs continued to sniff her. "I'm sorry, they're just tryin' to get to know you," he said grinning. Lucky looked up at Mark and barked once. "Gotcha, boy," Mark said rubbing the dog's head. "You actually understand him?" Amanda asked. "Yeah," Mark answered, "He's got his own little barking system. It's not hard to catch on." "That's nice. So…are your wife and daughter here?" Amanda asked. "Sara!" Mark called out. Sara looked over her shoulder, and had to force down a smirk. "Nope," Melissa said simply. "We gotta give her a shot, munchkin," Sara said before going over to Mark. "This is Amanda, Sara," Mark said. Sara saw the "no" in his eyes, and nodded slightly.

"Hi, I'm Sara Callaway. And this little one is our daughter, Melissa," Sara said looking down at Melissa. "Hello, Melissa. I'm Amanda," Amanda said extending her hand to Melissa. Melissa politely took it, and said, "Hi, ma'am." "How are you today?" Amanda asked with a smile. "I'm fine," Melissa answered. "Would you like to find somewhere to sit down, Amanda?" Mark asked. "Sure," Amanda answered. They headed down the boardwalk, and found a small coffee shop along the way. They sat at one of the tables outside, and a waitress came out to serve them. "I'm sorry, I don't drink coffee," Amanda said, "I'll just have a small water, please." Mark ordered a cup of coffee, as did Sara, and they bought Melissa a cup of juice and a muffin. "Why don't you drink coffee?" Melissa asked when the waitress went back into the store. "I'm Mormon, Melissa. It's against my religion," she answered. Sara swallowed and looked down at her hands. "Are you not Mormon?" Amanda asked. "No, we're not. We haven't really decided on a religion yet. We prefer to worship in our own way," Sara answered. "Oh…well, that's fine, as long as you worship," Amanda said with a smile. "Are you very religious?" Mark asked. "Yes, I am. I go to church three or four times a week, depending on the services offered during the week," Amanda answered. "Mama, are we ever gonna go to church?" Melissa asked. "I don't know, munchkin. I'm sure we can look around at the different churches sometime," Sara answered.

"So, Mr. and Mrs. Callaway, what do you do?" Amanda asked. "We're professional wrestlers, Amanda, with the WWF," Sara answered. "I'm sorry, the what?" Amanda asked. "World Wrestling Federation. It's the largest sports-entertainment company in the world," Mark answered. "Really? That's interesting," Amanda said. Sara noted the hidden disdain in her voice, and she looked down at Melissa, kissing the top of her head. "But my mommy and daddy are good at what they do. Mama's the World champion," Melissa said. "So you work full-time?" Amanda asked. "Yep. That's why we need a babysitter," Sara said forcing a smile. "I'm married as well, but I don't work. My husband brings in the money for both of us," Amanda said. "Do you have children?" Sara asked. "No, we weren't able to have that blessing in our life. That's why I love to baby-sit," Amanda answered. "What experience do you have?" Sara asked. "I've been a babysitter practically my whole life, since I was a little girl. I'd watch my cousin's children, or my little cousins. As I grew older, it just continued. I'd volunteer at daycare centers, or after-school programs, things like that," Amanda answered. "Do you like animals? I mean, we have two dogs, and they need a lot of attention," Sara said. That was a blatant lie, because the only attention Marley and Lucky needed was when they wanted to be fed. Melissa gave Marley attention when he wanted to play, but other than that, they were fairly complacent animals. "I'm not naturally a dog person. I never had them growing up, but I could take care of them if you told me what was necessary," Amanda answered. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. There was no way this woman was getting hired.

"Well, we have your number, Amanda. We'll give you a call probably tomorrow to let you know our decision," Mark said standing politely. Amanda did the same and shook his hand. Sara reached across the table and shook her hand as well. "Have a good day, Amanda," she said grinning. "Thank you, and you as well," Amanda said before walking away. Mark sat in the seat Amanda had been in, a full smile on his face. He waited until Amanda was a great distance away before chuckling. "Hell, no," Sara said simply. "Yeah, I knew that the moment I saw her," Mark said, "She was all tense around the dogs, and Lucky looked up at me, barked once, and that was definitely a 'no' from him, too." "Yeah, Melissa saw her and said the same thing," Sara said smiling. "Well, that's one down. What do you wanna do until the next victim?" Mark said grinning. "We could just relax here, maybe take the dogs on a walk. Where are we meeting her?" Sara asked. "All the interviews are here on the boardwalk," Mark answered, "But we can go to a museum or somethin' that's close by." "Can we go to the mall, daddy?" Melissa asked. Sara let out a slow breath and looked at Mark. "It is Tuesday, dollface. I'm sure it won't be that packed, especially if we go now," he answered. "The dogs, Mark," she answered. "They can stay in the car. We won't take long. We have to be back here in an hour anyway," he said. Sara grinned and shrugged. "Okay, okay," she said. "Yeah!" Melissa said excitedly. They stood and headed back to the truck.

The day passed by quickly, for which Sara was extremely grateful. The second woman, who'd had the extremely professional résumé, turned out to be a Wiccan. While Sara had no problem with anyone practicing that religion, she would not have that type of influence in her home. The third woman, who owned the daycare center, was way too snobby for Sara's tastes, and Melissa even got offended. The 20-year-old seemed a bit immature, but she was able to hold a conversation with Melissa. However, the young girl was not a dog person at all. She could barely sit still while Marley and Lucky sniffed her. Finally, at 7:00 on the dot, Mark and Sara walked down the boardwalk one last time. They were meeting Danielle at Landry's Seafood House for dinner. The restaurant had an outside deck for customers to sit out, so they were allowed to bring their dogs inside. Standing in the doorway, Mark saw Danielle walk up first. "Hi, Danielle," he spoke. "Oh, please, call me Dany." Sara slowly turned around, and her jaw dropped. The same woman who'd tried to beat the hell out of her at Kevin's house now stood in front of her. "Oh, you gotta be shittin' me," Dany said crossing her arms. "You two know each other?" Mark asked. "Yeah, you could say that," Sara said staring at Dany. Dany looked down at Melissa and smiled. "Wow, you're a beautiful little girl. I'm Dany, what's your name?" she said kneeling down. "Melissa Lucille Callaway," Melissa answered smiling, "You have really pretty hair." Dany's hair had grown past her shoulders, and she'd added honey-colored highlights to it. "Well, thank you, little one. Your hair is very pretty, too," Dany said, "Are these your pets?" Marley and Lucky went up to Dany, and immediately began to lick at her face. Dany chuckled and rubbed their fur. "Beautiful animals," she said looking up at Mark, "How old are they?" "Lucky's about two years old, and we just got Marley this year," Sara answered, her arms still crossed.

Dany slowly stood and said, "Nice to see you again, Sara." "Same to you, Dany…what are you doin' here in Houston?" Sara said. "Lookin' for temp work 'til I find somethin' more permanent. I saw the ad, and figured I should give it a shot. You know I've got the experience," Dany answered. "Alright, don't keep me in the dark," Mark said. Sara covered Melissa's ears tightly and said, "I met her at Kevin's, Mark." "Oh," Mark said quietly. "Yeah…," Sara said looking back at Dany. "Look, I'm just askin' for a chance. Let's let bygones be bygones, okay?" Dany said. Sara took a deep breath and removed her hands from Melissa's ears. "What'd you do that for, mama?" she asked. "Grown-up business, munchkin," Sara answered. "Come on, let's go on inside," Mark said opening the door. A waiter showed them to their seats and took their drink orders. "I'll be right back," he said politely. "So…what happened with Kevin?" Sara asked. "Well…I don't know if you could tell while you were there, but I had a thing for him. We hooked up after he…got fired, and I helped him through his injury, like I always had. But one day…he got pissed about somethin' really stupid, and he hit me. And that's all it took. I told him to go screw himself, and that he could find himself another dumb broad to beat up on if that's what he wanted," Dany answered, "I left all my stuff there, I didn't even want it anymore. I had a bunch o' money saved up, because I always wanted to go back to school. So, I moved out here, and applied to the University of Houston. I'll be goin' in the spring." "Well, good for you, Dany. What are you gonna be studying?" Mark said. "I'm getting my Master's degree in Sociology," she answered.

"Where'd you get your undergraduate?" Sara asked. "U-Cal, Berkley," Dany answered. "How the hell did you end up working for Kevin?" Sara asked. "I don't know, to be honest. I sure as hell wasn't a groupie; if anything, I hated what he did. A friend o' mine introduced us, and it just kinda went from there. I needed a job, he needed a housekeeper, so…," Dany answered. "Gotcha. When'd you move here?" Sara asked. "About a month ago. It's hard to find a job in this city," Dany said with a grin, "You gotta have at least a Master's for anything to even get an interview. That's why I'm goin' back to school." "That's great, Dany, it really is," Sara said, "I wish I could go back to school sometimes…maybe when I retire." "Ms. Dany, do you have kids?" Melissa asked. "Nope, little one. But if I ever do, I wanna 'em to be just like you," Dany said winking at the small child. Mark grinned slightly as the waiter came back with their drinks. The young kid handed a small orange juice to Melissa, a diet Coke to Dany, a water to Sara, and a Bud Light to Mark. "Are you a heavy drinker?" Dany asked bluntly. "Nope. Just one every now and then," Mark answered. "I'm just asking, 'cause Kevin was…it was just hard to deal with sometimes," Dany commented. "You don't have to worry, Dany. This is my only one for tonight, and I don't drink at home," Mark said. "I wasn't looking for an explanation, Mark. I'm sorry about that," Dany said. "No biggie, Dany," Mark said sipping on his beer.

"Are you all ready to order?" the waiter asked. "Oh, I forgot all about that," Mark said chuckling. "Give us a few minutes," Sara said politely. The waiter nodded before walking away. They looked over the menus, before Mark waved the waiter back over. They finally ordered their food, and the waiter took their menus away. "It should be about a 20-minute wait," he said. Mark nodded in understanding, and the young man walked away. "You worked for Mr. Kevin?" Melissa said, "He hurt my mama." "I know he did, Melissa. And I'm really sorry about that…if I'd known how he'd treat her, I wouldn't have left her there," Dany said honestly. Mark looked at Sara, and she shook her head slightly. Mark took a deep breath and kissed her forehead. "Is that new, Mark?" Dany asked motioning towards the tattoo on his neck. "Yep. Got it last week when Sara was in Australia," he answered proudly. Sara turned pink and looked down at her drink. Dany chuckled and took a sip of her soda. "Do you have any?" she asked Sara. "Yeah…one on my back, of an angel with a shield…and Mark's initials above it. And one on my ankle for my mom…she died back in June," Sara answered slowly. "Oh…I'm sorry," Dany said. "Nah, it's okay…I know she's happy," Sara said with a smile. "Do you have any, Dany?" Mark asked. "Yeah, I've got one on my hip bone. It was my 18th birthday tattoo. Just a little picture of a shamrock," she answered. "Are you Irish?" he asked grinning. "Yeah, on my father's side," Dany answered. "Wow…I'm half-Irish, too," Mark said smiling. "Have you ever been?" she asked. "A lot over my career, but never just to go…it'd be nice to have a vacation there," he answered. "I went for a study abroad during college. It's a beautiful country," she said grinning, "You'd like it." "What do ya say, Sara? We can make a trip for Christmas," Mark said to Sara. "Whatever floats your boat, babe," she answered grinning. Mark chuckled and winked at her.

"So how old are you, Melissa?" Dany asked. "I turned three in March…on my daddy's birthday," Melissa answered smiling. "Nu-uh! You're not three! You've gotta be at least six!" Dany said in shock. Melissa shook her head excitedly and said, "I am three!" "Is she serious?" Dany asked Sara. "Yeah, she's three," Sara answered smiling, "She's my little genius. She started reading right after her birthday, too. So I'm gonna start home-schooling her in January." "Wow…now _that_ is impressive, Melissa," Dany said smiling at the child. "Thank you, Ms. Dany," Melissa said politely. "Let me guess, she's tried to read the phone book," Dany said to Sara. Sara chuckled softly and nodded. "For now, she's sticking with our library. There are a lotta books in there, so she's satisfied…for now," she said grinning. "I bet you already know what you wanna do when you grow up," Dany said smiling at Melissa. "Yep. I wanna be a wrestler," Melissa answered. Sara snickered and took another sip of her water. "Mama!" Melissa exclaimed. "20 years, munchkin," Sara said. "You keep changing it!" Melissa said. "No, I don't," Sara said innocently. "Is she serious?" Dany asked. "Yes, ma'am," Melissa answered. "You're three, Melissa. You don't know what you're gonna wanna do in 20 years," Sara said smiling. "Yes, I do, mama," Melissa argued. "Strong-minded, just like her mama," Dany said chuckling. "Yeah, she is," Sara said.

Dinner lasted for nearly two hours. Surprisingly, Sara found herself extremely comfortable around Dany, and was happy Melissa was as well. Even the dogs seemed to like her, and that was a good sign. They exited the restaurant as ten o' clock came around. "So, Dany…what are you doin' tomorrow?" Mark asked. "Nothin'. I'll probably go around checkin' out places that are hiring," Dany answered. "Now what on Earth are you gonna do that for?" Sara asked. "Huh?" Dany asked. "We need you to come by our house tomorrow," Mark answered, "So you can get used to the layout, and we can show you around." "Are you serious?" Dany asked excitedly. "Let bygones be bygones, right?" Sara said grinning. "Oh, man, thank you so much!" Dany exclaimed hugging Sara tightly. Sara smiled and returned the hug. "No, you don't understand. I was about to have to dip into my tuition fund to keep livin' here. This is a godsend," Dany said pulling away from her and hugging Mark as well. Mark smiled slightly and hugged her back. Dany released him and leaned down in front of Melissa. "Well, little one, I'm gonna be your new babysitter," she said smiling. Melissa smiled and hugged her neck tightly. Sara smiled at the instant connection between the two. "I can't wait," Melissa said. "Me, either," Dany said hugging her tightly. She rubbed the tops of Lucky and Marley's heads before finally standing. "What time do you want me to come by?" Dany asked pulling out a pen and scrap piece of paper. "Sometime in the afternoon, say around 3:00?" Sara answered. "Okay. What's the address?" Dany said. Sara gave her the address, as well as directions from Dany's apartment in the city. "Alright…man, this is great. I've been praying since I got here I'd get a job soon," Dany said putting the paper and pen back in her small purse. "Well, we're happy we could help you," Mark said taking the leashes from Melissa, "Come on, munchkin, time to go home now." Sara picked up Melissa as they continued on their way to where their car was parked. "We'll see you tomorrow, Dany," Mark said before placing his free hand in Sara's left one. Dany nodded and waved goodbye.

The trip back home was silent. Sara was excited they'd been able to find a new babysitter for Melissa, but now she just wanted to go to sleep. "If we don't have to go into town until Sunday, I'll be the happiest woman on the planet," Sara said as Mark took the exit off the highway leading to their home. "You and me both, dollface," Mark said quietly. Sara smiled at Melissa's sleeping form, rubbing her head gently. "They got along so well, Mark…this is gonna be wonderful, I just know it," she said quietly. "Yeah…the first four women were sketchy at best. Either Melissa didn't like 'em, or the dogs didn't," he said chuckling softly. Sara smiled and leaned her head back against her seat. "You wanna try and sleep in tomorrow?" he asked once he'd turned into their driveway. "I'd love to," she answered, "I missed out on good sleep last week. Those buses were not comfortable, and 15 hours on a plane is _definitely_ not comfortable." "Okay, dollface," he said pulling in front of the house and turning the car off. Sara eased Melissa into her arms, and climbed out of the car. Mark opened the door, and Lucky and Marley immediately ran upstairs to Mark and Sara's bedroom. Sara took Melissa up to her own room, changed her into her nightclothes, then tucked her into bed. "Sweet dreams, munchkin," she whispered kissing her cheek before leaving the room. She went down to her room and stripped down, went into the bathroom, and ran a nice hot bubble bath. As she slid into the water, Mark came into the bathroom. "My thoughts exactly, dollface," he said shutting the door quietly. He slipped out of his clothes and climbed into the tub behind her. Sara smiled as his hands moved over her back. Mark kissed the back of her neck, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you, Sara," he whispered. "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered. They sat in the tub until all the bubbles had disappeared, before finally cleaning each other and climbing out. Sara put on a extra-large t-shirt, and Mark slipped on a pair of boxers. They kicked Marley and Lucky out of the bed, and climbed underneath the covers. Sara draped her left arm over Mark's chest, resting her head on his shoulder. "Goodnight, dollface," he whispered kissing her forehead softly. "Goodnight, Mark," Sara whispered closing her eyes. They fell asleep within five minutes.

Sara didn't wake up the next day until close to two o' clock. She sat up and stretched her arms, yawning loudly. Lucky hopped up on the bed, and she smiled at him. "Where's your partner in crime?" she asked moving to get off the bed. She went into the bathroom and took a quick shower, then dressed in a pair of loose khaki shorts, a small Harley-Davidson t-shirt, opting to go barefoot for the day. She left the room with Lucky on her heels. She found Melissa and Mark in the pool. "Wow…she managed to get you back in there, huh?" she asked smiling. Mark looked over his shoulder and nodded. "You know it's almost 2:30, right?" she asked. "Are you serious!" he asked picking Melissa up from the water. "Yep," she answered. "Come on, Melissa, we gotta get you cleaned up. Dany's gonna be here in a half an hour," Mark said climbing out of the pool. "Dad, please, just a few more minutes!" Melissa pleaded. "Munchkin, what'd I tell you about begging?" Sara said holding up a towel for Mark. "But, mama--." "No buts, missy. You can get in after Dany leaves," Sara said, "I'll make up somethin' for lunch, so we can have some little snacks for Dany." "Okay, dollface," he said as they entered the house, "Munchkin, you wanna take a bath in daddy's tub?" "Okay," Melissa said quietly. "Perk up, munchkin. Your new babysitter's gonna be here soon," he said kissing her cheek. Sara smiled and went into the kitchen. She made a fresh pitcher of ice tea, before pulling out bread and meat. She made enough finger sandwiches for everyone, and set the tray on the counter island. She pulled out four glasses, and put them on the counter as well. The doorbell opened as Sara poured ice into the cups.

"Anybody home?" Andy called from the hallway. Sara peeked out the kitchen doorway, and took a deep breath. Lisa stood beside Andy with a suitcase in hand. "Hey," she spoke before going back into the kitchen, "Mark's upstairs cleaning up." Andy came into the kitchen and reached for one of the small sandwiches. Sara smacked his hand away and said, "Nope, not for you." "Huh?" he asked. "Melissa's got a new babysitter, and she should be here in all of…five minutes," Sara answered grinning. "Oh, you found someone? That was fast," he said. "Yep…she's a real nice lady. Melissa loves her, the dogs love her, so she's gonna work out perfect," Sara commented, "What are you doin' home? Thought you were goin' to Florida?" "We've got some loose ends to tie up for the wedding," Andy said. Sara looked over her shoulder at him and asked, "What loose ends?" "You, Sara…Lisa really wants you in her wedding," he said quietly. Sara took a deep breath and looked away. "I don't have time for this, Andy. Dany's gonna be here real soon," she said picking up the tray and carrying it out onto the back porch. Andy grabbed the pitcher of tea and the glasses, following her out. Sara set the tray down on the small glass table, and turned around. "Thanks," she said taking the pitcher from Andy. She set it down beside the tray, and Andy put the glasses down. "Sara, please…just listen to her," he said quietly. "Don't do this, Andy. I told you in Australia, don't question me. I can forgive Lisa…eventually…but not before her wedding," she said quietly. "What about me? _I_ want you in my wedding," he argued. Sara walked past him and back into the house as the doorbell rang. She quickly answered it and smiled.

"Welcome, Dany," she said as Mark came down the stairs with Melissa in his arms. "Hey, there, little one," Dany spoke to Melissa. "Hi, Dany," Melissa said with a smile. Lucky and Marley came trotting up, and Dany rubbed their heads in a friendly manner. "It took me a while to find this place. You guys are really tucked away. I missed the turn three times," Dany said with a smile. "Yeah, we wanted it that way for privacy's sake," Mark answered as Sara shut the door. "Well, you've accomplished it. That driveway just screams privacy," Dany said with a smile. Sara smiled and said, "I've got sandwiches and tea outside in the back. You can get the tour later." "That'll work," Dany said. As they walked past the kitchen, Mark heard Andy and Lisa talking. "Whoa, when'd you guys get here?" he asked stopping. "Just a few minutes ago," Andy answered. Sara let out a quiet sigh and said, "Dany, that's Andy, he's a friend of the family. I've known him for a long time, about ten years. And that's his fiancée, Lisa." "Nice to meet you both," Dany said shaking their hands. "You, too, Dany. You must've made a good impression on little Melissa," Andy said grinning. "I guess so. She's a cute little bugger," Dany said rubbing Melissa's head. Melissa smiled, but moved her head away. "Thank you, Ms. Dany," she said. "You're welcome, Melissa," Dany said. "Come on, Dany. Don't want the ice to melt," Sara said taking Melissa from Mark and going outside, Dany right behind her.

"Mark, I really am sorry about what happened with me and Sara. I can't tell you that enough," Lisa said quietly. "I know, Lisa…but you have to understand where she's comin' from. You told _our_ business to people who didn't need to know about it. We're still tryin' to get past that," Mark said leaning against the counter. "I know, Mark…," Lisa said. "Hey, man, Sara's not too innocent, either. Did she even tell you what she said to Lisa?" Andy said, slightly upset that Lisa was taking all the blame. "Not exactly, but she did tell me she said some pretty cruel things, too," Mark said standing more fully. "Cruel? Right…she basically called Lisa a bimbo because she's not a full-time wrestler," Andy said tensely. "Guys, stop…I didn't want to come here to start another argument. I've had enough o' those," Lisa said stepping between them. "No, baby, Sara's as much to blame as you are," Andy argued. "Your little lady there copped an attitude first, Andy," Mark said crossing his arms, "Sara's World champ…okay, big deal. Yeah, she's friends with the guys, big deal. That didn't give Lisa the right to accuse Sara of forgettin' about where she came from." "Guys, please," Lisa said quietly. "Yeah, she just dropped me like a hot plate. That was no big deal," Andy said loudly. "Don't even go there, Andy. Don't judge her for tryin' to make me happy," Mark said loudly as well. "Right, 'cause you're king o' the world, so you control everybody around you, including your wife," Andy snapped. "You got issues with me, Andy?" Mark asked. "Yeah, I got some issues with you," Andy answered crossing his arms. "Please, guys," Lisa begged. Andy moved Lisa aside and took a step towards Mark.

"Oh, will you two assholes drop this!" Sara suddenly yelled from the kitchen doorway. Mark looked over his shoulder and sighed. "Dollface…," he said quietly. "No, don't 'dollface' me, Mark. Mark, Andy's right, I said some pretty cruel shit to Lisa, and Lisa, I'm sorry. Andy, Mark's right, I haven't forgotten where I came from. Yeah, I dropped you because that was how I felt I needed to react. So you're both right! I hope that satisfies your egos!" she snapped, "My daughter is outside trying her best to make Dany feel welcome, and she can't do it by herself. The last thing I want or _need_ from you jerks is to bring more drama into this house! So let this shit go!" Mark took a deep breath and left the room, saying, "Fine…play hostess by your damn self." Sara groaned and looked down at the floor. Lisa came up to Sara, tears in her eyes. "Please, Sara…forgive me. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to cause more trouble with you and Mark," she said quietly. "Lisa…all is forgiven, okay? We females can be pretty hateful towards each other, and I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me for what I said to you, too," Sara said quietly. "Friends?" Lisa asked opening her arms. Sara grinned and nodded. "Friends," she answered hugging her. Andy came over and hugged both women. "I'm sorry, Sara…I wasn't tryin' to start an argument, either," he said quietly. "I know, Andy…you're just standing up for Lisa, it's okay," Sara said softly. "What do you say we go keep your new housekeeper entertained?" Lisa asked. Sara grinned and nodded, and led them out to the back yard.

Melissa was sitting at the edge of the pool with her feet in the water, and Dany was right beside her. "How do you say no to this little girl?" Dany asked with a smile. "It's hard sometimes," Sara said grinning. "She's really mature for her age. We were just talkin' about you and her dad being wrestlers. She can't wait for you to retire," Dany said. "Yeah, I can't wait, either. I just wanna stay home with my baby girl," Sara said sitting down beside Melissa. "It's beautiful out here, Sara. How long have you lived here?" Dany asked. "Probably four years now. Right, Andy?" Sara asked looking back. "Yep. I can't believe it's been that long, now that I think about it," he said grinning. Sara smiled and nodded. "Mark and I actually got married here in the backyard," she said smiling blissfully. "Wow, that's really sweet. When'd you get married?" Dany asked. "About four months before we had Melissa. So, our fourth year anniversary is comin' up on my birthday," she answered. "Oh…wait, so you were with--." "Yeah…it's a…sketchy topic around here," Sara said quietly, "Almost cost me my marriage." "Oh, wow…wow, Kevin really was an asshole," Dany said quietly. "Yeah…but it's in the past, and I like to keep it there," Sara said looking down at Melissa, "All that matters is that I'm here with my family." "Oh, that's a nice tattoo. Is that the one you were tellin' me about?" Dany asked pointing to Sara's right ankle. "Yeah," Sara answered looking down at the tattoo. She ran her fingers over it and sighed softly. "I miss my mama…every single day, I miss her more and more," she said quietly. "Jeez, I'm just messin' up big time. I don't mean to bring up sore issues," Dany said. Sara grinned slightly and said, "My mother will never be a sore subject. It's actually…therapeutic to talk about her now."

"How'd she…you know?" Dany asked. "Breast cancer," Sara said, "She fought it for over a year…but her body just couldn't handle it anymore. She, uh…died while I was…wrestling." "Damn…I'm sorry, Sara. That really sucks," Dany said quietly. "Yeah…it was really hard…at first. But it's better now," Sara said sniffling slightly. "Where'd Mark go?" Dany asked. Sara rolled her eyes and said, "Marriage is a real challenge, ya know." Dany chuckled and nodded. "I've never been married, but my older sister tells me that all the time," she said. "How much older is she?" Sara asked. "She's about your age, in her 30s. She's been married since she was 19, to the same guy…and she tells me everyday, you gotta work at it," Dany answered. "Yep…it's not all bliss all the time," Sara said. "Well, I think differently, dollface," Mark said from behind her. Sara grinned as he sat down behind her, putting his legs in the pool around her. "You havin' fun so far, Dany? We've still got the tour," he said. "Yeah, I told Sara, it's beautiful out here," Dany answered. Mark grinned and looked at Sara. "Not as beautiful as you," he whispered. Sara blushed and elbowed his ribs. "Stop it," she whispered. Mark chuckled and kissed her cheek. Dany rolled her eyes playfully and asked, "Not always bliss, huh?" Sara chuckled and shrugged. "I spoke too soon," she said grinning. Andy and Lisa came over to the poolside and sat down as well. "So, Dany, tell me about yourself," Andy said grinning.

After talking for nearly an hour, and completely devouring the food Sara had prepared, everyone finally headed back into the house. "Okay, I'll show you around now, okay?" Sara said as Mark took Melissa into the living room. "Sure," Dany said. Sara showed her Mark's office, the library ("Melissa will leave this room often only for food."), the gym, the kitchen, and the living room. "All that's upstairs are bedrooms. Mine's at the end of the hallway, Melissa is right beside us, and Andy is across from her. We have two guestrooms, so you can have one of those for when you stay," Sara said heading into the living room. "It's not as big as I thought it would be. I thought Kevin's house was the blueprint for all athletes," Dany said grinning. "I'd shoot myself if I had a house that big," Sara said chuckling, "Even this place gets too big for me sometimes." "I can see how," Dany said. "Yeah, we have a huge DVD collection. Melissa has her own little shelf, and it seems to grow every week. We keep 'em all in a closet in the living room," Sara said, "But I'll let you know the little details when you come back Sunday morning." "Okay, that's fine. Listen, I wanna thank you again for givin' me this chance. I know we didn't necessarily meet on the greatest of terms…I was super jealous every time Kevin brought a chick home. I didn't know that you worked with him, and at the time, I didn't even care…I was just angry that, here I am, practically throwing myself at him, and yet again, he brings _another_ woman home," Dany said as they headed towards the front door. "Don't worry about it, Dany. There was no chance in hell I was ever trying to get with Kevin…it was just a work thing that went too far," Sara said quietly. She walked Dany to her car outside, shutting the front door behind her. "Yeah, ya know, Kevin never once said he was sorry about how he treated you. All he would talk about was…ya know, stuff that went down between you, and how he'd, like, conquered the biggest challenge of his life. I still can't believe what I saw in him," Dany said quietly. "And I'll never apologize for what I did to him. He's gettin' what he deserves, and if I never see his face again, I won't lose any sleep over it," Sara said looking at the ground. "Look, like you said…it's in the past. And as far as I can see, we've both moved past it, so…no need to dredge it up again. What time do you need me here Sunday?" Dany said opening the front door to her creamy blue Dodge Stratus. "Our flight is at 1:30, so we have to leave here by noon. If you can come around 11 o' clock, I can help you get settled in, and tell you about Melissa's schedule…stuff like that," Sara answered. "Okay, sweetheart, I'll be here bright and early," Dany said climbing in the car. Sara nodded and shut the door. She waved goodbye and waited for Dany to pull away before heading back inside.

Mark was sitting in the living room with Melissa on his lap watching television. "She really likes it here," Mark said. "Yeah, I noticed," Sara said grinning. "When's she comin' back, mama?" Melissa asked. "Sunday morning, baby, before daddy and I leave," Sara answered, "Where's Andy and Lisa?" "His room," Mark answered. Sara turned to leave the room, but Mark stopped her. "Another argument, dollface?" he asked grinning. "No, darlin'. Just gonna tie up some loose ends," she answered before heading upstairs. Arriving at Andy's door, Sara took a deep breath and knocked quietly. "Yep," Andy's voice came from inside. Sara slowly opened the door and walked in, shutting it behind her. "What's up, baby doll?" he asked sitting up from the bed. "I just…wanted to settle things," she said quietly, "Lisa…I really am sorry for what happened in Australia. You're a helluva athlete…and you're a beautiful woman. There's no shame in showing it off. You can get it done in the ring like anybody I know…and I'm sorry for what I said, I really am." Lisa stood and came over to her, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry for what I said, too," she whispered, "I may not understand the way you act sometimes…but that doesn't give me the right to question your motives. And I'm sorry I told your business like that…Mark was right, that was between you two and Vince. I know it's your weak point, and it was very wrong of me to prey on it. I hope we can move past this." Sara nodded and rubbed her back in a friendly manner. "If it's okay…I still want to be in your wedding," she whispered with tears in her eyes, "You deserve it." "I'd be honored," Lisa said softly. Sara smiled and sniffled slightly. Lisa pulled away and rubbed her cheeks. "Don't cry, sweetheart. We both made mistakes in Australia, and we both can move past them. I'm looking forward to seeing you as my maid of honor," she said grinning, "Besides…no one else could fit in your dress. We had it tailor-made, remember?" Sara chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, it took four hours to get the fitting right," she said smiling. Lisa smiled and clasped her hands gently. "It's gonna be an interesting two weeks. I hope you have a bachelorette party planned for me," she said. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "Maybe," she said with a grin, "I told you I'd get you back for what you did for _my_ bachelorette party." "Oh, dear," Lisa said laughing. "I'm about to make some popcorn. You guys wanna come watch a movie?" Sara said to Andy. "No, we're good, Sara," he said winking at her. Sara snickered and said, "Not too loud…my daughter's in the house." "Yes, mama," Andy said grinning. "Andy!" Lisa exclaimed. "What?" he asked innocently. Sara smiled and hugged Lisa once more before leaving the room. Sunday would come too soon for her.


	102. Sacrifices

**Okay, guys, seriously...last chapter for about a week. I was done with Finals Tuesday 8 a.m., so I got a little extra time to type out this chapter. I wanna thank you guys AGAIN for bein' such loyal, opinionated readers. This story wouldn't be what it is without you. :) Jaden, it's good you've finally caught up, chica. Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you've enjoyed the others. 8-) I'm goin' home Saturday, and I'll try and write up some ideas while I'm there so I can have somethin' ready to be posted when I finally get back. Peace and a bottle o' hair grease.**

**P.S. On a side note, I would like to say that, despite Adam Copeland's and Amy Dumas'...errant actions of late, I still see them as hardworking WWE Superstars. As long as they're busting ass on WWE television, what they do on their time is their business, and no one has a right to judge them. Sure, it sucks about Matt Hardy, but that's how things go down sometimes. I wish him nothing but the best of luck wherever he ends up. Sorry, that's just my thoughts on that situation.****

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Chapter 101…Sacrifices

Mark and Sara waited early Sunday morning for Dany to arrive. They'd spent their time off just enjoying each other's company. Andy and Lisa took Melissa off their hands every day by taking her into town for lunch, shopping, and a movie. Mark had spoiled Sara relentlessly during their quiet time by giving her random massages, fixing her whatever her stomach desired, and making love to her in random places around their home. Sara would never look at Mark's workout bench the same. "Mama, when's Dany gettin' here?" Melissa asked as they ate a scrumptious breakfast prepared by Mark. "In a little bit, munchkin. It's only quarter 'til eleven," Sara said with a smile. "Shouldn't she be here early?" Melissa asked chewing on a piece of fluffy pancake soaked in light syrup. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "She'll be here, munchkin," she said as the doorbell rang. Melissa hopped up and ran to the front door. Mark smiled and sipped on his coffee. "Mama, she's here!" Melissa yelled from the hallway. Sara looked over her shoulder, grinning as Melissa practically dragged Dany into the dining room. "Mornin', Dany," she spoke, "You want anything to eat? We've got plenty." Dany didn't get a chance to answer, because Melissa brought her over to the table and pulled out a chair for her. "I'll just have somethin' to drink. I ate before I came," Dany said as Melissa sat back down. "I take it you found the place a little easier?" Mark asked. Dany chuckled and said, "Actually, I missed the turn once. But I'll get it eventually."

Sara chuckled and nodded. "Did you have a good weekend?" she asked. "Yeah. I called my mom as soon as I got home Wednesday night and told her about the job. She was kinda worried, just because of everything that went down with Kevin. But when I told her about Melissa, she was all about it," Dany said smiling, winking at Melissa. Melissa smiled broadly and looked down at her plate, a shade of pink coming to her cheeks. "My sister's excited, too. She said she was gonna come get me and take me back to her house in Virginia if I didn't find a job soon," Dany added. "Where in Virginia is she?" Mark asked. "Norfolk. Her husband's in the Navy, and he's stationed there," Dany answered. "Is that where you're from, Ms. Dany?" Melissa asked. "No, Melissa, I'm from Boston," Dany said. "So you've been all over the country, then," Mark said. "Yeah, I've been lucky. Getting into Berkley was my dream come true, because I'd wanted to go to California for a long time," Dany answered. "And you've definitely gotta be excited about grad school," Sara said grinning. "Yeah…I love studying people, so this is gonna be a lotta fun," Dany answered. "How do you study people?" Melissa asked confused. "The way they act, how they treat other people, the kind of problems that happen between people, stuff like that, little one," Dany answered. "You could study mom and dad," Melissa said smiling. "Who knows, little one. Maybe for my thesis," Dany said chuckling. "What's a thesis?" Melissa asked. "The last big project I have to do to get my degree. It's really hard, and it takes a long time to put together," Dany said grinning, "But it's gonna be fun."

After breakfast, Sara took Dany outside to the backyard. "Marley and Lucky are pretty much Melissa's responsibility. She feeds 'em when they need it, and give 'em a good workout here in the backyard. She might ask you to take her into the pool, 'cause she's dying to learn how to swim," Sara said as they sat in the steel chairs. "I brought a bathing suit just in case," Dany said smiling. "Her bedtime is at ten o' clock, at the very latest. I usually read her a story from one of the books in the library before she goes to sleep, too, so she may ask you for that," Sara said. "Okay," Dany said grinning. "She eats lunch around one o' clock, and dinner around six or seven. Um…unless I call you tomorrow night, she can watch the show. I guess you can just use your judgment on whether she should watch certain portions of it," Sara said. "Don't worry, Sara. She's gonna be just fine," Dany said. Sara smiled and looked down at her hands. "Is it showing?" she asked. "Blatantly," Dany said grinning. "It's just…she's been on the road with us for so long, I've gotten used to her being there. Having to leave her home now, it's a challenge," Sara said quietly, "I know you guys get along so well, but I'm still worried." "Well, you can trust me with her, Sara. I won't let anything happen to her," Dany said quietly, "I'm protective of my sister's children, and I'm gonna be the same way with Melissa." "She's a little mischievous, so you have to keep your eye on her sometimes. It's only if she's in the library that she doesn't wanna be bugged," Sara said forcing a smile. "I gotcha, sweetheart," Dany said. Sara let out a slow breath and ran her fingers through her hair. "She'll be fine, Sara," Dany said in a reassuring voice. "I know, I know," Sara said quietly.

Melissa came running out a few minutes later. "Mama, daddy said you gotta get to the airport now," she said reaching for her mother. Sara pulled Melissa into her arms and hugged her tightly, slowly standing. Dany followed them inside, shutting the door behind her. Sara looked at her suitcase and duffel bag in the hallway, and tears came to her eyes. "Don't cry, mama," Melissa whispered hugging her neck tightly. Sara kissed her cheek and forced a smile. "You be good, okay?" she whispered. "I will, mama," Melissa said quietly. "I'm serious, munchkin. Be nice to Dany," Sara said softly. When Stacy first became Melissa's babysitter, she'd been a very rebellious child. It'd taken a couple of months for her to open up to the young woman. "I will, mama, I promise," Melissa said quietly. Sara took a deep breath and slowly set Melissa down as Mark came down the stairs with his own luggage in tow. "You ready, dollface?" Mark asked. "No," Sara said honestly. "Don't worry, baby. Only a couple days, and we'll be right back here," he said quietly. Sara forced a grin and nodded. She shouldered her duffel bag, and Melissa placed her hand in Sara's right one. "I'll walk you out, mama," she said with a smile. Sara nearly broke down in tears; the last thing she wanted to do now was leave her child behind. They headed outside, and Sara dumped her luggage into the back of the truck. Sara picked Melissa up and squeezed her close. "I'm gonna miss you, munchkin," she whispered in her ear. "I'm gonna miss you, too, mama," Melissa said hugging her tightly as well. Sara kissed her cheek as a tear slid down her cheek. Melissa wiped it away and whispered, "Don't worry, mama." "I can't help it, munchkin," Sara said softly, "I'm leavin' you with a stranger. Remember, I was the same way when Stacy first came?" "I know. And she turned out to be okay, remember?" Melissa said quietly. Sara sniffled slightly and nodded. "Be good, munchkin," she whispered slowly setting her daughter down. Melissa nodded and ran over to Dany. Lucky and Marley trotted up to Sara and she kneeled down. "You two be good, too. No new toys if you're not," she said hugging the animals. Marley licked her cheek and Sara chuckled. "Spoiled little thing," she said quietly. Mark climbed into the truck, and Sara slowly followed suit. She waved goodbye as Mark slowly pulled away from the house. "Don't worry, dollface. She's gonna be fine," he said quietly. "I know…it's just hard," Sara said. "Only three months, dollface," he said grinning. Sara smiled and nodded. "I know," she said softly.

Mark parked his rental car in the parking lot of the Air Canada Centre in Toronto around 3:00 p.m. Sara had been silent practically the entire trip there. Her mind was on Melissa being at home with Dany, and she was sincerely concerned about leaving her at home. "Can we bring Melissa with us Sunday?" Sara asked as Mark turned the car off. "Sure, dollface. You wanna bring Dany, too?" he answered. "Yeah, we're gonna need her to keep an eye on Melissa. It's gonna be a long day," Sara said, "I'm really nervous about that match." They climbed out of the car and retrieved their duffel bags from the trunk. "Shawn's gonna take care of you, dollface, you know that," Mark said linking his fingers with hers. "I know…it's just, there's so many factors involved, especially that ladder," she said quietly, "I don't even want Melissa to watch that match." "Well, we won't let her, then," Mark said as they entered the building. "I hope Vince has that tape I asked him for," she said. "What tape?" he asked. "Just a tape with a bunch o' ladder matches from way back when. I wanna get a taste for what I'm gonna be goin' through, ya know," she answered, "And me and Shawn are gonna watch it and start throwing around ideas for Sunday." "That's good," he said as they found his locker room, "Shawn's been a few in his time, so he knows what he's doin'." "Yeah, I'm happy that I'm workin' with him. But this'll be the one and only ladder match I have my whole career," she said grinning. Mark opened the door and said, "I doubt you could have any more with only three months left, dollface." Sara chuckled and dropped her bag by the door. "Thanks," she said sarcastically. Mark shut the door, dropped his bag beside hers, and pulled her close. "Hard to believe it really _is_ only three months left," he whispered kissing her softly. "I know…it still seems like so far away," she said softly, putting her arms around his neck. "I love you, dollface," he whispered. Sara grinned and pulled his face down to hers, latching her lips to his. Mark groaned softly and easily deepened the kiss. "I love you, too," she whispered against his lips.

A knock on the door interrupted their serene moment. Sara sighed softly and rested her head on Mark's chest. "That gets old after a while," she whispered. "I know, dollface," he said moving away and opening the door. A stagehand stood there with a tape in hand. "This is for Angel," the young woman said nervously. Mark grinned and took the tape. "Thanks…," he said, pausing for her to him her name. "Samantha…but everyone calls me Sammy," she said quietly. "Thanks, Sammy," he said grinning. The small woman nodded, before practically running down the hall. Mark chuckled and shut the door. "The newbies are so fun to scare," he said facing Sara. "Bully," she said taking the tape from him. Mark chuckled as she popped the tape in the VCR. "Thought you were gonna watch it with Shawn?" he asked. Sara grinned and shrugged. "I'll just watch the first one," she said sitting down on the couch. Mark sat down beside her, putting his arm around her shoulder. The first match was a classic, Shawn against Scott Hall at one of the early Wrestlemania pay-per-views. It was the first ladder match ever, and was the precedent for the chemistry a ladder match should have. Sara watched in awe as Shawn did things that, for that time period, were unheard of. When the tape went black, Sara turned the VCR off and let out a deep breath. "It's gonna be hard to live up to that," she said softly. "You'll do fine, dollface," Mark said grinning. Sara changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, then left the room with the tape in hand. "I'll see you around," she said to Mark.

Sara found Shawn in catering with Paul. As she walked up to them, she realized that she'd never seen Shawn really hang out with anyone else besides Paul. Of course, if Shawn had a match with someone, he'd be with that person; but when it came to just relaxing, Shawn and Paul were constantly together. "Hey, you two," she spoke sitting down. "Hey, Angel. That the tape?" Shawn said. "Yep. And oh my god, that match you had with Scott way back when…how the hell are we gonna live up to that?" she said grinning. "We'll find a way. Don't worry, I got you," Shawn said grinning as well. "You have a good break at home?" Paul asked. "Yeah. We got a new babysitter for Melissa. It was really hard leavin' her home today," Sara said. "I can imagine," Paul said, "Who's the new babysitter?" Sara chuckled and answered, "It's actually Kevin's old housekeeper." "Interesting. How'd she end up in Texas?" Paul said. "She's goin' to the University of Houston in January, for her Master's. She just needed a quick job to save up some more money," Sara answered. "You think she'll do okay with Melissa?" Shawn asked. "Yeah. They had an instant connection, which was a shock. We interviewed four people before we got to Dany, and Melissa didn't like any of 'em. So it was a relief that she got along so well with Dany," Sara answered, "How's little Mikel?" "He's doin' just fine, just had his second birthday, and he's growin' like a weed," Paul answered. "That's great, Paul," Sara said smiling. Despite what anyone said, Paul's marriage to Stephanie McMahon had not changed his demeanor or backstage personality in anyway. He was the consummate professional, and did all he could to help other guys improve every aspect of being a Superstar. If anything, it had helped him to improve on what he was already capable of, because he was under Vince's eye more than ever. "You'll have to bring him on the road sometime before I retire," she said grinning. "I don't know. Not too sure if I want him around this kinda environment so young, ya know," Paul said. Sara nodded in complete agreement. "Mark and I didn't start bringing Melissa with us until she turned three," she said, "And even then, we didn't like her around us while we're working." "Yeah, there's a time for that. And an arena is not it," Paul said honestly.

"Are you bringing Melissa with you again anytime soon?" Shawn asked. "Yeah, on Sunday. But then, she's done until November. She got the flu because she was traveling with us so much, so I don't wanna put her through that again," Sara answered, "How's Bridgette, by the way?" "She's great, also growing like a weed. She starts preschool next year, so she's really excited about that," Shawn answered, "I just hope I'm there for her first day o' school." "When's your contract up?" Sara asked. "I have a year and a half left, and then I'm done, much to the happiness of Tracy. She's been bugging me for two years to just hang up the boots. She doesn't understand, though…it's really hard to leave this business," Shawn said. "Yeah, definitely. I just wanna make my last three months as memorable as possible," Sara said. "Do you know who you're feuding with after me?" Shawn asked. "Nope. I'll probably talk to Vince about it later on," she answered. "Well, it better be somebody good. They've got my footsteps to follow in," Shawn said grinning. Sara rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Cocky 'til the end, huh?" she asked with a smile. "Not cocky, Angel, just confident," he answered. "You know what would be cool?" she asked. "What's that?" he said. "I wanna wrestle you, Paul…in my last match," Sara said looking at Paul. "For the title?" he asked grinning. "No…for goodness sake, you've had the thing six times already," she said smiling. "Hey, there's no such thing as too many World titles," Paul said smiling. "Yeah, okay," she said chuckling, "Seriously, though…I think we could give the fans their money's worth." "And I agree, Angel…but you know that's Vince's choice, not mine," he said. Sara nodded and said, "I'll have to throw the idea out there, then, won't I?" Paul chuckled and shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat, sweetheart," he said.

A few minutes later, Sara and Shawn headed down to his marked dressing room, beginning to throw out ideas for their match on Sunday. "We're probably gonna have a good half an hour to work with, so it's gonna be a battle…for both of us," he said, "I haven't had a ladder match in years, and you've never had one, so we're both gonna have to put it all on the line." "Yeah, I know. I told Mark when we got here, I'm really nervous about it. I don't have a bad feeling or anything, I'm just nervous about screwing up," she said as they arrived at their destination. Shawn let her into the room first, and shut the door behind them. Sara put the tape into the VCR and turned on the television. The entire tape lasted almost two hours. There was a second match with Shawn in it, against Jeff Hardy. "Man, I remember that match. That dude was freakin' crazy," Shawn said with a smile. "Yeah…but all those matches cut his career short," she said. "He's in TNA now, you know that, right?" Shawn asked. "Yeah, I've heard. Not doin' as much crazy stuff as he was when he was here, but he's still a little off," she said grinning. "That kinda style doesn't go away, Angel," he said with a smile. Another match was between Kevin and Chris Jericho. It wasn't as fast-paced as some of the others, but it definitely had a lot of impact moves. "Oh, wow," Sara said when Chris put Kevin in his finishing maneuver (a modified Boston crab) on top of the ladder, "No way in hell we're doin' that." Shawn chuckled and nodded in agreement. "But we might do that," Shawn said as Kevin put Chris between the ladder and sandwiched him several times. Sara chuckled and said, "As long as _you're_ on the receiving end." "I can do that," Shawn said. After the tape was over, they went down to the ring. Neither had a match that night, but they wanted to work out a few sequences early.

Finally, near six o' clock, Sara headed back to Mark's dressing room. She was stopped by Stephanie. "Hey, my dad wants to talk to you," she said quickly. "Okay. Where's he at?" Sara said. "His office is back down the hall, last door on the right before you get to the entrance," Stephanie answered. "Alright, can you let him know I'll be there in a little while?" Sara asked. "Sure thing," Stephanie said before walking away. Sara entered Mark's locker room, and found him on the couch watching his match from the previous week. "Hey, you, long time no see," he said grinning. Sara smiled and shrugged. "Shawn and I watched this tape. We pulled a few ideas from it, and I'm feelin' pretty good about Sunday now," she said grabbing a towel from her duffel bag. "Told ya he'd take care of you, dollface," Mark said still grinning. Sara shrugged and went into the bathroom. She took a good shower, washing her hair, before going back into the room and dressing in a pair of black, low-rider, loose silk pants and a matching halter top. She brushed her hair dry, dropped a kiss on Mark's lips, then left the room and headed down to Vince's office. When she arrived, she knocked on the door and entered. Vince was sitting on a large, brown leather couch looking over the script for that night. He looked up at her and grinned. "Hey, there. Sorry I didn't get you earlier," he said as she took a seat in the armchair. "It's okay. What's up?" she said. "You've got an interview with J.R. I want it pre-recorded, so we can show it at the top of the second hour," he said. "Okay, that's fine," she said. "It's a shoot, Sara," he said setting the papers down on the table in front of him. Sara took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. She'd done shoot interviews before, but they were few and far between. She liked to maintain the mystery of her character, whether she had been Ivory, Chyna, or now Angel; it was important to her for the fans to see her as her character, to understand that they didn't know her as a person, only the character she played on television. "You don't have a problem with it, do you?" he asked. "No, it's fine, Vince…tough questions, I'm guessing?" she answered. "A few of 'em. It'll be the last one you do," he said. Sara grinned and nodded slightly. "Okay. Where's Jim?" she said. "Down the hall, a few doors down," he said. Sara slowly stood and took a deep breath. "I'm gonna go see Janet, and then head down there," she said. "Okay. He'll be waiting for you," he said. Sara nodded slightly and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. _I can only imagine what kinda questions Jim's gonna ask. He's known for hitting people where it hurts in these kinda interviews_, she thought going to Janet's area.

Janet smiled slightly as Sara sat down in the empty chair. "Hey, you. Nervous about Sunday?" Janet said immediately beginning to work on her hair. "Nope. Shawn and I are gonna do great," Sara said confidently, "I just hope the fans like it." "Of course they will. They know how hard you guys work to entertain them, so they'll appreciate whatever you end up doing," Janet said, "How do you want your hair?" "Just a braid, Jan. I've got a shoot interview, and a little spot on the show during Shawn's match," Sara answered. "Ooh, shoot interview?" Janet asked brushing her hair smooth. "Yeah…knowing Jim, it's gonna be a tough one," Sara said. "You haven't done many of those, have you?" Janet asked. "Nope…they're not my style. My thoughts are my thoughts, ya know…they shouldn't interfere with what I do as a character," Sara answered quietly. Janet nodded slightly and fixed Sara's hair up in a classy-looking French braid, before moving on to her make-up. "Simple as well?" she asked. "Of course. Shoot interviews should look as natural as possible," Sara said. Janet nodded and brushed on a light layer of foundation, a light brown eyeshadow, and a thin layer of dark red lipstick. "There ya go, sweetheart," she said with a grin. Sara glanced in the mirror and smiled. "Thanks, Jan," she said before leaving the area, heading for the pre-recording room. When she entered, Jim was sitting in one of the two armchairs. There were two cameras, and a few other people in the room as well. "Hey, Jim," she spoke. "Hey, Angel. Sorry we didn't do this earlier," Jim said standing. Sara shook his hand and shrugged slightly. One of the production assistants fitted Sara with a clip-on microphone, and did a sound check, before Sara was allowed to be seated. "You got some tough questions for me?" she asked pulling the tail of her braid over her left shoulder. "Of course," he answered grinning, "But we've got ten minutes to work with, so take your time answering them." "Sure thing," Sara answered shifting in the seat to get more comfortable. She crossed her legs and took a deep breath as Jim looked at the production assistant who'd fitted Sara with the microphone. "We ready, Sammy?" he asked. "Hold on, Jim…gotta get the focus right," she answered checking with the two cameramen. Jim looked down at his notepad, going over the questions once more, before Sammy informed him they were ready. "And five…four…three…two…one," she said before motioning for Jim to start.

"Angel, first of all, thank you for agreeing to do this interview. It's not often we get to truly delve into your mind. Do you want to tell us why that is?" Jim started. "Jim…ever since I started wrestling for this company, I've always taken the view that my thoughts are just that, _my_ thoughts. The fans may think they know me, but they have no idea what my life is about. And I've chosen not to divulge that information, because it's nobody's business but my own. If that pisses some people off, so be it. I don't sacrifice my personal happiness for anybody except my family," Sara answered honestly. "That's understandable. Okay, first question, and I want you to be honest. We've seen the footage, but I want to know this from _you_. What was your reaction when you heard your name being called as the new World Heavyweight champion?" Jim stated. "Jim, it's not everyday a woman becomes the World Heavyweight champion. In fact, it's never happened before Summerslam, and I don't know that it'll ever happen again. I see that accomplishment as the ultimate honor, bestowed upon me by Vince McMahon. He's trusted me to be the centerpiece of this company, and for that, I'll always be grateful. That night, at Summerslam, when I heard Lillian's voice calling _my_ name as the World Heavyweight champion…it was like a dream come true. When you look at that footage, the first thing I do is scoot into the corner; that's because I was in disbelief. I was in disbelief that I was _actually_ the World champion. It took Hebner placing that title in my hands for me to truly understand that that title was _mine_. Nobody can take that away from me, Jim, ever. But at the same time…I felt excitement, knowing the responsibility that was now on my shoulders, the expectations of everybody from the production crew to Vince McMahon himself to carry that title as proudly as my predecessors…I also thought of my mother…and how proud I knew she was of me that I had now done everything there was to possibly do in this business," she said honestly, "That was my reaction, Jim."

"Next question, Angel: other than being in the ring, how have you spent the past few weeks as the World Heavyweight champion?" Jim asked. "Being a WWF Superstar is a 24-hour job, Jim. You know that, you see us four or five days a week. I don't have much time off, and when I do, wrestling is always on my mind. I've spent my time thinking about how I can make my title reign, however long it turns out to be, the best these fans have seen in a long time. I have a lot to live up to, considering the history of that title, so I'm always thinking of how I can do just that," she said grinning slightly. "Angel, how have the other Superstars treated you since Summerslam? Do you feel they look at you as a true equal now that you've become the World Heavyweight champion?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and glanced away. "Jim, as much as I'd like to say that everyone's been nice, I can't. That's not the reality of this business. I'm sure I pissed a lot of people off when I became World champ. But I don't care. I know what I went through to get that title, and the fans know a lot of what I went through as well. The reality is, I've been around longer than any woman in 30 years. Only the Fabulous Moolah had a longer career than me, J.R. So far, everybody's been pretty respectful, and acknowledge that I earned that title just like everyone before me. I'm a woman, but that's second to the fact that I'm as much an athlete as the people I wrestle with. If the guys didn't respect me and see me as their equal before I won the title, then I could care less what they think of me now. I will never, _ever_ beg for acceptance from _anyone_," she said tensely, "Wrestling is as much my life as it is theirs, and I have as much appreciation for it as they do, if not more. I'm not going to let anybody's personal ego or feelings about me stand in the way of my success." "Okay, okay, let's take a different route, then. Has the Undertaker – whom you managed for several years – treated you any differently?" Jim asked. Sara smirked and shook her head.

"He was the one who suggested I try for the title in the first place, Jim. If it wasn't for 'Taker, I probably wouldn't be World champion right now. His support through that whole number-one contender's tournament is what got me to where I am right now, because he believed in me like very few people ever have. Sure, he had an…interesting way of showing it, but I knew he supported me in his own way. So, no, he hasn't treated me any differently. If anything, he has more respect for me than ever before. Now, I'm not just a manager, or even just a wrestler…I broke through that glass ceiling, J.R….hell, I shattered that son of a bitch. And 'Taker was there for me every step of the way," she answered. "Let's turn the focus to your arch nemesis, Shawn Michaels," Jim said. Sara took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "How hard was it for you to conquer him at Summerslam?" he asked. "Jim…Shawn is an athlete in that ring, he is a perfectionist. He knows how to take a person down, in every way possible, physically and psychologically. I knew, when I got in that ring with him, that he was not letting that title go easily at all. I knew I had to bring everything in me to that one match, and lay it all out on the line if I wanted to bring the World title home with me that night. And that's what I did. It was one of the biggest challenges of my professional career, and one I gladly met. Shawn Michaels…he earned my respect all over again that night, because…I went through a lot to get to that point. And Shawn, he made me earn my World title," she said, "Deep in the back of my mind, I'd known I'd wanted to be World champion. But I never knew I'd have to go through Shawn to get it. It was poetic justice, Jim."

"Angel, your history with Shawn has not been a pretty one, to say the least. From the heat between you two in the 'Corporation' faction, to the present day. How has that influenced how you approach him, in _and_ out of the ring?" Jim asked. "In the ring, Jim, I treat Shawn like any other Superstar. He's in there to do his absolute best, as am I. He came back three and a half years ago, and he _earned_ his way to the top. You have to respect someone for that. Out of the ring…to be honest, when he first came back, I thought he wouldn't last past that winter. In my mind, people don't change…bad habits are hard to kick, and Shawn had a lot of them. But again, watching him backstage, busting his ass to earn the respect of his coworkers…like I said, you have to respect him for that. He's an amazing human being, and…even after all we went through…I'm very proud to call him a friend," Sara said. "Okay, Angel. Shawn Michaels has been in countless ladder matches. He made the ladder match famous; he set the precedent. You, on the other hand, have been in zero. Do you have a strategy for Sunday night?" Jim said. Sara grinned and nodded. "You better believe I have a strategy, Jim. Shawn doesn't go down easily, and there are so many factors in a ladder match, specifically the ladder. I know he has an edge over me, based on his experience…but I'm a fast learner, Jim. I've got tapes of his ladder matches, and of ladder matches between other past Superstars. I've taken something from all of those tapes, and I plan on showing Shawn Michaels a trick or two this Sunday," she answered. "Finally, Angel…let's be honest. A lot of people are not looking for you to come out of Unforgiven still World Heavyweight champion. What do you have to say to those people?" Jim said. Sara glanced away and took a deep breath as she felt anger deep within her heart. "Doubts…that's been my number one enemy since I got to this company, Jim. Nobody believed I could hang with the boys…nobody believed I could be the Intercontinental champion…nobody believed I could hold the World Heavyweight title. But the past 12 years, it's been my pleasure to take that doubt, and shove it straight up everyone's asses. I'm a credible champion, Jim…all you gotta do is look at my résumé. I've got what it takes to hold the World title, mentally and physically. This Sunday, I'm walking into Unforgiven as World Heavyweight champion…and it'll be my pleasure to silence everyone all over again when I walk out _still_ World Heavyweight champion," she said tensely, "We done?" "Yes, ma'am," Jim said simply. Sara slowly stood and walked off the set, feeling the hairs on her arms bristle. _Goddamn it…arrogant assholes think I'm gonna break Sunday…I'll show them all_, she thought removing the microphone from her halter top. She handed it over to Sammy before leaving the room.

Sara ran her hands over her face as she headed down the hall. She knew her comments would get under the skin of some of her coworkers, but it didn't bother her in the least. That's what shoot interviews were all about, telling the audience exactly what was on your mind, with no sugar-coated topping. At the same time, that was the reason she hated doing those type of interviews, because she did care what her coworkers thought of her. Sara bumped into Mark a few feet away from his dressing room. "Whoa, you okay?" he asked. "Shoot interview, Mark…fucking shoot interview," she said softly, going into his room. Mark followed her in and shut the door quietly. "Vince's idea?" he asked softly. "Of course," she answered. Mark came up behind her and asked, "You didn't say nasty things, did you?" "Not to me," she answered innocently, "But some things may…get under some people's skin." Mark kissed her ear softly and put his arms around her comfortingly. "Don't worry, dollface…you said what was on your mind. People should respect you for being honest," he said quietly. "I said nice things about you, though," she said facing him and putting her arms around his neck. "Really?" he asked softly, a grin on his face. Sara smiled and nodded as Mark leaned down and captured her lips. Mark groaned softly and slowly picked her up off the floor. Sara wrapped her legs around his waist, and Mark went over to the couch, easing down into the comfort of the large, plush seat. Sara felt him grow between her legs, and she ran her fingers lightly over his neck. "God, it'd be so easy…right here," he whispered moving his hands over her back. Sara smiled and rolled her eyes. "You and your bet," she whispered, "You know somethin'?" "What's that, dollface?" he asked grinning. "If we hadn't made that bet…we'd have done the deed a long time ago," she whispered dropping a kiss on his nose before standing and leaving the room. "Damn…," Mark whispered resting his head back against the couch, a slight smile on his face.

As the show kicked off, Sara sat in Mark's dressing room, curled up against his warmth. Mark rubbed her arms gently and said, "Don't worry, the fans are gonna love your interview." Sara grinned and nodded slightly. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's RAW is going to be a blast! We've got Triple H going head to head with Chris Benoit in a Submission Match!" Jim Ross started. "That's right, J.R. Plus, the RAW Divas are gonna give us a bikini contest!" Jerry Lawler said excitedly, "And speaking of beautiful women, J.R., I hear you got a little up close with one Angel!" "Yes, folks, that's correct. Tonight, you will see a side of Angel very rarely shown! In a very candid, one-on-interview, Angel will open her mind for the entire world to see!" Jim Ross said. Sara took a deep breath and leaned more into Mark. "Don't worry, babe," he said kissing the side of her head. Sara grinned and placed her hand on his thigh. "I love you," she whispered. "Ditto, dollface," he whispered in return. "Who are you wrestling?" she asked softly. "Jay," he answered, "Up in about 45 minutes…just a preview match for Unforgiven." "Okay…don't work too hard," she said quietly. Mark chuckled and shrugged slightly. "Stop bein' overprotective," he whispered. Sara grinned and looked up at him. "It's a habit with you," she said quietly. Mark leaned down and kissed her softly. They then turned their attention back to the television. "When's your interview gonna be shown?" he asked. "Right after your match," she said quietly. "I'll try and hurry back while they're on commercial, so I can watch it with you," he said softly. "That's fine, Mark," she said grinning.

Mark left for his match near the end of the first match, so he could stretch properly. Sara stayed in the room, wanting to be alone for the night. Her thoughts were focused solely on possible reactions from her coworkers. She loved most of them, and respected all of them, and only wanted the same respect in return. _I said it in the interview…I'm not begging for acceptance from anyone_, Sara thought running her fingers through her hair. Since she wasn't going to be involved in the show, she'd changed back into a pair of comfortable sweatpants and t-shirt, and washed her face clean of make-up. A knock on the door jarred Sara from her thoughts. She answered it quickly, smiling at the sight of Andy and Lisa. "Hey, come on in," she said stepping back. Andy and Lisa walked in, and Sara shut the door. "Mark told us you had a shoot interview earlier, and that's what they're showin' tonight," Andy said as they took a seat on the couch. "Yeah…kinda worried about some backlash," she said quietly. "Don't worry, sweetheart. We all know you mean well, and you were just being honest," Lisa said supportively. Sara grinned slightly and looked at her. "You sound like Mark," she said. "We just want you to know we've got your back, baby doll," Andy said winking at her. Sara smiled slightly and looked back at the television.

Mark's match lasted nearly 20 minutes; Sara could only shake her head at the physicality of it. "Some preview match," she said, "That was basically their pay-per-view match right there…I told him not to push himself." She noticed Mark limping up the ramp, and let out a slow breath. _How much longer can he really do this? His body's breakin' down more and more everyday; he's gonna have to have hip replacement surgery soon, if he's not careful_, she thought. As the show came back from commercial, Mark entered the locker room. "You okay?" she asked quietly. "I'm fine, baby. Just banged my knee a little," he answered wiping his face with a towel. Andy and Lisa moved to the armchair (Lisa on Andy's lap) so that Mark could sit beside Sara on the couch and stretch out his legs. "Ladies and gentlemen, coming up now is an interview conducted earlier today between myself and the current World Heavyweight champion, Angel. It's a rare glimpse at a woman who has had a profound impact on this organization and industry," Jim Ross said before the screen faded to black. Sara took a deep breath as she watched herself. The questions seemed a lot tougher hearing them a second time, and she wondered how she'd answered them so easily during the actual interview. Mark kissed the side of her head at the mention of his name, and Sara smiled slightly. When the screen showed Jim and Jerry once more, Sara let out a heavy sigh. "So…what'd you think?" she asked the three people. "It wasn't as bad as you made it out to be, dollface," Mark said grinning. "Shut up, Mark. I'm serious," she said quietly. "That was a great interview, Sara," Mark said kissing the back of her left hand, "You did what they asked of you, plain and simple…you told the truth about the tough topics. And like you said, if people don't like it, screw 'em." "What he said," Andy said grinning. "I second that," Lisa said with her own smile. Sara smiled and began to feel much better about her comments. "Thanks, guys," she said softly.

Mark slowly stood as the next match began. "You okay?" Sara asked, noticing the grimace on his face. "Didn't I tell you to stop bein' so overprotective?" he asked winking at her before going into the bathroom. Sara sighed as she heard the shower start. "You know he'll be okay, Sara," Andy said grinning slightly. "Yeah, but I still worry. He just signed a seven-year contract. You saw the way he was limping just then," she said quietly. "Yeah…but he feels he can work for seven more years, so there's nothin' anybody can really do about it," Andy said. Sara nodded and turned her focus back to the television. Lisa left the room a few minutes later, because she was participating in the "Bikini Contest" against Trish, Amy, and one of the new Divas, Christy Hemme. Hemme had won a contest a couple weeks ago to be the new "RAW Diva", but she was nothing more than eye candy. _I hope that's not a sign of things to come_, Sara thought angrily, _Those women bust their ass in that division, and it doesn't deserve to be watered down 'cause some woman doesn't have the guts to train herself as a wrestler_. After the "Bikini Contest", during which Sara had to force herself not to roll her eyes, Paul and Chris Benoit had a great technical main-event match. Sara grinned and thought back to what she'd told Paul earlier; it would be her pleasure to wrestle him in her last match…if Vince thought it would appeal to the fans. Mark came out of the bathroom as the match winded down. "You were in there a while," she said quietly. "I had to stretch, dollface," Mark said softly, "Don't worry, I'm fine, I promise. How's the match goin'?" "Good. I told Paul earlier it'd be nice to wrestle him in my last match," Sara answered as Chris trapped Paul in his patented Crippler Crossface. "That'd be a kick-ass match," Mark said slowly sitting down beside her. "Yeah…he brings out the best in his opponents, and that's how I want my last match to be," she said. "Why think so far in the future, dollface? Just make the most of the next two months," he said grinning. Sara chuckled slightly and shrugged her shoulder. "Can't help it. It seems to be coming up so fast," she said quietly. "Do you know who you're feuding with after Shawn?" he asked. "Nope. I don't really wanna know, though," she answered, "I like surprise feuds." "They can be fun," Mark said grinning.

After the show, Sara and Mark went back to their hotel. Sara called home on the way there. "Hey, Sara," Dany answered quietly. "Hey. How'd Melissa do today?" Sara spoke. "Just fine, hon. She was a perfect Angel. She enjoyed your little interview tonight, kept sayin', "That's my mama!" It was very fun to watch with her; she's so mature about it," Dany answered. "Good. Hey, how do you feel about a little travel?" Sara said. "Where to?" Dany asked. "Canada. Mark and I wanna bring Melissa with us for the pay-per-view on Sunday, and we want you to come along so you can keep an eye on her," Sara answered, "We'll pay for your ticket, and you'll stay with us in a hotel suite." "That'll be fine. I've never been to a show before," Dany said. "Oh, then this'll be great for you. It'll be a little cold, but Edmonton is a great little town," Sara said as Mark parked the rental car. "I'll let Melissa know in the morning. She fell asleep right after your interview," Dany said. "Good, good. Alright, I'll probably call you tomorrow night, or Wednesday, when we're on our way home," Sara said. "Alright, Sara. Sleep well," Dany said. "Thanks, Dany. You, too. Bye," Sara said before clicking her phone shut. "How's our little munchkin?" Mark asked as they walked inside. "Fast asleep. Dany said she fell asleep after my interview, but that she was proud o' me for doin' the interview," Sara said with a smile. "And Dany's all about coming on Sunday?" he asked. "Yep. She's never been to a show, actually, so it's gonna be an interesting trip for her," Sara answered entering their hotel room. "Of course," Mark said shutting the door quietly. They prayed quietly for a few minutes before climbing into bed. Sara rested her head on his chest, her fingers loosely draping in the ends of his hair. "Sweet dreams, dollface," Mark whispered kissing the top of her head. "Goodnight, Mark," she whispered closing her eyes and falling asleep, Mark not too far behind her.

The next morning, Mark's hand practically crushed the clock as he turned off the blaring alarm. "Careful, Mark," Sara whispered, "You break, you buy." Mark chuckled and pulled her body even closer to him. "Mornin', beautiful," he whispered dropping soft kisses all over her face. Sara smiled and felt shivers course through her body. Mark grinned and eased on top of her, trailing kisses down her neck. Sara caressed his shoulders and ran her fingers through his hair. She felt his hand move under her t-shirt, slowly squeezing her right breast, and let out a low moan. "You have any idea how much I love you?" Mark whispered kissing her ear. Sara smiled and pressed her hips against his. "A big idea," she whispered grinning. Mark chuckled and slipped her shirt over her head, Sara doing the same for him. He leaned down and kissed her softly, teasing her by running his tongue over her lips. Sara put her hand on the back of his neck, pulling his face down to hers and kissing him fully. Mark groaned softly and carefully rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. Sara gently bit down on his left earlobe, flicking her tongue over it softly. She grinned as Mark grew beneath her. She slipped off her pants and underwear before climbing back onto his hips. Mark growled as he eased inside her. "Oh…oh," Sara moaned beginning to move up and down. She found a pace quickly, linking her fingers with Mark and tossing her head back. "Oh, baby," Mark whispered moving his hands over her chest, squeezing gently. "My God," Sara gasped as she felt herself tighten up. Mark groaned and pulled her down to him, kissing her quite possessively as their orgasms hit simultaneously. His kiss softened as their bodies quieted. "Good morning to you, too," Sara whispered with a smile. Mark chuckled and caressed her cheek softly. "What time is our flight?" she whispered. "A couple hours," he answered quietly. "Come on," she whispered moving off of him and taking his hand. They entered the bathroom, and Mark kicked the door shut.

Sara called her house on the taxi ride to the arena in Spokane, Washington. Dany answered and Sara asked to speak with her daughter. "Morning, mommy!" Melissa said excitedly. "Hey, munchkin. How ya doin'?" Sara said grinning. "I'm good. Ms. Dany made me breakfast today, oatmeal and orange juice," Melissa answered, "And she said we could get in the pool later. She's gonna teach me how to swim!" "I thought you were gonna let your dad teach you, munchkin," Sara said, the smile on her face fading. "But he's not here, mama," Melissa argued. Sara took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. "I'll wait if you want me to, mama," Melissa said. "No, baby, if you want Dany to teach you, it's fine," Sara said quietly. "Are you sure, mama?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, munchkin, it's fine," Sara said, "You wanna talk to your dad?" "Yep," Melissa said. Sara handed her cell phone over to Mark, then turned her attention to the passing scenery. Mark placed his hand in Sara's, linking their fingers together, as a tear fell from Sara's left eye. _These are the memories we're missing 'cause o' this shit. I'm so ready to be done with this business_, she thought sadly. Mark talked with his daughter for a few minutes before handing the phone back to Sara. "Okay, munchkin. Your dad and I will be home tomorrow morning," Sara said quietly. "Okay, mama. I love you," Melissa said. "Love you, too, sweetheart. See ya soon," Sara said softly. The call disconnected, and Sara flipped her phone shut.

The cab stopped moments later behind the building they were performing in that night, and Sara paid him before climbing out of the vehicle. She grabbed her bags from the trunk, and headed inside with her head lowered. She found Mark's dressing room first, and entered quickly, dropping her bags by the door as tears filled her eyes. Mark entered moments later, and immediately noticed Sara's slumped shoulders. "Dollface?" he asked quietly, shutting the door and dropping his bags. Sara slowly faced him with tear-stained cheeks. "Oh, baby," he whispered pulling her close. "We're missing out on her memories, Mark," she said into his chest, "All because of this fucking job…I can't take this." "Yes, you can, sweetheart," he said kissing the top of her head, "Only two more months, and you're done. You can stay home all day with Melissa, and do whatever you want. If you never wanna leave the house again, you'll have that option." "I miss her so much, Mark," she cried softly. "I know, baby…and she misses you, too," he said rubbing her back gently, "But she knows you're gonna be home for good soon enough." "And what about you, Mark? You just signed a seven-year contract…what are we gonna do without you?" she said quietly, "I can't raise her by myself." "And you're not going to. She's my daughter, too, dollface…and you know I'm gonna do all I can for her, for both of you…even when I'm on the road," he said forcing her to look at him and wiping her tears away. Sara sniffled slightly as he kissed her softly. "Don't think you have to raise Melissa by yourself. I wouldn't let that happen…ever," he whispered against her lips. Sara nodded slightly and took a deep breath. "There we go," he whispered, "Come on, let's go get a workout in." "Okay, sweetie," she said as he led her out of the room.

After a nice sparring match, Sara and Mark headed back to his locker room. When they walked past the match board, Sara stopped and took a deep breath. She was in the main event against Randy that night. "Shit," she whispered. "What is it?" Mark asked glancing at the board. "Nothing," she whispered taking his hand and heading down the hall. Once inside the locker room, Mark forced her to look at him. "What is it?" he asked her again. "I don't like that kid," she said moving away from him and pulling her towel from her bag. "Why?" he asked, "He do somethin' to you?" "No, Mark," she said grinning at his protectiveness of her. "Obviously he did," Mark said with a raised eyebrow. "You're being paranoid. He just rubs me the wrong way. He's the kind of person I talked about in that interview…no appreciation for this business," she said quietly. "Dollface, he grew up in this business," Mark argued. "Yeah, and that means? Growing up in the business doesn't necessarily equal to an appreciation of it. Look how I started out, I hated everything about it, and my dad was a wrestler just like his," she said matter-of-factly, "He's spoiled, rich, and arrogant as fuck." "I won't deny that, baby, but he's a good wrestler," Mark said, "And he's still learning. He's gonna be great in his own time, just like you." "Not if his head doesn't blow up first," she said grinning and going into the bathroom. Mark chuckled as a knock came on the door. He answered and said, "What's up, Orton?"

"Angel in here?" Randy asked. "She's cleaning up. She'll be out in about 20 minutes," Mark answered. "Can you let her know I'm lookin' for her?" Randy asked. "Yeah, sure," Mark said. "Thanks," Randy said before walking away. Mark ignored the disdain he'd heard in Randy's voice and shut the door. He grabbed his own towel before joining Sara in the shower. "Randy's lookin' for you," he said rubbing his hands through her hair, helping her to wash the thick tresses. "Great," she said sarcastically. "Yeah, he didn't seem too happy about it," he said grinning. "Told ya…arrogant as hell," she said smiling at him. "True…but there's nothin' we can do about it, so why worry, ya know," he responded. "Because I have to work with him," she said grinning. Mark rinsed her hair out thoroughly, then leaned down and kissed the side of her neck. Sara's eyes drifted shut, and she whispered, "You're not givin' up, are you?" Mark chuckled and shook his head. "Of course not. When have you known me to do such a thing?" he whispered kissing her ear. Sara chuckled softly and kissed him softly, squeezing his neck. "I love you, baby," she whispered. "I love you, too, dollface…but you should get outta here," he said quietly. "Why?" she asked. "Two reasons, really. One, Orton's gonna blow a gasket if he can't find you soon. And two…I might just win that bet if you stay any longer," he said softly. Sara rolled her eyes playfully before stepping out of the stall. "See ya in a little bit," she said wrapping her towel around her and leaving the bathroom.

After dressing in a simple pair of shorts, and a loose t-shirt, Sara left the room to search out a man she was very close to hating. Randy spotted Sara entering the catering room, and the hair on his arms bristled. _It'd be _my_ pleasure to take that title from her, put that snotty little bitch in her place_, he thought putting a fake smile on his face as she walked over. "Heard you were lookin' for me," Sara said sitting down at the table he was at. "Yeah, we're in the main event tonight," Randy answered. "What kinda match you up for? I can do anything," Sara said straightforwardly. "We'll go technical," he answered, "Chioda said we've got a 15-minute time limit." "You wanna go the whole time?" she asked. "If you're up for it, I am," Randy said. "Alright. I'll let you eat, and meet you in the ring in 15," Sara said standing. "Okay," Randy said. Sara walked away, rolling her eyes as she did. _'If you're up for it, I am.' Little fucker wants to challenge me, fine…I'll show him just how technical I can be_, she thought angrily. She went down to the ring, grinning when she found John and Chris Irvine in the ring. "They put you two goofballs in a match together?" she asked leaning on the mat. "Of course, Angel…greatness drifts towards greatness," John answered smiling down at her, "I saw you got Randy tonight." "Yeah…great," she said sarcastically. Chris chuckled as he took John down with a headlock takeover. "Nice interview last night, Angel. Shoot?" he said. "Yep. Was it blatant enough?" she asked grinning. "I thought you were gonna sock J.R. good when he asked you how the boys treated you," he answered smiling. John muscled out of the headlock and got to his feet. "They wanted me to shoot, so I did," she said honestly. "I noticed a few guys get all tense when they listened to it," John said locking up with Chris, then pulling him into a wristlock. "Like who?" she asked. "Randy, of course," John said grinning. "Figures," Sara said, "How long you two gonna be?" "Give us 20 minutes," Chris said reversing the wristlock and putting the same move on John. Sara nodded and watched them continue to work out their match for that night. Randy came strutting down the aisle as John and Chris finished up. "Catch ya later, Angel," Chris said rolling out of the ring. "See ya, Chris," Sara said climbing into the ring. "Go easy on him, Angel," John said quietly, winking at her before leaving the ring. Sara smirked and shook her head; John's sense o' humor was few and far between in the wrestling business. Everybody tried to have fun, but some were more serious than others.

To say there was tension between Sara and Randy was an understatement. From the moment they climbed into the ring, each person's moves were incredibly stiff. After nearly an hour of practice, during which both rarely spoke a word other than to call a move, they climbed out of the ring. "See ya when we go out," Randy said before walking up the ramp. Sara took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. _If he wants to dish out punishment, I hope he can take it_, she thought angrily. As she leaned against the ring, Mark came walking down the ramp with Shawn. "Whoa…who pissed you off?" Shawn said grinning. "Nobody," she said tensely. "Come on, Angel, I know you too well," Shawn said. "Orton," she said simply. "What now?" Mark asked. "We worked a whole match out practically without talkin'…and he was pretty stiff about everything," Sara said rotating her neck. "Yeah, he's a stubborn one," Shawn said quietly, "Kinda reminds me of myself before I found Tracy." "Well, if he doesn't get his head outta his ass soon, he's gonna flop," Sara said before leaving the two men to their practice session. She went back to Mark's dressing room and took a second shower, then changed into an outfit Michelle had made her back in June. She brushed her hair until it was silky smooth, then pulled into a high ponytail, braiding the loose hair tightly. She put a black rubber band on the end of it, before moving on to her make-up. As she fixed up her make-up, Mark walked into the room. "Hey, baby," she said quietly, putting a thin layer of mascara on her lashes.

"You feelin' a little better?" Mark asked shutting the door. "Yeah, that shower did me some good," Sara answered. "What kinda match are you and Randy having?" he asked. "Technical, goin' the whole 15 minutes," she said. "You gonna teach him who he's messin' with?" he asked coming up behind her. Sara smiled and looked at his reflection in the mirror. "Of course," she answered facing him. As he leaned down for a kiss, a knock came on the door. "Goddammit," Sara whispered. She went over to the door and pulled it open. "Hey, Sara, can I chat?" Vince asked. "Sure, Vince," she said stepping aside. Mark entered the bathroom, and Sara shut the room door. "What's up?" she asked leaning against it. "I need you to do an appearance tomorrow in Norfolk," Vince said. "What? That wasn't on the schedule, Vince," Sara said. "I know, I know. Paul was supposed to go, but he can't, so I need you to do it," Vince said. "Fine, Vince. I hope you got a plane ticket for me," she said. "Yep, all your travel accommodations are already taken care of," Vince answered handing her a plane ticket, "We're just gonna give you what we were gonna give Paul." "When do I have to be there?" she asked. "Your flight leaves an hour after the show ends, so you don't have much time to get outta here," he answered. "That's gonna be cuttin' it close, Vince…_real_ close," she said. "Don't worry, we'll have a limo to shuttle you outta here right after your match," Vince said. Sara sighed and shrugged. "Fine," she said softly. The last thing she wanted to do was interrupt her time off, but she didn't really have a choice. "Good. Also, Creative decided who your next opponent is gonna be after Shawn," Vince said. "Who?" she asked. "Randy. They figured the fans would enjoy seein' a relatively newcomer try and tackle the best in the company," Vince answered. Sara snickered and shook her head in disbelief. This day was just getting worse and worse. "How's it gonna end?" she asked. "Submission Match at No Mercy," he responded. "Great…fuckin' great," Sara whispered. "You shouldn't be worried. You know you've got that title 'til Survivor Series," Vince said grinning. Sara merely nodded her head; wrestling in one match against Randy was one thing, but having to carry an angle with him was a whole different scenario. "Look, have fun out there tonight. Don't stress out too much," Vince said heading for the door, "I'll see you Sunday." Sara nodded and plopped down on the couch as he left the room. Her jaw clenched at her unfolding situation, and she had to force down a scream.

Mark came out of the bathroom to find Sara holding her head in her hands. "What'd Vince want?" he asked. "To ruin my fuckin' day," she answered quietly. "What? What do you mean?" he asked pulling on his wrestling outfit. "First off," Sara said with a sarcastic laugh, "I've gotta go to Norfolk tonight, so I can't go home with you. Second off, I'm in an angle with Orton after Unforgiven." "Whoa…I'm sorry, dollface," he said quietly. "Nothin' I can do about it, so no need to bitch," Sara said with a heavy sigh, "I just…wish I could pick my opponents sometimes." "Don't worry, dollface. You'll get through this just like you've gotten through everything else McMahon has decided to throw your way," he said with a grin. Sara chuckled and nodded. "Of course. I wonder, sometimes…if he's tryin' to break me down…I don't know, it just seems that way sometimes," she said quietly. "You should realize by now, dollface, that nothin' anybody does to you – even Vince McMahon – will ever break you down," Mark said rubbing a towel through his hair. Sara chuckled and said, "Go get your brush." Mark smiled slightly and did as she asked, sitting down between her legs. Sara took the brush and ran it through his hair until it was dry. "I'm only gonna wet it again, dollface," he said when she was done. "Yeah, I know, but I like doin' it anyway," she said hugging his neck and planting a kiss on his cheek. "Come on, I'm starving," Mark said getting to his feet. Sara nodded in agreement and followed him out of their room.

That night, Sara tried to do her best working with Randy. There were times during the match where he wouldn't sell any of her moves, so she began to throw real punches. Randy did the same thing, nailing her at one point square in her right eye with a stiff punch. After the match, Sara quickly showered and packed her bags. She knew her right eye was going to be bruised, and took an icepack with her. She made Mark promise not to rip Randy's head off before she finally left the arena. On the ride to the airport, she called home. Dany answered, and Sara asked to speak with her child. "Sorry, Sara, she's fast asleep," Dany told her. "It's only nine o' clock," Sara said in shock. "We spent a lotta time in the pool earlier; she's gonna be a great swimmer in her own time, too. And after lunch, we took a walk around the whole property with Lucky and Marley. That really took a lot out of her. After dinner, I put in a tape, and she fell asleep halfway through it," Dany explained. Sara sighed and ran her hand over her face. "Alright, Dany. Mark's gonna be home early in the morning, but I have to go to Norfolk for a special appearance. You tell Melissa to call me if she needs anything," Sara said despondently. "Sure will, Sara. Sleep well, hon," Dany said. "Thanks, Dany. Bye," Sara said before clicking her phone shut. "I hope I can get through the next two months…hell, I just wanna get past Sunday," she whispered to herself, resting her head against the seat. The limo pulled into the airport parking lot 20 minutes later, and the driver helped Sara get her belongings from the trunk. "Thank you," Sara said handing him a $10 tip. "Oh, ma'am, you don't have to--." "Don't worry about it. Have a good night," Sara said before heading inside. She quickly boarded her plane, just as the stewardess called for final boarders. The plane took off a few minutes later, and Sara fell asleep with a heavy heart, wanting instead to be heading home to be with her family.


	103. A Day in the Public

**Well, guys, I'm back with yet another chapter to add to this epic drama:-D Jaden, thanks for all the advice on future chapters...but even _you_ don't know what I have up my sleeve, sweetheart! ;) I'm back at school for the summer, and I've got a couple classes to take. They're a lot more fast-paced than regular semester classes, because each is only a month long. Thus, I may be posting only once every week and a half or so. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I'll update as soon as I can!**

**Much love,  
Shannon

* * *

**

Chapter 102…A Day with the Public

The limousine pulled into the Sheraton Hotel at nearly 2 a.m., with Sara fast asleep in the back seat. "Mrs. Callaway?" the driver asked politely through the lowered glass partition. Sara groaned slightly and climbed out of the vehicle as the driver retrieved her luggage from the trunk. She yawned loudly and stretched her arms. "Here's your reservation for the hotel, ma'am. Mr. McMahon already called to inform the manager of the change," the man said. "Thank you, sir," Sara said politely, shouldering her duffel bag and taking the sheet of paper. "Have a good night, ma'am," he said. Sara nodded slightly and headed into the hotel. She quickly checked into her room, then made her way up to her suite. Once the door shut behind her, Sara yawned again and dropped her belongings right in the hallway. She set the alarm for 5:00 a.m. before collapsing into the bed and falling right back asleep. Both the alarm and phone pulled Sara from her dreams only a few hours later. "What?" Sara snapped into the phone, slamming her hand down on the blaring clock, turning it off. "Ma'am, this is your requested wake-up call," a male voice said on the other end. "I didn't 'request' a wake-up call," Sara said tensely, rubbing her eyes. "We have you listed--." "Okay, fine, thank you," Sara said before hanging up the phone. She let out a heavy sigh before moving to the floor, grimacing as she did. Her muscles felt a little tighter than usual, so she spent nearly 20 minutes stretching. After she felt comfortable enough to move around, she went into the bathroom and treated herself to a long, hot shower to further ease the pain in her body. _Limo's gonna be here in 15 minutes, Sara_, she thought climbing out of the tub. She dressed in a chic business suit (tailored black dress pants, a white silk, short-sleeved, button-up blouse, and a fitted black jacket), as well as black-strapped, slip-on high heels. She blow-dried her hair as fast as she could, put on only enough make-up to accentuate her eyes and lips, and pulled her hair into a half ponytail. She packed her small purse with a brush, some make-up for touch-up, her wallet, and her cell phone. Finally, as six o' clock came, she grabbed the World title, slung her purse over her shoulder, and left the room.

Before going outside, Sara stopped at the front desk. "May I help you, ma'am?" a slightly muscular, young white man asked. "Yes, um, I received a wake-up call an hour ago, and I was rude to the person on the other end. Do you know where I can find that person?" Sara said. "That would be me," the man answered. "Oh…well, I just wanted to apologize for that. There was no excuse for my rudeness, so…I'm sorry," Sara said. "Well, thank you, ma'am. I appreciate that," the man said. "You have a nice day," Sara said glancing at his nametag, "Edwin." "It's Eddie," he said with a smile, "You have a nice day as well, ma'am." Sara nodded slightly, then left the building. A slender, young black man stood waiting in front of a white limousine. "Mrs. Callaway?" he asked. "That'd be me," Sara said with a friendly smile. "My name is David, and I'll be your driver for the day. There is a briefcase inside with your schedule for the day, as well as a list of local dining establishments. If you need anything, just lower the glass partition and let me know," he said opening the back door. "Thank you very much, David," Sara said politely, climbing into the vehicle. She pulled the thin briefcase onto her lap and flipped it open, picking up the first sheet of paper. There was a television appearance at one of the local news stations at seven a.m., an autograph session at one p.m. in Norfolk's recently-renovated MacArthur Mall, and a speaking engagement at Christopher Newport University in Newport News. _Vince, you sneaky bastard_, she thought with a grin. There was a rundown of her first appearance, and she picked up that sheet next. There were several bullet points Vince wanted her to cover in her television interview. Sara looked over that sheet until the limousine came to a complete stop. The door opened a few moments later, and Sara climbed out with the briefcase in one hand, and the World title in the other. She took a deep breath and followed David inside the three-story building. They stopped at the receptionist's desk, and were directed to the elevators, where she and David rode up to the third floor.

As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they were met by an elderly white man in brown corduroy pants, a yellow-and-brown plaid shirt, and a loose brown tie. "Miss Angel?" he asked. "Yep, that's me," Sara said. "I'm George Copeland, the producer for the morning news. I want to thank you for coming on such short notice," he said extending his hand. Sara shifted the briefcase to her left hand, and shook the man's hand. "Not a problem. When do I go on?" she responded. "You're going to be a part of our last segment, which will run for approximately five minutes. We wanted to give you a little extra time to hype up your Sunday event," George answered. "Excellent. Thank you for that," Sara said. They walked past several cubicles, to a small studio where people were prepping for the seven o' clock newscast. "We have a green room for you to wait in until it's time for your segment," he said opening another door and letting Sara and David inside, "Can I get you anything while you wait?" "A cup of coffee would be great, please," Sara answered sitting on the small couch, "David, anything for you?" "I'm good, ma'am, but thank you," David answered. "I'll be right back," George said before shutting the door. Sara pulled her notes out of the briefcase and began to glance over them once more. George returned a few minutes later with a large cup of coffee. "Here you are, ma'am," he said handing the cup to Sara. "Thanks, George, I appreciate it," Sara said. "No problem. I'll be back in about 15 minutes to get you fitted with a microphone," he said before leaving the room. Sara sipped on the steaming liquid, her eyes scanning over the sheet constantly.

When George came back, Sara had the points on the page memorized. She stood so that George could put the microphone in the correct position. "What is it, David?" she asked with a grin. "Excuse me?" David asked. "You've been staring at me the past 15 minutes. What can I help you with?" she answered. "Oh, it's nothin'. I'm sorry I was staring," he said looking at the floor. "Come on, you can be honest," she said smiling. "I was just wondering…I've been a wrestling fan for nearly 20 years now…I've been watching you since you first debuted in 2002. I don't know…how do you do…what you do for so long?" he said slowly. Sara chuckled slightly and shrugged slightly. "I've never had anyone ask me that, ya know. I've never even thought about it, really. It's just…the life I've known. I graduated college, and I met Roddy, and so…to be honest, even if I hadn't married into the business…I think I would've winded up doing it anyway," she said, "I hated it growing up, but the business was changing, and in a way, it was pulling me with it. When I met Roddy, it was just good timing, plus I've always been the kind of person to be prepared for any opportunity life may throw at me. It was kind of a "right place-right time" thing, ya know." "Did your family agree with your decision?" he asked. "My mom was shocked, to say the least…but she was happy for me, considering her two husbands were both wrestlers," Sara answered quietly. "Is she…," David said slowly. "Yeah…about two months ago, now," Sara answered. She had no clue why she was being so open with a person she'd known for only an hour and a half, but she felt comfortable around him. "How, if you don't mind me asking," he said. "Breast cancer," Sara said before taking a deep breath. It didn't get any easier to talk about her mom's death, even with Mark. "I'm sorry," David said quietly. "It's okay. She fought as long as she could, and I admired her for it," she said softly. "Is it still nerve-wracking to go out in front of a crowd, even though you've been doing it so long?" he asked. "A little…like, the butterflies are there, but not like when I first started. It's a different crowd every night, and that's what keeps 'em there," she said grinning. "Don't wrestlers say that when the butterflies go away, they should stop wrestling," David said quietly. "Yeah…they do," Sara said winking at him.

"Okay, Angel, we're on commercial right now, so we've got a couple of minutes to get you set up. Your microphone seems to be working properly, so just follow me," George said. Sara nodded and motioned for David to follow her. "I can wait for you here, ma'am," he said. Sara handed him the briefcase, and picked up the World Heavyweight title. "I need somebody to critique me," she said following George out of the room, David right behind her. "Ma'am, I don't--." "Don't worry so much, David," Sara said smiling at him. George directed her to a seat beside one of the newscasters. He placed the World title on the table in front of her, making sure there was no glare in the camera focused on her. "Okay, people, we're coming back from commercial in one," he said stepping off the set, "Angel, you're focusing on this camera." Sara glanced at where he was pointing and nodded in understanding. "Nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm Bryan Jackson, and this is my coworker, Shelly Michael," he said pointing to the young, Hispanic woman beside him. "Nice to meet you both. Like George, you can just call me Angel," Sara said. "That your stage name?" Shelly asked. "Yeah, it's what the fans know me as," Sara said. The disdain in Shelly's voice was noticed immediately by Sara, but she blew it off in the name of professionalism. "How long have you been wrestling?" Bryan asked her. "Over 12 years now," Sara answered with a smile. "Wow, that's pretty impressive," he said. "Thanks, Bryan. It's something I'm very proud of," she said. "Alright, now…in ten, nine," George said interrupting them. Sara took a deep breath as he finished his countdown.

"Welcome back to Wavy TV 10. I'm Shelly Michael, and this is Bryan Jackson. We have with us today a person known by millions of people across the world. World Wrestling Entertainment's current World Heavyweight champion, Angel," Shelly said into the camera, before turning her attention to Sara, "Angel, welcome to Norfolk, and Wavy TV 10." "Thank you, Shelly. It's a pleasure to be here," Sara said. "Angel, what brings you to Norfolk this beautiful day?" Shelly asked with a fake smile. "Well, the WWE has a pay-per-view in just six days, Unforgiven, and I'm going around trying to spread the word," Sara answered. "You're going to be defending your World Heavyweight championship on that pay-per-view, correct?" Bryan asked. "Yes, sir, against the legendary Shawn Michaels. We're going to put it all on the line in a Ladder Match, so I'm really excited," Sara said. "What's it like going into your first title defense, especially in a Ladder match, which I hear you've never been in before," Shelly asked. "I'm a little nervous, but I'm confident in my skills. It's going to be a big challenge, but I work best under pressure, Shelly," Sara said. "How do you feel being the WWE's first-ever female to hold the World Heavyweight title?" Bryan asked. "It's a real honor, Bryan, and it's really exciting. I never knew being the best in our business would entail so much PR," Sara said with a chuckle, "But I studied PR in college, and I've been doin' this for over 12 years now, so I'm a pro now." "Well, we really appreciate you stopping by our studio this lovely morning, and wish you luck in your title defense this Sunday," Shelly said before turning her attention back to the camera focused on her, "Thank you, Hampton Roads, for joining us on Wavy TV 10's Morning News. Coming up next, _Live with Regis and Kathie Lee_." George signaled that they were now off air, and Sara let out a slow breath.

"That was great, Angel, thank you," George said coming onto the stage. Sara shook hands with him, as well as Bryan and Shelly before standing and removing the microphone. She grabbed the title and exited the stage. George led them back to the elevator, and thanked Sara once again for her appearance. "Not a problem, George. Thank you for having me," Sara said shaking his hand once more before stepping into the elevator with David. The doors shut and Sara sighed heavily. "Are you okay, ma'am?" David asked. "It's hard to be on television with someone who looks down on my profession, David," she answered. "You mean Shelly?" he asked. "Yep," Sara said, "I could tell she didn't respect me, but I held my tongue because I'm a professional. I deal with her type everyday at work, so it's not that big of a deal…but it's still frustrating." "Where would you like to go now, ma'am? There's a big gap between your first and second appearance," David asked as they left the building. "What do you suggest?" Sara asked grinning. "Well, it's pretty early, so there's not really anything open," David answered. "How about you just take me back to the hotel? I want to rest a little more before that next appearance," Sara said. "Sure thing, ma'am," he said opening the back door. "David…just call me Sara. That ma'am stuff makes me feel older than I really am," she said with a grin. "Yes, ma'am," David responded. Sara chuckled and climbed into the limo, resting her head on the seat as David shut the door. The vehicle moved forward moments later, and Sara closed her eyes. The coffee was having the reverse effect, because she now felt more tired than before. _I wonder if Mark's home yet_, she thought pulling out her cell phone. She hit the speed-dial for Mark's number, and waited for him to answer. His voicemail came on, and Sara figured he was either asleep or still on the plane. "Hey, baby, it's me. I miss you…a lot. I wish I could be with you right now…you know that. Anyway, Vince pulled a fast one on me. I just finished up a TV appearance, but I've still got an appearance at one, and another at seven. My flight leaves out tomorrow morning at five a.m., so I'll be waiting for you to pick me up. Make sure you tell Melissa I miss her, too, and I'll be home tomorrow. I love you, Mark…very much. Bye," she said before clicking her phone shut.

David stopped in front of Sara's hotel 15 minutes later. Sara grabbed her belongings, and David held the door open for her. "My God," Sara whispered. There had to be hundreds of fans standing outside the hotel doors, and they were all screaming for her. A security guard came over to Sara, moving to usher her inside. "No, wait," Sara said shrugging his arm away from her. She handed the briefcase over to the man, and placed the World title over her shoulder, before going to the crowd and starting to sign autographs. "Ma'am, please, we can't have all these people here. The police have already given us a warning," the man said over the noise of the crowd. Sara sighed and signed a few more autographs before allowing him to lead her inside. "Oh, David," Sara said looking over her shoulder. "Who?" the security guard asked. "My driver, he's still out there," she answered. David came through the door moments later, holding his hat tight on his head. Sara couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry about that, David," she said smiling. "It's okay, ma'am," he said dusting off his uniform. Sara took the briefcase from the security guard, motioning for David to follow her. They rode up to the fifth floor, and Sara went down to her room. "Ma'am?" David asked. "Yeah," she answered unlocking the door. "I can come back to pick you up, if you want," he said somewhat nervously. "Don't be foolish. I'm only gonna sleep for a couple hours," Sara said, "You can watch television in the other room." David warily walked into the room; this was against protocol for his employer. "Ma'am, I don't want to get into trouble with my boss. I really need this job," he said. "David, first off, stop callin' me ma'am. Second of all, you're not doin' anything wrong," Sara said dropping the briefcase on the small table, setting the title on top of it. She shrugged off her purse and jacket, and put those beside the other two items, then went into the small bedroom, kicking the door shut. She set the alarm clock for eleven a.m., before slipping out of her blouse and pants, not wanting to get them wrinkled. She climbed into the bed, and was fast asleep within moments.

David sat in the main room watching television, as Sara had suggested. With a grin, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed one of his cousin's phone number. "Hey, buddy," Shannon answered. "You would not believe who I'm driving today," David said. "Let me guess, some big sports star, as usual," she answered rolling her eyes. "You watch the news this morning?" he asked. "You know it. Had to catch my homegirl, Angel," she said smiling. "Then you saw who I'm driving," he said. "Shut up!" she exclaimed. "I swear. I'm in her hotel room right now," he said. "Now I know you're lying," she said, "That's not allowed." "She practically dragged me up here, cousin," he said. "But she's married…to 'Taker, no less!" Shannon argued. "Yeah, no shit. She's in the other room takin' a nap or somethin'," he said. "Oh, my God," she whispered. "I knew you'd be jealous," he said grinning. "Dave, you gotta get me an autograph or somethin'," she begged. "Of course, lil' cousin. You know I look out for you. Remember that time I got to drive Usher…and that time I got to drive Shaq…and--." "Yeah, I know, you got autographs from all of 'em. I got 'em all framed, too," she said laughing. "You're insane," he said. "No, I'm just passionate…there's a difference," she tried. "Yeah. You know nobody believes that argument," he said laughing. "I believe it," she said. "That doesn't count," he said. "It does for me," she said. "Are you goin' to her autograph session today?" he asked. "You know it," Shannon answered, "They were advertising for Triple H, but the website changed this morning to Angel, so I'm definitely goin' now." "Well, you better head there now, 'cause you know the line's gonna be crazy long," he said. "I was on my way out the door when you called," she said smiling. "Alright. Maybe I'll see you there," he said smiling. "Yep. Later, cousin," she responded. "Peace," David said before ending the call. He set the phone down on the table and leaned back on the small couch.

Sara slept until the alarm rang exactly at eleven o' clock. She slammed her hand down on the clock, and sat up in the bed. She picked up her cell phone, smiling when she saw she had a voice mail. "Dollface, I love you, too…and I miss you very much. Melissa wasn't too happy when I came home without her mama. But she's gonna be there with me tomorrow morning to pick you up. Dany said she's a natural when it comes to swimming, so we may have a second-generation athlete on our hands…well, I guess third-generation, since your dad was a wrestler. Don't worry about your appearances, you'll be fine. I'll try and call you later, around eight o' clock our time, 'cause I think it'll be ten o' clock in Norfolk, and you should be done with that last appearance by then. I can't wait to hear your voice, dollface…love you…bye," Mark had said. Sara smiled and flipped the phone shut, climbing out of the bed and going into the bathroom. She relieved herself before going back into the bedroom and pulling on her pants and blouse. She went out into the room, smiling at the sight of a sleeping David. "Hey, you," she said swatting his arm. David startled awake, immediately hopping to his feet. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep," he said straightening his jacket. "It's alright, man. Jeez…chill," Sara said with a smile, "Looks like we both needed some rest." "Where are we headed now, ma'am?" he asked. "David…please, call me Sara…or at least Angel. Quit with the 'ma'am' thing," she said slipping on her suit jacket. "Yes, Ms. Angel…where are we headed now?" he asked again. "I don't know, you pick a place. You know this city better than I do," she said grinning. "Um, there's a place in downtown called Deli Plus," he answered. "Okay, we'll go there," Sara said dropping her cell phone in her purse. She put the purse on her shoulder, and grabbed the title and briefcase. "Here we go with part two of my day," she said with a smile as they left the room.

David pulled into the parking lot of the small deli, and parked around the back. "Do you want to go in? I can go and get your food, if you want," he said. Sara took a deep breath, and looked around at the parking lot. There were maybe four cars in the lot, considering it was only 11:30 a.m. "No, I'll go in," she answered, "I'll be right back." David nodded as Sara climbed out of the vehicle, shutting the door gently. Sara made her way around to the front of the building, and smiled when she entered. There were a few families occupying the establishment, and all stared at her in shock. _At least it's not completely filled_, she thought going up to the counter. "What can I get you, ma'am?" an older gentleman asked her. "Can I just get a hot ham-and-cheese sub?" she asked. "Half, or full?" he asked. "Half," Sara answered, "No tomatoes, please, and a bottle of water." "Sure thing," he said before calling her order to the back. "How long will it be?" she asked. "About 10 minutes," he answered. Sara nodded and sat down at one of the empty tables, picking up what looked like the local newspaper. As she read over a story about a pit-bull attack in one of the neighboring cities, she felt someone walk up. She lowered the paper and smiled at the little girl holding the hand of a smaller boy in front of her. "Are you Angel?" she asked nervously. "Yeah, that's me," Sara answered, "What's your name, sweetheart?" "I'm Suzie, and this is my little brother, Joey," she answered, "We're big fans." "Well, thank you. What can I do for you?" Sara asked. "We were just wondering, um, if we could get a picture?" Suzie asked. "Sure thing," Sara answered. She watched as Suzie motioned towards two adults, who looked to be no older than 30. The woman came over, and thanked Sara for doing this for her children. Sara pulled Suzie onto her left knee, and Joey onto her right knee. The woman pulled out a cell phone, and Sara smiled broadly. "Here we go. Say cheese," she told the two children. "Cheese!" they both exclaimed. A small flash went off, and Sara heard the sound of a camera clicking. "Great picture. Thank you so much, I really appreciate this. We're grabbing lunch before we head to the mall for your autograph signing, and the kids didn't know if they would be able to get a picture," the woman said. "It's not a problem, ma'am. The line's gonna be long, but if I see you guys, I'll make sure to get you another picture," Sara said letting the two children down. "Thank you so much," the woman said, "I'm Michaela." "Nice to meet you, Michaela. Maybe I'll see you all at the autograph session," Sara said. Michaela nodded and ushered her two small children back over to their table.

The man who took Sara's order left for the back to get Sara's order, and came back a few minutes later. Sara paid for her food, and left the building, waving goodbye to Suzie and Joey as she did. She hurried back to the limo, and climbed in, her stomach calling for the hot sub in her hands. "Alright, David, we can get goin'," she said placing several napkins over her pants, and taking off her jacket, to avoid making a mess. David pulled off moments later, and Sara began to chow down on her food. David pulled the limousine into the parking center for MacArthur Mall nearly 20 minutes later. There were already security guards waiting to take Sara to the area she would be signing autographs. David quickly parked, and Sara climbed out of the back with her purse and the World title in hand. She was led down the parking garage, through the mall, to the Tidewater Sports and Collectibles store. There was already a huge line wrapping around what seemed to be the entire level. "Ms. Angel, if you want to do a little shopping before the session, I can have one of my guards walk with you," Detective Gwen Brown said to Sara. "I'm gonna look around in here for a bit," Sara answered. "We have the shop closed down until your autograph session, so you won't have to worry about anyone bothering you," Detective Brown said. "Thanks a lot," Sara said. Sara found a Houston Rockets mug for Mark, as well as a Trish Stratus clock and Undertaker t-shirt for Melissa. After paying for those items, she asked Detective Brown to walk around the mall with her for just a little while. "Of course, ma'am," the officer answered.

Sara spent the next 45 minutes doing a little shopping of her own. Lisa's wedding was the following weekend, so Sara made sure to pick up a few items for her and Andy. She also purchased a few new workout outfits, and a couple pair of running tennis shoes. When she finally headed back to the sports store, it was quarter to one. She set her packages under the table and placed her jacket on the back of the seat. The owner of the store brought over a few bottles of water, for which Sara thanked him. The doors opened at one o' clock and Sara smiled. She signed as many autographs as she could in the allotted two-hour time period; she saw Suzie and Joey come through the line and, as promised, took yet another picture with them. When three o' clock rolled around, the security guards began to turn people away. "No, I'll go for another hour," Sara said with a smile, "These people came here for a reason, and I don't want people to be turned away unhappy." "Are you sure, ma'am?" the store owner asked. "It's not a problem, trust me," Sara answered. She wanted to make the most of her time with the fans, and would do all she could over the next two and a half months to please them. Once the hour passed, though, Sara finally put down her pen. The store doors were closed, and Sara sat back in her seat. "Thank you so much for doing that. You didn't have to, and you did. I really appreciate that," the store owner said shaking her hand, "Not many people who come here for these things are so accommodating." "Well, without those people, I wouldn't have a job. It's no use in treating them badly when they go out of there way to come here to meet me," Sara said standing and stretching her arms. "Detective Brown will walk you back to your limousine. Again, thank you for coming today," he said. "Not a problem," Sara said putting on her jacket. David helped her carry her bags to the limousine, and they left the parking garage. "Can you take me back to the hotel, David?" Sara asked. "Sure, Ms. Angel," he answered. Taking only a few minutes to get back to the hotel, Sara barely had time to look over a speech she was supposed to give at Christopher Newport University. "How long is it gonna take us to get here, David?" she asked. "Where, ma'am?" he asked. "This college," she said as he pulled her bags from the trunk. "Probably about 45 minutes," he answered. "Okay…'cause whoever wrote this speech needs to be fired. I've gotta go upstairs and rewrite the whole thing," she said taking her bags from him, "Come pick me up at six o' clock." "Yes, ma'am," he said.

Sara headed inside, waving to Eddie at the front desk, and heading up to her small suite. Once inside, she dropped her bags by the couch, took off her jacket, and removed her shoes. She plopped down on the couch and sighed, rubbing her feet. "I hate heels," she said aloud. Her cell phone rang, and she quickly pulled it from her purse. "Hey, you," she said with a smile. "Hey, dollface. How are ya?" Mark said. "I'm okay. My feet are killin' me, but it's been a good day so far," she answered, "I just finished up with the autograph session, and now I've gotta rewrite this speech I'm supposed to give in three hours. The person who wrote obviously knows nothing about me, or what I do. It's ridiculous." Mark chuckled and said, "Don't worry, babe. You're a great writer. Just think of it as givin' a promo." "Yeah, that's how I'm approaching it, for the most part. But the topic is using a college degree to get where you eventually want to be. Mark, my college degree has nothing to do with being a wrestler," she said leaning back into the couch. "Now, that's a lie. You do PR every time you go in front of a crowd, dollface," he said with a grin, "Every time you make a special appearance, you're doin' PR for the company. Every time you sign an autograph for someone, you're doin' PR. Your degree has more of an impact on your lifestyle than anyone's. So use that when you go talk to those kids." "I never thought of it like that," she said quietly, "I'm kinda nervous. This is such a different setting than being in an arena, ya know." "Don't worry, dollface, you're gonna do what you do every day, be your outgoing, bubbly self," Mark said, "I got somebody here who wants to talk to ya." "Okay," Sara said with a smile.

"Hey, mama!" Melissa exclaimed moments later. "Hello, munchkin. I'm sorry I couldn't come home with daddy," Sara said. "It's okay, mama. He told me you had to work," Melissa responded. "I got you somethin', though. I think you'll like it," Sara said with a smile, "I got your dad somethin', too, but you can't tell him." "I won't, mama. What'd you get me?" Melissa asked. "Surprise, surprise, munchkin," Sara answered, "Did you treat Dany okay?" "Yes, ma'am. She took me swimming all day yesterday. She said I was like a fish 'cause I was so good," Melissa said. "Good. I'm proud o' you, sweetie. You'll have to show me what you learned when I come home tomorrow," Sara said. "Of course, mama. Daddy's gonna take me swimming again today," Melissa said. "Excellent. You should be a master by tomorrow, then," Sara said grinning. "No, mama. It takes a long time to learn how to swim," Melissa said laughing. "I miss you, Melissa. I can't wait to see you tomorrow," Sara said. "I miss you, too, mama," Melissa said. "If you're awake when daddy calls me later tonight, I'll talk to you then, okay?" Sara said. "Yep. I love you, mama," Melissa responded. "Love you, too, darlin'," Sara said. "Here's daddy," Melissa said before handing the phone back to her father. "She's real excited about goin' swimming," Mark said. "Yeah, I noticed. Maybe that'll be her outlet, get her mind off o' bein' a wrestler," Sara said smiling. "Maybe," Mark said, "I'll let you get goin' so you can start on that little speech." "Alright, babe. I love you," Sara said. "Love you, too, dollface. Talk to you later…bye," he said softly. "Bye," Sara said before shutting her phone and setting it on the table. She ordered lunch through room service and pulled out a notepad and pen from the briefcase. It took her the entire three hours to write something that sounded both easy-going and professional. She finished up the last sentence, then went into the bathroom and washed her face, redid her make-up, and pulled her hair from its ponytail. She brushed it straight down, letting it hang over her shoulder, and went back into the main room. She packed up the briefcase, and her purse, before grabbing everything and leaving the room.

David was outside waiting for Sara, opening the back door as she walked out of the front door. "Right on time," she said with a smile, climbing into the backseat. David shut the door and quickly went around to the driver's side. Sara looked over her new speech for the entire ride, wanting to have it memorized for the most part so she could maintain as much eye contact with her audience as possible. She'd made sure to put in the same things she'd said during her television appearance, but in a more casual way. Once David pulled into the parking lot of the university's Student Center, Sara rolled up the sheets in her hand and took a deep breath. There were still a horde of people waiting to get into the building. David pulled around to the back of the building, and found a parking spot surprisingly close to the rear exit. There were security guards, as well as a few university officials, waiting for Sara. She climbed out with the World title across her shoulder. "Ms. Angel, I'm Dr. Douglas Covington, President of Christopher Newport University. It's an honor to have you here today," an African-American man with a perfect smile said, "We certainly do appreciate you traveling such a great distance to speak with us today." "Thank you for the welcome, Dr. Covington. It's actually a surprise to see you here, since you were the President of my college when I went to school," Sara said shaking his hand. "Radford University?" he asked. "Yes, sir. I graduated in the class of 2002," she answered. "I think I remember you. Sara Roberts, right? You were in the top one percent of your entire class, right?" he said with a smile. "Yes, sir. It's Sara Callaway now, though," she answered. "Well, this _is_ certainly a surprise. I haven't met many people from RU once I came here," he said. "When did you come here?" she asked as they entered the building. "Just a few years ago. I retired from RU in 2005, but missed the education environment too much," he answered with a smile. "I completely understand. I'm thinking of going back to school one day, for my Master's in Integrated Marketing Communication," she said. "Wow, that's impressive. I'm certain you'll be successful, as you seem to have been in your current profession," he said still smiling.

"How many people are you expecting to show up tonight?" Sara asked as he showed her the main auditorium. "This building holds 2,000 people, and I expect we shall fill it completely. The doors were opened just this fall, so a lot of people are interested in the special guests we bring. And there are a lot of wrestling fans on this campus as well," Dr. Covington answered. "Our fan base has grown so much in the past five or six years. We're getting more and more college-aged fans, so I'm not surprised," Sara said looking into the open area. It resembled the auditorium on her own college campus, with dark green carpeting and the university logo on each wall, as well as a balcony area. "Who's hosting this little appearance?" she asked. "Our Campus Activities Board. It's one of their bigger projects, so they're all really excited you could come," he answered, bringing her over to a small group of young women in yellow t-shirts, "Kitzi Woodard, this is Angel, your guest for the night. Angel, this is Kitzi, the president of CAB." The stocky young woman looked up at Sara with a wide smile. "Thank you so much for coming tonight," she said shaking Sara's hand. "It's a pleasure. I haven't been to many college campuses in my time as a wrestler, so this is exciting for me," Sara said. "I'd like you to meet the Executive Board for this school year. Erinn Hailey is our Vice President. Shannon Scott is our Concert Chair; she's the one who actually negotiated bringing you here," Kitzi spoke, pointing to each person. "Wow, I see you everywhere," Sara said to Shannon. "I'm a big fan," Shannon said with a smile.

"This is Anna Marie Ball, our Flicks Chair, in charge of bringing movies to campus for the students to see on the weekends. Dana Grose is our Spectrum Chair, and she works with national programming companies to bring different types of activities to campus. Joanna Bonilla is our Publicity Chair," Kitzi continued. "Are you a PR major, Joanna?" Sara asked. "No, ma'am, I'm a Sociology major. I just wanted to do it to improve my communications skills," Joanna answered nervously. "Don't be nervous. I'm harmless," Sara said with a smile. "Not from what Shannon told us," Joanna said. Shannon immediately looked at the floor, and Sara could see she was almost blushing. "Robin Singleton is our Secretary. Matt Kenyon is our Webmaster and Historian. And his buddy there, Damien Allen, is in charge of Hospitality and Late-Night Programming," Kitzi finally finished. "Well, it's certainly nice to meet you all," Sara said. "I was wondering if I could get a picture of us all, for the website," Matt said smiling slightly. "Of course, Matt," Sara answered. The group huddled around Sara, and Dr. Covington took the picture for them. Matt also asked for a picture of Dr. Covington and Sara together. Once they were done, Shannon ushered everyone off the stage, informing them that doors opened in ten minutes.

"We have a waiting room for you, with food and drinks," Shannon said taking her backstage. "Thanks a lot, Shannon. So, how long have you been a fan?" Sara said. "I celebrated my 11th year anniversary at Summerslam. That was such a great match you had with Shawn Michaels. It looked more real than any match I think I've seen you in," Shannon said. "Well, in a way, it was. I'm sure you, along with every other wrestling fan in the world, knows my history with Michaels. We went out there and really took it to the limit. I couldn't have gotten the title any other way, because I felt like I wouldn't have earned it," Sara answered. "I understand. Are you nervous about Sunday?" Shannon said coming up to the dressing room. "A little. I've never been in a ladder match before, so there are a lot of factors to it that I don't know about. But it'll be a history-maker, I can guarantee that," Sara said with a smile. "I can't wait. I'm having a pay-per-view party, and everyone who's coming is betting that Shawn is gonna win. I think I'm the only one who believes in you," Shannon said opening the door. "Ya know, Shannon…as long as I've got a fan like you, I don't need anybody else," Sara said with a smile. Shannon smiled and looked at the floor. "And don't ever let anybody make you feel ashamed for being a wrestling fan. If it's what makes you feel happy, then that's all that matters," Sara said touching the young woman's arm. "Wow…I can't believe this is happening," Shannon said quietly, "I've told all my friends, one day I'm gonna meet my favorite wrestler. And I've gotten to do that several times…but I never thought I'd be able to have a full-fledged conversation with you." "Unlike some big celebrities, I'm pretty modest, Shannon. It's actually a relief when I get to talk to fans one-on-one, so I can show them there's nothin' to be nervous about," Sara said grinning. "Can I hold it?" Shannon asked pointing to the World title. "Sure," Sara said placing the belt in Shannon's hands. "Oh, man, wait 'til I tell David about this. He's not gonna believe it," she said. "My limo driver's name is David. Same person?" Sara asked. "Yeah. He called me this morning to tell me. I was jealous, of course, but I knew you were comin' here tonight, so I wasn't that jealous," Shannon said running her hands over the gold plate, "This is a lot lighter than I thought it would be. J.R. always said it was, like, 30 lbs. of gold." "Yeah, they tend to over-hype stuff, sometimes. It's only about half that," Sara said smiling. "Well, I have to get back out front…before they think I got lost back here," Shannon said handing the belt back to Sara, "It was really nice talking to you. Do you think I could get a picture after this whole thing?" "Of course, honey," Sara said before going into the room.

Sara set the belt on the couch and grabbed a piece of celery from the small vegetable tray, and poured herself a cup of cold water. As she looked over the speech, she smiled slightly. _This is gonna be so much fun. College students, in their own way, still have moldable minds. I just hope this reaches them, and they don't see it as just coming from another big celebrity_, she thought carefully moving to her knees and speaking softly, "Thank you, Lord, for giving me the opportunity to speak to these kids today. Thank you for the opportunity I have to be a role model to so many young people, and hopefully influence their lives in a positive way. Help me to speak to them in a language they will understand, so that they will take my words to heart. Give me the confidence I display on television every week, and speak to them not just as a WWE Superstar, but as a person who has been in their shoes. I say these things in Your Son, Jesus Christ's name, Amen." She stood and brushed her pants off, then sat down on the couch. Her eyes scanned the page once more, and she ran her fingers through her hair. She could here people entering the auditorium, and nervousness began to course through her. _Just think of what Mark said, Sara. You're not doin' anything different than you do on TV. This speech is nothing more than one long promo. Sure, you have to speak for a lot longer, and be a little less dramatic about it, but it's just PR in a different form. Be confident in yourself, like you usually are. Just imagine it's an arena full of fans…because that's all it is…without the cameras, of course_, she thought with a grin. At 20 minutes past seven, there was a soft knock on the door. "Come in," Sara said. Shannon poked her head in the door with a slight grin. "We're filled to the max now. Dr. Covington and Kristen, our advisor, wouldn't let us put people on the floor. We don't want to get in trouble with the fire marshal. Are you ready?" she said. "I'm always ready, Shannon, you should know that," Sara said with a smile, "Are you gonna be introducing me?" "Yeah. That's one of my responsibilities as Concert Chair," Shannon said excitedly. "Excellent. I wouldn't have it any other way," Sara said standing with the World title. She followed Shannon to the main stage, standing behind the curtains.

Shannon walked out to the podium in the middle of the stage, and the audience began to quiet down. "My fellow Christopher Newport students, I want to welcome you to our event tonight. It's being sponsored by your Campus Activities Board, along with the Black Awareness Programming Board. I'm Shannon Scott, the Concert Chair for CAB. Before I introduce our guest tonight, I must tell you that there is no video recording permitted. However, flash photography is allowed. Okay…born in Daytona, Florida, WWF Superstar Angel has been a prominent part of WWF programming for the past 12 years. She graduated from Radford University in southwest Virginia with her Bachelor of Art's degree in Public Relations. Entering the wrestling industry almost immediately after graduation, Angel has broken barriers ever since stepping into the WWF ring. She has held every major title in the company, with the exception of the Tag Team and Women's titles. In a historic night, she won the World Heavyweight title this past August at the pay-per-view Summerslam, becoming the first-ever female World Heavyweight champion. Please, put your hands together in a great CNU welcome to…Angel!" she said excitedly. The entire crowd stood and applauded as Sara walked out onto the stage, waving with a huge smile on her face. She shook Shannon's hand, and set the World title on the podium, taking the microphone from its holding place and stepping in front of the podium.

"Well, thank you all very much for that welcome. Newport News is an enthusiastic city," Sara said with a smile. The audience cheered loudly as they took their seats. "It really is an honor to be here. It's not every day I get to come speak to college students. First off, I want to ask how many of you are wrestling fans," Sara continued. A large majority of the crowd cheered loudly, and Sara smiled. "Well, I'm definitely glad you could all come out to this event. I hope you're all gonna order the pay-per-view Sunday, so you can see me retain that World Heavyweight championship against Shawn Michaels," she said happily. "Wooooooo!" people screamed in unison. "Alright, that's my little plug for wrestling," Sara said with a chuckle, "Now we get down to the business. As Shannon told you, I graduated from Radford University with a degree in Public Relations. Jeez, that was _so_ long ago." Everyone laughed and clapped loudly. "When I graduated, I knew I'd end up doing something where I got to speak to large groups of people for a living. I never knew I'd end up in the wrestling business. What you may not know is that, growing up, wrestling was not somethin' I was interested in…in any way, shape, or form. I'd personally witnessed it tear apart my family, and I didn't want to go through that. Wrestling was pure and utter evil to me. But…things work out in ways that you least expect sometimes. You see, my degree has influenced me in my profession more than I would admit. Going in front of a crowd week in and week out, I'm able to communicate to them whatever message I desire, because that's what a great communicator does. I'm not saying I was great from the start; no one ever is. I've been lucky enough over the years to work with some great people who've helped me develop my speaking abilities, and in an essence, my writing abilities. I actually had to rewrite my whole speech earlier, because it wasn't the message I wanted to get across to you all. I didn't want to come here and do the whole "I'm a wrestler, and you should listen to me because I'm a celebrity, or because I'm rich, or because I want to boost myself up" shtick. I've been where you are…I was a college student at one point…a long time ago…a long, _long_ time ago," she said, bringing a collective chuckle from the group. "College is a time when, as I'm sure you've all heard, you find yourself. You learn about your personality as it develops, about your own strengths and weaknesses, what you are and aren't willing to do to be successful. You build a foundation that will set the tone for how you act in the real world, and you learn responsibility for yourself and your actions. What I want to speak about with you today…actually, there are several things I'm going to cover. I'm gonna tell you a little bit about my own experiences at my college, and hopefully be able to relate to you all. I'm gonna give you some advice that helped me through college, and even during my time as a WWF Superstar. Lastly, we're gonna have a Q&A session, because I know that you're all going to have questions once I'm done. You guys ready?" she said. Everyone cheered and clapped, and Sara went back behind the podium, setting the microphone in place.

"First off, I went to Radford University knowing exactly what I wanted to major and minor in. I was going to be a double-major in Communication, with a concentration in Public Relations, and Media Studies, with a dual-concentration in Advertising and Production Technology, along with two minors in Sociology and English. Well, over the course of the next four years, that changed. Lesson number one: don't let anybody tell you how long to stay in college. However long it takes you to figure out what you want to do with your life, use it. After all, it's your life. Shannon told you I majored in Communication. What many people don't know is that I also have a Bachelor of Science in Sociology, and two minors in English and Media Studies. Academically, I made the most of my time at RU. I did as well as I could in my classes, and it paid off, because I graduated in the top one percent of my classes. Didn't expect that, did you?" Sara said with a smile, "Despite how the media portrays us, wrestlers are not, by any means, stupid. We may act a little immature at times, but it's all in good fun. All of my coworkers actually have college degrees, or are extremely close to achieving them. You see, having a college degree guarantees you have something to fall back on. If I wasn't successful in wrestling, I was going to open my own PR firm. Either way, I was going to be successful in something. However, my college life wasn't all academics. Lesson number two: be involved outside of the classroom. College isn't meant to be just books and tests. From what I hear, CNU has tons of clubs, organizations, Greek Life, and other things for you all to get involved with…somethin' for everybody. I played Rugby at RU, and helped my team to win state two years in a row. I was involved with my hall council every year, and even became a Resident Assistant. I am a lifetime brother of the national co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega--." Several cheers erupted and Sara smiled. "Oh, I see have some brothers in the crowd," she said, "Thanks for comin' out!" The cheers continued, and Sara chuckled. "Okay, what else? I wrote for the school paper, I worked in one of the university offices as Webmaster for all five years, I worked in our auditorium doing Production. I was a busy bee, to say the least. I always told my friends I'd sleep once I graduated…ha, I don't sleep much to this day. What I'm trying to get across is that, even if it's only one or two clubs or organizations, get involved. You will be surprised at just how much those different organizations will enrich your lives," she continued, "God knows college would've been boring as hell if it weren't for me being so involved. It was stressful at times, don't get me wrong. I can't tell you how many times I wondered if it was worth it, if all the stuff I was doing was actually going to pay off, if I should just given up and went back home to Daytona and found some random job. But there was something inside me that wouldn't allow me to give up. I think it was my mother's voice saying that if I quit school, she was gonna kill me and bury me in the backyard."

Everyone laughed and Sara took a deep breath. "That's another thing. Your parents…now more than ever in your life, you will realize just how much your parents care for you, how much they will sacrifice to ensure that you make something of yourselves. My mother…if it wasn't for her, I would _not_ have made it through college. Not only financially, but mentally…she helped me through all the bullcrap I went through…she supported me when I couldn't support myself…she gave me her strength when I didn't have anymore left. Don't go through college without keeping your parent, or parents, informed. Yes, you are all adults now, but you are not grown up. You all have a lot more growing to do, and a lot of maturing to do, before even you will consider yourself grown. I learned that the hard way, and it really pains me to see young people your age go through this time of your lives too independent. Once you graduate, it's fine to be too independent, because you have to support yourselves. For now…let your parents help you…because they will be there now when nobody else is," she said carefully, "My mom…died two months ago…from breast cancer. You never know when your parents will be taken away from you, or how…so cherish every day you have them. Do all you can to make them proud of you, and don't be afraid to admit anything you've done wrong to them. Disappointment is the hardest thing to put your parents through…but they will forgive you, when no one else will." There was a light applause and Sara smiled, letting out a deep breath.

"One of my fondest memories during my time in college was actually not graduation; I knew that day would come eventually, so I wasn't too concerned with it. It was just another day in my life. My fondest memories happened during the school years, when I got to hang out with my friends, especially out of class. Lesson number three: Attend at least one sweaty, sticky, smelly college basement party to remind you of where you _don't_ want to end up for the rest of your life. Parties happen…I'm not denying that they do. And I'm not denying I didn't go to them. Every college student parties; it's one of the fun parts about being here. However, don't let parties affect what you do in the classroom. You're here to get a quality education, and you can't do your best if you're hung-over everyday. But back to those memories…I think I have one stand-out moment for every year I was in college. Freshman year, I wrote an article about an off-campus fraternity, giving them a little good publicity. It was my first experience in doing PR, and I felt good about what I wrote. I'd researched it for two weeks, talking to different people within the organization and across the campus, and went through several drafts before I actually sent it in. What I wasn't expecting was the backlash…from students and administration. I was seen as naïve, for standing up for an organization that, up to that point, had been public enemy number one. I learned from that experience that not everyone is going to like who you like, not everyone is going to feel the same way you do about a hot issue…what's important is you stand up for what you believe in. Don't allow anybody to control who you befriend, or how you live your life. Promise yourself to live life as a revolution, not just as a process of evolution. Life as a college student will be as exciting as you choose to make it," she continued, "Sophomore year, I became a Resident Assistant. But I wasn't your typical R.A. In my mind, I was nobody's parent. I was nobody's babysitter. Everyone knew the rules, and everyone knew that I had authority to enforce those rules. However, I wasn't going to go searching to get somebody in trouble. Frankly, I had enough going on in my own life, and I wasn't really going to worry myself with busting people for…in my own mind…stupid violations. Yeah, I wasn't a good R.A. I made a lot of mistakes, but I learned from them all. In fact, the only real failure in life is one not learned from. Luckily, the guy in charge of the area in which I was an R.A. didn't allow me to do half-assed work. He called me out when I made a mistake, and he helped me to learn from those mistakes. As an R.A., I had fun with my residents, and I had fun with my staff. Yet another lesson for you all, I guess: the greatest gift you can give someone is your attention, while the greatest gift you can give yourself is a little bit of your _own_ attention. It's amazing the connection you can build with someone just from listening to them." She took a sip from her water bottle before continuing.

"My junior year, I started for our Rugby team, and I pledge for Alpha Phi Omega. That whole school year was one big memory. I learned the true meaning of service to others, and I was able to be the tomboy I'd always been by playing Rugby. I got to make road trips that year with so many different types of people, to so many different places. Never miss out on a road trip with your friends, whether it's to Wal-Mart at two in the morning, or to the other side of the state or country for a school break. Take a camera with you, too, because those are times for the best pictures. Every school year, I made sure to make a scrapbook so that once I graduated, I could go back and look at the things I'd done, the organizations I'd been involved in, even the grades I'd gotten in different classes. I still have my midterm report card from my first semester of freshman year. It's all grey and dirty, but I've got it," she said with a smile, "Nourish your mind with good books, and nourish your soul with good friends. College is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and that's not just a saying. When you leave here, you can't come back. Well, you can, but it won't be the same. Every single day you have here is a day for you to learn something new, whether it's in the classroom, or outside of it. You can't leave and say "I should've-could've-would've"…because it's too late, then. You have one shot to go through college…but if you go through it right, once is all you need. My first senior year--." Sara smiled as she got claps from several people throughout the crowd. "My first senior year, our Rugby team won the Virginia state championship. I also became editor for the opinions' section of our school newspaper. And I was elected PR chair for my fraternity. That was the year I learned the most responsibility and accountability. I learned that you should never tear anything down unless you have something better to put in its place. As PR chair for APO, I completely revamped our whole Rush process. I was able to help increase the fraternity size from 15 at the beginning of the fall semester for 55 at the end of the spring semester. Don't be afraid to fail, don't be afraid to make mistakes…because those are the times when you learn what _not_ to do the next time around. I helped my fraternity to embrace change, not fear it, because change leads to growth. By writing for the school paper as an editor, I was able to touch on so many different topics. I wrote about things that I knew would piss people off. That wasn't my purpose, of course. My purpose was to get people talking, to get them thinking about the side of an issue I was presenting, whether they believed in it or not. Playing on the Rugby team was the biggest challenge, because at that point, I was selected to be captain. It's hard to lead people who have done things a certain way for so long. But again, you can't be afraid of change. You can't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, because that's the time you grow the most. You will go through ups and downs in college, and it's during the down times that you find out who you truly are, what you are willing to do for both yourself and others, and what you will or won't sacrifice for your own personal happiness. Finally, my second senior year--."

Sara chuckled as she got more cheers from the audience. "My second senior year, I was able to lead my Rugby team to a second state championship. It was probably even sweeter than the first time, because we busted our asses to retain our title. We went through Virginia Tech to do it, and it was no easy feat, believe you me. My team believed we could do it, but nobody else did. Even our fellow students at RU doubted that we could get through a team as tough as Virginia Tech. However, whenever someone says, "You can't do it," say, "Maybe _you_ can't, but I can!" You have to have confidence in your abilities, in the abilities you've been developing your entire life. Don't let _anybody_ ever make you believe you can't achieve all you that you want. Your life is just that…_yours_…you have to live your life, nobody else will do it for you. In fact, turn your dreams into goals by placing a deadline on them. Anybody can say "I want to do this with my life". But if you really want to live your dream, say instead "I will do this with my life…and I will do it by accomplishing this by such-and-such date". Be particular about where you want to be in the next five years, the next ten years, even the next 15 years. If you aren't specific, you leave yourself open to failure…because you don't have anything stopping you from procrastinating for the rest of your life. College is…such a small part of your life, in terms of years. It's only four, or five…or even six years…you have the next 60 years of your lives to make something of yourselves. What I'm trying to get across to you all, though, is that while you _are_ here, there's no point in going through it without taking yourself to the limits, and beyond. Only by going too far will you learn what is too much, and that's the best part. You see, life is full of chances to learn from your failures, but never will you experience a time where you can actually use those failures to the utmost, and become the best person possible. It's time to go ahead and wrap this thing up now, so I'm going to leave you with a little poem I found earlier today. It was written by an Irishman, and it stood out to me because my husband is half-Irish, and because the words really are a blueprint for how to live your life, college and beyond. "Take time to work; it is the price of success. Take time to think; it is the source of power. Take time to play; it is the secret of perpetual youth. Take time to read; it is the foundation of wisdom. Take time to be friendly; it is the road of happiness. Take time to love and be loved; it is the privilege of the gods. Take time to share; life is too short to be selfish. Take time to laugh; laughter is the music of the soul." Wow, I could apply that to my life now. I hope that you all will take my words to heart, because I mean them all. I am so blessed to be in a position where I _can_ speak to people your age. When I was in college, we had guest speakers, and they all taught me something different. So…take advantage of these guest lectures, no matter who it is speaking. Everyday is a day to learn something new, whether you think you need to know it or not."

The audience stood and gave Sara a loud ovation. She smiled and sipped on her water bottle. "Thank you all, really…that means the world to me," she said. The Q&A session lasted for nearly a half an hour, because Sara wanted to answer as many questions as possible. A few members of the CAB executive board were placed throughout the auditorium with cordless microphones so that Sara would be able to hear their questions. Afterwards, Sara signed autographs and took pictures for what seemed like forever. As she did earlier at the mall, she wasn't letting anyone leave unhappy. At ten o' clock, everyone was finally ushered out of the building. Sara let out a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair. "That was a great speech, Angel," Shannon said smiling. "Thanks, Shannon. It took me three hours to get it just right, and I was still working on it on the trip here," Sara said grinning. "I think you got through to a lot of people, though," Shannon said. "I hope so. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I didn't want to have people here for the whole night," Sara said, "I owe you a picture, right?" "If you're not too tired," Shannon answered. "Anything for a loyal fan, sweetheart," Sara said smiling. Shannon motioned for Erinn to come take the picture, and Sara placed her arm around Shannon's shoulder. After the picture, Shannon walked Sara out to her limousine. "Whoa, what's up, cousin?" David said hugging Shannon. "Hey, you. Just doin' my college thing, meetin' famous people," Shannon answered. Sara smiled and shrugged. "She didn't bug you too much, did she?" he asked rubbing Shannon's hair. "She was an excellent host," Sara answered. "See, David, I can act normal around her," Shannon said pulling away from David. "Yeah, yeah," he answered, "Have a good night, cousin." "Sure will," she said before going back into the building. "David, I want to thank you for helping me out so much today," Sara said as he opened the back door. "It's no problem, Ms. Angel. It was my pleasure," he said with a friendly smile. Sara smiled and climbed into the backseat, reaching into her purse and pulling out her cell phone. She dialed her house phone, smiling when Mark answered it.

"How was it?" Mark asked. "Mark…it was great. I had a lotta fun, not only with the speech, but with the Q&A session and signing autographs afterwards. There were 2,000 people who showed up, and I think I signed autographs or took pictures for all of 'em," she said tiredly, "Now I'm exhausted." "I can imagine, doin' all that PR," he said with a grin. "Actually, I didn't even talk about wrestling except for one little blurb in the beginning. I mentioned the pay-per-view, but that was it. I just talked about my time in college, and the things I learned, and I gave everybody there a lot of advice on how to get through college, how to make the most of it. That's why it was fun, because I didn't have to focus on wrestling to hold their attention. I was able to relate to them as a college student…it was great," she said smiling slightly. "Are you goin' to bed when you get back to the hotel?" he asked. "Of course. I've been up since five a.m., and now I just wanna sleep. Besides, my flight is at five a.m., so I have to be up at three, 3:30 at the latest. I want to get as much sleep as I can," she answered. "When does your flight land?" he asked. "3:30, your time," she answered grinning, "I really hate time zones sometimes." "Yeah, they can really screw things up. Well, you know I'll be there, dollface, with Melissa. I can't wait to see you again," he said quietly. "I can't wait to see you, either, Mark. As much fun as today was, I would much rather have been home with you," she said tiredly. "I know, dollface. You'll be home in no time at all, though," he said. "Where's Melissa?" she asked quietly. "Halfway asleep. I put in a movie for her, but she spent so much time in the pool after I got off the phone with you earlier that she's exhausted. She's really trying her hardest to be a good swimmer. I think she's gonna be a real good athlete when she gets older," he answered. "Of course. Look who her parents are," Sara said with a grin. Mark chuckled softly and nodded. "Alright, babe. I'll see you in a little while, okay?" he said softly. "Okay…I love you so much," she whispered. "Always and forever, right?" he asked. "You know it," she whispered, "Bye, Mark." Mark said the same, and Sara ended the call.

David pulled into her hotel parking lot at 11 p.m. Sara yawned loudly and climbed out of the back seat with the title, briefcase, and purse in hand. She gave David a $50 tip for being so courteous to her throughout the day, before heading inside. She stopped at the front desk and requested a 3:30 a.m. wake-up call before finally heading up to her small suite. She packed up her suitcase, taking a shower and dressing in a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, before climbing into bed. "Thank you, Lord, for today. It was such a great chance for me to go out in public, to be seen by so many people, and not only promote the great company I work for, but to give people a further look into why I am the way I am, where I came from. Thank you for the confidence you gave me to speak to the students of Christopher Newport University. I ask thee to help them truly contemplate my words, to use the advice I gave them, to take advantage of the chance they have to even be in college. I pray for Shannon's protection, because I saw so much of myself in her. She's so strong-minded, and independent, and full of life. I hope that she achieves all that she wants, because she's certainly got the abilities to do so. Please help me continue to strive to be the best I can, Lord, even with a guaranteed title reign. I say these things in Jesus Christ's name, Amen," she prayed before laying back and pulling the covers over her, falling into a deep, very comfortable sleep.


	104. A Much Needed Break

**Well, just about two weeks later, you guys finally get an update. It's been an interesting two weeks. I got through the first week o' summer school okay, and I'm lovin' my class. I moved into my new apartment (livin' on my own now, no roommate worries anymore). And I've typed up a couple more chapters. I really wish I could give you a date for when this story's gonna be finished, but to be honest, I have no clue. There are days when I get great ideas, and type 'em up on the spot, and there are days when my mind is a blank, and I just stare at my computer. Anywho...it's a bit of an adventure, to say the least. So, enjoy! I'll update again when I can/when I have somethin' to update. :)  
Shannon****

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Chapter 103…A Much-Needed Break

Sara stepped out of her terminal at 3:45 a.m. She spotted Mark almost immediately; he was sitting with his head leaning forward in one of the seats close to the exit, and held a small bundle tightly in his arms. Sara grinned and went over to him, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. Mark's eyes fluttered open, and he smiled, putting one arm around her in a tight hug. "I missed you so much," he whispered in her ear. "I missed you, too," she whispered rubbing the back of Melissa's head, which was tucked away in Mark's jacket, "I missed both of you." "Well, you're home now," he said quietly. "Yeah," she whispered kissing his cheek once more, "Come on, let's get outta here." Mark slowly stood, shifting Melissa more comfortably in his arms. "Where's mama?" Melissa asked softly. "Right here, munchkin," Sara said grinning slightly. Melissa reached for her, and Sara gently took her. Melissa's arms latched around Sara's neck, bringing a full smile to Sara's face. "Sleepy," Melissa mumbled. "I know, darlin'. We're goin' home," Sara said softly. Mark grabbed her bags from the luggage turnstile, and they headed outside to his truck. Sara climbed into the front seat, smiling as Melissa's grip on her neck tightened. "Mama can't breathe, sweetheart," Sara whispered. "I missed you, mama," Melissa murmured. "I know," Sara whispered as Mark climbed into the truck. Sara kissed the top of Melissa's head as Mark pulled out of the airport parking lot. "How are Marley and Lucky?" she asked softly. "Marley's energetic as usual. He didn't hesitate to jump in the pool with me and Melissa yesterday," he answered quietly, "Lucky was a little less active than usual. I think Marley tires him out." Sara smiled and nodded slightly, resting her chin on top of Melissa's head.

Mark only took 20 minutes to get back home; there was little traffic on the interstate, and even less state police on patrol. "People used to call me a crazy driver, but you got me beat hands down," Sara said softly, a smile on her face, as Mark pulled into their driveway. "Excuse me for wanting to get my wife home as soon as possible," he whispered smiling at her. Sara felt her cheeks redden, and she turned her attention to the passing thicket of trees outside her window. Mark quickly parked, and Sara climbed out as he grabbed her belongings from the back of the truck. Inside, Sara went upstairs to put Melissa to bed. "Mama, no," Melissa said quietly, her grip on Sara's neck tightening. "Okay, baby, you can sleep with me and daddy tonight," Sara said taking Melissa down to her own room. She kicked Marley and Lucky out of her bed and placed Melissa in the middle. Mark came into the room a few moments later, and he smiled at the sight of his wife and child. "What?" Sara asked softly. "You're beautiful," he whispered. Sara smiled and looked down at Melissa. "God, I missed her so much yesterday," she said softly. "Come on, let's get some sleep," Mark whispered climbing into the bed behind his daughter. Sara climbed in on the other side, and both people placed their hands on Melissa's back. "I love you, dollface," Mark said softly. "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered. Sleep quickly came to both people.

Mark awoke the next morning with Melissa sprawled over his upper body. Her small fingers were wrapped tightly in his hair. "My little munchkin," he whispered trying to move her back onto the bed. "No," Melissa whispered, tightening her grip on Mark's hair. Mark grimaced, but held down a groan. "Come on, munchkin, let go o' daddy's hair," he whispered trying to pull her fingers away. Melissa murmured softly for pancakes, and Mark said, "I can't cook you pancakes if you're pullin' out daddy's hair." Melissa finally released Mark's hair and he picked her up, carrying her downstairs to the living room. "Sit in here while I cook, okay?" he said setting Melissa on the couch. "Okay, daddy," Melissa said laying down, her eyes drifting back shut. Mark grinned slightly and entered the kitchen. As he pulled out ingredients for a fairly large breakfast, he spotted Sara curled up by the pool. He took a deep breath and quietly left the house. Sara heard the back door open and looked over her shoulder. "Hey, you," she whispered. "You okay, sweetheart?" Mark asked kneeling down beside the chair she was occupying. "Yeah…I just woke up really early…came out here to watch the sun rise," she said quietly, "Started thinkin' about Sunday…I'm scared, Mark…" Mark took a deep breath and sat down at Sara's side. "You're gonna be just fine, Sara…you know Shawn is gonna take care o' you," he said taking her left hand in his own, "The more you worry about this match, the less your mind is gonna be on it when the time comes. You're gonna psyche yourself out, dollface…" Sara looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "Oh, dollface," he whispered pulling her up, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "I had a nightmare last night, Mark," she whispered, her body shaking, "I fell wrong…and I was paralyzed…and mom said it was just punishment for…for what I did to you." Mark forced her to look at him, and saw the fear in her eyes. "Baby…," he whispered. "Please tell me somethin', Mark…anything…please," she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Baby…you're psyching yourself out, that's all. We got through the biggest fight of our lives, dollface…we made it, we've forgiven each other. I know…you dream about your mom sometimes, and think that she's trying to communicate to you. But not for one minute do I think she would ever wish hurt upon you, no matter what you've done," he said quietly. "Mama?" Melissa called from the back door.

Sara immediately looked away from Mark, trying to wipe the tears away. "Come here, munchkin," Mark said as Melissa walked over to him. He pulled her onto his lap, and Melissa touched Sara's shoulder. "Are you okay, mama?" she asked quietly. "Yeah, darlin', I'm okay," Sara answered looking down at her daughter. "Why were you crying?" Melissa asked. "Bad dream, sweetheart. Mama gets those sometimes, too," Sara answered quietly. "Daddy's gonna make me pancakes. You can have some of mine, if it'll help you feel better," Melissa said. Sara smiled and chuckled softly. "I'd like that, babycakes," she said gently taking Melissa into her arms. "I guess I have an order to fill, then, huh?" Mark said quietly. Sara smiled gently and shrugged. "I'll cook if you want me to," she said softly. "You stay out here and relax, dollface," he whispered kissing her forehead, "I'll be back out when I'm done." Sara watched him go back inside the house and leaned back in the lawn chair. "What was your nightmare of, mama?" Melissa asked leaning against her. "Nothin' for you to worry yourself about, munchkin," Sara said rubbing Melissa's back gently, "Are you gonna show me what Dany taught you later today?" "Uh-huh! I can float now!" Melissa said excitedly, looking up at Sara with a huge smile. "No help?" Sara asked. "None! And Daddy is helpin' me to start the doggie paddle. I'm gonna be able to swim like Marley soon!" Melissa answered. Sara smiled and pushed Melissa's hair behind her ears. "Come on, let's go take a bath," she said slowly standing, putting Melissa on her hip.

Mark heard Sara enter the house and shut the back door. "We'll be down in a little while, Mark," Sara said heading upstairs. Mark smiled as he heard Melissa groan to be put down, then heard her little feet running upstairs, Sara close behind her. Mark knew he was a complete sap when it came to being around his wife and child, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Melissa was the light in his eye, his reason for being, while Sara was his soulmate, the person he would be with for the rest of his life. As he finished cooking up breakfast for his family, Marley and Lucky came trotting up. "I suppose you two are hungry, too," Mark said looking down at the two animals. He filled up their bowls with dog food, before setting the dining room table. He brought in the food as Sara chased Melissa into the room. "Whoa, whoa!" Mark said with a grin. "She's a fast little bugger, Mark," Sara said helping Melissa into her seat. "Yeah, I know," Mark said winking at Sara, "Be right back." Sara sat down and looked at the food Mark had prepared: a large stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and even buttermilk biscuits. "Looks good, doesn't it, munchkin?" Sara whispered. She stole a piece of bacon from the plate and broke it in half, giving Melissa a piece and shoving the other piece in her mouth, a mischievous grin on her face. Mark walked in to find Melissa munching away. "You start without me?" he asked smiling. "Mama--." Sara placed her hand over Melissa's mouth, looking up at Mark with an innocent smile. "Of course not, dear," she answered. "Uh-huh," Mark said setting three cups and a pitcher of orange juice on the table.

After saying grace, all three people dug into the food Mark had prepared. Breakfast lasted for nearly an hour, with Mark and Sara discussing their plans for the next few days. Afterwards, Sara and Melissa cleaned off the table, taking the dirty dishes into the kitchen. Sara smiled as Melissa helped her to wash the dishes and place them in the dishwasher. "Mama? Why did we wash the dishes if we're using the dishwasher?" Melissa asked as they finished. "Munchkin, the dishwasher doesn't clean everything," Sara answered following Melissa into the living room. "Are we going swimming today, mama?" Melissa asked climbing onto the couch. "Yeah, I'll take you swimming, sweetheart," Sara said sitting down beside her, "But we have to let our food digest. We can't get in the pool for at least another hour." "So what are we gonna do 'til then?" Melissa asked. Sara turned on the television and flipped through the stations. "How 'bout we watch a little TV?" she asked. Melissa curled up against her side, and Sara smiled slightly, putting her arm around Melissa's shoulders. Mark came from upstairs a half an hour later, freshly showered and shaved. A grin came to his face when he stepped into the living room. Sara was stretched out on the couch with Melissa on her stomach, both females fast asleep. He carefully pulled Melissa from Sara's arms and took her up to her bedroom, laying her down in the middle of her bed. He went back downstairs and pulled Sara into his arms, grinning when her arms went around his neck. "Where's Melissa?" she asked softly. "In her bedroom. I think you both got up too early," he answered taking her upstairs. Sara yawned and said, "I don't think I slept much at all, Mark…I had that nightmare, and I think I woke up…around 6:30." Mark kissed her forehead as he laid her down in their bed. "You can catch up on your sleep, then," he said pulling the covers over her. "What are you gonna do?" she asked. "I'm goin' for a ride, dollface. I should be back in a couple hours," he answered. Sara caressed his cheek and smiled slightly. "You and your motorcycles," she whispered. Mark kissed her gently and nodded. "Yeah…me and my bikes. Sleep, baby," he said softly. Sara nodded and turned onto her side, curling up as Lucky climbed into the bed behind her. Mark chuckled softly and left the room, leaving the door cracked slightly in case Melissa woke up while he was gone. He went out to his garage and started up his favorite motorcycle, a machine done in simple black, chrome parts, and a maximum speed of 140 miles per hour. Mark grinned and rolled out, determined to relax his mind as much as possible.

Sara's eyes fluttered open, and she glanced over to the clock, a slight grin on her face. It was nearly three o' clock; she'd slept for close to four hours. _Oh, shit, Melissa_, she thought rushing out of the bed. She dashed out of her room, and burst into Melissa's room. Spotting the empty room, she hurried downstairs. The living and dining rooms were both empty. Suddenly, she heard laughter and barking from outside. She took a deep breath and went to the backdoor, a calm smile coming to her face. Melissa was in the pool with both Mark and Marley. Sara took a deep breath before stepping out on the patio. "Whoa, munchkin, look who decided to wake up," Mark said pulling Melissa up from her floating position. "Mama! Go change!" Melissa exclaimed as Mark eased her back into the water, "You gotta get in the water today!" Sara chuckled and crossed her arms. "I don't know, darlin'. You seem to be havin' fun without me," she said coming over to poolside. Mark splashed her playfully, and Sara felt her pants begin to cling to her skin. "Now you gotta get in," he said winking at her. "What do you expect me to do? I don't wanna go through the house dripping wet," she said. "Well, it's either that, or you get to swim in your…," he said raising his eyebrows suggestively. Sara rolled her eyes and went into the house, Mark's bellowing laugh echoing behind her. She changed into a single-piece, black bathing suit, grabbed a few towels from the downstairs closet, then headed right back outside.

Mark whistled as she walked out the back door, and Sara felt her cheeks turn red. "Look, daddy's still got it, munchkin," he said to Melissa. "Got what, daddy?" Melissa asked struggling to master the doggie paddle. "Don't worry about what 'it' is, munchkin, just know that I got it," he said with a smile. "You're so freakin' arrogant," Sara said smiling, dropping the towels in the closest lawn chair before sitting down at the edge of the pool. "Yeah, I know," Mark said helping Melissa to stay afloat. "Wait, daddy, I wanna show mama what I learned," Melissa said. "Alright, baby," he said slowly removing his hands. Sara watched as Melissa turned onto her back and simply floated through the water, before turning onto her stomach and beginning to paddle. She moved a few inches forward, causing Sara to chuckle, and Mark placed his hands back under her stomach to steady her small body. "See, we got us a third-generation athlete, dollface," he said. "Did you expect anything else?" Sara asked with a grin. "Of course not," he answered. "Mama?" Melissa said. "Yeah, baby?" Sara asked. "When can I get a little brother?" Melissa asked. Sara's eyebrows shot up, and she stared at Mark. "I didn't tell her to say that!" he argued. "Dany said her sister had another baby, and she's got a little boy and girl. I want a baby brother," Melissa said. Sara scratched the side of her head, but she couldn't help but smile. "How 'bout we bring that up in a few months, munchkin," she said. Melissa rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Okay," she said before turning her focus back to swimming, or least attempting the daunting task. Sara moved her feet around in the cool water, her mind wandering to the possibility of having more children upon her retirement. _I guess it would be nice…I don't know_, she thought, a grin on her face, _It'd give me somethin' more to do while I'm home. And I know Mark wants a little boy…definitely not a Mark, Jr. I'd get 'em confused when one gets in trouble. More children…it'd be a blessing_. "Now I wonder what mommy's grinning about," Mark said quietly, helping Melissa out of the pool, "Go grab a towel, sweetheart. It's gettin' cool out here." "Okay, daddy," Melissa said running over to the lawn chair. Mark slowly moved over to Sara, and when her legs moved around his waist, he smiled. "Penny for your thoughts?" he asked softly.

Sara looked up at him, and merely shrugged, the love in her eyes telling him all he needed to know. "I love you, too, dollface," he whispered putting his arms around her waist, "But we have a problem." "What?" she asked softly. "You…haven't gotten wet yet!" he said before pulling her into the water. Sara screamed as Mark gently threw her into the deep end of the pool. When she surfaced, her eyes narrowed and her lips jutted out in a childlike pout. "That wasn't very nice, Mark," she said coyly, watching him as he swam over to her. "I know," he said as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "But it was pretty damn funny." Sara rolled her eyes playfully as she suddenly pushed his head down, forcing him under the water. "Mama!" Melissa said from the lawn chair. "Don't worry, munchkin, daddy's okay," Sara said as she felt Mark swimming around her feet. "How long can he hold his breath?" Melissa asked. "That's a good question," Sara said winking at Melissa. "Mom!" Melissa said exasperatedly. "Munchkin—ah!" Mark came up from behind Sara and lurched her into the water again. Melissa laughed as Mark and Sara continued to try to one-up the other. Finally, 15 minutes later, Melissa complained that she was getting cold. "Alright, darlin'," Mark said moving towards the edge to the pool. Sara pulled his feet out from under him once more, then quickly exited the pool. She wrapped a towel around her as Mark surfaced. "You sneaky little devil," he said climbing out of the water as well. Sara smiled innocently and shrugged. "I couldn't help it," she responded tossing him a large towel, "How long were you two in the pool anyway?" "Probably since around noon. I left here around 11, and just went cruising around for a little while," he answered, "I thought I'd be out much longer, but I knew Melissa would probably wake up soon after I left."

Sara ran a bath for Melissa, leaving her with tons of bubbles and bath toys to keep her occupied. "Mama's gotta clean up, too, munchkin," she said leaving her daughter's room. She went down to her bedroom and stripped out of the wet bathing suit. She heard the shower running, and went into the bathroom. Steam already covered the shower stall, and Sara slowly stepped inside. "You sure that's a safe thing for you to do?" Mark asked, his back turned to her. Sara bit down on her bottom lip as she ran her hands over his expansive back, feeling the muscle contract under her touch. "You know me," she said softly, her hands moving around to his chest, "I'm a risk-taker." Mark slowly faced her, cupping her face gently. "So, what were you thinkin' downstairs?" he asked. "What Melissa said," she answered putting her arms around his neck, "Do you want more children?" Mark smiled and kissed her gently, moving his hands down across her sides, pulling her closer. "Dollface…as much as Melissa may want a little brother or sister," he said touching his forehead to hers, "We both know we have to wait a little longer…at least until you retire." Sara nodded slightly, and Mark grinned, slowly picking her up. Sara wrapped her legs around his waist, biting down on her bottom lip. "That doesn't mean we can't still…have a little fun," he said capturing her lips. Sara moaned softly as she felt him grow underneath her. Mark carefully eased her against the wall, before slipping himself inside her tightness. Sara moaned even louder, squeezing his neck tightly. Mark's hands traveled over her sides, cupping her breasts and squeezing. He slowly moved his hips around, and Sara let her head drop backwards. Mark's mouth immediately latched on to the side of her neck, sucking at the soaked skin. "Wait, baby," he whispered feeling her tighten around him. He set her down on her feet, and turned her back to him. Sara pressed her hands against the wall as Mark entered her from behind. His hands gripped her waist tightly, pulling her back against him. Mark groaned and Sara moved his hands from her sides. Instead, she rocked backwards against him, soft moans coming from deep inside her throat. "My God," Mark growled running both hands over her back. Sara felt his hand in her hair, and he gently pulled her up against him, beginning to pump his hips once more. "Mark…oh, Mark," she gasped as his lips began to suck on her neck once more. Mark groaned and cupped her breasts tightly, squeezing as he felt his own orgasm begin. Sara pressed her hands against the opposite wall once more. With Mark pumping inside her, and her pressing back against him, their bodies began to quiver. "I love you, Sara," Mark groaned. "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered before throwing her head back and moaning. Mark growled and gripped her hips, pulling her against him as he released himself inside her. Sara shook violently against him, whispering her husband's name repeatedly. After a minute, their bodies finally calmed, and they completed their shower.

Sara dressed in a pair of cotton shorts and a small t-shirt, then went down to Melissa's room. "You done, Melissa?" she asked from the bedroom. "Not yet, mama!" Melissa answered. Sara went into the small bathroom and smiled. Melissa was covered in bubbles, and was playing with her wrestling figures. "And how long do you think you'll be, missy?" she asked leaning against the doorway. "Until all the bubbles are gone," Melissa said smiling up at her. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "Okay…but the water's gonna be freezing by then," she said, "It's no fun takin' a bath in cold water." Melissa sighed and pouted slightly. "What do you want for dinner?" Sara asked. "I don't know," Melissa answered. "Quit your pouting, Melissa. You know it's not gonna work," Sara said quietly, "What have I told you about begging anyway?" "I know, mama," Melissa said. "You want me to help you?" Sara asked. "No, ma'am," Melissa answered quietly. "I'll be downstairs, munchkin. Holler if you need me," Sara said before leaving the room. Mark was sitting on the couch, his arms spread over the back of it. "Where's Melissa?" he asked. "Still taking her bath. She wants to stay 'til all the bubbles are gone," she said with a grin. "She's gonna be in there for a while, then, huh?" he asked as she sat down beside him. "Yeah," she said grinning slightly. "You okay?" he asked rubbing her arm gently. "Yeah…just tired," she answered. "I do that sometimes," he said softly. "Do what?" she asked. "Get you tired," he answered smiling. Sara chuckled and nudged him with her elbow. "Ow, dollface," he said pulling her onto his lap, "That's not nice." Sara smiled and whispered, "I love you so much." Mark grinned and caressed her cheek with his thumb. "I love you, too, dollface," he said quietly.

"Mama!" Sara kissed Mark's nose and hopped off his lap, dashing upstairs. "Yeah, munchkin," she said going into Melissa's room. "Will you help me?" Melissa asked from the bathroom. Sara smiled and entered the bathroom. After washing Melissa's hair, she ran a soapy cloth over her skin, tickling the bottom of Melissa's feet while she was at it, before finally rinsing her off and helping her out of the tub. Melissa wrapped a Trish Stratus towel around herself and kissed Sara's cheek. "Thanks, mama," she said before dashing into her bedroom. Sara smiled and cleaned up the mess Melissa had made in her bathroom. _If I wasn't so afraid she'd mess around in the cleaning chemicals, I'd have her clean her own bathroom_, she thought with a grin. After finishing that small task, Sara went back into Melissa's bedroom, where she was pulling on a pair of pajamas with WWF symbols on them. Sara could only chuckle. _Of course she'd be into it now…but we'll see where she stands in 15 years_, she thought. "What's so funny, mama?" Melissa asked pulling on the small t-shirt. "Nothin', munchkin," Sara said picking her up, "What do you wanna do for the rest o' the day?" "The library," Melissa said simply. Sara shrugged and set her down once they were downstairs, watching Melissa dash down the hallway. She went back into the living room with Mark, taking her place at his side. "Where'd she go?" he asked. "Where else?" Sara responded with a grin. "I'm glad she got your brains, dollface, I really am," he said kissing the top of her head. "Yeah, me, too," she said chuckling. Mark smiled and pulled her a little tighter against him. "So, what's on the agenda for tomorrow?" he asked quietly. "I don't know…I kinda like the whole 'sleeping in' thing," she said grinning. "Yeah, it's fun. What do you say we ask Dany to come by tomorrow to watch Melissa, and you and I take a trip out to the lake," he said quietly. Sara looked up at him with concern. "Nothing's wrong, dollface. I just wanna relax with you," he said kissing her forehead. Sara grinned slightly and rested her head against his shoulder, a yawn escaping from her lips. "It's only 4:30, dollface," he whispered. Sara smiled and shrugged slightly. "You tire me out, remember?" she said softly. Mark chuckled and kissed the top of her head once more.

After dinner, Sara watched Smackdown while Mark and Melissa went out on the back patio. It was great watching the other brand, because Sara found they focused a lot more on the wrestling aspect instead of the entertainment. On RAW, storylines were key to success, especially since the show was live versus being taped like Smackdown. Around 9:30, Mark walked in with a sleeping Melissa in his arms. "How long has she been asleep?" Sara asked softly. "Just went to sleep a few minutes ago," he said quietly, "I'll be back down in a few." Sara watched as he left the room with Marley on his heels, then turned her attention back to the television. Glenn came out on the television dressed in his usual red-and-black garb, a wet black towel hanging on top of his head. Sara smiled as he climbed into the ring and quickly disposed of some poor no-name wrestler. _He needs to be World champion soon. He's been with this company for forever, and it's about time he got his_, she thought pulling her knees up to her chest. Mark came in a few minutes later and sat down beside her. "What'd you guys do outside?" she asked. "Not much, just relaxed a little bit more," he answered, "She wants to go swimming tomorrow…again." Sara chuckled and leaned against him. "Did you call Dany?" he asked. "No…how 'bout we just make tomorrow a family event?" she said, "We can pack a picnic lunch, and walk out there with the dogs, and just…have a good time." Mark smiled slightly and kissed her ear. "Sounds like a plan, dollface," he whispered. Sara smiled and kissed his bicep. After Smackdown was over, they made their way upstairs to their bedroom, where they found Lucky lying down beside their door. "Watchin' over us now, boy?" Sara asked leaning down and rubbing his head. Lucky barked twice, and Sara chuckled. "Thanks," she said before entering the room and shutting the door quietly. She brushed her teeth and climbed into the bed, followed shortly by Mark. "Good night, dollface," he whispered pulling her against him. Sara grinned and whispered the same as her eyes drifted shut.

Mark awoke the next day with Sara curled up against him, her fingers draped loosely in the ends of his hair. _Just like her daughter_, he thought with a grin. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, gently prying her fingers from his hair. "Where ya goin'?" she whispered as he moved from the bed. "To take a shower, dollface. Go ahead and sleep," he said quietly. Sara yawned as she heard the bathroom door shut. A few minutes later, her bedroom door crept open, and she looked at Melissa through half-closed eyes. "Yeah, munchkin," she said grinning. "Mama," she said coming over to the bed. "What is it, baby?" Sara asked helping her up onto the mattress. "I had a bad dream, mama," Melissa answered. "Come on, munchkin," Sara said pulling Melissa onto her chest and lying back down, "Mama's here." Melissa clutched Sara's t-shirt tightly, and Sara could feel her trembling. "You wanna talk about it?" she asked. "No, mama," Melissa answered. "Okay…but you know I'm here," Sara said quietly. Melissa nodded slightly, and Sara ran her hands gently over her back, trying to calm her down. After a few minutes, she felt Melissa relax against her. She grinned when she saw her daughter had fallen back asleep. Glancing over at the clock, Sara yawned again. It was only 9:30, and Sara didn't want to get out of bed until at least noon. She closed her eyes and fell right back asleep.

Mark came out the bathroom a half an hour later and smiled at the sight of Melissa laying on top of her mother. _Yeah, more children would be nice…someday_, he thought dressing in workout clothes. He went down to the gym, and worked out for nearly two hours. He came back up to his room, where he found Sara and Melissa still fast asleep. He chuckled softly and entered the bathroom, shutting the door quietly. Sara awoke as Mark got dressed. "Morning," she said stretching her arms. "For about five more minutes," Mark said grinning. Sara smiled and rubbed her fingers through Melissa's hair. "She have a nightmare again?" he asked softly. Sara nodded and kissed her daughter's forehead. "She was really scared this time, Mark…she was actually trembling this time," she answered quietly. "Well, she came to the right place, didn't she?" he said winking at her. Sara smiled and shrugged. "When do you wanna leave for the lake?" she asked. "We can take our time. It's a good walk out there, so how 'bout we just wait for Melissa to wake up?" he said. "Where are we going?" Melissa asked suddenly. "To the lake, munchkin," Mark answered pulling on a pair of boots. "We have a lake? Ooh, can I go swimming in it?" Melissa asked sitting up. Sara chuckled and shook her head in humor. "Hey, at least she's not begging for us to build a ring in the backyard," Mark said pulling Melissa into his arms, "We'll see you downstairs." Sara smiled as he shut the door behind him. She climbed out of the bed, dashing into the bathroom. For some reason, she was very excited about just spending a day with her family.

After showering and washing her hair, Sara ran her brush through her thick tresses to dry it, and dressed in a red-and-white striped bikini, before slipping on a pair of loose jean shorts, and a Tommy Girl baby tee. She slipped on a pair of blue flip-flops before heading downstairs. Mark and Melissa were in the kitchen making snacks for their trip. "You got started without me?" Sara asked from the doorway. "You know how Melissa is," Mark answered over his shoulder. Sara grinned and walked over to them with the intention of helping. "Don't worry about it, dollface. We got it," Mark said winking at her. "Fine…I see how it is," she said with a smile, before going out onto the back porch. Lucky and Marley were sitting at the edge of the pool, so Sara took a seat beside them. "You guys are so spoiled," she said rubbing both their heads. Knowingly, both dogs simultaneously turned to their sides, which Sara began to rub. "Spoiled freakin' brats," she said grinning. Nearly ten minutes later, Melissa came running out with a large blanket, and her WWF backpack. "And what's in there?" Sara asked. "Towels for me and daddy," Melissa answered smiling, "He said we're gonna go swimming in the lake!" Sara smiled as Mark came out with a basket full of food. "You tryin' to feed the world?" Sara asked getting to her feet. "Nope…just my family," he said dropping a kiss on her forehead, "Come on, before Melissa leaves us behind." Sara chuckled and linked her fingers with his, motioning for the dogs to follow as well.

It took them nearly two hours to walk the three miles to the lake. Sara wanted to keep a slow pace, so that Melissa wouldn't get too tired. There were times, though, where she had to run to keep up with Melissa. Once they arrived, Sara spread the blanket over the browning grass, and began to set out food. She smiled as Melissa shed her shorts, put on a few floatation devices (on each arm, and around her waist), and jumped into the lake. "Now you gotta wait at least an hour to eat once you finally get outta that lake," Sara said loudly. "I know, mama!" Melissa yelled back. Sara watched as Mark pulled off his jeans and t-shirt, and did a cannonball into the lake, showering Melissa with water. "Now _that_ is a sight I'm sure fans would pay money to see!" Sara said once Mark emerged. Mark chuckled and wiped the water from his face. "Maybe, but they never will, so we have nothing to worry about," he said pushing himself out to the middle of the lake, Melissa slowly making her way with him. "Mark, keep an eye on her, please," Sara said standing. "Stop being overprotective, mama!" Melissa said. Sara chuckled and crossed her arms. "At least I got you two," she said to the Marley and Slasher, before they dashed away and jumped into the lake as well. Sara sighed and sat back down on the blanket, her arms wrapped loosely around her knees. _Relaxation…that's what I need anyway_, she thought, a small grin coming to her face, _No better way to relax than to spend the day with my family_.

Mark and Melissa spent nearly two hours in the lake before Sara got bored and decided to join them. As she pulled her short over her head, Mark whistled loudly from the middle of the lake. Sara smiled and quickly slipped off her shorts before diving into the lake. She swam out to where Mark was, and he immediately pulled her into his arms. "Wow, dollface…I've never seen you look so good in a bathing suit before," he whispered against her lips. "Stop it," she whispered in return, "Our daughter--." "I think she's too busy practicing her doggie paddle," Mark whispered before kissing Sara softly. "Dad!" Melissa groaned. "What, munchkin?" Mark asked innocently. "You're supposed to be helping me!" Melissa argued. "You're doin' fine, munchkin," Mark said planting soft kisses on Sara's neck. "You're not even looking!" Melissa exclaimed. "Go on, Mark," Sara said grinning, pushing away from him. Mark winked at her before moving over to Melissa. Sara smiled at the sight of Mark swimming around with Melissa on his chest, apparently demonstrating the backstroke. The water soothed Sara's busy mind even more; she began to focus more on her family than her match Sunday night. After another hour in the water, Mark and Melissa finally climbed out, heading for the food Sara had set out. "Nope, you two have to wait an hour," Sara said following them out of the water. "But mama, I'm hungry!" Melissa said. "I thought it was waiting an hour after you eat to get in the water, dollface," Mark said winking at her, "Not the other way around." Sara shrugged and said, "Same difference." "Uh-huh," Mark said handing Melissa one of the ham sandwiches they'd made earlier. Sara wrapped a towel around her waist and sat down as well, pulling a bottle of water from the small cooler. "We should head back after this," Sara said, "The sun's gonna set soon." "You afraid o' the dark, dollface?" Mark asked with a grin. "With a big, strong man like you to protect me? Of course not," Sara said sarcastically. "I don't like bein' mocked, sweetheart," Mark said smiling. "But it's so fun," she said smiling.

After a quick dinner, Mark and Sara packed everything up. Melissa walked ahead of them with Marley, while Lucky trotted slowly beside Mark and Sara. "So…did you have fun?" Mark asked quietly. "Yeah…it was nice to be out here again," she said linking her fingers with his. "Any less nervous about Sunday?" he asked. "Of course not…it's a dangerous match," she said softly. "Yeah…but you shouldn't think of it that way," he said putting his arm around her shoulders, "Think of it as yet another way to make the fans remember you." Sara grinned and shrugged slightly. "What, you don't wanna be remembered?" he asked. "Of course I do, Mark…I guess I'm just tired of having to live up to so many people's expectations," she said honestly. "You know…when we get back to the house, I'm gonna make you a countdown calendar…just so you can see exactly how many days you have left in the business," he said grinning. "Sick o' hearing me complain?" she asked smiling at him. "You said it, I didn't," he said kissing her forehead. Sara chuckled and said, "I'll tone it down, I promise." "It's okay, dollface…I love you anyway," he said, "Do you and Shawn have an exact plan you wanna go by for the match?" "Nope…we agreed to just have some major spots, and do a lot of transitional moves to get to those spots," she answered. "So it's gonna be pretty brutal then?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath, watching Melissa hop along, Marley right beside her. "Yeah," she said quietly. "You want her to watch it?" Mark asked. "No…I don't," she answered honestly, "I figure…Dany's gonna be there, so…they can find something to do where Melissa won't be near a monitor. We'll talk about it with her Sunday, though. I just want to spend the next couple days not even thinking about that match." "I agree, dollface," Mark said pulling her a little closer.

It took a little longer to make the trip back to the house, because all three people were certainly exhausted. Mark ended up carrying Melissa for the last mile and a half. Once finally inside the house, Sara took Melissa up to her room and gave her a quick bath, before helping her into her nightclothes and placing her in the middle of her bed. "I had fun today, mama," Melissa whispered as Sara pulled her covers up. "Me, too, munchkin," Sara whispered kissing her forehead. "What are we gonna do tomorrow?" Melissa asked. "I don't know. How 'bout we wait for tomorrow to get here before we decide," Sara said grinning slightly. "Okay, mama. I love you," Melissa said hugging Sara's neck. "I love you, too, munchkin," Sara whispered dropping a kiss on Melissa's cheek before finally standing, "Sleep tight, munchkin…and if you have a bad dream, you come right on down to my room." "Okay, mama," Melissa whispered turning onto her side. Sara watched as Marley cuddled up beside Melissa, and smiled slightly. _Yeah, you're more her dog than mine_, she thought before leaving the room. She found Mark in the kitchen cleaning the dishes they'd used at the lake. "That can wait 'til tomorrow, ya know," Sara whispered coming up beside him. "Yeah, I know…but I figured, I might as well get 'em outta the way now," he answered. "Melissa wanted to know what we're doing tomorrow," she said leaning against the counter.

"What'd you tell her?" he asked. "We'd decide when tomorrow got here," she said grinning, "I don't know…I kinda like the idea of just staying at home. I mean, we've got the DVD collection…she's got the library. No point in leaving if we don't have to." "I agree, dollface," he said grinning, "Now what's on your mind?" "I just wanna take her into town…do a little shopping…ya know, mother-daughter time," she said innocently. "On a Friday, Sara?" Mark asked beginning to place dishes in the dishwasher. "If we go in the morning, we'll miss the crowds," she answered, "Nobody shops on a Friday morning." "We'd have to be outta there by noon…which means we'd have to get there right when they open, knowing the way you shop," Mark said with a smile. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. I mean, I know you like sleeping in when you can," Sara said. Mark closed up the dishwasher and turned it on, then faced Sara. "Whatever makes you happy, dollface," he answered softly. "Really!" Sara squealed. There was almost nothing she liked better than an occasional shopping trip, especially at the Galleria Mall. "Yeah…really," he answered with a sigh. Sara smiled and kissed his cheek quickly before dashing out of the kitchen. Mark couldn't help but feel like he'd just signed his soul away.

Sara took a quick shower, dressing in one of Mark's Harley-Davidson t-shirts, before going back downstairs. She found Mark in his office, looking over his planner. "What ya lookin' at?" she asked sitting down on his lap. Mark rubbed his nose in her hair and pulled her tighter against him. "Nothin' important, now that you're here," he whispered in her ear. Sara smiled broadly and rested her head on his shoulder. "You wanna watch a movie?" she asked. "Sure, dollface…I'm just gonna finish goin' over my schedule for the week, and take a shower, okay?" he answered, "Why don't you go pick out a movie, and fix us a bowl o' popcorn, and I'll meet you in the living room in 20 minutes." "You promise?" she asked nibbling on his earlobe. Mark groaned and captured her lips in a possessive kiss. When he pulled away, Sara caressed his cheek softly. "See ya in 20," she whispered with a mischievous smile, before hopping off his lap and dashing out of the room. Mark could only grin as he went back to his task. There were two shows in Canada (the pay-per-view Sunday night, and RAW the following night), and a houseshow on Tuesday. They had the next four days off; Friday and Saturday would be spent in Tallahassee celebrating Andy and Lisa's wedding. _It's about damn time that bastard got married_, Mark thought with a smile, _I can't believe we've known him for almost ten years already…he's practically family now. Hell, he's Melissa's godfather, so that definitely makes him family_. Mark yawned slightly and slowly stood. He made his way up to his bedroom, and took a hot, but short shower. After dressing in a simple pair of boxers, he finally went back downstairs to the living room. Sara was on the couch with a large bowl of popcorn, and she was already munching. "You started without me?" he asked. "I didn't start the movie, if that makes it any better," she said grinning at him. "What's the choice for tonight?" he asked. "_Pulp Fiction_," Sara answered. "Excellent choice," Mark said smiling. Sara started the movie, and curled up against Mark, placing the bowl in his lap for easy access.

After the movie, Sara took the bowl into the kitchen and rinsed it out. Mark came up behind her and placed his hands on her hips. "Ya know…Harley-Davidson never looked so good," he whispered in her ear. Sara smiled and shrugged nonchalantly. "I never noticed," she said quietly. Mark slowly turned her around and placed his hands on the counter behind her, trapping her. "Yeah, I bet you didn't," he said softly, "I know a much better place I'd like to see that t-shirt, though." "Where?" Sara asked putting her arms around his neck. "On my bedroom floor," he said picking her up and taking her upstairs.


	105. The First Title Defense

**Chapter 104…The First Title Defense**

Sara twiddled her thumbs as the plane began its descent. _Well, the day is finally here. It's put-up-or-shut-up time, Sara…_, she thought. Her eyes drifted over to Mark's sleeping form on her left side. Melissa sat to her right, with Dany right beside her. It had taken a lot of persuasion to get Dany to even come on the trip. In the end, it was Melissa's excitement to show off her new babysitter to her "aunts" and "uncles" that knocked down Dany's walls. Sara grinned and took a deep breath. "Mark," she said touching his hand softly. Mark shifted slightly and looked over at her. "Yeah?" he asked softly. "Nothin'," she said, "The plane's gonna be on the ground in a few minutes." Mark nodded and placed her hand in his. "Everything's gonna be okay, dollface," he said quietly, "Sometimes dreams are just that…dreams." Sara let out a slow breath and nodded; the nightmare she'd had at home had been bugging her all weekend. "I think once I get to the arena, I'll be okay," she said quietly, "I'm glad Melissa managed to talk Dany into coming." "We're both gonna be busy, so I'm kinda glad, too," he said. After touchdown, all four people exited the plane. Sara went to the rental car counter while Mark got their bags from the baggage claim. Sara walked up to him with keys in hand. "What'd we get?" he asked. Sara winked and shouldered her duffel bag, taking her suitcase from beside him. "Dollface," he said following behind her. Sara spotted their vehicle almost as soon as they left the airport. It was the only silver, extended cab Chevrolet Silverado in the parking lot. She tossed her belongings in the back as Mark walked up, his jaw practically dragging on the ground.

"Pick your jaw up, baby," Sara said grinning, "It might get caught on somethin'." "Can I drive?" Mark asked, as if begging to play with a brand-new toy. "Nope," Sara said hopping into the driver's seat. Dany and Melissa climbed into the backseat, while Mark pulled himself into the passenger's side. "You're an evil woman, Sara," Mark said crossing his arms. "And you are acting like a big baby," she said smiling. Mark huffed and stared out the window as Sara pulled away from the airport. "Mama says it's not good to beg, daddy," Melissa said from the backseat. Sara snickered, then burst out laughing. "She's right, ya know," she said. "Munchkin?" Mark said. "Yes, daddy?" Melissa asked. "Never mind, sweetheart," Mark said after a few moments of silence. "What were you gonna say?" Sara asked. "I was contemplating several things, actually," Mark said leaning over to her ear, "Like how I make you beg all the time." Sara's jaw dropped and she nudged him in his ribs. "Ow!" Mark said scooting back over to his side. "That's what you get," Sara said rolling her eyes playfully, knowing that she was blushing hard. "Mama?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, sweetheart," Sara said. "What'd daddy say?" Melissa asked. Mark looked over the backseat and winked. "Somethin' to make your mama blush," he answered. "Nothing important, munchkin," Sara said. "Well, it must've been important if daddy made you blush, mama," Melissa argued. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "Important to me, yes…important to you, no," she said grinning, "Do you wanna stop and eat, or wait 'til we get to the arena, munchkin?" "Wait…I want Dany to meet everybody when we eat," Melissa said excitedly. Sara chuckled and glanced at Dany through the rearview mirror. "You've never been to a show, have you?" she asked. "Nope…never really wanted to go, but this little girl is very hard to say no to," Dany answered with a smile. "You'll have fun, Dany. It's hectic, but it's fun," Sara said, "I promise." "Melissa's assured me that I'll have fun, so I'm not too worried about that," Dany said, "I just…I can only handle so many people at once, ya know." Sara thought back to her experience working as hostess of Kevin's party, and she nodded. "I think I do understand, Dany," she said quietly.

Once Sara pulled into the arena parking lot, Dany only seemed to get more nervous. There were probably a few thousand fans waiting outside the building for the pay-per-view to start. "Don't worry, Dany," Sara said with a grin, "I was the same way the first time I saw a crowd like that." Dany nodded and looked out the back window; the crowd was made up of a variety of people, old and young, different races and creeds. "That's nuts," she said softly. "What?" Sara asked parking. "All those people…I guess I don't understand the excitement," Dany said honestly. Sara chuckled and climbed out, helping Melissa down. "After tonight, you will," she said. She grabbed her duffel bag from the back, and walked inside with Melissa. "We'll find mama's locker room, then Dany's gonna have to watch you while mama and daddy work, okay?" Sara said as they headed down the hallway. Melissa nodded and Sara smiled slightly. Andy spotted Sara walking and waved. Melissa dashed away before Sara could stop her. "Uncle Andy!" she screamed hurtling herself into Andy's legs. Andy chuckled and reached down, picking up the energetic little girl. "Hello, sweetheart," he said kissing her cheek, "How are ya?" "Good. Dany came!" Melissa said happily. "You gonna show her the ins and outs?" he asked. Melissa nodded her head as Sara walked up. "Hey, Andy," she spoke. "Hey, baby doll," he said hugging her with his free arm, "How ya feelin'?" Sara let out a deep breath and shrugged slightly. "I'll feel a whole lot better when this night is over," she said quietly. "Don't worry so much, baby doll," he said winking at her. Sara smiled and nodded slightly. "You're right. Shawn's gonna take care of me," she said quietly. "I've been tellin' you that all weekend, dollface," Mark said coming up beside her. Sara smiled and looked up at him. "You know me," she said.

"Hey, buddy," Mark said hugging Andy, "You excited about next weekend?" "Like you wouldn't believe," Andy said setting Melissa down, "I still can't believe I'm finally getting married." "Yeah, it's about damn time if you ask me," Mark said chuckling. "Where is Lisa?" Sara asked. "In the gym trying to get an early workout in," Andy answered. "Sounds like a good idea," Sara said, "Come on, Dany." Dany followed Sara down the hall, where they found a locker room with Sara and Mark's stage name on the door. "Looks like I'm back to sharing a locker room," Sara said going to into the room, "Dany, you gonna be okay by yourself?" "Yeah. Melissa's got enough books to last us for at least a few hours," Dany answered. "Alright. Mark and I are gonna go workout, but we'll probably be back by two o' clock, and then we'll grab some lunch," Sara said grabbing a pair of shorts and t-shirt from her duffel bag. "That sounds like a plan," Dany said. "If Melissa wants to go down to the ring…," Sara said eyeing Melissa. "Please, mama!" Melissa exclaimed. "Not without me or daddy, you know that," Sara said. "Gotcha, Sara," Dany said grinning. "She's got vegetables in her backpack if she gets--." "I know, Sara…I packed 'em," Dany said winking at her. Sara smiled and went into the bathroom, quickly changed, and left the room for her workout.

Dany found it easier to allow Melissa to read to her, instead of trying to read to the small child. They got through three books before she noticed Melissa was getting bored. "Alright, what do you wanna do then?" Dany asked. "We can go down to the ring," Melissa said grinning. "Your mom said you can't get in the ring, sweetheart," Dany said. "I know…but she didn't say anything about standing outside the ring," Melissa argued. Dany rolled her eyes with a grin, standing and taking Melissa's hand in her own. "You're relentless, Melissa," she said as they left the room. "I know," Melissa said innocently. As soon as they stepped outside the room, Dany had to stop and take a deep breath. "Come on, Dany," Melissa said pulling on her hand. "Alright, little one," Dany said, "Lead the way." Melissa headed to their right, walking past several huge black boxes and doorways. "You know where you're goin', little one?" Dany asked as they made a left turn. "No…but that's the fun part," Melissa answered smiling, making another left turn. "I don't know if this is a good idea," Dany said as they headed down a hallway where tables lined the walls. "Is that little 'Taker I see!" Melissa turned around and smiled. "Uncle Johnny!" she screamed running from Dany. "Wait, little one," Dany said hurrying behind the small child. John picked up Melissa and twirled her around, smiling as the child's laughs echoed off the hallway walls.

Dany finally came up to them, her hands on her hips. "Melissa, you can't run off like that," she said quietly. John locked eyes with the woman, and his jaw dropped. "Wow…," he whispered. "What?" Dany asked looking down at herself, seeing if she had something on her clothes. "I'm John," he said extending his hand. "Nice to meet you…," Dany said slowly shaking his hand. "It's alright…I don't bite," he said winking at her. Dany reached for Melissa, and John slowly handed the child over. "Was she tryin' to find her way to the ring?" he asked grinning. Dany nodded and set Melissa down to the floor. "I can show you the way…I was headed past there anyway," John said. Melissa grabbed John's hand and he smiled. "Your mom's gonna kick my butt for this, so I'm placing the blame on you ahead o' time, lil' 'Taker," he said. "Okay, Uncle John," Melissa said with a smile. "Why do you call her lil' 'Taker?" Dany asked as they headed down the hall. "Her dad's 'Taker, so…it kinda fits," John answered nonchalantly, "Besides, her mom wouldn't let me call her lil' Angel, so I had to go with the next best thing." "What? 'Taker…Angel…?" Dany asked. John scratched his head and looked at her. "Aight…Sara…that's this little devil's mom," he started. "Yeah, I know that," Dany said slightly agitated. "Chill, chill. I'm just sayin'…I didn't know you weren't into wrestling," he said grinning, "Don't meet your type too often." "Excuse you?" Dany asked annoyed. "No offense, ma. I'm just sayin'--." "You know what, I think we can find our way on our own," Dany said picking Melissa up. "Bye, Uncle John," Melissa said waving. "Later, lil' 'Taker…later, ma," John answered. Dany looked over her shoulder and snapped, "Don't talk to me like I'm some ring rat, alright?" John smirked as she headed away from him. _If you're watchin' Angel's kid, there's no way you're a ring rat, sweetheart_, he thought heading towards his original destination.

Dany finally found what looked like the entrance way, and headed through the curtains. Her breath stopped in her throat, and her jaw dropped. The arena looked like it could fill up to ten times as many people as were outside waiting to enter. "This is what your mom does for a living, little one?" Dany asked as they walked out onto the stage. "Yep," Melissa said proudly. Dany turned and faced the entrance, done in the colors of light gold, silver, and brown. She took a step back and craned her head up to get a better view. In large block letters above a humongous screen was the word "Unforgiven". "Come on, Dany," Melissa said with a grin. Dany shook her head and made her way down the ramp. There had to be a good 200 feet from the top of the ramp to the edge of the ring. _It's gonna take them forever to get to this ring_, she thought. "Hey, Mr. Shelton and Mr. Chris," Melissa spoke. "Where's your mom, lil' 'Taker?" Shelton asked from inside the ring. "Don't know," Melissa answered. "Little one, I don't think we should be down here while they're trying to work," Dany said. "Nah, it's no biggie," Shelton said from inside the ring, "We're used to her." "See, Dany? I'm popular," Melissa said with a smile. "Yeah, I noticed," Dany said watching as the two men in the ring practiced. She found herself wincing each time one of them fell down. "Don't worry, Dany, my mom does that all the time," Melissa said. "That doesn't make it any less painful to watch, little one," Dany said quietly. "Did you ever watch Mr. Kevin?" Melissa asked. "Nope…I helped him through his injuries…but I never actually watched him do this stuff," Dany answered, "Come on, let's get back to your mom's room before she gets back." Melissa sighed and nodded.

Melissa walked up the ramp, Dany right behind her, but stopped at the very top. "What is it, little one?" Dany asked as Melissa looked out to the arena. "I'm gonna do this one day," Melissa said smiling up at her. "Wrestle?" Dany asked. "Yep," Melissa answered. "Not if your mom has anything to do with it," Dany said grinning. Melissa shrugged and Dany followed her through the curtains. They quickly found their way back to Sara's locker room and headed inside. "Now what?" Melissa asked. "We wait 'til your mom gets back," Dany answered sitting Melissa down on the couch and placing her backpack beside her. "But--." "Uh-uh, no questions," Dany said picking a book out of her own backpack. Melissa sighed and did the same. Nearly two hours later, Sara finally walked in with Mark. "Hey, you two," Sara said. "Mama, can we go back down to the ring?" Melissa asked. "What?" Sara asked grabbing her duffel bag. "I saw Uncle John, and Mr. Shelton and Mr. Chris, and I wanna go back down to the ring," Melissa said. "Wait 'til mommy cleans up, munchkin. We'll go grab somethin' to eat, and then we'll go down to the ring," Sara answered, "You took her down to the ring, Dany?" "She practically dragged me outta the room…but I didn't let her get in. We just stood outside for a few minutes," Dany answered. "Alright…as long as she didn't get in," Sara said grinning and following Mark into the bathroom. "Dany?" Melissa said. "Yeah," Dany said. "Did Uncle John make you mad?" Melissa asked. Dany took a deep breath and shrugged, recalling the look the man had given her when he first saw her. "Nah, not really," she said grinning slightly. "He's really nice," Melissa said. "Read your book, little one," Dany said. Melissa grinned and went back to reading.

Sara and Mark showered together, Mark being the first to exit the stall. Sara washed her hair thoroughly before doing the same, wrapping a towel around herself. "You feelin' a little better?" Mark asked pulling on his wrestling tights. "Yeah…you know me, a good workout makes life better," she answered grinning. "Depends on the workout," he said winking at her. "You're hopeless," she said rolling her eyes. "I know," Mark said smiling. Sara dressed in her favorite character pants – navy blue low-rider spandex with her stage name written vertical in gold letters – and a new shirt designed by Michelle in the wardrobe department. It was long-sleeved, but the hem stopped right below Sara's breasts. "Your tattoo's showing a little bit," Mark said quietly. Sara took a deep breath and asked, "How much?" "Just the bottom of it," he answered. "It's not a big deal," she said grinning, "Maybe the fans will think it's for my character." Mark chuckled and shrugged. "Maybe so," he said quietly. "Dany looked a little irritated when we walked in," she said softly. "I noticed," Mark said, "You think somebody said somethin'?" "I don't know…I kinda feel bad now," she said quietly. "I'm sure if she was angry enough, she would've said somethin' as soon as you walked in the door," he said. Sara nodded and brushed her hair dry, before doing the same for Mark. "You know I'm gonna wet it again, and you still brush it dry," he said quietly. Sara smiled and kissed his cheek softly. "Some habits are hard to break," she said in his ear. "Well, I hope you never break that one, dollface," he said grinning at her. "Come on, before Melissa comes storming in here," Sara said before leaving the bathroom. "What took you so long, mama?" Melissa asked. Sara chuckled and slipped on a pair of tennis shoes. "I had to dry daddy's hair, munchkin," she said pulling a sweater over her head. "So it wouldn't get tangled?" Melissa asked. "Exactly. You ready?" Sara said. "Yep," Melissa answered jumping off the couch. "You ready, Dany?" Sara asked. "Yeah, sorry," Dany answered setting her book down. "Is daddy coming, mama?" Melissa asked as they left the room. "Yeah, munchkin, he's gonna catch up with us," Sara answered.

In catering, the trio grabbed their food and sat down at one of the tables near the back. "So, did you have fun while I was gone, munchkin?" Sara asked biting into a grilled turkey sandwich. "Yep! I got through four books!" Melissa said excitedly. Sara chuckled and looked at Dany. "What about you?" she asked. "Your child is really somethin'," Dany said grinning, "Those books were at least 100 pages long each, and she zoomed through 'em." "That's my little angel," Sara said winking at Melissa. "Speaking of which, why won't you let her be called lil' Angel?" Dany asked. Sara smirked and answered, "Puts the idea in her head that she's gonna do what her mommy does when she gets older." "But I am, mama!" Melissa said. "Sure, sweetheart," Sara said doubtfully. "Why don't you want her to be a wrestler?" Dany asked. "Let's just leave that topic alone," Sara said quietly. "Sorry," Dany said. "It's okay," Sara said biting into her sandwich. Mark walked in a few minutes later with Shawn and John, grinning when he spotted Sara. "See you guys later," he said going over to the table. He placed his hands over Sara's eyes and said, "Guess who." Sara grinned and shrugged. "Umm…Trips? No…Shawn…no…John," she said smiling. Mark leaned down and kissed her ear. "That hurts, dollface," he said softly. He sat down beside her and grabbed her water bottle. "Hey!" she said as he took a long gulp, "Pig!" Mark set the bottle back down and said, "You're killin' me, sweetheart." "But I love you," she countered. "I guess that makes it all better," he said winking at her.

"What took you so long to get here?" Sara asked. "I was stopped," Mark said looking over at Dany, "By John Cena…who seems to have taken an interest in our babysitter." "Really?" Sara asked. "I don't know why," Dany said rolling her eyes, "I don't mess with wrestlers anymore…at least not like that." Sara nodded and looked over at John, winking at him. John smiled and came over to their table. "Hey, Angel, how you feelin' about tonight?" he said grinning. "Good, John. I'm just gonna do what I do best, beat the hell outta Shawn," she said smiling, knowing the real reason he'd come over to their table. John's eyes drifted to Dany, who was staring at her plate. "What's up, ma?" he asked casually. "Do I look like your mother?" Dany snapped. "Well, since I haven't had the pleasure o' learning your name…I figured I'd call you the next best thing," he said grinning. "I guess you're gonna have to wait a little longer, then, won't you," she snapped, her eyes narrowed. "Aight…I'll see ya around, Angel, 'Taker, lil' 'Taker," John said before heading away, "See ya around…Danielle." Dany rolled her eyes and scoffed. "What's so funny?" she asked, noticing the hidden smiles of both Mark and Sara. "You tripped him hard, Dany. I've never seen him gush over somebody like that," Sara answered. "Yeah, well, he can keep gushing," Dany said before standing, "I've been down that road once…and once was all it took." Sara watched as she left the catering room, and let out a deep breath. "Wow…he really pissed her off," Mark said. "Yeah…I think I'll talk to him," Sara said, "Why don't you take Melissa back to our locker room. I'm sure that's where Dany's headed." "Sure thing, dollface," Mark said standing, "Come on, munchkin." Melissa stood with her bottle of water, and Mark grabbed the plate.

Sara motioned for John to come back over after they left the room. "She really hates me, doesn't she?" John asked sitting down. "Yeah…," Sara said sitting back in her seat and crossing her arms, "What'd you do to her?" "Nothin', Angel," John said. "John," she said quietly. "I swear…I was my usual self. She got all pissed off 'cause I didn't know she wasn't a wrestling fan. I called Melissa lil' 'Taker and she asked why, and I start explaining…she must've thought I was talkin' down to her or somethin'…I don't know," he said. "Ya know…I've never seen you like this," Sara said quietly. "There's somethin' about her, Angel," John said. "You don't even know her, John," Sara said grinning. "I know her name…," he said with a smile. Sara rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I'll tell ya what. Back off a little…and I'll see what I can do to change her mind about you," she said quietly. "Really?" John asked. "Yeah…really," she said grinning, "Now get outta here so I can eat my lunch." "No problem. Catch ya later," John said standing. Sara nodded and went back to her food. A few moments after John left her table, Shawn walked up with his own food. "Want some company?" he asked. Sara smiled and shrugged. "How ya feelin'?" he asked. "Everybody's asking me that today," she answered. "Well, you got a big match tonight," he said grinning. "Yeah, I know…I got a lot to live up to," she said quietly. "How 'bout we not even talk about that match for a while?" he asked quietly, "I don't want you gettin' yourself worked up over nothin'." "Thanks, Shawn," she said with a grin. "No problem, hon. So…how's the new babysitter workin' out?" he said. "She's amazing, Shawn, she really is. They had a connection right from the start…and I think it's only gonna get better," Sara answered smiling. "Good, good. Why was she pissed off earlier?" he said grinning. "You noticed that, too, huh?" she asked chuckling. Shawn nodded and smiled. "Well, Mr. Cena over there apparently has taken a liking to her, but she's not into him at all," Sara answered, "And you know John, he doesn't understand why a woman _wouldn't_ be into him." Shawn chuckled and glanced over at John. "Yeah, I could see that," he said quietly, "What are you gonna do about it?" "I don't know. I don't really like playing matchmaker, ya know…but I told John I'd put in a good word for him if he'd leave her alone for a while," she said. "It's your good deed for today," he said with a wink. "Yeah, 'cause I'm gonna do a lotta bad deeds tonight," she said chuckling. "I think we both are," he said with a grin.

After lunch, Sara and Shawn went down to the ring to throw out ideas for their match. It only took a half an hour to agree on a general plan of action, and when they were done, Sara headed up to the balcony to relax. The match would only last just about twenty minutes, but there were a lot of huge spots that Sara felt really concerned about. She put her feet up on the chairs in front of her, rested her elbows on her knees, and lowered her head to pray silently for protection. An hour later, Sara finally felt the peace she had been seeking since her nightmare. _Everything's gonna be okay, Sara…you know that_, she could almost hear her mother saying to her, _I love you…and I'm very, very proud of you_. Sara grinned slightly and sat back in the seat; she noticed Andy walking up the stairs towards her. When he sat down beside her, she looked up at him. "Mark send you?" "No…but he is wondering where you are," Andy said with a smile. "Of course. I just needed some alone time…tonight's gonna be hard on me, so I wanted to pray a little more," she said quietly. "I take it you feel better, then?" he asked. Sara nodded and looked out at the arena. "Tonight's gonna be a lotta fun. It's gonna be painful…but it'll be fun," she said grinning. "As long as you're having fun, right?" he asked. Sara nodded and asked, "So how many people are gonna be at the wedding?" "About 100 people from my family, 100 people from Lisa's family…and then some of my close friends here," he answered. "Oh, my God…," Sara said softly, "That's a lot of people, Andy." Andy chuckled and nodded. "I'm the last in my family to get married, and Lisa's an only child, so…a lotta people from both of our families wanna see us get hitched," he said. "Well, I'm happy for you. I know I've told you that a lot, but I really am. If anybody deserves it, it's you," she said.

"Thank you, Sara. I'm really glad you're gonna be in my wedding…it means a lot to me," Andy said quietly, "I, uh…I've got a confession…" "What?" Sara asked with a smile. "You, uh…you were the first woman I…ever loved," he said quietly. Sara felt her cheeks warm, and she looked down at her hands. "Even when I was goin' out with Trish…you were the woman I had given my heart to, even though you've pretty much been with Mark since I first met you," he said quietly, "And I just wanted to…let you know that before I got married. I love Lisa with all I am, I do, you know that. But in a way, you…you were my first." Sara smiled and linked her fingers with his. "And you know you've got a piece o' my heart, too. I'm just glad you've been able to…give your love to someone who can really return it," she said quietly. "Speaking of which, Lisa's really worried about her bachelorette party," he said grinning. Sara released his hand and said, "Andy…tell her that we're gonna have as much fun at her party as we did at mine." "What _did_ they do for you?" Andy asked. "You don't wanna know," Sara said chuckling. "When are you guys gettin' into town for the wedding?" he asked. "Probably Wednesday night, just so I can do a little last-minute shopping for you guys," she answered. "Good, because we have our rehearsal dinner Thursday night," Andy said, "Well, at least that's the plan." Sara grinned and said, "We should get back downstairs …before the fans get here. And before Mark blows a gasket. I can deal with his tirades…I don't think Dany can yet." "She dealt with Kevin for six years," Andy said grinning. "Kevin's not Mark, Andy," Sara said quietly, "They're two very different people." Andy nodded and they stood, leaving the tranquility and privacy of the balcony.

Sara went straight to Janet's area to get her hair and make-up done. There was an hour and a half left until show time, so Sara had plenty of time to get ready. Gail and Lisa were already there, with Lisa in Janet's seat. "Hey, you," Sara said hugging her friend. "Hey, chica. You gettin' nervous yet?" Lisa asked with a grin. "Of course not. You know me," Sara answered smiling, "Besides, I've worked enough with Shawn that I really trust him." :"That's a good thing," Gail said grinning. "Yeah, it definitely is. How're you feelin'? You and Trish have been havin' some crazy battles lately," Sara said. "Yeah, she's a tough one. But it's always fun gettin' in the ring with her, because we both wanna give our all for the fans, ya know," Gail answered, "Whatever it takes." "I'm right there with ya," Sara said, "Tonight, I'm takin' the biggest risk o' my career, ya know, bringing a ladder into the mix. I'm not as worried as I was a few days ago, but there's still that unknown factor…but the fans are into that kinda stuff more and more nowadays, so I'll do what it takes to give 'em their money's worth." "Sara, I'm gonna be about 45 minutes, if you just wanna come back," Janet said with a smile, beginning to part Lisa's hair. "Nah, it's cool, Jan. I love talkin' to these ladies," Sara said winking at her. The time passed by quickly, because the women ended up talking about Lisa's wedding. Lisa even prodded Sara for details about her bachelorette party, but Sara managed to keep her mouth closed on that topic. When Janet finished with Gail, Sara said good-bye to the woman as she sat down in the seat. "So, it's gonna be a long night for you, huh?" Janet asked beginning to brush Sara's hair. "Yep…but I'm lookin' forward to it. Shawn and I have a lotta big spots planned, and we've got some good transition wrestling thrown in, too, so I think it's gonna go smoothly," Sara answered, "No…I _know_ it's gonna go smoothly." Janet smiled and asked, "What's the look for tonight?" "Straight down, Jan," Sara answered quietly, "No bullshit tonight."

A half an hour later, Sara went back to her locker room. Mark was on the floor pressing Melissa over his head. "What's goin' on here?" Sara asked shutting the door. "Melissa challenged her father to a match," Dany answered with a smile. "Mark, you've got a match tonight, ya know," Sara said grinning. "I'm takin' care of this light weight first, dollface," Mark said bringing Melissa down to his chest and beginning to tickle her. Sara chuckled and asked, "Dany, you wanna take a walk with me?" "Sure," Dany answered standing. The two women left the room, leaving Mark and Melissa to their antics. "So…what do you think of this crazy life I live?" Sara asked as they headed down the hall. "You called it what I was thinkin', crazy," Dany said with a grin, "How do you do this?" "It's all I've known the past 12 years," Sara answered, "I graduated college, and I met my first husband, Roddy…and he was a wrestler." "I didn't know you've been married twice," Dany said quietly. "Yeah…Roddy brought me into the business. We were married for three and a half years…and then Mark came into my life, and I realized I'd married the wrong man," Sara said. "What'd Roddy have to say about it?" Dany asked. Sara chuckled and said, "That's a long story. I'll tell ya this, though…I'd be lost without this business. I would've been in PR…but I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for wrestling." "Even through all the bullshit?" Dany asked. "Yep…even through all the bullshit," Sara said. They came up to the entranceway, and Dany stopped. "Come on, I just wanna show you somethin'," Sara said grinning. "But aren't the fans out there now?" Dany asked. "I'm not goin' onto the stage, Dany," Sara answered.

Dany followed Sara up the stairs, and Sara pulled the curtains back just a tad. "You see all those people?" she asked softly. "Yeah…there's no way in hell I could go out in front o' that many people," Dany said quietly. "Those people…are what I live for. The moment right before I step out on the stage, the anticipation I know they're feeling…it's what makes me feel like my life has a purpose. No matter what goes on back here, once I step out onto that stage…I'm home," Sara said grinning. "How do you deal with the bullshit, though? The fun out there only lasts so long," Dany said. Sara let the curtain back in place and headed down the stairs, Dany right behind her. "Dany…it would take me a lifetime to explain just how special this business is. Don't take this the wrong way, but…those who understand don't need an explanation; those who _do_ need an explanation…you'll never understand," Sara said quietly. "Ya know, Sara…I honestly do want to understand. It's just hard…because of all I went through working for Kevin…to come here now, and see how close you are with the guys here, and to see how much fun you have with them…it's like two completely different worlds, ya know," Dany said. "And I'll never understand how you dealt with Kevin for six years," Sara said grinning. "Me, either…but I guess it's not until you're out of a terrible relationship that you realize just how bad it was," Dany said quietly. "You know, Dany…every guy's not like Kevin…especially wrestlers," Sara said softly. "I know…I just…," Dany started. "I'll be honest…things with me and Roddy weren't always peachy. I was a terrible wife; it took meeting Mark to learn what the true meaning of compromise is…although I don't think I'll understand how some o' these guys have wives who just stay at home," Sara said grinning. "What do you mean?" Dany asked. "Wrestlers are known to be party animals, Dany…it's just the nature of the life we live, on the road all the time…some people take advantage of that lifestyle…but John's different," Sara said quietly. Dany rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Let's not even talk about that guy," she said tensely.

"I'm serious, Dany. He's a nice guy…and not many people get my thumbs-up. He's got a genuine heart…his sense o' humor's off sometimes, but it's just part o' who he is," Sara said. "Did he tell you to say that?" Dany asked with an raised brow. "Trust me, Dany…if I don't like a guy, I won't hesitate to tell you. But I've worked with John a lot over the years, and I've hung out with him back here a lot. He's one of the most entertaining guys on this roster," Sara answered. "Yeah…and he just reeks of "player"," Dany said. "I won't lie to you; John definitely has a lotta female fans. But when it comes down to it…ring rats don't rank high up on his list of favorites," Sara said grinning. "Yeah, well, he treated me like one earlier," Dany argued. "What?" Sara asked in shock. "I was asking him about why he called Melissa "lil' 'Taker", and he started talkin' to me like I was stupid, and I just took offense to it. I dealt with that bullshit with Kevin, and I'm not gonna deal with it again," Dany said heatedly. "Dany, like I said, don't take it the wrong way…but we wrestlers always find it funny when people who aren't wrestling fans find their way backstage, be it because of a backstage pass, or they know someone, or whatever the case may be. John didn't mean anything by that," Sara explained, "And since I take it you had Melissa with you when he saw you, he _knows_ you are far from a ring rat because you're associated with me. So…why don't you give him a chance?" Dany took a deep breath and looked down at the floor as they continued walking. "It's hard to trust again when your heart's been broken, Sara," she said softly. "I know…I learned that in college…I fell in love with a guy who didn't love me back…probably the same thing you went through with Kevin," Sara said quietly, "But I learned from that…that you may be deceived if you trust too much…but you will live in torment if you do not trust enough." Dany grinned and shook her head. "You're just full o' pearl wisdoms, aren't you?" she asked. "It comes from bein' in wrestling for 12 years. Maybe one o' these days, I'll tell you about my history with one Shawn Michaels. Second to Mark, he's taught me the most about trust," Sara said.

"So what do you do until the show starts?" Dany asked. "I'm gonna go grab a bottle of water, and probably a snack, and then go back to my room and relax," Sara said with a grin. Dany smiled as they headed to the catering room. "Isn't it dangerous to eat so close to your performance?" she asked. "I just eat a piece o' fruit, to give me a little boost o' energy," Sara answered, "I do need a favor from you, though." "Sure," Dany answered. "Melissa can't, under any circumstances, watch my match tonight. It's gonna be a lot more brutal than usual, and I don't want her to see it. So…if you could find some way to keep her distracted, I'd appreciate it," Sara said quietly. "Of course. I think I've got some cards in my backpack, and I know a few games that'll pass time," Dany said. "Okay, that's fine," Sara said. She quickly got a bottle of water and an orange from catering, before heading back to her dressing room. On the way there, she ran into Shawn and Tracy. "Hey, Tracy," Sara said hugging the woman. "Hey, Sara. Shawn told me you two have a great match planned tonight," Tracy said. "Yeah, it's gonna be a little crazy," Sara said, "Shawn's gonna take some pretty heavy bumps for me." "Yeah, he's warned me. Is Melissa here?" Tracy responded. "Yep. Oh, this is Dany, her new babysitter," Sara said motioning to Dany. "Well, it's very nice to meet you," Tracy said shaking Dany's hand. "Nice to meet you, too, ma'am," Dany said. "Please, call me Tracy," Tracy said smiling, "Are you into wrestling?" "Not really…but Sara's tryin' her hardest to change my mind," Dany answered with a grin. "It's a habit, Dany," Sara said smiling. "Yeah, it is," Shawn said, "Nice to meet you, Dany." "You, too, Shawn," Dany said, "I think I met you once before, though." "Really? When?" Shawn said. "Kevin had some little basketball party a few years ago, and you were there," Dany answered. "Oh…you were the housekeeper, right?" Shawn asked. "Yeah…," Dany said. "Sorry, I've got a bad memory sometimes. How'd you meet Sara?" Shawn said. "Long story, Shawn," Sara said with a grin. "Gotcha," Shawn responded. "Is Bridgette here?" Sara asked. "No. Tracy's mom did us a huge favor by watching her at home," Shawn answered, "We didn't want her to be here tonight." "I'm right there with ya. Melissa's not watching the match, either," Sara said. "Great parents think alike, huh?" Shawn asked grinning. Sara chuckled and nodded. "I'll see ya in about two hours, okay?" she said. "Sure thing," Shawn answered. Sara and Dany made their way back to her dressing room, where they found Mark and Melissa on the couch watching the _Sunday Night Heat_ program.

"Where'd you disappear to?" Mark asked as Sara sat down beside him. "Just went for a walk," she answered resting her head on his shoulder. Mark put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. "Just a few hours, and it'll be over, dollface," he said quietly. "Yeah…but I've got Orton to deal with after this," she said. "Who's that?" Dany asked. "Remember how I told you if I didn't like a guy here, I'd be honest about it," Sara said. Dany nodded and Sara said, "Some guys here…like Randy Orton…those are the guys you wanna stay away from. You said John seemed like a ladies man. Well, Randy Orton is the poster boy for man-whores worldwide. So be glad you ran into John instead o' Randy." Dany chuckled and turned her attention to the screen. "Mama, what's a man-whore?" Melissa asked. Mark smirked and rubbed his daughter's head. "Some things you don't need to know, munchkin," he said. "But--." "Listen to your dad, Melissa," Sara said with a grin, "Just know it's a bad thing to be." "Yes, mama," Melissa said. The preview show for the pay-per-view highlighted all the matches, and gave Sara yet another chance to explain to Dany how storylines worked. When the show started, Dany had a somewhat different outlook on the business. "I still can't believe you've done this for 12 years," she said after Shelton and Chris finished up their match, "Have you ever felt outta place, like bein' the only woman to wrestle the guys?" Sara chuckled and nodded. "More times than I like…especially bein' the World champion. It's a lotta pressure, from everyone…but I love to work under pressure…gives me that much more motivation to shut everybody up," she answered.

Around ten o' clock, Sara and Mark headed out to the entrance area. She ran into John on her way there. "Yo, Angel…," he said quietly. "Yes, John, I put in a good word for you," she said smiling slightly. "Really? How'd she take it?" he asked. "Why don't you do me a favor?" Sara asked. "Sure, anything," he answered. "Go keep her and Melissa company. Melissa's not watching my match, and I think she's gonna be a handful for Dany," Sara said. "Alright, I'll do that," John said before almost dashing away. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "He's hopeless," she said to Mark. "Well, at least you know he's got good intentions," Mark said. Sara nodded and linked her fingers with his. "I prayed earlier…about the match tonight," she said quietly, "I feel a helluva lot better than I did a few days ago." "That's good, dollface," Mark said grinning. "I trust Shawn a lot to help me through this match…second to you, I think he's taught me the most about trust," she said. "Wow, that's a compliment," Shawn said from behind her. Sara smiled and faced him. "It's the truth. You know I wouldn't lie about somethin' like that," she said quietly. Shawn nodded and asked, "Are you ready?" "I will be in about 20 minutes," she said grinning. "Alright. I'll meet you at the curtains, then," he said walking away. Sara took a deep breath, and she and Mark found a dark corner close to the entranceway. Mark helped her to stretch out as much as possible, and warm up her muscles with a few simple exercises. They prayed together for a few minutes, before Sara finally left for the pit. "You'll be watching?" she asked softly. "Every moment," he said quietly, "Give 'em hell, Angel." Sara smiled and walked up the stairs, where she found Shawn already there. "We've got a tough act to follow. Paul and Andy just took it to the max," he said quietly. "I think we'll do okay," she said rotating her neck. "Just okay?" he asked grinning. "Shut up, Shawn," Sara said smiling. "Alright, you two. Shawn, you're up," Vince said as Shawn's theme song blared throughout the arena. "See ya out there, Angel," Shawn said before heading through the curtains. "You ready for this, Angel?" Vince asked. "Vince…nothin' can stop me now," she answered quietly. "Is Melissa gonna be watching?" he asked. "No," Sara answered simply. Vince nodded and glanced at the screen. Shawn was only halfway down the ramp. "I hope you two have somethin' big planned," he said quietly. "Oh, we've got a lot o' big things planned," she said quietly, "And these people are gonna enjoy every minute of it, whether they like it or not." "That's what I like to hear," he said as Shawn slid into the ring, "Alright…you've got 15 seconds." Sara nodded and stood at the edge of the curtain, waiting for her music to begin. When it hit, she took a deep breath and stepped out onto the stage, knowing now that there was no turning back.

"And now, headed to the ring…from Daytona, Florida, the World Heavyweight champion: Angel!" Lillian said as Sara stopped at the very top of the stage. Sara stared out into the dimly-lit arena, a smirk on her face. _Everybody's doubting, and nobody has a clue_, she thought, her attention going to Shawn in the ring. He was motioning for her to hurry up. Sara cracked her knuckles and headed down the ramp. Shawn slid out of the ring, and the two people met near the bottom of the ramp, each throwing hard right punches. Sara got the upper hand, though, and managed to overpower Shawn. She knocked him backwards to the edge of the ring, and laid in a few harsh kicks to his midsection. Shawn groaned and leaned over, clutching his ribs. Sara grabbed a handful of his hair and threw his head into the stairs. Shawn groaned and tried to crawl around the left side of the ring, but Sara caught up with him easily and pulled him to his feet. She rammed his head into the barrier. Shawn stumbled forward, and Sara hit him with a forearm shot to the back. She then threw him into the ring. As she slid in, the referee signaled for the bell to ring, and Shawn kicked her in her back repeatedly. Sara groaned as she was pulled to her feet. Shawn punched her in the side of her head, then went for an Irish whip. Sara reversed it, and when Shawn bounced back, she leaned over and sent him flying with a high back-body drop. She dropped down at his side, ramming his head into the mat repeatedly. She stood and pushed her hair out of her face, waiting for Shawn to get to his feet. "Come on, Shawn, come on!" she screamed motioning for him to stand. Shawn grabbed the second rope, and pulled himself up, only for Sara to kick him in the back of his left leg, dropping him back down. When he stood, Sara knocked him back down with the same maneuver. Sara chuckled as she pulled Shawn to his feet, elbowing him in his jaw. She whipped him to the ropes closest to the ramp, but Shawn grabbed the top rope and dropped down, rolling out of the ring.

The referee held Sara back, while Shawn slowly got to his feet outside the ring. Sara pushed the referee to the side and went over to the ropes. She reached over the top rope and grabbed Shawn's hair, trying to pull him up onto the mat. Shawn grabbed the back of her head, and dropped down to the floor, bringing her throat across the top rope. Sara groaned and bounced back to the middle of the ring. As she rolled around coughing, Shawn grabbed the ladder standing in front of him, and put it in the ring under the bottom rope. _This is gonna hurt_, he thought as Sara stood. Sara noticed the position of the ladder, immediately bouncing off the ropes and hitting a baseball slide. The ladder hit Shawn right in the ribs, knocking him back down to the floor. Sara slid out of the ring, and picked Shawn up. She threw him over the barrier on the right side of the ring, much to the appeasement of the crowd. Guards immediately stood in front of the fans, giving both athletes room to move around. Sara climbed over the barrier, as Shawn started to run away from her. She smiled and grabbed his hair to stop him. Shawn threw a back elbow into her stomach, causing Sara to release him. He turned around and threw a few punches. Sara blocked his fourth punch, and hit him with her own right hands, knocking him down in a seat by a set of stairs. She picked him up, only to throw him into the small wall with advertisements on it. Shawn groaned and grabbed at his back. Sara planted a stiff kick to the back of his head, before pulling him back up to his feet. Shawn punched her once more in her stomach, causing her to stumble back. He knocked her back even more with a shot to her face. Sara turned around and took a few steps forward, leaving her open for a forearm shot to her back. They came up to the barrier, and Sara faced Shawn. He ran towards her, but she executed another back-body drop, this time over the barrier to the ringside area. Shawn screamed and grabbed at his back.

Sara leaned forward, taking a few deep breaths as the fans around her screamed their happiness. She stood up straight and climbed over the wall. She stared at Shawn, then at the ladder still halfway in the ring, then back at Shawn. She kicked him in his lower back a few times to keep him grounded, then pulled the ladder out of the ring. She set it up against the ropes facing the ramp, then pulled Shawn to his feet. She rammed his face into the ladder, then pulled him roughly down to the floor. A grin came to her face, and she moved between him and the ladder, pulling his feet up between her arms and body. Shawn gave her a barely noticeable nod, and she catapulted him into the ladder. Shawn groaned and fell right back down, clutching his face. Sara grabbed a second ladder from the right side of the ring and placed it on the steps by the announcer's table, so that the ladder rested on the third step and security wall, creating a bridge-like structure. When she turned around, Shawn raked her eyes roughly, garnering boos from the crowd. He picked up Sara and dropped her face-first onto the ladder. Sara screamed and flipped over the ladder to the other side. She grabbed her face, then stared at her hand, seeing if she had busted her nose or lip. Shawn tested the stability of the ladder on the steps and wall, making sure it would move as little as possible. He stepped over it, and grabbed Sara's hair, bringing her carefully up onto their "bridge". He threw Sara's arm over his neck, and grabbed a handful of tights. Sara blocked his suplex attempt, nailing him in his stomach with punches. Shawn groaned and took a step back. Sara punched him in the side of his head several times, when suddenly, Shawn slipped between rungs and landed gingerly.

Sara jumped down, and she couldn't help but laugh. "That's gotta suck!" she said pulling the ladder off the steps. Shawn groaned as his feet hit the floor, clutching his groin. Sara punched him in the jaw and threw him in the ring. She kicked him in the ribs until he was huddled up in the corner, then slid out of the ring and grabbed the ladder they were just on. She put it on the bottom rope to slide in, but Shawn jumped on it, forcing the ladder up into Sara's jaw and knocking her back to the floor. Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she once again put her hand to her lip, trying to see if she was bleeding. Shawn pulled the ladder into the ring as the referee checked on Sara outside. Shawn set up the ladder in the middle of the ring, making sure it was fully aligned with the World championship hanging above the ring. Sara finally made her way back into the ring as Shawn reached the top of the ladder. She quickly pushed the ladder over, but Shawn landed on his feet and clotheslined her down. He picked up the ladder, and rammed the bottom of it into Sara's ribs, forcing her back into the corner. He grabbed the back of her head, and shoved her face into the metal twice, bringing loud groans from Sara. Shawn left the ring and pulled a steel chair from under the ring, then climbed to the top rope. He went to hit Sara directly in the face, but Sara back-elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to drop the chair. Sara grabbed his head and managed to execute a snapmare takeover, bringing Shawn back-first onto the ladder. Shawn fell to the matt, clutching his back, and Sara slid down to the mat. Both people took a few moments to recollect themselves, but Sara got to her feet first. She leaned the ladder against the top rope, and stumbled over to Shawn. She pulled him to his feet, then hoisted him up onto her shoulders. _You heavy son of a bitch_, she thought before dropping him forward in an electric chair drop onto the ladder. Shawn groaned and slid off the ladder, clutching at his groin once more.

Sara smirked and slowly got to her feet. She grabbed the ladder, and set it up flat between the second and third ropes. She went over to Shawn, who had tried to scoot to the other side of the ring. She pulled him to his feet and went for an Irish whip into the ladder. Shawn reversed it, though, and Sara hit the ladder hard. She fell to the mat, screaming in pain and clutching her ribs. Shawn slowly walked over to her, and pulled her up into a reverse headlock, then dropped down, bringing the back of her neck over his right knee. Sara groaned and grabbed at the back of her neck. Shawn kicked Sara in her right side repeatedly, then pulled the ladder out a bit more to where it was right over Sara's face. He grabbed her feet between his arms, then drove her up into the ladder. Sara groaned and slid back into the corner, pulling the ladder down to the mat. She was beginning to feel the effects of the match, but it was only halfway over. Shawn slid out of the ring and grabbed the first ladder they'd used, sliding it into the ring. Shawn was also starting to feel the pain. He set up the ladder, but couldn't find the energy to start climbing. Sara set up the second ladder when he did begin to climb. She climbed up to where he was, grabbed a handful of his hair, and pulled him back down to the ring in a reverse DDT. Both people screamed at the pain, and Sara laid just as flat as Shawn. The referee slid in to check on both people. When he saw that they were both okay, he merely rolled right back outside the ring. The fans began to chant Sara's name, bringing her back to the reality of her match. _I've got to get up that ladder_, she thought slowly sitting up. She winced and clutched at her back, slowly beginning to climb up the first ladder. Each step she took brought louder and louder chants from the audience. Suddenly, Shawn hit her in her back with a forearm shot, climbed up the second ladder, then pulled Sara into a reverse chinlock, dropping back down to the mat. Sara screamed and rolled onto her stomach, her hand on her throbbing lower back.

Shawn rolled out of the ring and pulled two more chairs from under the ring. He slowly slide back into the ring, placing one of the chairs under Sara's head. Sara took a few deep breaths as he went to pick up the second chair. Sara quickly flipped onto her back and shoved the chair up into Shawn's face, knocking him back down to the mat. She slowly rolled out of the ring, and grabbed a third ladder, sliding it into the ring. She sets the ladder up on the two steel chairs, creating yet another bridge-like formation, and put Shawn onto the ladder, punching him in the face repeatedly. She then pulled herself up onto the top rope, nailing a moonsault on Shawn right across the ladder. Shawn rolled into the corner, and Sara crawled to the other side of the first ladder, making a second attempt to climb. Only a few steps up, Shawn nailed her in the ribs with the third ladder, knocking her down to the mat. Shawn set up the third ladder in front of the first two, then moved to climb up the second ladder. Sara struggled to get to the top rope, but when she did, she immediately launched herself towards Shawn, spearing him down to the mat. Both people were now laid out, but the fans were at a fever pitch. Sara twitched and grabbed at her midsection. That fall had knocked the wind out of her. After about 30 seconds, both people began to stir. They each moved to the third ladder, then began to climb up. At the top of the ladder, they began to throw punches at each other. Their momentum, however, tipped the ladder, sending both people crashing to the floor. Sara wanted to give up right then and there, because every single muscle in her body was screaming. The "Holy shit!" chant from the fans didn't even give her a boost of energy like it usually did.

Shawn groaned as he got to his feet first, slowly rolling into the ring. He started to climb the second ladder, but noticed Sara wasn't even standing yet, so he slid back down to the mat. When he saw her hand on the mat, he began to climb up again. Sara slowly slid into the ring, grabbing the closest chair. She got to her feet, and rammed the chair up between Shawn's legs. Shawn screamed and clutched at his groin once more. That was the third low blow of the match, and it wasn't getting any less painful for him, even with a protective cup. Sara set up the third ladder and placed the steel chair in her hand between the second and top rung. The grabbed the second steel chair and climbed up the ladder. Once at the top, she rammed Shawn's face into the first ladder and stretched him across the first two ladders. She placed the chair in her hand underneath Shawn's head and rammed his head into it a couple times. She straddled the third ladder and pulled the first steel chair from its resting place. As the crowd began to cheer even louder, she reached back and nailed Shawn in the head with the chair. Shawn groaned loudly and slowly slid off the ladder, collapsing in the middle of the ring. Sara carefully pushed the first two ladders down on top of Shawn before looked up at the World Heavyweight title. She took a few deep breaths before grabbing the belt from its holding place. The bell rang, signaling the end of the match, and Sara clutched the title closely. "The winner of the match, and _still_ World Heavyweight champion, ANGEL!" Lillian screamed from ringside. Sara looked out at the crowd, and held the title high above her head. She carefully climbed down the ladder, wincing with each movement. She dropped down to the mat and rolled out of the ring. Brian Hebner came over to her to help, but she whispered, "Help Shawn." Brian nodded and rolled into the ring, while Sara made her way to the back.

Mark met Sara as soon as she came down the stairs. "Dollface," he said reaching for her. Sara let out a shaky breath and grabbed his hand. "Where's Melissa?" she asked softly. "In our dressing room," he answered. Several people came by to congratulate Sara on a great match, but Sara's only thought was getting her midsection wrapped up. She thanked them all as Mark led her down to Bruce's assigned room. When she got there, Mark helped her onto the table. "Brutal match, Sara," Bruce said handing her a towel. "Yeah…I hope Shawn's okay," she said quietly. Shawn came limping into the room moments later. "Hey, you," she said as he eased into a chair. Shawn let out a slow breath and looked up at her. "I had fun," he said grinning, "You?" "Oh, a total blast. We should do that again," she said winking at him. Shawn chuckled softly, then groaned. "Yeah, I'm right there with ya. Tomorrow morning is not gonna be a good one," Sara said quietly. "You want me to go get Melissa?" Mark asked quietly. "No…go to her, though. Let her know I'm okay. I'll be here in a few minutes," she answered slowly sitting up. Mark kissed her cheek softly before leaving the room. "So...how much pain are you really in?" Shawn asked quietly. "Everything hurts, Shawn…even worst than last time," she said quietly, her eyes focused on the floor. "I would expect the first time to be painful," Shawn said grinning. "That's disgusting," Sara said before chuckling, "Ouch." "Your ribs aren't bruised or anything, Sara. I can give you some ibuprofen for the pain, though, and an icepack," Bruce said. "That'll work," she said quietly, taking a deep breath, "I should go stretch out anyway." She slowly slid off the table, groaning slightly, and grabbed the World title. Bruce handed her a small pack of ibuprofen and a large icepack. "I'll see ya tomorrow," he said. "Sara," Shawn said as she headed for the door. Sara stopped and faced him. "Yeah," she said yawning. "It was an honor," he said extending his right hand. Sara smiled and shook his hand. "It was my pleasure, Shawn," she said grinning, "I'll see ya tomorrow, buddy."

Sara then left the room, shutting the door behind her. She slowly made her way down to her locker room, opening the door but stopping immediately. John was sitting on the floor playing with Melissa, as Mark and Dany watched on from the couch. "Mama!" Melissa screamed running into Sara's legs. Sara winced, but hid it as Melissa looked up at her. "Hey, munchkin," she said forcing a grin. "Are you okay, mama?" Melissa asked looking at the icepack in Sara's hands. "Yeah, I'm just a little tired. I need to stretch out, though," Sara said coming into the room. "I'll take that as the cue to leave," John said standing. Sara grinned and held the door open. "Thanks, John," she said when he walked by her. "No problem, Angel. See ya tomorrow," he said before looking over his shoulder at Dany, "Later, ma." Sara smiled as Dany's eyes dropped to her hands. She shut the door and asked, "He stay with you during my match?" "Much to my chagrin," Dany said rolling her eyes, "Melissa wanted him to stay, though, so…" Sara chuckled and eased onto the floor, and Melissa sat down in front of her. "What are you doin', sweetheart?" Sara asked. "Stretching with you, mama," Melissa said, "Uncle John gave me a workout." Sara chuckled, then grabbed at her ribs. "Are you sure you're okay, mama?" Melissa asked. "As soon as I stretch out, I'll be better," Sara answered. "Okay, mama," Melissa said quietly.

Dany watched as Sara tried her hardest to hide her pain from her daughter. A half an hour later, Sara laid back on the floor and let out a deep breath. "Better, mama?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, munchkin. You ready to go?" she asked with a yawn. Melissa yawned as well, and Sara smiled as Mark helped her stand. "Mama's gotta clean up, munchkin," Sara said. "Okay, mama," Melissa said climbing onto the couch. Mark followed Sara into the bathroom, and shut the door behind them. "Well, that was a shock," Sara said quietly, turning on the shower. "What's that?" Mark asked as they both undressed. "John bein' in here," Sara said. "Yeah…surprised me, too," Mark said quietly. Sara stepped into the shower and grinned slightly as the hot water pelted against her skin. "You're gonna be pretty bruised up in the morning," Mark said running his hands over her back. Sara nodded and leaned her head forward, allowing him to massage her tense muscles. "I'm just glad I didn't let Melissa watch that. She'd be ready to kill Shawn for hurtin' her mama," she said with a grin. Mark chuckled and nodded in agreement. "What'd you think of the match?" she asked quietly. Mark took a deep breath as he continued to run his hands over her back. "When you guys…fell off that ladder…to the outside…," he said slowly, "That was the first time in a long time I've been afraid for your safety." Sara took a deep breath and faced him. "Me, too," she said softly. Mark pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "I wanted to run out there just to make sure you were okay," he said softly. "As soon as it started tipping, all I could think about was that nightmare," she said starting to tremble. Mark took a deep breath and caressed her back gently. "And everything turned out okay…just like you knew it would," he said softly. Sara nodded and said, "But still…the fear was there for that one moment." "And that's understandable. I couldn't have taken that kind of a bump…not for anything," he said quietly, "That was very brave of you, dollface." Sara smiled and looked up at him. "I love you, too," she whispered.

Mark leaned down to kiss her, but she turned her head just before his lips found hers. "Come on, we gotta get outta here," she said grabbing her soap and beginning to lather her body. Mark chuckled and pulled her back to him, forcing her to lather him up as well. After showering, they both got dressed and went back into the dressing room. Melissa was now curled up in Dany's arms, fast asleep. "I think Mr. Cena wore her out," she said grinning slightly. "Yeah…he's more her big brother than anything. He looks out for her a lot," Sara said reaching for her duffel bag. Mark grabbed it instead, winking at her as he did. "I get to drive, too," he said quietly. "That's fine, Mark," Sara said shaking her head, "Come on, Dany." Dany slowly stood, careful not to wake Melissa. They headed out of the building, and Dany stopped suddenly. "Can you take her, Sara?" she asked quietly. Sara spotted John walking towards his car, and grinned. "Meet ya at the car," she said taking Melissa. Dany nodded and quickly went over to John. "John…," she said quietly. John stopped and looked over his shoulder. "What's up?" he answered. "Look, I, uh…wanted to thank you for helping me earlier…with Melissa. I appreciate that," she said slowly. "No problem. I try to look out for her whenever she comes to the arenas," he said. "Well, thanks…I guess I'm gonna see you tomorrow, then," she said quietly. "Oh, you're traveling with Sara this week?" he asked. "Just for today and tomorrow. She wanted Melissa to come to the pay-per-view, so…," she said. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then," he said grinning. Dany nodded and turned to walk away. "Dany?" John asked. Dany took a deep breath and faced him again. "Yeah," she said. "We should do lunch tomorrow…if you want," he said, "We can even take Melissa with us." A smile came to Dany's face, and her eyes dropped to the ground. "I'd like that," she said softly. "Alright," he said moving towards her. Dany felt her cheeks heat up when he kissed her softly. "See ya tomorrow, ma," he whispered. Dany smiled and walked back to where Sara had parked earlier. "Wow…," Sara said grinning. "Don't even," Dany said climbing into the back seat.

Mark quickly arrived at their hotel, wanting to get as much sleep as possible that night. They grabbed their luggage from the back of the truck before heading inside. After checking in, Mark came back over to Sara and Dany. "Alright, Dany, here's your key. We're meetin' down here at seven a.m., because we have to drive to the next town," he said handing over a key card. "Alright. I'll see you guys in the morning," she said heading for the elevator. Sara and Mark headed down the hallway, because their room was on the first floor. Inside the room, Sara laid Melissa down in the middle of their bed. She sat down beside her, pushing her hair gently out of her face. "You okay, dollface?" Mark asked softly. "Yeah…just ready for this to be over," Sara answered quietly. Mark leaned down and kissed her cheek softly. "She's gonna be fine, dollface," he whispered. Sara nodded slightly and stretched out in the bed, grimacing slightly. "You okay?" he asked. "Yeah…just need to get to sleep," she answered softly. Mark turned off the light and climbed into the bed in front of her. "You were great tonight, dollface," he said caressing her cheek softly, "I really mean that…I'm very, very proud of you." Sara grinned slightly and looked down at Melissa. "You think she'd feel the same?" she asked softly. "Without a doubt," Mark answered grinning as well, "Hell, she wants to follow in your footsteps." Sara took a deep breath and shrugged. "She's too stubborn for her own good," she said quietly. "Sounds like someone I know," he said softly. Sara chuckled and eased forward, kissing him softly. "I love you," she whispered before resting her head on her pillow. "I love you, too, dollface," he said. Sara yawned loudly and closed her eyes, allowing sleep to consume her weary body. Mark followed behind her a few minutes later.


	106. Make Some Noise

**Yeah, I was pretty determined to post this chapter before I went to bed. It's pretty long, and I honestly didn't mean for it to be. It just took on a life of its own. :) Hope you like it! **

**P.S. The new apartment is going great! It took me five days to get everything set up the way I wanted it, and I eventually hung up about/over 130 posters (98 of which are wrestling-related...what can I say, I have an obession).**

**P.P.S. ORDER ECW ONE NIGHT STAND, LIVE ON PPV THIS SUNDAY FROM NYC'S HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM! E-C-W! E-C-W! E-C-W! "ECW was a lifestyle; it was anti-establishment; it was counterculture; and it was UP IN YOUR FACE!" -Paul Heyman :D

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Chapter 105…Make Some Noise

Mark woke up the next morning and quickly turned off the alarm. It was already quarter after six, but he didn't want Sara to have to get out of the bed until she had to. Sara groaned and tried to shift in the bed. "Oh, God…Melissa," she whispered. Melissa was stretched over Sara's stomach, and was unknowingly causing her mother an immense amount of pain. Mark quickly pulled Melissa away, sitting down at Sara's side. "How bad is it?" he asked quietly. Sara's eyes opened, and tears immediately fell down the sides of her face. "Oh, baby," he whispered kissing the side of her head, "I'm gonna give Melissa a bath, and then take a shower. I'll wake you up when I'm done, okay." Sara swallowed and nodded her head slightly. "You want that ibuprofen Bruce gave you?" he asked quietly. "Yeah," she whispered. "Munchkin, why don't you go ahead in the bathroom," Mark said setting Melissa down on her feet. Melissa reached for Mark to pick her back up, her eyes halfway closed, but Mark gently pushed her towards the bathroom. Sara let out a slow breath, not wanting to move one inch. "Where's it hurt?" Mark asked when the bathroom door shut. "God, everywhere," she whispered. Mark turned on the lamp beside the bed, and helped her remove her shirt and sweatpants. "My God," he whispered carefully moving his hands over her skin. There were bruises covering her forearms, the right half of her stomach over her ribcage, and her thighs. "Just go…help Melissa. I'll be up and walking around by the time you're done," she whispered, trying to take deep breaths. "Are you sure, baby?" he asked quietly. "Yeah…only two more months," she said quietly, "Remember?" Mark let out a heavy sigh and nodded. "That doesn't mean I won't worry any less," he said softly. Sara grimaced as she forced herself into a sitting position. "Come here," she whispered spreading her arms slowly. Mark hugged her carefully, and she whispered, "I'm gonna be fine, okay?" "If you say so, dollface," he whispered. Sara grinned and kissed him softly, when the bathroom door opened. "Daddy!" Melissa groaned, "Why'd you wake me up?" Sara chuckled and said, "So you can take a bath." She looked back to Mark, who grinned and kissed her once more before standing and going into the bathroom, shutting the door quietly.

Sara slowly moved her legs over the edge of the bed, groaning quietly as she did. Several minutes passed by, during which she ran her hands gently over her thighs, kneading the tense muscles. She carefully moved down to the floor, her face contorted in pain. Despite the immense amount of pain she was in, she stretched out her muscles as much as possible. It took her nearly a half an hour before she could finally stand. As she pulled out a towel, the bathroom door opened. Mark walked out with a towel wrapped around his waist, and Melissa in his arms, one of the hotel towels wrapped around her small body. Her head was resting on his shoulder, and her hands had a handful of his hair. "She never wants to let my hair go," Mark said grinning, setting her down on the bed. "It's so beautiful, though," Sara said softly, running her fingers through her hair. "You feel any better?" he asked. Sara grinned slightly and nodded. "I'm dead tired, though," she answered. "I would expect so, a match like that. Do you have a book or something to read for the trip?" he asked. Sara nodded and headed into the bathroom. "Be out as soon as I can," she said before shutting the door. Mark dressed Melissa in a pair of wool pants, and a sweater. It was September, and weather in Canada was far different than weather in Texas. He dressed in a pair of comfortable, well-worn jeans, and a black t-shirt, before slipping on his boots. For once, he actually managed to brush his hair dry without tangling it. Sara came out of the bathroom 20 minutes later, the bruises on her body less apparent than when she first got out of bed. She quickly slipped on a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a pair of comfortable tennis shoes. She packed her dirty clothes up, yawning as she did so. "I'll try my best to stay awake on the trip there," she said quietly. "It's okay, dollface. I'll understand if you fall asleep," Mark said softly. Sara grinned and pulled on a WWF sweater with her logo on the back. "Come on. Dany's probably wondering where we are," she said slowly putting her duffel bag on her shoulder. Mark did the same before picking Melissa up, holding her carefully with one arm, gripping his suitcase with his free hand. Sara opened the door and let him out first, before dragging her suitcase behind her.

In the lobby, Dany was sitting with a cup of coffee in hand. "And here I was, rushing 'cause I overslept," she said grinning as Mark and Sara walked in. "Sorry, Dany," Sara said smiling slightly. "How do you feel?" Dany asked, reaching immediately for Melissa. Mark handed her over and went to check out. "A lot better than when I woke up. Stretching as soon as I wake up really helps," Sara answered, "And I think the bruises should be gone by the time we get to Calgary." "Were they big bruises?" Dany asked quietly. "Yeah…pretty much all over," Sara answered, "I'm just glad I don't have another big match like that to worry about for a while. I usually don't get bruises from wrestling anymore, just because I've done it for so long…but when I do, man, do they decide to show up." Dany chuckled slightly and looked down at Melissa. "She'll probably sleep for a few more hours," Sara said quietly. "Um…do you mind if I, uh, take her to lunch…with John?" Dany asked looking up at Sara. Sara grinned and shook her head. "Of course not, Dany," she said, "I told you he's a nice guy." "It's not a date," Dany said. "Right…," Sara said still grinning. "I'm serious," Dany said. "Uh-huh. And what was that kiss, a friendly peck?" Sara said. Dany rolled her eyes and looked down at Melissa. "Sorry, Dany…I'll drop it," Sara said quietly. "Nah, it's alright…he _is_ a nice guy," Dany said softly, a slight grin on her face at the thought of John Cena, "I just didn't think I'd be attracted to a guy so soon after…ya know." "Well, it's been over a month, right?" Sara asked. "Yeah," Dany answered. "That's plenty o' time. You're on your own, you're saving up money for school, you're goin' for what you want in life. Let John in…trust me, he'll help you have a lotta fun," Sara said. Dany nodded slightly as Mark walked up. "Ready?" he asked. "I'm gonna grab a cup o' coffee, but I'll meet you outside," she said. Mark nodded and grabbed both of their suitcases, leading Dany outside. Sara poured a cup of black coffee, and put a few bagels in napkins, before going outside. She dumped her duffel bag in the back of the truck, before climbing into the passenger seat. "Here," she said handing a bagel to Mark, and one to Dany. "Thanks, Sara," Dany said buckling Melissa up beside her. "No problem," Sara said as Mark pulled out of the parking lot.

The drive to Calgary went very smoothly. Just as Sara predicted, Melissa awoke in the backseat around ten o' clock. They stopped at a McDonald's an hour away from Calgary to get her breakfast before continuing on their trip. Once arriving in Calgary, Mark headed straight for the arena. They pulled into the parking lot at nearly 12:30 p.m. After Mark finally parked, Sara jumped out of the truck to stretch her limbs. She didn't mind car rides, but they didn't do well for her body when she'd wrestled such a brutal match just the night before. "You okay, mama?" Melissa asked as Dany opened the back door. Sara pulled Melissa out over Dany's lap with a smile. "Of course your mama's okay," she said kissing her cheek. "Can you take me to the ring today, mama?" Melissa asked as Sara grabbed her duffel bag from the back of the truck. "In a couple hours, munchkin. I've got some work to take care of first, okay?" Sara answered. Melissa nodded, then squirmed to get down. Sara chuckled and set her down on the ground. "Alright, Ms. Big Kid," she said. Melissa put her hand in Sara's with a smile on her face. "I love you, too, mama," she said. Melissa practically pulled Sara into the building, Mark and Dany right behind them. "And why are you in such a rush, young lady?" Sara asked with a smile. "The sooner you get your work done, the sooner we can go to the ring," Melissa answered. Sara chuckled softly as they headed down the corridor. They quickly found the locker room assigned for her and Mark, and entered. "Alright, you're here, munchkin," Sara said feigning to be out of breath. Melissa smiled and climbed up onto the couch. "Get to work, mama," she said seriously. Sara chuckled and held up her hands. "Alright, kiddo," she said going into the bathroom. She changed into a pair of running shorts, a sports bra, and a tanktop. When she went back into the room, Dany was now sitting with Melissa.

"Where's Mark?" she asked. "Don't know. He just told me to follow you and Melissa, and I'd find the locker room," Dany answered. Sara hunched her shoulders and dropped her clothes in her bag. "When are you goin' to lunch?" Sara asked grinning. "I, uh, don't know…I guess John will come find me when he wants to," Dany answered, a grin on her face as well. "Alright. I guess I'll see you in a few hours," Sara said before leaving the room. She found the arena locker room, and immediately stepped onto one of the treadmills. She set her time limit for only 20 minutes, deciding to run at a very light pace. As she finished up her run, Mark walked in with Shawn. Sara stepped off the treadmill and rotated her neck, waving absentmindedly to both men. "What's up, Angel," Shawn spoke. "How long did it take _you_ to get outta bed this morning?" she asked grinning. "Over a half an hour," Shawn said chuckling, "Had bruises in places I didn't know possible." Sara chuckled and nodded. "Same here," she said, "But it was fun…kinda…in a sadomasochistic kind o' way, ya know." Shawn laughed and nodded. "If I don't have to go through that for the rest o' my career, I'll be a happy man," he responded. "Yeah, seriously," Sara said beginning to stretch out her legs, "Who's your next feud with?" "No clue. There's actually rumors about another draft lottery soon, to spice things up again," Shawn said. "Wow…well, I guess that's pretty cool," Sara said grinning slightly, "Are they hyping it up like last time?" "I think they're actually gonna start promoting it in a couple weeks," he answered. Sara shrugged and said, "I gotta finish up this workout, Shawn. Mark, you wanna go to lunch in a couple hours?" "Yeah, dollface," Mark answered. Sara winked at him before going over the free weight area. _At least I know I'm safe_, she thought.

Only an hour later, Sara went back down to her locker room. She quickly took a shower, dressing in a clean pair of sweatpants and loose t-shirt. Afterwards, she made her way down to Vince's office. She quietly knocked on the door, entering when she heard Vince's voice. "Hey, Sara. I was just gonna get Jim to come get you," Vince said grinning, "Have a seat." Sara slowly sat down in the chair in front of Vince's desk. "How do you feel?" he asked. "Still a little sore, but ready for the next challenge," she said grinning. "Good. It's a big challenge, though," he said. "A Submission Match? It's no different than an "I Quit" match," she said, "I'm up for it." Vince took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "What? You change your mind?" she asked. "Yeah…on the plane ride from Edmonton last night, Creative decided that…since you did so well in the Ladder match…we wanted to do something bigger," he said slowly. "How much bigger?" she asked. "How do you feel about…Hell in a Cell?" he asked. "Excuse me?" Sara asked with a raised eyebrow. "Hell in a Cell…you and Randy," he answered. Sara smirked and chuckled. "Oh, sure, of course, sounds like a great idea!" she said sarcastically, "You're kidding, right?" "No…we all feel that the fans will go with it, seeing as you've been wrestling for 12 years, _and_ you just beat Shawn Michaels in a Ladder match," he said. "Vince, a Ladder match isn't in the same ballpark as Hell in a Cell. Hell, it isn't the same goddamn league!" Sara said exasperatedly, "You're asking me to…there's no way in hell you're serious about this!" "I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't serious," Vince said quietly. Sara took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair. "It's gonna be at No Mercy?" she asked. "Yeah…we thought it'd be a perfect fit for the pay-per-view," he said. Sara took another deep breath and rolled her eyes. "Am I gonna be wrestling over the next month?" she asked. "Tonight, no…next week, we have plans for you to," he answered. Sara took a deep breath and shrugged. "Fine…," she said quietly.

"It'll be great for your title reign, Sara," Vince said. "What about my health, Vince," she said softly. "We'll try and give you a minimal amount of matches at houseshows over the next four weeks, just so you can rest up for No Mercy," he answered. Sara rolled her eyes and sighed. "Shawn said somethin' about another draft," she said suddenly. "Yeah. We're gonna have promos for it starting tonight, and it's happening in two weeks," he answered. "Why that soon?" she asked. "It's been somethin' we've been meaning to do for a while, we just couldn't get around to it. Now there's room for it in the storylines, because not too many people are doin' anything," Vince answered, "But all the champions are safe, on both shows, so you don't have anything to worry about." "What about Mark?" she asked. "He's not a champion, Sara. He could get drafted; he could end up staying on RAW. I don't know myself who's goin' where until the choice gets made. When we say it's random, we mean it," he answered. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "We done?" she asked. "Oh, wait. Here's your schedule for the next month, and Mark's schedule up until the draft," he said. Sara immediately looked to see how many days she had off that week. "Shit," she whispered. "What?" Vince asked. "Nothin'," Sara said standing, "Thanks, Vince." Vince nodded and watched as she left the room, a slight grin on his face. The next month was going to be very interesting for his company.

Sara headed down to her dressing room, her eyes glued to the floor. She hadn't expected to have so many issues to deal with during her last few months as a wrestler. _This business has never been predictable, Sara. Just because you're having one last run in the spotlight doesn't mean you're actually in control_, she thought entering her room. She plopped down on the couch, the papers falling from her hands to the floor. _He can't go…he can't leave me here_, she thought sadly, _I can't do this by myself_. Tears came to her eyes, and Sara swallowed, not being able to hold them back. She leaned forward with her elbows on her knees, trying to take deep breaths. The door opened, and Sara quickly wiped her cheeks, reaching down to pick up the papers at her feet. "Dollface?" Mark asked going over to her, "What happened?" Sara sniffled and shook her head. "Dany take Melissa to lunch already?" she asked quietly. "Yeah, she said John was taking them to a diner a few blocks away," Mark answered, "Now why were you crying?" Sara took a deep breath and handed him his schedule. "What's so bad about this? It doesn't look any different," he said looking over the sheet. Sara handed over her own schedule before sitting back on the couch. Mark noticed the length differences immediately. "What's up with this?" he asked tensely. Sara swallowed before taking a deep breath. "Shawn was right, Mark. There's gonna be another draft…in two weeks. Vince told me about it just a little bit ago," she said quietly.

"So why is your schedule longer?" he asked. "Vince said that…the only people who are exempt from the draft…are titleholders," she answered, "There's no guarantee you're leaving…but there's no guarantee you're staying." Mark sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair. Despite what the fans thought, the draft was very much a random one. He remembered distinctly how worried Sara was that they would be separated at the last draft. Melissa had just turned two, and was becoming a huge handful for them _and_ Stacy. Mark was getting more and more television time, and Sara was beginning to have steady feuds as well. The draft had threatened to throw their world into shambles. "We got lucky last time, baby," he said finally, "Let's just pray we can make it through this draft just as luckily." "What if we don't, Mark?" Sara asked softly. "We'll deal with it, then," he answered quietly. "How? Both shows are on completely different schedules, Mark. How are we gonna raise Melissa with us being around her separately? And that's not to even mention how hectic my schedule is gonna be, 'cause--." "To be honest, Sara…I don't really wanna have this conversation again," Mark said tensely, "We had it a year and a half ago…" Sara watched him go into the bathroom, shutting the door harshly behind him. She flinched slightly at the noise, letting out a heavy sigh. "I know, Mark," she said softly.

Mark took a hot shower, taking his time to relax his mind. Things had been going so well; he didn't want the draft to put more stress on their relationship than ever. "God, I pray you give us strength to get through this…no matter how things turn out," he said quietly, "We're just now getting our feet on the ground. I love her…with all my hear…and I'm willing to work as hard as possible to keep our family intact. I just need your help, Father. And I pray you will give it to me. I say these things in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ…Amen." After stepping out of the stall, Mark went back into the locker room. Sara was still on the couch, her head lowered. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly. "I'm praying," she whispered. Mark got dressed in his outfit for the night (a pair of black tights with his symbol outlined in red on each pants leg, a loose, sleeveless, black V-neck tunic, and black boots), then put on a large, black, long-sleeved shirt. He sat down beside his wife, waiting patiently for her to finish. Sara ended her prayers a few minutes later, then looked up at Mark. "I'm sorry," she said softly, "I didn't mean to, uh, stress you out…about…the draft." Mark touched her cheek and whispered, "I'll make you a deal." "What?" she asked. "I won't mention the draft for the next two weeks…you won't mention it for the next two weeks…and neither of us will be stressed," he said grinning. Sara grinned as well and nodded slightly. "Deal," she said quietly, "You hungry?"

Mark raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Of course," he answered. "Hopeless male," she said softly. Mark leaned forward and kissed her gently. When he pulled away, Sara dropped her head forward to his chest. "Seven years…and your kisses still take my breath away," she whispered letting out a slow breath. "I hope it's that way for the rest of our lives," he said grinning. Sara smirked as his arms came around her, pulling her closer. "I love you, Mark," she said softly. "Ditto, dollface," he whispered, "Let's go grab lunch." Mark stood and helped her to her feet. "Did Dany say when she was gonna be back?" she asked as they left the room. "With John, who knows. He'll probably take 'em walking around town for a little while," he answered linking her fingers with his. "I guess we get a little break, then," Sara said grinning. "She's in good hands, baby," he said quietly. "I know…it's just weird not having to really worry about her," she said. "Yeah, I know what you mean," he said. Sara grinned and let out a content sigh. "See how relaxing life is when you don't worry about the little things," he said softly. "Yeah," she said with a smile, "Oh, yeah…my, uh, match with Randy…got changed." "To what?" he said as they entered the room assigned for lunch, "I thought it was set on a Submission Match." "Let's get our food first," she said quietly. Mark nodded and went over to the long table on the left side of the room. They both got a decent-sized meal, and a large bottle of water, before heading to an empty table.

Once seated, Sara looked down at her plate and took a deep breath. "So…what crazy idea did Vince come up with for your second title defense, dollface?" Mark asked cutting up his small steak. "Well…it's a big challenge…somethin' no woman has ever done," she answered, trying to stay positive. "Well, you've had a lotta firsts, hon. There's not too much more you haven't done," he said grinning. "Hell in a Cell, Mark," she whispered. Mark froze with a piece of meat halfway to his mouth. "Yeah, you heard me right," she said softly. "I hope you told him no," he said before putting the steak in his mouth. Sara took a deep breath to calm herself, because she heard the doubt his voice. "I told him I'd do it," she said quietly, "He said I wouldn't be wrestling much over the next month, just so I'll be rested enough for it." Mark dropped his fork on the table and swallowed his food before speaking. "Are you crazy, Sara?" he said quietly, "That match ain't for the weak at heart, darlin'. It ends careers. Hell, it probably took a few years off my--." "I would think after all I've been through the past 12 years of my career, _you'd_ believe I'm prepared for this. Shawn's attack probably took a few years off _my_ career," she hissed quietly. "How can you be so selfish, Sara? Did you even think of the worry you're gonna cause Melissa! Your _legacy_ – since that's what it seems you're so concerned about here – was set when you won that title. You don't have to agree to wrestle all these crazy matches to earn anybody's respect," he snapped, "You have that, and you know it." "It's not to earn respect, Mark. Maybe I agreed for myself, to prove to _myself_ that I deserve that title. _You_ sent me with Kevin for a month just so I could be World champion afterwards. Maybe _that_ grates my nerves, Mark, that Vince didn't make me champion because _I_ asked, but because _you_ negotiated for it," she snapped back, "Maybe I wanna prove to _myself_ that I'm World champion material."

Mark's jaw clenched and he looked down at his plate. Their conversation was drawing a few stares, and he didn't want it to get any worse. "You know I'm right," Sara said softly, her voice becoming gentle, "I'm your wife…and the mother of your child...I depend on you _and_ Melissa…but I'm still my own woman…you know that much about me…and I thought it was something that you really loved." Mark sighed heavily and covered his eyes with his hands. "You do that so well," he said quietly. "What?" she asked softly. Mark glared at her and quietly snapped, "Spin everything so that _you're_ the victim, so that _my_ concerns aren't important to you." "You don't think _I_ have concerns about this!" she hissed. "Oh, spare me your bullshit, Sara," Mark snapped picking up his water bottle, "I just lost my goddamn appetite." Sara watched him storm out of the room, before choosing to follow him. _This isn't gonna be good_, she thought entering the room behind him. She shut the door quietly, but Mark's voice erupted the moment she did. "This job _ALWAYS_ comes between us, Sara! Why!" he yelled, "Are you so fucking independent that you don't care about your family!" "That is _not_ it, Mark! Besides, I was a wrestler _way_ before I was ever your wife," she snapped back. "I don't understand why everything has to be about you!" he screamed. "And I don't understand what this has to do with _you_! You're not in that match, Mark, I am!" she said tensely. "You are un-fucking-believable! When's it gonna be enough, Sara? All this shit you're putting yourself through--." "The day after Survivor Series," she said softly, "Please…just support me until then."

Mark sighed heavily and turned his back to her. "I take it Melissa won't be watching that match," he said quietly. "Of course not," she answered softly. "What about Survivor Series?" he said, "Vince tell you who you're working with for that pay-per-view?" "No, not yet," she answered, "I figured he'd tell me after No Mercy." "Okay," he said softly, his head lowered, "If that's what you…feel you need to do…for whatever reasons…I'll try not to give you any shit about it." Sara slowly went over to him, slipping her arms around his waist and pressing her head against his back. Mark tensed up slightly, hating that he had to shove down his pride once again. "Why do I always end up giving up something for you, Sara?" he asked softly, "Why can't we just…compromise when we argue?" Tears came to Sara's eyes and she quickly released him. "I don't know…I'm sorry," she whispered before leaving the room. Mark groaned and plopped down on the couch, picking up his schedule and holding it beside Sara's. They both had an early afternoon houseshow the next day, but Sara had appearances in Virginia and North Carolina Wednesday and Thursday. However, after the houseshow the next day, Mark was done until Sunday. "She did say her schedule was gonna get busier this month," he said softly. The following week, Mark worked Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday; Sara worked a day longer than him, Wednesday being a special training session at the developmental camp in Kentucky. Mark dropped the papers beside him and rubbed his face. "We'll get through it, dollface," he whispered, "We'll get through it all."

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Mark slowly stood and opened the door. "Hey, 'Taker. Here's the run sheet for the show tonight," Stephanie said, "Angel's got an interview after the first match, and you've got a match in the second hour." Mark took the sheet of paper from her and said, "Thanks, Steph." "How's she doin'? That was a rough match last night," she commented. "Physically, a little worse than before, but I guess that's natural. She was in a lotta pain this morning, but she's alright now," he answered. "That's good. Dad was concerned about her after the show, but he didn't have time to go check on her," she said. "Well, she's alright," he said leaning against the door. "Look, I know you're worried about her next title defense…but I want you to know…the writers wouldn't have agreed on it – my dad wouldn't have agreed to it – if we didn't think she could handle it," she said quietly. "I don't really care, Steph. It's her body; she's gonna do what she wants, no matter what I think," he said tensely. Stephanie went to say something, but couldn't find her voice. "Anything else?" he asked. "No, 'Taker…I'll see you later," she said before walking away. Mark went to shut the door, but he saw Stephanie look back at him. "You've been through it, ya know. She could use your help in trying to prepare for it," she said. "What do you want from me? Take her face to a chain-link fence so she knows what that feels like?" he argued, "You can't prepare for that kinda match, Stephanie." "Mentally, you can," she said before continuing down the hall. Mark sighed and shut the door quietly.

Sara went down to the women's locker room, knocking before going inside. She spotted Lisa and went over to her. "Hey, chica. You okay?" Lisa asked. "Same shit, different day," Sara answered quietly, "You wanna go for a walk?" "Yeah, sure, sweetheart. Give me a minute, okay? Andy and I were just headed out, too," Lisa responded. "Oh…well, I don't wanna be a bother…," Sara said quietly. "Girl, don't even. You know I don't mind," Lisa said slipping on a pair of sweatpants, "Ya know, I can't wait to get down to Florida. This weather is crazy!" Sara chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Oh, yeah. I got my schedule, and, uh…I'm gonna miss the rehearsal dinner," Sara said quietly, "I'm sorry, Lisa." Lisa grinned and touched her shoulders. "It's okay, Sara. I understand, I really do," she said, "As long as you're there for the bachelorette party." Sara chuckled and responded, "I'm in charge, darlin'. You know I'll be there." "Good," Lisa said before putting on a sweater, "Come on, let's get outta here. I was supposed to meet Andy ten minutes ago." Sara smiled and followed Lisa out of the room. Andy was waiting at the back exit, tapping his watch when he saw Lisa walking up. "I know, I know, sweetheart," Lisa said running up to him. Andy smiled and pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her softly. "It's okay, babe," he whispered. "You don't mind if Sara comes along, do you?" she asked. Andy looked over at Sara with a grin. "Of course not, baby doll," he said, "We're just goin' for some hot chocolate." "That's fine," Sara said forcing a grin, "I just need to get away from here for a little while." "Understandable," Andy said, "Come on, ladies."

Sara followed behind the couple for nearly two blocks, almost feeling like the proverbial third wheel, when Andy finally practically pulled her beside him. "So, what's goin' on? You're usually not this quiet," he said grinning. "I don't know if you know, but, uh…the second draft is coming up in two weeks," Sara started slowly, "And Vince told me that…only the titleholders are exempt. So, Mark's…there's just tension with that…just like last time. I'm more worried than usual, just because…ya know…only two months left. If he gets drafted…I just can't deal with that. I need him here with me. Melissa needs to see both of us. And both shows are on two completely different schedules. I think I'd end up seeing him maybe one day a week, _if_ I get days off." "Yeah, I gotcha," Andy said, "What else?" "I have a pretty big match at No Mercy, and Mark's…flipping out because of it," she answered. "Well, what kinda match is it?" he asked. "I'll be, uh…goin' into the Cell, Andy," Sara said quietly. "What!" he said quietly, "Are you _insane_!" "I already got that spiel from Mark, Andy," she said looking down at the street. "And he has every right! That's no regular match, baby doll," Andy said quietly, "You're takin' some real risks goin' into that thing!" "I know that, Andy…I have my reasons, okay?" she said quietly.

"And what might those be?" he asked. "Self-respect, Andy. We both know Mark agreed to that angle with Kevin so I could get a title reign. No one ever asked me how I felt about that," she answered, "I didn't need Mark to fight that battle for me, Andy. I could've won it on my own." "He was just trying to help you, though, Sara," Lisa said quietly. "I know, Lisa…but I take pride in the fact that I've earned every title I've ever had the opportunity to hold, that my success has _not_ been because somebody _else_ was trying to "look out" for me." "I get that, Sara…I honestly do…I mean, I wouldn't expect any less from you. But the Cell? That's a little much, don't ya think?" Lisa argued. "Nothing is too much for me, Lisa. Besides, if Shawn and Paul and Mark can come out of it intact, I can, too," Sara replied. "Yeah, baby doll, but they're--." "Men…I know that. Men that I've competed alongside since I got here," Sara said quietly. Andy sighed and shrugged. "Alright, sweetheart….it's your choice," he said. Sara grinned slightly and said, "I wish Mark could be as understanding." "He's just concerned about the long-term effects, honey…on you as his wife…not you as his coworker," Lisa said. Sara sighed and nodded. "I know, Lisa…that's gonna be in the back of my mind until I retire. But at the same time…my career means as much to me as he does. As a wrestler, I have to maintain my own identity, my own personality…I couldn't look at myself in the mirror if I didn't," she said quietly.

The trio found a Subway a few minutes later, and agreed to eat there. Sara hadn't eaten at lunch, so she bought a tuna sandwich along with a cup of hot chocolate. They sat at an empty booth near the back of the establishment, and tried to relax before they had to go back to work. Their conversation soon turned to the upcoming wedding. "I can't believe we're gonna have so many people there, Andy. I hope the hotel can handle it," Lisa said sipping on her drink. "Yeah, no kiddin'. I can still remember my mom's reaction when I told her I was getting married. I think I was deaf for a few days after that phone call," he said chuckling, "Next thing I know, she's tellin' me half my family wants invitations." Sara grinned and said, "But you know it'll be fun. Large weddings are fun, because the wedding reception is gonna be nuts." "I was surprised we could find a conference room large enough to hold all those people _and_ had a dance floor," Lisa said, "I guess the only thing I'm worried about…" "What, babe?" Andy asked. "You on the dance floor," Lisa said innocently. "Whoa…you gonna let her get away with that, Andy?" Sara asked smiling. "I can dance…a little bit," Andy said grinning, "Rocking back and forth counts, right?" Sara and Lisa laughed heartily and shrugged. "I suppose so, Andy," Sara spoke. "You've been practicing, though, right?" Lisa said, "The last thing I want on my wedding night is a sprained toe or somethin'." Sara laughed even more and looked down at her food. "Yes, darlin', I've been practicing. I even bought a mannequin from the mall to practice with," he answered. "Wow…," Sara said, "Are you serious?" "It's the only thing I'd let him practice on, besides me," Lisa said grinning. Andy rolled his eyes and put his arm around her shoulders. "I love you, too, babe," he said kissing the side of her head.

After their short lunch, the trio headed back to the arena. "If you, uh, see Mark…," Sara said once they entered the building. "Balcony?" Andy asked. Sara grinned slightly and nodded. "Will do, baby doll," he said before walking way hand-in-hand with Lisa. Sara sighed softly and headed up to her destination. When she arrived, she plopped down in the seat and began to once again pray for strength. "Please, God…don't let this business tear us apart any more than it already has," she whispered with tears in her eyes, "He's my life; he knows that. I love him so much, but I love my job, too. Please help him to understand. Help me to help him understand." _You do that so well…spin everything so that _you're_ the victim_. Mark's words echoed in her mind, and she dropped her head forward. Sara looked out into the empty arena, watching as the production crew continued to build up the stage and the ring for that night's show. _Is it really worth it, Sara? This shit will end…that's a definite…your marriage is forever_, she couldn't help but think, _I just don't know…this is the life I've known for so long…and I'm so willing to sacrifice almost everything for it…it's done so much for me, I just wanna give back as much as I can. I love Mark, I do, I tell myself that everyday…but this place also is a huge part of my life…I just don't know anymore_. She cried silently for nearly a half an hour, wanting an answer to the questions and doubts in her mind. Nearly two hours later, Sara noticed Dany walking up with John and Melissa. "Mama, Uncle John got me a new book! And a t-shirt!" Melissa said running towards her mother.

Sara put a smile on her face, and picked Melissa up. "See, mama?" Melissa said pulling at the hem of her t-shirt. Sara looked down at John Cena's logo on Melissa's t-shirt and shook her head. "You don't like it, mama?" Melissa asked. "Nah, baby, it's a cool t-shirt," Sara said looking up at John, "You didn't have to get that for her." "You can't say no to that kid, Angel. It's kinda like tryin' to say no to you…or even worse, tryin' to say no to 'Taker," John said chuckling. Sara smiled and shrugged. "So did ya have fun, munchkin?" she asked. "Yep. Some people stopped Uncle John for an autograph, but he was really nice about it," Melissa answered. "Good for you, John," Sara said with a grin. "Yeah, we had a good time. I even took 'em up in the CN Tower. You should've seen Dany's face when she realized she was on a glass floor," John said looking down at Dany. "Oh, shut up, you. He didn't even warn me, Sara," Dany said crossing her arms. "Yeah, it's a little creepy. You get used to it, though," Sara said, "As long as you don't look down." "Nah, I couldn't help but look down. That thing was freaky," Dany responded. Sara chuckled softly and nodded. "I can understand that," she said slowly standing. "Can we go to the ring, mama?" Melissa asked. Sara sighed and said, "Maybe later, munchkin." "Please, mama," Melissa said with wide eyes. Sara rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but grin. "See what I mean?" John said smiling, "I'll take her down if you want me to." "You wanna go with Uncle John?" she asked. Melissa nodded, and they all headed down to the back. Sara handed Melissa over to Dany, and said to John, "If people are practicing, don't let her get in." "Yes, mama," John said grinning. Sara smacked the side of his head before walking away. "Oh, yeah, 'Taker's lookin' for ya, Angel," John said.

Sara merely nodded slightly and kept walking, letting out a heavy sigh. Andy must not have seen Mark to tell him where she was. She slowly entered her dressing room, finding Mark on the couch napping. She took a deep breath and shut the door quietly. Mark heard the noise, and slowly opened his eyes, staring at his wife. "Sorry I disappeared like that," Sara said softly. "It's alright. I just found out where you were," he said quietly, "I was gonna head up there in a few minutes." Sara swallowed and leaned back against the door. "I'll leave if you want…so you can sleep a little," she said, her eyes on the floor. "It's okay, Sara. I got the tape of your match, if you wanna watch it," he said sitting up. "No…I went through it once…don't really want to again," she said quietly. "You gonna lean up against the door the whole time?" he asked with a slight grin. Sara let out a slow breath and went over to the couch, slowly sitting down. Mark reached over, and she stiffened up immediately. Mark sighed heavily and looked down at his hands. "Look, Sara…I'm not gonna pretend to be happy about your decision…I'm not gonna pretend…not to care about what you do in that ring, because I do," he said slowly, "What I said earlier…I meant it." "I know…I'm sorry…for that," she said quietly. Mark carefully took her left hand in his, staring down at the wedding ring. "This ring, baby…my ring…we're connected forever by those. I love you, Sara, so much…and I don't like that something as trivial as this business is coming between us," he said slowly, "It's not that important." Sara swallowed and nodded, her hand trembling against his. "The Cell…that match is brutal…physically and emotionally, baby. Hell, _I_ didn't even wanna go inside that thing. It's not somethin' you can physically prepare for…but…if you want…I can help you prepare…up here," he said pointing to her temple. Sara looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "I'm scared, Mark," she whispered trembling even more. "I know, baby," he whispered gently pulling her close.

Sara shuddered and gripped his t-shirt tightly. "I'll get the production office to make me a few tapes, so we can watch 'em while we're at home, okay?" he said softly. Sara swallowed and nodded slightly. "I'll help you, dollface, as much as I can," he said kissing away the tears that had fallen. Sara sniffled slightly and let out a slow breath. Mark kissed her gently, caressing her cheek. Sara moaned softly and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him a little closer. Mark eased her over his lap, to where she was now straddling him. Sara grinned against his lips as his hands moved under her shirt. "Even after all that…you're still tryin' to win that bet," she whispered dropping soft kisses on his cheek. Mark grinned and shrugged slightly. "Make-up sex is the best, right?" he asked simply. Sara's jaw dropped, and Mark chuckled softly. "What?" he asked innocently, moving his hands over her sides. Sara merely smiled and leaned forward, kissing him with a passion. Mark groaned as she moved her hips in small circles over his crotch. "Are you teasing me?" he asked against her lips. "Maybe," she answered nibbling on his earlobe. Mark groaned softly and eased his fingers into her hair, pulling her mouth back to his. A knock on the door interrupted them, and Mark growled. "All will come in due time, baby," Sara said softly. "Yeah, no kiddin'," Mark said grinning. "Oh, jeez," Sara said climbing off of his lap, "One o' these days, I'm gonna take a bar o' soap to your mouth." "Right, dollface," Mark said winking at her, "Come in!"

The door opened slightly and Jim Ross poked his head inside. "Hey, Angel. You looked at the run sheet yet?" he asked. Sara looked at Mark, who quickly retrieved the paper from the side of the couch and held it up. "It's okay. I just came by to drop off my questions for ya," he said. Sara went over to him, and he handed her a small index card. "In case ya wanted to prepare answers or anything," he added. "Thanks, Jim. I appreciate it," she said. "See ya later," Jim said before leaving the room. Sara shut the door, and looked over her shoulder at Mark. "I forgot," he said. Sara sat back down beside him to look over the two items in her hands. "Typical post-win questions," she said quietly. Mark took the index card from her and grinned. "Yeah," he commented. "And this is where Randy gets to one-up me," she said quietly, "He's gonna hit his finishing maneuver on me near the end of the interview." "You want me to come out there?" he asked with a grin. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "It'll be fine," she said, "Hey, let's go ahead and watch that match from last night. "You sure?" he asked. Sara nodded and Mark stood and turned on the television, pushing in the tape and hitting play. When he sat back down, Sara leaned against him, grinning when his arm came around her shoulders. "I love you, dollface," he whispered kissing the side of her head. "I love you, too, Mark," she said softly.

After watching both of their matches, Sara into a pair of gray-silver luster pants, and a black, silky shirt with slight ruffles at the ends of the sleeves. _If the guys can dress in their fancy suits, I can dress up, too_, she thought pulling on a pair of black, low-heel boots. As she brushed her hair, Mark walked into the room with Melissa. "Mama!" Melissa said hurtling into Sara's legs. Sara chuckled and picked her up. "You have fun with John and Dany?" she asked. "Yeah. It took all John had to keep her from tryin' to…take 'bumps'?...in the ring," Dany said. "Oh, you're learning the terminology now, huh?" Sara asked with a smile. Dany smiled and shrugged. "John took it upon himself to start teaching me," she answered. "You're not gonna learn much from that kid," Mark said with a grin. "Oh, hush, Mark," Sara said, "I'm goin' down to Janet's. I'll be back in a little while." Mark nodded slightly, watching as Dany followed Sara out, leaving him alone in the dressing room. "So, what have you learned?" Sara asked as they headed down the hall. "Well, you're a 'face', a fan favorite, and people like Paul and Randy are 'heels', the bad guys. Um, let's see…you take 'bumps' in the ring…a 'shoot interview' is an interview with real answers, not scripted…ya know, stuff like that," Dany said. Sara grinned and said, "That's good, Dany. You'll be fan sooner or later." "Yeah, if John has anything to do with it," Dany said smiling. "So you had fun with him, then?" Sara asked. "Yeah…," Dany said with a broad smile on her face. "Told ya so," Sara said chuckling.

"Why don't you do your own hair and make-up?" Dany asked. "Jan's paid to do that for us, Dany. And she's good at what she does," Sara said, "She could make us look like clowns if she wanted to, but she doesn't. I think she's been here nearly as long as I have, now that I think about it." "Wow…," Dany said. "Yeah…some people just don't wanna leave," Sara said grinning. They came up to Janet's area, and found it empty. "I'll count myself lucky, Jan," Sara said sitting down in the seat. "I just got done with Lisa, actually," Janet said picking up a large brush, "She's really excited about the wedding. "Oh, for sure. She should be, she's gettin' married to a great guy," Sara said with a smile. "Yeah. She tried askin' me about the bachelorette party, too," Janet said. Sara laughed and shrugged slightly. "Nah, I kept that a secret except from those who are involved," she said happily. "I can't believe she's got 200-plus people coming to her wedding," Janet said pulling Sara's hair up into a high ponytail. "Yeah, seriously. Both she and Andy have big families, though," Sara said, "As far as I know, Lisa didn't even invite that many people from the company, maybe about 15 total." "I'll just curl your hair, okay, hon?" Jan said. "Yeah, that's fine, Jan. Whatever works for this outfit," Sara answered. "You sure?" Jan asked. "You're the genius, Jan," Sara said with a grin. Dany watched as Janet pulled Sara's hair from its ponytail, then brush it smooth again. "What are you gonna do?" Dany asked. "Whatever comes to mind," Janet answered putting her hand to her mouth. Sara winked at Dany as Janet's fingers moved through her hair. "Told ya…she knows what she's doin'," she said with a grin.

A half an hour later, Janet finished up Sara's make-up. "There ya go, hon," she said moments later. Sara looked into the mirror and grinned. Her hair framed her face in fairly large-sized curls, and her make-up was very natural. "Wow…you looked great," Dany said quietly. "Thanks, Dany, but it's all Janet," Sara said standing, "Thanks, Jan." "No problem, sweetie," Janet said, "Have fun out there." "I'll try," Sara answered, "See ya around." Sara headed down the hall with Dany by her side. "Where to now?" Dany asked. "The general locker room," Sara said, "Gotta find Randy." "That jerk you told me about last night?" Dany said, "John ran into him when we were out earlier." "Really? How'd you like your first meeting with the self-proclaimed "Legend Killer"?" Sara asked. Dany smirked and shrugged. "He flirted like I was the only female on the planet. Kinda wanted to make me throw up," she answered quietly. "Told ya so," Sara said. "Yeah, John wasn't all about it, either," Dany said grinning, "It was entertaining." "At least you got that out of it," Sara said. "Why do you have your own locker room?" Dany asked. "It comes with the territory after bein' around for so long," Sara answered, "Mark had his own one for a while, then I won the title. Since I was already dressing with him, and I was his manager beforehand, Vince just decided to put both our names on a door." "Well, I guess that's a good thing," Dany said. "Yeah. I mean, I had a great time when I was in the 'Corporation'…sorry, that was an angle from about 10 years ago that was more of a lifestyle for me and everybody involved. It's how I met Mark, actually. But anyway, we'd share a locker room, but I ended up changing in the women's locker room anyway. So…once I came back from an injury, Mark had his own locker room, and I just stayed with him. And once I won the title, Vince just put our name on the same door for TV purposes," Sara added. "How many injuries have you had?" Dany asked. "I can't count 'em," Sara said chuckling, "Usually I ignore 'em…I was put out for a while with a broken rib…and I was out for a year, because of…just some bad shit with Shawn…" "How bad?" Dany asked. "That's for another time and place, Dany," Sara said quietly. "Gotcha," Dany said quietly.

They came up to the men's locker room, and Sara knocked. The door opened and Chris Benoit stood in front of her. "Hey, Chris. Randy in there?" Sara said. "Yeah, hold on, Angel," Chris answered. Sara leaned back against the wall behind her, rubbing her hand over the back of her neck. "You okay?" Dany asked quietly. "Yeah, I'll be alright," Sara said softly. The door opened moments later, and Randy stood in a pair of sweatpants. "Yeah?" he asked. "You wanna talk about this segment we got?" Sara asked tensely. "I RKO you, that's it," Randy said. "Well, I'd like to know when you're comin' out," Sara said with an arched eyebrow. "How long are you talkin'?" Randy asked crossing his arms. "The segment goes six minutes max," Sara answered. "I'll come out halfway through it, 'cause I got a promo to cut, too," Randy said. "Fine. See ya out there, then," Sara said before walking away with Dany. She heard the door slam shut, and groaned. "Fuckin' asshole," she whispered. "What's his deal?" Dany asked. "Thinks I'm not good enough to be World champ," Sara said quietly. "A lotta guys feel that way?" Dany asked. "No…at least, not as openly as Randy," Sara answered. "How does that make you feel?" Dany asked. "At this point in my career, Dany, with only two months left…I don't care. I've done my part for this company, and if nobody wants to acknowledge it, that's their business. I've got Mark's support, I've got Vince's support, and I've got my mom's support from heaven…that's all I need," Sara answered honestly. Dany smiled and said, "That's cool, Sara. I'm real self-conscious…I don't think I could be that way in this atmosphere." "The first four or five years of my career, I was _very_ self-conscious. But one day, it just hit me…I've done enough for Vince McMahon, and for everybody here, that if they don't respect me…whatever," Sara said grinning. They got to Sara and Mark's dressing room, and Sara opened the door. Mark was on the floor, and Melissa apparently had him in an armbar.

"What's this?" Sara answered entering the room. Dany shut the door as Mark tapped Melissa's foot. "Let go, munchkin," Mark said grinning. "I just learned my first wrestling move, mama," Melissa said standing. "What?" Sara asked. "Daddy taught me an armbar," Melissa answered. "What for?" Sara asked. "She wanted to learn somethin', so I taught her somethin' simple, dollface," Mark said, "Your hair looks nice." Sara tilted her head to the right and raised her eyebrow. "Don't change the subject. What's she learning moves for?" she said. "Curiosity," Mark answered. "Curiosity killed the cat, ya know," Sara said picking up Melissa. "We don't have cats, mama," Melissa said. Dany smirked, and Sara rolled her eyes. "Just like your father," Sara said kissing the side of Melissa's head. "Mama, I'm hungry," Melissa said. "Munchkin, it's a little late to be eating," Sara said. "Can I just have a snack?" Melissa asked. "Alright, munchkin. We'll go down to catering, and see what's left, okay?" Sara answered. Melissa nodded and Sara let her down to the floor. "Be right back, Mark," Sara said before leaving the room. Sara took Melissa down to catering, where she ran into John. "Hey, you," she spoke. "Hey," John said with a grin. "You had a good time, didn't you?" Sara asked. "Yeah. She's a sweetheart," John said, "I'm just sad she's not gonna be on the road with you anymore." "You could always ask for her number, John," Sara said simply. "It's not that simple," John said. "Why not?" Sara asked. "She's…different," John said quietly. "So the big playa finally found the one to keep him in line?" Sara said jokingly. "Yeah, somethin' like that," John answered quietly. "Jeez, John, don't be scared," Sara said smiling. "Hey, I'm not scared," John said. "Right," Sara said as Melissa picked out an orange from the table. Sara picked up a water bottle, and looked at John. "If you think you have that big a connection with her, John, it shouldn't be a big deal," she said, "Then again…I remember when Mark first asked me out…it was the funniest thing I think ever saw. Amazing how we women can bring you men down so easily." John chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, yeah," he said quietly. "Well, I already did my part, John. And she already went out with you…it's up to you to take it even further," she said leading Melissa away, "See ya around, okay?" "Later, Angel," John said in return.

Once back in her dressing room, Sara plopped down on the couch with the index card Jim had given her earlier. "How long do you have out there?" Mark asked with Melissa in his lap. "Only six minutes max, but I've got about four minutes to talk before Randy comes out," Sara answered. "What's he gonna do?" Mark asked. "RKO, then a promo," she said glancing over the card. "That Randy's a real character, Mark," Dany said. "Yeah, he is," Mark said, "But Sara knows how to work with the best _and_ the worse, right, baby?" "Yeah…it's a tool of the trade, unfortunately," Sara said. Mark helped her practice her answers until the show started. "Are you wrestling tonight, mama?" Melissa asked. "Nope, munchkin. Just gonna talk for a little while," Sara answered stretching her arms. "Do we get to leave after that?" Melissa asked. "Yep. We're gonna fly to the next town, and be able to get a good night's sleep," Sara answered. "When are we goin' home, mama?" Melissa asked. "You and daddy and Dany get to go home tomorrow after the show, but mama's got some more work to do Wednesday and Thursday. But I'll meet up with you and dad in Florida for Aunt Lisa's wedding," Sara said. "Okay, mama," Melissa said. "When are you gonna need me again, then?" Dany asked. Sara picked up both her and Mark's schedules and sighed. "We don't get a break again until next Thursday…but I don't wanna put Melissa on a plane by herself," she said to Mark. "But it'd be fun, mama!" Melissa said with a huge smile. "Under no circumstances, baby," Sara said. "You think Lisa would mind if we brought her to Florida with us? I mean, I'm gonna be at Andy's bachelor party, so I can't watch her," Mark said. "If Lisa agreed to it, would you mind comin' to Florida?" Sara asked Dany. "Yeah, that'd be fine…uh, is John gonna be there?" Dany answered slowly. Sara grinned slightly and shook her head. "Sorry. Andy and Lisa didn't feel close enough to him to invite him," Sara answered. "Oh…well, okay," Dany said. Sara heard the disappointment in her voice and said, "You could always call him, Dany." "I don't have his number," Dany countered. "You mean, he didn't give you a business card?" Sara asked with a smile. Dany smiled and looked down at her hands. "No," she said quietly. "Then offer him your number," Sara said. "Nah, I couldn't do that," Dany said, "I don't wanna be too forward. We just met yesterday." "And went out to lunch today," Sara added. "It was just lunch," Dany said. "Sure," Sara said sarcastically. "I don't know…," Dany said quietly. "Alright…your choice," Sara said looking back down at her index card to go over her answer again.

After Mark left for his match, Sara put Melissa down where he'd been sitting. "So…what's up with you and John?" Sara asked. "Nothin'…I mean, it was just lunch," Dany answered. "It was an all-day thing. You were gone for about three or four hours," Sara said grinning. "I don't know…I mean, he's a nice guy, he really is," Dany started. "So, what's the problem?" Sara asked. Dany looked at her, then back down at her hands. "What?" Sara asked. "I'm, uh…a little scared," Dany said, "I don't wanna get hurt again, ya know." "Dany…the best thing about love…you don't know what's gonna happen…that's what makes it so great. John could be the best thing to happen to you, he could be the worst--." "Nah, Kevin's got 'em beat as far as bein' the worst," Dany said with a grin. "Still," Sara said with a chuckle, "You never know unless you give it a shot, okay?" Dany took a deep breath and nodded. "I guess I'll…try to talk to him before we leave," she said quietly. "Good…besides, you two make a cute couple," Sara said before turning her attention to the television, missing the slight blush that came to Dany's face. "Who's he fighting?" Dany asked. Sara grinned and said, "John." "What? For what?" Dany asked. Sara shrugged and said, "Probably start of a new feud. Don't worry, he'll be fine." "Mark, or John?" Dany asked with a grin. "Both," Sara said smiling. John came out after Mark, and cut a great rap promo against him, which had both Sara and Dany laughing loudly. "Mama! He's talkin' about dad, you can't laugh!" Melissa said nudging her mother's arm. "I know, munchkin…but it's so funny!" Sara said clutching her sides. Melissa frowned and crossed her arms. "You know John doesn't mean all that stuff he says, munchkin," Sara said putting her arm around Melissa. "It's still not nice," Melissa grumbled. Sara smirked and kissed the top of her head.

After an excellent, 15-minute match, the bell finally sounded, and Sara stood as a knock came on the door. Vince had informed her before the show started that a cameraman would film her for a few moments after Mark's match. "Mark should be back in a few minutes," she said grabbing the World title. "Mama, are you gonna get hurt?" Melissa asked. "No, munchkin. I have to take a bump, but I'll be okay," Sara answered, "I'll be back in a little while, Dany." She opened the door and shifted the title onto her shoulder, not surprised at the cameraman standing before her. She put a slight smile on her face and shut the door behind her, She looked down at the title, gave it a satisfactory pat, and headed down the hallway, with the cameraman walking backwards in front of her. After about ten seconds, the cameraman stopped and said, "Commercial break, Angel. They're waiting for you at the entranceway." "Thanks," Sara said continuing to her destination. She arrived just as Mark came through the curtains. "Good match, baby," she said winking at him. "Yeah, he's a tough character," Mark said. "How 'bout that promo before the match?" Sara asked with a smile. "Gave me a little extra motivation to kick his ass," Mark said grinning, "I struggled not to bust out laughing, though." "Yeah, Melissa was pissed that me and Dany were laughing," Sara said. "Well, the last thing I wanted to do was piss that little girl off," John said coming through the curtain. "Well, you did just that, John. I say you go and apologize right now," Sara said poking his chest, "My daughter doesn't take too highly to people insulting her dad." "Yes, ma'am," John said winking at her. "See ya later, John," Sara said. "You okay about this?" Mark asked when John walked away. "Okay about what?" Sara asked. "Him and Dany," Mark said quietly. "Yeah…this way, I won't have to deal with John askin' me about Dany every time he sees me after tonight," she answered grinning. "True," Mark said rubbing the back of his neck. "You okay?" she asked. "Yeah…a little more sore than usual. It's hard keepin' up with these young guys," he said. "I'll see what I can do for you later," she said softly, winking at him, "I'll see you in about ten minutes." Mark grinned and nodded, heading back to his locker room.

Sara headed up to the pit, going over her answers in her head once more. "Where's Randy?" she asked. "Comin' through the crowd," Vince answered. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright, back from commercial in ten," he said. Sara nodded once more and took a few more deep breaths. She heard Jim's voice over the P.A. system, and a grin came to her face. "Ladies and gentlemen. Last night, in one of the most brutal matches I've seen in my 30-plus years in this business, Angel managed what people thought was the impossible. Against a formidable opponent with the odds stacked against her, she retained the World Heavyweight championship in a match-of-the-year candidate. Welcome to the ring, the World Heavyweight champion: Angel!" he said excitedly. Sara smiled as her theme song blared throughout the arena, and she stepped onto the stage. Cheers engulfed her as she slowly made her way down the ramp, her eyes scanning the entire arena. She rolled into the ring, and stood in front of Jim, holding the title up proudly. _I earned it_, she thought with a huge smile, _All over again, I earned it_. As the noise died down, she put the title back on her shoulder and moved beside Jim. "Angel, let me be among the first to congratulate you. Last night was truly one for the ages. Not only did you beat Shawn Michaels, but you did it in his environment," Jim said. "You're damn right I did, Jim. The entire wrestling world, fans and wrestlers alike, knew that I'd never been in a ladder match before, and they bet against me. Everybody thought I was a fluke champion. Everybody thought that, because I was a woman, and because I'd never been in a ladder match in my life, that Michaels was guaranteed a win at Unforgiven. It was a huge mistake on their parts, because once again, I proved everyone wrong. It seems like a pattern of my career, when you think about it, Jim," Sara said confidently, "From the moment I stepped into the company, I've been knocking down barriers with a smile on my face. I put _myself_ on the map, and I didn't stop until I owned the damn map!"

"That's very true, Angel. After last night, do you have a little more respect for Shawn Michaels?" Jim answered. "I already had respect for him, J.R. He's a hard worker, and a helluva wrestler. He can get it done in this ring like few can. But last night…I was the better person. I wanted it just a little bit more than he did. As much respect as I have for him…there was no way I was walking out of Unforgiven _not_ the World champion," Sara answered, "The simple fact is – and last night proved this – there is nobody on the planet that can do what I do in this ring better than me! I am the World Heavyweight champion because I am the absolute _best_ in this industry! And not even the great Shawn Michaels is gonna take that away from me." "Having beat one of the best in the business, Angel, where do you go from here? There aren't too many guys in that locker room that can contend with you now," Jim said. "I'm a competitor, Jim, plain and simple. Whether the title is on the line or not, I will step into this ring night in and night out, and will accept a challenge from anybody. That locker room is filled with old and new guys who are lookin' for that next big break, for that one shot at the Holy Grail, for the chance to say that they are the best," Sara said as she heard boos began to course throughout the building, knowing it was Randy coming through the crowd, "And if one o' those young _punks_ wants to step up to the plate, I'm here waiting with open arms. I've never backed down from a challenge, and I don't intend to start now. This title isn't goin' anywhere for a long time!" Randy slid into the ring, spun Sara around, and automatically hit her with his finishing maneuver. He grabbed the microphone from Jim, shoving the man from the ring.

"As long as you've been around, Angel, I'd think you'd have learned to watch your back!" he said planting a boot in her lower back. Sara groaned and grabbed at the area, feeling it tighten up. "You see, Angel…I'm not some 'punk' lookin' for a shot. I'm the future of this business," he said stomping her again. Randy looked out at the crowd with a cocky grin. "You see, Angel, I've got your number. Shawn's beat up, Shawn's past his prime…of course you'd beat _him_!" he said looking down at Sara's prone body, "When it comes down to it, sweetheart, you're past your prime, too. Last night was your last big match! I plan on taking that title from you…real soon!" He pulled Sara to her feet, and planted her with a reverse Russian leg sweep. He draped the title over her face, then slid out of the ring and grabbed a chair from ringside. The crowd booed as Randy picked up the microphone once again. "You wanna make an impact around here…well, then, you gotta make some noise!" he said before dropping the microphone on the mat. He lifted the chair above his head, and slammed it down onto the title belt. Sara jerked slightly, and she tasted blood. She rolled onto her side, clutching at her mouth. Randy dropped the chair and rolled out of the ring, heading up the ramp as a few medical personnel came rushing down. Sara slowly rolled to the edge of the ring, wary of her mouth. She could almost feel teeth loosen, and wished she could actually speak at the moment, because there were a string of curses she wanted to let loose. "Angel, you okay?" Bruce asked. Sara glared at him, and grabbed the title, clutching at her mouth as she headed up the ramp. "Come on, Angel, let me see," Bruce said touching her arm. Sara pushed him back before continuing up the ramp. _That little motherfucker…I'm gonna rip his balls off the first chance I get_, she thought angrily. She went through the curtain, where she found Randy being yelled at by Vince.

"What the hell were you thinkin', Orton?" Vince screamed. Sara held her hand up, as if saying she'd handle it, stopping Vince's impending tirade. "My bad, Angel," Randy said with a grin. Sara took a deep breath, and she punched him directly in his left eye, knocking him to the floor. "You bitch!" Randy growled getting to his feet. "Do it," she struggled to say, her eyes narrowed. "Come on, Angel," Bruce said carefully leading her down the stairs. "Watch your back, Randy," Sara snapped before grabbing at her mouth once more. Bruce led her down to his room, where she tossed the title on the table and leaned against the wall. "Let me see," Bruce said. Sara looked up at the ceiling, while Bruce examined her mouth. "Alright…nothin' chipped or anything, but your bottom lip is gonna need stitches," he said, "You're not gonna be able to talk for a while, at least not comfortably." "No stitches…just patch it up or somethin'," she said quietly. Bruce took a deep breath and rummaged through his medical items. He pulled out a bottle of liquid bandage, and a piece of gauze. "Hold your mouth open," he instructed. Sara did so, wincing when he put several drops onto her bottom lip. "Easy," he said seeing her clenched fists, "I don't want a black eye like Orton." Sara rolled her eyes and shook her head. He placed the small piece of gauze between her lip and gums, then told her to close her mouth. "No hard foods for a few days, and as little talking as possible. If it starts to bleed again, you're gonna have to get stitches," he said. "Fine," she said quietly. "See ya around, Angel," Bruce said as she grabbed the belt and stormed out of the room.

Mark met her down the hall from Bruce's room. "You okay?" he asked quietly, an anger in his voice. Sara nodded and took a deep, calming breath. "How bad?" he asked. Sara merely pointed to her bottom lip, then motioned that she couldn't talk. "Gotcha. And you gave him a good shiner for that. I'll find a way to get him back, too," he said quietly. Sara grinned and nodded. "Come on, baby. I'll get you some ice cream, okay?" he said putting an arm around her shoulder. He led her back to his locker room, where she found Melissa crying in Dany's arms. Melissa immediately hopped out of Dany's arms, and rushed over to Sara. Sara kneeled down and hugged her, rubbing the back of her head. "Mama's fine, munchkin," she whispered. "Why'd he do that, mama?" Melissa asked. "Don't know," Sara said quietly. "Are you okay?" Melissa asked. Sara nodded her head and swallowed, still tasting blood from her lip. "I'm gonna take a shower, okay, dollface?" Mark said. Sara nodded and sat on the couch, continuing to console her daughter. "Don't cry, baby," she said softly. Melissa sniffled and curled up against Sara's body. "How'd he get away with that?" Dany asked. Sara shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Sorry…," Dany said. Sara shook her head, resting her cheek against Melissa's head. A knock on the door came a few minutes later. Sara took a deep breath and stood, Melissa still in her arms, and opened the door slightly. "Sara…I'm sorry," Vince said quietly. Sara shook her head, shifting Melissa in her arms. "Bruce told me that you can't talk, so…I'm gonna get the office to reschedule your special appearances for the week after next," Vince said. Sara merely nodded in understanding. "If you need anything…," Vince started. Sara shook her head, and Vince sighed. "Alright…I'll see you tomorrow, then," he said before walking away. Sara shut the door and sat back down on the couch. _At least I can make Lisa's rehearsal dinner_, she thought with a slight grin.

Mark came out of the bathroom nearly half an hour later, as the main event began. "You wanna watch the rest of the show?" he asked Sara. Sara merely shrugged, pointing down to her sleeping daughter. "Alright. We'll go ahead and get outta here," he said quietly. Sara nodded slightly and yawned slightly, then grimaced. _This fuckin' sucks_, she thought, _Can't even yawn without pain_. Mark stuffed his outfit into his duffel bag, then placed the bag on his shoulder and picked up Sara's. "Alright, time to go," he said quietly. Sara stood and shifted Melissa once more, so that her head was on Sara's shoulder. As they headed out, they ran into John. "Whoa…helluva punch you gave Randy," he said with a grin. Sara winked at him and shrugged. "I'd _really_ hate to piss you off," he said. Sara shrugged and waved good-bye before following Mark out of the building. "So…am I gonna get to see you again?" John asked Dany. Dany smiled slightly and nodded. "I'm on the road with 'em tomorrow," she said quietly. "Oh…cool," he said, "So…lunch again tomorrow?" "Sure," Dany said before heading through the back door, "Bye, John." "Later, ma," John said, knowing that endearment really unnerved her. Dany smiled and continued on her way to the truck. Before going to the airport, Mark found a McDonald's and bought Sara a soft-serve ice cream cone. She managed to eat it before it melted all over the place, but Mark had to eat the actual cone. When they arrived at the airport, Sara turned in the keys for the truck, while Mark put their luggage through baggage claim with the help of Dany. They boarded their plane a few minutes later.


	107. We Belong Together

**This is by far the longest chapter I've written. 27 pages in Word! It just took on a life of it's own! LOL I hope you guys enjoy it. J, this is what you've been waitin' so long for, hon. Thank you everybody for your continued support of this story. I really do write for all you! Just so ya know, there is BIG drama coming up, and I will do my absolute best to make it worthwhile, so that you'll continue to love the story. I don't know when the next update will be, because the first summer session is coming to an end, and I'm having car troubles right now, so I have to handle my business before I can get back to the story. Enjoy:-D**

**Shannon

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Chapter 106…We Belong Together

Sara couldn't have been more happy when the plane descended into Tallahassee. Yesterday had been hard to get through, not only because she couldn't talk, but because she also was put in a tag team match with Mark against Randy and Benoit. Randy had made sure to target her mouth, and had caused her more damage. She'd ended up with seven stitches in her lower lip, and was stuck eating foods like soup, Jell-O, and soft-serve ice cream all day. Mark shifted in the seat beside her, and Sara couldn't help but grin. He was able to get in a couple of stiff punches during their match with Randy, and left Randy with an even more bruised-up eye than before. "Are we there yet, mama?" Melissa asked from her left. "Yeah, munchkin. We'll be off the plane in about five minutes," Sara answered quietly. She was extremely happy when Lisa had told her Dany was allowed to come to the wedding. "I'm hungry, mama," Melissa said quietly. "Alright, munchkin. We'll stop and get somethin' before we head to Aunt Lisa's house, okay?" Sara said. Melissa nodded and rested her head on Sara's legs. Sara grinned slightly and ran her fingers gently through Melissa's hair. It had begun to take on a tint of auburn, just like Mark's. Mark groaned slightly and shifted in his seat, his eyes drifting open. "Are we there yet?" he asked in the same tone Melissa had had moments earlier. "No, hon. Five more minutes," Sara answered with a grin. Mark looked over at her with his own grin, and leaned over, kissing her softly. "How's your lip feel?" he asked quietly. "A little better," she answered simply. "Good. We got him good yesterday, didn't we," he said. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. "My knuckles hurt afterwards, but it was worth it," she said softly. Mark chuckled and took her right hand, caressing the red knuckles. "Like John said Monday night…I'd really hate to piss you off," he whispered. Sara smirked and shrugged slightly. "Some people catch my anger worse than others," she said softly. "Very true, dollface," Mark said as he felt the plane finally touch down.

After exiting the plane, the three adults retrieved their luggage, and Mark quickly picked up a rental car. Within minutes, they were on their way to Lisa's home. "Mama…food," Melissa said from the back seat. "Munchkin, can it wait 'til we get to Aunt Lisa's?" Mark asked. Melissa sighed noticeably and agreed. Sara smiled and linked her fingers with Mark's free hand. They pulled up into Lisa's driveway nearly 45 minutes later. "I didn't know she lived so far away from the rest of society," Sara said jokingly. There were several cars already in the driveway, which Sara assumed belonged to some of Lisa and Andy's relatives. Sara climbed out of the car, stretching her arms and yawning. She was ecstatic to have the next four days off. The front door opened, and Lisa came running off the porch towards Sara. Sara smiled and met her halfway, hugging her tightly. "A few more days, and I'll be looking at Mrs. Andrew Martin," she said happily. "Yeah, I know, I can't wait!" Lisa said just as happily. "Who's here?" Sara asked once they pulled apart. "Both of our parents, and Andy's brother and sisters," Lisa answered, "But don't worry, there's plenty of rooms for everybody." "Are you sure? We don't want to crowd you guys," Sara said as Mark got their suitcases from the trunk. "Yes, Sara, I'm sure," Lisa said picking up Melissa, "Hey, you!" "Hi, Aunt Lisa," Melissa said hugging her neck. "You guys made it just in time for lunch," Lisa said. "Mark, do you need any help?" Sara asked looking back at her husband. "Nah, dollface, I got it," Mark said picking up their two black suitcases. Everyone followed Lisa inside, where she directed them up to their rooms. "How many rooms does this place have, Lisa?" Dany asked. "Nine…I couldn't help it. It was so beautiful, I didn't even think of how I was gonna fill all the rooms," Lisa said. "Well, children would be a start," Sara said quietly, a grin on her face. Lisa blushed deeply, and looked at the floor. "Couldn't help it, hon," Sara said chuckling softly. "Just come on down whenever you're settled in," Lisa said setting Melissa down on the floor, "Andy's excited to see you guys!" "We'll be down in a few," Mark said setting their belongings by the large bed. Lisa nodded and headed back downstairs.

"This is a really big house, mama," Melissa said climbing onto the bed. "Yeah, I know, munchkin," Sara said sitting down beside her. "What do you do with all this space, mama?" Melissa asked. Sara chuckled and thought, _I could think of a few things_. She locked eyes with Mark, and felt her cheeks warm. Mark grinned and shook his head in disbelief. "'What?" Melissa asked. "Nothin', munchkin. Uncle Andy and Aunt Lisa probably just spend a lot of time relaxing, like we do at home," Sara answered smiling at her. "Can we go explore?" Melissa asked. "It's not polite to roam around other people's homes, darlin'," Sara said, "I'm sure Aunt Lisa will give us a tour later." "Can we go eat now?" Melissa asked. Sara chuckled and glanced at Mark, who was hanging up their clothing for the wedding in the closet. "Yeah, sure. We can unpack later," he said brushing his hands off. Sara stood, and Melissa rushed over to the door, pulling it open. She went across the hall and knocked on Dany's door. The door opened a minute later, and Sara saw that Dany was on her cell phone. "We'll be downstairs," she said knowing she was talking to John. Dany grinned and nodded slightly before shutting the door. "Come on, munchkin," Sara said taking Melissa's hand. They went downstairs, following hearty voices into what looked like the living room. "And they emerge," Lisa said from a large, navy blue leather couch. Sara smiled as Andy stood. "Hey, baby doll," he whispered hugging her tightly. "Hey, Andy," Sara said hugging him back. "So glad you could come," he said, "How's your lip?" "Better than yesterday," Sara answered simply. Andy nodded and picked up Melissa. "Hello, my little goddaughter," he said kissing her cheek. Melissa smiled and hugged Andy's neck tightly. "Hi, Uncle Andy," she said happily.

"I'm sorry, Sara. This is my mom and dad, Marie and Nick Varon," Lisa said pointing to her parents, "And my younger brother, Jonathan." The two older people stood, and Sara immediately noticed where Lisa got her looks from. "It's nice to finally meet you both," she said shaking both their hands. To her surprise, they both pulled her into an embrace. "Lisa's told us all about you, Sara," Marie said with a smile, "It's nice to finally meet you as well." "And these are my parents, Julie and James Martin," Andy said pointing to his parents, "And my brother, Jesse, and sisters, Joanie and Patricia." "It's nice to meet you all," Sara said shaking all their hands. "You, too," they all said. Sara and Mark took a seat on a small, blue plush couch, and Sara pulled Melissa up onto her lap. "Your daughter?" Patricia asked. "Yeah. She's our little angel, just turned three this past March," Sara answered with a smile. "And when can we expect a grandchild, Andrew?" James asked. Sara smiled when she saw Andy's cheeks turn a shade of red. "In the future, dad," he answered. "I'd like a date so I know when to start shopping," Joanie said smiling as well. Sara chuckled and looked up at Mark. "Was Nana the same way with me, mama?" Melissa asked. Sara took a deep breath and looked back at Melissa. "Yeah…she was, munchkin," she answered softly, a slight smile on her face at the memory of her mother gushing over Sara's pregnancy. "Are you planning on having more children, Sara?" Julie asked. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "I want a brother, but mama says we have to wait 'til she retires," Melissa answered. "When's that?" Julie asked. "A couple months," Melissa said smiling. "Really? Are you nervous about it?" James asked. "Not really. It's time for me to be home," Sara answered.

The conversations continued for another 20 minutes, when Lisa finally announced that dinner was ready. They made their way down a hall, and were led into a large dining room. "Where's Dany?" Lisa asked as they all took their seats. "On the phone with Uncle John," Melissa answered knowingly. Sara smiled and rubbed her head. "Mama!" Melissa said pulling her head away. "Are they together?" Lisa asked. "Not yet," Sara answered grinning. After saying grace, food was passed around dish by dish, and Sara opted only for tomato soup, mashed potatoes, and a small piece of chicken. "How's your lip doin', Sara?" Lisa asked. "Still can't eat hard foods, but talking is a little easier," Sara answered, "I'm pushing it with the chicken." "What happened?" Patricia asked. "A little accident on Monday night at the show," Sara responded, "It's no big deal." Dany came into the room nearly 15 minutes later, apologizing for her tardiness. "Don't worry," Lisa said, introducing her to everyone at the table. "It's nice to meet you all," Dany said taking a seat beside Sara. "Good conversation?" Sara asked quietly, a grin on her face. Dany smiled and nodded. "Told ya so," Sara said softly. "Oh, stop it," Dany said, feeling her face warm. "How do you know Sara, Dany?" Marie asked. "I'm Melissa's babysitter," Dany asked, "Mark and Sara put an ad out in one of the papers in Houston, and I got lucky." "Nah, I think we got lucky," Mark said grinning at her. Dany smiled and shrugged slightly. "What did you do before that?" Marie asked. "I was a housekeeper for another wrestler, but now I'm just trying to save up money before I start graduate school in Houston," Dany answered. "Oh, really, congratulations," Joanie said, "I just finished up at U-Cal, Berkley." "That's where I got my undergraduate," Dany said smiling. "What field?" Joanie asked. "Sociology. That's what I'm looking to get my Master's in, so I can be a family counselor," Dany answered. "Good luck with that," Joanie said. Dany said her thanks, then quietly said grace over her food.

Dinner continued for well over an hour, before everyone except Andy and Lisa made their way onto the large back porch of the house. "How long have you known Lisa, Sara?" Nick asked as they settled into the lawn chairs. "Since about the time she came into the WWF," Sara answered, "She's a close friend o' mine now. She was actually a bridesmaid in my wedding. I didn't think the day would ever come when she finally tied the knot." "Yeah, I agree with you on that," Marie said, "But she's finally found a good man." "Yeah, Andy's a great guy. I've known him for goin' on ten years now," Sara said grinning. "He speaks very highly of both of you whenever he talks with us," Nick said with a friendly smile. "Yeah, he's been our guardian angel on more occasions than I can recall," Sara said quietly. "How long have you been wrestling?" Patricia asked. "Over 12 years now…which is why I'm so happy about finally retiring," Sara said, watching Dany chase Melissa around in the yard. "I take it your daughter is happy, too," Joanie commented. "Without a doubt. She's just happy to start school in January," Sara said. "I thought she was only three," Joanie said. "Yeah, she is. I'm gonna be home-schooling her, though. She's our little genius," Sara said looking up at Mark. He put his arm around her and winked. "She got her mother's brains," he said to Joanie, causing everyone to chuckle lightly. "Did you go to college, Sara?" Joanie asked. "Yep. Graduated way back in 2001 with two Bachelor of Arts, one in Communication, and the other in Sociology," Sara answered, "I've thought about goin' back to school, but I'm not sure. Right now, I just wanna focus on adjusting to retirement." "How about you, Mark?" Joanie asked. "I left my last semester to start wrestling. I didn't make my parents too happy, but they understood it was my decision to make," Mark said, "I don't know if I'll ever go back, either…I've got enough goin' for me that I don't really need to." "Gotcha," Joanie said.

A few hours later, everyone decided to finally turn in. Sara stood from her seat and stretched out, calling Melissa's name. "Just a few more minutes, mom!" Melissa said trying to chase Dany down to tag her. "Come on, Melissa, it's gettin' late, sweetheart. You and Dany can play 'tag' tomorrow," Sara said smiling. "I gotta get her one more time, mama!" Melissa said continuing her pursuit. "Melissa Lucille," Sara said simply. Melissa immediately stopped running, heading towards her mother. "Yes, mama," she said simply. "Come on, munchkin," Sara said picking her up. "What are we gonna do tomorrow, mama?" Melissa asked. "You wanna go into town and do a little shopping?" Sara asked as they entered the house. Melissa smiled and nodded. "Is daddy coming?" she asked. "I don't know, munchkin," Sara answered going upstairs, Dany following. "You gonna talk to John again tonight?" Sara asked once they came to their doors. "Yeah…I told him I'd call him back once we got settled in and everything," Dany answered grinning. "Alright. I'll see you in the morning," Sara said before going into her room. She closed the door quietly, noting that Mark was already in bed. "Come on, munchkin, let's get cleaned up," she said quietly. Melissa nodded, and Sara went into the small bathroom. She let Melissa take a short bath, while she washed up in the sink. "Mama, are Aunt Lisa and Uncle Andy gonna have a baby, too?" Melissa asked as they dressed in nightclothes. Sara chuckled softly and shrugged. "I don't know, munchkin," she answered, "I'm sure they will eventually." She helped Melissa into the bed, before climbing in herself. Mark's arms came around them both, pulling them closer. "Why do women always take forever in the bathroom?" he whispered with a grin. "Go back to sleep, Mark," Sara answered as Melissa settled in on Mark's chest. Mark smiled and kissed her forehead softly. "Love you, dollface," he whispered. "I love you, too, Mark," she said softly. "Love ya, munchkin," he said placing a hand over Melissa's back. "I love you, too, daddy," Melissa said before yawning. Sara smiled and snuggled into Mark's warm body, falling asleep moments after he did.

Mark awoke alone the next day. He groaned and shifted slightly in the bed, his limbs aching. He looked over at the clock and yawned. It was nearing noon, and he knew he should get out of bed soon. He slowly sat up, rotating his neck and easing his legs over the edge of the bed. _Wonder where that woman has made her way to now_, he thought with a smile. He heard his cell phone ring moments later, and picked it up off the nightstand. "Where are ya, dollface?" he asked grinning. "Shopping with Lisa and her family," Sara answered, "Dany took Melissa off, so she's okay, too. Let me guess, you just woke up?" Mark chuckled and answered, "Yeah…it's nice to sleep in." "I hear ya," Sara said with a grin, "I just wanted to call and let you know where I was so you wouldn't worry too much." "You know me so well," he said quietly. "Of course. It's my job," she said smiling. "When do you think you'll be back?" he asked. "I have no clue. You know how shopping trips go for me sometimes," she answered. "Just try not to max out the credit cards, okay?" he said with a grin. Sara chuckled and agreed. "I'll call when I'm on my way back, okay?" she said. "Love you, babe," he said softly. "I love you, too, Mark. Talk to you later," she said quietly. Mark said the same before ending the call. He placed the phone back on the nightstand, before taking his time standing. He went into the bathroom, sighing when he noticed its small size. "I feel like I'm in a midget's house," he said with a smile. He took a long, hot shower, trying to work out the kinks as he did. When he stepped out, his muscles were completely relaxed. He dressed in a pair of blue jeans, and a sleeveless white t-shirt, before finally making his way downstairs.

Andy heard Mark coming down the stairs and yelled out, "About time, big man!" Mark smiled slightly as he entered the living room. "Sorry about that, Andy," he said easing down onto the couch. "Don't worry about it. You had it rough the other night," Andy said. "Big match or somethin'?" Jesse asked. "Not really. I've been doin' it for so long, it just takes a while to get up and runnin' in the mornings," Mark answered. "How long?" Jesse asked. Mark chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Probably about 15 years now," he answered. "Wow! How'd you manage that?" Jesse asked. "Luck o' the draw. I started out with some crazy characters, but I finally found somethin' that's just worked, ya know," Mark answered. "Are you retiring with Sara?" Nick asked. "No, actually. I signed a seven-year extension over the summer, so I'm gonna be around for a little longer," Mark said. "Wrestling the whole time?" James asked. "I'm not sure. As time goes on, I'm sure I'll go to just part-time wrestling. You know, working big angles every now and then. I'm not all about bein' in the main event anymore. I've had my time, and I believe that the younger generation's ready to take the ball and run with it," Mark answered honestly. "That's pretty noble. I've heard of guys who didn't want to give up their spots," Jesse said. "You're a big fan, then?" Mark asked. "Yeah. It was a huge shock when Andy got into it. I'm surprised he's been around for so long," Jesse said smiling at his older brother. Andy tossed a pillow at Jesse's head, but Jesse ducked. "You better watch it. You break somethin', and Lisa's gonna have a fit," he said laughing. "I'll just tell her it was your fault," Andy said chuckling. "So, what's the plans for today, Andy?" Mark asked chuckling at the two brothers' antics. "Well, when the women are away…," Andy said chuckling. "Football game?" Mark asked. "Yeah, sure," Andy answered. The five men made their way out to the backyard, preparing for an afternoon of absolute fun.

Over four hours later, Sara pulled up into Lisa's driveway behind Lisa's car. Melissa was fast asleep in the backyard, and Dany was sitting in the passenger seat on the phone once again. "I'd hate to see what your phone bill's gonna be like," Sara said softly, a smile on her face. "Stop," Dany said softly, trying to pay attention to what John was saying. Sara climbed out of the car, gently pulling Melissa from the backseat. She headed inside and up to her guest room, gently placing Melissa in the middle of the bed. She then left the room, leaving a crack in the door, and headed back out to the car. She'd managed to buy some more gifts for Lisa's bachelorette party the next night without Lisa finding out. She took the bags up to her room, setting them inside the closet. As the bedroom door opened, Sara straightened up and yawned slightly. Big shopping trips always took a lot out of her. "Took you guys long enough," Mark said. "Our daughter's sleeping," Sara said quietly. Mark looked down at Melissa's sleeping form and grinned. "You have fun?" he asked quietly. "Yeah. It was great spending time with Lisa and her family," Sara said quietly, slipping off her tennis shoes. "You max out the credit cards?" he asked with a grin. Sara smiled and shook her head. "Besides, my check from Sunday night should pay for all the stuff I bought," she said softly. Mark chuckled and came over to her, kissing her softly. "God, you stink!" she said chuckling softly, pushing away from him. "Gee, thanks," Mark said sarcastically. "Clean up," Sara said winking at him before leaving the room, "The rehearsal dinner starts in a couple hours, and it takes almost an hour to get into town." Mark smiled and went into the bathroom, shutting the door quietly so as to not wake Melissa.

Sara knocked on Dany's room door, smiling slightly when Dany cracked it open, her cell phone still to her ear. "Jeez, John, you're gonna talk her ear off!" Sara said with a smile. Dany's jaw dropped and Sara shrugged. "He wants to talk to you now," Dany said holding the phone out. Sara grinned and took the phone. "Yes, sir?" she asked. "I'll talk my girlfriend's ear off all I want," John said. "Oh, really? It's like that now?" she said, "Didn't take you too long." "You know me, Angel," John said with a smile. "Well, you have a great time talkin' your girlfriend's ear off, then," Sara said before handing the phone back to Dany, "Mark and I are leavin' in about an hour, okay? Melissa's taking a nap, but she should be awake before we leave. If not, don't let her sleep past six, or she'll be up all night." Dany nodded with a grin, before closing the door quietly. Sara made her way downstairs, where she found Lisa in the kitchen. "Hey, chica," Sara spoke leaning against the counter. "Hey," Lisa said with a smile, "Let me guess, Mark was all sweaty, too?" Sara chuckled and nodded. "You know how men are. First chance they get, it's a pick-up game of whatever sport comes to their minds first," she answered. "Look, I wanna thank you again for bein' here. It means a lot…to me _and_ Andy," Lisa said quietly. "You know I'd be here, Lisa. I wouldn't miss it for the world," Sara said grinning. "I know…I'm just sayin'…," Lisa said quietly. "No, you're not gettin' any details outta me, Lisa," Sara said chuckling. "Damn…I was close," Lisa said with a smile. "Have you heard from the other ladies yet?" Sara asked. "Yeah. They're all gonna meet us in town for the rehearsal dinner," Lisa answered. "Good. I've got some little things to work out with 'em afterwards," Sara said innocently. "Uh-huh…I'm now officially afraid," Lisa said with an arched eyebrow. Sara smiled and shrugged slightly. "Don't worry, babe. You know I'm gonna take care of ya, just like you did for me," she said. "Okay, now I'm _really_ scared," Lisa said laughing.

"Scared about what, babe?" Andy asked entering the kitchen. "Sara's plans for my bachelorette party," Lisa answered. Andy smirked and opened the refrigerator to hide his smile. "What do you know, Andrew Martin?" Lisa asked shutting the door, almost clipping Andy's head. "Nothin'," he answered with a grin. Sara had told him every detail, just so he wouldn't have any qualms. "You told him about it, didn't you?" Lisa asked Sara. "Just so he wouldn't worry," Sara answered honestly. "Oh, jeez…now I'm really, _really_ scared!" Lisa said throwing up her hands. Sara watched as her friend left the kitchen, before leaning back against the counter. "So…is it gonna be as bad as yours?" Andy asked opening the refrigerator once more. "And what do you know about mine?" Sara asked in return. "Sketchy details…just that it was a great time for all involved," Andy answered pulling out a bottle of water. "Don't worry. I won't traumatize her," Sara answered smiling. "Good. I'd like my bride to be very well aware of her wedding day," Andy said grinning at her. "There won't be _that_ much alcohol involved, Andy," she said innocently. "Right," he said sarcastically. "Oh, like yours is gonna be any better," she said chuckling. "And what do you know about _mine_?" he asked. "Sketchy details," Sara answered with a wink, "Just that everybody's gonna have a great time." "Yeah, yeah, keep your secrets," he said. "I fully intend to," she said with a smile. "I know Lisa probably told you, but…I'm really glad you're here…it means a lot to me," he said quietly. "It's about damn time, if you ask me," she said grinning. "Yeah, yeah…I've heard that more times the past couple days than I have since I told my mom I was gettin' married," he said chuckling. "Well, you know we speak with love," Sara said patting his arm before leaving the kitchen as well. Andy smiled slightly, letting out a content sigh as he gulped down the cold water.

An hour and a half later, Sara and Mark pulled up into the hotel parking lot where the rehearsal dinner was being held. Sara smiled as she spotted Amy, Trish, Gail, Tracy, and Stephanie all waiting outside. Mark parked the car, and Sara quickly climbed out, hurrying over to the group of women. They all embraced in a giant group hug, and Sara said, "Good to see you ladies again!" "Even though it's only been two days," Stephanie said with a smile. "Yeah, I know," Sara said smiling as well. "Is everything prepped for tomorrow night?" Amy asked. "Yep. I even got to get a little extra stuff for Lisa," Sara answered quietly, seeing that Lisa was headed towards them. "Excellent," Gail said rubbing her hands together evilly. "What are you girls up to?" Lisa asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing…just a few little last-minute 'details'," Sara answered with a grin. Lisa hugged all the women, thanking them for being there, before leading them inside. They were directed to the conference room, which was already in the process of being decorated for Saturday night. "Wow…I love these colors!" Amy said excitedly. There were black and pink strobe lights placed throughout the room, with the beginnings of over a hundred balloons of the same colors sporadically placed as well. "Yeah, me, too," Lisa said with a smile. "Are all your guests coming tonight?" Sara asked. "Yeah. They should be here within the next 20 minutes," Lisa answered. "I _still_ can't believe you have over 200 people at your wedding," Stephanie said smiling. "Andy and I both have big families, and we didn't wanna really leave anybody out," Lisa said grinning. There were name-cards on each table, and Sara quickly found hers. _This is gonna be a long night_, she thought, remembering her own rehearsal dinner. Even though she'd had a much smaller wedding than Lisa's, there were still just the same amount of details to go over. After everyone was finally seated, Lisa stood up at the front of the room with Andy, a smile coming to her face as everyone clapped for them. "Thanks, everyone. We appreciate ya'll comin' down here for this, we really do," Lisa said into the microphone, "We'll try not to take so long, 'cause I know you all wanna get out and enjoy the town."

Over the next two hours, everyone went through the introduction of Lisa and Andy, greetings, toasts, and other such details. When it was over, Sara looked down at her watch and sighed softly. It was nearing nine o' clock, and she wanted to get back to Melissa. "You hungry?" Mark asked as everyone began to exit the room. "I don't wanna get back to Lisa's place too late," Sara said quietly. Mark put a disappointed look on his face, and Sara rolled her eyes playfully. "Fine," she whispered. Mark grinned and dropped a soft kiss on her lips. "We'll just get ice cream, okay? I wanna walk around for a little while," he said quietly. "That's fine," she said softly. They finally exited the hotel, and made their way to their car. They ended up stopping at a contemporary restaurant called Kool Beanz Café, just because Sara liked the name. Once inside, they were directed to a table near the back of the restaurant. "You'll have a good deal of privacy back here," the young woman said with a smile. "You get wrestlers in here a lot?" Sara asked as she sat down. "Yes, ma'am," the woman answered, "We certainly appreciate your business." Sara nodded slightly as the woman handed her a menu. "One of our waitresses will be with you in a few moments," she told Sara. "Thank you," Sara said. The woman nodded slightly, and Sara looked over at Mark. "I guess I picked a good place, then, huh?" she said softly. "Yeah," Mark said grinning, "You gonna eat much?" "No…I just want a drink," Sara answered, "My lip's a little sore." Mark reached over, and gently caressed her bottom lip. "I know how to make it better," he whispered, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Sara rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, I bet you do," she whispered, her eyes glancing back down to the menu, "Ooh, they have ice cream." "Okay, we'll get some, then," he said quietly. A woman came over, and they placed their orders: a couple of glasses of water, and two bowls of soft-serve vanilla ice cream. "I'll be back in a few minutes," the woman said taking their menus before walking away.

Mark linked his fingers with Sara's, smiling slightly. "I love you so much," he whispered. Sara smiled slightly, feeling her cheeks warm. "I love you, too, Mark," she said softly. "Are you gonna have fun with Lisa tomorrow?" he asked. "Yeah…she doesn't know it's an all-day thing. We're gonna kidnap her first thing in the morning," Sara answered, "Her mom, plus Andy's sisters, are gonna help me. We're gonna bring her to the hotel where her reception is, let her clean up, and then…the fun begins." Mark chuckled and asked, "I don't have to worry, do I?" "Of course not, baby," Sara said caressing his cheek gently. Mark touched her hand and grinned. "And you don't have to worry about Andy's bachelor party, either," he said softly. "I know," she whispered. Their waitress brought their order over five minutes later, and Sara took a spoon and began to eat her ice cream. "Wait," Mark said quietly. "What?" Sara asked with the spoon halfway to her mouth. Mark grinned and gently took the spoon from her hand, easing his chair closer to hers. "Mark, are you kidding me?" Sara asked looking around. "No one's paying any attention to us, dollface," Mark said softly, a grin still on his face. "Ridiculous," she said quietly. "Ah…open up, baby," he said softly. Sara couldn't help but smile as Mark proceeded to feed her the cold, creamy dessert. "Silly man," Sara managed to say between scoops. "I think you've talked enough today, sweetheart," Mark said winking at her. Sara grinned and swallowed the ice cream he'd put into her mouth. Once he was done, Sara smirked and pulled Mark's own spoon from his hand. "Hey," Mark said, before Sara slipped the spoon inside his mouth. Sara smiled and said, "A scoop for a scoop, sweetheart." Mark smiled and swallowed before speaking. "I hope you enjoy this," he said quietly. "I most certainly will," Sara responded, her eyes shining brightly. "Don't tease, dollface," Mark said as she put yet another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth. "But it's so much fun," Sara whispered. "That's it," Mark said taking the spoon from her. He pulled out a $10 bill from his wallet, threw it on the table, and practically pulled Sara from the restaurant.

Minutes later, they were driving back to Lisa's house. "I'm sorry, Mark…I didn't mean--." "Hush, dollface," Mark said pulling off a random exit. "What are you doing? This isn't the way," Sara said, her heart pounding in her chest. "I know," Mark said softly. Sara sat still as Mark pulled onto a gravel road, and turned the car off. He loosened her seat belt, running his fingers over her belly. "Relax, dollface," he whispered, feeling her shudder against his touch. Sara looked at him with a grin, touching his cheek as he leaned forward, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. His fingers continued to ease up her shirt, lingering at the lacy feel of her bra. Sara moaned softly, pressing her body into his even more. Mark groaned softly in her mouth, loving the feel of her as they ravished each other's mouths. Sara reached for the hem of his shirt, gently pulling it from his jeans and over his head. She dropped the shirt in the backseat, then ran her fingers through his hair, pulling it from his ponytail. Her fingers caressed the back of his neck, kneading the muscles gently while pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. Mark easily unbuttoned her shirt, slipping it down over her shoulders and removing it, throwing it in the backseat with his own shirt. "Back seat?" he whispered. Sara smirked as Mark climbed out of the car, while she climbed over the front seat. When he slid into the backseat, Sara straddled his lap, kissing him deeply and rubbing her hips down onto his crotch. "My God, woman," Mark whispered against her lips. Sara smiled and moved her mouth over his jaw, flicking her tongue over the twitching skin, until her lips found his earlobe. She nibbled gently on it, before blowing softly. Mark groaned and squeezed her waist gently, moving his hands up her sides to her back. Sara smiled when she felt him unclip her bra, and slipped it over her shoulders, tossing it onto the car floor. "Lean back," he whispered. Sara followed suit, and Mark gently cupped her breasts in his hand, moving forward and taking one rosy peak in his mouth. Sara moaned and shifted slightly, pushing herself up into his mouth even more. Her fingers moved through his thick hair, tightening as her pleasure mounted.

Mark moved down to the valley of her breasts, planting soft kisses up to her neck, gently sucking on a soft patch of skin. His fingers loosened her jeans, and Sara moved to the seat, allowing him to ease the jeans down her legs. Mark removed her shoes, jeans, and underwear in one swift move, tossing them onto the car floor as well. He shifted slightly, kissing over her tight stomach, up to her right breast, taking peak into his mouth. Sara groaned and shuddered as his lips met hers once more. Mark moved back down her upper body, placing soft kisses wherever he could. Sara's breaths came faster and faster as she felt his tongue circled her navel. Mark eased her legs over his shoulders, kissing the inside of her thighs, feeling her trembling. Sara gasped when she felt his mouth on her womanhood, his tongue diving inside its depths. "Oh…oh, jeez…my Lord," she whispered moving her hips towards his mouth even more. Mark groaned as her essence spilled into his mouth, and he moved his tongue over her outer lips, nipping gently at the soft skin. "Oh…oh, please," Sara gasped swallowing, "Mark, please…" Mark continued his assault, taking her to the brink repeatedly, but not letting her fall over. "Mark, please!" Sara screamed. Mark's tongue lightly flicked her over engorged nub, and Sara could feel her insides tighten. She squeezed Mark's head with her legs, screaming her pleasure as an orgasm shook her body. Once her body calmed, Mark removed her legs from his shoulders, kissing back over her belly, outlining her muscles with the tip of his tongue.

Sara groaned as he kissed her neck, sucking at the base of it once more, this time leaving a very noticeable hickey. She ran her fingers over his back, grazing the muscles with her nails. She eased him back up into a sitting position, and gently removed his jeans and boots. She moved her hands up his legs, gently massaging the tight muscles, before moving her hands to the inside of his thighs. Mark groaned and pulled his boxer shorts down past his knees. Sara slowly straddled him once more, positioning herself above his stiff member. Mark groaned as he pushed himself inside her, her tightness encompassing him completely. "My God, Sara," he groaned squeezing her breasts before bringing them to his mouth. Sara moaned softly, moving up and down his shaft at her own pace, allowing her desire to begin its ascent yet again. Mark's fingers splayed over her back, and Sara wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Their mouths met once more, but Mark was wary of her bottom lip. Sara noticed this and grinned. "You weren't bein' careful before," she whispered sucking the sweaty skin at the base of his neck. Mark let out a growl, gently pulling her head back. "Is that a challenge, dollface?" he whispered. "You know I love to issue challenges," she whispered in return. Mark grinned as Sara leaned forward. He met her halfway, and eased his tongue into her mouth. Sara moaned and began to move up and down again. Her pace quickened, and Mark grabbed her hips, slowing her down. "Easy, dollface," he whispered, "Take your time."

Sara smiled and began to rock her hips once more. Mark smiled as well before capturing her lips once more. His hands moved down her back, squeezing her rear end gently, bringing louder moans from deep in Sara's throat. Sara gently pushed him back, placing his arms over the back of the seats. She ran his fingers up his chest, pinching his nipples slightly, and leaning forward to brush her chest against his. Mark's head fell back as her mouth latched on to one of his nipples. "Oh, baby, yeah," he whispered running her fingers through her thick hair. Sara moaned and ran her tongue across his massive chest, planting soft kisses every so often. Her lips met his once more, and Mark put his arms around her waist, pushing up inside her at a faster pace. Sara let out soft mews, gripping his shoulders tightly. "Oh, jeez," she gasped rocking up and down simultaneously, "Oh, sweet Jesus…take it, baby, take it!" Mark growled and grabbed her hips, while Sara leaned back. He pumped his hips upwards, feeling Sara tighten around him. "OH…OH…OH!" Sara screamed grabbing her hair and pulling. "Yeah, baby, you want it, don't ya?" he growled gripping her breasts. "Yes, I do. God, I want it!" Sara moaned rocking against him. Mark felt her begin to shudder around his shaft, and he screamed out, shoving into her once more, his own release overtaking him. Once her orgasm passed, Sara dropped her head back, letting out a soft chuckle. "What's so funny?" Mark asked, caressing her skin. "I've never done it in the backseat before," she whispered sitting up, a sheepish smile on her face. Mark chuckled and cupped her face. "And just how was your first time?" he asked grinning. "Absolutely amazing," she whispered kissing him softly. "I always deliver," Mark said against her lips. Sara chuckled and rested her hands on his shoulders. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too, baby," he said softly. "We should get outta here…before the cops come," Sara said slowly climbing off his lap. "Can you imagine if they'd showed up before we'd finished?" Mark asked with a smile. "I don't want to," Sara said as they got dressed.

Mark carefully pulled back onto the road, quickly finding his way back to the highway. The entire ride was spent in silence, Sara keeping a loose grip on Mark's right hand. When they pulled in front of Lisa's home, Lisa was standing on the front porch with Andy. Sara climbed out of the car and ran her fingers through her hair. "You guys get lost?" Lisa asked. Sara felt her face turn red, and looked down at the ground as Mark came up behind her. "Yeah…kinda," Mark answered putting his arms around Sara's waist. "Uh-huh," Lisa said grinning, "Told ya so, Andy." "Shut up, Lisa," Sara said with a grin. "Your daughter's askin' for ya, hon," Lisa said still grinning. Sara nodded and headed inside. "I was about to gather up a search party," Andy said once the door shut. Mark chuckled and shook his head. "That wouldn't have been necessary. We had to come back eventually," he said. "I'm gonna head inside, babe," Lisa said to Andy. "Alright, hon. I'll be in," Andy said dropping a kiss on her lips. "See ya, Lisa," Mark said. Lisa smiled and gave him a wink before heading inside the house. "Come on, man. Let's go sit on the back porch," Andy said. Mark nodded and followed him around to the back of the house. They sat down in two plush lawn chairs, staring up into the clear night sky. "Mark…can I ask you somethin'?" Andy said quietly. "Yeah, shoot," Mark answered linking his fingers behind his head. "How have you and Sara…made it work?" Andy asked. Mark took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Faith," he said quietly, "You've been there for everything. And for all intents and purposes, we shouldn't be together. But we are…because we have enough faith in our marriage, and in each other…that no matter what…we can make it. Why?"

"I just…I love Lisa…you know I do. I just…don't know if I have the strength that you do," Andy answered. "Andy, if you love her like you say you do…then no problem, big or small, is gonna break you two apart," Mark said quietly, "Marriage is a…roller coaster. It has its peaks, and it has its dips…but when it's all said and done, the good times make up for the bad times. I'll tell you this…there are gonna be times when it seems nothin' can go wrong…and there are gonna be times when you're gonna hate each others guts. But if you believe enough that she is truly the woman you wanna spend the rest of your life with…you'll do whatever you have to…to make sure that she will be. Now I have a question…why are you asking me about this? Haven't you talked to your parents?" "Yeah, it's just…I've seen your marriage more closely, ya know," Andy said quietly, "It always stuns me to see just how much you two love each other…and I want that for me and Lisa." "Then you'll have it. It's no use in questioning it, because you're getting married. If you _didn't_ love Lisa, then you wouldn't be marrying her, ya know," Mark said. "Yeah, I know," Andy responded, "Thanks." "No problem, man," Mark said looking back up to the sky, "It's a big step to be taking…bein' nervous is natural. Even at my wedding…I had to keep tellin' myself…this is the woman I want to marry, this is the woman I want to have my children…this is the woman I wanna wake up to every single day for the rest of my life." Andy grinned and nodded. "I've been thinkin' that since me and Lisa really got serious. It just took me a while to…," he said quietly. "Get over Sara?" Mark asked looking over at him. Andy merely nodded in response. "It's alright, man," Mark said grinning, "But I'm glad you found Lisa. To be honest…I never even saw you look at Sara the way you look at Lisa." Andy chuckled and shrugged. "Lisa's a special woman," he said quietly. Mark yawned and stretched out his arms, slowly standing. "Have a tough workout?" Andy asked with a smirk. Mark raised an eyebrow and punched his arm playfully. "Shut up," he said, "I'll see you tomorrow, man." "Yep," Andy said as Mark entered the house.

Mark made his way upstairs, and found Sara lying in bed with Melissa reading a book. "Hey, daddy," Melissa spoke. "Hey, munchkin," Mark said shutting the door quietly, "You have fun with Dany this afternoon?" Melissa nodded and looked up at him. "I caught her in tag a bunch o' times," she said with a smile. Mark chuckled softly and slipped off his t-shirt and jeans, climbing into the bed beside Melissa. "Are you goin' to sleep, daddy?" Melissa asked. "Nah, munchkin. I want you to read to me," Mark answered grinning at her. Sara smiled and gave him a pillow to rest his head on. "Okay," Melissa said finding her spot on the page she'd been reading. Mark listened attentively as his daughter began to read from _Moby Dick_. He and Sara had to help her with a few words, but for the most part, Melissa read by herself. Around 11:00, Sara yawned slightly. "Come on, bedtime, munchkin," she said quietly. "Okay, mama," Melissa said folding down the top corner of the page she was on before handing it to Sara. "You're gonna be spending the day with Dany again tomorrow, okay, munchkin," Sara said tucking Melissa under the covers. Melissa nodded and yawned loudly. "Her father's daughter," Sara said with a smile. Melissa nodded and curled up against Mark's sleeping form. Sara turned the light off and climbed under the covers as well, sleep coming over her in moments.

The alarm rang at ten o' clock exactly, and Sara reached over to silence it quickly. Andy had told her Lisa wouldn't be awake before eleven, because she liked to sleep in on their days off. She kissed Melissa on the cheek before going into the bathroom. She took a speedy shower, before dressing in a pair of her favorite blue jeans and a black baby t-shirt. She brushed her hair dry, then took the bags from the closet with Lisa's gifts inside. She carried them downstairs quietly, in case Lisa was in fact already awake. She ran into Marie, Julie, Joanie, and Patricia on her way out the door. "Hey, ladies. She awake yet?" she asked quietly. "Nope. Andy's in the kitchen, so we're free to take her whenever we're ready," Marie answered with a smile. "Alright, let me take these out to the car, and I'll be right back," Sara said grinning. The four women nodded, and Sara left the house. She put the bags in the back of her rental car (Mark had told her she could take it when he'd awoke earlier), then hurried back inside the house. "Alright…we got everything?" Sara asked as Andy came into the hallway. "Yep," Patricia answered with a grin. "And the other ladies are gonna meet us in town?" Sara asked. "Yep," Julie said smiling. "Just be careful with my fiancée, okay?" he said grinning. "She's got a lot comin' to her for _my_ bachelorette party, Andy," Sara said winking at him, "But we'll be careful with her." "Alright, baby doll," he said taking them up to his bedroom. He quietly opened the door, and Sara stepped inside with the other four women. "GET HER!" she yelled, waking Lisa immediately. "What are you doin'!" Lisa screamed as her mother, future mother-in-law, and future sisters-in-law lunged at her. She scrambled to get off the bed, but they caught her. "Oh, no, you're not gettin' away, sweetheart," Sara said wrapping a blindfold over Lisa's eyes. "Andy, I'm gonna kill you!" Lisa said as they tied her up, "I know you had somethin' to do with this! You'll pay, you hear me!" Andy laughed heartily as the women carried Lisa down the stairs. "I'm not even dressed for this!" Lisa exclaimed as she felt herself being put into a car. "Don't worry. We've got it all taken care of," Sara said chuckling. "Sara…come on, I wasn't that bad with your party!" Lisa said squirming in the back seat. "I know…but this is so much more fun," Sara said climbing into the driver's seat, "You ladies ready?" "Yeah!" everyone exclaimed, except Lisa. "NO!" Lisa said continuing to squirm. "Come on, Lisa. Just enjoy the ride, sweetheart," Marie said smiling. "Mom! Not you, too!" Lisa said at the familiar voice, "At least tell me where we're going!" "It's much more fun not knowing, though. You didn't tell me where _I_ was going," Sara said pulling away from the house.

On the way to the city, Lisa asked questions repeatedly, but was only given vague answers by everyone in the car. Sara drove around the city for at least a half an hour before finally pulling into the parking lot of the Residence Inn by Marriott. Stephanie was waiting outside with a huge smile on her face. "You guys didn't even let her get dressed?" she asked. "Nope," Sara said grinning, "Her mom packed her a suitcase, so she's fine." "What the heck? Stephanie?" Lisa asked, her blindfold still in place. "Don't worry, hon. No physical harm will come to you," Stephanie said with a smile, "And the hotel staff know we're coming, so they won't give us weird looks when we walk in with a blindfolded woman." Sara chuckled and said, "Good…I was kinda worried about that. Come on, Lisa." She gently took Lisa's right arm, while Lisa's mother took her left arm, and walked her inside. They had a two-bedroom suite on the top floor, which Stephanie and Tracy were sharing. Amy, Trish, and Gail also had a two-bedroom suite in the hotel, wanting to splurge for this weekend. Once inside the room, Sara helped Lisa into one of the bedrooms, and sat her down on the edge of the queen-sized bed. "Can I be untied now?" Lisa asked. "Nope…you must sit here and ponder…," Sara said tilting her head to the side, "The importance of post-it notes in modern society." Lisa laughed as Sara exited the room, shutting the door. "Alright, let's get everything set up," Sara said smiling broadly. The nine women spent the next hour hanging decorations, setting out gift bags, and rearranging the furniture. Once they were done, they stepped back and admired their own handiwork. Pink and black filled up the entire living room, bottles of alcohol sat on the kitchen counter, with shot glasses for everyone except for the two mothers, and the living room table held the gift bags, as well as snack trays. "It's gonna be an interesting day," Sara said, "You think we should let her get dressed now?" Julie chuckled and shrugged. "I don't know…she's probably goin' out of her mind right now," she answered. "Well, I told her to ponder the importance of post-it notes in modern society, so I hope she's been thinkin' about it," Sara said. Moments later, every woman in the room broke into fits of laughter.

Sara went to the bedroom where Lisa was, and shut the door. "You got an answer for me, sweetheart?" she asked. "What?" Lisa asked sitting up on the bed. "Your verbal essay question, you got an answer?" Sara said. "What was it?" Lisa asked. Sara smirked and said, "Maybe we _shouldn't_ have woke you up so early." "Oh, shut up and untie me," Lisa said yawning slightly. "Alright, alright. I'll accept your answer considering the circumstances," Sara said with a smile. She loosened the fabric on Lisa's wrists, and removed the blindfold. "Where are we? You guys drove around for forever," Lisa said running her hands over her face. "A hotel in town…a nice one, too," Sara said, "Now go ahead and clean up. We've got loads o' games to play, and tons o' stuff to talk about." "Yeah, yeah," Lisa said standing, "You'll pay for this. Even Andy doesn't wake me up before noon." Sara chuckled and winked at her before leaving the room. Lisa took her time in the shower, knowing she was in for a day of food, fun, and friends. After washing her hair, she stepped out of the shower, dressing in a pair of blue denim shorts, and a white tanktop, then heading into the living room. "Hi, honey," Marie said with a smile. Lisa stuck her tongue out at her mother as she sat down on the large couch. "It was all Sara's idea, sweetheart," Marie said snickering. "Sure," Lisa said sarcastically, "What are we doin' here anyway?" "Well, we certainly couldn't do this at your house," Sara said, "I don't think I'd want my daughter to see how…bad her mama can be." Lisa chuckled and said, "Fair enough. So what's first?" "A classic," Sara said pulling out a thin box, "Monopoly!" The women chuckled as they began to set the game up.

The day was spent with much cheer and exuberance, playing game after game, cleaning out the snack trays, and downing the bottles of alcohol. When nine o' clock finally rolled around, everyone was pretty well drunk. "Alright…time for gifts," Sara slurred, reaching for one of the bags. She fell forward, bringing loud laughter from everyone in the room. "Okay…I got it," Sara said with a smile, stumbling to the table. With the help of an also-drunk Trish and Amy, they brought over all the gift bags. Sara watched with sheer happiness as every person explained their gifts to Lisa, and her reaction to each one. When it was Sara's turn, tears came to Sara's eyes as she pulled the picture frame from the black bag. "Lisa…you have been a friend to me for many years, sweetheart. You have seen me through so many ups and downs…I've seen you grow as a performer, and as the love of Andy's life. I'm so happy for you, I really can't say that enough," she said sniffling slightly, "This picture…was taken…a few days after I won the World title. We were…back in Texas, at my house…and it just meant a lot to me that you were there for me. So…here ya go." She handed the silver frame to Lisa, wiping away the tears the had spilled onto her cheeks. Lisa smiled as she looked at the picture: she and Sara were on the couch, each with a hand on the World title. The words on the frame were what brought tears to her own eyes. "Friends are a life time of shared experiences and memories. Laughter, Caring, Sharing Secrets, Honesty, Listening, Fights, Talking, Advice, Dreams. A true friend is a gift to cherish. Friends are forever," she read aloud, "Wow…Sara…thank you." "I love you like a sister, Lisa. You're like family to me, and especially to Melissa. I just wanted you to know that," Sara said smiling slightly. Lisa stood slowly and hugged Sara tightly. "Thank you, sweetie," she said quietly. Sara smiled and returned the hug.

A knock on the door interrupted them. "No way," Lisa said looking at Sara. Sara merely shrugged as Trish opened the door. A tall, lean, muscular man stepped into the room dressed in a police officer uniform. "Do we have a problem, officer?" Lisa asked. "Yes, ma'am. The police department received a call from the hotel manager…and I'm charging you for bein' too damn beautiful," the man said as music began to echo throughout the living room. Sara pulled a chair up and forced Lisa to sit down. "Sara!" Lisa said as the man made his way over to her. "Enjoy, Lisa," Sara said as the women began to cheer. The man's clothes quickly found their way on the floor, and even Sara found herself cheering for the nearly-nude man. _He's no Mark, but he's still gorgeous_, she thought clapping wildly. Lisa laughed heartily as he rotated his hips in front of her face. The man danced for over an hour, which truly shocked Sara, before finally making his exit with several monetary bills in hand. Sara sat down on the floor with a smile, happy that the day had gone so well. "Alright, it's time for us to get outta here," Amy said grabbing her jacket, "I'll see you tomorrow, Lisa. I hope you had fun, chica." "Oh, I did," Lisa said with a smile, walking Amy and Trish to the door. "Shit…who's gonna drive back?" Sara asked with a chuckle. "I will, Sara," Julie answered grinning. "Thanks, Julie," Sara said as Lisa helped her to her feet. "Whoa…Mark's gonna kill me," she said quietly. "Don't worry about it, hon," Lisa said grinning, "Besides, I'm sure he had plenty to drink tonight as well." Sara smiled and nodded. "Oh, jeez, I think I'm gonna be sick," she whispered leaning against the wall. "Here," Lisa said handing her a bottle of water. "I didn't know we even bought water," Sara said with a grin. "Yeah, I figured somebody might need it," Tracy said. "I owe ya, Tracy," Sara said running her hand over her face. "It's no biggie, Sara," Tracy said as Sara made her way to the door with Lisa's help. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, Sara," Lisa said opening the door. "You sure will, sweetheart," Sara said hugging her once more, "Sweet dreams." Lisa was staying in the suite with her mother, just as Sara had done the night before her wedding. "I'll try," Lisa said. Sara took a deep breath and straightened up. "I can walk straight," she said before bursting into laughter. "Come on, Sara," Joanie said putting Sara's arm around her neck, "We'll get home safe and sound." "Bye, Lisa!" Sara said waving as she was helped down the hall. "Bye, hon!" Lisa said before shutting the door.

On the ride back to Lisa's home, Sara fell asleep in the back seat. When Julie pulled in front of the house, Sara groaned and grabbed at her head. "Jeez…I'm not gettin' up until at least noon," she said quietly. Joanie chuckled and helped her out of the car. "I think the same goes for all of us," she said with a smile. Once inside the house, Sara slowly made her way up to her room. At the sight of Melissa fast asleep, a smile came to her face. She shut the door quietly and slipped off her boots, tossing them to the side. "Mama?" Melissa asked from the bed. "Yeah, it's me, munchkin," Sara answered quietly, "Go back to sleep, okay?" "Are you coming to bed?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, I am, but I gotta clean up first," Sara answered. "Okay, mama," Melissa said quietly, a yawn escaping her lips. Sara smiled and stripped down before going into the bathroom. She took a nice, long shower, cleaning the smell of alcohol from her skin as best she could. Afterwards, she dressed in a pair of blue-and-white striped cotton shorts and a loose t-shirt before climbing into bed behind Melissa. _I hope I don't have a bad hangover tomorrow_, she thought setting the alarm for one p.m.. Lisa's wedding started at five p.m., so Sara couldn't afford to sleep as late as she wanted to. She let out a heavy sigh and laid back on the bed, but quickly sat up. She felt her stomach churn, and groaned softly, going back into the bathroom and shutting the door. As quietly as she could, she emptied her stomach of the alcohol she'd consumed. She had no idea how long she spent leaning over the toilet bowl, but a knock on the door brought her back to reality. "Mama? Are you okay?" Melissa asked from the room. "Yeah, sweetheart. I'll be out in a few minutes," Sara said, "Go back to bed, munchkin." "Are you sure, mama?" Melissa asked quietly. "Yeah, munchkin, I'm sure. Mama's just fine," Sara answered wiping her mouth with a piece of toilet paper and flushing it down. She slowly stood and went over to the sink, splashing her face with warm water and brushing her teeth. When she opened the bathroom door, Melissa still stood there. Sara grinned and slowly picked her up. "See, baby, mama's fine," she said kissing her cheek. "Are you sick, mama?" Melissa asked. "Just a little bit…but I feel better now," Sara answered, "Come on, let's go to bed." "Where's dad?" Melissa asked as Sara placed her under the covers. "Out with Uncle Andy, munchkin. I'm sure he'll be back in the morning," Sara answered climbing in the bed as well. Melissa curled up against her, and Sara closed her eyes, falling asleep a few minutes later.

The alarm sounded much too quickly in Sara's mind. She groaned softly and reached over to turn it off. Mark groaned from beside her, his hands going up to his head. "Rough night?" Sara asked with a grin, silencing the clock. "You could say that," he said softly, "Same for you?" Sara chuckled and nodded. "But we had a good time, so it's okay," she answered. "Same here," Mark answered with a grin, "But I've never been more happy to see your face as I am right now." Sara smiled and leaned forward, kissing him softly. "Our best friends are gettin' married today, Mark," she whispered. "I know, dollface…I'm happy for 'em, too," he said quietly. "What time did you get here?" she asked. "I don't even know…the sun hadn't rose yet, so…," he said with a smile. Sara smirked and asked, "What time did you guys start?" "Around five o' clock," he answered. "We had you beat by about four hours," she said slowly standing. "I didn't know women could drink that long," he said quietly. "Me, either," Sara said stretching her arms, "And I'm paying for it now." "Wake me up when you're done, okay?" Mark asked laying his head back down. "Sure thing," Sara said going into the bathroom. She shut the door quietly and rotated her neck as she let out a quiet yawn. A smile came to her face as she imagined just how excited Lisa was. She took a hot shower, washing her hair twice, and shaving excess hairs, before stepping out of the tub and wrapping a towel around herself. She wiped away the steam on the mirror and smiled at her reflection. Even with circles under her eyes, she was still excited for her best friend. She went into the room, and dressed in blue cotton shorts and a t-shirt before waking Mark, then heading downstairs.

In the kitchen, Andy's family (minus his father) sat around a small table with cups of coffee in hand. "Rough mornin', ladies?" Sara asked pouring herself a cup of coffee. Patricia chuckled and shrugged slightly. "No, not really," she answered, "There's leftover breakfast on the stove." "Thanks, Patricia," Sara said pulling out a plate, "Where's Andy?" "Still in town with his dad…like Lisa," Joanie answered. "Gotcha," Sara said sitting down at the table. "Is Mark here?" Joanie asked. "Yeah…he said he got back before the sun rose," Sara answered with a smile. "Wow…and I thought _we_ went at it for a long time," Patricia said with a smile. "I don't know…Mark said they started at five…and if they were out all night…we might be tied," Sara said sipping on her coffee. "So…are you happy about today?" Julie asked. "Oh, definitely. Both of them deserve this," Sara answered. "Andy told us…about you guys," Joanie said quietly. Sara looked down at her plate and sighed. "It was a long time ago, ladies…," she said quietly. "I know…it's just…Andy always compared his ex-girlfriend, Trish, to you…and then they broke up," Julie said, "We just don't want to see that happen again." "Trust me, Julie…it's not gonna happen again," Sara said, "We were both at different places in our lives when…that happened…I'm a _very_ happily married woman…and Andy is gonna be a very happily married man. He's like a brother to me…he's like an uncle to my daughter. He might as well be family to me, because I do care about him that much. He looked out for me when nobody else would, and I am indebted to him for that…but there's no way I would ever come between him and Lisa. I love and respect them both too much to let that happen." Julie grinned and said, "Good."

Mark came into the kitchen a half an hour later, finding Sara sitting alone sipping on coffee. "Hey, babe," he said sitting down in front of her. "Where's Melissa?" she asked quietly. "Still asleep," he answered, "Looks like she had a ton o' fun with Dany again yesterday." "Good…I think we should give her a bonus for this, for comin' with us to watch Melissa," she said linking her fingers with his. "That's fine, dollface," he said quietly. "So…what time _did_ you get in?" Sara asked with a grin. "I think around four o' clock…like I said, the sun hadn't come up yet," he said smiling. "We got you guys beat, then. I think we drank for…at least 10 ½ hours," Sara said quietly, a grin on her face. "My Lord…you sure you didn't leave your liver behind?" Mark said chuckling softly. "Nope…it's still there…screaming in pain…but there," she said grinning. Mark leaned across the table and kissed her softly. Sara smiled and pulled back slightly. "What's that for?" she asked softly. "Because I love you," he answered sitting back down. "Well, I love you, too," she whispered, "I think there's still some food on the stove." "Did you cook?" he asked. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "I think Andy's mom did," Sara answered. Mark stood and fixed himself a plate, warming it up before joining Sara back at the table. "So are you excited about today?" he asked quietly. "Of course, Mark. Andy's been waitin' for this day for a long time. I'm happy for him," she answered, "But get this…I sit down to eat…and Andy's family brings up…you know." "What about it?" Mark asked quietly. "Just that Andy was always comparing me to Trish when they were goin' out, and then him and Trish broke up…and they didn't wanna see the same thing happen with him and Lisa," Sara said softly. "What'd you tell 'em?" he asked munching on a piece of toast. "Just that I love and respect both Lisa and Andy way too much to let anything or anyone come between them…and that I was a _very_, _very_ happily married woman," Sara said quietly. "That make 'em happy?" he asked. Sara nodded and took another sip of her coffee. "Good…then don't worry about it," he said quietly. "I just don't want them to hate me," Sara said softly. "You're not the kinda person who could be hated, dollface," Mark said winking at her. "It was just…awkward, ya know," she said softly. "Don't worry, babe…Andy and Lisa both care about you, so that's what's important," he said. Sara grinned, watching as his focus turned to the food in front of him.

After their short breakfast, Sara and Mark went back up to their bedroom. Melissa was just starting to stir in the middle of the bed. Sara slowly sat down on the bed, watching as Melissa's eyes drifted open. "Are Uncle Andy and Aunt Lisa getting married today, mama?" she asked. "They sure are, munchkin," Sara said smiling, "And you get to be a flower girl." Melissa smiled and slowly sat up. "Come on, munchkin. I'll give you a bubble bath, okay?" Sara said pulling her into her arms. Melissa nodded and Sara stood and went into the bathroom, while Mark laid back down to get a little more sleep. Sara managed not to get soaking wet while helping Melissa with her bath. She had to inform her daughter that they didn't want to leave a mess in Aunt Lisa's home. Once they were done, Sara helped Melissa into her dress, a pink sundress with a black hemline, white stockings, and black dress shoes. Mark lay fast asleep as Sara brushed Melissa's hair, which had already grown to the middle of her back. "How do you want your hair, munchkin?" Sara asked. "Curls, mama," Melissa answered. Sara pulled out large curling rods from her suitcase and plugged them up. "Alright, munchkin, it's gonna take about 10 minutes for them to heat up. You wanna read a little bit more from your book?" she said. "Yes, ma'am," Melissa answered. Sara grinned and pulled the book from the nightstand, turning it to the page that was folded down. "Here ya go," she said handing it over to Melissa. Melissa settled into the bed, and began to read softly. Mark woke up nearly 15 minutes later, as Sara was beginning to curl Melissa's hair. "Wow…is that my little girl?" Mark asked slowly sitting up. Melissa smiled and her face turned a bright shade of pink. "Yeah, daddy," she answered quietly. "Wow…you look just like your mother, munchkin, absolutely beautiful," he said grinning. "Thanks, daddy!" Melissa said with a broad smile. "You should get ready," Sara said smiling as well, "We have to leave in a little while if we don't wanna be late." "Yes, mother," Mark said going into the bathroom. Sara chuckled and continued to curl her daughter's thick hair.

After finishing, Melissa had a very Victorian-style look. Her hair was in a half-ponytail, with the loosened hair in large, tightened, bouncy curls. Sara added a very light layer of make-up to her child's face, bringing out her young beauty even more. "Okay, munchkin, now mama's gotta get ready," she said sitting Melissa on the bed, "Just sit here and read your book so you don't get messed up." "Okay, mama," Melissa said grinning. Sara smiled and stripped out of her shorts and t-shirt, and pulled her dress from the closet. It was an off-the-shoulder, pink, silk dress. The top lining of the dress was black, with the shape of pink roses threaded throughout the fabric. The hemline came down to the floor, flowing out only just slightly. It was a very form-fitting dress, and all of the bridesmaids were wearing the same style dress. Sara slipped on a pair of pink stockings before stepping into the dress. Mark came out of the bathroom as she struggled to zip up the back. "Here…let me help," he whispered. Sara smiled as he zipped her up, and smoothed out the dress with her hands. "How long are you gonna need to finish gettin' ready?" he asked. "A half an hour," she said softly. "Okay. I'll get dressed, and go see if Dany's ready yet," he said. Sara nodded and stood in front of the bedroom mirror, beginning to straighten her hair. It took her nearly the entire 30 minutes to complete the task, but once she was done, she quickly applied her make-up. Mark came back into the room, and she grinned slightly. "Lookin' good, baby," she said. Mark wore crisp black dress pants, a gleaming white button-down shirt, a silver tie, and a black jacket. The tuxedo was tailor made, and fit Mark in all the right places. "Thanks. Ditto, dollface," Mark said grinning, "You ready?" Sara smiled and nodded slightly. "Come on, munchkin," she said helping Melissa off the bed. "Where's Aunt Lisa and Uncle Andy, mama?" Melissa asked. "Probably already at the church," Sara answered grabbing a blue box from the closet. They left the house, making their way into the city.

Mark pulled into the parking lot of St. Louis Catholic Church a full hour later. The parking lot was completely full, and people were already beginning to file in. "I'm gonna go find Lisa, okay, babe?" Sara said climbing out of the car. Mark nodded and watched as she entered the church with Melissa. Sara was directed to the room where Lisa was waiting, and knocked on the door. Marie opened the door and smiled. "Hey, Sara," she spoke, "Lisa's been asking about you." "Is she feelin' okay?" Sara asked entering the room. "Yeah…," Marie said quietly. "No!" Sara heard Lisa say from the distance. "Wait here, munchkin, okay?" she said to her daughter. Melissa nodded, and Marie took her over to a corner to sit. Sara went to the room she'd heard Lisa scream from, and opened the door. "And just what is the problem?" she asked. "Sara!" Lisa exclaimed rushing over to her, and throwing her arms around her neck. "What's wrong, babe?" Sara said, "You look great!" Lisa was dressed in a pure off-white, lace gown, with long sleeves, and a flowing skirt. It was also off the shoulder, and gave Lisa a very royal look. Her black hair was done in large, bouncy curls, and was topped with a small silver tiara. "You really look good, Lisa," Sara said. Lisa kicked out the other women in the room and shut the door. "Sit with me, please," Lisa said dropping down on a plush red chair. Sara followed suit and tilted her head. "Sara…I'm so fuckin' scared," Lisa whispered. "You're in a church, Lisa," Sara said with a grin. "I'm serious, Sara…I don't know if I can go through with this," Lisa said quietly. "And why not?" Sara asked. "This is a big step for us…I love him, I do…but I don't know about this," Lisa said honestly.

"Lisa…I'm not gonna lie to you and say there's nothin' to be scared about. But you and Andy have been goin' out for over four years…if this wasn't meant to be, you wouldn't be here today," Sara said quietly, "I can't tell you how many nights I spent on the phone with…my mom…tellin' her how scared I was. I didn't want my second marriage to end up like my first. Granted, the wrestling business had to do with that…but I was still scared that…as much as Mark loved me, and as much as I loved him…we wouldn't make it." "You and Mark are special, though. You guys love each other more than anything. You'd do anything for each other," Lisa said quietly. "And you know Andy would do the same for you. He cherishes you like nobody else, Lisa…even me," Sara said softly. Lisa took a deep breath and looked at her hands. "I'm just scared that…we won't be able to get through a big fight. I mean…we've had our arguments, and we've hated each other a lotta times, ya know. But…we've never been through…what you and Mark have been through," she said quietly. Sara grinned slightly and took Lisa's hands in her own. "As much crap that Mark and I have been through, hon, I wouldn't change it for the world. I knew that we loved each other…a lot…but until recently, I never knew just how much. You have to believe that…through all the bad times…through the low parts of your marriage, that there will be a sunny day. It can't rain forever, sweetheart," she said softly, "And Mark's taught me that. Let Andy teach you…because I know he wants to." Lisa looked at Sara with tears in her eyes. "I just don't wanna get hurt, Sara," she said. "I can't tell you it'll never happen, Lisa, you know that. I can tell you that Andy loves you so much, he'd never do anything intentionally to hurt you. If you guys are still together after four years…you have to know that," Sara said. Lisa swallowed and took a deep breath, nodding slightly. "You're right," she said softly. "So are you ready for this?" Sara asked. Lisa took another deep breath before nodded. "Good," Sara said with a smile, "Be right back." Lisa watched as her best friend left the room and shut the door quietly.

Moments later, the door opened again, and her four bridesmaids (Julie, Amy, Trish, and Sara), and her mother entered the room. "Glad to see you're finally smiling, sweetheart," Marie said hugging Lisa tightly. "I wouldn't have had it any other way," Sara said smiling. "Okay, here…something old," Marie said placing a single-carat diamond ring on Lisa's right ring finger, "Your father gave me this when he asked me to marry him." Lisa smiled and looked down at the sparkling jewel. "Wow, mom…this is beautiful," she said quietly. "Something new," Amy said pulling out a thin, silver necklace, a pink jewel at the end of it, "Found it at Hot Topic, of course." Lisa chuckled as Amy clipped the necklace on. "Something borrowed," Trish said handing Lisa a charm bracelet, which held several small platinum clovers, silver horseshoes, and pink rabbits' feet. "Thanks, Trish," Lisa said smiling. "And…something blue," Sara said handing over the blue box. Lisa opened it, and gasped. Blue earrings stared up at her, shining in the light. "Where'd you get these?" she asked looking back up at Sara. "My mom…gave them to me…the day of my wedding," Sara said with tears in her eyes. "Oh, I can't--." "Yes, you can…and you will," Sara said taking the box from her, and putting the earrings through Lisa's pierced ears, "They look good on you." Lisa sniffled slightly and hugged Sara once more. "Thank you, Sara," she whispered. Sara nodded slightly and touched her shoulders. "Just think…it's the day you've been waiting for all your life," she said softly. Lisa swallowed and nodded, taking a deep breath. Music echoed throughout the church, and Sara grinned. "Here we go," Lisa said quietly.. "Perk up, Lisa," Sara said with a smile, "Everything's gonna be fine." "Yeah…it will," Lisa said, a bright smile coming to her face once more.

The five women exited the room, just as Lisa's father entered. "Wow…my little girl," he said quietly. "Dad, don't…you're gonna make me cry," Lisa said. Nick walked over to Lisa, hugging her. "You look absolutely beautiful, sweetheart," he said quietly. "Thank you, dad," she said softly. "Andy told me to tell you…he can't wait to see you," he said grinning. Lisa smiled and said, "Me, too, dad." "You ready?" he asked handing her a boutique of pink roses. Lisa nodded, and her father led her out of the room. They found the bridesmaids and groomsmen waiting outside the doors to enter the main church room. "Andy's already out there?" Lisa asked softly. "Yes, baby," Nick answered smiling. The doors opened, and Jonathan and Melissa stepped forward, Melissa throwing petals onto the floor as they walked. Sara and Mark entered first, her right arm linked with his left one. A few paces later, Trish and Amy walked in together. Matt wasn't a part of Andy's groomsmen, and Trish was single, so neither had a partner to walk with them. After them, Andy's parents entered. Once they were in place, "Here Comes the Bride" began to play. Andy took a deep breath as he watched Lisa walk down the aisle with her father. Tears of sheer happiness filled his eyes, and he actually had to wipe away a few that had fallen. Lisa's bottom lip trembled as her eyes locked with her future husband; he looked better than she'd ever seen him before. His hair had grown back out fast over the past two months, and was pulled into a tight ponytail, and he wore a simple black tuxedo, with a silver tie and cummerbund standing out. "Who gives this woman away?" the preacher asked. Nick took a deep breath, and carefully said, "I do." Lisa looked up at her dad, and he kissed her cheek before handing her over to her soon-to-be husband.

Throughout the ceremony, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Sara even noticed Melissa wiping away tears. She smiled as she heard Andy pledge his life to Lisa. Lisa recited her own vows, before pledging her own life to Andy. "And now, by the powers granted to me by our heavenly Father above, and the state of Florida, I pronounce you husband and wife--." Andy took Lisa into his arms before the preacher could even say, "You may kiss your bride." Their lips met, and Sara smiled and clapped, along with the rest of the room. Andy pulled back from Lisa and whispered, "I love you, baby." Tears fell from Lisa's eyes, and she softly said, "I love you, too." They headed down the aisle, hand in hand, as their relatives doused them with rice. Sara took a deep breath, glad that Lisa had overcome her fears and married Andy. "Mama?" Melissa asked coming up to her. "Yeah, munchkin?" Sara said picking her up. "Where are we going now?" Melissa asked. "To the wedding reception, munchkin," Sara answered. "Then where?" Melissa asked. "Well, you and Dany are goin' back home, and daddy and I have to go back to work," Sara answered quietly. "Okay," Melissa said resting her head on Sara's shoulder. Sara smiled and kissed the top of her head. She and Mark finally made their way back to the car, where they decided to wait until most of the cars had left before trying to leave. "So, did you have fun this weekend, Dany?" Sara asked. "Yeah, I did, actually. Lisa has a really nice home, and her family was really cool to me," Dany answered. "But you were on the phone all the time, Dany," Melissa said innocently. Sara and Mark chuckled as Dany smiled and looked down at the ground. "Yeah, I was, little one," she said softly.

Ten minutes later, the parking lot was nearly empty. "You know it's gonna be impossible to find a parking spot now, don't you?" Sara asked as they pulled away. Mark smiled slightly and shrugged. "It's okay, dollface," he said quietly. "What time is our flight tomorrow?" she asked. "It's an early one, 6:30 a.m.," Mark answered. Sara groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. "Yeah, that's what I said," Mark commented. They arrived at the Residence Inn, where Lisa had her bachelorette party the night before. Sara smirked as Mark parked. "What?" he asked. "Nothin'…just memories from last night…or lack thereof," Sara said chuckling. Mark smiled as they headed inside, quickly being directed to the conference room. Sara smiled as they took their seats. Nearly 15 minutes later, the lights began to flicker. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce to you…my daughter, and new son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Martin," Marie said at the front of the room. The doors opened, and Sara felt fresh tears come to her eyes as her two best friends walked into the room, happiness very apparent on their faces. "They look so happy," Sara whispered to Mark. "Yeah, they do," Mark said putting an arm around her shoulders. Andy and Lisa took their places at the front of the stage, and Sara noticed the tears on Lisa's cheeks. "Thank you all. I appreciate this so much," Lisa said sniffling, "This man right here…he's the love of my life, and I'm so glad I'm married to him. I've waited for this day…for a long time. And now that it's here, baby…what do you say we have our first dance as husband and wife?" Andy smiled and kissed her softly before leading her to the dance floor. Celine Dion's "Make You Happy" began to play throughout the conference room, and slowly, the dance floor filled with couples. Dany sat with Melissa while Sara and Mark went over to Lisa and Andy to personally congratulate them once more.

Sara wrapped her arms around Mark's neck, resting her head on his chest. The words of the song touched her own heart, because they were exactly how she felt about her husband. After that song, "You're the Inspiration" by Chicago began to play. "Wow…these are great songs," Sara whispered looking up at Mark. "Yeah…we'll have to ask Andy where he got the play list," he said kissing her softly, "I love you, dollface." Sara grinned and ran her fingers across the back of his neck. "I love you, too," she said softly. "You tryin' to get a repeat of the other night?" he asked in her ear. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Nah…we can't abandon Dany and Melissa," she said with flushed cheeks. Mark smiled and kissed her forehead as they rocked back and forth to the popular love song. As it ended, they made their way back to their table. Nearly every person had something to say, congratulating the newlyweds on their special day, and giving them best wishes to the future. It took nearly an hour and a half, but everyone was given the chance to say something to Andy and Lisa. The next two hours were filled with laughter, tears, and a lot of dancing. Mark wasn't a dancer, unless it consisted of rocking back and forth, so Sara spent her time with the women that were at the bachelorette party the night before. "Oh, check this out!" Amy said holding up her left hand. "Shut up!" Gail exclaimed. Amy smiled and nodded her head furiously. A pink diamond on a thin, platinum band resting on her ring finger. "When!" Trish asked, "And where was I!" "This morning, of all times. I was rushing around the room, trying to get ready. And Matt calls for me in the living room. I go in…and there he is, right in front of the television…on one knee," Amy said with a broad smile, "And Trish, I think you'd gone to get your hair done. But anyway…I was so stunned, I dropped my dress on the floor!" Sara smiled and hugged her friend. "It's about time, sweetheart!" she said happily. "Yeah…it took me a minute to register what he was doin'. I saw his mouth moving, but I couldn't understand what he was sayin'!" Amy said laughing, "He had to grab my hand, and actually put the ring on, before I realized what was happening. I'm surprised we didn't get security called on us, 'cause I screamed for a good ten minutes."

"From what?" Trish asked suggestively. "Oh, shut it, Trish," Amy said smiling, "You have a twisted mind, ya know." "It's not twisted, it's just bent in several strategic places," Trish said innocently, causing the group of women to laugh heartily, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somethin' to say to the new bride." Sara watched as Trish walked over to Lisa, whispered somethin' into her ear, and smiled at Lisa's now beet-red face. Sara walked over to Lisa as Trish headed towards the table with champagne. "What'd she say?" Sara asked Lisa. Lisa chuckled and looked over at Andy, who was attempting to dance with one of his sisters. "She asked if I'd ever watched horseback riding before, and I told her yeah," she said smiling, "And she told me to make sure I 'ride him like a thoroughbred' then." "Oh, my Lord!" Sara said laughing hysterically. "Yeah…that's what I said," Lisa said laughing as well, "Good advice, though." "Depends on if you ride or not," Sara answered. Lisa's cheeks turned red once more, bringing louder laughs from Sara. "Alright, hon. Mark and I are gonna head outta here. We've got an early flight tomorrow, and we want to get some sleep before we have to head back on the road. You enjoy your honeymoon in Hawaii, you hear. And, uh, take Trish's advice," Sara said smiling. Lisa smiled and nodded. "I think I will," she said quietly. Sara chuckled and hugged Lisa tightly. "I guess I'll see you in about a week, then," Sara said. "Hey…thanks for…what you did for me, earlier at the church," Lisa said in her ear, "I was seriously having doubts about this." "Don't ever regret getting married, Lisa…it's gonna change you…for the better," Sara said in return. Lisa nodded and kissed her cheek. "See ya in a week, sweetie," she said. Sara nodded and went over to the table where Mark was still sitting with Dany and Melissa. "You haven't moved an inch, have you?" she asked. "I actually moved a few feet…to go get somethin' to drink," Mark answered winking at her, "You ready to go?" Sara nodded and picked up Melissa, who yawned loudly. "We're goin', munchkin," Sara said softly. Mark led the three females from the room. Right before they left, though, they suddenly heard Andy scream out, "I AM BOINKING THIS WOMAN TONIGHT!"

Sara's jaw dropped and she shook her head. "Wow…," she said as Mark laughed behind her. "Come on, dollface, let's go," he said linking his fingers with hers. Sara smiled as he led her from the hotel. The ride back was fairly quiet; Sara and Melissa fell asleep in the front seat, while Dany spent the ride on the phone with John. "I'd hate to see your phone bill, Dany," Mark said quietly, turning into the driveway of Lisa's house. "Ya know…Sara said that same thing to me when we got here…I'm not lookin' forward to seein' it, either," she said smiling. Mark took a sleeping Melissa from Sara, before holding out a hand to Sara. "Thanks," she said softly. Mark nodded and headed inside the house. "What time are we leaving tomorrow, Mark?" Dany asked. "Well, Sara and I have a flight at 6:30 a.m., but your flight isn't for another hour," he answered opening his bedroom door. "Okay. So I should be up at?" she asked. "We're leavin' here at five, 'cause it takes a while to get to the airport," Mark answered. "Alright. I'll meet you downstairs in the morning, then," Dany said before going into her own room. Mark shut the door behind him, then laid Melissa on the bed. He undressed Melissa, careful not to wake her, before tucking her in under the covers. Sara slipped out of her own dress, hanging it back up, and dressed in a long, oversized t-shirt. As she washed her face and brushed her teeth, Mark undressed and hung his own clothes up. "Are we sending these back with Dany?" he asked Sara. "Yeah. It'd be kinda awkward carrying them around the country," she answered rinsing her mouth out. Mark stood in the bathroom door and grinned slightly. "What?" Sara asked softly. "I had fun this weekend," he whispered. "Me, too," she said quietly. Mark pulled her close to him, planting a soft kiss on her lips. Sara smiled against his lips, squeezing his waist gently. "I love you, too," she whispered. "I'll be to bed in a few," he said softly. Sara nodded and kissed him once more before going into the room and climbing into the bed. Mark joined her five minutes later, pulling both her and Melissa close to each side. "Goodnight, dollface," he whispered. "Goodnight, Mark," she said quietly. Mark's eyes drifted shut, a grin on his face as sleep overtook both him and his wife.


	108. Shocking Developments

**Well, it hasn't been that long since my last update, now has it. LOL I figured I'd try to give you guys a break, and keep this one a little shorter than usual. It was 16 pages in Word, which is about my average. I want to tell you what's going to happen in this chapter, but I can't. Everything I want to type is a clue as to what I wrote. :P So...enjoy!**

**Shannon

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Chapter 107…Shocking Developments

The next week passed by extremely fast for Sara. She'd only had to work Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, with no special appearances. She'd also had the chance to work another tag match with Mark, which she enjoyed more than she thought she would. They had such chemistry, Sara wondered exactly why they hadn't been put together to take a run at the tag team titles. She spent her days off just hanging around the house with her husband and daughter, watching as many movies during the daytime as possible, and relaxing on the back patio at night. Sara had even helped Melissa to learn how to swim even more, thinking that Melissa just wanted another outlet other than wrestling to expend her energies on. When Mark pulled into the arena in Phoenix at nearly two o' clock, her mind was extremely relaxed. The draft hadn't even occurred to her when she was at home. When she stepped into the building, though, it hit her full-force that Mark might be going over to the "other side", as she liked to refer to it. While both shows were under the same company, Sara looked at the guys (and girls) on Smackdown as competition. Sara immediately noticed the men and women from the Thursday show arriving as she did; they had a look of familiarity, like family members she hadn't seen in years, but still knew of. She headed down the hall with Mark, quickly finding their dressing room. She dropped her bag by the door and let out a deep breath. "Relax, dollface. Everything's gonna be fine," Mark said quietly. "I just…," she said softly, her voice trailing. "We had a deal, remember," Mark said with a grin. Sara smiled slightly and put her arms around his neck. "Yeah, I remember," she said softly. "Good," he said kissing her gently. Sara moaned softly and pulled him closer, rubbing her hips against his. "Remember what happened the last time you started teasing me," Mark said softly. Sara smiled and released him. "I'm gonna go try to catch a workout before it gets real busy, okay?" she said grabbing a pair of shorts, and a black t-shirt. Mark nodded and answered, "I'll go see if there's a run sheet yet." "Thanks, babe," Sara said going into the bathroom. She changed as fast as she could, before leaving the room in search of the gym.

When she arrived, she took a deep breath; there were already people from Smackdown there. She saw that there was an empty treadmill, and stepped on it quickly. As she set the timer for her usual 30-minute run, a tall, blonde muscular man came over to her. Sara stepped onto the moving machine before speaking. "Hi," she said simply. "Hi. I just wanted to say I think it's great you're World champion. A lotta the guys on Smackdown were really shocked when you won that night, but I think it was a great match you had," he said to her. "Well, thanks. I appreciate that," Sara said rotating her neck. "I'm actually hoping I can come to RAW, ya know, maybe challenge you for it," he said grinning. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "Tonight's a toss-up. You may end up here," she said with a grin. "I guess I'll see you around then," he said. "Maybe so. What's your name?" Sara answered. "Mark Jindrak. I'm kinda new around here, only been with the company for about a year and a half. But everybody calls me M.J.," he said. "Good to have you here, M.J.," she said. "Thanks, Angel," M.J. said before going back to his workout. Sara grinned and began to run. _Maybe this won't be so bad_, she thought, _RAW could use some new faces_. After her run, Sara found an empty space near the free weights and began to stretch out her legs. She heard murmurs spread the room and looked up, a grin coming to her face. Mark spotted Sara and went over to her. "Got the run sheet," he said kneeling down in front of her, "You've got the contract signing with Orton at the top of the second hour." "Stephanie tell you that?" she asked with a smile. "I'm not a messenger boy, dollface," he said quietly. "But you do it so well," she said chuckling. "How long are you gonna be?" he asked. "Probably another half an hour. You want me to meet you in catering?" she asked. "Andy and I are gonna see if we can find a gym in town, get a work out in before it gets too late. We'll be back in a couple hours, though," he answered. "Alright. Just drop the sheet off in the room. If I'm not there, I'll be up in the balcony," she said quietly. Mark nodded and winked at her before leaving the room. Sara watched as the eyes of the Smackdown wrestlers followed her husband, a grin on her face. _Guess they're not used to such star power_, she thought, suppressing a laugh. She took her time with her weight workout, trying to ignore the glances every person in the room kept giving her. When she finally left, she let out a deep breath. _Oh, yeah, this is _definitely_ gonna be interesting_, she thought heading down to her dressing room.

A couple hours later, Sara sat up in the balcony, dressed in a simple pair of black sweatpants, and one of Mark's blue Harley-Davidson t-shirts. She rested her elbows on her knees, leaning forward in the seat, her eyes scanning the empty arena. Lowering her head, she began to pray again that Mark stayed with her on RAW, and even prayed that Andy wouldn't be drafted either. He and Lisa had only been married for a week, and Sara didn't know that Lisa would be able to handle being separated from him in that manner. As she finished, she noticed Mark heading up the stairs towards her. She smiled slightly as he sat down beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Need some peace?" he asked softly. "Yeah…it's way too hectic backstage…not used to it, ya know," she answered quietly, resting her head on his shoulder. "Just another day on the job, dollface," he said kissing the top of her head. "I know," she said sighing softly. "I got a call from Melissa when I was out with Andy," he said. "Is she okay?" Sara asked looking up at him. "Yeah, she's fine, dollface. She just wanted to let me know she got Marley to do his first trick," he said grinning, "She taught him to sit." Sara chuckled and said, "Good for her. Maybe she should work on teaching him not to get into everything." "One step at a time, baby," he said grinning. "So…what'd you think o' all those stares you got earlier?" she asked quietly. "I thought it was funny. I didn't see what the big deal was. I'm an employee just like them," he said grinning. Sara shrugged slightly and rested her head back on his shoulder. "I thought the same thing…but they're not used to seein' you like I am, like the RAW guys are," she said. "Well, if they get drafted, they're gonna be seein' a lot more o' me," he said squeezing her shoulder slightly. Sara smiled at his optimism, needing that reassurance at the moment.

"Don't even think about it, dollface," Mark whispered knowingly. Sara sighed heavily and softly said, "I can't help it, Mark." "I know…me, either," he said quietly. "Where's Andy?" she asked. "With Lisa, of course. They want us to meet 'em in catering in a few," he answered. "Okay," she said stretching her arms out, letting out a yawn. "How's your lip feel?" he asked. "Better than last week," she answered with a grin, "He's gonna regret doin' that, if it's the last thing I do." "Good for you, dollface. Feelin' a little better about that match?" he asked. "Kinda…but not really. Those tapes didn't help much," she answered grinning. "I told ya it's a crazy match," he said grinning as well. "Yeah…but I think watching it and going through it will be two different things," she said quietly. "Yeah…nothin' in the world could've prepared me for that. You're lucky; you've got a few guys around you that have gone through it, so you can always pick their brains," he said linking his fingers with hers and standing. Sara followed suit, allowing him to lead her down the stairs. "I hope catering isn't as packed as the gym was," she said quietly. They entered the room assigned for catering, and Mark said, "Tough luck, babe." Sara smiled slightly as Lisa waved to them from the back of the room. "There they are," she said to Mark. "Let's get our food first," he said going over to the long table near the front of the room. Sara opted for steamed vegetables, a couple pieces of small chicken, and a bottle of water, before following Mark to Andy and Lisa's table. "Hey, you two. Enjoying this little Smackdown invasion?" Lisa asked as they sat down. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "It's not that bad," she answered, "How 'bout you?" "Their women's division could use some work," Lisa said with a chuckle. "Yeah, I agree. So, how was Hawaii?" Sara said. "Amazing…I wanna live there forever," Lisa said, "But Andy's not willing to fly so far to come to work every week." "Well, darn," Sara said sarcastically. "Ya know, if you'd seen those beaches, you'd wanna live there, too," Lisa said smiling. "Did you take Trish's advice?" Sara asked winking at her. Lisa's jaw dropped, and her face flamed bright red. "What was her advice, babe?" Andy asked. "Nothin'," Lisa said quickly, causing Sara to laugh heartily. "Women and their secrets. I'll never understand it," Andy said grinning. "You don't wanna know, Andy," Lisa said staring down at her plate. "You'll get used to it, Andy," Mark said grinning. "I tell you stuff," Sara said smiling at Mark. "I know, dollface," Mark said winking at her.

After their quick dinner, they all went down to Mark and Sara's dressing room, each wanting to be away from the increasing hustle and bustle of their coworkers. They spent the next few hours just going over the details of Andy and Lisa's honeymoon, cherishing in each other's company. As seven o' clock rolled around, Sara and Lisa decided to go ahead and get ready, not wanting to have to stand in line to see Janet. Andy and Lisa left the room, shutting the door quietly behind them. "So…you feelin' a little better about tonight?" Mark asked as Sara pulled out an outfit for the night. Sara took a deep breath and shrugged. "Not really," she said quietly, pain dripping from her voice. "Dollface…," Mark started. "Don't, Mark. You don't know that you're staying. I can't be optimistic about this anymore…I tried," she said before going into the bathroom. Mark sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He completely understood her reasoning, because he felt the exact same thing. He'd tried all he could the previous week to get Vince to assure that he was staying on RAW, but Vince wouldn't let up. "There are no guarantees," Vince had told him over and over again. "Please, God, please keep us together," he whispered, his head lowered, "I know we can make it if we are split up…but I don't want either of us to have to deal with that. I don't want our daughter to have to deal with never seein' both of us at the same time for the next two months. Please keep that in mind." He then stood and dressed in his own outfit for the night, opting for his wrestling pants, boots, and a long-sleeved black shirt. He waited until Sara came out, holding a brush up with a grin on his face. "Eventually I'm not gonna be here, Mark. Who are you gonna get to do this then, huh?" she asked sitting down behind him, a smile on her face. "I'll figure it out when that time comes, dollface," he said as her fingers eased through his hair. Sara chuckled and said, "Maybe you should start planning in advance." "What woman would you even allow to touch my hair once you're gone?" he asked, still grinning. "Janet…that's it," she said. Mark chuckled and nodded. "I figured. But I can guarantee you one thing," he said. "What's that?" she asked. "Nobody can work the magic that you do, dollface," he said quietly. Sara smiled as she felt a blush come to her cheeks. "I'd hope not," she said finally. After finishing, she put his hair in a simple braid, tying the end with one of her black bands. "I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?" she said standing. Mark eased onto the couch and nodded. "I'll be waitin', dollface," he said grinning.

Sara smiled and left the room, meeting up with Lisa at Janet's area. "Holy--." "Shit," Sara said completing Lisa's sentence. Janet had at least five women already waiting in line to see her, none of them from RAW. Sara and Lisa eyed each other, a grin on both their faces. "You up for it?" Sara asked quietly. "Lead the way, O Fearless One," Lisa said smiling. Sara took a deep breath and said, "Excuse me, please, excuse me!" as she made her way to the front of the line. Noises of disapproval were clearly heard, but Sara ignored them. "Hey, Sara. It's gonna be awhile," Janet said, smiling at the sight of a familiar face, "Trish said the RAW girls are in the women's locker room." "Thanks, Janet. Have fun," Sara said with a wink, heading away with Lisa. Lisa could only laugh at Sara's clearly noticeable disdain for the women of Smackdown. "My Lord, Sara, was that necessary?" she asked as they headed down the hall. "No…but it was fun," Sara answered smiling. They reached the women's locker room and knocked on the door before entering. "Hey, you!" Trish said to Lisa, "How was Hawaii!" "It was…great, Trish," Lisa said, her cheeks turning pink. "Then I take it you took my advice," Trish said laughing. "God, shut up!" Lisa said laughing as well. "So…what do you two think o' this invasion? Those "divas" stole Janet from us!" Trish said, her lips pouting out slightly. "God, Trish, you should've seen what Sara just did. The look on those ladies' faces was _priceless_," Lisa said laughing. "Oh, what'd she do? What'd she do?" Amy asked coming over to them. "We see the huge line, and look at each other," Sara started. "And Sara just busts through the line," Lisa finished. "Just to show them who was boss, ya know," Sara said with a smile. The women in the room burst into laughter and clapping. "That is awesome, Sara! I wish I'd been there," Gail said smiling. "Yeah, it was pretty funny," Sara said, "I'm just hopin' none o' you ladies have to go over there." "Yeah, we're all worried about that," Trish said, "So does this mean you two are gettin' ready in here?" "There's no way I feel like waitin' for Janet to finish with all those broads," Sara said. "Wow…so evil, Sara," Amy said grinning.

Sara grinned and shrugged. "Be right back, ladies," she said before leaving the room. Sara went back down to her dressing room, grabbed her make-up bag and waved to Mark, before going back to the women's locker room. "You've got that contract signing with Orton tonight, right, Sara?" Gail asked. "Unfortunately," Sara said grinning. "Are you really up for that match? I mean, wow…that's remarkable," Gail said as Sara applied a thin layer of foundation to her skin. "I don't really have a choice, Gail. I couldn't back out of it now, even if I wanted to, ya know. Randy's a jerk, I'll be the first to admit to that. But I'm honestly lookin' forward to stepping into a Hell in the Cell match with him. I'll have carte blanche to do with him what I will," Sara said with a grin, "And after he busted my face up last week…he's got a _lot_ comin'." "Yeah, I couldn't believe he got away with that," Gail said quietly. "Did you see his eye, sweetheart?" Sara said chuckling. "Yeah," Gail answered smiling. "Then you should know he didn't get away with it. And that shiner was only a _small_ taste of what's comin' up in 13 days," Sara said continuing to apply her make-up, "You'd think these guys would have learned by now not to piss me off. But I'll be glad to teach Orton that shit." "How's Mark feel about it?" Gail asked quietly. Sara took a deep breath and looked down at the eyeshadow in her hand. "He's not all about it, but…he supports my decision," she answered quietly. "What are you guys gonna do if he gets drafted?" Gail asked. Sara closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't even wanna think about that. I've only got, what, a month and a half left now…and I sure as hell don't wanna spend it with him on the other show," she said quietly, "But…if it happens…we'll deal with it." "Does he have any friends over there?" Gail asked. "No…but I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem for long. You should've seen the looks on some Smackdown guys' faces when he walked into the gym earlier," Sara said, a smile returning to her face as she went back to the task at hand, "Talk about star-struck, hon. It was great." "I bet," Gail said chuckling.

Sara finished up her make-up, and then straightened her hair, wanting to give herself a very professional look. She was dressed in the same business suit she'd worn when she'd spoken at Christopher Newport University. "You know somethin', Sara?" Trish said grinning. "What?" Sara asked. "You look like Paul…well, except he's a guy…and his hair's blonde…," Trish said. Sara smiled and looked at herself in the mirror. "Well, if I wanna be the best, I gotta look like the best, right?" she said in return, "Besides, if Mr. Levesque looked this good, I think we'd all be out of a job." The women in the locker room laughed heartily at Sara's playful mood, despite the impending draft. Sara smiled and waved to the women before leaving the room, Lisa following behind her. "You wanna go on a walk?" Lisa asked. "Yeah, sure. I need to relax before the show," Sara answered. She'd glanced at the run sheet, and the first round of picks was happening at the start of the show. "Have you and Andy talked about it?" she asked as they headed down the hallway. "Not really…we were too busy enjoying our honeymoon," Lisa said quietly, "I think catering's empty, we can sit in there." Sara nodded and let out a heavy sigh. "Mark and I made a deal…a couple weeks ago…neither of us would talk about the draft…'cause we knew it'd make us argue," she said quietly, her eyes on the floor, "And now…it's the only thing I can think about." "That's completely understandable," Lisa said, "But don't worry, Sara…if you and Mark haven't gotten through so much in your marriage…this job isn't gonna come between you now." Sara forced a grin and nodded slightly. They sat down at one of the tables near the back, and Sara rested her head on the table.

"How are you and Andy gonna…if…," she said softly. "If we get split up by this?" Lisa asked. Sara looked up at her friend and nodded. "Like you said the day of our wedding…if we're still together after four years…we're meant to be, right?" Lisa answered. Sara sighed and nodded slightly. "Maybe you and Mark should talk about it, Sara. I mean…you guys don't wanna have to deal with this over the phone, right?" Lisa suggested. "No…but the last thing I want is to have an argument with him, especially tonight," Sara said quietly. "Nobody wants to argue with the people they love, Sara…but I didn't say go and start an argument. Just work out what you're gonna do…especially with Melissa," Lisa said quietly. Sara ran her hands over her face, tears coming to her eyes. She knew her schedule was going to get even busier over her last month and a half with the WWF; that meant not only time away from Mark, but from her daughter. "If I could drop this all right now, Lisa…I'd do it in a heartbeat. It's so hard…to hear her say…'why can't you stay, mommy?'…the look in her eyes…it's like a knife in my heart, twisting," she said painfully, "And the possibility of Mark goin' over to Smackdown…I can deal with that…but I don't want Melissa to have to, ya know." "I know that, Sara. And I think Melissa does, too…but she's got Dany, ya know, there with her. She wants her mama, but at least she's with somebody you trust," Lisa said quietly, "Why don't you go talk to Mark, sweetheart? It's better to be prepared for this kinda thing than not." Sara sniffled slightly and let out a shaky breath. "This ain't gonna be pretty," she said softly. "The tough issues never are, chica," Lisa said, giving Sara a supportive smile, "You want me to walk down there with ya?" Sara swallowed and nodded. "He's gonna know somethin' is up as soon as I walk in…so…just stand outside the door, okay? If you hear yelling…don't come in," she answered. Lisa nodded and stood, Sara following suit. "I don't think it's gonna be that bad, Sara," she said grinning, "I think Mark wants to talk about this as bad as you do…as much as it may hurt him to do so." Sara nodded and ran her fingers through her hair. "You think I should wear a headband?" she asked. "Yeah…it'd give you an even more professional look. Paul would be proud," Lisa said smiling. Sara chuckled and nodded. They came up to her dressing room door, and she took a deep breath. "I'll be out here," Lisa said softly. Sara nodded and slowly entered the room, shutting the door behind her.

Mark sat on the couch with his head in his hands. "Mark…," Sara said quietly. "I know…we need to talk," he said softly. "How do you--." "Andy just…suggested…that we do," he said quietly, "He's gonna talk to Lisa, and he said we should do the same." Sara took a deep breath and slowly sat down beside him. "Mark…I didn't come here to start an argument, you know that," she said quietly. "I know, dollface," he said quietly, "In this business, you gotta…expect the unexpected, right?" Sara nodded slightly, her eyes never leaving his body. Mark leaned back on the couch, looking at her through half-open eyelids. "The simple truth is, Sara…if we get separated…we not only have to worry about which days we're off…but the special appearances we both know you're gonna have to make," he said quietly. "I know, Mark…," Sara said softly, her eyes finally dropping to her lap, "I don't want this to happen anymore than you do." "I know, dollface," Mark said taking her hands into his own. "What are we gonna do?" she asked softly. "Let's just think about this as…logically…as possible," Mark said, "Smackdown works Saturday through Tuesday. That would give me Wednesday through Friday off." "And RAW works Friday through Monday, so I'd have Tuesday through Thursday off," Sara added, "We'd see each other…maybe two days a week." "What do you wanna do about Dany?" he asked. "Well, I have to work the next two weeks straight," Sara said, "I won't get my schedule for the next month until after the pay-per-view." Mark sighed and ran one hand through his hair. "You just wanna go week by week, then?" he asked quietly. "We don't have a choice, Mark," she said quietly. Mark nodded and let out a deep breath.

"Can we make it, Mark?" Sara asked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. Mark finally grinned and looked at her. "We can make it through anything, right?" he whispered. Sara grinned and kissed him softly. Mark slowly stood and pulled Sara up, twirling her in a circle. "What?" she asked when he put his hand to his mouth. "You look like Paul," he said after a moment, "Except he's a guy…and he's blonde…" "Oh, shut up. Trish said the same thing," she said grinning. "Is that the look you were going for?" he asked grinning as well. "Of course not, Mark," she said putting her arms around his neck, "It's a coincidence." "Well, I tell ya this…you look a helluva lot better than Paul," he said kissing her once more. "You're messing up my lipstick, babe," Sara said softly, her fingers working their way through his loose hair. "You can always fix it," he said quietly, a playful smile on his face. "What time is it?" she asked softly. Mark glanced at his watch and answered, "Quarter to eight." "So…what to do for the next hour?" she asked softly. "Well…I could think of a few things," he answered smiling. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "No…to any o' those dirty thoughts swimming around in that mind o' yours," she said softly. "Damn…," he whispered kissing her once more, "Anything I can do to…change your mind?" Sara grinned and shook her head. "I can't get this suit messed up, sweetheart," she answered. "Well, we can solve that little problem real quick," he said reaching to unbutton her jacket. Sara smiled and pushed his hands away. "Uh-uh," she said taking his hand, "Come on, let's go walk the halls." Mark sighed and followed her out of the room. A few minutes later, they ran into Andy and Lisa. "Everything okay?" Lisa asked. "Yeah…we're good," Sara said putting an arm around Mark's waist. "So, what now?" Andy said, "We've got an hour until things start gettin' hectic." "You mean, more hectic than usual?" Sara asked with a smile. Andy chuckled and shrugged. "Let's just walk," Sara suggested. "Sounds like a plan…besides, I find it funny when people stare at me," Mark said smiling. Sara laughed as they headed down the hallway.

RAW kicked off at exactly nine o' clock p.m., as usual. A split screen showed two locker rooms, each filled with the wrestlers of the respective brands. The RAW Superstars each wore red shirts with their show logo, while Smackdown Superstars were dressed in blue shirts with their logo. "Here you see the men and women of RAW gathered in the locker room. The question is, which Smackdown Superstars will be coming over to RAW during the 2nd Annual Draft Lottery!" J.R. said. "And the Superstars of Smackdown are live here on RAW, wondering, as we are, which RAW Superstars will be joining Smackdown," Smackdown announcer Michael Cole added, "It is sure to be a tension-filled night! The draft lottery is live on RAW next!" Mark's hand went to the small of Sara's back, and she looked over her shoulder at him. "Don't worry, dollface, okay?" he whispered. She nodded slightly and looked back at the screen, which now showed Smackdown G.M. Theodore Long, and RAW G.M. Shane McMahon face to face. Vince stepped between them, and each man stepped back a few paces. "Good evening, gentlemen. The past couple of weeks, I've said we're going to shake things up once again in the WWF, and by golly, that's what we're going to do. Tonight, we will have the 2nd Annual draft lottery! This is how it's going to go down. There's going to be a bin with all the Smackdown Superstars, everyone on the Smackdown roster in your bin, Shane. You will get to choose from the Smackdown roster. You, Mr. Long, will choose from the entire RAW roster in your bin. There will be 12 picks altogether. At the end of the night, we're going to have a brand-new Smackdown, and a brand-new RAW. Do you have any questions?" Vince said. "No, sir," Teddy answered. "Well, actually, I have a question. Clearly, you've given some consideration to my champions. Angel, Test, Chris Jericho, Edge…I mean, clearly they're exempt," Shane said. "Maybe I haven't made myself clear. No one is exempt…_no one_ on either roster is exempt from this draft lottery. Everyone is eligible!" Vince answered, "I'll see you gentlemen out there." Vince walked off the screen, with Shane and Teddy waving goodbye to him. The RAW opening theme and video played, and fireworks blasted from the stage. Sara stood beside Mark, the World title draped over her left shoulder. Nervousness coursed through her veins as she looked around the room, taking in the faces of everyone, knowing that she could possibly lose some of her closest friends.

Teddy Long's music hit, and the crowd reaction was a mixture of cheers and boos, while the Smackdown locker room clapped loudly and whistled, and Sara couldn't help but smile. Teddy had been a referee for the company for a few months, before being given the role of G.M. Shane's music hit, and the entire RAW locker room gave their own G.M. the same reaction as Smackdown had for Teddy Long. Shane took his place behind the RAW podium, smiling as the fans cheered for him. Finally, Vince McMahon's music hit, and the building shook with boos from the audience. Sara chuckled softly as Vince strutted out onto the stage, as only he could. "Welcome to the 2nd Annual WWF Draft Lottery!" Vince said standing in the middle of the stage between the two podiums, "If you'll notice on each side of the podiums, there are two rotating cages. Each cage holds the name of every RAW and Smackdown Superstar, and the G.M. of each show will get to make six picks throughout the show. Earlier today, we had a coin toss to determine which G.M. would choose first…Teddy, you won the first round." Sara took a deep breath as she watched Teddy walk over to the golden cage. She put her left arm behind her, reaching for Mark's hand. Mark linked his fingers with hers, squeezing gently. Teddy pulled out a red plastic ball, and went back over to his podium. He slowly opened the ball and pulled out the small sheet of paper. Sara held her breath as she saw Teddy smile broadly. "Well, who is it!" Shane asked. "It is my honor, and my duty as the General Manager of Smackdown, to announce to you, Shane McMahon, and to the fans: Smackdown's first draft lottery pick is…," Teddy said happily, "The Dr. of Thuganomics, John Cena!" Sara let out the breath she'd been holding, watching as John slowly stood from his seat. "Give 'em hell over there," Chris said to him. John gave a few high-fives to people in the room before slipping off his t-shirt, dropping it on the seat he'd been in, and leaving the room.

John made his way onto the stage, shaking hands with Teddy Long, before going down to the ring for one last match on RAW. Sara watched him and Jay in one of their best performances yet, and was sad to see John go over to Smackdown. After the match, Teddy and Shane took the stage once more. Shane turned the golden bin before picking out a plastic ball. He smiled as he read the name, taking his place behind the podium. "Teddy, it's a pleasure to announce RAW's first acquisition from your precious Smackdown roster," he said happily, "Please welcome…Mr. 619, Rey Mysterio!" Sara smirked at the excitement on the face of Carlos. "What's so funny, dollface?" Mark asked in her ear. "I had my last Wrestlemania match with him, Mark. We may get to go at it again before I retire," she said with a grin. Carlos removed his Smackdown shirt and dropped it on the floor before leaving the Smackdown locker room. A commercial break gave Sara time to once again get nervous. Her fingers linked with Mark's once more as the television showed Shane McMahon. "Ladies and gentlemen, RAW is known to give every young Superstar a chance to make a name for himself. It is my pleasure to welcome to RAW…the "Reflection of Perfection"…Mark Jindrak!" Shane said excitedly. M.J. jumped out of his seat, screaming in pure joy as he ripped off his Smackdown t-shirt and left the locker room. He went to the stage, where Shane handed him a RAW t-shirt. "Mr. McMahon, I want to thank you for this chance. Now, I can hopefully get a shot at the World Heavyweight title," M.J. said slipping on the RAW t-shirt. "Welcome to RAW, Mark," Shane said shaking his hand.

M.J. left the stage, and the camera turned to Teddy Long. Teddy reached into the bin and took out his second draft pick. "Oh, wow…oh, wow. This is big, Mr. McMahon, this is huge!" he said looking down at the small piece of paper in his hand, "Talk about luck of the draw!" "Well, who is it, Teddy!" Shane said hurriedly. "Smackdown is proud to welcome to its roster…the icon…the main event…the "Showstoppa" himself…"Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels!" Teddy said into the microphone. Sara's jaw dropped and she glanced at Shawn, who had the same look on his face. Shawn slowly stood and removed his t-shirt before leaving the room. Sara's chest rose and fell quickly; if Shawn was drafted, there was no telling if Mark would be still with her at the end of the night. "Well…that was definitely a blow to my roster…but I have no doubt that we will gain the upper hand once again," Shane said turning his bin and reaching into it. He quickly opened the ball and pulled out the sheet of paper, a grin coming to his face. "Now we all now that RAW is host to the best women's division in the business. And that division hosts some of the most beautiful women in the world. With that said…I'd like to welcome to RAW…Nidia!" he said excitedly. Sara groaned as she saw the small woman on the screen jump out of her seat and throw something at one of the men. She stormed out of the room and onto the stage. "Oh…I am so excited. Now I can finally go for that Women's title," Nidia said happily. Shane smiled and handed her a t-shirt. "Can I put this on right now?" Nidia asked. "Please do, Nidia," Shane answered with a smile. Sara rolled her eyes as the woman ripped off her blue t-shirt, showing off a yellow lace bra and garnering loud cheers from the men in the crowd.

Nidia exited the stage now dressed in a red t-shirt, so that Trish could defend her Women's championship against Amy. Sara had to look away when Amy dived between the middle and top rope to Trish outside the ring, and her legs bent backwards over her head. "Oh, my God," she whispered as the screen showed a replay from three different angles. After the match (Trish retained the title), the two G.M.'s stepped back onto the stage for Smackdown's third pick. Teddy spun the bin and reached into it, pulling out a random plastic ball. He went back over to his podium and opened it, pulling out the sheet of paper and unfolding it. "Shane, RAW has some beautiful Divas, of that, I have no doubt. Smackdown now has claim to one of those Divas. Our third draft lottery acquisition, hailing from Toronto, Canada, is…Gail Kim!" he said excitedly. Sara took a deep breath as Gail stood, obviously not happy with this move. The entire RAW women's division knew for a fact that there was little to no wrestling on Smackdown. The women over there were basically eye candy for the male viewers, and Gail was one of their best wrestlers. Amy and Trish shook hands with Gail, bidding her good-bye, before Gail left the room. During the commercial break, Sara left the room, heading for the pit area, for the contract signing for No Mercy. Randy was already waiting, looking more confident than she'd ever seen him. "Happy about somethin', Mr. Orton?" she asked running her fingers through her hair. "Oh, the fact that you're gonna pay for what you did to me," Randy said quietly, wary that Vince was staring at him. "We'll see about that, asshole," Sara said softly. Randy glared at her, but she merely tilted her head, a grin on her face. Two minutes later, Randy's music hit and he strutted out onto the stage. Dressed in a pair of black dress pants, a black leather belt with a small silver buckle, a navy blue silk shirt with the top two buttons undone, and a black sports jacket, Randy made his way down to the ring. He climbed in between the ropes and stood in the middle of the ring, raising his arms up as the arena echoed with boos. A brown table sat in the middle of the ring, with security guards on either side of it. Shane held the contract for the pay-per-view match, and looked up at Randy with a grin.

"Now, Randy…I want to take this time to inform you that the draft lottery is protected, meaning that in the unlikely event that either you or Angel are drafted to Smackdown tonight…Hell in the Cell _will_ take place!" Shane said happily. Randy smirked and picked up one of the microphones lying on the table. "You're damn right Hell in the Cell is gonna take place, Shane. And it doesn't matter to me…you see, I don't give a crap about this draft!" he started. The fans began to chant "asshole", and Sara couldn't help but smirk behind the curtain. _For once, they judged a guy correctly_, she thought. "You see, Shane…this draft doesn't mean a thing to me, because it doesn't matter if it's Smackdown, it doesn't matter if it's RAW. You know, I know…and whether they want to admit it or not, they _all_ know…there is not a man, or woman for that matter, on this planet that can do what I do in this ring better than me! That is a FACT! And it is a fact that I will prove…for the third time…when at No Mercy, in Hell in a Cell, I become the World Heavyweight champion," Randy said confidently. The fans booed in response, and Randy looked out into the crowd. "Don't believe me? You doubt me? You-you don't believe what I say?" he said with a feigned look of shock, "I've prepared a little something to prove it to ya! But let me warn ya: it's not for the faint of heart; this is what you would call one of those "parental guidance" moments. And Angel…I know you probably don't _want_ to watch this…but you _need_ to see it. Now roll the footage!" Sara watched on a small monitor as a video of Randy in several Hell in a Cell matches played. She knew he was a two-time World Heavyweight champion, but she didn't know he'd been in so many of those matches. The video was even narrated with a promo Randy had cut the week before, telling Sara she should fear the Cell _and_ Randy, that she was going to meet the devil himself inside that Cell, and that Randy would not hesitate to end her career if that's what it took to become the champion. The video ended, and the camera shot showed Randy once more.

"Goosebumps! Goosebumps! Can you feel it? Because I can! It's comin' home, jack! It's comin' home! Angel…you were lucky _one time_ when you beat Shawn Michaels at Summerslam! Lightning struck a second time two weeks ago at Unforgiven, and it was unbelievable. But it will not happen a third time," Randy said just as Sara's music hit. Sara headed down to the ramp, amidst a thunderous ovation from the crowd, and stepped right into the ring, a look of sheer hate on her face. She stared in Randy's deep blue eyes, which also had hatred in them, and slowly picked up the microphone as the audience chanted her name. "You're done talking. Ya know, I don't know what it's like to be in Hell in a Cell; I don't know what to expect. At this point, I don't really care! I know we're both gonna get hurt! I know we're both gonna _bleed_! I know we're both gonna go…'til we can't go anymore. We're goin' to hell, Randy. You hear me? We're going to _hell_!" she started. The fans cheered loudly, and began to chant her name once more. "I'm ready to pay for my sins, Randy. How 'bout you? You ready to pay? Randy…I don't fear the Cell…and I DON'T FEAR YOU!" she said heatedly. Both people's jaws twitched, and Sara could feel her body trembling. "Please, Angel…Randy…it is time to make this official…please," Shane said. Randy nodded slightly and sat down, Sara slowly following suit. "Now, Randy, you've had an opportunity to review the contracts. As the challenger, I ask that you please…sign first," Shane said placing the clipboard on the table with a pen. Randy sneered at Sara as he flipped to the last page. He hesitated momentarily before signing his name and slamming the pen down, sliding it over to Sara. "Your turn," he said simply. "Angel…as the defending champion, I ask…that you sign the contract," Shane said slowly. Sara took a deep breath as she took the pen, and flipped to the page Randy had signed. With a sadistic smile, she signed her name beside his and dropped the pen. "It is official! At No Mercy, it will be Randy Orton and Angel, Hell in a Cell, for the World Heavyweight title!" Shane said excitedly.

Sara watched as Randy slowly stood, looking down at her in the most condescending manner. "You just signed your own death warrant," he growled. Sara smirked and stood with her microphone. "Good…'cause you're gonna have to kill me to take this!" she said holding up the World title. "Really?" Randy said, "You're gonna have to kill me to stop me!" Sara shrugged and placed the title on the table. "You know, Angel? I've had the most fun of my career the past couple weeks, kickin' your ass. I'll tell you one thing, though…no matter what happens at Hell in the Cell…when No Mercy is done…this thing between you and me…it's gonna be over!" Randy said tensely, "For good!" Sara watched as Randy took a step back, then held out his hand to her. Her jaw twitched as she looked down at it warily. She slowly took it, and when she felt Randy squeeze her hand, she pulled him to her roughly. "You said we were goin' to hell, Randy…and that I was gonna meet the devil. At No Mercy…," she said heatedly, nose-to-nose with him, "I'm gonna kick…the devil's…ASS!" Both people dropped their microphones, and Randy stepped back, pulling off his black sports jacket and unbuttoning his shirt. Sara followed suit, wanting nothing more than to fight him at that moment. Randy looked at the security guards, who'd taken a position to stop them from brawling, and then at the crowd. He smirked slightly and said, "You'll get what's comin' to you, Angel. That is a promise!" He grabbed his jacket and exited the ring. Sara took a deep breath and followed suit, knowing that she had to get back to the RAW locker room before they came back from commercial. When she arrived, she took her place right beside Mark. "Good stuff out there," he whispered in her ear. "God, I wanted to sock him good, Mark," she whispered. "You'll get your chance, dollface," he said softly, just as they came back from commercial.

Teddy Long and Shane McMahon were already on stage. Sara took a deep breath as Teddy pulled his fourth pick from the bin, holding it in as Teddy opened up the paper. "Shane, I feel like a kid in a candy store tonight! Smackdown's fourth acquisition is a man with nearly 20 years of experience in the wrestling industry," Teddy said excitedly. Sara looked up at Mark, not being able to hide her fear. "Having wrestled not only in the United States, but all across the world: Mexico, Japan, Germany, Canada. This man will truly bring an international flavor to Smackdown!" Teddy continued. Sara let out a breath of relief; Mark hadn't wrestled in any of those other countries. "I'd like to welcome to Smackdown…Mr. Chris Benoit!" Teddy said excitedly. Sara watched as Chris shook hands with several of his coworkers before leaving the room. "That was close…too close," Sara whispered, more to herself than to Mark. "I know, dollface," Mark whispered kissing the back of her head. A third match, and commercial break, later, the television once again showed Shane and Teddy Long. "Mr. Long, you may have taken one of our best female athletes, but we have taken one of your most beautiful Divas. Please, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to RAW," Shane said smiling broadly, "Dawn Marie!" Sara watched as Dawn squealed and jumped out of her seat, hurrying out of the Smackdown locker room. Chuckles passed through the men of the RAW locker room, and a lot of them gave each other high-fives. Trish and Amy shook their heads, and Sara couldn't help but think, _The women's division if officially fucked_.

Dawn entered the RAW locker room as Shane and Teddy both spun their bins for the fifth round. Shane picked out another plastic ball, and opened it up, yet another smile coming to his face. "Teddy, you said you feel like you're a kid in a candy store here tonight on RAW. Well, for once, I completely agree with you. RAW's fifth acquisition from the Smackdown roster likes to call himself the "Five-Time, Five-Time, Five-Time, Five-Time, Five-Time WCW Champion," he said happily, "Welcome to RAW, Booker T!" Sara smiled as the tall, toned black man stood from his seat and ripped off his t-shirt. "The Spinaroonie is officially RAW!" he yelled before leaving the room. Sara had seen that move, and believed it to be one of the silliest moves ever invented, but the crowd loved it. She watched as Teddy pulled out his fifth pick and went back over to his podium. He opened it up and unfolded the sheet of paper. "Shane, I really hate to see what your precious women's division is going to look like after this draft lottery is over!" he said with a confident smile. Sara looked at Amy, noticing the look of despair on her face. None of the women wanted to go over to Smackdown, least of all Amy. "This woman has one of the sickest finishing maneuvers in the WWF, and is amazing to watch in the ring. Hopefully she will do for Smackdown what she has done for Monday Night RAW. Smackdown's fifth pick for this year's draft lottery is…," Teddy said excitedly, "Victoria!" Lisa's hands went to her mouth, and Sara's jaw dropped. _Andy…oh, no_, she thought sadly. Lisa slowly stood, looking up at Andy. He pulled her into a tight hug, rubbing the back of her head and kissing her cheek before releasing her. Sara watched as Lisa slowly left the room, and saw the tear fall down her friend's cheek. The television turned to a match in the ring, and Sara went over to Andy. "I'm sorry, Andy," she whispered. Andy took a deep breath and quietly said, "We knew it could happen, Sara." "I know, I just…," she said softly. "Don't worry about it. Lisa and I have already talked about it, so we're gonna be just fine," he said. Sara nodded slightly and went back over to Mark. There was still one more round to go, and she was feeling very confident that Mark wouldn't be going anywhere.

After the final commercial break, Sara stood in the back talking with Mark about her special appearances over the next few days. She halfway watched as Teddy and Shane took the stage one last time. "Where do you have to go?" she asked. "I think we're headed to Chicago after this, for a houseshow," Mark answered, also halfway watching as Shane pulled out his last draft pick. "Okay. Well, I've got to head to Albuquerque, then up to Denver on Wednesday, and Chicago on Thursday," she said quietly, "And I've got to work some houseshows that weekend. So we can just meet up in Wichita on Monday." "Okay, dollface," he said with a grin. "Ladies and gentlemen, this has been an amazing night, to say the least. RAW's last pick has made a name for himself on Smackdown for over two years. Known as "Mr. Pay-Per-View"…and even "Mr. Thursday Night"…this man can now begin to call himself "Mr. Monday Night"," Shane said excitedly, "Welcome to RAW, please…Rob Van Dam!" Sara smiled and had to clap for their final acquisition, because she knew Rob to not only be a great in-ring talent, but a comical person behind the scenes. "Maybe you'll get to step in the ring with him," she said to Mark. Mark grinned slightly and shrugged. "You never know, dollface. Although I've seen him work…and that guy is crazy," he said in her ear. Sara chuckled and nodded in agreement. Teddy pulled out his final pick and opened it up, chuckling as he read the name.

"The man whose name is on this paper…is a legend in the business. He is a multiple-time World Heavyweight champion, tag-team champion, and a staple of the RAW brand," he said. Sara glanced over at Paul, who had a grin on his face. "He has been with this company for longer than most people, and has seen a lot of wrestlers come and go. It is my ultimate honor…and out of pure joy…that I announce to you, the fans, the sixth and final acquisition to the Smackdown locker room," he continued. The announcers questioned who it could be, and the fans began to buzz in anticipation. "Who is it!" Shane screamed after a few moments of silence. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome the biggest acquisition in Smackdown history," Teddy said finally, "The Undertaker!" Sara's jaw dropped and she felt as though her heart skipped a beat. She slowly looked up at Mark, shaking her head in disbelief. "No," she whispered. Mark lowered his head and slowly removed his RAW t-shirt, placing it in Sara's hands. "No," she said. Mark slowly left the locker room, and Sara sat down in the closest chair, her hands tightening on the t-shirt Mark had been wearing. RAW went off the air, and everyone began to exit the locker room, talking about the new changes. Andy went over to Sara, seeing the tears staining her cheeks. "Oh, baby doll," he whispered slowly hugging her. "No…," Sara said softly, her bottom lip trembling, "No!" "I'm sorry, sweetie," he whispered. Sara slowly stood and took a deep breath, wiping away the tears. "Let's go," she said softly, finally leaving the locker room. She went back down to her dressing room, slowly entering the room. She found Mark shoving things into his suitcase.

"Mark…," she whispered, the tears returning. Mark shook his head, handing over her small black duffel bag. He grabbed his suitcase and opened the door, motioning with his head for her to leave. Sara sniffled and did just that, her head lowered as Mark's hand came to her left elbow, gently leading her out of the building. The ride back to their hotel was dead silent. Once they arrived, Sara grabbed her duffel bag and followed Mark into the building. When they got to their room, Mark quietly shut the door behind them. Sara dropped her duffel bag as the tears escaped. Mark grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to face him, and captured her lips immediately. Sara put her arms around his neck, allowing him to carry her over to the bed. "I wanted to do this at the arena, but…I don't think it would've made for good TV," he whispered beginning to remove her clothes. Sara couldn't help but smile as Mark ripped away her shirt. "That cost me a lotta money," she whispered pulling his shirt from his pants. "I'll buy ya a new one," he whispered quickly removing her pants. Their love-making turned rough as Mark ripped off her panties with one swift pull. "I'll buy ya some more o' those, too," he whispered climbing on top of her. Sara moaned loudly as Mark pushed himself inside her, loving the feel. Mark growled low as his lips met hers once more in a searing, possessive kiss. They made love several times over the next few hours, not knowing when they would once again get the chance to please each other. As three a.m. came and went, Sara once again climaxed, screaming Mark's name loudly. Mark groaned as he pushed himself inside her, exploding and shuddering violently. Sara collapsed on his chest, tears spilling from her eyes. Mark rubbed her back gently, kissing the side of her head. "It's gonna be just fine, dollface," he whispered as she shook against him, "We talked about this, remember?" Sara sniffled slightly and nodded, looking into his eyes. "I love you so much," she whispered running her thumb across his cheek. "I love you, too, dollface," he said softly. "You'll…make sure to…tell Melissa, too…that I'm gonna be home as soon as I can," she whispered. Mark nodded as she climbed from atop him. "We'll talk on the phone every day, baby," he whispered pulling the covers over them. Sara smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "And I'll think of you every minute," she said softly. Mark kissed the top of her head and turned off the lamp beside the bed. "I love you, Mark," Sara whispered curling his hair loosely around her fingers. "Ditto, dollface," he whispered pulling her even closer. Sara draped her right leg over his thighs, yawning as her eyes closed and sleep overcame both of them.


	109. To Hell and Back

**Wow...I tell ya, if this story wasa freakin' class, I'd have an A, as much time as I put into it. LOL With Statistics class starting up on Monday, as well as an internship (I'll be writing for a _real _newspaper, not my college paper LOL) starting that same day, I'm gonna be much busier than I have been the past five or six weeks. So the updates won't be as fast, or as regular. Also, I worked out how many more chapters I have to type out, and it's in the single digits. Sorry...story's gotta end sometime. But, just so ya know, I'm still in the process of working on the plot of the sequel. :D Enjoy!**

**Shannon

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Chapter 108…To Hell and Back

When Sara landed at 1:30 p.m. in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for No Mercy, she was at her wits' end. The past two weeks had been more hectic than when she was in the 'Corporation'. She'd wrestled seemingly nonstop at houseshows, on RAW, and made a load of special appearances in various towns. The highlight of that time period was when RAW went to Honolulu with Smackdown for a two-day supershow. She spent all of her time with Mark, asking him how he'd adjusted to Smackdown. He and Glenn had been placed in a tag team together, and were dominating the scene. They actually had a title shot on Smackdown that week. Sara ran her fingers through her hair as she exited the plane, quickly getting her rental car and claiming her bags. She and Andy had been traveling together, which gave her a talking buddy on the long drives between towns. He and Lisa had a hard time dealing with their separation, but they got to see each other a couple days a week. "So…you ready for tonight?" Andy asked as they climbed into the rental car. Sara took a deep breath and shrugged. "I'd love for Mark to be here, ya know," she said quietly. Andy nodded slightly and watched as Sara pulled away from the airport. "How's he doin' on Smackdown?" he asked. "Alright, I guess. He's havin' fun workin' with Glenn…but he misses it over here," she answered steering onto the highway, "How's Lisa?" Andy chuckled and said, "Not havin' fun at all. She's had one match the past two weeks. I don't think they know what to do with her over there. She and Gail are the only women on their roster with any real in-ring training, and they can't fight each other forever." "God, I feel so bad for them. Bein' underutilized is one o' the worst things that can happen to a wrestler," she said quietly. "Yeah, I feel ya on that one," Andy said looking out the window. "Don't worry, Andy. You'll get a big shot sooner or later," she said grinning. "I wish it was sooner rather than later," he said quietly. "If it makes you feel better, it took me 12 years to get a big shot," Sara said glancing over at him. Andy chuckled and looked at her. "I guess that helps a little," he said grinning.

Arriving at the arena a half an hour later, Sara parked the car and climbed out. She saw Rob climbing out his car and waved at him. "Hey, Angel!" Rob said smiling. Sara grabbed her duffel bag from the trunk, shutting it as Andy climbed out of the car as well. "You ready for today, hon?" Rob asked coming over to her. "Kinda, but not really," Sara said with a smile, "It's a huge match. I just hope the fans can handle it." Rob chuckled and shook her hand. "You just do what you do best, sweetheart, shock 'em all," he said. "Without a doubt," Sara said as they entered the building. Sara felt her cell phone vibrate in her back pocket, and she quickly pulled it out and opened it. "Hello, darlin'," Mark said quietly. "Hi," she said waving to Andy, motioning that she'd catch up with him later. "How are ya?" he asked. "I'd feel a lot better if you were here," she said softly. "Me, too, dollface," he said quietly. "What do you have today?" she asked. "A houseshow, starts in an hour and a half," he answered. "Are you gonna be able to watch me tonight?" she asked. "Of course, dollface. Nothin' is gonna stop me, I promise," he said softly. "Good. I'll keep that in the back o' my mind. How's Glenn?" she said. "He's good. We're wrestling tonight, and then heading back to the hotel to order the show," Mark said with a grin. "Excellent. I got a new jacket, too," Sara said dropping down into an empty steel chair. "Really? What's it look like?" Mark asked. "A black duster, like a motorcycle jacket," she answered grinning, "It's pure leather, and it's got my symbol on the back." "Excellent. Give you a more badass look, then, huh?" he said smiling. "Yeah, as though it were possible," Sara said chuckling softly.

"So you lookin' forward to kickin' Randy's ass tonight?" he asked. "You have no idea, Mark. I've been wrestling against him at houseshows since the draft, and…I'll just be glad when tonight is over, so I can move on," she answered, "I'm just wondering who my last feud's gonna be with, ya know." "Who would you like to work with?" he asked. "Well, there's a bunch o' guys, ya know. Paul, of course, but he's had plenty o' World titles. Booker seems like he's a great guy, and he's got a lotta charisma, so I think he could hold it. Rob's probably the most underutilized guy on the roster. I mean, he's been around for a while now, and he's got a bond with the fans that few people can claim, _and_ he's just a great wrestler. He can wrestle any style, any day o' the week," she answered, "I don't know. It's Vince's choice, I guess." "Don't worry, dollface, he'll pick someone he thinks deserves it the most," Mark said. "Yeah, I know. How's our little munchkin doin'?" Sara said softly. Sara hadn't been home in two weeks, and although she'd talked to Melissa several times, it was not the same as seeing her. "She misses her mommy, of course. But I took her into town Wednesday, just to get her outta the house. You should've seen her in the bookstore. Your magazine cover came out this month, and she was tellin' everybody in the store, that was her mama on the cover," Mark said quietly, "She made me get the magazine to hang up in her bedroom." Sara smiled as tears came to her eyes. "When are you gonna be able to come home again?" he asked. "Well, I've got RAW tomorrow…and a houseshow on Tuesday and Wednesday…and then I get the next three days off," she answered. "Good. We'll go to dinner on Thursday. I found a nice, quiet restaurant this past week, and it's really private. I took Melissa there, and nobody came up to ask for an autograph the whole time I was there," he said. "That sounds fine," she said softly.

"I miss you, dollface," Mark whispered. "I miss you, too, Mark. But we had fun in Hawaii, right?" she said quietly. "Yeah, we did," Mark said chuckling. "How's Lisa doin'? Andy said she hasn't been too happy since she got drafted," Sara said. "She's traveling with Gail and one o' the other ladies. I think she's makin' a few friends, but she misses wrestling on a regular basis, ya know," he answered. "And who do you travel with?" she asked grinning. "Glenn and I are like the parents on this show, dollface, so we travel together. We'll let John ride with us every now and then, and Shawn rides with us, too. We always have a good time together, so it's fun," Mark said. "How is John? I kinda miss him askin' me about Dany," she said quietly. "He's on the phone with her all the time, dollface. I think she's got him wrapped around her little finger. She apparently convinced him to fly down after we're done working just to see her," he answered. Sara chuckled and nodded. "Well, that's good. John's a good guy…besides, he knows if does her wrong, I'm gonna kick his ass myself," she said quietly, "After Dany gets done with him, of course." Mark chuckled and nodded. "Alright, dollface, I gotta get goin'. Glenn is bugging me to get off the phone, so…," he said quietly. "You tell him if I wanna talk to you for the rest of the afternoon, I'll do just that," Sara said smiling. "I sure will, dollface," he said, "I love you." "Well, isn't that just sweet!" she heard Glenn yell in the background. "I love you, too, Mark. I'll see you on Thursday, okay," she said smiling. "Bye, dollface," Mark said quietly. Sara said the same before clicking her phone shut and heading down the hall to find her dressing room.

After slipping on a pair of dark blue mesh shorts and a wife-beater, Sara made her way down to the gym. She knew she was in for a tough match, so she chose only to run for 45 minutes, opting out of her weight training for the day. After a thorough run, Sara sat down on the gym floor, stretching out her legs. As she went through her stretching routine, M.J. walked over to her. "What's up, M.J.?" Sara spoke grinning. "Not much. How are you?" M.J. said politely. "I'm good…tryin' to get ready for tonight," she answered rotating her neck. "Are you nervous?" he asked. "Of course," Sara said letting out a slow breath, "But I'm prepared for it. How 'bout you? A shot for the Intercontinental title, with only two weeks' experience on RAW." M.J. smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it's gonna be fun. I've been talkin' to Shelton about the match all week," he said. "Just go out there and do your thing, M.J. Let it come naturally, ya know. You think on it too hard, and the fans are gonna be able to see it," she said quietly. "Yeah, that's what Shelton told me. He said he doesn't think about half o' the moves he does in the ring, he just does 'em," he said grinning. "Yeah, Bennie's a great wrestler. I've had the chance to wrestle him a few times, and I always have fun," she said smiling. "Why do you call him Bennie?" M.J. asked. "You should ask him that…as a matter of fact, ask him if he's got any ice cream," Sara said chuckling. "Wow…I don't think I wanna know now," M.J. said smiling. Sara slowly stood and stretched her arms. "Nah, it's not too dirty. It's just a funny situation," she said chuckling softly. "Gotcha. Well, I'll talk to ya later, okay?" M.J. said heading for one of the empty treadmills. "Sure thing, M.J.," Sara said before leaving the gym, heading back to her dressing room.

Sara ran her fingers through her sweaty hair, her eyes on the floor as she slowly walked down the hallway. She bumped into someone and looked up to apologize. "What the fuck are you doin' here!" she spat looking into the gray eyes of Kevin. "Just here to say hi to some friends, Sara," Kevin said quietly. Sara took a deep breath and crossed her arms. "What makes you think you still have friends here, Kevin?" she asked simply. "If Shawn can come back and make friends, so can I," he said quietly. "Shawn was different," she said. "I saw your match at Summerslam…congratulations," Kevin said, changing the subject, "It was probably the match o' the year, in my eyes." Sara eyed the floor and shifted her weight. "Thanks, Kevin," she said softly. "I've been keepin' up with the show since I left…Mark actually agreed to let you go into the Cell?" he asked. "Even if he didn't, Kevin, I was gonna do it," she said looking back up at him. Kevin grinned slightly and nodded. "Of course," he said, "Look, I was, uh, just headin' out to get somethin' to eat--." "No," Sara said simply. "I expected that," he said quietly. "Would you really think I'd go into public with you, Kevin?" Sara said tensely, "You treated me like shit for a month." "No…I just thought I'd put the offer out there," he said quietly. Sara sighed and leaned against the wall. "How's your throat?" she asked quietly. "Gettin' better every day. I couldn't talk for a couple weeks afterwards, but…my doctor gave me somethin' to help get the swelling down, and…," he said quietly. "I hope you don't expect me to apologize for that," she said quietly. "No…I just, uh, wanted to apologize--." "Save it, Kevin," Sara said tensely, "I don't wanna hear your bullshit." Sara suddenly slapped Kevin across the cheek, her eyes narrow. "That was for Dany, asshole," she whispered before continuing towards her dressing room. Kevin watched as she walked away, a grin on his face. "Good to see you, too, baby girl," he said to himself, heading the opposite direction.

Sara quickly got to her dressing room, entering and slamming the door shut behind her. Kevin had looked as arrogant as before, as though he still belonged backstage. Sara sighed and grabbed a towel before going into the bathroom. She took a long shower, shaving excess hairs away and washing her hair twice, before going back into her dressing room, wrapping her towel around her as she did. "Holy shit!" she said, her hand going to her chest. "Sorry, baby doll," Andy said covering his eyes. Sara chuckled and took a few deep breaths. "Somethin' wrong?" she asked going over to her duffel bag. "I, uh…passed Kevin in the hall a few minutes ago," Andy said, "You see him?" Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "He say anything to ya?" he asked standing. "We talked for a couple minutes…and…," she said quietly. "What?" Andy asked. "I slapped him," she said with a grin. "What? For what?" he asked. "Well, as if I really needed a reason, but…Dany told me he hit her right before she broke up with him, so…I thought he had it comin'," she said pulling out a pair of black shorts. Andy chuckled and shrugged slightly. "Well, as long as he didn't do anything to ya," he said. Sara shook her head and searched for the matching top to her shorts. "He actually had the nerve to ask me if I wanted to go eat with him," she said grinning. "Well, since it's obvious you said no, you wanna go grab lunch in catering?" Andy asked. Sara found the black halter top and stood, looking at Andy. "Yeah, just give me about 15 minutes," she said. "Alright. I'll meet ya down there," Andy said before leaving the room. Sara smiled slightly as she got dressed. _At least I've still got Andy here_, she thought pulling on a pair of sweatpants over her shorts. She slipped on the halter top and a loose t-shirt, before brushing her hair dry. After that daunting task, she finally made her way to catering. Andy was already seated with Carlos, so Sara grabbed a plate of food and a water bottle before going over to their table. "Gentlemen," she said as she sat down. "My lady," Carlos said with a grin.

"You ready for that match with Bennie and M.J.?" Sara asked before taking a swig of her water. "Yeah. I think it's gonna take to the air before too long," Carlos said with a smile. "Oh, without a doubt. I mean, you're in it, so nobody will stay grounded for long," Sara said. "It's gonna be interesting with M.J. in there, though," Carlos said. "Yeah, definitely. But have you seen the guy's dropkick. I mean, he must have a vertical leap of, like, three feet!" Sara said chuckling. "Yeah, shocked the hell outta me too," Carlos said, "How 'bout you? You ready for tonight?" Sara let out a slow breath and shrugged slightly. "It's so unpredictable. Anything can happen, ya know," she said quietly. "Yeah. Have you talked to Mark today?" Carlos asked. "Yeah. He's doin' good, havin' fun with Glenn," she answered. "I miss those guys sometimes. It's fun over here, of course, but those guys…we had some good times," Carlos said with a grin. Sara spotted Kevin walk in with Paul, and took a deep breath. Andy looked over his shoulder and rolled his eyes slightly. "That guy's got some nerve," Carlos said quietly. "Don't worry about it, Carlos. Let's just eat and have fun like we always do," Sara said quietly. "Did you ever tell Mark--." "No, and I don't feel the need to. That's a part of my career that I'd really like to forget, Carlos," Sara said, pushing her food around with her fork. "Sorry, Angel," Carlos said. Sara sat back in her seat, her eyes following Kevin as he went over to the table with food. "Hey, Angel…let's just eat, okay?" Carlos said, seeing that Sara's eyes were narrowing. Sara took a deep breath and looked down at her plate. "Yeah," she said quietly.

Sara managed to get through lunch without looking at Kevin again, but she felt his eyes on her the entire time. When she was done, Andy led her out of the room. Sara ran her hands over her arms and shuddered slightly. "You okay?" Andy asked quietly. "Will you go to the balcony with me?" she asked softly. "Sure, baby doll," he said quietly. Sara headed down the hallway with her head down; she couldn't believe she was in the same building with the man who'd almost destroyed her marriage. Once in the balcony, she plopped down in a seat, dropping her head forward. Andy noticed her trembling, and put his arms around her. "I just think of…how that asshole…almost cost me my marriage, Andy," she whispered. "But he didn't, baby doll," he said quietly. Sara sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes going up to where the Cell was already hanging. "I can't believe I'm gonna be in that thing tonight, Andy," she said quietly. "Yeah, me either," Andy said grinning, "Did Mark say he was gonna watch?" "Yeah. After his houseshow, he said he and Glenn are goin' back to the hotel and ordering it," she answered, "I'll keep that in the back o' my mind." "Have you seen Randy?" he asked. "I'm thinkin' of just shooting the whole match. The last thing I wanna do is talk to that jerk," she said quietly. Andy chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, you can't do that, sweetheart. You could seriously get hurt if you don't know what's comin'," he said quietly. "Yeah, I know…we could always call it in the ring. We did that for a houseshow, and it went okay," she said softly. "I just don't want to have to come out there because Randy's lost his damn mind," he said grinning. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "I think after me givin' him a good shiner, he won't take it too far," she said with a smile. "Darlin', it's the Cell…I don't think there's such a thing as not goin' too far," Andy said honestly. "I'll keep that in mind," Sara said grinning. Andy chuckled and said, "Should I be worried, sweetheart?" "Of course not," Sara said innocently. "Yeah, right," Andy said smiling. Sara smiled as she began to relax once more.

An hour later, Sara finally decided it was time to once again get to work. "Doors open up in an about an hour and a half, so I should find Randy, see if he wants to talk out a few spots beforehand," she said as she and Andy went backstage. "Look like he's makin' fast buddies with Kevin," Andy said quietly, motioning down the hallway. Sara rolled her eyes when she saw that the two men were laughing at something. "I'll be right here, baby doll," Andy said as they headed towards Randy. "Yo, Angel, Kevin was just tellin' me a story about you guys," Randy said cryptically. Sara looked from Randy to Kevin, her eyes filled with hatred for both people. "Look, do you wanna talk out some spots for tonight? Or just wing it?" she asked tensely. "We'll just wing it. Matches are better that way, especially considering the circumstances," Randy said grinning. "Fine…," Sara said before walking away. "How's Mark, baby girl?" Kevin asked smirking. Sara stopped and stiffened up, forcing away the tears that had come to her eyes. "He's not worth it, baby doll," Andy said softly. Sara swallowed and took a deep breath. "Yes, he is," she whispered facing Kevin. Andy watched as Sara slowly went back over to Kevin. "At least Mark's got a job, asshole," she whispered before slapping him. Kevin slowly stood, glaring down at Sara. "And your mom, how's she?" he asked softly, his eyes blazing. Sara's jaw dropped as tears came to her eyes. "Come on, Sara," Andy said placing a hand on her shoulder. "My mom's dead, Kevin," she whispered before allowing Andy to lead her away. Kevin dropped his head and whispered, "Shit…" "You didn't know?" Randy asked quietly. "No…," Kevin said sitting back down. "Yeah, Vince told us a couple months ago…," Randy said. "Damn it…that was always a sore spot for her," Kevin said quietly, his eyes watching Sara's retreating form.

Andy walked Sara down to her dressing room, where she immediately pulled out her cell phone, and headed outside. "Please pick up, Mark," she whispered as the phone rang in her ear. "Hi, dollface," Mark answered moments later. "Hi," Sara said wiping away tears. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Mark…you're not gonna believe who's here," she said quietly, taking a seat on the curb. "Roddy?" Mark asked grinning. "No, Mark," Sara said as tears returned. "Who, baby?" he asked. "Mark…," Sara said slowly, struggling not to burst into tears. Andy gently rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. "Come on, baby, talk to me," Mark said quietly. "Kevin's here, Mark," she said quietly. "What?" Mark growled. "He, uh…he's here," she said quietly. "Where?" Mark said tensely. "Backstage…he said he was just visiting…and, uh, I just ran into him again," she said, her bottom lip trembling. "Did he put his hands on you?" he asked. "No, but, uh…he asked her you were doin'…and I told him at least you still had a job," she said, "And then…he asked how my mom was doin'…Mark, he was so spiteful…" "I thought he'd learned his lesson…looks like I'm gonna have to teach him all over again," Mark said heatedly. "No…I don't think he knew, Mark…," she said softly. "Are you okay? Is Andy with you?" he asked. "Yeah…," Sara said letting out a deep breath, "I'm fine…it was just…I didn't think I'd ever have to see him again, ya know." "Don't worry, dollface. Just ask Andy to keep an eye on you, okay?" Mark said quietly. "Okay," she whispered, "You have a good match?" "Yeah, it was fun. The crowd was pretty hot, so me and Glenn were able to feed off o' them," he answered, "Have you talked to Randy yet?" "He, uh…just wants to wing it," she said quietly, "So…it's gonna be interesting." "Well, I'll be watchin', dollface," Mark said grinning. Sara smiled and let out a soft sigh. "I know," she said softly, "I gotta go get ready. Have fun watchin' the show, okay?" "I sure will, dollface," Mark said softly, "I love you, baby." "I love you, too, Mark," she said quietly, "Talk to ya later." "Bye, dollface," Mark said quietly. Sara clicked her phone shut and took another deep breath. "Okay now?" Andy asked. "Yeah…I just needed to hear his voice," she said quietly. "You ready to go back in?" he asked. Sara sniffled slightly and ran her fingers through her hair. "Yeah…I gotta get ready," she said standing, helping Andy to his feet, "Mark, uh, wants to know if…you'll just…kinda keep an eye on me. Ya know, so Kevin doesn't--." "You don't have to ask, baby doll. I was gonna do it anyway," Andy answered with a grin. "Thanks, Andy," she said softly. "Come on. You gotta go get all pretty, right?" he said as they entered the building.

Sara headed to Janet's area, sighing when she found Dawn already sitting in the chair. "You just wanna come back?" Andy asked. "Nah, it's no big deal," Sara said quietly. "Hey, Sara. How are ya?" Dawn said smiling. "I'm good, Dawn. You enjoying bein' on RAW?" Sara responded. "It's so much fun! I mean, Smackdown was great and all, but it's just fun to perform in front of a live crowd, ya know," Dawn said as Janet began to curl her hair. "Yeah, that's one thing I love about this show," Sara said. She'd realized over the past couple weeks that Dawn wasn't as annoying as she'd assumed. She was as passionate about what she did as Sara, and Sara had to respect that. "You're involved in the show, right?" Sara asked. "Yeah, just the typical bikini contest," Dawn said, "Sometimes I miss the days of XCW, mixing it up with the guys for real. Here, I'm basically eye candy, ya know." "Did you work with Ruthie, then?" Sara asked. "Yeah, I actually still talk to her every now and then. She only fought the men over there, but we would hang out backstage," Dawn answered. "Yeah, I miss her sometimes, but I'm glad she's doin' what she wants," Sara said grinning. "Are you nervous about tonight?" Dawn said, "I've never seen a woman step foot in a Cell before, so I'm kinda scared for you." Sara chuckled and shook her head. "At this point, I'm excited. The fact is, I've been trying my best since August to make sure people remember my title reign, ya know. If that means I have to go all out by having this match, then so be it," she said, "I know it's dangerous, but hell, every match I wrestle has the potential to turn dangerous."

"Yeah, that's true. I sometimes wish I could actually step in the ring, just to show the fans I can do more than strut around, but…I guess that's not what Vince wants to use me for," Dawn said. "Are you trained?" Sara asked. "A little. I had a few lessons when I was in XCW, just because Paul didn't want the ladies to not know how to fall, so I can take bumps," Dawn answered. "You can always go to Vince and ask, ya know. Sometimes, you just gotta take control of your own career," Sara said shrugging. "Yeah, I just…I don't know, Vince is really different than Paul was," Dawn said quietly. Sara smirked and nodded. "Yeah, he does seem kinda…unapproachable. But I can tell you, if you go to him, and just put on like you know what you're talkin' about, and know what you wanna do…he'll listen," she said, "Trust me, he and I have butted heads a lot over the years, but…he's always listened to me, especially when it came to how I wanted the fans to see me, how I wanted to be portrayed." "I guess I feel like, since I was kinda stereotyped from the moment I stepped foot on Smackdown, I don't know if Vince will let me show the fans I'm not just a pretty face," Dawn said. "If you wanna change how the fans see you, Dawn, then you can," Sara said grinning, "Our fans…they always wanna see somethin' different from the women, even the "Divas". Yeah, a bikini contest is all fun and games every now and then, but they actually do like to see the women wrestle." "You think I could really do it?" Dawn asked. "I've never seen you in the ring, Dawn, so I can't honestly say. But you seem like you really wanna do it, so why not just give it a shot," Sara answered. "Who would I even wrestle? I mean, there's Trish and Amy, but they're way outta my league," Dawn said, "And Lisa and Gail got traded over to Smackdown, so…" "There's always Nidia. She's just gettin' her feet wet, too, so you guys could kinda…build up together, ya know," Sara said grinning. Dawn nodded slightly and smiled. "Thanks for the advice, Sara," she said. "No problem, Dawn," Sara said.

After Janet finished with Dawn, Sara waved goodbye to the woman and sat down in the empty seat. "She's a lot cooler than I thought she'd be," she said as Janet prepared her hair tools. "Yeah, she's really nice. We spent a while talkin' about her little daughter," Janet said. "I didn't even know she had a kid," Sara said. "Yep. A little seven-year-old named Melinda," Janet said grinning, "Dawn said she just started second grade, too." "Wow…that's great," Sara said smiling. "French braid?" Janet asked. "Yeah. I'm gonna have enough things to worry about in the ring, and I don't want my hair to be one of 'em," Sara answered. "That's fine, sweetheart," Janet said beginning to brush Sara's hair, "How's Lisa doin', Andy?" "She misses it here, Jan…a lot," Andy said honestly, "I miss her…" "Yeah, that's understandable. Has she been wrestling much?" Janet said. "Not at all. She and Gail had one match on their first night on the show two weeks ago, but that was it," Andy said, "They don't do much wrestling on Smackdown, as far as the women go…so I don't think Vince really knows what to do with her over there." "Has she made friends with many people over there?" Janet asked. "No, not really. She just kinda keeps to herself. I think she only talks with Gail," Andy said, "I mean, we talk all the time, but…she just doesn't feel comfortable over there." "She doesn't even talk to Mark?" Sara asked. "Not really, Sara," he answered honestly. "I wish there was somethin' I could do for her, Andy," she said quietly. "I think she'll get used to it after a while…she doesn't really have a choice," Andy said with a sigh. "I'm gonna straighten your hair before I put it in the braid, okay, Sara," Janet said. "Yeah, that's fine, Jan. Work your magic," Sara said with a smile. "How long are you gonna be, Sara?" Andy said, "I think I'm gonna go give Lisa a call." "Go on, Andy, I'll be fine," Sara said. "You sure?" he asked. "Yeah, I'll hang out with Janet for a while," she said grinning, "Go…call your wife." Andy smiled and headed towards the general locker room.

"Speakin' of spouses, how's Mark dealing with bein' on Smackdown?" Janet asked. "He's havin' fun, Jan. He's made the transition pretty easily. Him and Glenn are a tag team again, and from what Mark tells me, they're completely dominating," Sara said with a smile. "Well, that's good. Have you talked to him today?" Janet said beginning to pull Sara's thick hair into the requested French braid. "Yeah, a couple times. I think he's headed back to his hotel to watch the show," Sara said grinning, "I wish he was here, ya know, but I understand that he can't be. I'm just glad he's gonna be able to watch." "So you're not nervous at all?" Janet asked grinning. "Of course I am, Jan…I don't want the fans to think this match is just another stunt, ya know…I really wanna put on a credible match," Sara said, "I'm scared of their reaction, 'cause I sure as hell don't want to hear dead silence when I'm out there." "Being in a Cell, I highly doubt they're gonna be silent," Janet said honestly, "Are you guys just gonna wing it?" Sara sighed and nodded. "It's probably better that way. It'll give off an aura of really being unpredictable," she said quietly. "How's Melissa feel about this?" Janet asked. "She's, uh, she's not watching it. There's just too much that can go wrong. I don't want her to see me in that situation," Sara said quietly, "Dany's gonna take her out to a movie or somethin'. Actually, I think John went down to visit her, so they're gonna keep an eye on her. I'm gonna give her a call once I'm done with the match, just to let her know I'm okay." "That's good. She excited about next month?" Janet said. "Yeah," Sara said chuckling, "She's already started planning stuff we're gonna do now that I'm gonna be home." "Like what?" Janet asked. "Oh, all day trips to the park, and the lake we've got on our property, to the mall…stuff like that," Sara said smiling. "So she's pretty spoiled, huh?" Janet asked grinning. "Not really. I let her indulge sometimes, but not too often," Sara said, "But she's got Mark wrapped around her finger." Janet chuckled and placed a dark blue ribbon at the end of the braid.

"Sara…" Sara's jaw clenched at the sound of Kevin's voice. She looked up at him, struggling to stay calm. "Look, I didn't know about your mom…I'm sorry," Kevin said quietly. "Just leave me alone, Kevin. You caused me enough grief when you were workin' here," she said tensely. "When did she--." "The night I became number one contender, Kevin," Sara snapped, "You wanna know _how_ she died, too?" Kevin took a deep breath and looked down at the floor. "Since you're so fucking interested, she was watching me wrestle. Yeah, she died sitting in front of her television," she said standing, "Are you happy now? You wanna rub that in my face? Go ahead, do it. You got your kicks off o' tearing me down anyway!" "Baby girl--." "Don't you dare call me that, you insensitive prick," she hissed, "You never cared about me…the only thing you cared about was trying to ruin my life, and you know what, you almost succeeded…so get the fuck outta my face, and don't ever, _ever_ talk to me again, Kevin. If you do, I swear to God, I will make you pay for everything you ever did to me." Kevin sighed and turned to walk away. "I'm sorry, Sara," he said over his shoulder. "Don't fucking apologize to me, Kevin. I wouldn't take it seriously if you had a gun to my head," Sara snapped, "Why don't you go talk to your new best friend, Randy? You seemed to be havin' a blast." She sat down in the chair as Kevin walked away, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. "I'm sorry, Sara, I didn't even see him come up," Janet said quietly. "Don't worry about it, Jan…," Sara said softly. "How 'bout I finish makin' you look like a movie star?" Janet asked, grinning slightly. Sara smiled and nodded. "Go right ahead, sweetheart," she said quietly.

After Janet finished with her make-up, Sara went back down to her locker room, wanting to relax her mind before the show actually started. She plopped down on the small couch and clasped her hands together, beginning to pray for her safety during the upcoming match. It took her nearly an hour to feel the peace she always got from praying diligently. She finished up her prayers and switched on the television, wanting to watch Sunday Night Heat. As the program began, there was a knock on the door. Sara slowly stood and opened it. "Hey, thought I'd find you here," Andy said grinning, "You watchin' Heat?" "Yeah," she said going back over to the couch. "You okay?" he asked. Sara nodded and grinned. "Ready to get this thing over with," she said honestly. "Understandable," he said sitting down beside her. "How's Lisa?" she asked. "Pretty good. She said her and Gail are headin' out for dinner, then goin' back to the hotel to watch the show," he said still grinning. Sara looked over at him, her head tilting to the left. "What are you up to?" she asked. "Nothin', Sara," he said smiling, "I promise." "Yeah, yeah," she said before turning her attention back to the screen, "When's your match on?" "Fourth match on the card, so right at the in the middle of the show, after that bikini contest thing," he answered. "I still can't believe you're gonna be in the ring with Paul," Sara said smiling, "He's got at least eight inches on you." "Yeah, me either. But it's gonna be fun. I think people really wanna see if I can pick him up," Andy said. "Can you?" she asked. "You'll just have to see, now won't you, baby doll?" he responded. Sara chuckled and nodded.

The next hour passed by quickly for Sara. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach begin as the fireworks for the pay-per-view shot off on the stage. "You want me to leave you alone for a while?" Andy asked as Sara moved to the floor to begin stretching. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "I just need to stretch out as much as possible, clear my mind…stuff like that," she said quietly. "Alright, baby doll…as long as you promise to keep an eye on my match," he said grinning. Sara smiled and nodded her head. "Will do, buddy," she said as he stood. Andy smiled as he left the room, shutting the door quietly. The opening match was a Triple Threat match between Adam, Jay, and Rob. Adam and Jay had been feuding for a while, and Rob decided to join in the fray. Sara paid close attention to all three men, watching in awe as they did things in the ring that she had never seen. When the match was over, and Adam emerged victorious with a submission over Rob, Sara found herself clapping. Adam had come so far over the years, and was on the verge of breaking into the main-event tier of the roster. The next match was Amy versus Trish, a rematch from RAW a couple weeks ago. Sara began her stretching routine while watching both women give a great performance. They wrestled for nearly 15 minutes before Trish finally pinned Amy with the help of a handful of Amy's cargo pants. _She plays a great heel_, Sara thought as the fans booed Trish emphatically. Chris and D.J. were up next, wrestling in a simple one-on-one match. Sara chuckled as she remembered the promos the two men had cut on each other the past few weeks. In her mind, they were two of the very best when it came to speaking on the microphone. The two men wrestled for close to a half an hour, before Chris finally trapped Dwayne in his finishing maneuver in the middle of the ring. Sara watched as D.J. struggled to get to the ropes, but Chris kept his grip tight. "Come on, D.J., just let go," she said softly. Moments later, D.J. slapped the mat, signaling his submission.

Sara didn't pay near as much attention to the "Bikini Contest" as she had to the matches. When Dawn tackled Nidia at the end, though, Sara's eyes shot to the television. Dawn and Nidia were rolling around the ring, throwing punches and screaming like banshees. Sara chuckled at the energy she saw from Dawn, and thought, _Yeah, she could wrestle if she wanted to_. Andy's match started as the clock hit quarter after nine, and Sara watched as Andy struggled throughout the match. Paul Wight was just a much larger person, and had a brute force that was nearly unmatched in the ring. When Andy lifted Paul near the end of the match, though, Sara's jaw dropped. "Holy shit," she whispered as Andy slammed Paul down onto the mat. Andy climbed up to the top turnbuckle and hit a flying elbow before pinning the larger man for the win. "Good job, Andy," Sara said smiling. She checked her watch and took a deep breath. There was one more match before hers, and she wanted to find a quiet place to relax as much as she could before it started. She slowly stood and grabbed her ring jacket, wrist tape, and the World title before leaving the room. There was a small area by the entranceway with black boxes blocking it off, so Sara stood behind the boxes. She could hear the roar of the crowd, and she smiled as she felt her butterflies began to stir once more. She carefully wrapped her hands and forearms with black tape, before slipping on the ring jacket. She'd decided she would just carry the title in her hand for her entrance. Standing up straight, she lowered her head and forced all thoughts but one Randy Orton out of her mind.

Mark screeched into the parking lot of the arena in Phoenix as the clock read 10:15 p.m. Lisa sat in the passenger seat gripping the armrests tightly, her breathing fast and shaky. "Sorry, Lisa," Mark said smiling as he quickly parked. They'd left the arena in Phoenix at just after five p.m., and Mark had driven like a madman to make it to Colorado Springs. There had been a couple of accidents on the way, which gave Mark a severe case of road rage. Lisa had prayed for her life as Mark drove down the emergency lane to get past the backed up traffic, and was surprised they hadn't been pulled over by police during the ride. Mark climbed out of the truck and slammed the door shut before rushing into the arena. He found a group of guys herded around a television near the entranceway just as Sara's music hit, a smile coming to his face as it reverberated through the entire arena. "Thank God," he whispered as Sara stepped out onto the stage. Andy looked over his shoulder and grinned. "Hey, you," he said going over to Mark, "Where's Lisa?" Lisa had called him when she and Mark had first got on the road, telling him that she and Mark were on their way to see Sara perform. "Outside thanking the Lord she's alive," Mark said, his eyes never leaving the television. "What do you mean?" Andy asked. "This crazy bastard almost killed us, Andy," Lisa said from a few feet away. "No, I didn't," Mark said grinning. Andy hugged Lisa tightly, kissing her cheek and whispering, "I love you." "She already out there?" Lisa asked looking at the television as well. "Yeah…it's gonna be crazy," Andy said, "They're winging the whole thing." "Oh, Jesus," Mark whispered, "Is Kevin still around?" "Nah…I think he's in a locker room somewhere," Andy answered quietly. "Good," Mark said softly, "Alright, here we go."

When Sara stepped out onto the stage, she took a deep breath as she stared at the structure that she was going to be encaged in with the next half an hour. The cheers of the fans engulfed her as she slowly headed down the ramp, her eyes never leaving Randy as he paced inside the ring. _That's right, motherfucker…be afraid…be very fucking afraid_, she thought coming to the entrance of the Cell. She looked up at the monstrous structure, her fingers grazing over the links in front of her, before slowly making her way inside. She looked over her shoulder as the door slammed shut, knowing there was really no going back. She rolled into the ring as Earl and several members of the ring crew padlocked the door shut. Randy stepped into her face as she stood, whispering, "I hope you're ready to get your ass kicked." "Randy…be afraid….be very fucking afraid," she sneered, her eyes boring into his own. She slowly slipped off her jacket and handed it, and the World title, to Earl. Randy continued to run his mouth as Earl placed the title in the far right corner and signaled for the bell.

Randy stepped back and threw a punch, landing it directly on Sara's jaw. Her head snapped to the left, but she looked back at him, her eyes narrowing. Randy threw another punch, only for Sara to glare at him once more. Randy went for a third punch, but Sara blocked it, throwing her own stiff punches, pushing Randy back into the ropes as she did. She whipped him to the opposite ropes and went for a clothesline. Randy ducked the move, but was met with a back elbow to the nose. Sara picked him up and rammed his head into the closest turnbuckle. Randy stumbled back, holding his nose which was bleeding slightly. He tried to climb out of the ring, but Sara grabbed his head and ran him into the same turnbuckle. Randy bounced back into the middle of the ring, still clutching at his nose. Sara picked him up and ran his head into the adjacent turnbuckle, smiling maliciously when Randy stumbled along the ropes. She grabbed his head and slung him to the opposite ropes, catching him by the throat when he bounced back. Randy kicked her in her right thigh, pushing her hand away from his throat and punching her repeatedly in the side of the head. He knocked her back to the far left corner, near the ramp, and climbed to the second rope. He punched her in her temple several times before moving back down to the mat. His fist connected with her jaw several times before he went for an Irish whip. Sara reversed the move, instead sending Randy crashing into the corner. When Randy bounced back, Sara took him down with a stiff clothesline. She went for a carefree pin fall, merely draping herself over his chest, of which Randy kicked out easily.

Sara slowly picked him up and grabbed his wrist, twisting his arm over her head. Randy screamed in pain as she rammed her shoulder into his own repeatedly. She pulled him into the corner, her grip on his twisted hand still tight. She slowly climbed to the top turnbuckle and, in a silent tribute to Mark, walked the top rope, before jumping down and nailing Randy in the back with a hard forearm. Randy fell to his face, and Sara smirked, raising her arms in mocking of Randy's pose. She slowly pulled Randy to his feet, only to head-butt him right back down. She put her foot on his throat and put pressure on his Adam's apple. Earl got to a count of four before Sara removed her foot. She glared at Earl, who took a few steps back, before reaching down and pulling Randy to his feet. She executed a clean powerslam, then bounced off the ropes and dropped an elbow right onto his sternum bone. She went for a pin fall, but Randy kicked out at two once more. Randy slowly got to his feet and took a halfhearted swing at Sara. She blocked it easily, and whipped him into the ropes. When he came back towards her, Sara flipped him over her head with a back body drop. Randy slowly stood, and Sara threw a hard right hook. Randy ducked, however, and tried his own right hook. Sara blocked it and knocked him down with a hard right jab. When Randy got to his feet, she knocked him down again and again with the same move. She gripped the back of his neck and pulled him back to his feet. A smirk came to her face as she sent him flying over the opposite rope to the outside. Randy's foot and forearm grazed the side of the Cell as he dropped to the floor.

Sara methodically exited the ring and pulled Randy roughly to his feet. She backed him up into the cell wall, and then wrapped her hands around his throat. In a show of her incredible strength, she lifted Orton off of his feet and pressed him against the steel siding, choking him mercilessly. Randy poked her in the eyes, knocking Sara away from him, and attempted to climb the Cell wall. Sara smirked and grabbed a handful of his tights, pulling him down to the floor. Randy tried to scoot away and get to his feet, but Sara merely shook her head. "You messed with the wrong bitch," she hissed pulling him to his feet. She launched him towards the same wall he'd just been trying to climb. Randy bounced back, only to be hit with a stiff clothesline from Sara. Earl tried to tell Sara to take it inside the ring, but Sara waved him off, pulling Randy to his feet and hurling him into the Cell wall again. When he came back towards her, she planted her boot right in the middle of his chest. She slowly pulled Randy to his feet, only to shove his face into the ring mat. She took him to the nearest corner, and shoved his head between her legs. Randy managed to block her powerbomb twice, before Sara succeeded in lifting him onto her shoulders. Randy grabbed the steel siding and punched Sara in the forehead repeatedly. Sara groaned at the contact, but grabbed two handfuls of his trunks, turned around, and rammed his back into the steel beam of the corner of the Cell twice before he dropped to the floor.

Sara took a few deep breaths before going over to Randy's motionless body. She pulled him up and walked him over to the steel steps, then ran his face into them. She laid carefully-placed right punches into his midsection, before rocking him with a left hook. She put her arms around his waist and lifted him up in a bearhug, squeezing tightly as she carried him over to the corner they'd just been in. She shoved his back into the ringpost, to the steel beam of the Cell, back to the ringpost, and once again to the steel beam before dropping him on the floor. "You heavy bastard," she snarled kicking him in the side of his head. She backed up Earl, who had once again been bugging her to take the match into the ring, before going back over to Randy. Randy pushed back a cameraman as Sara came over to him, knocking the man down. Sara picked Randy up onto her shoulder, maneuvering to run him face-first into the steel, but Randy slid off, shoving her into the harsh metal instead. Sara bounced back and knocked him down anyway with a shoulder black. She pulled him down to the other set of steel steps and shoved his face into them. Randy dropped to his knees, clutching at his nose. Sara moved behind him, and planted her right elbow directly across the bride of his nose. Randy fell against the stairs and groaned, falling backwards clutching at his chest. Sara placed her foot over his throat and pressed Randy back against the steel, using the bottom rope for leverage. She moved away instinctively as Earl hit four of his five-count, despite the fact that there were no disqualifications. She grabbed Randy's hand and sent him flying yet again into the steel wall. When Randy saw her running towards him, though, he dropped out of the way. Sara crashed into the unforgiving steel and fell to the floor.

Randy dropped a double-axe handle onto her back immediately, trying to take advantage of her mistake. He turned her onto her back and nailed her repeatedly with right punches, not wanting to lose his newfound momentum. He slowly rolled into the ring to get a little break. When he saw that Sara was getting to her feet, he slowly stood. Sara climbed onto the mat, and Randy met her with stiff right punches. Sara struggled not to fall off the mat as Randy continued to swing at her. On his fifth or sixth swing, she grabbed his head and dropped him down over the top rope. Randy bounced back into the middle of the ring and coughed wildly. Sara stood outside the ring, resting her hands on her knees and taking deep breaths. Randy's punches had landed hard and fast, and she felt a little disoriented. She went to climb onto the mat once more, but Randy charged at her, knocking her back into the steel wall. Sara groaned as she fell to the floor, clutching at her left arm. Randy walked around the ring, watching as Sara slowly got to her feet. When she did, he flew at her between the second and top ropes in a suicide dive, knocking her into the Cell wall once more. Randy climbed up the wall, then jumped back down, dropped an elbow right on Sara's stomach. Sara groaned loudly, curling up into a tight ball. Randy climbed up onto the mat, screaming for Sara to get to her feet. When she did, he took her down with a flying clothesline. Randy then stood and pulled apart the ring steps. When he saw that Sara was on her hands and knees, he dropped the steps across her lower back. Sara screamed and clutched at her back, tears coming to her eyes as pain shot up and down her spine. She slowly got to her hands and knees again, only for Randy to drop the steps over her entire spine. "Goddammit!" she groaned falling back down.

"Come on, Angel! Stand up and fight!" Randy yelled. Sara moved slowly to get up, but Randy smirked and dropped the steps against her lower back once more. Sara collapsed face-first on the floor, her hand covering her face as tears escaped onto her cheeks. Randy tossed the steps away, smiling satisfactorily. He grabbed Sara's braid and stepped up on the lower half of the steps, shoving Sara's head between his legs. He tried to lift her up, but Sara wasn't moving with him. "Come on!" he growled lifting her up successfully the second time. Sara managed to get her right hand under head right before Randy dropped down with a piledriver. Sara fell to the side, trying to force away her tears, as Randy shoved away a cameraman yet again. He slowly climbed onto the mat, jumping down and planting a boot right in Sara's midsection. He rolled into the ring and leaned against the ropes, his eyes on Sara's barely moving form. When he saw her finally get to her feet, he climbed to the top rope and dropped a double-axe handle on her head, knocking her back down. Randy climbed right back in the ring, as Sara struggled to get to her hands and knees. She slowly rolled into the ring, clutching at her lower back. Randy pulled her to her feet and pushed her against the ropes, hitting her with a right punch to the side of her head. Sara fell to her knees, and Randy quickly rolled out of the ring, pulling a steel chair from under the ring, then slid back in.

Sara got to her feet as Randy dropped the chair right across her back, knocking her back down to the mat. Randy dropped the chair in the far corner as Sara slowly struggled to get back to her feet. When he saw that she was nearly standing, he picked up the chair and hit her across the back again, knocking her down. Sara laid out on her back, her eyes fluttering open and shut, as Randy threw the chair out of the ring. Randy dropped to his knees and covered Sara for the pin. Sara practically threw him off as Earl hit the mat a second time. Randy stood in pure shock, glaring at Earl for not making the three count. Sara moved to her hands and knees, but Randy planted a boot right in the back of her head. Sara groaned and rolled to the corner, reaching for the ropes to steady herself. Randy laid into her, though, with right punches. Sara managed to stand up, even though her body was screaming for her to quit. She began to throw her own punches, the roar of the crowd giving her a newfound surge of energy. Randy stumbled back a few times, and bounced against the ropes, nailing her with a boot to the midsection. He rocked her back with several punches, and when she fell against the ropes, Randy quickly tied her up. Sara screamed as the cables pinched her skin tightly. Randy smirked and stepped in front of her, grabbing her jaw tightly. "Cocky, stupid bitch!" he growled hitting her directly in her mouth several times. Earl managed to get between them, backing Randy up.

Randy grabbed Earl's shirt and shoved him to the side, then ran towards Sara. Sara lifted her leg up, hitting square in the jaw and knocking him to the mat. She got loose from the ropes and shook her arms to get the blood circulating. Randy ran towards her, and she sent him flying over the top rope with a back body drop. Randy landed right on top of the same cameraman he'd pushed away earlier in the match. Randy slowly stood, glaring down at the man. He pulled him up roughly and growled, "I told you to stay outta my way, you son of a bitch!" before knocking the man down with a right hook. He stomped on the man's upper body and head several times, ignoring Earl's pleading to leave the man alone. Randy finally rolled back into the ring when he saw that Sara had gotten back to her feet. He tossed Sara out of the ring before going back over to the cameraman and attacking him once more. He pulled the man to his feet and shoved him towards the Cell door before going back over to Sara. He kicked her in her ribs before climbing into the ring, resting against the ropes. Sara slowly rolled into the ring, trying to get to her feet, only to be knocked down with a flying forearm shot from Randy. Randy hopped up to his feet and pulled Sara to the middle of the ring. He went to the far corner and climbed to the top rope, then jumped and hit Sara square in the chest with an elbow drop.

Earl, in the mean time, climbed out of the ring to unlock the door so that medics could get the injured cameraman out of the Cell. Randy stood in the far corner, waiting for Sara to get to her feet. "Come on, Angel, come on," he said motioning for her to stand. Sara groaned as she rolled onto her hands and knees. She slowly stood, but Randy turned her towards him, connecting with the RKO. Sara flipped onto her back, her mind spinning. _This shit isn't over yet!_ she thought as a grin came to her face. She sat up just as Mark often did, glaring up at Orton. Randy's jaw dropped, and he glanced at the open Cell door. He quickly climbed out of the ring as Sara stood, trying to get out of the Cell. Sara smiled as she rolled out of the ring, pushing Orton out of the entrance. Randy faced her and punched her in her jaw twice before executing a standing dropkick, knocking her back into the steel Cell wall. Sara groaned and stood up straight. When Randy went for another dropkick, she grabbed his feet, locking them under her arms. She chuckled as she fell back, catapulting him face-first into the cage. Randy screamed as a cut opened up on his forehead. Both people got to their feet, but Sara got the upper hand by punching Randy directly in his new wound. She hit him over and over again until he fell to the floor. She looked at the blood on her right hand and, with a sadistic smile, slowly licked it away. "I told you I was gonna kick your ass," she hissed lifting Randy onto her shoulder.

The fans screamed loudly as she shoved him into the Cell siding once again. Randy tried to roll away, but Sara grabbed the back of his neck and picked him up onto her shoulder once more. She ran his face into the cage yet again, stepping back when he collapsed to the floor. "You're not so hot now, are ya, punk!" she screamed as Randy got to his feet. She grabbed for him, but Randy planted a boot right in her stomach, right before collapsing to his knees. He slowly stood and began to climb up the Cell. Sara looked up at him and quickly stood, reaching for his ankles. Randy screamed and kicked her in her head a couple times to knock her away. Sara stumbled back and shook her head, as she began to feel dizzy. Randy climbed to the top of the cage, groaning when he saw that Sara was making the climb as well. He got to his feet as Sara reached the top and grabbed her braid, pulling her to the center. He shoved her head between his legs, but Sara lifted him up and back body dropped him onto the steel roof. Sara rested on the steel beams, looking over her shoulder at Randy. She dropped down beside him and grinded his face into the steel links, opening up the cut on his forehead even more. Randy rolled over one of the crossbeams, trying to get away from the assault, but Sara followed him. He slowly got to his feet and faced her, trying to fight back. Sara blocked his swings, knocking him back with stiff forearm shots to the side of his head. She saw that they were close to the edge, and another sadistic smile came to her face. She punched Randy in his jaw, and when he turned his back to her, she snapped, "Bye-bye, motherfucker!" She grabbed the back of his head, and a handful of his trunks, and tossed him over the edge of the Cell. Randy crashed into the Spanish announcers' table, and the fans screamed in shock.

Sara stood atop the Cell, looking down at Randy's body amongst the shattered table parts. Her eyes shifted slowly to the now-standing crowd, and a grin came to her face. She once again raised her arms, mocking Randy's pose for a few long moments. She closed her eyes as the fans began to chant her name enthusiastically. _It's all worth it_, she thought taking a few deep breaths before opening her eyes once more. She glanced at Randy once more before moving to climb down off the cage. As she dropped to the floor, Randy began to move. Sara picked him up, immediately noticing that he was favoring his left shoulder, and threw him across the table where Jim and Jerry sat. She picked him up and powerslammed him onto the broken Spanish announcers' tables, chuckling when he clutched his left shoulder. "Fuckin' asshole," she whispered stomping at that very shoulder. Randy screamed and tried to motion that he was injured, but Sara was not paying attention. If she was, then she just didn't care. Sara pulled him to his feet, and shoved him into the cage. Randy screamed and stumbled away, heading around the cage, wary of his left shoulder. Sara grabbed the back of his head and shoved him into the Cell, pulling the door shut behind her. "Lock that son of a bitch," she said to Earl before climbing into the ring. When Randy stood, she took him down with a stiff clothesline. She pulled him to his feet and punched him back to the corner by the Cell entrance. She placed Randy's right arm around her neck and lifted him onto the top rope, then executed a beautiful superplex.

As Randy writhed in pain, Sara climbed to the outside and pulled her own steel chair from under the ring, along with two brown bags. She slid into the ring as Randy slowly got to his feet. She dropped the bags in the closest corner as Randy braced himself against the ropes. When he faced her, she swung the chair as hard as she could, knocking him down hard. She dropped the chair outside the ring, and reached for the first brown bag in the corner. She pulled out a baseball bat, which was wrapped in barbwire. "Welcome to hell, Orton!" she screamed swinging the bat down onto Randy's stomach. Randy screamed as the barbwire cut into his skin. Sara screamed loudly and swung the bat onto his stomach once more, before dropping down at his face. She held the bat down against his forehead, scraping it back and forth. Randy screamed and squirmed underneath her as blood poured down his face. Sara threw the bat down, and slowly stood, going over to the corner where the second brown back was. She picked it up and went to the middle of the ring, reaching inside it and pulling out a handful of thumbtacks. She threw that handful across the middle of the ring, as Randy rolled to the side. Sara smiled and dumped the entire bag out, over 10,000 thumbtacks from what she'd been told by the ring crew. She reached for Randy, but he pushed her hand away. "No use in fighting back now, bitch," she sneered planting a fist in his face. She pulled him to the middle of the ring and shoved his head between her legs. The crowd cheered as she lifted him up, and laid him out over the thumbtacks with a stiff powerbomb. Randy screamed and arched up as the thumbtacks pierced his skin. Sara slowly stood, motioning for her finishing maneuver. She slowly lifted Randy to his feet, placing his head between her legs once more. She pulled his arms behind his back, linking her fingers together, and dropped down to her rear end, ramming Randy's face into the mat. She turned him over and covered him, pulling up his leg as Earl counted the pin fall.

The bell rang, and Sara slowly got to her feet. Earl slowly handed her the World title, and she raised it up as Lillian announced her the winner. She trembled as she realized the match was over. She looked down at Randy's bleeding body; there were thumbtacks covering his upper body, arms, and even some in his face. His stomach was bleeding profusely from her shots with the baseball bat. She took a deep breath and spat on his face before climbing out of the ring, rushing Earl to unlock the door. When he did, she exited the Cell, feeling as though she had truly been to hell and back. She draped the World title over her right shoulder and wiped her face with the back of her forearm, slowly making her way up the ramp as the fans cheered her. When she went through the curtains, she locked eyes with Vince. "I hope that was…good enough," she whispered. Vince took a deep breath and nodded slightly. "Yeah…it was," he said quietly. Sara nodded and headed down the stairs, wincing as the pain of the match began to hit her full-force. The first person to meet her was Andy. She looked at him through glazed eyes, trying to focus on his blue eyes. "Holy shit, Sara," he whispered. Sara started laughing and nodded, hugging him tightly. "I made it, Andy," she said continuing to laugh, "Nobody thought I could do it…and I did it!" Paul came up to them and patted Sara on her shoulder. "Wow…I think I, uh, know not to piss you off," he said grinning. Sara laughed and hugged him as well. "You did good, Angel," Paul said quietly, "You did real good." Sara let out a deep breath, but she couldn't stop laughing. "I think Orton knocked a few screws loose," Paul said to Andy. Sara wiped her nose and shrugged. "I'm not bleeding anywhere, am I?" she asked. "Well, you've got a few thumbtacks here and there, but…not really," Paul said chuckling. Sara laughed once more and patted his arm. "The fans are damn sure gonna remember this night," she said rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah, they are," Andy said.

Sara looked around as people began to walk past her. Her eyes locked with Mark's, and her jaw dropped. She slowly went over to him, tears coming to her eyes. "Am I dreaming?" she whispered. Mark grinned and pulled her into a tight hug. Sara's bottom lip trembled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "When?" she whispered. "Right as your music hit," he whispered in return. Sara trembled against him, her tears spilling onto her cheeks. "It's okay, dollface," Mark said softly, kissing her cheek. "I can't believe it," she whispered, her grip on his neck tightening. "I left right after the houseshow was done…I prayed I would get here in time," he said quietly. They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, not wanting to release each other. "The match…it was good?" she said softly. Mark smirked and nodded. "It was alright," he whispered with a grin. Sara smiled and looked into his eyes. "I, uh…it was…like a dream," she said softly, "I mean, when I threw…Randy off the side…it was like a dream, all fuzzy after that point. It was the last thing I remembered." "Yeah, that was pretty crazy," he said grinning. Medical technicians came by, rolling Randy out on a gurney. "Wait," Randy said, "Angel…" Sara looked over her shoulder, taking a deep breath as she went over to him. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "Don't…the best lessons are learned the hard way," he said quietly, extending his right hand, "It was _my_ pleasure, Angel." Sara slowly took his hand, squeezing slightly. "Is your shoulder okay?" she asked. "They think I dislocated it," he answered quietly, "From the fall…but that's the least o' my worries. You messed up my good looks." Sara chuckled and shrugged. "Chicks dig scars, Randy," she said quietly. "Oh, yeah," Randy said, flashing her a smile. "I guess I'll see you in Denver tomorrow, then?" she said. "Not sure…but hopefully," he said as the medics began to wheel him away, "Later, Angel." Sara nodded slightly as Mark came up behind her.

"Shit, I gotta call Melissa," she said looking up at Mark. "You don't wanna clean up first? Get some o' those thumbtacks removed?" Mark asked grinning. Sara chuckled and nodded, placing her right hand in his left one. They headed down the hallway, Sara being congratulated by coworkers as she walked. "You have to leave tonight?" she asked Mark as they came up to her dressing room. "No…Lisa and I are gonna make the trip back to Arizona in the morning," he said opening the door. "Lisa's here?" she asked entering the room. "Well, I certainly didn't make the drive alone…although I do think I traumatized her with my driving," he said chuckling, shutting the door behind him. Sara groaned as she slowly sat down on the couch, dropping the title beside her. She rested her head back against the plush cushions, letting out a loud yawn. Mark sat down beside her, pulling her legs onto his lap and removing her wrestling boots. "Yep, thumbtacks all in these," he said grinning. Sara smiled and caressed his cheek, her eyes shining with love. Mark leaned forward and kissed her gently, stroking her cheek. "Are you and Andy in a hotel in town?" he asked softly. "No, uh…we were gonna drive to Denver tonight, since it's only an hour away," she said quietly. "Alright. Me and Lisa will just follow you, then," he said pulling off her socks. Sara winced slightly and sighed. "I don't even wanna go to sleep…'cause I know I'm gonna be hurting when I wake up," she said quietly. "This is probably true," he said running his hands over her legs, gingerly removing the few thumbtacks he'd seen. Sara slowly stood, stretching her arms and yawning once more. "I'll be out in--." "Take your time, dollface. I'll go give Melissa a call," he said quietly. Sara leaned down and kissed him softly before grabbing her towel and limping into the bathroom.

Mark went outside with his cell phone, dialing his home phone. "Hello?" John asked moments later. "What are you doin' answering my phone?" Mark asked John. "Hey, man. Hold on," John said before handing the phone to Melissa. "Daddy! Is mama okay? Is the show over?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, munchkin, mama's fine. She's really tired, though. She had a rough match," Mark said honestly, "She's in the shower now, and she's gonna be a while. So she'll call you in the morning, okay?" "Okay, daddy…you promise she's okay?" Melissa said. "I promise, munchkin," Mark said quietly, "You have fun with John and Dany?" "Yep! Uncle John is teaching me how to swim, too!" Melissa said smiling. "Good, sweetheart. I'll be home in a few days, and so will mama," he said grinning, "Put John back on." "I love you, daddy," Melissa said. "I love you, too, munchkin," Mark said running his fingers through his hair. "Hey, man. She alright?" John said. "I'm gonna have to get you a tape o' that match, John. That's the only way you'll believe it actually happened," Mark said with a smile. "That brutal?" John asked. "Yeah…and that's an understatement," Mark answered, "Look, tell Dany to make sure Melissa gets to bed soon." "Will do, big man. See ya on Tuesday," John answered. "Later," Mark said before ending the call and going back inside. Andy met him on the way back to Sara's dressing room. "She okay?" Andy asked. "I think she'll be alright…in a couple months," he said quietly, "I mean, Jesus…I can't believe she did half that shit and still stood up." "Yeah, me, either," Andy said quietly, "How long do you think she'll be?" "Probably a half an hour," Mark said. "Alright. I'll ride with Lisa," Andy said grinning, "Since she doesn't trust your driving anymore." Mark chuckled and nodded. "That's fine," he said, "I'll meet you at the back exit in 30 minutes." Andy nodded and headed down the hall as Mark went back into Sara's dressing room. He heard her crying, even in the room. He slowly went into the bathroom, and pulled back the shower curtain.

Sara was sitting on the stall floor, clutching her knees tightly. "Dollface," he whispered kneeling down. Sara looked up at him and whispered, "I was so scared, Mark…the whole time, I was so scared." Mark quickly undressed and climbed into the stall with her, pulling her close to him. "You're fine now, dollface. Nothin' went wrong, and you're fine," he said quietly. "I can't remember half the match, Mark," she said softly, trembling against him. Mark sighed and gently rubbed her back. "It's all blurry, and…I didn't even feel human out there," she said quietly. "Come on, dollface, you gotta clean up," he whispered. "Was it really bad, Mark?" she asked softly. "Of course not, dollface. You had one of the best performances of your career, I promise you that," he said quietly, "And you made it believable…that's what matters." Sara swallowed and let out a slow breath. "I just…wish I could remember it," she said forcing a smile. "Don't worry…if your mind won't let you remember it, the fans sure will," he said kissing her forehead. Sara nodded slightly and allowed him to help her stand. Mark slowly washed her body of the sweat and blood, then helped her out of the stall. "But you don't have a towel," she said softly. Mark grinned and shrugged. "Minor detail," he said softly. Sara dressed in a pair of worn sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, rubbing the back of her neck as she did so. "You okay?" Mark asked. "I just wanna go to sleep now," she whispered yawning. Mark placed the World title in her duffel bag, put the bag on his shoulder, and slowly picked her up. "You can sleep in the truck," he said quietly. Sara smiled as he left the room, heading outside to meet Andy.

Lisa spotted them and waved to Sara. "Oh, my God, chica!" she said as Mark walked up to them, "You're out of your fucking mind, you know that!" Sara smirked and nodded. "Just a little," she whispered. "You gonna be okay?" Lisa asked. "Yeah, you know me…just need to sleep…a lot," Sara said grinning. "Alright. Mark, you wanna lead?" Andy said as Mark placed Sara in his rental truck. "Yeah, that'll work," Mark said climbing into the driver's seat. "Sara?" Lisa asked, standing at the passenger window. "Yeah," Sara said, her eyes drifting shut. "Just…keep an eye on Mark…he's one crazy-ass driver," Lisa said with a smile. Sara smiled as well, nodding slightly. "Will do, hon," she said quietly. "See ya in Denver," Lisa said before going over to the rental car Andy and Sara had driven and climbing in. Mark started the car as Sara clicked in her seat belt. "Just a safety precaution," she said grinning at Mark. "Oh, hush," he said pulling out of the arena parking lot, Andy right behind him.


	110. Wrapping Up

**-O! Yet another forgotten chapter...I realized this during the most recent update of Chapter 115, when I saw the numbers were a tad off. Sooo...sorry about that...haha. I would've loaded it up last night, but there was the slight issue of lack of sleep. ;) Again, I'm sorry, guys...I mess up sometimes.**

**Shannon

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Chapter 109…Wrapping Up

Sara awoke the next morning, curled up against a warm body. For a moment, she thought she was in the bed with Andy (she laid with him on occasion, just to have a warm body to lie next to), and moved to get out of the bed. The pain in her back stopped her, though, and she let out a quiet groan. "Don't move, dollface," Mark whispered behind her. Sara looked over her shoulder in shock. "When did you--." "Last night, baby, remember?" he whispered. Sara covered her eyes with her hands and laid back down. "I don't…I can't remember last night, Mark," she whispered, starting to tremble, "It's all blurry." "What's the last thing you remember, dollface?" Mark asked running his hands over her arms. "Um…going out…for the match," she said softly, "Once I hit the stage…it all just seemed to…hit slow-motion mode, or somethin'." "Don't worry, dollface, it'll come back to you," he whispered dropping a kiss on her shoulder. Sara winced at the contact; she wasn't moving anywhere for at least an hour. "Everywhere?" he whispered. Sara swallowed and nodded slightly. "Well…let's see the damage," he whispered turning on the nightstand lamp. He sat up, moving to help Sara onto her back. "No, no, I can't lay on my back," she gasped. "Okay, okay," he said softly, "How 'bout your stomach, can you lay down on your stomach?" Sara took a deep breath and nodded slightly, wincing even more as she eased onto her belly. Mark slowly eased off her sweatpants, running his hands lightly over her skin. "There's no bruises here dollface," he whispered. His hands went to the hem of her shirt, and his jaw dropped as he slowly lifted the fabric. There were dark bruises covering Sara's entire lower back, and lighter bruises all over her spine.

Tears escaped Sara's eyes as Mark pulled the shirt over her head. Bruises were sporadically over her arms as well. "Bad?" she asked softly. "Yeah," Mark said running his fingers over her lower back. Sara groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. "What can I do, dollface?" he asked quietly. "Nothing…I just have to, uh…lay here for a while," she said softly. "Okay," Mark said stretching out beside her, wiping away the tears. "What time is it?" Sara asked quietly. Mark looked over his shoulder and sighed. "Just past seven…Lisa and I have to head out soon," he said quietly. Sara reached over and caressed his cheek. "Thank you," she said softly. "For what, babe?" he asked. "For coming to see me…I think I knew…when I stepped on the stage…I could just feel you were there, watching me," she said quietly, "I can't…describe it…I felt like you were right beside me…the whole time." Mark grinned and leaned forward, kissing her softly. "I'm always with you, dollface…in the arena or not," he said against her lips. Sara smiled slightly and rested her head on his shoulder, feeling exhaustion creep up on her once more. Mark watched as she fell asleep before climbing out of the bed, going into the bathroom to take a quick shower. When he came back out, Sara hadn't moved an inch. He quickly dressed and grabbed a pen and piece of paper, writing Sara a quick note, before grabbing his suitcase and leaving the room.

Sara awoke a few hours later, grabbing at her head. A grin came to her face as she remembered Mark laying with her until she fell asleep. She looked over at the clock and sighed. It was nearly 10:30 a.m., and she had to be at the arena by noon. Her room phone rang, and she reached over to pick up, groaning as she did. "Hey, you okay?" Andy asked. "Yeah…I just need to get up, start movin' around a little bit," she said quietly, forcing herself into a sitting position, "When'd they leave?" "7:30," Andy said quietly, missing his wife already. "When do you wanna head to the arena?" Sara asked. "How long will you need?" Andy asked in return. "I'll be ready in a half an hour. You wanna grab somethin' to eat before we go?" she said. "Yeah, sure," Andy answered, "I'll meet you in the lobby." "Alright, buddy," Sara said before hanging up the phone. She looked down at her stomach and legs, glad there were little bruises there. She eased her legs over the side of the bed, groaning softly and taking a deep breath. The piece of paper on the nightstand caught her eye, and she slowly picked it up. _Dollface…I wish I could stay with you, you know that. I miss you so much, and leaving you this morning was the one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I can't wait to see you on Thursday, and I know Melissa can't, either. Call me whenever you wake up, 'cause I'll be waitin' to hear your voice. Love, Mark._ Sara sighed softly and smiled, rotating her neck. "Okay…one…two…three," she whispered before forcing herself to her feet, letting out a deep breath once she was upright. "That wasn't so bad," she whispered before going into the bathroom.

After a hot, soothing shower, during which Sara finally noticed and felt the bruises on her lower back, she dressed in the usual sweatpants and t-shirt. Her hotel room phone rang again, and she picked it up. "Sorry, I'm on my way," she said into the receiver. "It's alright, I was just callin' to make sure you were okay. I didn't wanna have to get hotel security to bust down your door," Andy said jokingly. Sara chuckled as she zipped up her suitcase. "I'm on my way down right now," she said grinning. "Alright," Andy said. Sara hung up the phone, made sure she had left nothing in the room, then headed down to the lobby. Andy was standing by the front door, holding two cups of coffee. He handed one to Sara, while he sipped on the other. "You feelin' okay?" he asked quietly. Sara forced a grin and nodded. "Bruises everywhere, but other than that, I'm fine," she said quietly. "Alright, then," Andy said winking at her. Sara followed him out to the car, tossing her belongings into the trunk before climbing into the passenger seat, resting her head back against the headrest. "I just want a few more hours of sleep," she said as Andy climbed into the driver's seat. "I don't think Vince will make you wrestle tonight, so that's a good thing," he said pulling into the street. "Knowing Vince, he probably _will_ make me wrestle," she said softly, sipping on her hot coffee. "Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya," Andy said grinning. "Thanks," Sara said softly.

Both decided to head straight to the arena, figuring they could save money and each lunch in catering. When Andy pulled into the parking lot, Sara ran her fingers through her hair. "You sure you're okay?" he asked parking the car. "Yeah, Andy, I'm fine, really," she said quietly, slowly climbing out of the car. Fans stood near the barrier cutting off the parking lot, and a smile came to her face. "They always make me feel better," she said grabbing her duffel bag, "I'll see you inside, Andy." "Alright, baby doll," Andy said watching as she went over to the small crowd of people. Sara signed as many autographs as she could, almost blushing when every person congratulated her on a great match with Randy. "It wasn't all me, ya know," she said taking a picture with a sandy-colored teen, "Randy had some good moments, too." "Yeah, but you won!" the boy said to her. Sara chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I did," she said, "I'll see you guys inside. Have fun tonight!" The group of people cheered as Sara walked away. She headed inside, sipping on her coffee absentmindedly. It wasn't doing anything for her; the only thing keeping her awake was having to lift the cup to her lips. "Hey, you," Paul said waving to Sara. Sara looked up and grinned. "Hey, Paul, Randy," she said quietly. "Pretty rough morning?" Randy asked. "Yeah…to say the least," she said grinning, "How 'bout you?" "I spent the night in the hospital…but they let me out this morning, and I flew straight here," he said showing off his sling, "I didn't dislocate it, but it's pretty bruised up." "Damn…sorry about that," she said. "Nah, it's no big deal. To be honest, I don't even remember the bump," Randy said grinning. Sara chuckled and nodded. "I don't remember the match," she said. "Yeah, I only remember bits and pieces of it," Randy said. "But Mark told me last night it was a good match, so I'm not too worried," she said. "Well, I've got the tape of it if you wanna watch it," Randy said. "I'll catch up with you later…for now, I think I need to get my energy picked up," she said sipping on her coffee. "Alright, then, I'll see you around," Randy said. Sara nodded and waved goodbye to the two men before heading down the hall.

When she arrived at her dressing room door, there was a note hanging for her. She slowly tore it off as she entered, shutting the door behind her. She dropped her bag and opened the note, leaning back against the door, wincing slightly at the soft impact. "Sara," she read aloud, "I need to see you as soon as you get in. We need to talk about your final month with the company. It's hard to believe it's actually here, but since it is, come see me so we can discuss the necessary final details. Your friend, Vince." Sara took a deep breath and reread the note, tears coming to her eyes. _Your final month…it's actually here_, she thought sadly. She slowly left the room, wiping away a tear that had spilled onto her cheek, in search of Vince's office. She found it moments later, close to the entrance into the arena. She took a deep breath before knocking. "Yeah, come in," said Vince from inside. Sara took another deep breath before opening the door, smiling slightly at the sight of Vince and Stephanie. "Hey, Sara," Vince said standing. Sara went over to the couches, chuckling when Vince carefully embraced her. "I was gonna do that last night, but…I figured I should wait," he said quietly. "Thanks, Vince," she said softly. "How do you feel?" he asked placing his hands on her shoulders, looking her directly in the eyes. Sara knew she couldn't like to him when he looked at her in such a fatherly way. "Hurting…real bad," she said honestly, "I'm covered in bruises, and…it hurts to walk…I was surprised I could get outta bed." Vince took a deep breath and nodded. "I figured as much. Well, you're not wrestling tonight, so you don't have to worry about that," he said. Sara grinned and let out a happy sigh. "I was hopin' not," she said. "Have a seat," he said pointing to the empty space beside Stephanie. Sara slowly eased down beside Stephanie, letting out a deep breath as she settled into the softness of the leather couch.

"So…I take it you got the note," Vince started. Sara swallowed and nodded. "Yeah…I can't believe the last month is here already, either," she said quietly. "You can always change your mind, sweetheart," Stephanie said with a grin. Sara smiled and shook her head. "It's time for me to go, Steph," she said honestly, "I've done everything there is to do, so…it's time to move on, retire…be a real mother to Melissa." Stephanie smiled slightly and nodded. "How's she doin', by the way?" she asked. "Good, good. She misses me, so I'm just happy to have the weekend off to be with her…and Mark," Sara said quietly. "Of course," Stephanie said. "Okay, Sara…you wanna get down to business?" Vince said, more as a statement than an inquiry. Sara nodded and took a deep breath. "Alright, first off…I've got your schedule for your last month," he said handing her a few sheets of paper. Sara looked through the packet and sighed. It looked like this upcoming break would be her last until she retired. "I know it's busy…," Vince said. "That's an understatement," Sara said quietly. "It'll be gone before you know it, Sara," Vince said. Sara merely nodded, her eyes coming to a supershow in South Korea and Japan. "A lot of special appearances," she said quietly. "Yeah…we just want the fans to see you as much as possible before you retire," he said slowly. "Understandable," she said, reading over her schedule for the next week, "Great…only two days off, instead o' three." "Sorry about that, Sara…," Stephanie said, "You're pretty popular on the West Coast." "It's okay, Steph," Sara said, "Alright, what next?" "Your last storyline…," Vince started. "Sara…we wanted to give you the choice of who you wanted to feud with," Stephanie said grinning, "We've decided that…since we've pretty much been ordering you around for over 12 years…we thought it was only right that you get to decide who you wanna drop the title to."

Sara looked from Vince to Stephanie, a look of pure shock on her face. "What?" she said, barely above a whisper. "You tell us who you want your last feud to be with…and we'll come up with somethin' to make it work," Stephanie said grinning. "I'm…speechless," Sara said chuckling, "I…well, that was unexpected…I can't choose somebody right now…there are too many guys who deserve it." "How 'bout I give you a few hours to think about it?" Vince said, "We need to get the run sheet finalized by four p.m., so I'll need an answer by then." Sara nodded and went to stand. "Before you go, Sara…I really wanted to thank you…for last night," Vince said. "Yeah, Sara, that match was…wow," Stephanie said smiling. "It's the least I could do for you, Vince," Sara said, "I'm glad it…met expectations." "Sweetheart, you blew our expectations outta the water!" Stephanie said chuckling. "I just…wish I could remember it," Sara said with her own smile. "What?" Vince asked, his voice filled with concern. "I, uh…I can't remember it…the last thing I remember from last night was…goin' out onto the stage," Sara said, looking down at her hands, "And then…coming back through the curtains." "Have you seen Bruce today?" Vince asked. "No…I'm fine, really…I'm sure it'll come back to me," she answered. "Sara, maybe you should--." "Steph, please…I can't complain about this. The guys…I just can't, okay?" Sara said before taking a breath, "Look, I've got some thinkin' to do, so…I should get outta here." Vince stood and grabbed a second packet of paper. "Here's a list of the guys on RAW…just in case you wanted to look 'em over. It has everything they've done since they've been in the company, so…I just thought you might need it," he said grinning. Sara stood and took it from him. "Thanks, Vince…I'll try and…give you an answer as soon as I can," she said heading for the door. "Sara?" Vince said. "Yeah," she said facing him. "I know you'll make the best choice," he said grinning. "Thanks, Vince," Sara said before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Who do you think she'll pick, dad?" Stephanie asked, slightly concerned. Only with the biggest stars of the company had they placed creative control in the hands of the actual wrestler, and even that only happened very rarely, like in the case of a retirement match. "I don't know, sweetheart…I do know that Sara is a hard worker, and she's gonna pick somebody she thinks can carry the company as well as she has the past two months, and work as hard as she has her entire career. I have a few guys that _I'd_ like to put in that position, but…we put the ball in her court…it's up to her," Vince said honestly. Stephanie sighed and picked up a notepad, to jot down ideas for Smackdown, since she was in charge of the Creative team for that show. Sara immediately headed for the balcony, knowing she would need the full time given by Vince to make her decision. She plopped down in the highest seat possible, instantly regretting it. Pain shot up through her back, and she bit down on her bottom lip to keep from screaming. When the pain finally subsided, she let out a few, slow breaths. "Alright, Sara…you're pretty much deciding somebody's future…without them knowing. You better make it a good choice," she said to herself, opening up the packet of RAW Superstars.

RAW kicked off at exactly nine p.m. with a video from the previous night's pay-per-view, highlighting the Hell in a Cell match. Sara watched in her dressing room as the screen showcased the things she'd apparently done. Her jaw dropped at the sight of Randy falling from the top of the cage. "I did that?" she whispered. "Yep," Andy said, "Shocked the hell outta the boys, too, let me tell ya." "Oh, my God!" Sara said, seeing that she'd powerbombed Randy on an enormous pile of thumbtacks. "Yeah…it was pretty brutal," Andy said quietly. Sara sighed and leaned against Andy's arm, running her hands through her loose hair. She was dressed in a simple pair of black, leather low-rider pants, and a small, matching vest. The vest showed off the bruises on her back, because Vince wanted the fans to see the effect the Cell had physically had on her. She only a short promo to do in the middle of the second hour, with Randy and the person she'd decided to drop the title to. It had been the most difficult choice of her career, but she was truly confident in the person's abilities, not only as a wrestler, but as an entertainer. In her eyes, a great WWF Superstar was not only someone who could wrestle anyone in any given match on any given night, but could appeal to the broad audience that were the WWF fans. "What's on your mind, baby doll?" Andy asked quietly. "Nothin', Andy," she said quietly. Andy sighed and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. "You can talk to me, ya know," he said. Sara swallowed and looked up at him, knowing it would hurt him to know she'd had a choice in deciding who she would drop the title to. "I…I'm just a little tired, Andy," she said softly. "That's not it," he said grinning, "You should know by now, Sara…you can't lie to me."

Sara forced a smile, despite the tears brimming in her eyes. "What is it?" he asked. "Andy, Vince…," she started, looking back at the screen. "Take your time," he said. "God, Andy, I'm so sorry," she whispered looking back at him. "What?" he asked, truly concerned. "Vince…gave me the power to…choose who I wanted to drop the title to," she said quietly. Andy removed his arm from her shoulders, and a tear fell from Sara's right eye. "Let me guess…you didn't choose me," he said quietly, his voice filled with disappointment. "Andy, you don't know how hard that was for me to do…," she said softly. "Nah, it's alright…I get it," he said standing. "What's that supposed to mean, Andy?" she said quietly. "I've watched your back…for ten years, Sara…ten whole _years_. I've seen you through _everything_…when you were laid up in the hospital for three months with no memory, I was there for you…when Mark was more than ready to divorce you, I was there for you…when your mother turned her back on you…_I_ was there for _you_," he said tensely, "And the one time…_you_ could've done somethin' for _me_…" "Andy, please…I…," she whispered, her bottom lip quivering. "You what?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, "You don't think I could carry the company? Am I not good enough to be World champ, Sara? Is that it?" Sara shook her head in response, but couldn't come up with a reasonable answer. "You can't say I'm not ready for it. I've been ready for this for years," he said, his hurt apparent. "I know, Andy," she whispered. Andy's jaw clenched, and he left the room, shutting the door harshly behind him. Sara covered her eyes and let out a shaky breath. _You made the best choice, Sara…you know that…even if nobody else likes it, you made the necessary and right choice…you did what's best for the company_, she thought. She wiped away the wetness from her cheeks and let out a deep, more steady breath, once again turning her attention to the television.

The next hour passed by slowly for Sara; Andy never came back to the room, leaving her with only the sound of the television and doubts swimming in her mind to keep her company. As the second hour rolled by, Sara grabbed the World Heavyweight championship and slowly stood, groaning slightly at the dull pain in her back. She knew that the ramifications of her Hell in a Cell match would follow her for a long time, even after she retired. She ran her fingers through her hair before leaving the room. She met Randy on her way to the entranceway, grinning when she saw he was dressed in an exceptional-looking suit. "Lookin' sharp, Orton," she said. "Got to for the ladies, Angel," Randy said grinning. "Where is he?" she asked grinning. "I think in the bathroom, tryin' to get ready," Randy answered grinning. He'd been shocked to find out who would be the next World champion, but knew full well the man deserved the opportunity. Sara chuckled and ran her fingers through her hair, sighing softly. "You alright?" Randy asked. "Yeah…it's been a long couple days, ya know," she said quietly. Randy grinned and nodded. "I'm lookin' forward to the next three days. I'm goin' back home, hang out with my parents…just get away from it all," he said. "Yeah…that's gonna be nice," she said suddenly looking over her shoulder. Her eyes locked with Andy's, and she could see the disappointment and anger still simmering. Andy shook his head slightly before walking away. "What's wrong with him?" Randy asked. "Nothin', Randy…don't worry about it," she said, "I'll see you out there, okay?" "Sure thing," Randy said. Sara headed towards the entranceway, her eyes on the floor. She found a dark area, and stood with the World title over her shoulder, her eyes closed as she rid her mind of all things.

"Sara?" Sara flinched slightly and let out a slow breath. "Sorry to…interrupt you, but…I'm headin' outta here," Andy said quietly. Sara looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes slightly narrowed in a mixture of questioning and anger. "You might wanna find somebody else to ride with the rest o' the month, too," he added. Sara swallowed, giving only a slight nod in response. "Bye," Andy said quietly. Sara rolled her eyes slightly before closing her eyes once more, not speaking one word to Andy. For one, he'd interrupted her mental relaxation session, something not even Mark had ever done, because he knew how important it was for her to get completely in character before she went out in front of the crowd. Secondly, he was acting like a complete asshole, leaving her at the arena with no transportation. _It's fine, Angel…you've got special appearances the next three days anyway. You don't need anybody to travel with_, she thought simply, _And even if you didn't…you have enough friends around this place that you won't have a problem finding a travel buddy. Maybe you should consider traveling with the females…Amy and Dawn…could be fun traveling with them_. A grin came to her face as she slipped further into character, becoming excited for the opportunity she was giving one of her co-workers. _I just hope he doesn't choke…or fall on his face…Vince would never trust him in the main-event spot again_, she thought. She took a few more deep breaths, hearing the bell marking the end of the first-hour main event. _That means I've got a couple more minutes_, she thought heading up to the pit. She was a little shocked to find that Randy wasn't there already. "Where are they?" she asked Vince. "They're on their way. Don't worry, you've got a few minutes," Vince said. "Vince?" Sara said softly. "Yeah," Vince said. "Did I make the right choice?" Sara asked looking down at her hands. Vince grinned and leaned back in his seat. "He wasn't my number one choice, Angel…but he was in the top five," he said. Sara smiled and let out a breath of relief. "Don't worry, sweetheart. You made a good choice," he said quietly. Sara nodded as Randy came walking up.

A few minutes later, she heard Jim Ross' theme song blare throughout the arena. She fingered the leather belt of the World title, letting out a few deep breaths. The crowd cheered as Jim made his way down the ramp, and quickly climbed into the ring. Lillian handed him her microphone, and he thanked her with a smile. "Ladies and gentlemen…last night…I had the duty of calling an absolutely gruesome match-up. Last night, Angel and Randy Orton went to hell…and only one of them returned your World Heavyweight champion. It is my privilege and honor to introduce the World Heavyweight champion…Angel," Jim said. Sara took another deep breath as her music hit. "See ya out there, Angel," Randy said. Sara nodded slightly and went through the curtains, choosing to hold the title in her right hand instead of putting it on her shoulder. She hesitated on the stage, her eyes scanning the crowd and immediately noticing that they were all applauding. Tears came to her eyes as she slowly made her way down to the ring, a slight smile on her face. No matter what her problems were backstage, the fans helped her forget all about them, no matter how short or long a time period she was in front of them. She slowly rolled into the ring, wincing slightly as she stood. A ring crew assistant handed her a microphone and she looked out into the crowd. The fans chanted her name, and Sara chuckled softly. "That's a helluva reaction, Angel…and one, I might add, that you rightfully deserve. Last night at No Mercy, you very willingly stepped into the Hell in a Cell. It was your very first one, and you were going up against a former World Heavyweight champion…you were the underdog. And yet, you retained that World Heavyweight championship in a brutal, _brutal_ match. Tell us…how are you feeling now, the day after?" Jim said. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "J.R., it was…a struggle. One of the hardest struggles I've ever had to make as a wrestler. I knew…before I even stepped into that Cell, J.R., that I was up for a big challenge. I didn't realize how big a challenge it would be, though…or the real effects it would have on me," she said honestly, "When I woke up this morning…I couldn't move, J.R. Every single muscle in my body was screaming in pain. I saw Orton earlier…and he wasn't lookin' too good, either. We went to war…there's no other way to put it …we went to war, and neither of us came out of it intact." Sara looked down at the championship in her hands, struggling to remember just how much she went through the previous night. Even though she'd watched the tape with Randy earlier, the images did nothing to spark her personal memory of the match. "J.R., last night…last night, Randy took…he took something from me that I don't think I'll ever get back," she said somberly. "Angel…was it worth it?" Jim asked carefully. Sara slowly lifted her eyes to Jim's face, a familiar smirk coming to her face. "You bet your ass it was worth it, J.R. Look at this," she said lifting the belt onto her right shoulder and patting the name plate, "I am the World Heavyweight champion. It doesn't get any bigger or better than that."

Randy's music hit, and Sara looked at the stage. Randy stepped out from behind the curtain with a microphone in hand, but still favoring his left shoulder. The sling on his left arm made Sara look down at the mat, in slight disbelief that she'd actually thrown him from the top of the Cell. Randy carefully climbed into the ring, wary of his left shoulder. "Angel, I know I said, two weeks ago, that this little feud with us was gonna be over at No Mercy. But…I have one more thing to say," Randy said stepping up to Sara. Sara raised an eyebrow and pulled the title from her shoulder, handing it to Jim. She and Randy weren't supposed to get physical, but Sara wasn't trusting Randy completely not to try and throw her a curve ball. "Easy, champ, easy," Randy said holding his right hand up, "As you can see, I'm in no condition to fight you again." Sara crossed her arms, her stance still defensive. "Angel…the only reason I came out here…is to shake your hand," Randy said, "I want to shake the hand of one of the bravest wrestlers I've ever known. You see, in this business…I haven't been in it long, but I know…there's a big difference between talkin' the talk…and walkin' the walk. You can usually spot who's the phony tough, and who's the crazy brave. For a long time, I took you as the phony tough…one o' those feminists who wanted equal rights, no matter what the situation. But…last night, you proved that you are a one-of-a-kind, kick-ass, show-no-mercy _professional wrestler_. You can talk the talk, Angel…and now I know…you can damn sure walk the walk." Sara took a deep breath and said, "Orton…youngin'…I already knew I could do what I said I was gonna do. I don't need your approval to feel good about myself." The fans cheered slightly and Sara grabbed the World title back from Jim, who quickly exited the ring. "Of course not. You're already confident, Angel…almost to the point o' bein' cocky. I like that," Randy said grinning, "Last night, you made a point of showing not only me…but the whole world…that Angel isn't as innocent as she looks." Sara smiled slightly and nodded in agreement. "I said, Angel, that if you wanna make an impact in this business, then you gotta make some noise. Last night…you made a helluva lotta noise. You were the better person…," he said extending his right hand, "Congratulations." Sara took a deep breath, eyeing his hand warily. "I know I'm not the most trustworthy person in the world, Angel…but this time, it's real," Randy said honestly. Sara looked out at the crowd, letting out a slow breath at the mixed reaction. She looked back at Randy, pointing at him with warning. "I'm bein' real, Angel," he said. Sara wrung her fingers together, staring from Randy's eyes to his outreached hand. She slowly reached for his hand, but Rob's music stopped her.

Rob came walking down the ramp, a look of disgust on his face. He climbed up onto the mat, hopping over the top rope into the ring. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Is this RAW, or an episode of Sesame Street!" Rob said staring from Sara to Randy, "Angel, the World Heavyweight champion…yeah, your résumé speaks for itself…but whatever. Randy…the supposed "Legend Killer". It seems your legend got killed last night, man. You got your ass kicked…by a woman!" Sara's eyes narrowed slightly, and she went to say something. "She threw your ass from one end o' that Cell to the other, man. How you even have the nerve to show up today is beyond me," Rob continued, as the fans began to boo, "I mean, come on…you had like two seconds o' offense in the 30 minutes you were in that…'Cell'." "Listen, Van Dam. I did what I could," Randy started. "Oh, give me a break!" Rob said, completely ignoring Sara's presence, "You…got your ass handed to you…by a woman…in _Hell in a Cell_. What do you have to say for yourself, buddy?" Sara's jaw dropped at the arrogance of Rob's character; Randy had showed her a lack of respect in the beginning of their feud, but this was taking it to a new level. "Hey!" she said grabbing Rob's shoulder. "Woman!" Rob said facing her, and beginning to back her up, "You don't know me…so don't touch me!" Sara watched as he once again turned his back to her, and she dropped the microphone.

"You see, Orton…a lotta the boys in the back don't have much respect for you anymore, seein' as to how you got beat by a woman and all," Rob continued, as Sara began to fume, "So, let me give you a little advice. The women in this company…they're a lot like monkeys. They might…be a little outta control for a little while, but give 'em a smack or two…put 'em right in their place." _No, this motherfucker did not just compare me to a goddamn monkey_, Sara thought. Her eyes narrowed as she slowly dropped the title to the canvas as well. "Now…you," Rob said facing her. Sara sneered and kicked him in his stomach, hitting him immediately with Broken Wings. Randy immediately climbed out of the ring as she grabbed her microphone and the World title, glaring down at Rob's prone body. "You listen to me, RVD!" she said stepping over him, "I am the _World Heavyweight champion_. I have earned the right to call myself the World Heavyweight champion. I've defended this title against any and all challengers, in any kind of match that they wanted. So, don't ever doubt that I can kick _anybody's_ ass whenever I want to, and however I want to," she said before moving to get out of the ring, then stopped. She set the microphone and title back on the mat, and picked up Rob, nailing him with her second finishing maneuver, Stolen Halo (a Falcon Arrow). She picked up the microphone and title once more, rolling to the outside of the ring. "And if you ever…compare me to a monkey again…I'm gonna do worse than that," she sneered before dropping the microphone and heading up the ramp. The fans chanted her name, and Sara faced the ring as Rob struggled to get to his feet. She held up the World title proudly, an arrogant smile on her face. She winked at Rob before going through the curtains, rubbing her lower back. When she'd landed on the canvas, the impact had jarred her already sore muscles. "Good stuff out there, Sara," Vince said from the table. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. "I still can't believe he compared me to a fuckin' monkey," she said shaking her head. "Yeah, Rob's pretty special," Vince said, "Have fun with your appearances this week, okay?" "Sure will," Sara said smiling, heading down the ramp.

She went down to her dressing room, and slowly slipped out of her pants. The bruises on her back weren't going down any time soon, and she wanted to make contact with them as little as possible. The next time she had to wrestle was in six days, so she hoped they would be gone by then. A knock came on the door as she slipped on a pair of loose sweatpants. She took a deep breath before opening it. "Thought you were leavin'?" she whispered leaning against the doorway. "Sara, I…look, I…," Andy said looking down at the floor, struggling to speak. "What?" she asked, tears coming to her eyes. "I'm sorry," he said looking back at her. Sara swallowed and stepped aside, motioning for him to enter. "Please say what you have to say, Andy," she said quietly, leaning against the door, "I have to get outta here." "Sara…I took it real personal when you didn't choose me…to become the next World champion. I love this business so much, and I just…didn't understand what I had to do to…get my shot," he said quietly, "But I watched Rob just now…and…you chose the right person. For some reason, he's got the fans in the palm of his hand. And, I know…I could never do what he does." "Andy, please don't do this…you're a great wrestler, you are…and the fans like you," she said slowly, "I just…I did what I thought was best for business. I don't like Rob more than I like you, he's not a close friend o' mine like you are…but I had to be objective about this." "I know…it was just…a little hard to accept," Andy said. "Andy…you can't wait around for Vince to give you a shot…you have to…take control of your career. You have to step up and force Vince to pay attention to you," Sara said going over to him, "I didn't realize how many guys on the RAW roster there were until I had to choose one to carry the World title after me. They all want this as much as you do, and Vince is gonna pick out the one he feels wants it the most. So…you have to show him you want it more than any other guy here."

Andy sighed and nodded slightly. "Andy, you know I love you like a brother…and I would never try to hurt you in any way," she said staring up at him, "I just…I don't want this business to come between our friendship." Andy hugged her gently, kissing the top of her head. "I know, baby doll," he whispered. Sara took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Do I still need to find somebody else to travel with, Andy?" she asked softly. Andy grinned and shook his head. "I think…other than you havin' those special appearances…we'll be traveling together 'til you're outta this place for good," he said quietly. Sara let out a slow breath and looked up at him. Andy wiped away the tears that had escaped from the corners of her eyes, dropping a friendly peck on her lips. "You know I couldn't leave you behind," he said quietly. "Give me a few minutes, I'll be ready to leave," she said quietly. "Alright, I'll meet you at the exit," he said releasing her. Sara nodded and opened the door, as Rob had reached up to knock. "Hey…can I talk to you, just for a few minutes?" Rob asked. "Yeah, sure," Sara said looking back at Andy. "Take your time, sweetheart," Andy said before leaving the room. Sara let Rob in before shutting the door. "Have a seat, Rob, I'll be right back," Sara said grabbing a t-shirt and going into the bathroom. She pulled off the vest and slipped on the t-shirt, then went back into the room. "So…what's on your mind?" she asked dropping her shirt in her duffel bag. Rob shifted slightly on the couch, and Sara looked over at him. "What?" she asked grinning.

"Um, Vince told me about…how I got this feud with you. And, I…wanna thank you for--." Sara smiled and shook her head. "Rob…you've earned it, okay. Not just with what you've done in the ring – I can't count how many title reigns you've had with the other belts – but with the crowd. Those people love you, no matter where we are. I picked you because I think you can carry the company…and I knew Vince wasn't gonna choose you over some other people," she said honestly, "I've been around for almost 12 ½ years, Rob. I'd like to think I can spot talent." "Did Vince give you any…ya know, any shit about it?" he asked quietly. Sara shook her head and continued packing her bag. "He told me, before I left his office to think it over, that he trusted my judgment. And I even asked him again, right before I went out…if I'd made the right choice. You wanna know what he said?" she said quietly, placing the World title in her bag. Rob nodded his head, his brown eyes staring at her in wonder. "He said that…while you weren't his number one choice…you were in the top five. That means that Vince recognizes your abilities, Rob. He knows that, if he were to put you in the number one spot, you could handle it. I just helped push you to number one a little faster," she said zipping up her bag. "And I appreciate that, Sara, I really do," Rob said standing as she did the same. "Rob…I wish I could explain to you the concept of sacrificing to help others grow. As a wrestler, that's one of the biggest lessons I've learned. Over the years, so many people have sacrificed to…get me where I am. Yeah, I had the raw talent, but they helped shape me into the wrestler I am today. I'm…I'm just tryin' to give back a little," she said quietly. "No, I definitely understand. It's just…a shock. I've prayed for this day so many times, Angel…and I never thought it would come," Rob said quietly. Sara smiled and said, "I'm happy I could answer your prayers, Rob."

Rob opened the door politely, and Sara walked out. "You have the next few days off, I take it?" Sara asked as they headed down the hall. "Yeah…I'm gonna go spend it with my wife," Rob said grinning, "She's eight months pregnant, so…" "Wow, congratulations. Man, there's gonna be a little RVD runnin' around soon, huh?" Sara said smiling. "Yeah, I'm…really excited," Rob said smiling broadly. "I can tell. Rob…rest as much as you can when you're at home. Bein' World champ…it takes a lot outta you…not only physically, but mentally," she said quietly, "You think you're never home now…bein' World champ, you have twice as many responsibilities to the company. It's a lot to handle…" "Angel…I was, uh, wondering…," Rob said. "Rob, just spit it out," Sara said chuckling. "Um, I was just gonna ask…if, startin' next week…you and Andy wouldn't mind lettin' me ride with you guys. I just wanna talk with you some more about what I can look forward to as the champ," Rob said. Sara took a deep breath and shrugged. "I don't know, Rob. How 'bout you just talk to me at the arenas?" Sara said, not wanting to put Andy in an uncomfortable situation. Rob nodded in understanding, a grin on his face. "That'll work. I'll see you around, Angel," he said as they came up to the back exit. Sara looked over at Andy, who was leaning against the wall. "Ready, baby doll?" he asked. Sara yawned slightly and nodded. While Andy was headed back to Florida, Sara had to drive back to Colorado Springs for a special appearance the next day. "You'll tell Lisa to call me when she can?" Sara asked as they climbed into their rental car. "Sure thing, hon," Andy said quietly, "She misses talkin' to you…a lot. The ladies on Smackdown…it's just different, ya know." Sara grinned and nodded. "You want me to stay awake on the drive back to Colorado Springs?" she asked quietly. "Nah, baby doll…go ahead and sleep," he answered, "I'll wake you when we get there." Sara nodded slightly and shifted in her seat, trying to get comfortable. Andy glanced over at her, a grin coming to his face. "Just lean the seat back, Sara," he said softly, "There's a button on the side o' the seat." Sara smiled and reached for the button, sighing softly as the chair slowly eased into an incline position. "See ya in an hour, baby doll," he said as Sara shifted a little more before yawning. "Yep," Sara said putting her arm across her eyes, letting sleep quickly overtake her.


	111. Special Appearances

**Ah, the much-anticipated _next_ chapter. I know it took a couple weeks, but I was working on the story, I promise. My computer got jacked up, and I had no access to the Internet, so I couldn't post earlier. I know I said this story's in the single digits now, but I'm not so sure of that anymore. This chapter was stretched out, because I wanted to give you a taste of what special appearances are like for a wrestler (I don't know from personal experiences, just from lookin' at WWE superstars' schedules, and hearing them talk about it). I hope you enjoy this chapter. The next one is almost finished, and should be posted at the latest by the end of the week. :) I will be stretching out some additional parts of the story as well. As much as you guys don't want this to end, I don't want it to end that much more. I just want to make the last few weeks of Sara's career as eventful and entertaining as this whole story has been. With that said, continue on. :)**

**Shannon

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Chapter 110…Special Appearances

Sara awoke the next morning curled up against Andy as usual. A grin came to her face as he shut off the alarm clock. "What time is your flight?" she asked quietly. "Noon. Your appearance?" he said shifting slightly against her. "Two o' clock. Just your regular autograph signing," she answered, "I have to fly to Sacramento right after it's over, too." "What are you doin' there?" he asked. "I get to go to a Kings preseason game," she said excitedly, "They're gonna have an arm wrestling contest between me and one o' the players. Oh, I hope it's Doug Christie, or Mike Bibby, or wow, even Vlade Divac!" Andy chuckled and climbed out of the bed. "I'll never understand your fascination with basketball," he said. "I thought you were a fan," Sara said looking over her shoulder at him. "I like to play, but I don't like to watch. Pro sports unnerve me sometimes, baby doll," he answered with a grin. "Then why are you a 'professional' wrestler?" she asked smiling. "It's a lot more fun than amateur wrestling," he said grabbing a towel from his suitcase. Sara chuckled as he entered the bathroom and shut the door. "Oh, shit," she whispered clamoring out of the bed. She'd completely forgotten to call Mark yesterday, and she knew he was going to be pissed she wasn't coming home on Thursday as planned. She grabbed her cell phone from her bag and flipped it open. She let out a sigh when she saw that she had five missed calls and voice mails, each one from Mark. She didn't bother listening to them, she simply called Mark's phone.

"Wow…you finally decided to look at your phone, huh?" Mark said moments later. Sara noticed the tenseness in his voice, and let out a slow breath. "Mark…look, yesterday was really busy. I didn't have time to call you," she said quietly. "Really? You couldn't find five minutes to call me back?" Mark said tensely. "No, I couldn't, okay. I had a lot goin' on, and I just didn't have the time to make a phone call," she said running her fingers through her hair. "Whatever, Sara…so you're having your last feud with Rob?" he said quietly. "Yeah…that's why I was so busy the whole day. Vince told me I had to decide who I wanted to drop the title to…I pretty much stayed up in the balcony the whole day thinkin' about it, even after I'd given Vince my choice," she said pushing pillows against the headboard and leaning against them. "Vince would never do that, put that kinda power in a wrestler's hands," Mark said, "Even with you." "You think I'm makin' that shit up? Why would I lie about somethin' like that? Besides, you really think _Rob_ would be in the World title hunt if Vince had anything to say about it?" Sara snapped. Mark sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "What time are you gonna be home Thursday?" he asked. Sara swallowed and looked down at her hands. "Mark…," she started. "Oh, don't even…Sara, I haven't seen you outside of our job in over two weeks," he said quietly. "Mark, I know that. I wanna see you, too, but…I can't," she said softly. "What am I supposed to tell Melissa?" he said tensely, "This 'mama has to work' shit ain't workin' like it used to." "I'll call her, Mark," Sara said quietly.

"So…when's the next time you're gonna be home, then?" he asked. "I'm flying into Houston Thursday night…and I'll be home until Sunday morning, but after that…I don't have a break for the rest o' my time left," she said slowly, "Next week, everything I have to do is in Texas…but not close enough to where I could just stay home…" Mark chuckled and shook his head. "And you didn't think to ask Vince to give you more breaks?" he asked. "No…he said that he wanted the fans to see as much of me as they could before I retire," she answered quietly, "And to be honest…so do I." "What about your family?" he asked heatedly. "You're gonna see as much of me as you want once I retire," Sara said quietly. "Oh, wow…never thought I'd hear you say that kinda shit," Mark said angrily, "Here we go again…this business comin' between us." "Mark, it only comes between us…if we let it," she said quietly, trying to diffuse the argument before it got any more serious, "Don't ever doubt that I want to see you, and our daughter…because I do. This job is a lot harder when I can't be around you. But I do it because…I have to…and I want to." Mark sighed heavily and sat down on his hotel room bed. "I think about you both all the time…I wonder what you're doin' all the time, and I wonder what memories I'm missin' out on with Melissa…but I know that it's all gonna be over soon, so I try not to worry about it," she said quietly. "I just…I wanna see you so bad, dollface," he whispered painfully. "I know, Mark, and I wanna see you, too, you know that. We just…it's only a few more weeks, okay?" she said quietly. Mark sighed and said, "Okay…you need me to pick you up Thursday night?" "If you don't mind," Sara said grinning slightly, "When do you have to go out on the road again?" "We have to be in Charlotte on Saturday, so I was gonna fly out Friday night…but I think I'll wait 'til Saturday morning," Mark said quietly. Sara chuckled and ran her fingers through her hair. "I love you, Mark," she whispered. "I know, dollface, I love you, too," he said quietly. "I'll try and call you tomorrow, I promise," she said quietly, "And…thank you for the note yesterday…and for staying with me until I fell back asleep." "Dollface, that was nothin'…I just want you back in my arms again…as soon as possible," he said quietly. Sara smiled and felt her neck redden. "Yeah…there's a blush there," Mark said chuckling. "Stop…I gotta go take a shower, okay?" she said softly. "I'll keep that image in mind," he said smiling. "Hopeless. I'll talk to ya tomorrow, Mark," she said quietly. "Love you, dollface," he whispered. "Love you, too. Bye," she said quietly. Mark said the same, and Sara clicked her phone shut, letting out a heavy sigh. She knew her husband was still not at ease with her schedule; his goodbye was more than a little strained.

Andy came out of the bathroom to find Sara staring ahead blankly. "You okay, baby doll?" he asked quietly. Sara sighed and shook her head. "Mark…," she said simply. "Gotcha," Andy said quietly. "It's gonna be a rough few weeks…I just know it," she said painfully. "Baby doll…you got, what, three and a half weeks left?" he asked. Sara nodded and looked up at him. "Don't spend it worrying about your schedule," Andy said grinning slightly. Sara's bottom lip trembled slightly, and tears came to her eyes. Andy slipped on a pair of sweatpants before sitting down beside her. Sara rested her head on his shoulder, trying to hold back her tears. "He…he just doesn't understand," she whispered. Andy sighed and rubbed her back gently, wary of the ever-present bruises from Sunday night. "He will, baby doll…," he said softly. Sara sniffled and let out a few shaky breaths. "Is he gonna pick you up Thursday night?" he asked. Sara nodded against his shoulder, wiping away the tears that had hit his freshly washed skin. "Sorry," she said with a smile. "Ah, that's what it's there for," Andy said, "Better?" Sara nodded again and said, "I better take a shower. You got a plane to catch." "Speakin' o' which, I should give Lisa a call," he said as Sara rolled off of the bed. She grabbed a towel from her suitcase, as well as blue fitted jeans and a Harley-Davidson baby tee, before going into the bathroom. After a relaxing shower, Sara quickly brushed her hair dry and got dressed before going back into the room. "I don't know why we get two beds, Andy…we always end up in the same one," Sara said chuckling. Andy smiled and shrugged. "Did you get your schedule for next week yesterday?" she asked tossing her dirty clothes into a black laundry bag in her suitcase. "Yeah, I go back on Saturday," he answered, "You?" "Sunday, a houseshow in San Antonio," she answered, "You wanna just meet me there?" "That'll work," Andy said packing up his suitcase. They checked the room once more before leaving, checking out, and heading towards the airport.

Sara drove up to the Sky Sox Stadium just before two o' clock. She got to park close to the stadium, as a celebrity, and was met by the general manager of the Triple-A baseball team she'd be throwing the first pitch for. "Ms. Angel, thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to come today," he said to her, "I'm Michael Hoyt, and I'm a big fan." Sara shook his hand with a smile. "Thanks for having me," she said as he led her inside, "Is the stadium full?" "Pretty much. It's a regular game, so we have a lot of season-ticket holders here. Everyone's excited that you're appearing here for us," he answered. "I've never thrown a first pitch before," Sara said grinning. "The catcher will walk up a few steps if you need it, and you don't have to stand on the pitcher's mound if you don't want to," Michael said. "Oh, it's okay. I played softball as a kid, so it won't be too big a challenge," she said smiling. "Excellent. Do you follow baseball?" he asked. "Not regularly. I'm on the road so much, and I don't have too much time to attend any games in Texas. I prefer live games rather than watching it on TV, too, so it's a tough thing to work out," she answered. "Yeah, I can only imagine. You guys are on the road, what, 200-300 days a week, right?" he said. "Yes. I get two days off this week, and then I'm back on the road again for three and a half weeks straight," she answered. "I'll never understand how you do it," Michael said as they came up to the team locker room. "Me, either, Michael," she said chuckling. "Please, call me Mike," he said grinning and knocking on the door. A few moments later, he took her inside and introduced her to the team members. Sara ended up posing for pictures and signing autographs for every person, but it wasn't a big deal to her.

"Will you be able to stay for the game?" Michael asked after they'd left. "Yes, I will, if there's a seat for me," Sara answered. "Definitely. We have a reserved seat right above the team's dugout," he said. "Wow, that's great. Thanks a lot," she said. "Would you like to have a few practice throws? Our catcher is waiting for you if you need him," he said as they headed down a hallway. "Yeah, sure, that'd be great," Sara answered. Michael took her outside to a curtained-off area, away from the crowd. She threw pitches to the catcher, a young 24-year-old named Eddie Jones, for nearly ten minutes. Once she felt loosened up, Michael took her over to a small entranceway. "The game starts in a few minutes, Ms. Angel. We'll be announcing you after the "Star-Spangled Banner" is sung," he said. "That's fine," Sara said with a grin. Michael walked away and Sara leaned against the wall. She felt the anticipation of the audience for the impending contest. The two teams apparently faced each other regularly, and had somewhat of a competition going to see who would have the most wins over each other at the end of the season. A voice boomed over the P.A. system a few minutes later, welcoming everyone to the stadium for yet another great baseball game. Sara listened as a small woman dressed in a pink sundress sang the national anthem proudly. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, to throw the first pitch…from the World Wrestling Federation, please welcome the current World Heavyweight champion, Angel!" a man said loudly. Sara took a deep breath as she heard her theme music play throughout the open stadium. She shifted the World title onto her shoulder before walking out onto the field, waving to the thousands of people cheering for. She walked up to the pitcher's mound, where the team pitcher handed her a baseball.

"Whatever makes you comfortable, Eddie will work with you," he said with a grin. Sara nodded and handed him her belt before looking at Eddie. She didn't move forward off of the pitcher's mound, only looked at Eddie as he signaled for a fast ball. Sara winked at the team pitcher before slinging the ball towards Eddie as fast as she could. He caught it easily and the audience exploded with cheers. "You sure you're not a ball player?" the pitcher asked her. Sara chuckled and took the title back from him. "Nope, I'm a wrestler, through and through," she said before heading off the field, where Michael was waiting for her. "I'll take you to your seat now," he said. Sara followed him up a small set of stairs beside the dugout, where he pointed to her seat, sectioned off from the rest of the crowd. There were two security guards standing there, to make sure no one bothered her during the game. "Here you are. Enjoy the game, ma'am," Michael said politely, "After its over, these two gentlemen will make sure you can get out through the crowd to leave." "It's not a problem. If you want, I'll stay behind after the game's over to sign some autographs, maybe take some pictures," Sara said smiling. "It's up to you," Michael said. "I'll let you know after the game's over," she said with a smile. Michael nodded and walked away as Sara took her seat.

Sara was very entertained during the entire game. She'd wished constantly that Melissa could be there, just to spend a day with her doing something normal like attending a baseball game. Once it ended, Sara signed a few autographs, as many as she could because the security guards were practically pulling her from the stands. When she finally got to an empty hallway, she stared up at the two men. "I understand that you guys were just doin' your job, but in case you hadn't heard, I told Michael I was gonna sign autographs for a while," she said looking at the handprint on her left arm. "I'm sorry, ma'am. We just didn't want you to get bombarded. If you want, we'll set up a table and rope it off, so that it can have some semblance of order," one said. "No, that's alright. I don't like staged sessions like that," she said, "Can just lead me outside, and I'll be on my way." "Yes, ma'am," they said simultaneously. Sara rolled her eyes as she followed behind them. Once outside, she thanked the two gentlemen for walking her out before climbing into her car and leaving. On the ride to the airport, Sara pulled out her cell phone and dialed her home number. "Callaway residence," Melissa asked moments later. "Hello, munchkin," Sara said smiling. "Mama! When are you comin' home?" Melissa asked. "Thursday night, darlin'. Daddy told me you were feelin' pretty down about it, so I thought I'd give you a call," Sara answered. "Yeah…I miss you," Melissa said quietly. "I know ya do, baby. I miss you, too," Sara said quietly, turning onto the highway. "Why can't you come home today?" Melissa asked. "Because, baby, I have to work," Sara said. "Why, mama? You work so much! Why can't you just come home?" Melissa asked. "Melissa…I have a responsibility to Mr. McMahon. I signed a contract, sweetheart, and it means I have to work whenever he needs me to…even if I wanna be home with you," Sara answered, "You know how, when we got Marley, and I told you that he was your dog. And you couldn't ignore him, that you had to take care of him, even when you didn't want to, because he was a responsibility?" "Yes, ma'am," Melissa said. "Well, I have the same kind of responsibility with my job. No matter how much I don't want to do it, I know I have to," Sara explained. Melissa sighed and said, "Yes, ma'am."

"Where's Dany?" Sara asked quietly. "In the library talkin' on the phone with Uncle John," Melissa answered, "He was here yesterday, and we spent, like, the whole day in the pool!" Sara smiled and said, "Good, sweetheart." "Mama?" Melissa said quietly. "Yeah, sweetheart," Sara said. "I watched RAW with Uncle John last night…and you had a lot of dark spots on your back. Uncle John said it was from Sunday night. Is he right?" Sara sighed and switched into the left lane. "Yeah, sweetheart, they are. I was in a rough match, and I got bruised up," she answered, "But I'm okay now…it's only just sore now." "You promise?" Melissa asked. "Yep, I promise, sweetheart," Sara answered grinning, "Guess what mama gets to do tomorrow?" "What?" Melissa asked. "I'm goin' to see my favorite basketball team play. I'm gonna get to arm-wrestle one of their top players during the middle of the game, called halftime," Sara said smiling, "I'll try and get you a jersey, okay?" "Okay, mama," Melissa said. "You feel a little better?" Sara asked quietly. "Yes, ma'am," Melissa answered. "Good. You takin' care o' Lucky and Marley for me?" Sara asked. "Yep. They get in the pool with me a lot. I learned how to doggie paddle with them," Melissa said laughing. Sara chuckled and shook her head as that image came to her mind. "Sounds like tons o' fun, munchkin," she said quietly. "It was, mama. I'll show you when you come home," Melissa answered. "I'll look forward to it. Look, it's not safe for me to drive and talk on the phone. So, if you want or need to, give me a call later tonight," Sara said quietly. "Okay, mama. I love you, and I can't wait to see you," Melissa said. "Ditto, munchkin," Sara said. "What's ditto?" Melissa asked. Sara smiled and said, "It means, me, too." "Oh, okay. Ditto," Melissa said. Sara smiled and let out a slow breath. As mature as her daughter was, there were still the simple things that made her so innocent. "I'll talk to ya later, munchkin, 'kay?" she said quietly, "I love you." "Ditto, mama," Melissa said with a smile, "Bye." Sara smiled and said the same before clicking her phone shut and tossing into the seat beside her. The conversation with her daughter went better than she'd thought it would, so she felt a little more at ease about being on the road.

The flight landed in Sacramento a couple hours later. Sara quickly got her rental car, and pulled away from the airport. As she headed towards her hotel, her cell phone vibrated. Sara smiled slightly when she saw Lisa's name on the caller idea. "Hey, hon," she answered. "Hey. How are ya?" Lisa said happily, "I miss you so much." "Yeah, RAW isn't the same without ya, Lisa," Sara said, "And I'm alright. Just ready for the next three weeks to be over, in a way. I talked to Melissa earlier, and she wasn't too happy with me bein' on the road." "Of course. Have you talked to Mark today? He's in one helluva mood," Lisa said quietly. "I talked to him earlier, and it was…tense, to say the least," Sara said quietly. "Yeah, I talked to him a little bit ago, and he just said he wanted to be home with his wife and daughter," Lisa said. Sara sighed as she pulled onto the street her hotel was on. "I miss him, Lisa, I really do. I talked to Melissa before I flew into Sacramento, and helped her feel a little better about me bein' on the road so much. But Mark…it's different, ya know. The simple explanations don't work on a grown man," she said. "Yeah, I understand. Andy and I have struggled sometimes the past few weeks. But we understood from the get-go that this could happen," Lisa said. "I know…Mark and I, we talked about it, but…we never expected it to really happen," Sara said. "I could tell. I was in the Smackdown locker room the night o' the draft when Mark got picked…and a lotta the guys were happy to have Mark over. But your reaction…honestly, I thought you were gonna burst into tears right on-screen," Lisa said. "Yeah, it was hard…but we're both adults. We understand it's part o' the job, so…we're just kinda takin' it in stride right now," Sara said, "At this point, I'm just ready for the next three weeks to be over." "Oh, for sure. I can tell how much you miss Melissa," Lisa said quietly. "Yeah…she knows, too. I think after today, she really does understand. But anywho…how's things goin' for you?" Sara said as she stopped at a red light. "Eh…they could be better, they could be worse. I wrestled Gail tonight…_again_. We wrestle each other all the time on houseshows, and a little on the recorded shows. I just really miss RAW, wrestling against Trish and Amy. They were so much fun. I love Gail, don't get me wrong. But…competition makes everything just a little bit better, ya know," Lisa answered. "Yeah, I know how ya feel," Sara said.

"Speaking of which, how'd Rob manage to get to be your last feud?" Lisa asked. Sara chuckled as she pulled forward slightly. "I picked him," she answered. "Vince let you do that?" Lisa asked in disbelief. "Yep. Matter o' fact, he and Stephanie told me that I had the choice of who I wanted to drop the title to," Sara answered grinning, "Took me four and a half hours, but after a lot of thinking, and weighing the options, and praying…Rob just stood out more than the other guys." "How'd Andy take it?" Lisa asked quietly. "He wasn't too happy at first…but, after an hour or so, he came back to me and accepted my choice," Sara answered, "I thought he was gonna hate me forever for it." "Yeah, he called me around 9:00, right as the show started, I think…told me about the whole thing," Lisa said, "I tried to help him feel better about it, but he was pretty heated." "Yeah, he, uh…gave me a pretty hard guilt trip about it, but…I just…I made the best, most objective decision…because that's what was best, ya know," Sara explained. "I know, hon, I know. I think he called me back about a half an hour after you were out with Rob, tellin' me that he was okay with everything now," Lisa said. "Yeah…to be honest, I miss traveling with him already," Sara said chuckling, "It's just a lot easier havin' someone to talk to." She pulled into the parking lot of her hotel and parked. "So what's on the schedule for tomorrow?" Lisa asked. "An appearance at a Kings' basketball game," Sara said with a smile, climbing out of the car. "Wow. You must be really excited," Lisa said chuckling. "Oh, for sure. You know me, I'm a Kings fanatic. I'd go to the games more often if I actually lived in Sacramento. But it's more of a special appearance. I get to arm-wrestle one o' the players, probably somebody not playin' in the game, or one o' the fans…more than likely a fan," Sara said, "Not sure, really." "Well, it sounds like you're gonna have a blast," Lisa said smiling. "I'm sure gonna try to. I haven't been to a Kings game in so long," Sara said pulling her suitcase from the trunk and shutting the trunk. "Alright, chica. I gotta head back in. Gail and I are in a tag team against freakin' Torrie and some new chick, Alexis Laree," Lisa said. "You're gonna teach 'em what it means to be a real 'Diva', of course," Sara said with a smile. "Yeah…," Lisa said unenthusiastically. "Well, take it easy. Don't beat 'em up too bad, sweetheart," Sara said going into the hotel. "I'll talk to ya later, chica," Lisa responded. "Bye, hon," Sara said before clicking her phone shut. She checked into her room and quickly went up to the third floor. After entering her room, she stripped down to her underwear and laid down in the middle of the bed, just glad to be able to relax for the rest of the night.

Around half past eleven, Sara's cell phone rang. Sara groaned and ran her hands over her eyes. She'd almost been asleep when the noise had echoed through her room. She reached over and flipped it open, her eyes focusing on Mark's name on the ID screen. "What?" she asked quietly. "Sorry to wake you, dollface. I just wanted to hear your voice," Mark said quietly. "Well, that's just so sweet," Sara said grinning, shifting in the bed slightly. "You have fun today?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, a little. The game was good, but…," she said quietly. "But what?" he asked. "I was tryin' to sign autographs afterwards, but the two security guards…they practically forced me outta the stadium. I had marks on my arms, 'cause they had such a tight grip," she said. "Did you hit 'em?" Mark asked grinning. "No…but I wanted to. All I could think of, really, was what your reaction would've been," she answered grinning. "Violent, of course," he said. "Yeah…I just got in my rental car and headed straight for the airport. I wasn't planning to stay there long anyway, but those two assholes just pissed me off that I didn't wanna sign anything anymore," she said quietly. "I got a message from Melissa about an hour ago. Thank you for callin' her," Mark said quietly. "I told you I would," Sara said grinning, "It was hard, but…I think she understands a little better…besides…it's only three weeks. Then she gets me all to herself for the rest o' her life, Mark." "Yeah, she does," Mark said softly, "How are you feelin'?" "The plane flight was kinda long, for it to be from Colorado to California. It only should've been an hour tops, but the flight got delayed, so I had to sit in the airport in Colorado Springs for about 45 more minutes. My back's just really sore," she answered moving to her side. "If I was there, I'd give you a massage," he whispered. "I know you would, baby," she said quietly, "And I'd love that. But…the bed is soft enough, so I'm not too uncomfortable." "Well, I'll let you go back to sleep, then. I know you need it," he whispered. "I love you, Mark," Sara said softly. "I love you, too, Sara…so very much," Mark said quietly, "I'll call you tomorrow when I get home, okay?" "My phone might not be on. I have the game to go to, and you know me, it's the Kings," Sara said honestly. "Understandable. I'll leave a message," Mark said grinning, "Bye, sweetheart." "Bye, Mark," Sara whispered before closing her phone and putting it back on the nightstand. She fell asleep with a slight grin on her face.

The alarm clock pulled Sara from her deep sleep. She groaned slightly and reached over to turn it off. "Wow…almost a half day o' sleep…nice," she said stretching her arms and yawning, "Gotta love the late appearances." After rotating her neck, she took a few deep breaths before slowly sitting up, wincing as she did. The soreness in her back had yet to dissipate. "Never gonna live that match down," she whispered running her fingertips lightly over her lower back. After a few minutes, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Sara ran her hands over her legs, kneading the tight muscles gently to get them loose. Nearly five minutes passed before she felt able to stand. She went into the bathroom and ran a hot bath, smiling slightly as steam drifted up from the filling tub. "That's gonna feel good," she whispered slipping out of her nightshirt and panties. She stepped into the tub and groaned slightly; the water was hot, but not hot enough to scald her. She ended up spending nearly an hour in the tub, letting out water and refilling it a couple times when it got too lukewarm for her. When she finally climbed out of the tub, it was close to one p.m. She dressed in a pair of loose blue jeans and a small t-shirt, grabbed her purse and phone, and left the room for a little sightseeing. She didn't have to be to the Arco Arena until five p.m., so she wanted to spend the next few hours to herself.

Around 4:00 p.m., Sara finally made her way back to her hotel. She was carrying five large bags, and had a satisfied smile on her face. In the three hours she'd spend shopping, she'd only spent $400, which was a feat to her. She got up to her room and dropped her bags on her bed, sifting through the purchases she'd made. She folded up the several pairs of running pants, a few sports bras, and four t-shirts before packing them into her suitcase. After managing to get everything either into her suitcase or in less bags, Sara took a quick shower and dressed in a pair of form-fitting navy blue jeans, accompanied by a black leather belt with a WWF belt buckle. She slipped on a white, v-neck, silk shirt that had short sleeves. Lastly, she put on a pair of low-cut black boots and put her hair up into a simple ponytail, leaving out a few tendrils which she curled around her fingers to give them a little shape. She put on a thin layer of make-up before grabbing her purse, as well as a small case with two replica World Heavyweight championships in it (Vince wanted her to pass them along to the owners of the Kings), and left the hotel for her second special appearance of the week. She drove the entire way to Arco Arena with a smile on her face, pure excitement coursing through her veins as she realized once again that she would actually be going to a Sacramento Kings basketball game. When she got to the arena, she was directed to the back of the building, where she quickly parked. Shouldering her purse and holding the black case in her hand, a security guard led her into the building, where she met the owners of the Kings, Joe and Gavin Maloof.

"Ms. Angel, it's a pleasure to have you here," Joe said first. "Yes, ma'am, we truly appreciate you coming," Gavin said smiling. Sara shook their hands and nodded. "Actually, I'm honored you guys want me here. It's always been a dream of mine to meet you guys. I'm a huge fan of the Kings, and I've always wanted to come to one of your home games. I mean, the Arco Arena is so famous, and the Kings have one of the best home-game win records in the league," she said with a broad smile. "I know that some o' the guys are fans of the WWF, or have kids that are fans, so they really want to meet you," Joe said grinning. "Trust me, the feeling's mutual," she said still smiling. "You have a seat up in the skybox, so that you won't be bothered--." "Actually…is there any way I could sit with you guys? I notice, whenever I see the Kings play on TV, you guys are in the midst of the fans, so I'd like to be as well, if it's not too big a problem," Sara said shyly. "No, it's no problem. We can move some seats around, and you can sit right beside us," Gavin responded. "Thank you so much," she said as they led her down the hallway, towards the locker room. "So how long have you been a Kings fan, Ms. Angel?" Joe asked. "Well, I've been a basketball fan probably since I was seven or eight, when I was able to really understand basketball and how it's supposed to be played. I'm from Daytona, Florida, and I wasn't really a big fan of either of the NBA teams in that state…it took me a couple years to find a team that I truly enjoyed watching, even as a kid. I saw the Kings one night on TV, and I was hooked," Sara answered proudly, "All my friends in school were either Orlando Magic or Miami Heat fans, so I was definitely criticized for it. But I loved the Kings, and nobody was gonna stop me." "That's great," Joe said smiling, "Sometimes, we get the bandwagon fans, ya know. We'll have a good season or three, and people will start supporting us like crazy…until we have a bad season, and then they switch teams. It's good to know we have a loyal fan like you." "Trust me, as a wrestler, I know all about the bandwagon fans," Sara said grinning.

"How long have you been wrestling?" Gavin asked. "Goin' on 12 ½ years…I'm actually retiring in a few weeks. It's just time for me to go, time to let other guys step up," she responded, "I love what I do, but there are nights where…I'm just goin' through the motions. And I know, because o' that, I have to move on." "That's amazing," Joe said. "Yeah," Sara said grinning, "But I have a little girl at home…and she's more important to me than wrestling will ever be." "I don't know how you guys do that, be away from your families for so long," Gavin said quietly. "To be honest, I don't know how we do it, either. It's a huge sacrifice, and not too many people are willing to make it. My little girl is only three and a half years old, but even now she's always asking why I can't stay home with her. It gets a little harder every day to answer that question…but I only have three and a half weeks left, so…I try not to think about it as much," Sara said honestly, "Speaking of which…I'll pay for it, of course, but I was wondering if I could get a jersey for her." "Yeah, no problem, and don't worry about paying for it. Consider it a gift from us," Joe said grinning. "Thank you, Joe. I really appreciate that. If you guys want me to do anything extra during halftime, I'm all for it," she said smiling. "Well, right now, we just have the arm-wrestling contest set up. But, if you're willing to take on maybe one o' the guys to a shooting contest, or someone from the crowd, we think that'd be cool," Gavin suggested. "Whatever works for you guys. I don't claim to be a basketball player in the least, so I might end up gettin' my butt handed to me," Sara said chuckling. Joe and Gavin chuckled as they came up to the team locker room. "Here we are," Joe said knocking on the door.

Sara took a deep breath as the door swung open, and she looked into the eyes of the Kings' coach, Rick Adelman. "Wow…," she said quietly. "Rick, this is Angel, from the WWF," Joe said. Rick grinned and extended his hand. "The guys have been lookin' forward to meetin' you all day," he said as Sara shook his hand. "I'm…speechless. I've wanted to meet you for so long, Mr. Adelman. You do such a great job coaching the Kings, even when you guys have a bad season. It's an honor," Sara said nervously. "Please, Angel, call me Rick. And thank you for the compliment. I take it you're a fan, then," Rick said grinning. "Yep. Over 20 years now," Sara answered. "Amazing. Would you like to meet the team?" Rick asked. "Yeah," Sara answered nodding. "Come on in, then," Rick said leading her inside the room. Sara took a deep breath as she saw the players in the middle of getting dressed for the game. "Should we just wait?" she asked quietly. "Nah, don't worry about it," Rick answered taking her to Mike Bibby. "Mike, there's someone who'd like to meet you." Sara smiled as Mike held out his hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Angel. My kids tell me all the time about you bein' the first woman to hold the World title. That's a huge accomplishment," he said grinning. Sara blushed hard and looked at the floor. "Thanks," she said quietly, "God, I feel like a little kid meetin' Santa Clause for the first time. I've watched you for years, and you're such a great player." "Well, thanks. Do you mind signing somethin' for me?" Mike said. "No, it's not a problem. I was wonderin' if I could get _your_ autograph," Sara said chuckling. Mike chuckled and nodded as Gavin handed Sara a photograph of the entire team, one of the professional pictures they put into press kits. Sara signed a picture of Mike's two children, thanking them for being fans, while Mike signed the team picture. They exchanged the pictures, and Sara thanked Mike once more, before Rick led her around the room.

After meeting the entire team, and discussing her participation during halftime, Joe and Gavin took Sara up to an empty skybox, where they shared a small meal and discussed the history of the team. Sara had a blast, because the two men answered all her questions about the team, and she answered all of theirs about the wrestling business. Around five o' clock, Joe mentioned that they needed to get down to their seats because the game started soon. Sara smiled and stood, looking out the window at the filled arena. "This is so great. I can't believe I'm actually here," she said to Gavin. "Yeah, live basketball games are a blast. Joe and I travel with the team when we can, but when we can't…it's just not the same watchin' it on television," Gavin responded. "Yeah, that's how I feel whenever I was injured and had to watch the show on television from home," Sara said as they left the room, "Do you want me to carry this case out there?" "Yeah, sure. We usually get announced before the game starts, so you can just walk out with us," Joe said. "Okay, that works," Sara said. The team was already out on the court, warming up for the upcoming game. "I still can't believe I'm here," Sara said quietly, for what seemed like the millionth time. Joe smiled and winked at her. "Just relax and have fun. Think of yourself as just another Kings fan," he said. Sara nodded and took a deep breath as the team came down the hall they were standing in. Sara saw the lights go down in the arena, and Mike winked at her. "It's gonna be fun, Angel," he said grinning at her. "I'm sure it will," she said smiling.

"Ladies and gentlemen, give a loud Arco Arena welcome…being accompanied by the Kings' owners, Joe and Gavin Maloof, the current World Heavyweight champion of the World Wrestling Federation, Angel!" the announcer said excitedly. Sara walked out between Joe and Gavin, waving to the thousands in attendance that night. A security guard quickly showed them to their seats, where Sara shook hands with the people around her before sitting down between Joe and Gavin. The opposing team, the Detroit Pistons, was announced first, getting polite applause from the crowd. Everyone jumped to their feet, though, when the starting line-up for the Kings was announced, even Sara. After both teams were on the court, the national anthem was played, and finally, the game started. Sara felt like she was going to lose her voice, as much as she screamed during the first half. The two teams were such a great match-up (Detroit being famous for its defensive style of play, while Sacramento had a natural chemistry on the court), and it was a tight game. At halftime, the score was only 45-43, with the Kings leading. The two teams exited the court, and Sara took a deep breath, beginning to feel somewhat nervous again. Joe and Gavin stepped out onto the middle of the court after the Kings dance team performed a set, and both men were handed a microphone. "I want to thank you all for coming out to one of our first games of the season. It's always a blast to be here, because you guys are what drive the Kings to perform the way they do," he said looking out at the crowd. "Without a doubt, the Kings fans are unique to the NBA. The team certainly does its best to make you guys happy. And we, as the owners, try to make sure you enjoy yourselves every time you come to the Arco Arena," Gavin said smiling, "So, for our halftime show, we have a very special guest. You saw her at the beginning of the game, before the team came out, and she's here to show you all just how cool she is. Please, help me to welcome, the World Wrestling Federation's current World Heavyweight champion, Angel!" Sara stood and waved to the crowd as they applauded her. She walked out onto the court with the World title in hand, continuing to wave to everyone in the arena. Joe handed her a third microphone, and she thanked him. "Wow…this is amazing. Thank you all for giving me such a great welcome. I have to tell you, right off the bat…this isn't just another special appearance to me. I've been a fan of the Sacramento Kings since I was eight years old, and I've been watching for over 20 years now. Surprisingly, this is the very first time I've ever attended a Kings home game," she said excitedly, "And I'm honored to be here to see our boys try their best to beat the Detroit Pistons, which I know they will!" The crowd cheered loudly and Sara chuckled.

"Angel, Joe and I both know that you're one of the best wrestlers in the WWF--." "Actually, this title says I'm the best of the best, Gavin," Sara said smiling. "Yes, certainly. Well, one of our own Kings wants to challenge you to a wrestling match. It seems he thinks he can take you down easily," Gavin said grinning. "Really?" Sara said, "Well, bring him on out, then." "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the court, one of the Kings' newest players, acquired during this year's draft, Kevin Martin!" Gavin said. Sara watched as Kevin trotted out onto the court, waving to the crowd, who cheered slightly for him. Sara shook his hand politely as she stared up at him slightly; he was around 6'6", just a few inches shorter than Mark. "I want to actually make something clear real quick," he said smiling down at Sara, "It wasn't a wrestling match I wanted, 'cause I think we all know you'd kick my butt!" Sara smiled and shrugged slightly. "It was an arm-wrestling match. What do you say?" Kevin said. "Sure thing. I mean, we all know, wrestlers are stronger than basketball players, so this shouldn't be too big a challenge," Sara answered winking at him. A small table, and two chairs, were quickly brought out onto the court. "Okay," Joe said as Sara and Kevin took a seat, "Real simple: first person to bring the other person's hand down to the table wins. And Angel, no cheap shots." A chuckle passed through the crowd, and Sara gave a curt nod. "Head referee, Jimmy Johnson, will make sure everything goes well," Joe said. Sara nodded once more and placed her right hand on the table. "Ya know, I'll even give you a little advantage, Kevin. I'll use my left hand," she said to the man sitting across from him. Kevin chuckled and placed his left arm on the table as Sara did the same.

Jimmy made sure they had comfortable grips on each other's hands before stepping away, signaling for them to start. Sara would've easily admitted that it was a struggle, but after a few minutes of going back and forth, she finally was able to force Kevin's hand down to the table. The crowd cheered slightly as she stood from the table. "Ya know, Angel…I've seen you in the ring, and I must say, you are every bit as strong as you look. But…I can't go out like that," Kevin said smiling, "I wanna show these people exactly why I'm with the Sacramento Kings. What do you say to best-of-five on the court?" Sara chuckled and looked at the court. "I don't claim to be a basketball player, Kevin," she said grinning, "But I can't refuse a challenge like that. I'm a Kings fan, so I definitely wanna see what you're gonna be bringing to the team." Jimmy handed Kevin a basketball, and Kevin politely said, "Ladies, first." Sara managed to hit three out of her five shots, while Kevin had a perfect score. "I guess we're even, then," she said to Kevin, "Everyone, one of the newest Kings, Kevin Martin!" The crowd cheered loudly, impressed by the five three-point shots Kevin had made. "Before we go, I want to bring Joe and Gavin back out onto the court," Sara said as Jimmy handed her the black case she'd brought out with her earlier. Joe and Gavin walked over to her, and she smiled at them. "Being the World Heavyweight champion, I'm challenged on a weekly basis to defend my title against any and all comers. The Kings do the same whenever they step onto a basketball court. So, as a gift from myself and Vince McMahon," she said flipping open the case, "I present to you, your very own World Heavyweight titles. You guys have helped to guide the Kings throughout the years, and are two of the best owners in the NBA. And I know you'll defend this title with pride, just as I do in the World Wrestling Federation." Gavin took the case, while Joe thanked Sara. The three people finally exited the court, going back to their seats. Sara signed autographs for people around where she was seated until the game started up again.

The second half was even more exciting than the first, because the two teams traded the lead the entire time. During the final minute of the game, Sara was on the edge of her seat, cheering as loud as possible. Kevin Martin, surprisingly, made the winning shot, giving the Kings an 84-81 win over the Pistons. "I hope he can do that the whole season," she said to Gavin. "I think he will. He's got a lot of potential, which is why we chose him. We think we can keep him on the team for a long time, and hope he contributes as much to it as some of our veterans," he responded. He and Joe led her away from the court, through the same tunnel they'd entered through, a few minutes later. "That was an amazing game. Are the preseason games usually that tough?" she said grinning. "It just depends on the team they're playing. Detroit's been NBA champions the past three out of five years, so they have an amazing team. Tonight, we were the better team. I'm hoping we can keep this up during the preseason, and into the regular season. I'd love for our guys to meet up with the Pistons in the playoffs," Joe answered. "Yeah, definitely," Sara said smiling, "I want to thank you again for having me here. I really had a lot of fun, meeting you and the guys and Rick…you're all as nice as I thought you'd be." "Well, we certainly appreciate that. And thank you for the replica titles. We're gonna hang 'em up in our office," Gavin said grinning. "Good for you," she said. "We'll get one of our security guards to walk you out in a few minutes. We usually wait a while to leave, because traffic is so bad," Joe said. "Actually, I have to go ahead and leave. I have a flight to Oregon to catch," Sara said sadly. "Oh, that's fine, then," Joe said waving one of the arena security guards over, "Mike, make sure she gets out safe, okay?" "Yes, sir," the man answered. "Angel, it was a pleasure. I'm glad you had fun tonight," Joe said shaking Sara's hand. "Thanks again for having me. I'll make sure and watch you guys whenever I can. It'll be easier now that I'll actually be home," she said smiling, "Have a good night, gentlemen." "You do the same," Gavin said shaking her hand as well.

Mike led Sara out to her car, and Sara slowly pulled away. She heard her cell phone ring and pulled it out of her purse quickly. "Thought you were still gonna be in the game," Mark said, "I had this nice, mushy message all planned out." Sara chuckled and said, "Would you rather I hang up, then?" "No, of course not, dollface," he answered, "I was just gonna tell you how much I missed you. I was lookin' at our picture from Lisa's wedding, and it just…made me miss you." "And you know I miss you, too, Mark," she said quietly. "How was the game?" he asked. "Oh, man…it was a _blast_! I got to sit with the owners, right in the middle of the crowd! And during halftime, I arm-wrestled one of the team players, and then, we went for a best-of-five short game, and I got my ass handed to me," she said chuckling, "But it was so much fun." "I'm glad, dollface. We may like different teams, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the sport together," he said grinning. "Are you home yet?" she asked as traffic moved forward slowly. "Yep, I just walked into the house. Dany's out with Melissa, but the note said she'd be back soon," he answered, "Where are you headed now?" "To the airport…I've got an appearance up in Portland tomorrow evening, and then I come home," she said quietly. "You should see Roddy while you're up there," Mark suggested. "Wow, I haven't talked to him in forever. I forgot he and Michelle lived up there," she said grinning, "What are your plans for the night?" "I'm actually about to go to bed. I'm exhausted," Mark answered, "I just wanted to call you before I did." "Well, thank you, sweetheart," she said quietly, "I'll try and call you tomorrow, okay?" "Sure thing, dollface. Talk to you tomorrow," he said quietly. "Bye," Sara said with a smile before hanging the phone up and putting it back in her purse. It took her nearly 15 minutes, but she finally was able to get out of the Arco Arena parking lot and head to the airport, glad to only have one more appearance before she headed home.

Thursday morning, Sara awoke in her hotel room. She'd arrived in Portland the night before around 9:30, and had immediately found her hotel and checked in, ordered room service, and watched a movie as she dined on a small salad. She looked over at the clock and grinned. "Only 10 a.m., and I managed another full night o' sleep…I could get spoiled on this," she said slowly climbing out of bed. She unplugged her cell phone (it was now fully recharged) and dialed up Roddy. "Hello?" a woman answered moments later. "Hi, may I speak with Roddy, please?" Sara spoke. "May I ask who's speaking?" the woman asked. "Sara," Sara said grinning. "Oh, hi, Sara. Roddy was just talking about you the other day. Hold on," Michelle responded. Sara grinned and walked around the room, trying to get blood flowing down through her legs and loosen them up. "Well, hello," Roddy said moments later, "How are ya, sweetheart?" "I'm doing great, Roddy. Just waitin' for the next three and a half weeks to be over," Sara answered, "I'm actually in Portland right now, and I was wondering if you wanted to go to lunch." "Yeah, sure, that'd be great. Do you mind if Michelle comes along?" he answered. Sara chuckled and answered, "Actually, I was just wanting to spend the time with you." "As honest as ever," Roddy said smiling. "Of course," she said grinning, "Is that okay with you?" "Yeah. Michelle's gettin' close to her due date anyway, so she won't mind staying home," he answered, "What hotel are you at?" "The Holiday Inn, right in the middle o' the city," Sara said rotating her neck. "Well, it'll take me a half an hour to get into town at least. So, I'll pick you up in an hour?" he said. "Works just fine. Can't wait to see you, Roddy," she answered. "Me, either, sweetheart. See ya soon," he said grinning. "Bye, Roddy," Sara said with a smile before clicking the phone shut. She tossed it on the bed and went into the bathroom to clean up.

An hour later, Sara stood outside the Holiday Inn, dressed in jeans, a blue, button-up, short-sleeved tight t-shirt, and a black leather jacket. She wanted to look as simple as possible, to avoid being recognized. When Roddy pulled up and climbed out of his Cadillac, Sara smiled as he slowly walked over to her. She noticed the limp right away, and the cane he was using, and her smile disappeared. "What happened?" she asked. "Hip replacement surgery," he answered, "I'm just now starting to walk around again." "My goodness, Roddy…you shouldn't be out about town, then," Sara said. "Trust me…I needed to get out of the house. This, coupled with Michelle's pregnancy…it was gettin' to be a little too much," Roddy said with a smile. Sara nodded in understanding. "Come on, I know a great restaurant down the street," he said. Sara climbed into the passenger's seat, while Roddy tossed his cane into the backseat and climbed into the driver's side. "So, how are ya?" he asked pulling away from the hotel, "I saw your match on Sunday…" Sara chuckled and shook her head. "I don't remember it," she said, "But I've seen a tape of it, and I'm feeling every bit of what I apparently went through, which looked to be straight hell." "I could tell – the cameras got a close-up of your face right before you went into the cage – that you weren't really yourself. It was like your eyes were glazed over," he said. "Only thing I really remember is going out onto the stage, and then coming back through the curtains after it was over," she said quietly, "Hell, I've still got bruises on my back from where Randy hit me with the stairs." "Yeah, I don't know how you stood up from that, baby," he said quietly, "Michelle had glanced at the screen passing by when it happened, and she was just…speechless." Sara grinned and nodded. "But I turned out okay, and Randy's just got a bruised shoulder, so I'm happy with it. And Melissa didn't watch it, so I don't have to worry about her bein' traumatized because of it," she said with a slight grin. "True," Roddy said finding a diner he frequented regularly, "This okay?" "Yeah, sure," Sara answered.

After parking, the former couple headed inside. Roddy was directed to the back area of the diner as usual for privacy, and he and Sara were given two menus. "So, how are things goin'?" Roddy asked. "Good, good. Retirement is comin' up real soon. Things are more hectic for me than they've ever been before, but it's gonna be worth it when I can wake up in my own bed, with my little girl beside me, and not have to worry about leavin' her ever again," Sara answered quietly, "She misses me…a lot, and I miss her. But we both understand that…I've gotta do what I've gotta do over the next three and a half weeks." "How's Mark handling it?" he asked. Sara sighed and put her menu down on the table. "It's hard on him. Even with us bein' on different shows…he still expects me to be home as much as him. I can't say he doesn't understand what he means to be champion, because he does. It's just…difficult," she said quietly. Roddy nodded and touched her hand. "Three and a half weeks, remember?" he said softly. Sara grinned and eyed her menu once more. "How's Michelle?" she asked. "Ready for her pregnancy to be over," he answered chuckling, "She's got about a week and a half to go before the baby's supposed to be born, and she's pretty damn impatient about it." Sara chuckled and nodded. "I remember bein' the same way with Melissa," she said, "But that day…that she was born…was probably one of the happiest of my life, if not the happiest. She'll realize it was all worth it when she's holdin' that little baby in her arms." "I try to tell her that every day, but…it's not workin' as well as it was about six months ago," he said smiling, "How is Melissa?" "Growin' a mile a minute. She's only three, but she's already to my waist. I think she's gonna be a tall one," Sara answered, "But she's learning how to swim…and it's makin' me happy. I want her mind as far away from the idea of wrestling as possible. She deserves better than that." Roddy nodded as a waitress walked up to take their orders. Both people ordered a glass of water and a turkey sandwich. The woman took away their menus before walking away. "And I'm gonna start home-schooling her in January. We're both really excited about that. Dany, her babysitter, tells me all the time it's damn near impossible to get her to leave the library," Sara added grinning, "I always look forward to her tellin' me what her word of the week is."

"She's a smart little girl," Roddy said smiling. "Yeah, she is…I never thought she'd start reading so young…but she's soaking up things like a sponge, no matter what it is," Sara said. "So, what are you in town for?" he asked. "I'm reading to a group of kids at the North Portland Public Library at 2:00. It's an early release day, so they get out in time to go home, relax, and have a good snack or somethin'," she answered. "That sounds like it's gonna be fun," he said grinning. "Yeah, definitely. Kids are so easy to motivate. I did an appearance in Newport News, Virginia, where I got to speak to over 2,000 college kids. It was one of the best appearances I've done. The kids were so responsive to everything I said…kinda like bein' in front of 20,000 people in an arena," she said smiling. "Yeah…I miss it sometimes…but I enjoy retirement," Roddy said grinning. "I'm kinda scared about it, to be honest. I mean, of course I'm gonna love bein' home with Melissa. But I'm not lookin' forward to bein' unproductive, so to speak, for the rest o' my life," she said quietly. "Don't worry, sweetheart. With Melissa there, you're gonna be far from unproductive," he said winking at her. Sara chuckled and nodded slightly. "Are you and Mark planning on more kids?" he asked. "After I retire, yes," she answered, "I know he wants a little boy so bad…and so do I. So, we're gonna wait another three and a half weeks before we sit down and talk about it." "Good. I think Melissa would love havin' a sibling to run around the house with. Speakin' o' which, how's Duchess?" Roddy said. Sara took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "She died, Roddy…back in August, or early September. She got pneumonia, and she just couldn't fight it," she answered quietly, "My mom had…her dog, so we brought him back home to Texas, and we've got a little Jack Terrier named Marley for Melissa. She takes care o' both of 'em while Mark and I are on the road, but…I do miss Duchess. She was somethin' special." "Sorry about that, sweetheart," he said quietly. "Nah, it's okay…I think it was her time anyway. It just sucked…because Mark's dog had to be put down not two hours after Duchess, so…it was rough on both of us," she said quietly. "Marley, that was one of your roommates in college, right?" he asked. Sara smiled and nodded. "I always loved her name…surprisingly, it was her middle name, though…she hated her first name, which was Agnes, so she went by Marley instead. I think I made the mistake of callin' her Agnes once…man, I'd never seen her so heated before…it was hilarious," she said chuckling, "But I never called her Agnes again."

"How are the boys doin'?" Roddy asked. "Good. I have so much fun on the road with them, even now that Mark's over on Smackdown. Paul is a crazy bastard. He and some o' the other guys pull the worst pranks in the world, but it's so funny," she said smiling, "And that's one thing I'm gonna miss the most. As much as it was just work at times…it was also a lot of fun times. I'm…I'm gonna miss those guys." "Well, you know you can always make visits," Roddy said. "Yeah, I know…it's just…it's gonna be interesting to go from bein' on the road three or four or even five days a week to…nothin'," she said quietly. "Trust me…you get used to it," Roddy said smiling. "Yeah, I bet you know," Sara said smiling as well. The waitress brought back their orders a few minutes later, and Sara bit into her turkey sandwich immediately. "Oh…this is good," she mumbled chewing on the food. Roddy chuckled and sipped on his water. "Sorry…I'm starving," she said grinning. "It's alright, sweetheart. Lou back there makes great sandwiches, so I know how you're feelin'," he said smiling slightly. The two talked casually over their sandwiches, pausing every so often to take bites of their sandwiches. When they were finally done, Roddy paid for the meal (despite Sara's protests) and they left the establishment. "What time is it?" Sara asked. "Only noon. There's a nice park around here, if you wanna hang out for a little while longer," Roddy answered. "That'd be nice," Sara said quietly. They climbed into the car, and Roddy quickly made his way to the city park. They found a close park bench, and Sara sat down, running her fingers through her hair as she eyed children playing on a swing set. "I can't wait 'til I'm able to do this with Melissa one day…when I know that I can bring her to a park, and not have to worry about people bugging me for an autograph, or a picture, or anything like that," she said quietly. "Yeah, that's gonna be nice to do with Michelle, too. I don't go into public too often, because I know how hectic it can get if I'm spotted…one person will turn into 50 if I'm not careful," he said grinning.

They ended up staying in the park for over an hour, talking about whatever came up. As it neared 1:30, though, she told Roddy she needed to get back to her hotel. Roddy drove her back to the Holiday Inn, and they hugged quickly before Sara climbed out of the car. "Sara," Roddy said as she shut the door. "Yeah," she said looking into the window. "Keep in touch, sweetheart," he said winking at her. "Will do, babe," she said before going into the hotel. She went up to her room and quickly changed into a pair of black dress pants and the same boots she'd worn to the Kings game the night before, packed up her belongings, and checked out of her room before leaving the hotel. She climbed into her car, quickly finding the library a few blocks away from the restaurant where she and Roddy had had lunch. When she got inside, she took a deep breath and went up to the check-out desk. "Hello, ma'am. How may I help you?" an elderly woman in a sundress and black, thin-rimmed glasses asked. "Yes, I'm Angel, from the WWF," Sara said with a smile, "I'm supposed to be reading to a group of children today." "Yes, we've been expecting you. The children are already gathered down in our kids department. I'll take you right downstairs," the woman said, "I'm Mrs. Emma, by the way." "Nice to meet you, ma'am. How many children are there?" Sara responded. "We could only fit 50 children into the area safely, so that's the group you'll be reading to," Emma answered. "Okay, that's fine. Do you have books you want me to read to them?" Sara said. "We had five children pick out books from the children's shelves, and they'll be waiting for you beside where you'll be sitting," Emma said smiling. "Excellent," Sara said as the woman led her down a couple flights of stairs. Children filled the small space, all talking about getting to meet a wrestler.

"Children," Emma spoke up over their voices. Quietness ensued, and Emma smiled. "Now, I know you're all very excited about our guest today. She's traveled a long way, and has taken a lot of time out of her schedule to be here for you today, so I want you all to be on your best behavior," she said. "Yes, Ms. Emma!" the children chorused. "Okay, welcome, from the WWF, Angel," Emma said pointing to Sara. Sara waved as the children clapped excitedly. "You're all so adorable. I wanna take all o' you home!" she said smiling. Emma led her over to a large, plush red leather chair, and pointed to the small pile of books. "Here you are, ma'am," she said politely. "Thank you," Sara said as the children gathered around on the floor in front of her. For the next hour and a half, Sara read to them, enjoying the look of pure joy in their faces. When she finally put down the last book, the children all clapped for her. "Thank you, Ms. Angel!" several of the children said. "Would you children like to take a picture with Angel?" Emma asked holding up a camera. "Yes, ma'am!" they screamed excitedly. The children gathered at Sara's feet, and she kneeled down with her arms around two small girls. "Say cheese!" she said smiling. The children all smiled broadly, and Emma took the Polaroid picture. "We're going to hang this up on the bulletin board in the main lobby. Whenever we have someone famous come here, we try to get a picture of them with the children," Emma said as they headed upstairs. "That'll be great. Would you like me to sign it?" Sara said. "That's fine," Emma said smiling. Sara signed her stage name with a Sharpie marker, and hugged Emma politely. "Thank you for having me, ma'am," she said. "Thank you f or coming. It really means a lot to the children to have someone as widely known as you come do something as simple as reading to them. It enforces not only that anybody can be successful, but that reading truly should be an important part of their lives," Emma said, "Have a good night, ma'am." "You, too, Ms. Emma," Sara said before leaving the library.

Sara called Mark on her way to the airport. "Hey, dollface," Mark said quietly. "Hey, were you asleep?" she asked. "Just takin' a nap real quick," he answered. "Well, I'm on my way to the airport. My flight lands at like 6:15," she said quietly. "I can't wait to see you, dollface," he said grinning. "I can't wait to see you, either, Mark. You'll make sure to bring the munchkin along?" she said quietly. "Dany's not here, so I couldn't leave her here anyway…not that she'd let me even if Dany was here," Mark answered. "Alright. I guess I'll see you in a couple hours, then," Sara said. "I love you, baby," Mark whispered. "I love you, too, Mark. See ya soon," she said quietly. "Bye, dollface," Mark said before hanging up the phone. Sara sighed and clicked her phone shut. She would've thought Mark would've been more happy for her to be coming home. "Oh, well…a couple more hours, and I'm home," she whispered pulling onto the highway towards the airport.


	112. Trouble Brewing

**As promised, by the end of the week, here's the next chapter. :) Now, the next update date is unknown, because I have a lot goin' on right now in my life. This story, in a way, is my therapy, so I may pump out the next chapter in two days, or it may be a week or so before it gets put out. Either way, know that I am constantly working on this story. Enjoy it!**

**Shannon

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**

Chapter 111…Trouble Brewing

Mark climbed out of his car in front of the Houston airport, Melissa reaching for him. "Come on, munchkin," he said quietly. "When's mama gettin' in, daddy?" she asked as he pulled her from the car and shut the door. "She should be here in a few minutes, sweetheart," he answered entering the large, and very busy, airport. He took a deep breath as he looked around, finding Sara's gate quickly. He'd taken a nap, and had woken up later than he intended, so he hoped her plane hadn't already landed. "Lookin' for somebody?" Sara asked from a few feet away. Mark smiled slightly as she came over to him, and Melissa immediately reached for her. Tears came to Sara's eyes as she pulled Melissa from Mark's arms and hugged her tightly. "I missed you, mama," Melissa said quietly. Sara sniffled and looked up at Mark. "Come on, dollface," he whispered picking up her suitcase and duffel bag. Sara walked beside him out to his truck, and carefully climbed inside with Melissa still in her arms. "Did you get me anything, mama?" Melissa asked. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "You'll have to see when we get home," she said with a wink. Mark climbed into the driver's seat and took a deep breath. Sara looked over at him, immediately leaning forward. Melissa groaned as her parents kissed, trying to express her disdain. Sara moved Melissa from her lap and scooted over to Mark, putting her arms around his neck and planting soft kisses all over his face. "I missed you so much," she whispered. Mark nodded slightly and caressed her cheeks. "You hungry?" he asked. Sara raised her eyebrows and smiled. "And you call me bad," he said chuckling, "You wanna eat in town?" "Sure," she said moving back over to her seat and putting on her seatbelt. Melissa did the same in the middle seat. Mark pulled away from the airport, glad to have his family together once again.

Dinner lasted for over two hours, during which Melissa spent much of the time explaining to Sara what'd she'd learned from John on how to swim correctly. "I can almost swim by myself, mama," she said proudly. Sara smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Good for you, munchkin," she said softly. "You ready to head home?" Mark asked. "What time is it?" Sara asked. "Just past 8:30," he answered. "Yeah…it's time to go home," she whispered with a smile. Mark leaned over and kissed her gently. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you, too, Mark," she said quietly, a blush coming to her cheeks. Mark threw down a couple of bills onto the table and picked up Melissa. "Home, daddy?" she asked. Sara smiled and kissed her cheek. "Home, munchkin," she whispered. They exited the restaurant and climbed into the truck. Mark drove home as Sara stared out the window. "You okay, dollface?" he asked quietly, linking his fingers with hers. "I'm just glad to be goin' home, Mark," Sara said softly. She looked over the seat, tears coming to her eyes at the sight of her sleeping daughter. "I miss her so much when I'm on the road," she whispered reaching over the seat and caressing Melissa's cheek, "Gettin' home to see her…that's what kept me goin' through the past three weeks." "She missed you, too, Sara," Mark said quietly, "It was hard…to have her ask me everyday…when you were comin' home again…and I couldn't give her an answer." Sara swallowed and looked back at him. "Is this a guilt trip for working so much, Mark?" she whispered, "Because I don't really don't wanna hear it right now." Mark sighed and glanced over at her. "Sara…she needs you as much as she needs me, if not more," he said simply. Sara turned her attention to the passing scenery as her jaw tightened. "Mark, please…I just want to enjoy this little bit o' time I have off," she whispered. "So do I, dollface…I'm just sayin'…this is a lot harder on her than you would expect," he said quietly. Sara dropped her head forward and covered her eyes, not wanting Mark to see her tears. "I'm sorry, dollface," Mark said quietly. "No…you're right…," she whispered. Mark gently took her left hand in his and kissed the back of it. "Let's just enjoy these couple days we have together," he whispered. Sara nodded and squeezed his fingers gently.

Mark pulled up in front of his house 20 minutes later. Sara climbed out and carefully pulled Melissa into her arms, not wanting to wake her child. "Are we home yet?" Melissa asked quietly, gripping Sara's shirt. "Yeah, munchkin, we're home," Sara answered shouldering her duffel bag while Mark grabbed her suitcase. "Can we watch Smackdown?" Melissa asked squirming to be let down. Sara smiled as Mark unlocked the door, and she let her daughter down once they were inside. "Yeah, just let me take this stuff upstairs," Sara said. Melissa nodded and bounded off into the living room, while her parents went up to their bedroom. Sara dropped her duffel bag in front of her dresser and leaned against it. Mark slowly shut the door and set her suitcase beside it, before coming over to her. Sara grinned as his lips crashed down onto hers. She moaned softly as he gripped her waist, lifting her onto the dresser. They quickly discarded their clothes, and Mark carried his wife over to their bed, laying her down gently. Sara moaned as he pushed himself inside her, gripping his arms tightly. Mark ran his fingers over her breasts, gently squeezing her nipples until they stood erect against his palms. Sara ran her fingers through his hair, pulling his mouth to hers and kissing him passionately, missing the taste of him. As he pounded inside her, she raked her fingers over his back, leaving red marks across the massive area. "Oh…oh, please," she whispered nibbling on his earlobe. Mark grabbed her ankles and put them up onto his shoulders, moving to his knees as he did. Sara moaned softly as he bucked his hips against hers. "Yes…oh! Yes, take it," she gasped as he leaned forward to kiss her again. Mark groaned as he felt her tighten around him. "Wait, dollface," he whispered against her lips. "I…I can't," she whispered feeling an orgasm beginning to spread through her body. Mark groaned and pumped his hips even faster, his own orgasm starting as well. Sara pulled his face to hers once more, letting her scream out in his mouth. Mark groaned and shuddered violently, releasing himself inside her. Sara placed her feet back on the bed, running her thighs against Mark's sides. "Welcome home, dollface," Mark whispered kissing her neck softly. Sara sniffled slightly and looked into his eyes. "Don't cry, sweetheart," he whispered trying to kiss her tears away.

"I just…I wanna be home with you and Melissa so much…," she whispered sniffling, failing to stop her tears. "Believe me, dollface, we both know that…," he said quietly, moving from atop her. "There's a but there," she said forcing a smile. "I can't say anything you don't already know, Sara," Mark said stretching out beside her, running his fingers over her cheeks, "We both want you home, but…your career …you've only got three and a half weeks left…we can both wait a little longer to have you to ourselves." Sara sighed softly and touched his hand. "Mark…," she whispered, her voice trailing as more tears spilled from her eyes. Mark sighed and pulled her close, rubbing her back as she cried softly. "It's okay, dollface," he whispered kissing the top of her head. The bedroom door crept open, and Sara looked over her shoulder as Mark pulled covers over her. "Mama…are you okay?" Melissa asked quietly. "Yeah, munchkin," she said motioning for Melissa to come over to the bed. Melissa climbed onto the bed, and Sara sat up, pulling her daughter onto her lap. "Mama's just happy to be home," she said quietly. "You cry when you're happy, mama?" Melissa asked. Sara smiled and nodded, kissing her forehead. "You need somethin', munchkin?" Mark asked poking Melissa's cheek. Melissa smiled and said, "You're gonna be on TV, daddy!" Sara chuckled and said, "I'll be down in a few minutes, munchkin. We'll go ahead and watch the rest o' Smackdown as soon as I take a shower, okay?" "Okay, mama," Melissa answered before sliding off the bed and leaving the room. Sara sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Take your time, dollface," Mark whispered rubbing the back of her head. "Let's take a shower," she said softly, climbing out of the bed. Mark followed her into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them.

A half an hour later, the two made their way down to the living room. Melissa was laid out on the couch, her fingers rubbing Marley's fur as John and Chris wrestled on the television. "You have fun with Uncle John when he was here?" Sara asked sitting at Melissa's feet. Melissa nodded and said, "He said we should get a ring in the backyard so I can play in it." Sara chuckled and shook her head. "No way, no how, munchkin," she said as Marley moved to her lap. "Please, mama," Melissa said looking up at her with wide eyes. "Nope," Sara said with a smile, "You're gonna have to settle with watchin' daddy on TV." "Fine," Melissa said pouting. Sara laughed and pulled Melissa close to her. Mark came into the living room with a bowl of popcorn a few minutes later. He sat down beside Melissa, and put the bowl down on her lap. Marley sniffed at it, but Mark motioned for him to move to the floor. Marley whined softly before jumping down to the floor. "Was it a good show?" Sara asked. "Yeah. Glenn and I won," he said. "Dad, you spoiled it!" Melissa said with her jaw hanging. "Sorry, munchkin," he said winking at her, "It was a good match, though, I promise. Besides, I set the VCR, so we can go back and watch the whole show tomorrow." Sara chuckled as she munched on the warm popcorn. The last half an hour of Smackdown was a very strong one, with displays from both the heavyweights and cruiserweights. Once it was over, Mark took the empty bowl into the kitchen while Sara took Melissa upstairs. "Mama?" Melissa asked as she was tucked into bed. "Yeah, munchkin," Sara said sitting on the small bed.

"When are you gonna be home again?" Melissa asked quietly. Sara looked away and sighed heavily. "Munchkin…," she whispered. "I mean, I have fun with Dany, I do…but I miss you…a lot," Melissa said quietly. Sara swallowed and looked back at her, a grin on her face. "You wanna come on the road with me?" she asked quietly. Melissa nodded furiously and Sara smiled fully. "Okay…after our Japan tour, I'll bring you with me for a week," she said quietly, "And we'll see if Dany wants to come, too." "She does! She's always talkin' about when she can travel with you again," Melissa said, "You should've seen her and Uncle John. They were so mushy!" Melissa stuck out her tongue and made a face that brought hearty chuckles from Sara. "Me and your dad are mushy, too," she said tickling her. Melissa laughed and squirmed underneath her fingers. "But…it's you and dad! It's allowed," Melissa said between laughs. Sara chuckled and stopped her tickling, pushing Melissa's hair behind her ears. "You're right about that, munchkin," she whispered kissing her cheek, "Time for prayers." Melissa sat up and Sara held her small hands in her own. "Angels north, and angels south. East and west, please do your best. Watch my munchkin as she rests," Sara whispered. "Thank you, God, for my mama. Keep her safe when she's working," Melissa said quietly. Sara grinned slightly and kissed her forehead. "Amen," they whispered together. Melissa laid back down, and Sara pulled the covers up to her chest. "Where's Marley?" Melissa asked. Sara whistled softly, and Marley came trotting into the room moments later. She placed the small dog beside Melissa, and stood. "Goodnight, munchkin," she whispered. "Goodnight, mama. I love you," Melissa said quietly, her eyes drifting shut. Sara smiled and quietly left the room, leaving a small crack in the door.

Mark stood in the kitchen, his head lowered as frustration built inside his large form. His wife was not only on a separate show, but she was working the next three and a half weeks straight. Their daughter complained to him every day about missing her mother, and he couldn't do anything about it. When Sara walked into the kitchen, he looked up at her. "I'm gonna take Melissa with me…in a couple weeks," Sara said quietly. "Why?" he asked. "She wants to see me, Mark," she said simply, "And I wanna see her." "I would say you can see her at home, but you're not gonna be here," he said quietly. Sara swallowed and looked at the floor. "Guilt trip again, huh? Can't really resist, can you?" she said quietly, "You get to see our daughter three days a week…me…I'm stuck on the road…with guys that I enjoy working with…with Vince, a person that I truly love working for…with all the girls on RAW, even Dawn…so, you know what? Excuse the fuck outta me for liking my job." Mark watched as she exited the house through the backdoor, slamming the door shut. He groaned and leaned against the counter for a few moments before going outside. Sara was sitting at poolside, her feet resting in the cool water. "Baby…," he whispered. "No, Mark…you're right. I haven't been home in over two weeks…the last time I got to spend time with Melissa was at work…the last time I saw you, four days ago, was at work…my job takes up a lot of my time," she said quietly, "And I'm not ashamed of it. I love what I do…as much as I love you and Melissa. I'm having the most fun of my entire career, as hectic as it is. I won't apologize for that…ever." "I wasn't asking you to apologize," he said quietly. "Yeah, right. At the restaurant, even the ride home…the looks you gave me…you hate that I'm doin' so much for Vince…but I don't," she said looking over her shoulder at him, "He's done a _lot_ for me…and I owe it to him to do as much as I can as the centerpiece of his company."

"I know that, Sara," Mark said tensely. "Yeah, whatever. When you were champion, and Melissa was just barely two years old, you never _once_ heard me complain about you never being home with her. And now, when _I'm_ champion, and _I'm_ wrestling, and _I'm_ traveling, and _I'm_ gettin' attention from people outside of our business…_I_ catch shit…fuck you, Mark," she said tensely, "This double standard shit is _not_ fair, and you know it." Mark's jaw twitched, and he went back into the house, shutting the door harshly. Sara sighed heavily and ran her fingers over her face. Lucky came up to her and plopped down beside her, placing his head on her lap. "I'm alright, buddy," she whispered rubbing her fur. A half an hour later, Sara shuddered slightly as the wind blew gently. She wasn't in the mood to go inside, but it was getting colder as time passed. She slowly stood, yawning slightly, before going into the house and shutting the door after Lucky had entered. She went up to Melissa's room, and shut the door behind her. "My little munchkin," she whispered climbing into bed behind Melissa. Melissa moved onto her stomach and Sara grinned slightly, placing her right hand over her back. "I love you, too, munchkin," she whispered closing her eyes and submitting to some much-needed sleep.

The next day, Sara awoke to find Mark staring at her. She took a deep breath and looked down at Melissa, who was still fast asleep. Her eyes locked with Mark's, and she saw the exhaustion. "How long have you been up?" she asked softly. Mark took a deep breath and quietly said, "A while." Sara swallowed and moved to get up. "No, just…stay there," Mark whispered. "Why?" she asked softly. "I need…I need that image," he said quietly, "You and Melissa…you looked peaceful." Tears came to Sara's eyes, and Mark moved onto the bed, careful not to wake his daughter. "Please don't cry, dollface," he whispered wiping away the tears that had already escaped. "I just…you don't know how bad I wanna be with you _and_ Melissa, Mark," she said softly. "I do know…," he said quietly. Sara looked away and sniffled. "Sara…I _do_ know," he said forcing her to look back at him. "You didn't act like it, Mark," she said quietly. Melissa groaned and her eyes flickered open. "Mama…you slept with me?" she asked with a slight smile. Sara smiled and nodded. "You looked comfortable, so I wanted to be comfortable with you," she said kissing her forehead. "Can I have pancakes, daddy?" Melissa asked her father. Mark nodded slightly and dropped a kiss on the top of her head before leaving the room. Sara swallowed and slowly sat up with Melissa in her arms. "You wanna take a bath with mama, sweetheart?" she asked. Melissa grinned and nodded slightly. "Go get your towel and stuff, and I'll go run us some bubbles," she said. Melissa hopped off the bed and dashed into her small bathroom.

Sara smiled and slowly stood, groaning slightly at her stiff muscles. Melissa's bed was barely a twin-sized mattress set, and Sara had had to struggle to stay on it with her. She rotated her neck and took a deep breath before going down to her room, Marley right on her heels. She went into her bathroom and ran hot water into the large tub, filling it with bubble gum-scented solution. As bubbles began to form, Sara slipped out of her clothes and brushed her hair smooth before putting it up into a loose bun. As she turned the water off, Melissa came into the bathroom with a towel, a small bottle of shampoo, and a couple of tub toys. Sara grinned and helped her out of her pajamas. "Is the water hot, mama?" Melissa asked as she stepped of her pajama pants. "Nope, munchkin," Sara answered grinning and stepping into the tub. She lifted Melissa over the edge and slowly lowered her into the water. "See?" she said smiling. Melissa lifted up bubbles in her palms and blew them towards Sara, bringing a soft laugh from Sara's throat. "So how have you spent the past three weeks, munchkin?" she asked quietly. "Reading a lot. Dany says I never wanna leave the library," Melissa answered wetting her hair, "And I don't. I mean, all those books. I'm gonna read 'em all!" Sara smiled and leaned back against the tub. "You sure will, sweetheart. What's the first thing you wanna learn when you start school in January?" she said. "I wanna learn how to wrestle!" Melissa exclaimed. "Ha…no," Sara said grinning. "It was worth a try," Melissa said, "Uncle John taught me a new word, too." "Oh, really, what's that?" Sara said. "He told me to be…persistent," Melissa answered. Sara smiled and rolled her eyes slightly. "Good ole' John," she said softly.

"Is he right, mama?" Melissa asked. "He sure is, munchkin. If you want somethin' real bad in life, which I'm sure you will eventually, you have to be persistent, and work hard at it, and never give up," Sara answered, "That's how your mama's got to where she is. I never gave up on being a wrestler…even when the guys gave me a hard time. I loved what I did, and I wanted to do it, so I wasn't letting any of them make me quit. So, yeah, Uncle John's right: be persistent." "So can I learn how to wrestle?" Melissa asked. Sara chuckled and winked at her. "You still got 15 years, munchkin," she answered. "Okay…I'll ask again tomorrow…and the day after…until you say yes," Melissa said smiling. Sara chuckled and ran her fingers through the lingering bubbles. "Like I said, you still got 15 years," she said winking at her child. "Whatever you say, mama," Melissa said dunking a small wrestling figure into the water. "Stubborn, just like your father," Sara said grinning. "Daddy said I was headstrong…like you," Melissa said looking at her. Sara took a deep breath and looked away. "Nah, I'm not headstrong, sweetheart…," she said quietly. "Yes, you are, mama," Melissa said, "I know you are." Sara ran her hands over her face, letting out a heavy sigh. "I'm stubborn, Melissa. There's a difference," she said quietly. "What do you mean, mama?" Melissa asked, continuing to play with her two toys, "Is it a bad thing?" "Bein' headstrong, munchkin…you're not gonna let anything get in the way o' what you wanna do, kinda like being persistent. Bein' stubborn…it's almost like bein' headstrong…but you do it in a way that you hurt people that…you really care about," Sara said slowly, thinking of her and Mark's argument the night before.

"I still don't understand, mama. What's the difference?" Melissa asked. Sara took a deep breath and looked into Melissa's wide green eyes, so closely resembling her father's. "There are times when I'm headstrong and persistent, baby…because I know I'm right in trying to do whatever it is I'm trying to do. But there are times…when I'm stubborn…and I'm in the wrong," she said quietly. "If it makes you feel better, mama, I always think you're right," Melissa said smiling. Sara dropped her head and forced tears away. Melissa slowly moved over to her, wrapping her arms around Sara's neck. "It's okay, mama," she said quietly. Sara nodded and hugged her daughter in return, a tear falling from her left eye. She heard footsteps retreat from the bathroom door and let out a heavy sigh. "Let's clean up so the food doesn't get cold, okay, munchkin?" she said softly. Melissa nodded and turned her back to Sara, handing over her small bottle of shampoo. Sara quickly washed her hair, which was getting thicker and longer by the day, and rinsed it out. "Can I wash your hair, mama?" Melissa asked. "Maybe later tonight, munchkin," Sara answered, "Go ahead and wash up." Melissa took her small WWF washrag and cleaned up, as Sara did the same with a regular washcloth. After rinsing off, Sara stepped out of the tub and wrapped herself in a large, black towel. She helped Melissa out of the tub and wrapped her towel around her. "Go get dressed, and I'll meet you in the dining room, okay?" she said kissing the top of Melissa's head. Melissa nodded and left the bathroom quickly. Sara sighed and looked in the mirror. "I hope this is worth it, Sara," she whispered before going into her bedroom. She slipped on a pair of loose mesh running shorts, and an old t-shirt, before going downstairs.

Mark sat at the dining room table, his head lowered. "I take it you heard me and Melissa's conversation," Sara said quietly. Mark looked up at her and nodded. "Is all this worth it?" she asked softly, coming over to him. Mark looked down and slowly gripped her left hand, fingering her wedding ring. "This says it is, dollface," he whispered. Sara let out a shaky breath and slowly sat down on his lap, his arms hanging loosely around her waist. "You wanna know why I love you so much, Sara?" he whispered. She nodded slightly and looked down at her hands. "Because," he said softly, tilting her face towards his until her eyes met his own, "As stubborn as you are…I know your heart is in the right place. You do what you do because…you want Melissa to have the best in the world. You're willing to sacrifice everything for her, like I am…and I love you for it." Sara let out a slow breath, bringing her right hand to his cheek. "I need you--." "I know, dollface…," Mark said, struggling to decide what to say next. He knew anything said about her schedule would only make them both angrier, and he didn't want that to be how the day was spent. "Is the food ready, daddy?" Melissa asked from the dining room doorway, giving Mark the break he so desperately needed. "Yeah, munchkin," he said grinning at her, "Be right back, dollface." Sara moved into one of the chairs, and watched as Melissa climbed into the chair across from her. "Is daddy okay, mama?" she asked once comfortably seated. "Yeah, munchkin…we're both just tired. We work so hard for you, ya know," Sara said smiling. "What'd daddy cook?" Melissa asked. "Don't know, munchkin, but I'm sure it'll be good," Sara answered, "Mark, do you need any help?" "Nope," Mark answered bringing in two plates and setting one in front of his wife and daughter. "Ooh, pancakes!" Melissa said excitedly. Sara chuckled and looked over her shoulder at Mark. "Thank you," she whispered. Mark leaned down and kissed her forehead before leaving the room. "Wait for daddy, sweetheart," Sara said as Melissa picked up her fork. Melissa nodded and put her fork back in its place. Mark came in with three glasses and his own plate of food. "Here ya go," he said pouring orange juice into their glasses. "Thank you, daddy," Melissa said smiling. Mark winked at her as they all grabbed hands and said grace over their food.

"So, what's on the schedule for today?" Sara asked cutting into her pancakes. "The pool!" Melissa exclaimed, "I gotta show you what Uncle John taught me, mama!" Sara smiled and nodded. "That works for me," she said looking at Mark. "I'm just gonna relax as much as possible today, dollface," he said winking at her. Sara smiled and put a piece of pancake into her mouth. "Wow…this is great, Mark," she said. "Mama, don't talk with your mouth full," Melissa said, chewing on her own food. Sara swallowed and nodded. "Yes, oh mighty munchkin," she said bowing her head slightly. Melissa laughed and went back to her food. "Seriously, what do you wanna do today?" Mark asked. "Relax…just like you said," Sara answered grinning at him, "I should enjoy it while I'm here, right?" Marked grinned at her as he sipped on his orange juice. "Mama, can we go walkin' around today instead?" Melissa asked. "Sure, sweetheart. You wanna take Marley and Lucky with us?" Sara answered. "Yes, ma'am," Melissa responded. "Okay. After breakfast, we'll go exploring," Sara said, "Mark, you wanna come?" "I think I'm gonna stick around the house. I want to get some things fixed on one o' my bikes," he answered. "Daddy, when can I go riding with you?" Melissa asked. "In a few years, baby. You're not big enough to ride yet," he said. "When's the last time you took _me_ on a ride," Sara said smiling at him. Mark looked up to the ceiling, contemplating the answer as he chewed on a mouthful of eggs. After swallowing, he looked back at her. "I think it was…hmm, I can't remember," he said grinning, "There was that time in Florida the day before Lisa's bachelorette party." Sara smiled and looked back down at her plate.

Breakfast continued over the next half an hour. Once they were done, Sara took the empty dishes into the kitchen. "Go put on your hiking boots, Melissa," she said loudly. "Yes, ma'am," Melissa said from the dining room. Moments later, Sara heard her running upstairs. A grin came to her face as she ran hot water over the plates, before putting them into the dishwasher. "How long do you think you'll be?" Mark asked from the kitchen doorway. "I don't know…probably a few hours, if we end up walking out to the lake," Sara answered looking over her shoulder at him, "Why?" "It's not gonna take me too long to fix up my bike. So I was gonna go for a ride," he said. "That's fine," she said grinning, "An all-day thing?" "Not sure 'til I get out on the road," he said coming over to her, "But it might be." "Okay…," she said quietly. Mark put his arms around her waist, and Sara hung her arms loosely around his neck. Sara's eyes shined with happiness, and Mark leaned forward, capturing her lips gently. Sara moaned softly, opening her mouth to his searching tongue, tightening her arms around his neck. Sara pushed her against the counter, gently lifting her onto the hard surface. His fingers wound their way through her hair, pulling her closer to him. "Mom, dad!" Melissa groaned moments later. Sara smiled against Mark's lips, touching her forehead to his. "Do me a favor, munchkin," she said. "Okay," Melissa answered. "Go grab my boots from my closet," Sara said looking over at Melissa, "And your backpack so we can carry some water and snacks." Melissa rolled her eyes and slowly left the room, mumbling something that Sara took for "mushy, so gross." "What time do you think you'll be back?" Mark asked quietly, running his fingers over her back. "Probably around two or three," she answered. "Okay…I'll be back by then," he said quietly. "What do you wanna do when we get back?" she asked grinning. Mark smiled and kissed her once more, whispering, "I can think of a few things." Sara giggled softly as Melissa came running back into the kitchen. "Come on, mama!" she said dropping Sara's hiking boots beside Mark. "Alright, munchkin," Sara said kissing Mark softly, "Be back later, 'kay?" Mark grinned and dropped a soft kiss on her lips. "Lookin' forward to it," he whispered.

Sara watched as he left the room, then looked down at her daughter. "You're impatient," she said grinning. "What's that?" Melissa asked. "You can't wait to do somethin', whatever it is, you wanna go ahead and do it right then and there," Sara said smiling, hopping off of the counter. "I can't help it, mama," Melissa said smiling. Sara slipped on her boots and grabbed a few bottles of water from the refrigerator. "What snacks?" she asked Melissa. "I don't know," Melissa answered. Sara grinned and put a couple apples, and a plastic baggie of carrots and celery sticks into the backpack. "Alright, we're all set," she said shutting the refrigerator door, "Marley, Lucky!" The two dogs came trotting into the kitchen, and Sara opened the back door. "Come on, boys," she said as Melissa exited first. The dogs walked out after her, and Sara put the backpack on Melissa, then said, "Alright, let's go." For the next three hours, Sara and Melissa walked around their property. They didn't make it out to the lake, but Melissa had a blast running around with the two dogs. When they got back to the house, it was nearing three o' clock. "What are we gonna do now, mama?" Melissa asked wiping her forehead. "You're gonna go take a bath, and I'm gonna take a shower," Sara answered smiling. "Mama, you said I could wash your hair," Melissa said looking up at Sara. Sara rolled her eyes slightly and grinned. "I guess I did, huh?" she said opening the back door, "Mark? Mark, are you here?" Melissa entered the house, followed by Sara and the two dogs. "Guess not," Sara said shutting the back door. "Where's daddy, mama?" Melissa asked as they headed upstairs to Sara's room. "I think he's still out on his motorcycle, sweetheart," Sara answered shutting her room door behind her, "We've got the house all to ourselves." "Can we play hide-and-seek?" Melissa asked. Sara smiled and dropped Melissa's backpack by the door. "After we clean up, sweetheart," she answered. "Okay," Melissa said smiling.

After a nice, long, playful bubble bath, Sara sent Melissa down to her room while she got dressed. "Mama, are you ready yet?" Melissa asked a few minutes later. Sara slipped on a pair of socks and pulled her hair into a ponytail before opening her bedroom door. "Like I said, impatient," she said grinning. "Tag, you're it!" Melissa exclaimed hitting Sara's thigh and dashing away. Sara chuckled and covered her eyes, counting to 20 before leaving her bedroom. It took her nearly a half an hour before she heard Melissa running around the living room. "Ha!" she exclaimed looking over the edge of the couch. Melissa squealed and ran up the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her. "Nope, not fast enough," Sara said touching her back. Melissa hung her head, her lips pouted slightly. "Hey, hon, pick your head up," Sara said kneeling down in front of her, "Sometimes ya win, sometimes ya lose, okay?" Melissa nodded slightly and said, "Tag, you're it!" Melissa's laughs followed as Sara ran down into Mark's office, hiding behind his desk. "Mama! Where are you!" Melissa said a few minutes later. Sara grinned as she heard Melissa rummaging around in the living room, into the kitchen. She slowly crawled out from under the desk, trying to be as quiet as possible. She entered the hallway just as Melissa did, and Melissa laughed as she chased after her mother. Sara ran through the kitchen, but Melissa was right on her heels. As she dashed upstairs, Melissa lunged at her legs. "Gotcha!" Melissa said wrapping her arms around Sara's legs. "That's not fair, you tackled me," Sara said picking her up and twirling her around. "Sometimes ya win, sometimes ya lose, mama," Melissa said smiling. Sara chuckled and put Melissa back down. "Fine…but you're it again!" she said tagging her daughter's shoulder.

The game continued for the next half an hour, both females hiding in every place imaginable in the large home. The front door opened around 4:30, and Sara stopped in the middle of the living room. "I got ya again, mama!" Melissa said wrapping her arms around Melissa's right leg. Sara chuckled and rubbed her hair. "Dollface?" Mark called the hallway. "Come on," Sara said to Melissa, hobbling into the hallway with Melissa still hanging onto her leg. "How long have you been back?" he asked. "About an hour and a half, I think," she answered as he dropped a kiss on her lips. "Sorry, I lost track o' time," he said grinning. "Don't worry about it. We just finished up hide-and-go-seek anyway," she said looking down at Melissa. "Thought that was our game, dollface," he said grinning, shutting the door behind him. "Hush," Sara said going into the living room, "That was only one time, and we didn't even finish the game." "Why not, mama?" Melissa asked as Sara sat down on the couch. Sara chuckled and said, "None o' your business, munchkin." "That's so nasty!" Melissa exclaimed climbing up beside Sara. "You shouldn't have asked," Sara said turning on the television. "I'll be down in a little bit, dollface," Mark said before going upstairs to clean up. "What do you wanna do now, sweetheart?" Sara asked Melissa. "Can we watch a movie?" Melissa asked. "Go pick one out, darlin'," Sara answered. A smile came to her face as Melissa scrambled off the couch and went into the small closet holding their DVDs. She came out moments later with one of the thin boxes. "What's that?" Sara asked. "Monsters, Inc.," Melissa answered. Sara smiled and stood, putting the disc into the DVD player. She sat back down, smiling when Melissa rested her head on her lap. "Comfy?" she asked. "Yep," Melissa said smiling. Sara grinned and turned her attention back to the television screen.

Mark came down 20 minutes into the movie, and sat down beside Sara, putting his left arm around her shoulders. "Have a good ride?" she asked softly. Mark nodded and kissed the side of her head. "Just thought about stuff," he said quietly. "Hush, I can't hear," Melissa said poking Sara's stomach. Sara chuckled and leaned into Mark. "Yes, oh mighty munchkin," she said with a grin, "Even though you've seen this movie a billion times." "Well, I wanna see it a billion and one times," Melissa said poking her mother again. Sara smiled fully and rubbed Melissa's head, which she knew irritated her. "Ma!" Melissa groaned pushing Sara's hand away. "Alright, alright, I'll stop," Sara said chuckling softly. Mark rubbed his fingers in Sara's hair, caressing her scalp throughout the movie. When it was finally over, Sara was halfway asleep. "Mama, wake up!" Melissa said pushing on Sara's shoulder. "What, munchkin?" Sara asked as Mark took the DVD out of its player and put it back in the closet. "Are you sleepy?" Melissa asked. Sara grinned and said, "You tired me out today, sweetheart…I gotta rest up for tomorrow." "Ooh, what are we doin' tomorrow?" Melissa asked. "Haven't thought about that yet, but we'll figure somethin' out," Sara answered kissing her forehead. Mark stretched out his arms and let out a loud yawn. "What do you want for dinner?" Sara asked moving Melissa's head from her lap. "Whatever, dollface," Mark answered winking at her. Sara chuckled and went into the kitchen to prepare a meal.

45 minutes later, the family sat around their dining room table, feasting on Sara's meal: broiled chicken, broccoli and cheese rice, and tossed salad. "What time is your flight tomorrow?" Sara asked quietly. "It's an early one, 6:15 a.m.," Mark answered sipping on a glass of ice tea. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "You want us to come with you?" she asked. "You need your rest, dollface. Don't worry, I'll call you tomorrow night after the houseshow's over," Mark answered grinning slightly. "Okay," Sara whispered. "When are you gonna be home again, daddy?" Melissa asked sipping on her apple juice. "Thursday morning, darlin'. I've got somethin' extra to do Wednesday, so I won't be home that day like I usually am," he answered. "You wanna come on the road with me next week?" he asked. Sara dropped her fork and stared at Mark. "Yeah, daddy!" Melissa said excitedly. "Okay, sweetheart. That way, you can hang out with Aunt Lisa like you used to," Mark said winking at her. Sara let out a slow breath and looked down at her plate. "You okay, dollface?" Mark asked. "Yeah," Sara said quietly, picking her fork back up to continue eating. "You sure?" he asked. "Yes, Mark," she said, her eyes on her plate. "Okay, dollface," he said touching her hand. Sara's eyes locked with his, and he saw the brimming anger. "Okay," he whispered. "Mama, can we go out tomorrow?" Melissa asked. "I don't know, sweetheart. The city's usually busy on a Saturday," Sara answered quietly. "You don't wanna hang around the house with mama all day, munchkin?" Mark asked. "I get bored, daddy," Melissa answered. "We'll decide tomorrow, munchkin," Sara said pushing the rice around on her plate. "Are you okay, mama?" Melissa asked. Sara put her fork down and looked across the table at Melissa. "Yeah, munchkin…I'm just tired," she answered. "But it's early, mama," Melissa said smiling. Sara chuckled and nodded. "I know it is, sweetheart…I had a long week, though…a long three weeks, as a matter o' fact," she said grinning.

Dinner continued over the next 20 minutes, before Sara finally pushed away from the table. "I'll take care of it, sweetheart," Mark said as she moved to take dishes from the table. "I'll get it, Mark," she said quietly. "You sure?" he asked. "Stop asking me that," she said quietly. "Come on, Melissa," Mark said picking up Melissa and carrying her into the living room. Sara sighed and carried the dirty dishes into the kitchen, placing them carefully into the sink. After rinsing them off, she placed them in the dishwasher and turned the handy appliance on, wanting to clean the dishes as quickly as possible. She leaned against the counter and ran her fingers through her hair, not understanding why she was suddenly so irritated. "Dollface?" Mark asked from the kitchen doorway a few minutes later. "Don't, Mark…don't ask if I'm okay…don't ask if you can do anything for me…just…don't," she whispered leaving the kitchen and going upstairs, shutting the bedroom door quietly. Mark sighed, completely confused with his wife's sudden change of emotions. He went back into the living room and sat down beside Melissa. "Is mama okay, daddy?" Melissa asked him. "I don't know, sweetheart," he answered pulling her close to his side, "Do me a favor. Go grab one o' your books…I want you to read to me, 'kay, sweetheart?" "Okay, daddy," Melissa said with a smile, scrambling off of the couch. Mark watched as she dashed out of the room, a slight smile on his face. _My little girl…so willing to please. Just like her mama_, he thought, _I wonder what's wrong with her anyway…I guess she'll tell me when she's good and ready_. Melissa came back moments later with an armful of books. Mark smiled as he helped her back onto the couch. "You ready?" he asked. Melissa nodded and opened the first book.

A couple hours later, Sara came trudging down the stairs, still in a somewhat bad mood. She went into the kitchen and put the dishes from dinner away, sighing as she heard Melissa's voice in the living room. After finishing the task at hand, she made her way into the living room, grinning slightly at the sight. Melissa was reading from one of her books, and Mark was listening attentively. Sara crossed her arms and leaned against the kitchen doorway, staring at the father and child. _I love them so much…just the sight of 'em makes life a little better everyday_, she thought grinning. "What are you grinning at?" Mark asked suddenly. Sara shifted slightly and looked at the floor; she didn't realize she'd been staring at them. "Nothin'," she said coming over to the couch and sitting down beside Melissa, "You havin' fun, munchkin?" "Uh-huh. Daddy's a good listener," Melissa said smiling up at her. "Yeah, he is," Sara said looking at Mark. Seeing the questioning in his eyes, she looked back down at Melissa. "Go ahead, baby girl. I didn't mean to interrupt you," she said quietly. "I'm almost done, mama," Melissa said looking back down at her book. "Okay, sweetheart," she said kissing the top of Melissa's head. Melissa finished up her last book, and finally closed it. "All done, daddy," she said looking up at Mark. "Go put 'em up now, munchkin," he said helping her off the couch. Sara watched as Melissa grabbed all of her books and headed out of the living room.

"What's up, dollface?" Mark asked quietly. "Nothin', Mark…I'm tired," she said quietly. "And you're lying…what's wrong?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and looked at him. "Why'd you tell Melissa you were gonna take her on the road with you next week?" she asked bluntly, "Were you trying to compete or somethin'?" "What?" Mark asked shocked. "Don't look at me like that. I told you yesterday I was gonna take Melissa on the road with me the week after next…and all of a sudden you want her on the road with you. What's up with that?" she said, her jaw twitching. "Don't you think you're bein' a little paranoid, Sara?" Mark asked standing. Sara stood as well and crossed her arms. "Not at all," she answered. "No, I'm not trying to compete with you. What the hell would be the purpose o' that?" he snapped. "You tell me, Mark," she said. "You're being ridiculous," he said tensely. "No, I'm not. I have a good fuckin' reason for wanting to bring her with me. What's your reason?" she snapped back. "I wanna see her just like you do," Mark said, "It's hard bein' on the road, not bein' able to spend time with her. You know that as well as I do, Sara." "You get to see her three days a week, Mark," Sara said. "What is your problem with me takin' her on the road? Do you not want her to spend time with me?" he asked heatedly. Sara sighed and went to leave. "I'm not doin' this," she said quietly. "Oh, hell no. You started this shit. Why don't you want her on the road with me?" he asked grabbing her arm, forcing her to face him. "We got her a babysitter for a reason, Mark. Her bein' on the road two weeks in a row…it's just not right," she answered pulling away from him. "That's bullshit. Why don't you want her on the road with me?" he asked again. "I don't want her on the road two weeks in a row, Mark, plain and simple," she said tensely. "Why are you doin' this, Sara? I'm goin' on the road tomorrow…I won't see you again for three weeks. Do you really think I wanna leave tomorrow pissed off?" he snapped, "Because you're doin' a good job o' makin' sure that's gonna happen." "Mom…dad…please stop arguing," Melissa said suddenly. Sara looked over her shoulder and let out a deep sigh. "You wanna spend time with her, Mark?" she said looking back at her husband, "Go right ahead."

Mark watched as she left the room, and heard their bedroom door slam shut moments later. Mark sighed and sat down on the couch, holding his head in his hands. "Dad…," Melissa said quietly, slowly walking over to him. "Yeah, munchkin," he said softly. "Why were you and mama fightin'?" Melissa asked quietly. Mark shook his head and shrugged. "I don't know, sweetheart," he answered honestly, looking into her wide, round eyes, "Come on, let's go outside and talk." "Okay," Melissa said holding her arms open to him. Mark grinned and carefully picked her up, standing as he did so, and carrying her outside into the backyard. An hour later, Mark noticed Melissa yawning. "Come on, bedtime, munchkin," he said standing slowly, rotating his neck and stretching his arms. Melissa stood and followed him inside. Mark helped her up to her room, where she changed and got ready for bed. Mark ran his hands through his hair, waiting patiently for his daughter to emerge from her bathroom. "You ready for bed, munchkin?" he asked once she finally came back into the room. Melissa climbed into her bed and smiled as Mark pulled the covers over her. "Tell me a story, daddy," she said quietly. "Alright, let's see…there was once a beautiful lady, who was very independent, and very hotheaded. She never let anybody get too close to her, because she was scared of being hurt," he started. "Why was she scared?" Melissa asked. "A lot of people hurt her, and broke her heart…she was afraid to trust again," Mark answered, "So, one day…she met a man, and right from the start, he had to work for her love. No matter how hard he tried, there was always somethin' holding her back." "Why, daddy?" Melissa asked. "Can I tell the story?" Mark asked grinning. "Okay, daddy," Melissa said smiling, settling into her bed even more.

"Okay, so this lady…she put this man through challenge after challenge, trying to test his love for her. She hurt him, and he hurt her. But after while, she realized just how much he did love her, and how much she loved him. They got married in a beautiful wedding during the early winter. And even though it was winter, it was still warm outside because they lived in the southern part of their country. But, even after they were married, the man and lady still fought; they both were so alike in so many ways that they thought differently about a lot of things, and argued about it. But no matter what came up, they always found a way to work through their problems…and they ended up living happily ever after," he said caressing her cheek. "Who's the lady, daddy?" Melissa asked. Mark grinned and kissed her forehead. "Your mama, sweetheart," he whispered, "Now go to sleep. You and mama get all day to hang out together before she has to go back to work, so you need your energy." "I love you, daddy," Melissa whispered closing her eyes. "I love you, too, munchkin," he said softly, slowly moving from the bed. He left the room and left a crack in the door, before going down to his own bedroom. He saw Sara's curled body in their bed, and he slowly shut the door, then went over to the bed. He noticed the redness of her cheeks, and knew immediately that she'd cried herself to sleep. _Only three more weeks, dollface_, he thought dropping a soft kiss on her forehead, then going into the bathroom. He relieved himself quickly, and brushed his teeth, before going back into his room. He slowly climbed into the bed behind Sara, not wanting to wake her and start another argument, and set the alarm clock for 4:30 a.m.. Try as he might, he couldn't fall asleep with his back turned to her. He carefully faced her and put his right arm under her head, wrapping his left arm around her waist and pulling her close to him, sniffing the rose scent of her freshly washed hair. "I love you, dollface," he whispered before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

The alarm rang exactly at 4:30 the next morning, and Mark groaned softly, reaching over to turn it off. Sara shifted slightly against him, her left hand gripping his right forearm. "Don't go," she whispered, shifting against his body. Mark sighed and closed his eyes, putting his left arm back around her waist. He kissed her shoulder softly, nuzzling her thick hair with his nose. When he was sure she had fallen back asleep, he slowly removed his right arm from under her head and climbed from the bed. He went into the bathroom and shut the door, trying to be as quiet as possible. When he came back out of the bathroom with a towel draped around his waist, he was shocked to find Sara awake and sitting up, her arms wrapped around her knees. "Dollface, what are you doin' up? You should be asleep," he said quietly, slipping on a pair of boxers. "I have to walk you out," she whispered. "No, you don't, baby," he whispered grinning. "I want to," she whispered in return. Mark sighed and looked over his shoulder at her, noticing the stray tears falling from her eyes. He went over to her immediately, sitting down at her right side. "Dollface, what are the tears for?" he whispered. Sara dropped her head as guilt ripped at her core for starting their argument last night. "Baby, don't worry about it," Mark whispered knowingly, pulling her onto his lap. "I'm sorry, Mark," she choked out. Mark kissed her gently, wiping away the tears with the tips of his thumbs. "Hey…just enjoy the day with our little munchkin. Show her what she can expect once you're home for good," he whispered in her ear.

Sara shuddered as more tears came to her eyes. "Come on now, Sara," Mark whispered stroking her back gently. "I don't wanna do it anymore, Mark…I just don't wanna deal with this anymore," she cried softly. "Baby…I know it's not one of our strong qualities, but…we just gotta be a little more patient. It's only three weeks, baby," he whispered in her ear. "I can't, Mark," she whispered putting her arms around his neck. "Yes, you can, Sara…you know you can," he said wrapping his arms around her waist, "And you know everything's gonna be just fine." Sara sighed and wiped the wetness from her cheeks. "I'm gonna miss you," she whispered. "I'm gonna miss you, too, dollface…but you're only a phone call away, and so am I," he said softly. She nodded slightly and breathed in his scent, trying to memorize it all over again. "I gotta get ready, dollface," he whispered. "Okay," she whispered into his shoulder, not releasing him. Mark grinned and kissed the side of her neck, letting his lips linger. "Tease," she whispered moving from his lap. Mark chuckled softly and stood from the bed, going back to getting dressed. Sara watched as he pulled on a pair of jeans and one of his Harley-Davidson t-shirts. "I've gotta get you some more shirts," she said quietly. "Why?" he asked packing up clothes for the five-day road trip, "I've got plenty o' shirts." "All you wear is Harley-Davidson. There are other companies that put out shirts, ya know," she said grinning. "Yeah, I know," he said zipping up his suitcase. "You ready?" she asked softly. Mark threw his wrestling gear into his black duffel bag, which took a few more minutes, before finally nodding. Sara climbed out of the bed, and they quietly headed down the stairs. At the front door, Sara pulled Mark into a tight hug, kissing him passionately. Mark groaned softly and dropped his bags, pulling her even closer. "I love you, Mark," she whispered. "I love you, too, dollface. Take care o' the munchkin, okay?" he whispered against her lips.

Tears came to her eyes, and she nodded slightly, slowly releasing her grip on his neck. Mark picked up his bags, and Sara watched him walk down to his truck. She waited until he'd pulled away from the house before finally shutting the door, tears pouring down her cheeks. She wondered how she was going to deal with her husband wrestling for seven more years after she finally retired. She slowly made her way back upstairs, stopping in front of Melissa's room. She slowly went into the dark room, picking Melissa up into her arms and carrying her down to her own room. Once inside, Sara shut the door and laid Melissa in the middle of the bed. She turned off the lamp on the nightstand and climbed into the bed, placing a hand over Melissa's back. _Hope you're havin' good dreams, munchkin_, she thought as sleep finally consumed her exhausted body. Sunlight poured into the bedroom, causing Sara's eyes to flutter open. She groaned slightly and shielded her eyes from the bright light, looking over at the clock. It was nearly 11:00, so Sara decided it was definitely time to get out of bed. She looked down at Melissa's still-sleeping form and grinned, dropping a soft kiss on her forehead before climbing off of the bed. She went into the bathroom, shutting the door quietly before stripping down and stepping into the stall. A soft groan escaped her mouth as the hot water pelted against her tired muscles. She took her time in the shower, washing her hair twice and shaving her legs, before stepping out of the stall and wrapping her favorite black towel around her. When she went back into her bedroom, a grin came to her face at the sight of Lucky and Marley curled up against Melissa's small body. _Spoiled little things…all three of 'em_, she thought pulling on a pair of jean shorts and a light blue tanktop.

After brushing her hair dry, Sara pulled the thick tresses into a ponytail. She grabbed up all the dirty clothes in the house, moving them down to the laundry room. "This is gonna take awhile," she said beginning to toss pants into the washing machine. "Mama?" Melissa said quietly, standing at the door of the laundry room. "Yeah, munchkin," Sara said continuing her task. "When'd daddy leave?" Melissa asked rubbing her eyes. Sara sighed as she dropped a pair of Mark's jeans into the nearly full load. "Early this morning, darlin'…before the sun came up," she answered quietly. "Did he say he was gonna call?" Melissa asked yawning slightly. "As soon as he's done with work, munchkin," Sara answered closing the washing machine and turning it on, "You hungry?" Melissa nodded and Sara grinned at her. "Come on," she said leading her into the kitchen, "Cereal okay?" "Can I have Apple Jacks?" Melissa asked. Sara smiled and pulled down the box of Apple Jacks, two bowls, and two spoons. "Take this in the dining room for me, 'kay?" she said, "I'll be right there." Melissa did as her mother asked, while Sara got two glasses, the jug of milk, and carton of orange juice, then went into the dining room as well. She sat down across from Melissa, who'd already poured out two full bowls of cereal. "Are you gonna eat all that, sweetheart?" Sara asked grinning. Melissa nodded as Sara poured orange juice into the two glasses. "Alright," Sara said pouring milk into the bowls, "There ya go, eat up." "What are we doin' today, mama?" Melissa asked. "What do you wanna do, munchkin?" Sara asked before putting a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. "I don't know," Melissa answered doing the same. "How about, after I finish laundry, we get in the pool for a couple hours? You still have to show me what Uncle John taught you," Sara said with a smile. "Okay!" Melissa answered. "It's gonna be awhile, though, sweetheart. I've got all daddy's clothes, and my clothes, and _your_ clothes to wash," Sara said. "That's okay, mama. I can read in the library," Melissa said. Sara smiled and sipped on her orange juice. "Alright, sweetheart. The pool it is," she said.

After breakfast, Melissa helped Sara clean up the dishes, before disappearing into the library. Sara grinned as she put the now-washed jeans into the dryer, and putting another load of clothes into the washer. She had about seven or eight loads of laundry to do total, so it was definitely going to be a long while before she and Melissa were able to relax. While doing laundry, Sara decided to clean the house. She started with the kitchen and made her way upstairs, alternating between cleaning rooms and taking care of the laundry. As three o' clock came around, Sara finally put the last load into the dryer. "Munchkin," she said from the hallway, "Go put on your bathing suit." "Yes, ma'am," Melissa answered from the library. Sara folded up the recently-dried clothes and took them upstairs, then changed into a simple black bathing suit. She grabbed two towels and her sunglasses. "You ready, munchkin?" Sara asked as she left her room. Melissa came out of her bedroom in a small pink single-piece bathing suit and two small flotation devices around her arms. "Yep," she said happily. Sara grinned and followed her out to the pool. "You need any help?" she asked laying her towel out beside the pool. "Nope. Uncle John said that as long as I stayed in the shallow end, I would be okay," Melissa answered. Sara laid on the towel, on her stomach, and watched as Melissa moved around the shallow part of the pool. There were a few times when she moved to help her, but Melissa shook her head each time. "You're definitely gonna be a great swimmer, munchkin," Sara said around five o' clock, as the sun began its descent in the sky. "Thanks, mama," Melissa said smiling, "Why don't you get in?" Sara grinned and slowly stood, stretching her arms and yawning. "You'll be able to do this in a few years, munchkin," she said winking at Melissa before jumping into the pool in a cannonball-like shape. Melissa laughed as Sara came up from the bottom of the pool, wiping her hair out of her face. "Okay, watch this," Melissa said smiling, climbing out of the pool. Sara's jaw dropped when Melissa performed the exact same thing she'd just done, being brought to the surface by the two blow-up devices on her arms.

"Alright, you can do it. Let's wait 'til you're able to swim by yourself before you do it again," she said moving over to her daughter. "Yes, ma'am," Melissa answered splashing her mother with water. "Oh, so _that's_ how it is?" Sara said lightly splashing water towards Melissa. Melissa laughed as they continued their splash war for the next ten minutes. "Alright, munchkin, time to get out," Sara said finally. Melissa moved towards the edge of the pool, and Sara helped her out. "When's Dany comin' over, mama?" Melissa asked. "Why don't you give her a call and ask her?" Sara said climbing out of the pool as well. Melissa wrapped her towel around herself and ran into the house. Sara couldn't help but chuckle. She rung out the water from her hair as best she could, then wrapped the second towel she'd brought out around herself. Melissa came running out with the phone. "Dany needs to talk to you," she said holding the phone towards Sara. "Hey, Dany," Sara answered. "Um, Sara….my dad died last night," Dany said slowly. "Oh, shit, Dany, I'm so sorry," Sara said quietly. "I'm in Norfolk with my mom right now, so I won't…be able--." "Don't even worry about it. If you need anything from me, just call my cell this week, okay?" Sara said quietly. "Thank you, Sara," Dany said shakily. "You're welcome, Dany. As a matter of fact, take your time comin' back. Mark and I can work somethin' out," Sara said quietly. "Are you sure?" Dany asked. "Definitely. Take all the time you need," Sara answered. "Thank you, Sara. Tell the little one I'll think about her while I'm here," Dany said. "Sure will, Dany. Bye, sweetheart," Sara said quietly. "Bye," Dany said. Sara turned the phone off and looked down at Melissa. "Come on, munchkin. We've gotta get you packed," she said leading Melissa back into the house. "What? Why?" Melissa asked. "You're comin' with me this week," Sara said grinning. Melissa squealed and dashed up to her room, Sara right behind her.


	113. Honesty

**Well, it's officially 3:43 a.m. here in Radford, Va., and I have a Statistics final to take in less than eight hours. Have I studied? NOPE. Did I write out this chapter? Hell, yeah! Like I said, if this story was a class, I'd have an A-plus, 'cuz I'm dedicated to givin' you guys the best I can possibly give. Thank you for the reviews, as usual. There's not too many chapters left now, but you guys already knew that. And even though my sister's in town for the next couple weeks (it's her 16th birthday today!), I'm still gonna write the rest o' this story, 'cuz I want it to be finished before I start school in 3 weeks, 2 days (yeah, i got a countdown...pitiful, huh). Hopefully, with no more class/internship responsibilities, I'll be able to do that. :) Enjoy!**

**Shannon

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Chapter 112…Honesty

"Come on, munchkin," Sara said climbing out of her car, "We're late." She picked up Melissa on her hip, dashing into the arena. She'd called Mark the night before, telling him about Dany's situation. Mark had agreed to meet her in Austin to pick Melissa up, taking her with him until the following Sunday. Melissa was very excited, to say the least, when she found out she'd be going on the Japan tour with both her parents. "Sara!" Andy said once he saw her heading down the hallway. "Uncle Andy!" Melissa screamed. Sara let her down to the floor and watched as her daughter ran towards her godfather. "Hey, little girl," Andy said scooping her up, "What are you doin' here?" "Dany couldn't baby-sit me, so I got to come with mama," Melissa answered smiling. "Everything okay?" Andy asked as Sara walked up to him. "She had a family emergency. So, I've got Melissa this week. Mark's gonna pick her up in Austin on Thursday," she answered, "He's gonna be close to the city, so he's gonna swing by on his drive home." "Well, that's good," Andy said pinching Melissa's cheek, "You happy to be on the road with your mom?" Melissa nodded her head with a smile. "I checked the board for ya. You and Bennie against Rob and Randy," Andy said to Sara. "Alright, that's cool. Thanks," she said. "Have you eaten yet?" he asked. "No. I was rushing to get here, 'cause I woke up late," she answered grinning, "Bein' off for three days, I got spoiled." Andy chuckled and nodded. "Understandable. Let's go grab somethin' to eat," Andy said heading towards the catering room. "I gotta drop this stuff off. I'll meet you there, okay?" she said. Andy nodded and headed down the hallway talking quietly with Melissa. Sara grinned and headed the opposite way, towards the locker rooms. She quickly found hers and dropped her bags right inside the door, hearing her stomach growling. _Damn, I should've grabbed somethin' before I left the house_, she thought going down to catering.

Inside catering, Sara grabbed a plate full of food and a water bottle, then sat down with Andy, Melissa, and Shelton. "So the little one's on the road with ya for the week, huh?" Shelton said grinning. "Yeah, we're gonna have fun this week. Aren't we, munchkin?" Sara said smiling at Melissa. "Uncle Andy said he was gonna take me to the ring," Melissa said nodding her head. Sara looked at Andy with a raised eyebrow. "It's not even gonna be like that, baby doll, I promise," he said winking at her. "Alright…but if I see anything I don't like, I'm gonna kick your ass," she said grinning. "Yes, mama," he said smiling. Sara chuckled and put a forkful of chicken salad in her mouth. "Have you seen Randy yet?" Shelton asked. "No, I just got here. Is he alright?" Sara answered. "Yeah. His arm's still in a sling, but he said he was gonna be fine for the match," he answered. "Alright, good. I'll take it easy on him tonight," she said grinning. "Good, 'cause I don't wanna go through hell with you again, Angel," Randy said from behind her. Sara smiled and looked over her shoulder at him. "How's it feel?" she asked motioning towards his left arm. "I'll be alright. I kept ice on it the whole time I was at home, so the swelling's goin' down," he answered, "How 'bout you?" "The bruises are finally gone, but everything's still a little sore," she said grinning, "I have a feeling we won't be normal for a while." "Yeah, same here," he said grinning, "How long are you gonna be?" "Well, I still gotta get a workout in, so about two hours," she answered. "4:30 sound good, then?" he asked. "Yep. We'll meet you in the ring," she answered. Randy nodded and walked over to the table he'd been at with Jay and Adam.

"So how'd you spend your time off?" Shelton asked taking a swig of his water. "Tryin' not to think about work," Sara answered smiling slightly, "It's kinda hard not to, though, considering I had to be back in three days. You?" "I went down to Florida with a couple friends. It was nice and warm. Hurricane season has finally passed, so we went out to the beaches and just relaxed," he answered. "Where at in Florida?" Andy asked. "Down in Miami. I'll tell ya, it was definitely different from stayin' in South Carolina," Shelton said grinning. "Yeah, I bet," Andy said. "Did you swim in the ocean, Mr. Shelton?" Melissa asked. "Nah, sweetheart, I don't do the ocean. I barely even step in a pool," Shelton answered. Sara smirked and shook her head. "I don't blame ya, Bennie. I lived near the ocean until I went off to college, and I definitely wasn't a big fan of it," she said. "It's too deep for my tastes," Shelton said smiling, "As long as I can see the bottom of the pool, I'm alright." "Can you swim?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, I can, but that doesn't mean I like to do it," Shelton said grinning. "But it's fun!" Melissa stated. "Whatever floats your boat, sweetheart," Shelton said. "What's that mean?" she asked. "Whatever makes ya happy, munchkin," Sara said. "Oh, okay," Melissa said smiling. "How's Mark doin'?" Andy asked. "He's alright…it was hard for him to leave yesterday. Our schedules are just…so different," she said quietly. "Yeah, I didn't want Lisa to leave, either," he said. "How's Aunt Lisa?" Melissa asked. "She's alright, darlin'. She misses it over here with me, but she's havin' fun over on Smackdown," Andy answered smiling down at her, "She tells me all the time that she misses you, too." Sara smiled and asked, "Is she still just wrestling Gail?"

"Vince is testing out some o' the other ladies against her during houseshows, so it might change soon. Lisa's happy about that, but she's not too happy about havin' to practically train these girls herself. She's got help from Finley, but she said some o' the girls are really struggling," he answered. "Of course. I don't think they were ever meant to be used as wrestlers, so they're not gonna take to it as easily as the ladies here on RAW," Sara responded. "That's what Lisa said. She got a chuckle outta tellin' me about the girls complaining about the bruises they get from takin' bumps," he said grinning. Sara chuckled and nodded. "I remember when I first started training. I don't think a day went past the first four months where I didn't have a bruise _somewhere_," she said grinning, "Hell, I _still_ get bruises sometimes." "Like from Sunday, mama?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, sweetheart. But they don't bother me anymore," Sara said. "Good," Melissa said grinning, "Can I learn how to--." "Nope," Sara answered grinning. Melissa dropped her head, and Shelton asked, "She still wants to be a wrestler?" "Unfortunately," Sara said grinning. "Well, look at how much fun we have. Everybody should want to be a wrestler," Shelton said grinning. "Yeah, but luckily, not everybody does become a wrestler. I think we'd be out of a job if they did," she said chuckling.

After lunch, Andy agreed to keep an eye on Melissa while Sara went to work out. Sara ran for nearly 45 minutes, choosing not to lift weights to give her muscles a little more rest. When she walked into her dressing room, she smiled at the sight of Melissa on top of Andy, tickling the larger man. "What's goin' on here?" she asked shutting the door. "I beat him at rock-paper-scissors, so Uncle Andy said I could tickle him as much as I wanted," Melissa said smiling, "I'm trying to find his ticklish spot." "Do you have one, Andy?" Sara asked. "Yeah, but she hasn't found it yet," Andy said grinning at Melissa. Melissa groaned and tried under Andy's arms, but he shook his head. "How long has she been trying?" Sara asked grabbing a towel from her duffel bag. "Just a few minutes," he answered. "She'll find it eventually," Sara said before going into the bathroom. Sara took a quick shower, washing her hair thoroughly, before going back into the dressing room. Andy was now laughing hilariously as Melissa tickled the bottom of his right foot. "I found it, mama!" she said laughing as well. Sara chuckled and pulled out her outfit for the night, a pair of black leather low-rider shorts and a matching halter top. "Tell her to stop, Sara, please!" Andy screamed trying to wiggle away from Melissa's grasp. "Nope. You lost fair and square," Sara said chuckling as she went back into the bathroom. Sara quickly slipped on her outfit, wanting to get down to the ring quickly. When she came out of the bathroom a second time, Andy was in the far corner, using his left arm to hold Melissa back. "She's a strong little monster," he said to Sara as Melissa swung at his legs. "Look at who her parents are, Andy," Sara said grinning. "True," Andy said chuckling. Sara tossed her towel into her suitcase, and picked up Melissa. "Come on, munchkin. Time to go to your favorite place," she said opening the door. Melissa squealed happily and clapped her hands. "But you can't get in, munchkin. Mama's gotta work," Sara said kissing her cheek. "Okay, mama," Melissa said with a smile.

Randy, Shelton, and Rob waited in the ring for Sara, throwing out spots for their match that night. Shelton waved as Sara came walking down the ramp a few minutes later. "So we got an audience, huh?" Randy asked grinning. Sara chuckled and handed Melissa over to Andy before rolling into the ring. "We got some good ideas yet?" she asked sitting down beside Randy. "It's hard to put together a tag match without all four people here, Angel," Randy said with a playful smile. Sara hit his left shoulder with a smile, chuckling when he grimaced. "Sorry…forgot about that," she said smiling. "Yeah, sure," he said sarcastically. "Anywho, so what's the game plan?" Sara asked. "We figured we'd have a few big spots throughout the match, and just do a lot of transition wrestling. Ya know, keep the fans on their toes," Rob said. "That sounds fine. I think it's about time we showed them we know how to have fun, too," Sara said grinning. "You sure you don't wanna keep up that badass image o' yours?" Rob asked with a wink. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "They see enough o' that on TV, I think," she answered. "I'm gonna have to agree on that one," Randy said smiling. Sara laughed and hit his left arm again, looking away when he grimaced again. "Alright, now you're doin' it on purpose," he said holding his shoulder. "No, I'm not, I swear!" she said still laughing. "Whatever," Randy said feigning a wounded ego, "I can't count how many girls came up to me when I was home, wantin' to make sure I was okay." "Yeah, I'm sure that's all they wanted," Sara said smirking. "I can't help it. God gave me a gift…I'm a beautiful man," Randy said grinning. "And the most arrogant little thing I've ever seen in my life," Sara said smiling. "No, I'm very confident. There's a difference," he said winking at her. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Alright, if you two are done bickering, can we get down to work?" Rob said grinning. Sara smiled and nodded.

After working out a general plan for their match, Rob and Shelton left the ring as Melissa squirmed in Andy's arms to get into the ring. "Come on, mom, you're done working now!" she said from outside the ring. Sara chuckled and nodded towards Andy. "Fine," Andy said helping Melissa into the ring. Melissa ran towards her mother's legs, tackling her down. "What the heck? What was that for?" Sara asked as Melissa climbed onto her. "Count, Mr. Randy!" Melissa exclaimed. Randy chuckled and hit the mat with his right hand three times. "Oh, you sneaky little child!" Sara said pushing Melissa up into the air. Melissa smiled down innocently at her mother. "Always be prepared, right, mom?" she said. Sara chuckled and slowly sat up. "And you, Randy…helpin' her out like that," she said. "That was for those two shoulder shots earlier," he said winking at her. "What happened to your shoulder?" Melissa asked. "Well…your mom's a tough lady, sweetheart. We both got our fair share o' bumps and bruises that night," he said. "Is he talkin' about Sunday, mom?" Melissa asked. Sara sighed and nodded slightly. Melissa had only heard of what Sara had gone through, but didn't know the full details. "Yeah, munchkin, he's talkin' about Sunday night. But don't you worry, I'm fine now," she said quietly. "Sorry, Angel, didn't mean to bring it up in front o' her," Randy said. "My daddy told me, Mr. Randy," Melissa said. "Figures," Sara said quietly. She didn't let Melissa watch the match, but that was pointless if Mark had gone behind her back and told Melissa about it anyway. "I asked him, mom," Melissa said. "Your curiosity's gonna get the better of you one day, munchkin," Sara said winking at her. "And I wonder where she gets it from," Randy said chuckling. "Oh, hush, "Legend Killer". She gets it from her dad," Sara said smiling slightly. "I'll see you later, Angel," Randy said carefully climbing out of the ring. Sara nodded slightly as Melissa began to run around the ring, slightly bouncing off the ropes. "Be careful, Melissa," she said. "Yes, ma'am," Melissa said continuing her fun.

Sara talked with Andy over the next 20 minutes as Melissa ran back and forth in front of her, jumping over her outstretched legs. Suddenly, Melissa tripped and landed face-first on the mat. "Oh, my God, Melissa!" Sara said immediately pulling her up, checking for bruises or scratches. "I'm okay, mama," Melissa said smiling, trying to push her mother's hands away. Sara sighed and said, "That's it, come on." "Mom!" Melissa said with wide eyes. "No, Melissa, out," Sara said pointing towards the ropes. Melissa sighed and moved towards the ropes. Sara dropped out of the ring and helped Melissa down to the floor. "Are you hungry?" she asked. "No, ma'am," Melissa said quietly. "Alright," Sara said as they got to the back. "Can I call daddy?" Melissa asked. "He's working right now, Melissa, just like me," Sara answered picking Melissa up, "Don't be mad at me." "But, mama, I wasn't hurt," Melissa argued. "Yeah, well, I didn't want you in the ring anyway, Melissa. And you could've gotten hurt. And why am I explaining myself?" Sara said looking at Melissa. Melissa rested her head on Sara's shoulder, and Sara let out a slow breath. "Speakin' of significant others, I'm gonna go give Lisa a call. I'll see ya around, Sara," Andy said quietly. "Okay, Andy," Sara said rubbing Melissa's back gently. "Later, munchkin," Andy said to Melissa. Melissa nodded slightly, keeping her face buried in Sara's shoulder. Sara went down to her dressing room, shutting the door behind her and plopping down on the couch. "Munchkin, don't cry," she whispered, feeling the stickiness from Melissa's tears in her t-shirt, "Okay?" Melissa nodded slightly and wiped at her cheeks. "Yes, ma'am," she said quietly. "Listen. Why don't we take a nap?" Sara said grinning. Melissa nodded and yawned. "Yeah, you need a nap anyway," Sara said still grinning. Melissa smiled and hugged Sara's neck. "I love you, mama," she said quietly. Sara stretched out on the couch, making sure Melissa wouldn't fall off, and whispered, "I love you, too, sweetheart."

An hour later, Sara's eyes fluttered open. She peeked down at Melissa and grinned; her daughter was still fast asleep, her grip on Sara's t-shirt tight. Sara ran her fingers through Melissa's hair, kissing the top of her head softly. "Mama? Food," Melissa said quietly. Sara chuckled and slowly sat up. Melissa rubbed her eyes and yawned as Sara stood. "Come on, munchkin," she said yawning as well. Melissa followed her out of the room, Sara quickly taking her hand. They went down to catering, where dinner was being provided. Sara fixed Melissa a small plate of chicken salad, as well as an apple and bottle of water, and sat her down at a nearby table. "Be right back, munchkin. Don't move," she said helping Melissa into the seat. Melissa nodded and lowered her head to say grace over her food. Sara grinned and went back over for her own food. She grabbed a plate of chicken salad, an orange, and her own bottle of water, then went back over to Melissa and sat down. "You have a good nap, munchkin?" she asked. Melissa nodded and chewed on her food. Sara smiled and lowered her head, quietly saying grace over her own food, before looking back at Melissa. "Good dreams?" she asked. Melissa grinned and nodded. "I was a wrestler!" she said excitedly. Sara chuckled and took a sip of her food. "Silly girl," she said quietly. "It was fun, though, mama," Melissa said smiling. "I'm sure it was," Sara said before scooping a forkful of chicken salad into her mouth. "You think dad will let me be a wrestler?" Melissa asked. "Not if I have anything to say about it, darlin'," Sara answered winking at her. Melissa rolled her eyes playfully and shrugged.

After a quick dinner, Sara took Melissa back down to her dressing room. "What are we gonna do now, mama?" Melissa asked. "Well, the show doesn't start for another hour and a half. You packed some books, right?" Sara answered. Melissa nodded and pulled out a fairly thick book. "What's that?" Sara asked. "_I Know What You Did Last Summer_," Melissa answered. "You sure you wanna read that book, Melissa? It's pretty scary," Sara said. Melissa nodded and smiled. "Alright," Sara said pulling out her own book. She read until 6:30 p.m. came, before closing her book. "Where are ya goin', mama?" Melissa asked. "Just in the bathroom, sweetheart," Sara answered grabbing her make-up bag. "You're not gonna go see Ms. Janet?" Melissa asked as Sara headed towards the bathroom. "Nah, she's not here for houseshows, munchkin. She only works Mondays and Tuesdays," Sara answered. "Oh, okay," Melissa said. Sara grinned and went into the bathroom, leaving the door open to keep an eye on Melissa. She brushed her hair down until it was silky smooth, grinning as she noticed that her hair was almost back to its natural color. She pulled it up into a high ponytail, using a black scrunchie to keep it in place. She quickly applied her make-up, keeping it simple since it was a non-televised event, before curling the ends of her ponytail. After applying her makeup, she went back into the room and looked down at Melissa. "What do you think?" she asked grinning. "Wow, you look really pretty, mama," Melissa said smiling up at her. "Thank you, sweetheart," Sara said as a knock came on the door. Sara went over and opened the door slightly. "Hey, you," she said letting Andy inside, "What's up?"

Andy sighed and dropped his head. "What's wrong?" Sara asked. "I just got a call…from a hospital in Virginia. Lisa tore her ACL against one of the new girls," Andy said quietly. "Oh, man…how's she doin'?" Sara said leaning against the door. "Pretty ticked off…the girl went for a hurricanrana off the top rope, but she mistimed it, and caused Lisa to slip…and boom, torn ACL," he said quietly. "How long is she gonna be out?" Sara asked. "Probably about six months," Andy answered running his fingers through his hair, "Vince said he'd pay for rehab and whatnot, but Lisa's just mad, 'cause she was just startin' to get comfortable over there." "Yeah, I can imagine. When does she get to go back home?" she said quietly. "Not for a couple days, just so the swelling from surgery can go down," he answered. Sara sat down on the couch, and Andy sat down beside Melissa. "Is Aunt Lisa okay?" Melissa asked. "She's gonna be alright, darlin'. She just has to go home and rest up," he answered. "Which girl did it?" Sara asked. "Some new girl from OVW named Beth," Andy said, "She's only been wrestling professionally for six months, but she was a star amateur wrestler in high school and college, so Vince thought that bein' in the ring with Lisa would help give her a little more confidence. Figures." "Don't worry about it, Andy. You know Lisa's a fighter. Knowin' her, she'll be back in half the time," Sara said with a supportive smile.

Andy grinned slightly and nodded. "She's already talkin' about getting' a brace made so that she can come back sooner," he said. "Of course. I think I'd be the same way," Sara said, "When are you goin' back home?" "Wednesday morning," Andy answered, "Lisa already said she's gonna make me wait hand and foot on her." Sara chuckled and nodded. "Of course," she said. Andy sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. "This was the last thing she needed, though," he said quietly. "Injuries are never a good thing…but maybe it'll work to her advantage. Fans always like to see a wrestler work through an injury and come back better than ever," she said quietly. "I think that's the perspective Lisa's tryin' to take…but I have a feeling she's gonna be pissed off about this for a while," he responded. "What happened to her, Uncle Andy?" Melissa asked. "She hurt her knee today, munchkin," Andy said quietly, "But she's gonna be just fine. She's gotta spend a couple days in the hospital, but she'll be goin' home after the doctor makes sure her knee's healing up like they want it to." Melissa nodded and looked back down at her book. "What are you readin'?" he asked. "_I Know What You Did Last Summer_," Melissa answered, her eyes still focused on the book. "Isn't that a little too scary for her?" Andy asked Sara. "Nope…she likes stuff like that," Sara answered rubbing the top of Melissa's head, smiling when she moved away. "Alright, I'll stop, munchkin," she said. "Thank you," Melissa said grinning.

Sara turned on the small monitor, because the show had started. Nearly two hours passed before Sara finally left to go stretch for her match, Andy staying with Melissa. Sara met up with Shelton near the entranceway. "This should be fun," she said sitting down on the floor. "You sure you're up for it?" Shelton asked sitting down in front of her. "Don't really have a choice. I stretched a lot over the week, but the soreness is still there," she answered, "Besides, you and Rob are the ones takin' all the crazy bumps in this match." Shelton chuckled and nodded slightly. "I suppose so," he said grinning. They finished up their stretching as Rob and Randy walked up. "Alright, Angel, just take it easy on us out there, okay?" Rob said grinning. "I'll try, Rob," she said grinning as well. Rob and Randy headed out first, garnering boos from the entire audience. "Guess he wasn't as popular as he thought he was," Sara said chuckling. Shelton smiled as his music hit. "See ya out there, sweetheart," he said before going through the curtains. Sara grinned and rotated her neck, trying to loosen herself up as much as possible. When her music hit, she took a deep breath before stepping out through the curtains. Since it was a houseshow, there were no fancy lights, or effects, just the music and a spotlight focused on the wrestler's entrance. Sara made her way down to the ring and rolled into it, holding her hands up, reveling in the cheers she received. _Only three more weeks…still can't believe it_, she thought as Mike Chioda checked her and Shelton for illegal objects. "Alright, ring the bell," he said with a flick of his wrist.

Sara had an absolute blast wrestling with Shelton. He and Randy brought a certain youthfulness to the match that she hadn't felt in years. There were so many times during the 20 minutes they were out there that Sara just wanted to burst out laughing. She even managed to get the crowd laughing by covering Mike's eyes several times throughout the match, for no reason sometimes. When she finally got the pin fall over Rob, Sara rubbed the top of his head playfully before standing. "Good match, Angel," Shelton said in her ear. "Thanks, Bennie," she said grinning. She watched as Rob and Randy limped back through the curtains. "I guess we did kick their asses pretty bad," she said quietly. "Angel, Vince wants you to cut a promo real quick," Mike said handing Sara a microphone. Sara nodded and looked out at the crowd. "First off, I want to thank you all for comin' out tonight. I know you're all probably pretty busy people," she said grinning. The crowd let out a collective chuckle, and Sara wiped her forehead. "Now, this past Monday night, Mr. RVD made the mistake of disrespecting me. He tried to write me off as…pretty much nothin' more than a paper champion," she said circling the ring, "And I know that you all know…that couldn't be further from the truth. He's probably in the back now, licking his wounds and regretting that he pissed me off." The fans showed their approval, bringing a smile to Sara's face. "Since I won the World title back in August at Summerslam, I have been a fighting champion. Hell, sometimes I feel like I've wrestled more in the past two and a half months than I have the rest o' my career," she continued, "But I'll tell ya somethin'…it is an absolute blast wrestling for you guys." The fans cheered even more, and Sara leaned against the ropes. "I'm serious, guys. I wake up in the morning on some days…and it takes me 20 minutes just to be able to sit up. But…it's all worth it for the time I get to spend in front o' you. Whether it's 30 seconds or 30 minutes…every moment is real, and I cherish it," she said slowly, "If I could spent the rest o' the night talkin' to you, I would. But…since I can't…I'll leave you with this: I really hope you guys understand just how much we enjoy performing for you. I don't think any of us could imagine doin' anything else." She handed the microphone to the ring announcer and dropped out of the ring, slapping the fans' hands as she headed to the back.

When she got to the back, Andy was waiting with Melissa in his arms. "Is she okay?" Sara asked running her hand over Melissa's back. "She's a little tired. I was just listening to your promo up close," Andy answered quietly. "God, I was so close to breakin' down. Like, it's really startin' to hit me that I'm retiring in three weeks," she said quietly. "Don't you want to, mama?" Melissa asked quietly. "Yeah, I do, munchkin. It's just…it's gonna be hard leavin' all this," Sara said grinning. "The dark arenas? The bad moods? Livin' outta your suitcase? Away from--." "I get it, Andy," Sara said as they headed back to her dressing room, "And I won't miss all the bullshit behind the curtains, but I…I'm gonna miss performing." "I hear ya, baby doll," Andy said quietly. "When are you done?" she asked. "Lisa and I both just signed five-year contracts. After that, we're thinkin' of goin' ahead and retiring," he answered, "I know it's gonna go by fast, but I don't really want it to, ya know." "Yeah, definitely. I mean, if I could stretch out the next few weeks without signing a new contract, I would," Sara said smiling. Andy chuckled softly as they entered her room. "Well, there's always the independents," he said shutting the door quietly, not wanting to wake Melissa. "Nah…I'm loyal to a fault, Andy, you know that. I think I'd feel like was turning my back on Vince if I went and competed for someone else," she said pulling out a towel and change of clothes. "You could always do some special appearances once in a while, just in the local areas around Houston," Andy suggested. "What's with tryin' to keep me in the business?" she asked smiling at him. "I'm just sayin'…even though you're gonna be retired, there's still options out there. You can still be involved without actively wrestling," he answered winking at her.

Sara shook her head slightly and went into the bathroom. _Once I'm retired, I'm retired_, she thought as she washed the sweat from her body. After a quick shower, Sara changed into the sweatpants and t-shirt she'd brought with her. She went back into the room and packed her dirty outfit in her duffel bag. "Do you wanna go ahead and leave for the airport, or stop for somethin' to eat?" Andy asked quietly. "Food," Melissa grumbled, her fingers latching onto Andy's hair. "Holy…," Andy gasped trying to remove the little girl's fingers. Sara chuckled and said, "Yeah, she's got a thing for other people's hair, especially when it's long. And we can stop by a Wendy's or somethin' to get a bite to eat." "Ice cream, mama," Melissa whispered. "I don't think so, sweetheart," Sara said slipping on her tennis shoes. "Why not?" Melissa asked. "Because it's 9:30 at night, and you'd be up for the rest o' the night," Sara answered. Melissa sighed and snuggled up more against Andy's chest. Sara smirked and slipped her duffel bag over her shoulder. "Alright, let's go," she said quietly. Andy carefully shouldered his own duffel bag and followed Sara out of the room. "I'll just follow you, okay? I've got a rental to return," he said quietly. "You want me to just pick up your food and meet you at the airport?" she suggested, "That way, we can save a little bit o' time." "That works. Can you get me a double cheeseburger?" he said. "No, that's not healthy. I'll get ya somethin' else," Sara answered grinning. "Yes, mother," Andy said sliding Melissa into the backseat of the Ford Taurus he'd rented. Sara chuckled and climbed into her car, pulling away first.

After picking up a fruit cup, and a plain tuna sandwich, from a nearby Subway, Sara headed towards the airport. Her cell phone rang as she pulled into the airport parking lot. She quickly parked and answered the ringing phone. "Yes, dear?" she asked climbing out of the car. "How was your match?" Mark asked grinning. "It was a lotta fun. Rob and Randy have a great sense o' humor in the ring," she answered pulling out her luggage, "I got to cut a promo after it was over, too, just talkin' about how fun it was to perform. How was your day?" "Same thing. It's pretty much gonna be me and Glenn workin' together until February," he answered, "Probably even through Wrestlemania." "You don't sound too excited about it," she said quietly. "I don't know…it'd be nice to have a good singles' run again, just for a while," he answered, "Glenn's a great guy, you know that. I just…nevermind. No sense complaining about it." "Have you talked to Vince about it?" she asked. "No," he answered quietly. "Well, I'm sure if you did, he could--." "I don't need you tellin' me how to handle my career, Sara," Mark said tensely. Sara sighed and rolled her eyes. "Mark, why did you call me?" she asked as she entered the airport terminal. "To talk to Melissa," Mark answered. Sara sighed again and looked around the wide-open, nearly empty terminal. "Where is she?" he asked. "I'm lookin', Mark," she said tiredly. "What do you mean you're "looking" for her? Where is she?" he snapped. "Just give me a fucking minute, Mark," she snapped back.

Andy saw Sara searching for him and waved her over. Sara went over to him, handing him the Subway bag and the phone to Melissa. "It's your father," she said before heading for the bathroom, "I'll be back." "Hi, daddy!" Melissa said excitedly. "Hey, munchkin," Mark said quietly, feeling the tenseness leave his body, "Are ya havin' fun with mama?" "Yep! She let me get in the ring today, but I fell down, so she made me get out. And we took a nap, and I dreamt I was a wrestler!" she said smiling. "Really? Do you remember who you were wrestling?" Mark asked grinning. "No, but the fans were _booing_ me, daddy!" she answered. "Oh, so you were a heel, then, huh?" he asked. "What's that?" Melissa asked. "A heel is somebody who's not a fan favorite. They get booed, not cheered," he answered grinning. "I guess so," Melissa said, "But it felt good to be booed." Mark chuckled and stretched out on his bed. "Where are you guys headin' tonight?" he asked quietly. "I don't know. We're in the airport, so I think it's kinda far away," she said. "El Paso, sweetheart," Andy said, "We're goin' to El Paso." "Uncle Andy said we're goin' to El Paso," Melissa said, "Where are you, daddy?" "I'm in Virginia, sweetheart," Mark said quietly, "And it's getting' pretty late over here, so I'm gonna go ahead to bed, okay?" "Do you wanna wait for mama to get back?" Melissa asked. "Where'd she go?" he asked. "I think to the bathroom," Melissa answered. "That's alright. I'll talk to her tomorrow," Mark said quietly. "Okay. I love you, daddy," she said. "I love you, too, munchkin," Mark whispered, "Goodnight, sweetheart." "Goodnight," Melissa said. The phone call disconnected, and Melissa slowly closed the phone. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" Andy asked as Sara walked up. "He sounded sad, Uncle Andy," she said looking up at her mother, "What's wrong with daddy?" "I don't know, Melissa," Sara said running her fingers through her hair, "Eat your fruit."

The flight seemed to last for forever to Sara; she was fuming over Mark's attitude with her on the phone. When Andy pulled into the hotel parking lot around 11:00 p.m., she ran her hands over her face. "You okay?" he whispered. Melissa was sleeping in the backseat, and neither of them wanted to wake her. "I just need to get to sleep, Andy," Sara whispered back, "A good night's sleep makes everything better." Andy grinned and carefully parked near the entrance. Sara slowly pulled Melissa from the backseat, and grabbed her suitcase from the trunk. Andy followed her inside with Melissa's small suitcase and his own luggage. After checking into their room, Sara laid Melissa down in the middle of the far queen-sized bed. "I'm gonna go take a shower," she whispered to Andy. "Okay," Andy said easing down onto his own bed. Sara went into the bathroom and shut the door quietly. Even though she'd taken a shower at the arena in San Antonio, she felt another shower would calm her nerves. She turned the shower on, making sure the temperature was just right, and stripped out of her clothes. Once she was seated in the tub, she let her tears flow. Mark was angry about something other than the direction of his character, and Sara could feel the stress building inside her. Even knowing that she only had three weeks left, she knew it was going to be a hard three weeks, for herself, Mark, and Melissa. A half an hour, she heard a soft knock on the door before it slowly opened.

"Baby doll?" Andy asked quietly. Sara sniffled and said, "Yeah?" "Are you okay?" he asked quietly, shutting the door. "No, Andy," she whispered. "What is it?" he asked. "Mark…," she said quietly, "He was so angry at me…and I don't know why." She slowly eased her hand out of the curtain, and Andy gripped it tightly. "What do I do, Andy?" she asked quietly. "What'd he say?" he asked. "Just that he wasn't happy about having to team with Glenn for the next four months," she answered, "And I…told him to go talk to Vince about it…and he snapped at me…told me not to tell him how to run his career." "But that's not why he was really ticked, huh?" he asked. "No…I've been trying to think of a reason…and I just can't," she whispered. "Why don't you clean up…and just come to bed," he said quietly. Sara sniffled and nodded slightly. "Okay," she whispered, "Can I lay with you?" "You don't have to ask, sweetheart," he whispered kissing the back of her hand. "Is Melissa still asleep?" she asked. "Yep…laid out in the middle of the bed," he answered grinning. "Okay…I'll be out in a few minutes," she whispered. Andy squeezed her hand comfortingly and slowly stood. "Sara?" he said quietly. "Yeah," she said softly. "I told you this last week…it's only three weeks left now…don't spend it worryin' about your schedule," he said. "Yes, dad," Sara said with a smile. Andy grinned and left the bathroom, shutting the door quietly. Sara quickly washed herself and stepped out of the tub, drying her hair with one of the towels, before wrapping another one around herself and going into the room. She slipped on a pair of shorts and a tanktop before climbing into Andy's bed, curling up against his warm body. "What time are you gettin' up?" she asked softly. "I set the alarm for ten," he answered wrapping his arms around her. Sara yawned slightly as he pulled the covers over them. "Goodnight, Andy," she whispered. "Goodnight, baby doll," Andy whispered in return. Sara grinned slightly and closed her eyes, allowing the comfort of sleep to overcome her.

The next morning, Sara awoke to the smells of pancakes and bacon. "Who ordered breakfast?" she asked slowly sitting up. "Uncle Andy did, mama," Melissa answered with a mouthful of pancake. "Where is he?" Sara asked rubbing her eyes. "In the bathroom," Melissa said. Sara grinned and slowly rolled off the bed. "Did you save me some?" she asked. "Uncle Andy ordered some for you, too," Melissa said smiling. Sara sat down beside Melissa and uncovered the second plate. "Excellent," she said, "Did you have good dreams, munchkin?" Melissa nodded, still focused on her small breakfast. A few minutes later, Andy came out of the bathroom rubbing a towel through his hair. "I was just about to wake you up," he said grinning at Sara. "Sorry about that," Sara said. "Don't worry about it, baby doll," he said rotating his neck. "Did you order somethin' for yourself?" she asked. "You're eating it," he said. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Andy," Sara said dropping the fork. Andy smirked and said, "I'm just kiddin', hon." Melissa laughed and shook her head. "I told you he ordered somethin' for you, mama," she said still laughing. "Oh, hush," Sara said. Andy sat down after slipping on a shirt, and grabbed the last plate. Sara grinned slightly as he began to dig into his food. "Hungry?" she asked sipping on her orange juice. Andy grinned and winked at her. Sara's grin slowly faded, and she looked down at her plate. "You okay?" he asked. Sara went to say something, but instead stood. "I'll be out in 15," she said quietly. Andy sighed and nodded. Sara grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before going into the bathroom.

"Is she okay, Uncle Andy?" Melissa asked quietly. "I don't know, sweetheart. She's probably still tired. She works hard for ya," Andy said pinching her cheeks. Melissa smiled and set her fork down. "All done?" he asked. Melissa finished up her orange juice and nodded. "Alright, as soon as your mom comes out of the bathroom, you can go wash your hands and brush your teeth," he said, "Why don't you go watch TV until she's done?" "Okay," Melissa said moving over to the other bed, closer to the television. Andy sat back and watched as the little girl turned to a cartoon program, then laid down on the bed. _I can't wait 'til Lisa gets pregnant…it'd be so nice to be a dad_, he thought with a grin. "What's that, baby girl?" he asked quietly. "Tom & Jerry," Melissa answered swinging her feet back and forth. Andy chuckled and laid down beside her after finishing up his own breakfast. Melissa sat up and leaned against his back, running her fingers through his hair. "What are you doin'?" he asked. "Nothin'," Melissa said grinning, "You have pretty hair, Uncle Andy." Andy chuckled and said, "Girls have pretty hair, darlin'. Guys have nice-looking hair." "What's the difference?" she asked. "Nothin', really. It's just the way certain things are referred to," he answered. "What do you mean?" she asked. "There are different words used to describe the same thing…whether it's hair, or somebody's physical appearance, or even somethin' like a desk or dresser. It's called categorizing," he said looking over his shoulder at her. "So I can't say you have pretty hair?" she asked. "Well, you can…it's just a little strange to describe it that way," he said. "Says who?" she asked. "Society," Andy said grinning. "Why?" she asked. "Thought you were watching cartoons?" he asked. Melissa rolled her eyes with a grin and turned her attention back to the television.

Sara came out of the bathroom 20 minutes later, running her brush through her hair. She let out a slow breath at the sight of Melissa sprawled across Andy's back. _That should be her father…_, she thought packing away her dirty clothes. "You ready?" Andy asked from the bed. Sara swallowed and nodded slightly. "You okay?" he asked sitting up. "Yeah, Andy," she whispered. "Okay, baby doll," he said quietly. Sara picked up Melissa's suitcase as the little girl climbed off the bed. "Come on, munchkin," she whispered motioning for her to open the door. "I have to go wash my hands, mama," Melissa said grinning. "Okay," Sara said smiling slightly. Sara looked down at the floor as Melissa entered the bathroom. "What's up?" Andy asked quietly. "I just…miss Mark," she said softly, "Seein' you and Melissa…I just wish he was here, ya know." "I know, baby doll…and I'm sure he misses you, too," he said quietly, "And if it makes you uncomfortable for her to be hanging out with me like that…I'll keep my distance." "No, I don't want you to do that, Andy. You're her godfather, so you deserve to have time with her," she said grinning slightly, "The sight just…made me miss Mark a little." "Are you sure, sweetheart?" he asked. "Yeah, I promise," she said quietly. Melissa came back out, her hands soaking wet. "Darlin', you forgot to dry your hands off," Sara said chuckling. Melissa smiled and wiped her hands on the comforter on the nearest bed. Andy tried to hold in a laugh, and Sara smiled and dropped her head. "Let's go, sweetheart," she said as Andy opened the door.

On the way to the arena, Sara's cell phone rang. She sighed and looked down at the caller ID, knowing full well that it was her husband. She took a deep breath and flipped it open. "Yes, Mark?" she said quietly. "Sara, I…I'm sorry for snappin' at you last night," Mark said quietly, "I'm just…real stressed right now." "Is that daddy?" Melissa asked from the backseat. "Do you wanna talk to her?" Sara asked Mark. "In a few minutes…I wanna talk to you right now," he said quietly. "Hold on, munchkin," Sara said over the backseat, "So…let's talk." "Where are you?" he asked. "In the car, on the way to the arena," she answered swallowing. "I'll wait, then…let me talk to the munchkin," he said quietly. Sara handed the phone to Melissa and looked out the window, tears coming to her eyes. _I can't deal with another argument…I don't _want_ to deal with another argument_, she thought sadly. Andy touched her hand, and she looked over at him. He offered her a supportive smile, and Sara took a deep breath as Melissa had a very spirited conversation with her father about cartoons. A few minutes later, she handed the phone back to Sara. "Will you call me once you're at the arena?" Mark asked quietly. "I've got to work out, and check the match board…," she said quietly. "Will you call?" he asked again. "Yes, Mark," she said quietly, "I'll call you tonight, after I'm done working, okay?." She heard him sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. "Okay, dollface…that's fine," he said quietly, "I love you, baby." "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered. "Bye," he said softly. Sara said the same before slowly shutting her phone. "He okay?" Andy asked stopping at a red light. "Yeah, he, uh…he wants to talk," she said quietly, "And I know one thing, Andy…I don't want an argument…I barely have energy to work…I don't have enough to listen to him bitch at me about somethin' that neither one of us have control over." "Don't cry, baby doll," he said softly, "Like you said…neither of you have control over your schedules, so it's no need to stress about it." Sara swallowed and looked out the window, wiping away a few stray tears.

"Are you okay, mama?" Melissa asked from the backseat. "Yeah, munchkin," Sara said quietly, taking a deep breath, "When we get to the arena, I'll see if Bennie will keep an eye on you while I work out, okay?" "Can he take me to the ring?" Melissa asked smiling. Sara chuckled softly and let out a deep breath. "We'll see, sweetheart," she said grinning. "Okay, mama," Melissa said, "Daddy said he misses you." Sara looked down at her hands and grinned. "I miss him, too, munchkin," she said softly. Andy pulled into the parking lot a few minutes later, and Sara took a deep breath. "Same shit, different day," she whispered. "Not really, darlin'," Andy said grinning. Sara climbed out of the car and helped Melissa out as Andy pulled their bags from the trunk. He passed Sara's to her, before leading them inside. They found Sara's dressing room quickly, and Sara dropped her bag by the door as usual. "You have to work right now, mama?" Melissa asked. "Actually, I'm gonna go up to the balcony for a while, sweetheart. You wanna come with?" Sara answered running her hands through her hair. Melissa nodded and Sara grinned. "How long are you gonna be up there?" Andy asked. "Just an hour or so…I need to relax," she answered quietly. "Okay, baby doll," he said quietly. Sara picked up Melissa and left the room, shutting the door quietly before heading towards her destination. "What's wrong, mama?" Melissa asked once they were seated as far up as possible. "What makes you think something's wrong, sweetheart?" Sara asked setting her feet up on the seat in front of her. "You were sad in the car…and you only come up here when you're upset," Melissa said quietly. Sara swallowed and looked out at the empty arena. The ring crew had been there for a couple hours already, and was in the midst of setting up the stage for RAW that night. "I just miss your father, sweetheart," she said quietly. "Do you wanna talk?" Melissa asked. Sara smiled slightly and looked down at her. "Let's just sit here for a while, okay?" she said quietly. Melissa nodded and placed her hand in Sara's. Sara grinned and turned her attention back to the workers milling about the arena floor.

Nearly 45 minutes later, after sitting in complete silence, Sara decided it was time to get to work. "You wanna go see if Aunt Trish will watch you while I work?" she asked picking up Melissa. "What about Uncle Bennie?" Melissa asked grinning. "He's in the ring working, see?" Sara said pointing down to the ring. "You can see from all the way up here?" Melissa asked. Sara chuckled and nodded. "You have good eyesight, then, mama," Melissa said, "Because I can barely see down there. They look so small." Sara smiled and left the balcony, heading towards the women's locker room and hoping Trish was there.

The day passed by quite quickly for Sara. She'd had a great time being in the ring with Rob again, the segment ending in a brawl between the two that took nearly ten guards to break apart. They spent nearly the whole show randomly attacking each other as well. When her flight landed in Ft. Worth, she ran her fingers over her face tiredly. "Mama, are we there yet?" Melissa asked softly from beside her. "Yeah, munchkin, we're here now. We're gonna go to our hotel and go right to sleep, okay?" Sara said quietly, waiting for the plane to empty before exiting herself. She quickly got her rental car and helped Melissa into the backseat. "How far is it, mama?" Melissa asked yawning. "About 15 minutes. I'll get there as soon as I can, munchkin," Sara said softly, kissing the top of her daughter's head. She then climbed into the front seat and headed towards her hotel. In a way, she was glad to have special appearances over houseshows. However, she would easily admit that traveling without Andy was certainly lonely, even with Melissa on the road with her. After arriving at the hotel and checking in, Sara carried a now-sleeping Melissa up to their room, quickly depositing her into the middle of the bed and pulling the covers over her. Sara straightened up and rotated her neck, letting out a soft yawn. _I still gotta call Mark_, she thought going into the bathroom. She took a quick shower and dressed in an oversized t-shirt before climbing into the bed with her cell phone in hand. She dialed Mark's number and rested her head on the pillow.

"I thought you'd never call," Mark answered quietly. "I'm sorry, Mark…today was really busy," she said softly. "I know…don't even worry about it," he said quietly, "I'm just glad you called. Is Melissa asleep?" "Of course…the traveling wears her out so easily," she said quietly, looking down at Melissa's curled form, "So we have to be quiet." "Yeah…I know," he said quietly. "If Dany comes back…before Sunday…would you mind leaving Melissa at home? I really don't want her on the road a second week," she said quietly. Mark sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "The guys and girls were really lookin' forward to seein' her. I've been talkin' about it since Saturday," he said. "Okay…that's fine, then…but I don't want her goin' to Japan," she said. "That works, dollface," he said. Sara grinned slightly and settled into the bed even more. "So…how was your day?" he asked. "Long…we got to the arena about 10:30…and we didn't leave until close to midnight," she answered, "Rob and I spent a lotta time talkin' out our angle. He's so excited about the pay-per-view." "I bet," Mark said grinning, "How'd, uh, Andy feel about that?" "He was really disappointed at first, but…I think he's okay with it now. He even watched Melissa while I was off working," she answered, "Vince agreed to let me and Rob decide what kinda match we wanted to have at Survivor Series." "Wow…he's really giving you a lotta leeway," he said quietly. "Yeah, no kiddin'. It's hard, because after having had the ladder match with Shawn…and Hell in a Cell with Randy, there's not much more we can do to where it looks like I really have no chance o' winning, ya know," she said. "Did Rob give you any suggestions?" he asked. "No, not really. He agreed with me…the fans are gonna see me as invincible after I've now been through a Hell in a Cell match," she said quietly. "True…the guys here still come up to me sayin' they don't understand how you came outta that match still standing," he said grinning. "I can still feel it sometimes…like, it's hard to lay on my back," she said quietly. "If I was there, I'd give you a massage," he said quietly. Sara grinned and sighed softly. "That'd be nice," she said softly. "I'm sure you'll come up with somethin' good, baby," he said. "Of course…but Vince wants us to have somethin' finalized by Sunday, so we can start promoting it on Monday night," she said, "So, it's gonna be interesting." "Vince has got faith in you, dollface…I don't think you'll let him down," he said quietly. "I'm gonna try not to," she said, "It's hard to believe I only have two and a half weeks left." "Yeah, I know…," Mark said quietly.

"Anyway, enough about me…how was your day?" Sara said grinning. "A little better than yesterday. We got done pretty early, so I came back to the hotel and watched RAW. It was pretty hilarious seein' you and Rob fightin' all over the place," Mark said. "Yeah, that was fun to do," she said. "I got to wrestle against Shawn and John in a handicapped match, but Glenn came out near the end and made the save," he said. "Are they a team now?" she asked. "Kinda…they're playing the whole "We wish we were still on RAW" thing, so…it's interesting," he said, "Because I know John really feels that way sometimes." "I would suspect so…he had a lotta friends over here," she said quietly, "And Melissa loved hangin' out with him." "Yeah, he's asked me about her constantly over the past couple days," he said, "That's why I wanna bring her with me…so John can see her again." "Has he talked to Dany yet?" she asked. "I think so…he said she was practically hysterical the last time they talked, because of her dad and everything," he said quietly. "Yeah…I know how she feels," she said quietly. "Have you talked to her yet?" he asked. "No…I figured she'd call me when she was ready to come back," she answered. "Yeah. What do you wanna do if she doesn't come back by Sunday?" he asked. "What do you mean?" Sara asked in return. "Well…there's only two weeks, really, until you retire. It'd be kinda pointless to keep her on if she's not gonna be here for that time," he said. "I think the last thing she needs right now, Mark, is for us to fire her," Sara said quietly. "I know, Sara, I was just sayin'," Mark said quietly. Sara sighed heavily and ran her fingers through her damp hair. "Let's just wait and see, Mark," she said quietly. "Okay, dollface," he said quietly.

"So…what'd you wanna talk about earlier?" she asked finally. She heard Mark sigh, and shifted onto her side. "Our argument…when we were at home," he said quietly. "What about it?" she whispered. "Sara…you have no idea how pissed I was at the idea of you not wanting Melissa with me," he said quietly, "I took it as…you thinkin' I wasn't gonna take care of her, like I wasn't gonna be a good parent." "Mark, I never said that," she said quietly. "Well…that's how it sounded, Sara," Mark said quietly. "I'm sorry, Mark…is that what you want, an apology?" she asked slowly sitting up. She knew this discussion was going to become heated, and she didn't want to wake Melissa. "I think I deserve it," he said tensely. Sara rolled her eyes and went into the bathroom, quietly shutting the door. "Fine…I'm sorry for questioning your parenting skills," she said, her jaw twitching. "I love her as much as you do, Sara…and I want her to see me as much as you want to see her," he said quietly. "I know that, Mark," Sara said. "When you retire, like you said, she's gonna see you 24/7, while I'm still out on the road," he said quietly. "I know, Mark," Sara snapped, dropping her head. "Well, you sure as hell didn't act like it. You can only be so selfish, Sara…especially when it comes to our little girl," he said tensely. "You're calling names now?" she asked sitting on the floor away from the door. "No, I'm bein' honest," Mark said, "You can be completely selfish sometimes, Sara…and you know it." Sara swallowed as tears came to her eyes. "Yeah, I know," she whispered. "And I'm not even gonna ask why you are that way…'cause it's been like this for the seven years we've been together," he said quietly. "Are you through with your speech?" she snapped.

"Fine…let's move on," he said tensely. "To what?" she asked. "Your schedule for the next three weeks," he answered. "What about it? You know I can't change it," she said just as tensely. "Vince gave you the choice of who you wanted gonna drop the title to…and now he's giving you the power to choose what kinda match you wanna have for that…you don't think he'd be willing to give you just a few days off?" he said heatedly. "Alright, now _you're_ being selfish, Mark. People expect to see me, and they're paying some good money to do that. Plus, I have to go to OVW for a training session right before the pay-per-view. I can't skip out on stuff like that, genius," she said tensely. "I'm not being selfish, Sara. I want to see my wife. There's nothin' wrong with that," he said. "You know what it's like to be the World champion, Mark. You _know_ the appearances that have to be made, the PR that has to be done, the work that goes into being champion. Why are you givin' me so much shit about this now that I'm in the spotlight?" she snapped. "I'm not givin' you shit about bein' champion, I'm givin' you shit about not acting like my wife," he snapped back. "Here we go again, Mark…," she said quietly. "Yes, here we go again. Unlike some guys I know, I happen to like seein' my wife. I like bein' around you, and talkin' to you, and fucking your brains out on my desk at home. How am I gonna do all that when you're not here?" he said tensely. "What the fuck does that mean?" she hissed. "You're missing the point, Sara," he said heatedly. "Yeah, you're goddamn right. What the fuck does that mean?" she snapped. "I miss you, Sara," Mark said quietly, "That's the point…I miss the way you look right before you wake up…the way your hair smells after a hot shower…the way you smile at one o' my jokes, no matter how stupid it is. I miss your smartass comments…your opinion on everything under the sun…the look in your eyes when Melissa tells you her word o' the week. I miss the little stuff. Since you won that title…your dedication to me…it's like it flew out the window."

Sara dropped her head as tears came spilling from her eyes. "You know that's not true, Mark," she whispered painfully. "It certainly doesn't feel like it, dollface," he said softly, feeling hot tears burn his eyes, "No matter how I try to look at this situation, I can't help but feel…like your career is more important to you than your family." "That's not true, Mark…that's the furthest from the truth as you could get," she whispered, trying to wipe her tears away and failing. "So what is the truth?" he asked quietly. "I miss you more than you'll ever know, Mark…that whole draft lottery bullshit broke my heart. We were finally getting some happiness back into our marriage…and that bullshit ripped us apart, literally," she said quietly, "All I've wanted since August…is to be as in love with you as I was the first three years of our marriage." "Are you not in love with me anymore?" he asked. "Yes, Mark, I'm so in love with you. It hurts me so much to argue with you…we're both so fucking stubborn," she said softly. "Thought you were headstrong?" he whispered grinning. Sara smiled slightly and shook her head. "I have my bad moments," she whispered. "We both do, dollface," he said softly, "And I'm not tryin' to make your last few weeks hard…I just want you to know how I feel…we've always been honest with each other, even when it hurts, right?" "Yeah, I know," she said quietly, slowly standing and yawning. "What time is it there?" he asked. "Goin' on two a.m.," she answered going back into the room. "What time's your appearance?" he asked. "Nine a.m., at the military base. I'm gonna be in a parade for them," she answered slowly climbing into the bed. "Sounds like it's gonna be fun," he said quietly. "Yeah…I get to ride in a tank, and throw t-shirts, and stuff like that," she answered. "Sweet deal. I'm kinda jealous," he said quietly. Sara chuckled and laid her head on the pillow as Melissa curled up against her. "Who's watching Melissa?" he asked. "I'm gonna have a security guard with me the whole time, walkin' beside the tank, and he's gonna carry Melissa with him," she answered. "Wow, so she gets to be in the parade, too. She'll enjoy that," he said. "Yeah," Sara said. "Alright, dollface…it's pretty late here, too. I don't have to be up until noon, but that's only eight hours from now, so…sweet dreams, okay?" he said softly. "Ditto, baby. I love you, Mark," she whispered. "I love you, too, Sara. Goodnight, sweetheart," he whispered. "Goodnight, Mark," she said quietly. She clicked the phone shut and put it on the nightstand, then set the clock for 7:30 a.m. "It's gonna be a long day tomorrow," she whispered before pulling the covers over her shoulder and falling to sleep quickly.


	114. Don't Speak

**WHO GOT AN 'A' IN STATISTICS! points thumbs to self THIS GIRL! Whoo! All that "studying" paid off! LOL Yeah, I got an 'A' in the "class from hell", and I didn't even work that hard for it. Sorry for the delay on this chapter, but I was struggling with the end of it. I hope you guys like it, 'cuz I thought about the ending for about two weeks, even while I was typing up the previous chapter. :) Enjoy! And as usual, review when you're done reading. It helps me more than you know!**

**Shannon

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Chapter 113…Don't Speak

By the time Sara got to Boston for RAW, she was ready to rip Mark's throat out. Every day they'd talked since Tuesday, he'd found some way to start an argument. They'd end up yelling back and forth for nearly 20 minutes before calming down. To make things worse, Sara had received a call from Dany Saturday night to let her know that she was back in town, and could resume babysitting Melissa. Mark was pissed, to say the least, when Dany told him Sara didn't want Melissa on the road with him; he hadn't called her since Saturday night. Sara walked through the halls of the FleetCenter, her mind trying to block out Mark's ever-growing attitude. The tension was so high between them; Sara could feel her chest tighten at the thought of even talking with him again. When she arrived at her dressing room, she slowly shut the door before dropping to the floor, her breathing erratic. A knock came on the door a few minutes later, as Sara rubbed her arms roughly, trying to calm herself. She slowly stood, taking a few deep breaths, before slowly opening the door and grinning. "And why are you smiling like a Cheshire cat?" she asked. "I just had the best idea ever," Rob said smiling. "Come in, Rob," she said stepping to the side. Rob came in and faced her as she shut the door. "So, what's the great idea?" she asked. "It's not just a great idea, it is…the best idea I think I've had in a long time," he said grinning. "Alright, tell me already," she said smiling.

"Okay, you know how we were struggling to come up with a match for Survivor Series?" he asked. "Yes, Rob. I take it you've got an idea," she said still smiling. "Alright, with the ladder match, all you had to do was climb the ladder to get the belt. With Hell in a Cell, you needed a pin fall or submission to get outta that one. So…how about a match where you need a ten-count to win?" he said grinning. "You're talkin' about a Last Man Standing match," she said. "Exactly. You basically need to knock the person out to win," he answered, "Plus, the name of it implies that I'll win." "And we could go like I've been doin' since I won the title, that I can beat any man, no matter what the name of the match is," she said grinning. "Exactly," he said smiling. "Let's go talk to Vince, then," Sara said. "Already did. He was all about it," Rob said. "Hmm…now what would've happened if I didn't like it?" she asked grinning. "Well, I guess I'm lucky you did, then," he answered. Sara chuckled and nodded. "Are you gonna get Mark's opinion about it?" he asked. "No," she said simply, "He's never had any say over what kinda match I choose to participate in…even when he was still here." "Gotcha," Rob said grinning, "Alright, well, I just wanted to let you know about that stuff. Vince said he'll try and have a run-sheet and script outline to ya by two o' clock." "Is the match board up yet?" she asked opening the door. "Nah, not yet. It's goin' on noon, though, so it should be comin' soon," he answered. "Alright. I'll see ya around, Rob," Sara said quietly. Rob nodded slightly before leaving the room.

Sara shut the door and dropped her head back. She'd witnessed several of her co-workers go through Last Man Standing matches over the years, and the ending was never pretty. Concussions, fractures, scrapes, bruises, and everything in between could result from that one match. _I guess you took that chance stepping into the Cell, too_, she thought changing into a pair of running pants and a tanktop. She slipped on her running shoes, then left the room for the arena gym. She met up with Andy on her way there. "Hey, you," he said quietly. "How's Lisa doin'?" Sara asked immediately. "Havin' the time of her life sittin' around the house doin' absolutely nothing," Andy said grinning. "Lucky her," she said quietly. "Mark still hasn't called?" he asked quietly. Sara sighed and shook her head. "Why's he so pissed off?" he asked. "I wouldn't let him take Melissa with him on the road this week," she said quietly, "She was exhausted from traveling with me, and I didn't want her to go through that a second time, especially right after bein' with me." Andy sighed and scratched his head. "You don't think he has a right to be mad about that?" he asked. "Andy…we argued every day last week. I didn't want her around him with him bein' so angry. I can deal with his temper…Melissa's 3 ½ years old, she can't," she said quietly. "You really think he would've shown his temper around her?" he asked. "I didn't want to take that chance," she said simply.

"Sara…as angry as he might get…you know he loves that little girl with all he his heart," Andy said, "He would never let her see him in a light that would…make her think otherwise." "I know, Andy," Sara said quietly. "Are you sure about that?" he asked. Sara sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't know what to do, Andy…I mean, I don't need this shit right now. My schedule is busy as hell, I've got a husband who hates me, a daughter I never see…when's enough just that, enough?" she said quietly. "Two weeks," Andy said grinning. Sara chuckled and said, "I wish Mark could see that, and stop givin' me so much shit." "He will, baby doll…in due time. I've kinda realized that he's as impatient as they come…and that was before I met you," he said quietly. Sara chuckled again and dropped her eyes to the floor. "Yeah, we are pretty impatient," she said softly. "So…why don't you give him a call the next chance you get? Talk to him…don't yell, talk," he said quietly. "I tried that, Andy…I really did. But he always starts jumpin' down my throat, and yellin' at me. I can't take his shit right now," she responded, "We'll work it out in two weeks, I guess." "If that's what you wanna do…but I can see right now…you're really hurtin', baby doll…and it's no use in putting yourself through that if you don't have to," Andy said quietly. Sara swallowed and nodded slightly. "I guess…I'll try to talk to him before we go to Japan," she said quietly. "That works, baby doll," Andy said grinning, "I was headed to catering, but I can tell you're gettin' ready to work out, so I'll catch up with ya later." "Alright, Andy," Sara said before heading towards her destination.

Sara took her time working out, wanting to get the most out of the time. When she headed back to her dressing room, she felt a sense of renewal. After a hot, relaxing shower, she went down to catering for lunch with her script in hand. She had a tag match with Chris against Randy and Rob, much like they'd done at the houseshows this past weekend. She noticed that she and Rob also had a few segments together, two being all out brawls, and the last setting up for their match at Survivor Series. She grabbed a plate of food and sat down to eat. As she eyed her script, Rob walked in with Randy and Chris. Sara grinned slightly and waved the men over. "Hey, we were just lookin' for you," Randy said grinning. "How's your shoulder doin'?" she asked. It had only been two weeks since their Cell match, and Randy was still wearing the blue sling to hold his left arms still. "It's alright. I wear it now for effect. You'd be surprised how many women fawn over a hurt, sexy male such as myself," Randy answered with a grin. "With you, I'm not surprised at all," she said smiling, "You guys gonna join me?" "Yep. Be right back," Chris said. Sara sipped on her water bottle, her eyes going back down to the papers in front of her. The three men came back moments later, with their plates piled up. "Now that's…ridiculous," Sara said smirking at them. "We've gotta keep our energy up, Angel," Randy said winking at her. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Whatever you say, "Legend Killer"," she said. "Well, Randy hasn't been killing much of anything lately, so I don't if that nickname applies anymore," Chris said smirking. Sara laughed and shook her head. "You wait 'til I'm back to 100 percent, Benoit," Randy said "Right," Chris said sarcastically. "You guys are retarded," Sara said scooping a piece of chicken into her mouth. "But it's so much fun," Randy said. "That's one thing I will definitely miss," she said quietly. "Of course," Rob said. "How much longer do you guys have?" she asked. "Well, I just signed a three-year renewal, but then Nancy wants me home for good," Chris said. "Yeah, Sonya's startin' to get on my case about retiring, too," Rob said, "But I signed a five-year renewal last week." "And you know me, Angel, I'm the future o' the business," Randy said lastly, a smile on his face. Sara rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You're not gonna last much longer with the way your head is growing. Sooner or later, it's gonna collapse the ring," she said smirking. The other two men laughed heartily at Randy. "Yeah, yeah, pick on the crippled guy," Randy said with a grin. "Only 'cause it's so much fun," Sara said with a smile, "Besides, we know you're not crippled anymore." She slapped his arm, chuckling when he feigned pain. "See, you're such a fraud," she said. "I'm insulted," Randy said grinning. "Well, I try," she said smiling.

Lunch continued for nearly an hour, before the group decided to head down to the ring. They stood outside the ring while John, Andy, and Paul practiced for their match. "Do you guys just wanna go with what we did this weekend?" Sara asked leaning against the black barrier. "What, with me gettin' my ass kicked the whole time?" Randy asked. "Jeez, you're such a wimp," Sara said chuckling. "I don't know, Angel. We can mix things up this time, considering we had way too much fun yesterday," Rob said grinning. Sara chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, we did. I still can't believe Chris pulled down Randy's trunks. I thought I was gonna collapse from laughing so hard," she said starting to laugh. "Oh, thanks. That really makes me feel better," Randy said. "It was an accident, I swear," Chris said before busting out laughing. Sara laughed even harder as Randy's face turned red with embarrassment. "You guys are absolutely nuts," Chris said, "I'm tellin' ya, it was an accident. He shouldn't have been squirming around so much." "Can we just move past that?" Randy said shifting slightly against the barrier. "Alright, I'll try," Sara said, failing to stop the laughs that escaped. "You're not tryin' too hard," Randy said. "I'm sorry, Randy…really, I'll stop," she said smirking. Randy rolled his eyes playfully, his attention shifting to the three men already in the ring. "Okay, down to business," Sara said rotating her neck.

The four people worked out a basic plan for their match while Andy, John, and Paul were in the ring. When they finally exited, Sara and the other three men practiced a few high spots in their matches, and several transition moves, before calling it quits. Sara went back to her dressing room and changed into her outfit for the night: a pair of black velvet pants with her symbol on the left leg, a white baby tee with black sleeves, and her black wrestling boots. There was still three hours to go until the doors opened, so Sara went up to the balcony. She lowered her head and began to pray for strength to get through the next couple weeks, with or without her husband's support. Sara lost herself in her prayers, and ended up not bothering to keep track of time. Soon, voices began to echo throughout the arena, and Sara looked up. "Oh, shit," she whispered at the sight of fans filing into the arena. She let out a deep breath and slowly stood, wanting to avoid drawing as little attention as possible. She managed to get to the hallway before a small group of fans noticed her. "Oh, my--." Sara put her finger to her lips immediately, motioning for them to come over. The teenagers slowly came over to her, and Sara quietly said, "If you don't make any noise, I'll give you an autograph, okay?" They all nodded and pulled out their programs for the night's show. Sara grabbed a Sharpie marker from the smallest teenager, and signed her stage name on each person's program. "Thanks, Angel," one girl said quietly. "Enjoy the show, okay?" Sara said softly. They nodded with huge smiles on their faces. Sara winked at them before slipping to the backstage area without further problems.

"Where'd you disappear to?" Andy asked as soon as Sara stepped into her dressing room. "The balcony," she said smiling, "And you won't believe what happened." "What?" he asked. "I lost track o' time, and didn't realize how late it was until fans started to file in," she said chuckling. "Did they catch you?" he asked. "No, but a few kids saw me…I promised 'em an autograph if they didn't make any noise," she said shutting the door. "Wow…that could've been bad, ya know…you could've caused a riot in the hallways," he said grinning at her. "Yeah…that's what made it so funny," she said pulling out her make-up bag. "What were you doin' up there for so long anyway?" he asked leaning back against the couch. "Just thinkin'…and praying," she said quietly. "Understandable…Mark called," he said quietly. Sara sighed and looked down at her hands. "What'd he say?" she asked quietly. "Just wanted to know where you were…he wants you to call him," Andy said. "Why, so he can yell at me _again_?" she said tensely. "He sounded really down, Sara…he misses you…a lot," he said quietly, "And you know you miss him." Sara swallowed and took a deep breath. "I don't wanna hear his bullshit, Andy," she said before going into the bathroom. Andy sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, which he'd decided to get cut again. Lisa liked it short, especially when he spiked it up. According to her, he resembled Brad Pitt. Andy smiled slightly at the thought of his wife, feeling completely glad that they didn't have as many problems as Mark and Sara did. _When they're happy with each other, it's bliss…but when they're pissed…man, do they get _pissed, he thought. He stood and left the room, deciding on a small snack before the show.

Sara tried to apply her make-up, but Andy's message from Mark brought tears to her eyes. _I won't call him…I won't…I will not let him talk to me like I'm nothing…I can't do that_, she thought sitting down on the floor, tears escaping onto her cheeks. She covered her eyes and cried silently, the pain in her heart overwhelming. _Don't be so damn stubborn, Sara…for once, swallow your pride and call your husband_, her mind told her, _You know you miss him…just like Andy said. This time will be different_. Sara shook her head, arguing with herself. "It won't be different…he's gonna find somethin' else to yell at me about…although I don't know what else there is to yell about. Why does he gotta be like this?" she whispered to the empty room. _Because he loves you…he loves you more than anybody else…he wants you to be happy…he's sacrificed everything possible for you. All he wants is a damn phone call, Sara…suck it up and call him back_, her mind said. Sara wiped her eyes and got to her feet, taking a few deep breaths as she felt her stubbornness creep up and try to shut out her mind. "You don't need him, Sara…you're your own woman," she said to her reflection. _Remember the last time you said that to him…remember what he did to you_, her mind argued lastly. Sara took another deep breath and steeled her spine. "No…I can only take so much," she said quietly, resuming the task of fixing her make-up. Once she was done, she moved on to her hair, trying to decide whether or not to leave it down for the night. She smiled as she pulled it up into a half ponytail, braiding the ponytail and putting a slight curl in the hanging hair. "There…damn, I look good," she said with a grin. She went back into the room and put her make-up and hair items away. "Vince is lookin' for you," Andy said from the couch. "Okay," she said with a smile before leaving the room. Andy sighed as the door shut, knowing that Sara had shut down her pain once again. _I love her like a sister…but she can be the most stubborn bitch in the world_, he thought as the television showed matches being recorded for Sunday Night Heat.

Sara headed down to Vince's office, a small bounce in her step. When she got to Vince's office, she knocked quickly. "Yeah, come in," Vince said hurriedly. Sara opened the door and Vince waved her in. "I've gotta get to the pit in a minute, so I gotta make this quick," he said. "What's up?" she asked. "Everything okay with you?" he asked. "Yeah…why?" she asked grinning. "Andy came to me a little bit ago…said you and Mark were havin' problems," he said. Sara smiled slightly and shook her head. "We're alright," she lied. "Sara…don't lie to me," he said quietly. Sara sighed and looked away, her jaw tightening. "Vince, don't worry about it," she said after taking a deep breath. "I was lookin' at your schedule for next week…and I can cut those special appearances out if you need it. Paul's been askin' me to give him somethin' extra to do for a little while, and that fits perfectly with his schedule," he said moving from the couch. "How 'bout you just send him with me?" she said, "Because I've only got two weeks left, and I wanna make the most of it." Vince sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you sure? I know you're leavin' us soon, but I _will_ give you a break if you need it," he said quietly. "Trust me, Vince…I'm gonna have many years ahead o' me to do absolutely nothin'…I've got a responsibility to you and this company, and I'm gonna fulfill it," she argued. "You are the most stubborn woman I've ever met, Sara…I thought Stephanie was bad," he said grinning. Sara chuckled and shrugged slightly. "I can't help it," she said. "Of course you can't. Well, I just wanted to make sure you're okay," he said opening the door. Sara nodded and walked out of the room, Vince right behind her. "Just remember somethin', okay?" he said quietly. "What's that?" she asked. "This is supposed to be fun…I know it's hard sometimes, but it's supposed to always be fun," he answered. Sara grinned and nodded. "I'll remember that," she said before heading back towards her dressing room, a look of anger coming across her face.

When she got inside her dressing room, she slammed her door shut. "What's wrong?" Andy asked standing. "Let's get this straight, Andy. I love you like a brother…and Vince is like a father to me…but my problems are _my_ problems…not Vince's," she snapped, "So the next time you decide to go run your mouth off to him, be careful what you say." "Sara, I wasn't tryin' to cause you any trouble, I just thought maybe--." "What, Vince could sit me down and talk some "sense" into me? Don't treat me like a fucking child, Andy. I get enough o' that shit from Mark," she snapped. "I'm not doin' that, Sara," he said quietly, moving towards her, "I'm just doin' what I can to help you." Sara looked away, her jaw twitching in irritation. She felt Andy's hands on her shoulders, tears coming to her eyes at the contact. "Will you let me help you, sweetheart?" he said softly, "You know I hate seein' you like this." Sara blinked away the tears and took a deep breath. "I know, Andy," she whispered looking back at him, "But like you've said time and time again…I don't have much longer left here…no use in worrying about what I can't control, right?" Andy couldn't help but grin, and he pulled her into a close embrace. "I'm here, baby doll…I know I'm not Mark, but I'm here for ya," he whispered. Sara nodded against his chest, hanging her arms loosely around his waist. "I miss him, Andy…just like you said," she whispered. "So why don't you give him that call?" he asked quietly. "I can't…I don't want to," she responded, feeling tears come to her eyes once more. "Maybe so…but I'll tell ya, baby doll…he needs you as much as you need him, if not more," he said quietly. "I know that, Andy…I just need him to see that…I can only take so much o' his bullshit," she said. "It's bullshit to you, darlin'…but not to him," he said kissing the top of her head. Sara sighed and moved away from him, sitting down on the couch. "I'll try and call him tomorrow night, before we leave for Japan," she conceded after a few moments of silence. "Okay, baby doll," he said quietly. "If he calls you, just…tell him I'm not ready to talk to him yet," she said quietly. "Okay…," he said quietly. Sara swallowed and looked up at him. "Can I get some time alone?" she whispered. "Sure. I've gotta go run through my match with John and Paul anyway," he answered grinning slightly. Sara forced her own grin and nodded, watching as he left the room, letting out a heavy sigh once the door clicked shut. She moved down to the floor, preparing to stretch out her muscles and get into character, because she had three segments, all of which she was going to have to get physical.

As RAW came on the air, a car was shown pulling up to the FleetCenter. Rob climbed out of the car with his duffel bag over his shoulder. Sara ran out of nowhere, attacking him as he slammed the door shut. She climbed on top of his chest, nailing him with right punches. Referees came running up as she stomped him in his midsection, smiling evilly as the air filled with groans from Rob. "Come on, Angel, back off!" Mike screamed pulling Sara back. Sara chuckled and spat, "Just thought I'd get in a few good cheap shots, RVD! See ya later tonight, buddy!" The RAW theme song played as Sara headed back to her dressing room. She rotated her neck and shut her door quietly. Andy had disappeared over an hour ago, and had yet to return. _I hope he's okay_, she thought, her attention drifting to the television screen, which was now showing Shane in his General Manager officer. "After last week's happenings between Rob Van Dam and the World Heavyweight champion Angel…tonight, I'm ordering a tag team match. Tonight it will be Rob Van Dam and Randy Orton facing Chris Benoit and Angel in a Tornado Tag Team match! Also, I'm ordering both Superstars to sign a "No-Contact" contract after their match is over. This is _my_ show, and I will not have the inmates running the asylum!" Shane stated emphatically, "Also, we're going to determine a new number one contender for the Intercontinental championship. Triple H, John Cena, and Test will face off in a Triple Threat match. Should Test win this match…he will not have to defend his title at Survivor Series. However, if one of the other two men gets the victory, Test will face that person at the pay-per-view!" Sara grinned and remembered that Andy was off talking with Paul and John about their match that night.

Sara had her match at the top of the second hour, since Vince wanted the contract signing to be at the very end, setting up for Survivor Series. The Tornado Tag match was pure mayhem. Sara had to force herself not to laugh at Jimmy, the referee, because half the time, he didn't know what was going on. She got the pin fall over Rob after nearly 15 minutes of wrestling, and added a few kicks to his midsection before finally leaving the ring, satisfied with her victory. Once in the back, she took a quick shower and changed into a pair of loose sweatpants (something that would still look good on television, though), and one of her newer t-shirts. On the front, it read "If you talk the talk…", and on the back it read, "You damn sure better walk the walk!", and it had her symbol below it. She pulled her hair into a loose braid, putting a black rubber band on it. Andy's match ended rather interesting; Paul and John both covered Andy. As the bell rang, Shane's music hit. "Well, well, well…here I was, thinkin' I was solving this little problem of finding a number one contender," he said after stepping onto the stage. Andy slowly got to his feet as Paul and John shoved each other repeatedly, arguing over who was the rightful number one contender. "Gentlemen, if you'll listen to me…I've got a solution to this problem," Shane said, "At Survivor Series, we're going to have…a Falls Count Anywhere Triple Threat match! Test, you're going to have to try twice as hard to keep your precious Intercontinental title!" Sara chuckled as Andy's jaw dropped, and Paul and John chuckled together, climbing out of the ring.

She stood from the couch and headed towards the pit area. Rob met her there, also having showered and changed into regular street clothes. "This should be fun," he said grinning. "Yeah…kind of annoying that you get the last shot in tonight," she said grinning as well. "Ah, don't worry…I'll try and go easy on ya," he said chuckling. "Oh, don't do me any favors, buddy," Sara said as Paul and John came through the curtains, "Interesting predicament you guys found yourselves in." "Yeah, I suppose so. Survivor Series should definitely be special," Paul said heading down the stairs. Sara chuckled as John followed Paul. Andy came through moments later, holding his neck. "You okay?" she asked. "Yeah, just a little sore," he answered, "I'll meet up with ya in a half an hour, okay?" Sara nodded slightly and turned her attention back to Rob. Rob's music hit a few minutes later, and the fans immediately began to boo. Rob stepped out onto the stage, heading down to the ring which had a table set in the middle. Rob raised his arms, ignoring the boos echoing through the building. Sara came out moments later, her eyes glazed over in anger. "Alright, you two…last week was completely uncalled for. Not only did you two destroy my office with your antics, but you injured helpless referees, and a few security guards. In front of you is a "No Contact" agreement, which simply states that if either of you lay one hand on each other…you'll be suspended for six months with no pay!" Shane said tensely. Sara rolled her eyes and picked up one of the microphones in front of her. "Shane…this little surfer boy goes and disrespects me in front of millions of people. He comes outta nowhere and attacks me…and you want me to let that crap go? I don't think so!" she snapped.

"Listen up, little girl…I've had it up to here with your 'holier than thou' attitude. It was about time somebody put you in your place!" Rob said heatedly. "My _place_? Obviously you don't know who I am, RVD. I'm the World--." "Heavyweight champion…as if you haven't said it enough the past two and a half months. Frankly, I'm a little sick o' hearing it!" he snapped. "Oh, yeah? Why don't you do somethin' about it?" she snapped back. "Fine…I want your ass at Survivor Series!" Rob exclaimed, "In a Last Man Standing match! I'm gonna leave you lying like the bitch you are!" Sara stepped into Rob's face, and snarled, "I'm about to show you just how big of a bitch I can be!" "Hey! Stop it right now, dammit!" Shane said pushing them apart, "Rob, Angel…I'm gonna settle this right now! There's gonna be a World Heavyweight title match at Survivor Series. Angel, you're gonna be defending your title against Rob Van Dam…in that Last Man Standing match!" "So he gets what he wants, Shane? What about what I want?" she said angrily. "And what is it that you want?" Shane asked. "If I can't beat RVD at Survivor Series…I'll never step foot in a WWE ring again," Sara said confidently, "I'll leave this business behind, with no regrets." "And if you win?" Shane asked. "That little bastard never gets another World title shot again…against _anybody_," she said grinning satisfactorily. Shane looked at Rob, who looked less than happy about that stipulation. "What do ya say, Mr. "Monday Night"? Willing to risk never gettin' another title shot just to…put me in my 'place'?" she asked grinning. Rob snarled and said, "You're on, Angel." The fans burst into cheers, and Sara smiled fully. "There is still the issue of this "No Contact" agreement. With this match now being official, the terms of the agreement change a tad. Angel, if you lay one finger on RVD…you'll forfeit the title to him with no rematch whatsoever. Do you understand?" Shane said looking her directly in the eye. "Fine," Sara said, "I can hold my temper back for two weeks." "Rob…if you attack Angel in any way, shape, or form…you will not only lose your title shot at Survivor Series, but you'll be suspended indefinitely. Do _you_ understand?" Shane said staring at Rob. "Two weeks is plenty o' time to wait, if it means dethroning Queen Bitch over there," Rob said with an evil smirk. "Fine…sign it," Shane said. Sara signed the paper first, before sliding it over to Rob. She looked away as Rob signed the form as well.

"There we go…at Survivor Series, Angel will defend her World Heavyweight title against Rob Van Dam," Shane said finally. "I'll see your ass at Survivor Series…_dude_," Sara said smartly before turning to leave the ring. Rob took his microphone and nailed her in the back of the head, knocking her to the mat. Shane tried to pull Rob away, but Rob pushed him back and continued stomping at Sara's back. "Rob Van Dam, you are suspended indefinitely, do you hear me!" Shane screamed. "Actually, boss man, I'm not," Rob said as Sara grabbed at her lower back. "And how do you figure that? You signed the damn contract! You just forfeited your title match!" Shane said emphatically. Rob smirked and picked up the paper, shoving it in Shane's face. "I'm a lot smarter than I look, Shane-O," he said before sliding out of the ring, "See ya next week, Angel!" The show went off the air with Shane kneeling down beside Sara, checking if she was okay. Jimmy and Mike came running down the ramp, and helped Sara to the back. Once they were behind the curtain, Sara rotated her neck and yawned. "Thanks, guys," she said to the two referees. "No problem. See ya tomorrow, Angel," Mike said as she headed down the hallway. Sara grabbed her bag from her dressing room, then went down to Bruce's room, where she was sure Andy was getting ice for his neck. When she entered the room, her jaw dropped slightly.

Andy was laying face down, with two huge packs of ice on his neck and upper back. "Andy, are you okay?" she asked going over to him. "Kinda…but not really," he said honestly. "What happened?" she asked. "I took a DDT from Paul, and…my left arm kinda went numb…after I got to the back," he answered quietly. "Bruce, is he gonna be okay?" she asked the trusted trainer. "To be honest…I'm not sure…he's been doin' this a long time, Sara…I'm sure his neck has a lot of accumulated damage," Bruce answered, "I told him to go to the hospital, but he's kinda like you." "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "Stubborn as hell," Andy said grinning slightly. Sara smiled and shrugged. "I can't help it," she said quietly, "Seriously…if Bruce says you need to see a doctor, Andy…" "Sara…I'm in the middle of a big push…I'll wait it out," he said with a sense of finality. "Okay…," Sara said quietly, "How much longer do you need?" "About 20 minutes. You can go ahead to the hotel if you want," he said quietly. "No…I'm stayin' right here with you," she said softly. "Andy, I'm gonna go ahead and get outta here. I left some ibuprofen for you on top o' your bag. If it gets any worse…you go to a hospital," Bruce said. "Yes, Mr. Trainer, sir," Andy said. "Stop bein' a smartass, Andy…this is serious," Bruce said, "You could have some real serious problems if you wait any longer." "Okay, Bruce, I hear ya…if it gets any worse, I'll get Sara here to take me to a hospital," Andy said. "Will ya, Sara?" Bruce asked. "I sure will," Sara said running her fingers lightly over Andy's left arm. "Alright…I guess I'll see you two tomorrow," Bruce said before leaving the room. "Andy…," Sara said once the door shut. "Don't start, Sara. I just got an earful from Bruce, I'm tired…I just need some sleep," he said moving to get off the table. "What are you doin'? I thought you said you needed 20 minutes," Sara said as he sat up. "That was for Bruce's satisfaction. I feel fine. I took a shower, and came here…it's fine now," Andy said quietly. "And you say _I'm_ stubborn," she said grinning. "Hand me that ibuprofen, please," he said grinning. Sara did so, and gave him a small cup of water. Andy popped the two pills into his mouth, then slowly slid off the table. "A waste o' good ice right there," he said quietly. Sara chuckled as he tossed the two bags into the trash can. "Come on, let's get outta here," he said picking up his duffel bag. Sara opened the door and walked out, Andy right behind her, both wanting a good night's sleep before their houseshow the next day.

The next morning, Sara awoke in the bed drenched in sweat. She slowly sat up as the dream came back to her: Mark's fists swinging at her relentlessly, nearly knocking her unconscious. Once he'd finished with her, he'd walked away and Sara saw Stacy standing at his side with a triumphant smile. "Too much sacrifice can kill genuine feelings, Sara," she'd said in an eerie voice, "Waste enough time, and you'll lose what's most important to you." "You okay, baby doll?" Andy asked from beside her. Sara ran her hand across her sweaty forehead and nodded slightly. "Bad dream," she whispered moving from the bed. Andy watched as she went into the bathroom and sighed. _Maybe now she'll give him a call_, he thought stretching out on the bed. He heard the shower start, and decided to sleep for a little longer. They didn't have to be to the arena until noon, and it was only 10:30 a.m. Sara took her time in the shower, trying to wash the memories of the dream away from her mind. She ran her hands over her body, sighing at the tenseness in them. _Fine_, she thought sadly, _I'll give him a call tonight…after the show_. She massaged her tightened muscles slowly, waiting until they felt completely relaxed, before washing her hair and body. She stepped out of the tub and wrapped a hotel towel tightly around her body, then wiped the steam off the mirror. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy, and Sara realized she'd probably been crying in her sleep. She sniffled slightly and brushed her hair dry, her mind wandering back to the dream.

_Waste enough time, and you'll lose what's most important to you_. The thought echoed in her brain like a warning bell. She set her brush down and went back into the room, picking up her cell phone and dialing Mark's number immediately. The phone rang for what seemed like forever before the voicemail picked up. After the beep, Sara took a deep breath. "Mark…uh, I know you're probably working right now…but I just wanted to give you a call. I got Andy's message yesterday, and…I know we should probably talk soon. Lord knows I don't want to have this argument in Japan," she said quietly, "So…give me a call tonight…if you want. I'll be finished up by 11." She clicked her phone shut and let out a heavy sigh. "Don't worry about it, baby doll," Andy said from the bed, "Even if he doesn't call you back, you've got a 15-hour plane ride with him tomorrow." Sara grinned slightly and nodded. "Thanks, Andy," she said quietly. "No problem, sweetheart," Andy said quietly, shifting slightly, "You wanna talk about that dream?" "Not really," Sara said pulling out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. "Okay, darlin'…but like I said yesterday…I may not be Mark, but I'm here for ya," he said quietly. Sara stopped at the bathroom doorway and grinned. "Thanks, Andy," she said before entering the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

After getting dressed, Sara smiled slightly as Andy rushed into the bathroom. The door shut, and she heard a pleasurable groan from him a few moments later, along with the sounds of him relieving his bladder. Her cell phone rang as the shower started, and she quickly answered it, hoping it was her husband returning her call. "Hello?" she said. "Hi, mama!" Melissa said happily. Sara smiled slightly and plopped down on the bed. "Hey, munchkin. How ya doin'?" she asked. "I'm good, mama. It's nice to have Dany back," Melissa said, "We watched you on TV last night." "Did you enjoy it?" Sara asked lying back on the bed. "Yep. I talked to daddy last night," Melissa answered. "Oh really? What about?" Sara asked. "He wanted to make sure Dany was taking good care of me. He said he was really sad I wasn't with him. Why couldn't I go with him, mama?" Melissa said quietly. Sara sighed and hesitated to answer, because she honestly didn't know why she wouldn't let Melissa travel with her father. "Was it because you were angry at him?" Melissa asked. "I don't know, sweetheart. I just…I didn't want you on the road two weeks in a row. I know how much it wears you out," Sara said, "Besides, Dany really missed watching you for us, ya know." "I know, mama. But I really wanted to see Uncle John and Aunt Lisa," Melissa said. "I know you did, sweetheart. But…I just didn't want you on the road again so soon," Sara said. "Okay, mama," Melissa said quietly. "So, how are Lucky and Marley doin'?" Sara asked, "You're takin' good care of 'em, right?" "Yes, ma'am. I feed 'em every morning when I wake up, and I take 'em outside to play. They even got in the pool with me yesterday," Melissa said smiling. "Excellent. Does Dany get in the pool with you, too?" Sara said. "Sometimes. I think she's still sad about her daddy, but…she tries to hide it," Melissa answered. "Sometimes it helps to hide the pain rather than deal with it right away, munchkin," Sara said. "Like you do when you wrestle?" Melissa asked. "Yeah, kinda like that," Sara said grinning.

After talking for nearly 15 minutes, Sara finally heard the shower turn off. "Alright, munchkin, I gotta go, okay? Uncle Andy and I have to get to work," she said. "Yes, ma'am. When will I get to talk to you again, mama?" Melissa said. "I'll try and call you tomorrow before we leave for Japan," Sara responded. "Will you get me somethin'?" Melissa asked grinning. Sara smiled and chuckled softly. "I certainly will, munchkin," she said quietly. "Are you gonna see daddy tomorrow?" Melissa asked quietly. "Yeah, I will. Both shows are goin' to Japan," Sara answered. "Will you tell him I love him, and I miss him? He said he wasn't gonna be able to talk to me again until after he got back," Melissa said quietly. "I certainly will, munchkin," Sara said with tears in her eyes. "Okay, mama. I love you," Melissa said. "Love ya more, munchkin. Bye, sweetheart," Sara said quietly. "Bye, mama," Melissa said before hanging up the phone. Sara sniffled slightly and closed her phone. Andy came out with a towel around his waist, and noticed the tears on Sara's cheeks. "Mark call?" he asked. "No, it was Melissa…I miss her so much, Andy," she whispered. "I know ya do. Have you thought about bringing her on the road with ya one more time before you retire?" he asked. Sara sighed and wiped her cheeks dry, slowly sitting up. "I don't know, Andy," she said quietly, "I don't wanna give Mark even more reason to be pissed at me." "If he calls tonight, you two can work everything out, compromise about it, ya know," he said pulling out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. "Yeah…I just hope he calls me back tonight," she said quietly, her voice filled with pain. "He will, baby doll," Andy said before going back into the bathroom.

After leaving for the arena, Sara's thoughts immediately turned to work. She was going to try not to worry about Mark until after she left the arena that night. When Andy pulled into the parking lot, Sara smiled and waved at the group of fans waiting for wrestlers to enter. "You wanna sign some autographs with me?" Sara asked as Andy parked. Andy let out a deep breath and grinned. "You're all about that, aren't you?" he asked. "I can bet that one out of ten of the boys sign autographs for those people. It'd be nice to let 'em have attention from some o' the top-tier people," Sara answered smiling. "Alright," he said rolling his eyes playfully. Sara smiled even more as she climbed out of the car and grabbed her duffel bag from the trunk, slipping it onto her shoulder. She pulled the World title out, wanting the fans waiting to see it up close for a change. Andy followed her over to the small group, smiling at their obvious excitement at seeing two of the biggest WWF Superstars right in front of them. Sara happily signed an autograph for everyone, since it was only a crowd of about 30 people, as did Andy. She took pictures with a little girl on crutches, a grown man in a wheelchair, and a teenager dressed as Mark's character. "They should bring 'Taker back to RAW, if you ask me," the teenager said after the picture was taken. "I agree," Sara said grinning. "Is it hard working without him?" the boy asked her. Sara put up a front, grinning slightly and shrugging. "It's different, but this business is that crazy. You never know what'll happen," she answered. "I hope we see him on RAW soon. It's not the same without him," he said. "Maybe you'll get him back in next year's draft," she said smiling, "You guys have fun inside." Andy led her inside, looking down at her once they'd entered the building. "Nice answer to the Mark question," he said quietly. "It's what Angel would've said," she said just as quietly. "Very true, darlin'," he said putting a supportive arm around her shoulder, "Mark would be proud." Sara grinned, despite the pain in her heart. "The way I've been acting lately, I'm not so sure o' that, Andy," she said quietly. "Just remember…you two have gone through the absolute worst of the worst…and you're still together," he said softly. Sara sighed heavily and nodded slightly. "The tests seem to get harder and harder, though," she said quietly. "Only more reason for you to believe that you two can make it through anything," he said grinning. Sara chuckled and let out a deep breath. "You're right," she whispered. "Of course. I'm a man, I'm always right," he said smiling. "Oh, jeez," Sara responded, pushing him slightly. "You know you love me," he stated simply. "Yeah, yeah," Sara said grinning.

After finding her dressing room, and telling Andy she would catch up with him later, Sara went for a run in the arena gym to clear her mind. As hard as she tried, she couldn't get her mind off of the dream she'd awoken from that morning. There was a pit in her stomach, and it was becoming impossible to get rid of. After nearly an hour of running, Sara stepped off of the treadmill, her legs completely exhausted. She sat down on the floor as Rob walked in. "Hey, Rob," she said tiredly. "Overwork yourself?" he asked grinning. "No, not really. I needed a good long run," Sara answered with her own grin, "How's the matchboard look? I didn't get a chance to look at it when I got here." "I'm up against Benoit," Rob answered, "With you as special guest referee." Sara chuckled and said, "Maybe that's why I ran so long." "Are you a psychic or somethin'?" he asked grinning. "Nope, far from it," Sara said, "At least I still get to participate, though." "I can expect some very unbiased refereeing then, huh?" he asked. Sara smiled innocently and shrugged. "I'll be a total angel, Rob," she said with a wink. "Yeah, right," Rob said sarcastically. "That hurts, Rob," she said holding her chest. "In that ring, Angel, you can be the devil, and you know it," he said smiling. "Well…yeah, I guess I can be," she said chuckling softly, "But it's not really my fault." "Oh, really? And who's fault is it?" he asked. "My opponent's. They should know better," she said laughing heartily. "It's really gonna be strange without you here, ya know," he said quietly. Sara sighed and nodded slightly. "Trust me…I know," she said quietly. "But, hey, we might as well make the most of it. You wanna do lunch?" he said. "Yeah, actually. I skipped out on breakfast this morning," she said. "Oh, that's not good. Breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day," Rob said smiling slightly. "Yeah, yeah. Meet ya at catering in an hour?" she asked slowly standing. "Sure thing," Rob answered before going over to the weights. Sara grinned and left the room, desperately in need of a hot shower.

Sara took her time in the shower, merely standing in the stall for the most part as the water cascaded over her tired body. She thought the workout would give her an energy boost, but it'd had the complete opposite effect. A nap is now what Sara wanted the most. After dressing in a pair of wrestling shorts, and a loose t-shirt, Sara went out to the entrance, looking at the empty arena. Since it was a houseshow, there was no need for an elaborate stage or entranceway. The only thing that showed it was a wrestling event was the ring in the middle of the empty arena. "You okay, Sara?" Vince asked from behind her. "Yeah, just…takin' in the sights," she said quietly, "Less than two weeks left…it's depressing." "I've got a renewal contract sittin' on my desk at home…just for you. I can get it faxed at any time," he said grinning. Sara smirked and looked up at him. "Not gonna work, Vince," she said quietly. "It's worth a shot, sweetheart," he said smiling. "Yeah…I think about it all the time…what stayin' around would prove, or the happiness it would give me to keep on doin' this. But then I think o' my little girl…and my husband. I've done what I can for you, Vince…and as much as I wanna stay, it just…wouldn't be fair to Mark _or_ Melissa," she said quietly. "I know, Sara…I wasn't tryin' to pressure ya," he said touching her shoulder softly, "If you need to talk or anything…you know I'm here." "I know, Vince," she said softly, "I'm gonna go…sit at ringside for a while." "Alright. I'll see ya, then," he said before heading back through the curtains. Sara swallowed and walked down to the ring, slowly climbing over the barrier and taking a seat. It was only around one o' clock, so the only people around ringside were from the production crew. Sara eyed the ring, a grin coming to her face as she thought back to her very first time taking a bump. _God, that was so long ago_, she thought happily, _One o' the best nights o' my life. Everything I'd ever wanted to do…all wrapped up in a 20X20 ring. Only thing I remember about that night…is how much pain I was in when I was done. Wrestling live is a whole different level from wrestling in training…but it was a blast. And here I sit just over 12 years later…gettin' ready to hang up the boots for good. It was real…it was fun…hell, at times, it was _real_ fun. But now it's time to move on, to my husband…to my daughter…to me_. After sitting for a few more minutes, Sara stood and stretched her arms, letting out a quiet yawn as she made her way to the back.

Rob met up with Sara in catering as they had agreed. After grabbing food and water, they sat at a table near the back of the room. "Angel?" Rob asked quietly. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Can you tell me more of what it means to be champion?" he said quietly, "To be honest, I'm scared outta my mind. My wife's worried about me never bein' home, and to be honest…I don't know how ready I really am for it." Sara took a deep breath and eyed her plate. "It's hard, Rob. I'm not gonna lie. Mark and I bein' on separate shows…me never bein' home to see Melissa…it's been the hardest period of my career to get through. But…the fact that I'll be able to provide for both of 'em when I retire…the fact that, once I'm done with this business, I can give _all_ of my attention to them…it makes the sacrifices worth it. And that's the perspective that you have to take," she said quietly. "What about the responsibilities, though? The boys…they look up to you. I don't know that they feel the same way about me," he said honestly. "Rob…the boys respect you. Whether they agree with you bein' champion or not, at least know that they respect you. That's all you should worry about during the time that you're champion, no matter how long or short a time it is. When Vince let me know that I _would_ be holding the World title before I retired…I can't put into words how excited I was about the opportunity to show these guys that I am really that good. I had their respect before, yeah…but this was a time for me to earn it as World champion. I didn't feel I had to prove anything again, but…people are gonna put you under a microscope, Rob. Everybody, from the top brass to the referees to the ring crew, they're all gonna be watchin' you…waitin' for you to mess up just _once_ so they can say "I told you so." I'm not sayin' try not to make mistakes, because that's gonna happen regardless. I'm sayin' that you should…prove to them and yourself that I made the right choice with you. You know what I mean?" she said quietly.

"Yeah…but how do I deal with my own doubts? I mean, I know I'm a good wrestler, and I know I can entertain the fans…and I've been in main-event matches…but never this big," he said quietly. "Rob…trust me, now is not the time for you to start doubting yourself. You've earned this shot as much as anybody. I don't think I should have to tell you that over and over again," she said staring at him, "Shots like this come maybe once or twice in your career…and when they do come, you shouldn't start doubting that you've earned it…because you have." Rob let out a soft sigh and nodded slightly. "I know…there are just so many expectations, ya know," he said quietly. "Trust me, I know. When I got to this company, people _expected_ me to fall on my face…they _expected_ me to give up after three years…they _expected_ me to use Roddy as a crutch, to not break out on my own. Expectations to fail will always exist, no matter what level wrestler you are. At the top, they're the highest, because people don't wanna see guys like you succeed. Those expectations are the ones you have to break through. Now, the positive ones…like me expecting you to carry the torch the way its been carried before you…those are the expectations you should really try to live up to. You don't wanna let down the people who really believe in you, Rob, believe me," she said quietly. Rob grinned and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know. It was hard makin' the transition here, because I had those expectations to fail…but once I proved I belonged here, everybody was behind me," he said. "And once you prove that you are a rightful holder of the World title, that you should have that title as much as anybody who's held it before you, they'll be behind you that much more," she said grinning. "Thanks, Angel," Rob said touching her hand, "It really helps havin' someone like you to talk to about this stuff." "You better milk me for what it's worth, Rob. I only got 13 more days left," she said quietly. "Will do, missy," he said grinning.

Andy came in a few minutes later, and Sara waved him over. "You sure you want me to sit here with you guys?" Rob asked quietly. "Oh, don't even, Rob," Sara said grinning. Andy came over moments later with a plate stacked with food. "Hungry, Andy?" Sara asked grinning. "I skipped breakfast just like you, woman," he said smiling. "Are you wrestling tonight?" she asked. "Yeah, against that new kid Jindrak," Andy answered, "He's a real powerhouse, too. It should be fun." "Good. Have you talked to Lisa today?" she asked. "Nah. You know her, she doesn't get outta bed 'til noon anyway. And with her bein' out with an injury, I'd add a couple hours to that," he said grinning, "How's your wife, Rob?" "At her wits' end, bein' pregnant and all. She's got a few more weeks left, and I think _I'm_ more ready for the baby to get here than she is," Rob said smiling, "It's just…stressful…me not bein' home and whatnot." "Of course," Sara said quietly, "But don't worry…it's all worth it in the end." "I try tellin' Sonya that, but…I don't know," he said sighing softly. "You love her, Rob?" Sara asked. "Of course," he answered. "And does she love you?" she asked grinning. Rob smiled slightly and nodded. "She's stuck with me so far," he said quietly. "So you got nothin' to worry about," she said with a wink, "Things will work themselves out. Trust me, as World champ…the last thing you wanna do is spend your time worryin' about your schedule." Andy smirked and looked over at her. "I remember tellin' somebody that not too long ago," he said quietly. "Oh, hush," Sara said with a smile.

Sara was happy to get her mind fully off of her personal problems. After lunch, she spent the rest of the afternoon in her dressing room talking with Andy about whatever came up. They were both very excited to be going over to Japan, since the company hadn't been to that country in years. Once the show started, Sara spent much of the time standing at the curtain, peering out at her coworkers. It was amazing to see who could appeal to the crowd the most, and how much fun they had when there were no cameras around. During Rob's match, Sara played a completely unbiased referee. However, the ending was an absolute blast. Rob had gone up to the top rope for his five-star frogsplash, and Sara "accidentally" bumped into the ropes, knocking him down crotch-first onto the turnbuckle. Benoit took advantage of Rob's prone position, hitting him with a smooth belly-to-belly superplex. He locked on his finishing maneuver, and Rob screamed in pain. "Come on, Robby, give up, sweetheart," Sara said stretching out in front of him, "Just let go…it's alright, I won't think any less of you." Rob screamed even louder as Chris wrenched back on his neck. Finally, after a few long moments, Rob's hand tapped the mat exuberantly. Sara motioned for the bell to be rung, and Chris released Rob. Sara smirked and stomped on Rob's left shoulder. She picked him up and locked his left arm behind his back, then took him over in a clean suplex. Rob groaned and rolled around on the mat, clutching at his injured arm. Sara grabbed a microphone and put her foot on Rob's throat, placing a little pressure on it. "Rob…you may have gotten a cheap shot in last night…but you can bet your bottom dollar…this 'Angel' _always_ gets the last laugh," she snarled before stomping on Rob's chest. She dropped the microphone down as the fans cheered her on. She slowly picked up Rob, and locked in Broken Wings, hitting the move smoothly before rolling out of the ring, slapping the fans' hands as she headed to the back. "That move gets more crucial every time I see it," Andy said grinning. "Yeah, it's pretty sweet," she said smiling slightly, "Let's get outta here." "Alright, baby doll," Andy said. After changing into comfortable clothing, Sara followed Andy out of the building. They were flying to San Francisco that night, like everyone else traveling to Japan the next morning, and wanted to get a good amount of sleep before the flight the next day.

A couple hours, and a smooth plane ride, later, Sara pulled into the parking lot of a Hampton Inn. "We're here, Andy," she said poking Andy until his eyes opened. "Alright, alright," he said yawning loudly. Sara chuckled softly and climbed out of the car. "Just think, buddy, we've got 15 hours to catch up on sleep tomorrow," she said quietly. Andy gave a slight grin and nodded. "Yeah, but a soft bed is much better than a plane seat. You know that as well as I do," he said as they entered the four-story building. "Has Mark called you yet?" he asked quietly. "No…I guess I'll talk to him tomorrow," she said quietly, sadness apparent in her voice. "Don't worry, babe. I think everybody will be too tired to listen in on your conversation," he said quietly. Sara sighed heavily and went up to the front desk. She quickly checked in to their room, and they headed up to the third floor. "I just didn't wanna have this conversation on a plane, Andy…hell, I didn't wanna have it on the phone," she said as they entered the darkened room. "I know, baby doll…but talkin' it out over the phone is better than not talkin' about it at all," he said dropping into the single, king-sized bed. Sara grinned slightly and went into the bathroom. She relieved her bladder and washed her face, hoping that her and Mark's conversation the next day didn't draw attention. There were some things in her life that just needed to stay personal. When she went back into the bedroom, Andy was already fast asleep and snoring softly. Sara grinned and kicked off her shoes, then climbed into the bed beside him, curling up against his warm body. Andy's arms came around her, in silent comfort, and Sara felt a tear fall down her cheek. _Please, God…give me strength_, she thought before succumbing to some much-needed sleep.

A ring echoed incessantly through the darkened room only two hours later. Andy groaned as the sound pulled him from a wonderful dream about Lisa. He reached over haphazardly and pulled the room phone off the hook. The noise continued, and he groaned in frustration, reaching for his own cell phone. When he realized that it was Sara's phone, he doubted it could be could. Sara shifted against him, and he let out a heavy sigh. "Baby doll," he whispered carefully pushing against her shoulder. "What? Answer the phone already, Andy," she said quietly. "It's yours," he said handing over her ringing phone, "It's Mark." Sara groaned and flipped it open. The moment she did, her ears were blasted with the loudest music she'd ever heard. Sara sat up in the bed, rubbing her eyes in anger. "Hello!" she said loudly. Andy turned his back to her and shifted in the bed. "Sorry, Andy," she said quietly, moving off the bed. "Don't worry about it. Just make sure that bastard leaves wherever he is," Andy said tensely, knowing Mark was off doing something he shouldn't have been doing. Sara nodded slightly and went into the bathroom, shutting the door quietly. "Hello?" she said exasperatedly. She heard Mark's deep laugh, accompanied by women's giggles, and tears came to her eyes. "Mark! Mark, talk to me!" she said tensely. "Oh, dollface…hey, babe," he slurred moments later. "Mark, where the fuck are you?" Sara snapped sitting down beside the tub. "I'm just…oh, my God, I didn't know the body could do that," he slurred. Sara's jaw dropped, and she tried to take deep breaths. "Mark…where are you?" she asked again. "Out…with some o' the guys. Jesus…that's beautiful, darlin'," Mark growled placing a hundred-dollar bill into the bra of a woman dancing in front of him. "Where?" Sara snapped again. "Hey, John, what's the name o' this place!" Mark screamed over the loud music. "Pussy Cats!" John screamed back. "You hear that, baby? Some place named Pussy Cats…," Mark said loudly. "Why are you there?" Sara asked before swallowing. "Well…I wanted to have some fun…and the Smackdown guys did, too…and somebody told us about this place," Mark said, his eyes following the dancer in front of him.

"And you decided to go to a fucking strip club!" Sara snapped, a mixture of anger and hurt filling her heart. "Where the fuck else was I supposed to go? You're not here…Melissa's not here…nothin' else to do," Mark said tossing another bill to the dancer. "Mark…this is ridiculous. Leave…just leave," she said quietly. "And why would I do that, baby? Somebody's gotta put these girls through college!" he said winking at the girl who was twisting her body in as many ways as possible. "What? How much have you spent?" she asked. "Hmm…that's a good question, now isn't it…to be honest, I lost count of how many hundred-dollar bills I've tossed," he answered lazily, "But I pulled out ten grand…and it's almost gone." Sara's bottom lip trembled and she hesitated to speak. "Why, Mark?" she whispered. "I'm sorry, you're gonna have to speak up, dollface!" Mark said loudly before whistling and cat-calling to the women in his and John's private booth. "I asked you why, asshole!" she snapped. "Sara…I told you, somebody's gotta put these women through college. Oh, and you're not gonna believe who works here!" Mark slurred happily. "Who?" she said angrily. "Stacy! She told me…she moved…and started dancin' to make some money…and she's tryin' to go to school or some shit," he said, "Stacy, come here!" Sara's jaw dropped as her dream hit her memory full-force. "Stacy, you wanna talk to Sara?" he said over the loud music. "Nah, darlin'…I just wanna make you happy…just like last time," Stacy said, just loud enough so Sara could hear her voice. "Mark…don't do this…please don't do this," she said covering her eyes. "But, baby, you gotta see her…I mean, damn…yeah, go ahead, girl…dance for me," Mark said rubbing his hands across Stacy's right leg. "Mark…please leave…I'm begging you, leave," Sara said for the third time. "Sara…just like I don't control you…don't try and control me," Mark said tensely. "So why the hell did you call me?" she snapped, "Is--." "I don't really know…probably an accident," Mark said as Stacy rotated her hips in front of him, "Oh, jeez…yeah, that's beautiful…"

"Mark…will you take your eyes off o' that bitch for one minute, and talk to me!" Sara said loudly, her anger starting to get the better of her. "Stacy…I'll get back to ya…the wife wants to chew my ass out for somethin', as usual," Mark said to Stacy. Stacy winked at him, dropped a kiss on his lips, and then headed over to John. "Fine, Sara…let's talk," he growled moments later. "Why are you doin' this?" Sara said quietly. Mark slowly stood, motioning to John that he would return, before leaving the booth and heading to the bathroom. "There, that's better, isn't it?" he said moments later. "You didn't answer the question, Mark," she said quietly. "Let's see…I told you I wanted to have fun with the guys…you didn't buy that one. I told you I didn't have you, or my daughter, with me…you didn't buy that one. What the fuck do you want me to say, Sara?" he growled. "Give me the goddamn truth. You haven't been to a strip club of any kind since we've been together…why now?" she snapped. "You're not here to give me what I want, so I had to get it somewhere, right?" he snapped back. Tears escaped onto Sara's cheeks. "Mark, don't say that…," she whispered. "Why? You don't think I mean it? You chose your job over your marriage…just like you did with Roddy," he growled. Sara sniffled and said, "I thought we had that conversation, Mark." "We did…and I didn't go away from that any less satisfied than before," he snapped. "Mark, please…don't do this…to yourself…to me…to us," she said painfully. "Sara…as far as I'm concerned…there hasn't been an 'us' for a very long fucking time," he snapped. "You don't mean that," she whispered.

"I am so sick and fucking tired of you telling me what I mean! You don't know me as well as you think you do, Sara. Just like you, I don't take very well to bein' controlled," Mark growled. "I wasn't trying--." "Oh, bullshit, Sara. Our whole relationship has been about you controlling me, you bein' in charge, you tearing me down whenever possible…I've sacrificed _everything_ to make you happy…and the one time _I_ wanna have some fun…you get your goddamn panties in a bunch," he snapped. "Mark, you know I have no problem--." "So what's the big fucking deal then?" he screamed, "I'm out with some o' the guys, havin' a blast, and you have to ruin my fucking mood!" Sara tried to stay calm, not wanting to wake Andy up again by yelling back at her husband. "Listen to me, you selfish bitch…I'm beyond pissed right now…every time I think about you…I get more pissed. Tonight was the one night I was planning on forgetting about you…and I will not let you ruin this," he growled. "Mark…please…we can talk this out," she whispered. "You have talked enough. Now, it's my turn. And you're gonna sit or stand wherever you are and listen to every fucking word. Do you understand?" he snapped. Sara let out a shaky breath and whispered, "Yes…" "First of all, I'm a good fucking wrestler. I've wrestled longer than you, and I'm pretty damn great at what I do. I don't need your know-it-all ass tellin' me who to talk to, or how to perform. Yeah, you're great in the ring, Sara…better than a lotta guys in the company. But when it comes down to it…you're a pretty face to Vince who just _happens_ to know how to throw the guys around. The _only_ reason you're World champion right now is because _I_ negotiated for it…and nothing you do or say will ever change that. So you need to be a bit more fucking grateful to me!" he said angrily. Sara cried silently at Mark's words, knowing deep in her heart that, on some basic level, he was speaking the truth.

"Second of all, I'm a good fucking father. I'm not some scumbag who leaves 'cause he's not happy with his marriage. I'm not like your father, Sara…or your stepfather, either. Melissa loves me, with all her heart…and I love her, too. I thought you knew that…but every time I wanna take her somewhere, you kick into overprotective bitch mode. It annoys Melissa, and it sure as fuck annoys me. Your mother may have done the whole "single-mom" thing just fine…then again, maybe not. You really don't act like it sometimes," he said tensely. "Mark, don't…talk about my mother," she whispered. "Don't interrupt me, Sara," Mark growled, "Like I was saying, don't compare me to those assholes you called fathers, because I'm not like them. My father was a good man, and he raised me to be a good man. I know how to treat a woman, and I sure as hell know how to treat my own goddamn child!" "I never said--." "Do _not_ interrupt me!" Mark snapped. Sara continued to cry as Mark's voice tore through her body. "Melissa…is as much my child as she is yours. She's a part of both of us, Sara…and I deserve to be able to spend as much time with her as you," he continued, "And she told me that bullshit reason you gave her on why she couldn't come with me this week. She traveled with us for two months before we finally found Dany. So for you to think I would believe that _bullshit_ of her being too tired to travel with me…God, are you really that fucking stupid! Don't ever think that I wouldn't take care of Melissa. I'd die for her, Sara, and you fucking know it. That little girl has me wrapped around her fucking finger…kinda like you, only I like bein' wrapped around _her_ finger. She's still innocent…she's still ignorant about how fucked up the world can be. Unlike you…you know just how to twist your words to make people side with you. Is that what they taught you in college…with your all-important degree. How to lie to people…how to pull the wool over their eyes…how to 'spin' things." Sara didn't say anything, just wanting the conversation to end as soon as possible, before Mark truly said something too harsh.

"You tell me what you hate about me…all the time…and for once, I'm gonna get my thoughts off my chest…understand?" he growled. "Yes, Mark," she whispered painfully. "You're stubborn…you're vengeful…you're way too fucking insecure…and, Jesus, I thought _I_ was overprotective," Mark said pacing in the bathroom, "You're careless…thoughtless…manipulative…did I mention the most selfish woman on the face o' the planet. And no matter what…I always, _always_ fight for you. When's the last time you fought for me, Sara? Oh, I forgot…I'm not one o' your top priorities right now. What is it…oh, 'just two more weeks, Mark'…'just give me a little bit more time, Mark'…do this, do that. I'm sick of doing for _you_. I'm doin' for me tonight, Sara…and I could give two shits what you think about it," he growled. "I'm asking you, Mark…please…don't do something tonight…that you're gonna regret for the rest o' your life," she whispered painfully. "Sara…listen…very closely, okay?" he said tensely, "Are you listening?" "Yes, Mark," Sara whispered, her bottom lip trembling. "The only thing…I've regretted in my life…is marrying a whore like you," he said slowly. Sara clicked the phone shut and threw it harshly against the bathroom door. It went down to the floor in several pieces as Sara lowered her head, crying as quietly as possible. For the first time since Mark had told her he'd wanted a divorce, she felt her heart truly breaking inside her chest. The bathroom door opened moments later, and Andy looked down at the broken phone. "What happened?" he asked quietly, kneeling down in front of her. "Andy…he…he-he said that…the only thing he regretted…was-was marrying…a whore like me," she cried before looking back down at her hands, "And he meant it…he really meant it…" "Oh, shit…come here, baby doll," he whispered reaching for her hand. "No…Andy, he's right…I slept with you…I slept with Kevin…he's right," she cried. "You made mistakes, Sara…and he's in no position, especially right now, to judge you," he whispered taking her hand in his. Sara allowed him to help her stand, sniffling as he picked her up and carried her into the room. "We'll get you a new phone when you get back from Japan, okay?" he said laying her on the bed. Sara sniffled slightly and nodded as he climbed in beside her. "I won't be able to look at him tomorrow," she whispered painfully. "You don't have to, baby doll," he said pulling her close. Sara tried, but the tears continued to fall until she fell into a deep sleep. Andy sighed and caressed her back as he, too, fell back asleep.


	115. Be True to Your Heart

**Even with a crashed computer (now fixed, thanks to a local computer shop, for a low cost of 45 bucks!), I was not gonna make you guys wait too long for an update. A total of 28 handwritten pages (14 sheets, front and back) make up this chapter. And I can't tell you how long it's been since I handwrote an _entire chapter_! It seems that only when my computer is out of order do my best ideas hit me. Now, the bad news: the first day of my fifth year of college is in five days. My schedule is nothing short of ridiculous; I have two jobs, a full-time internship, participation in two fraternities, writing for the school paper, and an executive position in a club...not to mention five hard classes. I don't have a clue when I'm gonna sleep, let alone manage to update regularly. I can tell you, confidently, that there are only six more chapters left in this saga. It's truly coming to an end (I've been sayin' that for eight years LOL), and I'm sad that it's finally here. Unless I can come up with a workable plot, or you guys send me ideas I think will work into a good plot, I don't think there's gonna be a sequel. I just don't have time to do it. College graduation is in a year and a half, and my priorities just don't include writing fan-fic. Sorry, guys. :( Anyway, on to the good stuff, people. Enjoy it while it lasts:)**

**Shannon

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Chapter 114…Be True to Your Heart

When the alarm rang at 7:00 a.m., Sara awoke feeling absolutely drained. Tears came to her eyes almost instantly as she recalled the things Mark had said to her only hours beforehand. Sara's bottom lip trembled and she let out a shaky breath as his last statement echoed in her mind. _The only thing I've regretted in my life is marrying a whore like you_. Andy's hand came over her back, and he carefully reached over to turn off the blaring clock. "You sleep okay?" he whispered. Sara sniffled slightly and shook her head, the tears falling. "All I could think of was…what he said to me…I wasted too much time, Andy," she whispered. "What?" Andy asked, "What are you talkin' about? You know how he--." "No, Andy!" Sara said sharply, sitting up and pulling her knees up to her chest, "You don't…you don't understand." Andy sat up beside her and put a supportive arm around her shoulders. "Explain it to me, then." Sara sniffled again and quietly told him of her dream. "Oh, baby doll," he said quietly after she'd finished, "Don't worry about that…it's just a dream." "If it was just a dream, Andy…then why did this happen?" she cried softly. "Sweetheart…you've already got enough on your plate," Andy said quietly, "You don't need this." Sara moved to the edge of the bed as tears poured from her eyes. "That was his point, Andy…that I don't have time for him…and now…I may have lost him," she said painfully, "My job…it's not as important to me as he is…and you know that, as much as anybody." She climbed off of the bed and went into the bathroom, shutting the door quietly. Andy sighed heavily and rubbed his hands over his eyes. He slowly sat up on the bed, groaning at the stiffness in his bones. As the shower turned on, Andy's cell phone rang. He wiped his eyes and turned on the phone.

"Yeah," he answered quietly. "Is…is Sara around?" Mark said quietly, "I, uh, I tried to call her phone…" Andy took a deep breath and looked at the bathroom door. "What, didn't say enough last night, Mark?" he asked tensely, "And she threw her phone against the wall last night…it's broken, so she's gotta get a new one." "Andy…I don't...," Mark said sighing. "Wild guess: you don't remember last night, do you?" Andy asked, his voice just as tense. "No…I don't," Mark said honestly. "I guess I'll let her tell you, then. I don't know why you said what you did…and quite frankly, I don't think I want to. But fair warning, Mark…she doesn't think she can look you in the eye for a while," Andy said running his fingers through his hair. "Andy…we've made it through the worst o' the worst. This is just a bump in the road," Mark said quietly, shielding his eyes from the sunlight pouring into the airport. "Callin' your wife a whore is a 'bump in the road'!" Andy asked angrily, "Considering how she feels about what she did to you!" "I called her what?" Mark asked in shock. "Yeah…said the only thing you regretted was marrying a whore like her," Andy answered, "Because I don't know how you're gonna fix this." "Oh, Jesus," Mark whispered dropping his head forward, "She's never gonna forgive me for that." "Look, just…keep your distance from her for now. Let her approach you…no matter how long it takes," Andy said quietly. Mark sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay…will you tell her--." "No…I'm not passin' any messages, Mark. If she wants to talk to you, she'll do it on her own," Andy said simply. Mark sighed and covered his eyes, the light streaming into the airport making his headache even worse. "Fine…I kinda figured," he said quietly. The shower suddenly turned off, and Andy said, "I gotta go…the last thing she needs to see is me on the phone with you." "Alright…later," Mark said. Andy turned the phone off and dropped it on the nightstand. _Jesus, Mark, you really fucked up big time_, he thought moving from the bed.

Sara came out of the bathroom a few minutes later in loose blue jeans and a Harley-Davidson t-shirt. "A little better?" he asked her. "Yeah…I know we gotta be outta here soon, so I took a speed shower," she answered. "I'll try and do the same," Andy said grinning. Sara chuckled softly as he entered the bathroom and shut the door. She dumped her clothes into her suitcase, then sat down on the bed and twiddled with her wedding band, wanting more than ever to remove the fancy piece of jewelry. More tears spilled from her eyes, knowing that she was going to be seeing Mark in less than 30 minutes. Andy's cell phone suddenly rang, and Sara stared at it. She didn't want to answer it, in case it was Mark trying to reach her. When she looked at the ID screen, though, it read the simple word "wifey". Sara took a deep breath before turning on the small device. "You're up early, aren't ya?" she said quietly. "Hey, Sara. I'm guessing Andy's in the shower," Lisa said grinning. "Yeah…you want me to tell him to call you?" Sara said quietly. "Are you okay, hon? You sound like you've been crying," Lisa said. "No, I'm okay…just a few bad dreams, ya know," Sara lied, her bottom lip trembling. "Sara, you can talk to me," Lisa said quietly. "It's nothing, really…Mark and I had a fight last night…," Sara said shakily, "And, uh, he…said some pretty cruel things…true, but really cruel." "Like what, sweetheart?" Lisa asked. Sara let out a slow, shaky breath, wiping away tears with her left hand. "Well…you don't have to tell me if you won't want to," Lisa said just as the shower turned off. "Andy's outta the shower now. Hold on," Sara whispered going to the bathroom door and knocking. Andy cracked it open and Sara handed over his phone before going back to her position on the bed.

A few minutes later, Andy came out still talking quietly on his phone. "I know, babe, I love you, too…but I'll be home Saturday evening," he said throwing his clothes into his suitcase, "Yeah, Vince gave us the weekend off…don't get technical…alright, love you, too, babe…bye." Sara ran her fingers through her hair as Andy quickly packed up. "See…just like you," he said grinning at her. Sara smiled slightly and sighed, not ready in the least to head to the airport, because she knew that Mark would be there waiting for her. "Are you sure you're okay, Sara? Lisa was really worried about you," Andy said once he was done. "Andy…I'll be fine, okay?" she whispered standing, "I just need some more sleep." Andy offered a supportive grin and nodded his head. "Okay, sweetheart. Let's get outta here," he said softly. The ride to the airport was made in complete silence. Sara merely stared out the window, her eyes hidden behind her dark sunglasses. She absentmindedly sipped on her cup of tea as the taxi pulled in front of the hotel nearly 20 minutes later. "You okay?" Andy asked quietly. "Yeah, Andy…I just wanna go back to sleep," she whispered. "There's plenty o' time for that, believe me," he said grinning. Sara forced a grin and climbed out of the vehicle. She quickly shouldered her duffel bag, and rolled her suitcase behind her as she followed Andy into the large building. The wrestlers were taking a chartered plane to Japan, and most of them were already in the airport. They checked in their luggage and picked up their boarding tickets, then headed over to their gate. Sara swallowed as she immediately spotted Mark, sitting with a cup of coffee in his hand, and staring directly at her. Her bottom lip trembled slightly and she whispered, "I can't, Andy…" "Okay, sweetheart…we'll sit over here," Andy said, directing her to seats a good distance away from her husband Mark noticed this movement and let out a heavy sigh. _This is gonna take a while_, he thought sadly.

Sara sat down beside Glenn and stared into her cup of tea. "Long time no see, Angel," he said quietly. "Hey, Glenn," Sara said softly, choosing not to remove her sunglasses. "You always wear those things indoors?" he asked grinning. Sara forced a grin and shrugged, fingering her dark sunglasses. "It's too bright in here for me," she answered. "Long night?" he asked. "You could say that," she said quietly, "Took a red-eye from Poughkeepsie, and only got about four hours o' solid sleep." Glenn chuckled and said, "You and Mark are more alike than I think either of you know." Sara glanced at Mark and noticed he was wearing practically the same thing that she was. "I suppose so," she said quietly. "So…a Last Man Standing match for Survivor Series, huh?" he asked after a few moments of silence, "You nervous?" "Not really…I'm actually lookin' forward to it…bein' my last pay-per-view match and all," she said grinning, "And Rob and I have such great chemistry in the ring, so I have no doubt that we can pull this off, ya know." "Yeah, definitely. Whose idea was it?" he said. "Rob's. And, believe me, he was as excited as a kid on Christmas. But I think it's a great idea, the perfect way to go out, ya know. I'm ready for it, though…I mean, it's just…time to go."

"How's the little one handling it?" he asked quietly. "She's so excited, Glenn. I'm thinkin' of bringing her to the show…just 'cause I don't know when she'll be able to go on the road again once I'm done," she answered. "There's always Wrestlemania," Glenn said smiling. Sara chuckled and nodded. "That's pretty much mandatory. Everybody's gotta go to Wrestlemania," she answered with a full smile, "I'm gonna miss it all…airports, rental cars, living outta my suitcase…it's really been fun, ya know." "Of course. I'm right there with ya," he answered, "I've got a three-year renewal contract waitin' at home for me to sign…and I don't really know if I want to sign it." "I think I know how ya feel…as excited as I am to be leavin' all this…it gets more and more depressing the more I think about it," she said quietly. "But will it be worth it? Ya know, bein' able to stay at home…see Mark more often…play with the little one. You won't have any real responsibilities gettin' in the way, ya know," Glenn said quietly. Sara swallowed and looked at her husband. His head was drooped forward, and she could feel something akin to sadness emanating from his large frame. "Yeah…," she said softly. "He looks pretty tired, huh?" Glenn asked softly. She took a deep breath and looked back down at her cup. "I'm feelin' the same way, Glenn. The only thing I plan on doin' on this flight is sleeping," she said quietly. "Understandable. I'll see you on the plane, then," Glenn said standing. "Sara sipped on her tea and gave a curt nod. She watched him head towards the bathroom, only to be followed by Mark moments later. Sara merely sighed heavily, knowing Mark was going to question Glenn about their conversation. _I guess he's gonna keep tabs on me until I talk to him_, she thought sadly.

At quarter after eight, everyone began to board the plane for their trip. Sara followed Andy onto the plane, sticking close to him as the aisles were packed with people. "Here we go," Andy said quietly, motioning towards an empty seat near the back of the plane. "Where is he?" she whispered. "In the middle…sittin' with Glenn and John," he answered. Sara sniffled slightly and slowly took a seat next to the window. Andy sat down beside her and said quietly, "Just think…you get 15 whole hours to sleep as much as you want." Sara couldn't help but smile as she looked up at him. "Thanks, Andy," she said softly. After everyone was finally seated, several flight attendants came around with blankets and pillows. Andy took a few for himself and Sara, and told Sara she could stretch her legs over his own if she wanted. "Are you sure, Andy? I don't wanna make your legs go numb," she said quietly. Andy grinned and winked at her. "Don't even worry about it," he whispered. Once the plane was in the air, Sara stretched as Andy had insisted and placed a pillow under her head. Andy stretched a blanket over her and gently rubbed her legs. "There ya go, sweetheart," he whispered. Sara grinned slightly and closed her eyes. It didn't take too long before she, like most of her coworkers, was very much asleep.

Just over nine hours into the flight, Sara's eyes flickered open, the sounds of several different conversations pulling her from her dreams. Andy was up a couple rows talking with Paul, so Sara shifted slightly in the two seats. She tried to get comfortable enough to fall back asleep, but she couldn't manage to do so. She sat up and stretched her arms out, yawning slightly. "Ah, so the 'Angel' is finally awake," John spoke with a grin. Sara smiled up at him and spread her arms. John embraced her and said, "Long time no see." "Yeah, no kiddin'," she said with a grin, "Have a seat." John did as she asked with a grin. "Wow, I feel so special, sittin' next to the World Heavyweight champion and all," he said. "Oh, hush that nonsense," Sara said chuckling. "So, how ya been?" he asked quietly. "Busier than ever. I am _so_ ready to be retired," she answered honestly, "You?" "The same. I've been lookin' forward to this trip, just to have somethin' different to do," he answered. Sara smiled and nodded in agreement. Suddenly, though, her smile disappeared as she stared into John's deep blue eyes. "John, did you…did you go out…were you out…with Mark last night?" she asked slowly. "Nah…he wanted me to go, but I stayed in to talk to Dany. She's not doin' too good, ya know, with her pops dyin' and everything. Besides, you know that's not my style anymore," he said quietly, "Why?" Sara swallowed and shook her head. "Nothin', John," she said quietly. "What happened?" he asked softly, "We were roomin' together…and he didn't come back until…probably 2:30 in the morning. Lucky we were in town already, or else he'd be suffering from an even bigger hangover than the one he's got now." "Ever made a drunk phone call before? Or better yet, gotten one?" Sara asked quietly. John laughed and nodded. "Never ended up good, no matter how hard I tried," he answered. Sara sighed and said, "I got one o' those last night…from Mark…" "Oh, man…not pretty?" he said quietly. Sara swallowed and shook her head. "Things were already on…shaky ground…," she whispered painfully, "A drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts, right?"

"Look, Angel…I know we're not the best o' friends, but I gotta tell ya…'Taker doesn't stop talkin' about you…he really loves you. Every other sentence outta his mouth when we're on the road is about how much he misses you. We actually give him shit about it on Smackdown. It's funny, though…'cause one look from him or Glenn or any o' the vets, and we all shut up," he said quietly, "And as far as drunk guys talkin'…I'm sure that…whatever Mark said…he didn't mean to say it the way he did." Sara took a deep breath and dropped her head forward, resting her hands under her chin. "But he said it, John," she whispered. "Trust me when I say this, Angel…that man…I've never seen a more dedicated husband," he said quietly. Tears came to Sara's eyes as she remembered Stacy's voice from the phone. "I wouldn't say that, John," she whispered. "You want me to send him over?" he asked quietly. "No…I don't wanna talk to him," Sara answered wiping away her tears. "I 'm sittin' next to him, and, uh…he's not lookin' so good…so…whatever he said to you, I'm sure he's sorry," he said quietly. Sara sniffled slightly and shrugged. "Whatever," she whispered, "How are things goin' for you?" "Pretty good. I got a shot at the U.S. title at the pay-per-view…along with like four other guys, but still…," he said grinning. Sara smiled and chuckled slightly. "At least you're on the pay-per-view, though, right?" she said quietly. "Yeah…third biggest o' the year, so…almost like Wrestlemania," he said grinning, "Are you nervous about your match with Rob?" "Eh…not really," she said quietly, "At this point…I'm just ready to be done and gone. This business…it's just…it's gettin' really old, John." John sighed and nodded slightly. "It's hard bein' away from Dany…I haven't known her that long, but she's…she's somethin' special," he said quietly, "I can talk to her about damn near anything. And…even with her dad dyin'…we're probably as close as ever." "Tragedy brings people together, John," she said quietly. "Yeah, I know, I was just…," he said looking down at his hands. "I'm sorry, John…I wasn't tryin' to be insensitive about that situation. I know how much you care about her. I'm happy for you," she said quietly, a small grin on her face, "I'm glad you're with her, ya know…you're a good guy, and she really needs that, especially right now."

"Thanks, Angel…you know, I owe a lot of it to you…givin' a good word for me," he said grinning as well. "I wouldn't have talked to her if I didn't think you were a good guy, John," Sara said leaning back against her chair. "Well, I guess I'll take that as a compliment, then," John said nudging her elbow. "Yeah…I don't give 'em out too often," she said quietly, "So you better not blow it. If you do, I'll come back from retirement and kick your ass." "Trust me, I know that for a fact," he said grinning. Sara smirked and looked over at him. "Still got that sense o' humor, I see," she said. "Did ya really think it was gonna go away just 'cause I got switched over to the blue team? I gotta spread the love, Angel, no matter where I am," he said. "Yeah, I know that for a fact, too," she said, a tired grin on her face. "You're lookin' tired, so I'll get movin' on. Maybe we'll talk later," he said, "I mean, with six hours left to go and whatnot." Sara chuckled and shrugged as he stood. "You gonna be okay?" he asked quietly. "Oh, yeah. Don't you worry about me, Mr. Cena," she said quietly. John grinned and moved up to his seat. Sara draped the blanket over her legs and let out a slow breath. _A few days, and I'll be just fine_, she thought closing her eyes. Andy sat down beside her a few minutes later, a magazine in hand. "What's what?" she asked softly. "Old issue of RAW Magazine," Andy answered handing it to her, "One o' the new girls from Smackdown had it." Sara looked down at the cover and grinned. It was her very first magazine cover, when she'd won the Intercontinental title for the first time. She'd been dressed in a pair of silver wrestling shorts and a matching halter top. Her right foot was planted on top of a globe, and she was holding up the Intercontinental belt with her left hand. The headline read, "Ivory: First, the Intercontinental title, Next, the World!"

"This is really old," she said quietly. "Yeah, no kiddin'," Andy said grinning, "I thought you'd like to see it, for old times' sake." Sara flipped to the article and read over the interview, a grin on her face the entire time. "I was really bitter back then," she said quietly, "The guys were bein' so hard on me…for no reasons, sometimes. That was a rough transition for me…goin' from bein' Roddy's valet to my own character. Everybody thought I was gonna fall flat on my face, and they were doin' their best to make sure I did." "I can imagine," Andy said. Sara continued flipping through the pages, chuckling at the contents. "What's so funny?" Andy asked. "It's just…entertaining to see who was around back then, ya know, who was gettin' the attention," she answered handing over the magazine, "I never would've thought I'd still be around…I mean, I was gonna go as far as Vince let me…and here I am." Andy grinned and said, "Yeah…he created a monster." Sara chuckled and slapped his arm playfully. "How long have you been up anyway?" she asked. "Goin' on four hours. It's been pretty dull…only so much you can do on a plane. And I think I'm officially bored outta my mind," Andy said rolling his eyes playfully. "I could see how…you didn't have me to talk to," Sara said smiling. "Oh, of course that's the reason," Andy responded smirking, "Nevermind the other hundred people on the plane." Sara chuckled and shrugged slightly. "Did you…talk to Mark?" she asked quietly. Andy merely shook his head in response. "He's, uh…not talkin' to anybody, other than Glenn," he said quietly. "I heard him…scream out to John…on the phone last night. So I asked Cena about it, but…he said he didn't go out with Mark," she said quietly. "Well, there is another John on Smackdown…a new guy, only got called up to the main roster from OVW about a month ago. They did a mass call-up after the draft," Andy said just as quietly. "How do you know?" she asked softly. "Lisa told me about him a few days before she got injured…said he was a real cocky guy, flirted with all the ladies whenever he could," he answered. "I take it he's on this plane," she said tensely. "Yeah…but it's not the time or the place, sweetheart," he said quietly, "Besides, he didn't force Mark to go out…Mark made that decision on his own, now matter how stupid it turned out to be." Sara sniffled slightly and whispered, "Let's change the topic."

The two people spent the rest of the flight discussing everything but Sara's current marital woes. Sara had even managed to avoid contact with her husband, no matter how many times she'd had the urge to go sit and talk with him. When the plane finally touched down in South Korea, Sara was extremely excited. She was hoping to get a chance to go souvenir shopping before they were carted off to the arena they would be performing in that night. "Where are we havin' this show?" she asked Andy. "Some place I can't pronounce," Andy answered with a grin, "But I heard Vince say somethin' about breakin' an attendance record of 60,000-plus, so wherever it is, it's huge." "Yeah, seriously. I haven't been in a building that big since…we had Wrestlemania at the Skydome," Sara said grinning, "You think we'll get to go shopping?" Andy chuckled as they exited the plane. "I don't know…I mean, I don't think Vince can really put off the show for three days," he answered, a smile playing at his lips. "Oh, shut up," Sara said smirking. Once they were outside, Sara slipped on a WWE sweater and a hat, as it was raining. She followed Andy onto the first bus, again allowing him to decide where they sat for the ride. A hand grabbed her wrist gently as she headed towards the back, and she looked down into the eyes of her husband. "Will you sit with me?" he asked softly. Tears came to her eyes instantly, and she tried to pull away from his grip. "Let me go," she whispered, not wanting at all to cause a scene. "Dollface, please," Mark said softly. Grumbles came about holding up the line, and Sara's jaw tightened both out of anger and hurt. She plopped down beside him, her eyes glued on her now-shaking hands. Mark reached over to take them in his own, but Sara pulled away. "Whatever you have to say…say it quick, because I'm not staying in this seat," she whispered tensely. Mark sighed and looked down at his hands. "Sara…I'm sorry about last night…I shouldn't have gone out…I shouldn't have gotten drunk…and I sure as hell shouldn't have called you when I _was_ drunk," he said quietly. "Yeah, well, you did…and you told me how you felt about me…about 'us'," Sara said fingering her wedding ring. "Sara, whatever I said--." "You meant it," she said, her eyes still not meeting his, "And that's fine…'cause like you said, we've always been able to be honest with each other." "Will you let me explain?" he asked softly. Sara saw a break in the line and slowly removed her wedding ring. "No explanation needed, Mark," she said placing the band in his right hand, "After all…a drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts." With that, Sara stood and found her seat beside Andy.

"What'd he say?" Andy asked immediately. Sara leaned forward as tears escaped her eyes. Andy sighed softly and gently stroked her back. Sara leaned into his warm body and sighed heavily, wiping her cheeks dry roughly. "It doesn't matter," she whispered, feeling the missing weight from her left hand instantly. "Where's your wedding ring, baby doll?" he asked softly. Sara let out a slow breath and answered, "I gave it to him." "Sara…," Andy whispered. "I need time to think about this, Andy…and I can't do it with that ring on my finger," she said softly. "Alright, babe," he whispered squeezing her shoulder gently, "You know everything's gonna work out, right? You know it always does." Sara sniffled and shrugged. "Maybe in due time," she whispered. Andy sighed and kissed the top of her head, continuing to rub her back gently. Sara sighed and felt her eyes droop shut; that one, short encounter with Mark had drained her once again of her energy. The ride to the stadium took nearly two hours, due to jam-packed streets. Sara awoke as the buses finally came to a stop. "Time to act like a Superstar, Angel," Rob said grinning at her from across the aisle. "Oh, but we _are_ Superstars, Rob," she responded with a full smile. She grabbed her duffel bag as people began to file off the bus. "What are you doin'?" Andy asked when she pulled out the World title. "Just givin' 'em a sneak peek," she said zipping up the bag. Andy grinned as they climbed off the bus last, and were bombarded by flashes from a sea of media cameras. "Jesus," Sara said at the sight of literally tens of thousands of people behind barriers. She raised the title belt and smiled fully as the horde of people chanted her name. "Come on, sweetheart," Andy said gently pulling her inside.

"Looks like I'll be dressing with the women on this trip, Andy," Sara said as they headed down the hall. "Alright. I'll catch up with you in a little bit," he said grinning. Sara smiled and nodded, entering the room marked for the women. "Long time no see, Sara," Trish said smirking. "Oh, shut up, you," Sara responded smiling. Trish and Amy had been giving her crap about having her own dressing room for well over a month. "Enjoy the plane ride?" Trish asked her. "Yeah, it was alright. I slept for over half of it," Sara answered. "Smackdown ladies should be here any minute," Amy said, "You talk to any of 'em on the plane?" "Nah. Andy did borrow an old magazine from one of 'em, though. It was my first cover…jeez, that was so long ago…made me feel all ancient," Sara said chuckling. "I could see how," Trish said grinning. Sara stuck her tongue out as the door opened. Five beautiful women walked in with their suitcases, and Sara recognized them from the Smackdown roster. "Afternoon, ladies," she spoke. "Hey, Angel," Gail spoke first, "Good to see ya again, hon." The other four women were cordial and introduced themselves as Melina Valdez, Jackie Gayda, Torrie Wilson, and Beth Phoenix. Sara recognized Beth's name as the person Andy had told her was the one who'd caused Lisa's knee injury.

"Beth, can I talk to you real quick?" she asked quietly. The other women glanced at Beth before going about their business. Beth looked down at the floor as she followed Sara out of the room. "Yes, ma'am?" she asked once the door had shut. Sara grinned slightly and said, "Please, call me Angel." "Oh, I know who you are. I'm a big fan o' yours," Beth said grinning slightly. "Really? For how long?" Sara asked as they walked down the hall. "For about six years now…just watching what you do in the ring…it made me want to be a wrestler," Beth said politely, "My brother had been a huge fan, and kinda passed it on to me." "Older or younger?" Sara asked. "Younger. He's gonna be startin' college in January," Beth answered, "He actually gave me this huge collection of magazines recently, to catch up on history, I guess. One of 'em was right after you won the Intercontinental belt the first time." "Oh, that was _yours_?" Sara said grinning, "My friend Andy told me he borrowed it from one o' the new girls, but he didn't tell me who." "Yeah, I was reading it, and I guess the cover caught his attention," Beth said quietly, "I could see why, though…you're, like, larger than life to me." Sara could feel a blush come to her cheeks, and she looked down at the floor with a slight smile. "Thanks, Beth," she said quietly.

Spotting two empty chairs, she motioned for Beth to sit as she did the same. "Listen, I'm a straightforward person…I don't like to beat around the bush. I know about what happened with you and Lisa," she said quietly. Beth's head dropped, but Sara touched her hand. "I'm only bringing it up because Lisa's a close friend o' mine. I just wanna tell you that…accidents happen, okay? You can't avoid them, especially in this business," she said. "I just feel horrible about it. I never meant for that to happen," Beth said quietly. "You know…not too many people know this, but…in my first year of active wrestling, I accidentally broke a guy's nose. I was so into the match that I wasn't payin' attention, and I just nailed him with a forearm shot. Next thing I know, his face is just covered in blood…he actually had to wear a protective mask for a while after that," Sara said, "And I felt really bad, too…but you have to understand that freak accidents happen all the time. It's nobody's fault." Beth nodded slightly, but didn't meet Sara's gaze. "Have you wrestled since?" Sara asked. "In OVW, constantly. Like, I'll travel with Smackdown for a few days, and then it's back to OVW for training and TV tapings," Beth answered, "It's hard, because…Smackdown only has two or three actual women wrestlers, so I don't have that many people to practice with on that show. And after what happened with Victoria…nobody wants to really work with me." Sara leaned back in the chair and took a deep breath. "Do you want his, Beth?" she asked quietly. "Yes, ma'am," Beth said simply. "You gotta gut it out, then. Train hard, wrestle as much as you can, and just watch the people around you. You'd be surprised at what you can learn from observing those with experience," Sara said quietly. Beth nodded in understanding, but asked, "How did, uh…you find out?" Sara grinned and said, "Andy is Lisa's husband, so he told me." "Can I ask you somethin'?" Beth said quietly. Sara merely nodded and crossed her legs.

"How do you deal with it?" Beth asked. "With what?" Sara asked in return. "The adversity of it all," Beth said quietly. Sara sighed and looked down at her left hand, missing her wedding ring tremendously. "This business ain't for the weak at heart, Beth. For the most part, I just suck it up and get on with whatever it is I have to get done. No offense or anything, but the guys…they judge me on a completely different set of principles than they do regular women wrestlers. And, a lotta times, it's not easy," she said quietly, "But trust me, I'm no superwoman…I get stressed real easily. But I push on…because it's my job." "I try to do the same, I really do…but when I get in that ring in front of a live crowd…I practically freeze up," Beth said quietly. "And that's expected. You're a rookie, Beth," Sara said grinning, "Yeah, you've got a great athletic background…but what we do as athletes and performers in a completely different world than wrestling in a high school gym or a college auditorium." Beth grinned and nodded. "I'm kinda learning that the hard way," she said grinning, "This is…a bigger challenge than I expected." "Like I said…if you want to be a part o' this business bad enough--." "I definitely want it," Beth said smiling. Sara smiled as well and nodded. "You'll do just fine, then. Don't worry too much about what the ladies say. At the end of the day, we're all WWF employees, and we're all tryin' to make this company just a little bit better than the day before," she said. "Are you haggling the new girl, Angel?" John asked from a few feet away. Sara smiled and said, "None o' your business, Cena. Besides, not too long ago, you were the new kid on the block yourself." "You ladies hungry? I heard they got a sweet little set-up, all Korean food," John said grinning. "I should get back to the locker room…get ready for the show," Beth said standing. "Trust me, we got a while 'til they open the doors. Come on," John said helping Sara to her feet. The two women conceded, and followed John down the hall.

Inside the large dining area, Sara spotted Mark almost immediately. He was sitting with Glenn, pushing food around on his plate with his right hand, while fingering his necklace with his left. She sighed heavily, knowing her ring was beside his on the gold chain. "You okay, Angel?" John asked quietly as they moved up to the food table. Sara looked away from her husband into John's concerned eyes. "You're way too caring, Cena," she said quietly. "Dany doesn't complain," John said grinning. Sara chuckled softly and rolled her eyes. "She's biased," she said simply. They each filled up plates with food, and grabbed cold bottled water, before finding seats. "So, Beth, havin' fun so far?" John asked. "We'll, I've never been on a plane for 15 hours, if that's what you mean," Beth said grinning. "Wait 'til we go to Africa again. It takes about double the time," John said with a smile. Andy walked in a few minutes later with Shawn and Paul. Sara waved to get their attention, and after getting food, the trio headed towards her. "I stopped by the women's locker room, but you'd already left," Andy said sitting. Sara grinned as Shawn gave her a tight hug. "Hey, sweetheart," he said in her ear, "You're doin' a great job on RAW." Sara smiled fully as he took his seat as well. "Without the 'Showstoppa' there, somebody's gotta hold down the fort. Andy, Paul, meet Beth. She's one o' the new girls on Smackdown," she said. "Yeah, I talked to you on the plane," Paul said shaking her hand, "Havin' a good time so far?" "Oh, of course. Angel's been real nice," Beth answered. "Livin' up to your name?" Paul said winking at Sara. "As only I can, Paul," Sara responded grinning.

Lunch continued for nearly a half an hour before Sara and Beth made their exit. "Angel?" Beth said quietly, once they were back in the hallway. Sara looked down at the younger woman with questioning. "I don't know if you noticed, but…this guy was staring at you while you were in there for, like, 20 minutes. Huge guy…tattoos, long dark red hair," Beth said quietly, "Do you know him or somethin'?" Sara looked away and sighed; indeed, she had noticed Mark's stares, but had chosen to ignore them. "Yeah, Beth…he's my husband," she said quietly, "And not to be rude or anything, but…don't worry about it." Beth nodded and looked ahead. "I just mentioned it because…he's standing at the women's locker room door," she said quietly. Sara looked ahead and saw Mark leaning against the wall. "Shit," she whispered. "Is everything okay?" Beth asked quietly. "I said don't worry about it…," Sara said. Beth nodded and entered the locker room, shutting the door quietly. Sara swallowed and stared at the floor. "What do you want?" she asked quietly. "Why did you give me this?" he asked, holding her wedding band on his necklace. "I need time to think, Mark," she said simply. "About us?" he asked dropping the ring. Sara crossed her arms, her eyes still on the floor. "We've made it this far, dollface," he said quietly. Sara took a deep breath and tried to force away the tears in his eyes. "How long?" Mark whispered. "As long as it takes, Mark," she whispered moving for the door. Mark touched her left shoulder and softly asked, "Should I hope for the best, Sara? Or expect the worse?' Sara looked up at him as a tear slipped from her left eye. "I don't know yet, Mark," she whispered before entering the room and shutting the door. Mark sighed heavily and pushed himself off the wall. Despite Andy's advice, he was not going just "keep his distance" from the woman he loved.

Sara leaned against the door with her eyes closed and took a few deep breaths. "Sara?" Trish said quietly. Sara took more deep breath before opening her eyes, not surprised to find ten pairs of eyes on her. She pushed herself off the door and grabbed her bag, going into the bathroom without responded to Trish. As she dressed in one of the stalls, Trish entered the room and shut the door. "Sara? You okay, sweetheart?" she asked. Sara sighed and pulled a black velvet top over her head. It had a hemline that came just under her bust, and long sleeves with horizontal slits running down them. "Yeah, Trish," she answered, "Let me guess…the Smackdown girls are in there gossiping about me." Trish chuckled and ran her fingers through her mid-back-length blonde hair. "Actually, no…they're bein' pretty respectful," she answered. Sara smirked as she pulled on a pair of low-rider black pants. She exited the stall and stared at the shorter woman. "Was it Mark?" Trish asked quietly. Sara sighed and nodded slightly, pulling her wrestling boots out of her bad. "Typical marriage problems," she said quietly, pushing her hair behind her ears. Trish grinned slightly and leaned against the wall, staring intently at her coworker. "What?" Sara asked. "I could never do it…work with my boyfriend or husband, especially in this business," Trish answered, "You're a strong lady, sweetheart, you really are." Sara sighed and shook her head. "Not really, Trish," she said quietly. "Well, if it makes you feel better…I think so, and those women in there do, too," Trish said softly. Sara grinned slightly and looked up at her. "Thanks, Trish," she responded. "You gonna be okay?" Trish asked quietly. "Yeah…you know me, business comes first," Sara said beginning to lace up the boot on her right foot. "Not to get in your business, 'cause I don't wanna offend you or anything, but…," Trish said slowly. "But what, Trish?" Sara asked, not even bothering to look up. "Maybe that's the problem," Trish said quietly. Sara looked up at her, shock apparent in her eyes. "Like I said…no offense," Trish said before leaving the bathroom.

Sara swallowed and went back to lacing up her boots, her jaw tightening. _What do they expect? I'm a professional wrestler…the World Heavyweight champion…I have to put business first…I can deal with Mark later_, she thought angrily. _Maybe that's the problem_. Sara sighed as that one statement flashed in her mind like a neon sign. She finished typing up the left boot as the Smackdown women entered the bathroom. Sara gave them a curt smile before going back into the locker room. She brushed her hair smooth and pulled it into a loose ponytail, then left the locker room. It didn't take long before Sara found herself in the large stadium seating area. "Oh, wow," she whispered. There was a large stage set up with the tour's theme ("International Warfare") in gigantic red letters on a black background. The ring crew was now putting up the ring, while arena staff filled the floor with chairs. Sara took a seat and took in the scene, letting the sounds of the people working echo in her ears. _This is gonna be such a blast_, she thought grinning. Nearly two hours passed before Sara stood, stretching out her arms and yawning. She went back to the backstage area in search of Vince. When she found him, he was speaking with Paul, Stephanie, and Kevin Dunn.

"Hey, Sara. What do you need?" Vince asked quickly. Sara smiled as innocently as possible, garnering a snicker from Paul. "I know that look" he said grinning. "Anyway," Sara said glaring playfully at Paul, then turning her attention back to Vince, "I need a favor." "Depends on what is it," Vince said simply. "Well, some o' the ladies and I wanna go souvenir shopping, but we have no way to get around," Sara said, "Our hosts didn't bother to give you--." "Sorry, Sara. You want to go shopping, you gotta take a cab," Vince said, "I can get one for you." "Alright, thanks, Vince," Sara said before dashing away. "Ten minutes, Sara!" Vince said. Sara gave him a thumbs up and headed back to the women's locker room. Inside, Trish, Amy, and Gail were in the midst of getting dressed for the show. "Wait! Don't get dressed yet!" Sara said holding up her hands. "Why not?" Trish asked continuing to pull on red pants with silver glitter in them. "Don't you ladies wanna go shopping with me?" Sara asked with a smile. "Oh, man! Are you serious?" Amy asked frowning. "Yeah, what's wrong?" Sara responded, "Come on, the cab's gonna be here in ten minutes." "We've got a match to practice for, and the show starts in about two and a half hours," Gail answered. "Come on, please!" Sara pleaded. "Sorry, Sara, no can do," Trish answered, "But take plenty o' pictures, okay?" Sara watched as they left the room, somewhat disappointed. She wanted to spend some time with those ladies, outside of their job. She let out a heavy sigh and changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt, then slipped on her WWF sweater and hat before leaving the room as well.

The next two hours were not what Sara had expected. She'd spent most of the time walking in the cold rain (which had gotten progressively worse since when they had first arrived), and trying to hail a taxi where the driver spoke English _and_ knew where the WWF was going to be that night. When she finally got back to the stadium, she entered the building drenched and shivering. She quickly found the women's locker room and entered, setting her bags down and quickly pulling a towel from her duffel bag. Dawn walked out of the bathroom, and her jaw dropped. "What happened?" she asked. "The p-price for w-w-wanting to g-go shopping," Sara said pulling off her soaking wet clothes. "You didn't have an umbrella?" Dawn asked heading her one of her extra towels, "Wait…dumb question." Sara smiled and ran her towel over her legs. "Oh, yeah, Rob's been lookin' for your for like an hour. He said you've got a match together," Dawn said. Sara nodded and continued to dry herself off, shivering the entire time. When she finally felt dry, she ran her brush through her tangled hair. She groaned in frustration and threw the brush into her bag, quickly dressing in her outfit from earlier and leaving the room. Rob saw her running down the hall and grinned. "Sorry…," Sara said, not wanting him to think she'd been irresponsibly by going out shopping. "Don't worry about it. Trish told me where you were…I just thought you'd be back a little sooner," Rob said knowingly. "I'm sorry, Rob, I really am. It took a half an hour just to find a cab driver who spoke English, and then--." Rob grinned and held up his hand. "Don't worry about it. The fans have already filed in, and the show starts in a half an hour, so…you just wanna wing it in the ring?" he said. "Yeah, that works," Sara said shivering. "You get caught in the rain?" he asked. Sara nodded and ran her hands over her arms. "Why don't you go finish gettin' ready…get warm, maybe, and I'll just meet up with you later," Rob said. Sara nodded once more before walking back to the women's locker room, mentally chastising herself the entire time.

On the way back, Sara ran into a brick wall, or so it seemed. She looked up at Mark and sighed. "Please, Mark…not now," she said wrapping her arms around her waist. "Why not?" he asked quietly, "Besides, isn't waiting what got us here in the first place?" Sara shivered and looked down at the floor, biting on her bottom lip. "I…I-I have to finish getting ready," she whispered trembling. "What happened to you?" he asked picking at a lock of her damp hair. "I was out shopping for Melissa and…," she whispered, not wanting to admit she'd been shopping for him as well, "And I got caught in the rain 'cause I couldn't find a taxi driver who spoke English." Mark gently pulled her into his embrace, feeling her shivering against him. Sara closed her eyes tightly, not wanting her tears to fall. Mark kissed the top of her head gently and whispered, "We're gonna be okay, baby." Sara sniffled and pulled away from him roughly. "Just…leave me alone, Mark," she said softly before continuing on her way, her head lowered. When she got back to the women's locker room, Christy and Dawn were sitting together, discussing the men in their lives. "Do you two ever talk about anything _other_ than your men?" she asked grinning. "Of course," Dawn said smiling, "We also talk about other people's men." "Speakin' o' which, how is that hunk of a husband o' yours?" Christy asked with a playful smile. Sara stopped brushing her hair, staring at Christy with something close to warning and anger in her eyes. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Dawn cleared her throat. "He's fine," Sara said finally, resuming the task of brushing her hair. Christy looked at Dawn, who merely shrugged her shoulders.

Sara rolled her eyes and took her make-up bag into the bathroom, shutting the door rather harshly. "Jeez, Christy…I mean, I thought _I_ was bold," Dawn said quietly. "What? It's not like I was tryin' to get with him or anything. I have a boyfriend, thank you very much, and I'm very happy with him," Christy responded, "Besides…you gotta admit, Mark Callaway is a beautiful specimen, simple as that." "Well, yeah, but I wouldn't say that around his wife!" Dawn said quietly. "She should take it as a freakin' compliment! If I was married to him, I'd be bragging to anybody who'd listen. I mean, I've got a weakness for the biker type, and I know a whole lotta women who are very attracted to that man, fans and friends alike. He's just got a presence that draws you to him," Christy said honestly, "I'm sure he knows it, too." Sara listened intently as the two women continued to discuss her husband, part of her fuming at their sheer audacity, but the other part smiling wide at the fact that not only was she Mark's wife, but the mother of his child. She let out a heavy sigh and finished brushing her hair, then moved on to her make-up. Ten minutes later, she had a very methodical, yet very natural look. She smiled at her reflection before packing up her make-up bag. She went back into the locker room and noticed Christy sitting alone. "Where's Dawn?" she asked setting her make-up bag down by her belongings. "Out wrestling Nidia," Christy answered skimming over a fashion magazine. Sara took a deep breath and looked over at the rambunctious redhead. "Christy, I…I'm sorry for how I acted a little bit ago. You're right…I am a very lucky woman to be married to a guy like Mark," she said quietly, "It's just…we've been having a lot o' problems lately, and…I get a little overprotective of my relationship with him when we fight." Christy smiled slightly and shrugged. "Don't even worry about it, hon," she answered.

"So…how's Eddie?" Sara asked slowly. "He's fine. Doin' his acting thing in L.A. He told me he got a part on _General Hospital_, the soap opera, yesterday, so I'm really happy for him," Christy answered, "What's goin' on with you and Mark?" "Nothin' we can't work through with a little time," Sara answered quietly. "Have you talked to him about it?" Christy asked quietly. "No…I'm waitin' until the right time to talk to him about it," Sara answered looking down at her hands. "Ya know…my mom used to tell me somethin' all the time when she saw me procrastinating," Christy said quietly, "Waste enough time--." "And you'll lose what's most important to you," Sara finished looking back up at her. "Well, no, it was "Waste enough time, and life will eventually pass you by"…but I like your version, too. Where'd you learn it?" Christy said. "I dreamt it…a couple nights ago…I guess it's a sign," Sara responded looking back down. "Maybe…but I've kinda learned with Eddie that…some things really do take time to work out," Christy said, "We're both TV personalities, so…us bein' together is not like other, regular relationships, ya know. You and Mark…you work together, or at least in the same company, so that's even harder. Sometimes, space or time apart to think about things really does make everything better." Sara sighed and nodded slightly.

"Are you wrestling tonight?" Christy asked. "Yeah, against Rob," Sara answered, "Speakin' o' which, I better go get ready for that." Christy nodded, watching Sara as she left the room, then went back to reading her magazine. Sara headed down the hall and found a small group of her coworkers around a television screen. She sat down between Beth and Paul, and asked, "How're they doin'?" "Alright. Better than expected. Dawn's got a lotta potential," Paul answered as Dawn executed a smooth suplex, "Finley's been workin' with her and Nidia the past couple weeks, and it's startin' to show." Sara nodded slightly, happy that Dawn was pursuing her interesting in the in-ring aspect of what they did. "Did you know she wanted to wrestle?" Paul asked. Sara smirked and said, "Just like you, Paul…I tend to know a little bit about everybody." Paul chuckled softly and nodded. "Payin' attention, I see," Sara said to Beth. "Yeah…it's great to see other newer women wrestle, to see what I can pick up from them," Beth answered quietly. "Dawn's not new to the business – she's been in it for about ten years – but she's fairly new to the company. Did you get to work with her on Smackdown?" Sara stated. "No. I got the call up right after the draft," Beth said quietly. "Oh, gotcha. It's a shame you didn't get to work with her. She's a real wealth o' knowledge," Sara said, "What about Nidia?" "I got to work with her in OVW, but she also got traded, so I didn't work with her on Smackdown," Beth answered, "But I'm gonna try to talk to both of 'em tonight, try to get more advice." "Good for you," Sara said quietly, "Talk to as many people as you can on this trip." "I definitely will," Beth said grinning.

Sara thoroughly enjoyed watching the men and women of both programs work for the enormous crowd. Despite the language barrier, there was a lot of interaction between the wrestlers and fans. Even her match with Rob was a lot more enjoyable because of the crowd participation. After the show, everyone showered and boarded the buses to return to the airport. Sara felt more tired than usual, as though her body was about to collapse. She spent the entire ride going from feeling extremely hot to absolutely freezing. When they finally got to the airport, and were settled in, Andy looked over at Sara. "You okay, sweetheart?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, Andy, just…exhausted," she answered before coughing. "Understandable," he said touching her forehead, "You're burning up, baby doll." "Probably just a…cold or somethin'…I'll be alright," she whispered coughing again. Andy pulled the cover over her shoulder and caressed her cheek. "You sure?" he asked quietly. "Go to sleep, Andy," Sara answered grinning softly, feeling her eyelids drooping. Andy sighed and leaned back in his seat, sleep coming over him a few minutes later.

The next day was even harder to get through than Sara would've admitted. Her body, knowing Sara's retirement was looming, was seemingly starting to shut down on its own. She'd struggled through her practice session with Rob and Chris, and even more so during their Triple Threat match that night. It was so bad for her that Rob and Chris ended up wrestling the bulk of the match. When she got back through the curtain afterwards, she felt absolutely awful about her performance. Vince stopped her as she headed to the locker room, and Sara stared at the floor. "I'm so sorry, Vince," she said quietly, "That could've been so much better." She sniffled as a headache wracked her brain, squeezing her eyes shut and rubbing her temples. "Maybe so. What happened?" Vince said crossing his arms. "I, uh…I couldn't focus," she said before coughing. Vince sighed and said, "You're sick, Sara. I'm gonna give Paul--." "No, I'm alright…I just need to sleep," she said tiredly, "I'll be fine by the time we get to the States." "Wow, just like I said…stubborn as a bull," Vince said quietly, "If you're not--." "I will be," Sara said simply. "Fine, Sara…but I'm sending Paul with you anyway, just in case," he said matter-of-factly. Sara nodded slightly before continuing on her way. As she headed down the hall, a hand grabbed at her elbow. Sara knew without looking up that it was her husband. He'd been practically shadowing her the whole day. "We're gonna talk," he whispered, "I'm not goin' back home with your wedding ring." Sara swallowed and nodded slightly. "Five minutes," she said sniffling. Mark looked at her face and asked, "Are you okay?" "I…I don't know," she whispered before entering the women's locker room. She showered as quickly as possible, and went back into the locker room, dressing in shorts and sweatpants, as well as two t-shirts. Her next stop in the States was Chicago, and November could be an especially cold time of year that far north. That, and Sara wanted to be able to slip out of her sweatpants if she got too hot on the plane.

Mark was there when she opened the door, and Sara followed him down the hallway, her head lowered out of sheer exhaustion. Mark took her into an empty locker room, shutting the door quietly. Sara watched as he sat down in a steel chair, pointing to the one across from him for her to do the same. Sara dropped into the chair and leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees. "Okay…," she whispered, letting out a heavy sigh. "Sara…when I went out--." Sara put her fingers to his lips, tears in his eyes. "I wanna talk…before you say anything," she said softly. Mark sighed heavily and nodded slightly. Sara sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She looked into Mark's eyes, so full of absolute regret, and her tears fell. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry," Mark whispered. "Mark, don't…don't apologize. You…you're right…everything you said to me…you were right. You had every reason to snap on me," she whispered, "I'm so selfish…I'm insecure about everything, because I-I worry constantly that…I'm not good enough for you. I'm overprotective because I'm so insecure, because I don't think that…I can be as good a mother as…as my mom was." "Sara, don't do this to yourself," Mark said softly. "No…this was gonna happen eventually," she said sniffling, "And…I know you didn't mean for it to happen the way it did, but…you were right in everything you said." Mark touched her cheek, but Sara took his hand away, squeezing it gently. "You are a great wrestler, Mark…but you're an even better father…and I shouldn't try to deny you time with your daughter," she whispered, "And I'm sorry for that…I'm so very sorry."

"Sara--." "Please…I have to finish," she said quietly. Mark sighed and nodded, his heart breaking at the pain Sara was feeling, and knowing it was because of his drunken antics. Sara took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. "I never really realized…until a few days ago…just how big a bitch…I've been to you. And I'm sorry," she whispered, "My hope…ever since we got together…is that no matter what bad qualities you might find in me…no matter how many…shitty mistakes I might make…that my good qualities would always outweigh them." Tears fell from her eyes once more, and she looked down. "And I'm begging you, Mark…I'm begging you…please forgive me for cheating…that was my biggest regret, hurting you like that. You're an amazing husband…and you didn't deserve that. I pray every single day…more and more…that I can be the wife you deserve," she cried. "I love you so much, Sara, I do. I didn't mean that…I swear I didn't," Mark whispered removing her wedding ring from his necklace, "You wanna know what my real regret is?" Sara sniffled and looked back at him. "My biggest regret…is not loving you enough," he whispered putting the ring back on her finger. "Mark…you love me…as much as my mother did…and like you said, I wouldn't be who I am…as a wrestler, as a mother…as a wife…if it weren't for your love for me," she whispered. Mark pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back as she cried into his shoulder. He kissed the side of her head and forced her to look at him, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. "We're gettin' back into the States late Saturday night…and I don't go back on the road 'til Tuesday. What do ya say…I travel with you until then?" he said softly. Sara nodded and said, "We should…fly Dany and Melissa into Chicago…and they can travel with you for the rest o' the week." "And we'll meet up in Seattle Sunday morning for the pay-per-view," he said quietly, a soft grin on his face. Sara grinned slightly and nodded in agreement. Mark leaned forward to kiss her, but she stopped him. "I don't wanna get you sick," she whispered. "I'll risk it," he whispered capturing her lips quickly. Sara moaned softly, draping her arms around his neck. "We gotta go…," he whispered planting soft kisses over her face, "Don't wanna get stuck in Japan." Sara smirked and caressed his cheek. "I love you so much," he whispered. "Ditto, dollface," he said kissing her once more.

The door opened, and Sara looked over at Vince. "I guess doin' a building check was a good idea, then," he said grinning, "Come on, you two." Sara stood and grabbed her suitcase, rolling it behind her and leaving the room. When they got to the exit, Mark placed his leather West Coast Choppers jacket over her head. "I'll be satisfied if I never see another rain drop again," she said as they dashed to the bus. They quickly put their belongings under the bus and boarded. "I'll be right back," she whispered to Mark. Mark nodded and took his seat, as Sara made her way back to Andy. When she sat down, Andy asked, "Everything okay?" "Yeah…I'm gonna go sit with him, okay?' she said softly. "You sure?" he asked quietly. Sara coughed quietly and nodded. "I'll be okay," she whispered showing him her left hand. Andy grinned and shook his head. "You two are unbelievable sometimes, ya know," he whispered. "Yeah, I know…I don't see how we make it through the fights, either," she said softly, "But I know one thing…it's worth it." She then stood and sat down beside Mark. "Andy playin' bodyguard again?" he asked with a grin. Sara smiled slightly and leaned against his warm frame, sighing when his right arm came around her shoulders. "You're my only bodyguard, sweetheart," she whispered. Mark grinned and kissed the top of her head. "You gonna sit with him on the plane?" he asked softly. "Why would I do that?" she whispered before coughing. "I didn't wanna push," he said quietly. "Don't worry about it, Mark," she said softly, coughing once more. "As soon as we get on the plane, I'll try and get you some cough medicine, okay?" he whispered. Sara nodded and shuddered slightly, a cold chill passing through her body. Mark sighed and pulled cover her even more. "You'll be fine, dollface," he whispered. Sara fell into a restless sleep as the bus pulled off a few minutes later.


	116. Irresponsibility

**Figured I'd go ahead and post this, even though it's 5:00 in the morning, and I have class at 9:30 a.m. :) See how much I care about you guys! It's near the end o' the second week o' school, and I'm startin' to get into the rhythm of things. It's definitely gonna be a hectic semester, but I think I can manage to finish up this story within the next month or two. I've officially decided that there won't be a sequel. The epilogue will be sufficient enough to portray closure to the story (even though it's still five chapters away haha). To be honest, I didn't expect to post after only two weeks, but hey...what can I say, I've got some screwed up priorities. My friend o' mine said if I stopped procrastinating on homework, I'd get more sleep...maybe so, but that's what naps are for! LOL Anywho, enjoy this chapter...the next one will probably be up within the next two weeks. :)**

**Shannon**

**P.S. I get my sixth tattoo in eight days:D  
P.P.S. I uploaded a missed chapter this morning, around 11:00 a.m. It's the real chapter 109, titled "Wrapping Up", kind of about the day after Sara's HIAC match with Randy Orton...sorry about that mishap, guys, I really am:-/

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**Chapter 115…Irresponsibility**

The plane landed in San Francisco around eleven p.m. local time. Sara and Mark exited, saying their goodbyes to Andy before climbing into a cab. They headed towards their cab in silence, both people wide awake after having slept so much on the flight back. "So…what'd you get me in Korea?" Mark asked grinning. "And what makes you think I went shopping for you?" Sara asked grinning. She'd had cough medicine on the plane, and was feeling a lot better. "I know you, Sara…you always shop for me," he said squeezing her hand gently, "So…what'd ya get me?" Sara chuckled and said, "You'll just have to see tomorrow." "Well, we're gonna be up all night, so…might as well show me when we get to the hotel," he said quietly. "I'm not stayin' up all night…I need to catch up on sleep, buddy," Sara said leaning against his arm. "Yeah, yeah. You probably slept more the past two days than you have the past two weeks," he said kissing the top of her head. "That's besides the point, mister," she said grinning. "Not really," he responded. Sara smiled and shrugged. "Sleep is not mandatory, ya know," he added. "Yeah, well, it's a luxury that I plan on diving into tonight," she said quietly. Mark put his arm around her and kissed her head once more. "Not if I have anything to do about it," he whispered in her ear. Sara blushed furiously and smiled broadly. "You're disgusting," she whispered back. "One o' my better qualities," he said softly. Sara chuckled and shook her head in disbelief. The taxi pulled up in front of their hotel ten minutes later, and Mark paid the fare as Sara got their belongings from the trunk. After checking in, the couple made their way up to their room. Sara entered first, and Mark shut the door behind them.

"So…the whole day off tomorrow…what's on the schedule?" Mark asked as Sara plopped down in the bed, yawning slightly. "No clue," she whispered as Mark stretched out beside her, running his hands gently across her bared stomach, "I'd just like to stay in and relax for once." Mark grinned and leaned down, kissing her ear and cheek. Sara grinned as well and looked into his eyes, stroking his cheek softly. "I love you so much," she whispered. "Ditto, baby," he whispered before capturing her lips. Sara moaned softly and ran her fingers up around his neck, caressing the fine hairs at the base of his neck. Mark ran his hand up her shirt slowly, squeezing her left breast gently. "You didn't wear a bra?" he whispered against her lips. Sara grinned innocently and shrugged. Mark grinned suspiciously and eased Sara's two shirts over her head, tossing the garments onto the floor. "So beautiful," he whispered dipping his head over her right breasts and flicking his tongue over the rosy nipple. Sara moaned softly as he teased them until they stood painfully erect. "Mark…," she whispered as he moved over her neck, planting hot kisses over her flushed skin. "Tell me what you want, baby," he whispered kissing her gently. Sara ran her hands under his shirt as well, and Mark removed it, tossing onto Sara's own clothing. "I want you to fuck me silly," she whispered against his lips. Mark grinned and softly said, "Your wish is my command, dollface."

For the next few hours, Sara was taken to heights of pleasure that she hadn't known in years. She and Mark made love all over their hotel room, including the bathroom during a late shower. Once they were finally in bed, Sara ran her fingers over his chest. "That was fun," she whispered yawning. Mark grinned and caressed her back. "I do what I can, dollface," he said softly. Sara chuckled and looked up at him. "You're full o' yourself, ya know," she whispered. "Yeah…it's so much fun bein' me," he responded kissing her softly, "But it's even more fun bein' your husband." Sara smiled and rested her cheek against his shoulder. "So…what do you wanna do tomorrow?" she asked. "A repeat of tonight would be nice," he answered with a smile. Sara chuckled softly and nodded slightly. "If you're not too tired, of course," she answered. "Don't get me started again, dollface," he whispered. Sara grinned and nodded. "I have to get a new phone tomorrow," she whispered. "Alright…I'm sure there's a place somewhere around here we can find you one," he said softly, "I'm sorry--." "Don't even," she whispered. "I can't help it, Sara. You know how much I love you…and I do stupid things sometimes that hurt you," he said quietly. Sara rested up on her elbow, looking down at his face. "Ya know…some o' the truest things that are said…hurt the worst," she whispered, "But I love you regardless, and you know that." Mark sighed softly and nodded. "I consider myself the luckiest man on the planet because o' that," he said quietly. Sara rested her head back on his shoulder, yawning once more. "You wanna sleep in tomorrow?" he asked quietly. "I'll see when I wake up," she said grinning. Mark chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight, dollface," he whispered. "Goodnight, Mark," Sara said closing her eyes and allowing sleep to come over her tired, yet satisfied body.

A few hours later, Sara awoke to Mark clinging to her waist. She could feel him trembling against her, sweat pouring from his forehead. "Mark, baby, what's wrong?" she asked softly. "B-bad dream," he whispered. Sara swallowed and slowly eased him onto his back. "What happened?" she whispered wiping away the sweat. "You…you got knocked out…wrestling Rob…and all these…EMT people came out, and rushed you to the hospital…and I'm sittin' in the waiting room, and the doctor comes out…and says that you were dead," he whispered. Sara turned on the lamp and took a deep breath. Mark was completely flushed, and there was sweat pouring from his body. She touched his forehead and gasped. "Mark, you're burning up," she whispered. "It's just hot in here," he whispered in return. Sara dashed into the bathroom, quickly wetting a rag with cold water. She went back into the bedroom, and Mark had pulled a sheet over his legs. She slowly sat down and wiped his face and chest. Mark coughed and Sara sighed. "I told you not to kiss me when I was sick," she whispered. Mark swallowed and forced a grin. "I told you I'd risk it," he whispered. "And see what happened?" she responded. Mark shrugged slightly and softly said, "It was worth it." Sara pressed the rag against his forehead, and ran her fingers through his hair. "I'll be back," she whispered moving from the bed. "Where are you goin'?" he asked. "Just lay there, Mark," Sara said slipping on a t-shirt and shorts. She left the room and went down to the front desk. "May I help you, ma'am?" the man asked her. "Do you have a first aid kit, or a thermometer?" Sara asked. "Sure," he answered handing over a small white box, "Is everything okay?" "My husband has a fever, and I just need to see how bad it is," she answered, "Thank you." The man nodded and Sara quickly went back down to her room. Mark had turned onto his side, and was coughing quietly. She sat down at his side and pulled out the thermometer. "Open up," she said quietly. "Sara, you need to get to sleep," he whispered before she put the small tube in his mouth. "Don't even worry about it," she said quietly. After a minute, Sara took the device from his mouth, sighing when she read the number. "What's it say?" Mark asked softly. "101," she said standing, "Just lay there." "Where ya goin' this time?" he asked. Sara grabbed her key card and wallet, looking down at him. "You need some medicine, Mark," she said putting on her shoes. "It's six o' clock in the morning, Sara…this can't wait?" he responded. "No…I don't wanna take the chance o' you gettin' worse," she answered sitting back down at his side, "You take care o' me all the time, Mark…stop bein' so stubborn and let me take care o' you." Mark sighed and nodded. "Okay," he whispered. Sara kissed his cheek, then grabbed her jacket and left the room.

An hour later, Sara walked back into the room with a small plastic bag. Mark was fast asleep, his arm draped over his eyes. Sara kicked off her shoes and yawned. She pulled out the cold medicine and sat down beside her husband. "Mark?" she whispered unscrewing the top. Mark groaned slightly and shifted in the bed. "Come on, baby, you gotta take this," she whispered. "I don't wanna," he said softly. Sara grinned and poured a capful of the thick liquid. "It'll help," she said moving his arm from over his eyes. Mark sighed and peeked at her from under one eye. "You're killin' me, dollface," he said grinning. Sara grinned as well and helped him to sit up. Mark downed the medicine, squeezing his eyes shut at the nasty taste. Once it was down, he groaned. "That's disgusting," he said quietly. "What'd you expect, bubble gum?" Sara asked pouring another capful. "Oh, come on, not again," Mark groaned. "You're a big guy, Mark…you need more than the average person," Sara countered handing him the cap. Mark pinched his nose and threw back the medicine, swallowing quickly. "Happy now?" he asked moving from the bed. "Are you okay?" she asked as he entered the bathroom. "Yeah, I gotta brush my teeth. That's the nastiest medicine on the face o' the earth," he said running water into the sink. Sara smirked and set the medicine on the nightstand. She pulled off her pants and climbed under the cover, ready to get back to sleep. Mark came out moments later smacking his lips. "Better?" she asked grinning. Mark climbed in beside her and said, "Yep…thank you." Sara nodded slightly and laid her head on his chest. "Back to sleep?" he whispered running his fingers through her hair. "Yeah," she whispered closing her eyes. Mark shifted slightly and yawned, closing his eyes for more sleep as well.

Sara didn't wake up again until after noon. Mark, however, was still fast asleep and snoring slightly. Sara carefully climbed out of the bed and went into the bathroom. She took a nice, hot bubble bath, glad to have time to just relax instead of worry about getting to the arena on time. As she rinsed shampoo from her hair, she heard Mark shifting in the room. "Baby, you okay?" she called out. Mark groaned slightly in response. Sara quickly climbed out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her waist as she went back into the room. "What is it?" she asked quietly. "My back," Mark said, "I think I sat up too fast." Sara sat down beside him and motioned for him to move onto his stomach. "What for?" he asked. "Stop askin' so many questions," she said grinning. Mark grinned as well before doing what she asked. Sara slowly massaged his lower back, frowning when she felt the tenseness. "You work too hard, Mark," she said softly. "I could say the same thing to you, ya know," he said quietly. Sara smirked and nodded. "You could…then again, I'm not the one who's sick," she said quietly. "Don't say 'I told you so'," he said grinning. "I won't…but I did," she responded. Mark chuckled softly, then groaned. "Sorry," Sara said easing the pressure on his back. "It's not that…my throat hurts," he whispered. "I'll check at the front desk to see if there's any place around where I can get you some soup," she said softly. Mark nodded as Sara stopped her ministrations. "A little better?" she asked. "Yeah," Mark said slowly sitting up. He leaned forward and sniffed her hair. "Mmm…strawberry," he said grinning. Sara smirked and tossed him the remote control. "Do I get spoiled today, mama?" he asked. Sara rolled her eyes playfully as she dressed in a pair of running pants and a t-shirt. She pulled her hair into a tight ponytail, then slipped a sweater over her head. "Where to now?" he asked. "Food," she answered grabbing her key card and wallet, "And a new phone." Mark sighed softly as he flipped through the channels. "Mark, don't beat yourself up, okay?" Sara said quietly. He looked at her with regret, and Sara's eyes fell to the floor. "I'll be back…don't move around too much," she said softly before leaving the room.

Mark spent the time Sara was gone watching television. He took a hot shower, relishing in the relaxing water as it soothed the soreness in his muscles. He was glad he'd signed a part-time contract with Vince, because it would give him more time at home with his wife and daughter. He would only be working a few days a week, doing houseshows once a month, as well as the occasional pay-per-view. At this point in his career, he wanted to be at home more than at work. Around two o' clock, Sara walked back into the hotel room with a few bags, talking on her new phone. "Yeah, munchkin, I miss you, too," she said kicking the door shut. Mark reached for the bags, and Sara handed them over with a smile. "How would you like to come on the road this week, darlin'?" she asked. "Really?" Melissa asked smiling. "Yep. Daddy and I are gonna fly you and Dany out to Chicago in the morning, and we'll meet you there," Sara answered kicking off her shoes. "I'd like that very much, mama," Melissa answered. "Good…and I can give you your gifts I got in Japan," Sara said smiling. "What'd ya get me?" Melissa asked. "Stuff," Sara answered chuckling. "Mama!" Melissa said laughing. "You'll just have to see tomorrow morning, now won't you," Sara said sitting down beside Mark, who'd already started munching on the Chinese food Sara had purchased. "You wanna talk to Dany now?" Melissa asked. "Yeah. I'll talk to ya again when I'm finished," Sara said. Moments later, Dany got on the phone. "So…we're comin' to Chicago, huh?" she asked grinning. "Yeah, if you want to," Sara answered. "Of course. I kinda miss the whole environment. You guys are a crazy bunch," Dany said. "Excellent. I already reserved your tickets. The plane takes off at nine a.m., and you'll get there around 11 o' clock. Mark and I'll meet you in the airport," Sara said. "That works," Dany said, "John said he's comin' along, if that's okay." Sara grinned and said, "I half expected it." "Alright, then. I'll see ya in the morning. You wanna talk to Melissa again?" Dany responded. "Yep," Sara said before handing the phone over to Mark. "Hey, mama," Melissa said moments later. "I thought I was your dad, munchkin," Mark said grinning. "Daddy! Mama said I get to come to work with you!" Melissa said happily. "You sure do, sweetheart. And you and Dany are gonna travel with me for the rest o' the week. We're gonna meet up with mom on Sunday," Mark said. "Will I get to watch her match, daddy?" Melissa asked. "I'm not sure yet, munchkin. That's her decision," he said. "Okay…did you have fun in Japan?" she asked. "I sure did, sweetheart…I didn't go shopping like your mom, but I had fun," Mark answered, "I can't wait to see ya again, either." "Me, too, daddy," Melissa said. "You wanna talk to mama?" Mark asked. "Yes, sir," Melissa answered. Mark handed over the phone to Sara, who had stretched out beside him on the bed, before going back to his lunch. "Alright, munchkin. You be good for Dany and Uncle John tonight, okay?" Melissa said. "I will, mama. I'm gonna go pack right now," Melissa said smiling. "Just don't pack everything," Sara said chuckling. "I won't, mama," Melissa said chuckling. "I love you, sweetheart, and I'll see ya tomorrow," Sara said. They said their goodbyes before Sara finally turned off her phone and tossed it on the nightstand.

"You started without me," she said picking up a box of shrimp fried rice. "You were gone so long, I thought my stomach was shrinking," Mark said with a mouthful of beef fried rice. "Sorry about that. The line at Radio Shack was long as hell," she said. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart," he said. "What're you watching?" she asked. "Sportscenter," he answered. "There's nothin' else on?" she asked grinning. "Nothin' good," he responded. Sara chuckled and dived into her food. She was famished, and knew the small box would fill her up. After their short lunch, Sara and Mark spent the afternoon flipping between ESPN and local movie channels. They even watched Sunday Night Heat, which was filled with more wrestling than usual. After the show was over, Sara stretched out on the bed and yawned. "I'm bored," she said quietly. "I can think of a few things to do," Mark said stretching out beside her. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Not a chance, buddy," she said, "You're still sick." Mark grinned and shook his head. "Not sick enough," he responded. Sara smiled and rolled her eyes. "You're so hopeless," she said softly. Mark kissed the side of her neck softly, and Sara's eyes drifted shut. "What time's our flight tomorrow?" she asked softly. "Bright and early at eight a.m.," he whispered moving down her neck. "We should go out tonight…to dinner," Sara said softly, feeling her face flush as Mark's kisses trailed across her face, "Just to do somethin' different." Mark grinned and looked down at her. "You really want to?" he asked. "Well, I'm hungry, and we have to go out to get somethin' to eat anyway," she said stroking his cheek. "Okay, baby…I'll go take a shower," he said kissing her forehead softly. Sara watched him go into the bathroom and shut the door, a slight smile on her face. She dressed in a pair of tight blue jeans and a white spaghetti-stringed shirt, slipping on a dark blue long-sleeved shirt over that. She brushed her hair smooth, putting up into a half-ponytail. As she finished up her make-up, Mark walked out of the bathroom with a towel draped around his waist. "So…where are we goin'?" he asked.

"I saw a cute little restaurant when I was walkin' around earlier. I figured since it's Sunday night, not too many people will be there," Sara answered before applying a light layer of gloss to her lips. "And do you have to look so beautiful?" he asked softly, wrapping his arms around her waist. Sara smiled at his reflection in the mirror, and shrugged slightly. "It's my mom's fault," she whispered. Mark smiled and kissed her cheek. "And for that, I am eternally grateful," he said softly. Sara blushed deeply and chuckled softly. "Silly man," she whispered, "Go get dressed." "Yes, mama," Mark said kissing her cheek once more. Sara smiled and sat down on the bed, watching as Mark pulled on black jeans, a short-sleeved Harley-Davidson shirt (his usual attire), and black boots. "You ready?" he asked. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. Mark helped her from the bed, putting her jacket onto her, zipping it up very slowly and bringing an even deeper blush to Sara's cheeks. Mark chuckled and slapped her behind playfully. "You dirty old man!" Sara gasped holding her rear end. "I'm not old!" Mark exclaimed slipping on his leather jacket. Sara smiled innocently and pocketed her key card and wallet, and she and Mark finally left the room. They made their way down the street, Mark's left arm around Sara's shoulder, and Sara's right arm around his waist. "See, here it is," Sara said a few minutes later, pointing up to a very rough-looking sign which simply read "Roy's". "What kinda food is it?" Mark asked. "Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, I think," she answered. "We just got back from South Korea, dollface…I really could go for a good ole' American steak right now," he said grinning. "Fine…I think there's another place around here that's got that on the menu," Sara said smiling. "What's it called?" he asked. "First Crush, I think," she said. "Interesting name," Mark commented as they headed down the street.

Ten minutes later, Sara and Mark finally walked up to the restaurant. Mark looked in through the window and said, "Damn near empty." "That's what we want, though, right?" Sara asked as they entered. Mark grinned and nodded. "Will it be just you two tonight, sir?" the maitre d' asked Mark. "Yes, sir," Mark answered. They were directed to a table near the middle of the restaurant's main floor, but Mark asked for a table located in a not-so-open place. "Certainly, sir," the man said. Mark linked his fingers with Sara's, and they were finally seated in the downstairs dining area. "Your waitress, Megan, will be with you shortly," the man said handing them two menus. "Thanks," Sara said grinning slightly. Mark quickly looked through the menu, smiling when he saw they offered both steak and cheeseburgers. "I don't know what to pick," he said chuckling. Sara rolled her eyes playfully and looked at her own menu. "Food would be the first choice," she said grinning. Mark looked at her through narrowed eyes, but shook his head. "And you wonder where Melissa gets it from," he said softly. Sara chuckled as a petite brunette walked up to them. "Oh, my God…," she whispered. "What's wrong?" Sara asked smiling. "You're Angel and…the Undertaker," the girl whispered. Sara glanced at Mark, who now had his face buried in his menu. "I'm sorry, I won't say anything else, I promise," the girl said quietly. Mark peeked over his menu and winked at her. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. You're our waitress?" he said in a friendly tone. "Yes, sir, I'm Megan. Whatever I can do for you, just yell for me. You two are the only ones down here," she answered, "What can I get you to drink?" Sara looked at Mark, who merely shrugged. "A couple o' Bud Lights, if you don't mind," Sara answered. "I'll be right back," Megan said smiling quickly before walking away.

"I'll blame this on you," Mark said quietly. "Oh, come on. What were the chances o' that happening?" Sara said grinning. "Good question," Mark said quietly, "You okay?" "Yeah," Sara said grinning, "Why?" "You usually don't drink with me," he answered honestly. "I just wanted somethin' different…maybe start a little early celebration," she responded. "For Sunday night?" he asked. Sara nodded and rested her head in her hands. "I can't believe that's really a week from now…seems like just yesterday when I decided not to renew my contract," she said quietly. "I agree," Mark said quietly, "You changed your mind yet?" Sara smirked and shook her head, placing her left hand in his. "The image of staying at home, and being with Melissa 24/7 now…it's a much more alluring visual than a sold-out arena," she said softly. Mark kissed the back of her hand and grinned. "I agree," he whispered. "I take it you're feelin' a little better, then," she said. "Yeah…with all that shit you stuffed down my throat, I shouldn't get sick again for another ten years," Mark said playfully. "At least it helped," Sara said smiling. Mark chuckled as Megan walked up with two longneck bottles. "Here you are. Ready to order?" Megan asked smiling slightly. Sara nodded and motioned towards Mark. "I'll have that ribeye plate," Mark answered handing over his menu. "And I'll take the duck plate," Sara answered handing her menu to Megan as well. "Sure thing. It'll be about 20 minutes, if that's okay," Megan said. "Yeah, that's fine," Sara said before taking a sip of her beer. Megan nodded slightly and headed to the chef to deliver their orders.

Sara and Mark nursed through two beers before Megan returned with their orders. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about," Mark said as she placed his plate in front of him. Sara grinned as she looked down at her own order. "This looks really good," she said. "All of the food here is prepared by one o' the top chefs on the West Coast," Megan said proudly. "I'm sure it'll be excellent, then," Sara said, "Could you bring me another beer, please, and a glass of water?" "Yes, ma'am," Megan said smiling. "Please don't call me ma'am. Angel works fine," Sara said smiling as well. Megan nodded and headed towards the bar. "What's the water for?" Mark asked. "I think I'm done with beer after this third one," she answered, "I'm gonna have to run for forever tomorrow to work it all off." "Yeah, right," Mark said smirking, "If I had your metabolism, I'd be a happy man." "Oh, please. If you had my metabolism, you'd be a stick," Sara said laughing. "Yeah, I don't think the fans would dig that too much," he said chuckling softly. The couple took their time eating, savoring the serene quietness of the empty level. The only background noise was classical music playing through the entertainment system. Once they were done, Megan took their empty plates away from the table. "Will you dance with me, dollface?" Mark asked softly. Sara smiled and took his outreached hand. Mark gently helped her to her feet, before pulling her close. "I'm gonna miss you this week," he whispered. "Let's not think o' that yet, okay?" she whispered in return. "Sure thing. So you're doin' appearances for the week, instead o' houseshows?" he said quietly. "Yeah. Vince is gonna send Paul with me, too, so that'll be fun. I haven't done anything like that with him since…we were in the group, I think," she answered.

"Where are you guys goin'?" Mark asked softly. "Indiana on Tuesday, Ohio on Wednesday, and then Michigan on Thursday," she said, "Tuesday and Wednesday are autograph sessions, and Thursday's a media day." "It's good you'll get to meet the fans one last time like that," he commented. "Yeah," Sara said resting her head on his chest, "I don't want it to end…but at the same time, I can't wait, ya know." "Yeah, I know…I was thinkin' earlier how glad I am that I only signed a part-time contract. It's gettin' to be damn near impossible to get outta bed in the morning," he responded. Sara swallowed and nodded. "I know how ya feel," she said softly. "What's your schedule for the weekend?" he asked. "OVW on Friday, for an all-day training session with six o' their best developmental talent…a houseshow on Saturday night…and then the pay-per-view on Sunday," she answered, "Wow…the more I say it, the less realistic it seems." Mark chuckled softly and ran his hands over her back. "Don't worry, it'll be over before ya know it," he said quietly. Sara sniffled softly and rubbed her face in his chest. Mark tilted her face up towards his, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. "You ready to go?" he asked softly. Sara swallowed and nodded. "I'm tired," she whispered. Mark motioned for Megan to come over, and he and Sara took their seats. Megan came over quickly, and Mark asked for the check. "You wanna leave her an autograph?" Sara asked softly. "Yeah, sure," Mark answered. When Megan came over with their check, Mark asked to borrow her pen. Mark quickly pulled out a napkin from Megan's apron, causing a blush to creep up on the young lady's cheeks. "Thank you so much," she said as Mark signed his stage name. "Not a problem, sweetheart," Mark said passing the napkin over to Sara. "I'm such a big fan of you guys. I'm really looking forward to Sunday night. I'm takin' my little sister to the pay-per-view, and she's definitely excited about seein' you guys, especially since we're front row. I hope you win, Angel," Megan said as Sara copied Mark's actions. Sara looked up at Megan with a soft smile. "I guess you'll have to watch and see," she said simply. Megan nodded enthusiastically, and Sara handed her the napkin. "I'm gonna frame this. My friends are never gonna believe this. I told them workin' at this place would pay off one day," Megan said happily. "I'm glad we could make it worth it," Sara said. Mark quickly paid for the meal before leading Sara out of the building.

"Oh, I thought I was gonna burst into tears in there," Sara whispered once they were outside, "She looked so damn hopeful." Mark put a supportive arm around her shoulders and kissed the side of her head. "Just think how happy she's gonna be knowin' she got to see your last match in person," he said quietly. Tears came to Sara's eyes, and she dropped her head forward. "I could've done so much more over the years, Mark," she said softly. "Dollface…you did as much as you wanted to. Just think, you've had a Hall of Fame career. If you don't get inducted down the road, I'll string Vince up by his toenails," he said grinning. Sara chuckled and nodded. "I'll hold ya to that," she said softly. Mark hailed a cab, and they climbed inside. Sara rested her head on Mark's shoulder, yawning widely as she felt exhaustion begin to creep up. "What time do you wanna get up in the morning?" Mark asked softly. "Take-off is at eight, so…6:30?" she said quietly. Mark groaned and covered his eyes. "What?" Sara asked looking up at him. "It's so damn early," he said grinning. Sara chuckled and nodded. "I know…but we'll get a full night's sleep," she answered. Mark smiled slightly and kissed the top of her head. They arrived at their hotel a few minutes later, and Sara entered the building while Mark paid the fare. Mark caught up with her as she opened their hotel room door. "In a rush?" he asked grinning. Sara shrugged slightly and kicked off her shoes. "I'm just ready to get to sleep," she whispered. "I hear ya, dollface," Mark said shutting the door behind him. Sara tossed her jacket onto a chair before entering the bathroom and shutting the door. She quickly relieved her bladder, washed her face, and brushed her teeth before going back into the room. Mark entered the bathroom, while she slipped out of her clothes. When he came back into the room, she was already curled up under the covers. Mark grinned slightly as he slipped off his jeans and t-shirt, then climbed into the bed behind her, pulling her warm body against his. "Goodnight, dollface," he whispered in her ear. Sara said the same before falling asleep, Mark following soon afterwards.

The next morning, Sara and Mark waited in O' Hare airport for Dany and Melissa's plane to land. Sara sipped casually on her coffee, leaning slightly against Mark's arm. She saw Andy walk out of a gate nearby, followed shortly by Lisa hobbling on crutches. A smile came to her face, and she handed Mark her cup before dashing over to her friends. "What are you doin' here!" she exclaimed hugging Lisa tightly. "Whoa, careful…I'm still learning how to use these damn things," Lisa said chuckling, returning the hug with her right arm, "And I couldn't stay at home anymore, so I managed to convince Andy to let me come with him." "Well, I'm glad you did…we have a lot to catch up on," Sara said leading her over to Mark. "Hey, Mark," Lisa said leaning down and hugging the large man. "Good to see ya again, sweetheart. It was kinda lonely in Japan without ya," he said returning her hug. "Yeah, I bet. I wanted to go so bad, too," she said quietly. "Don't even think on it, Lisa," Sara said knowingly, "I talked to Beth about it, and she's really sorry about what happened." "I'm over that, Sara. You have no idea how much fun I've had sleepin' in at home!" Lisa said smiling, "I'm just sad 'cause I could've done a helluva lotta shopping over there!" Andy and Mark groaned, but Sara laughed heartily. "Spoken like a real woman," she said smiling fully. "So, who are you guys waitin' for?" Andy asked as he helped Lisa into the seat next to Sara. "Melissa and Dany," Sara answered, "And John, too, of course." "Yeah, of course," Andy said grinning, "I talked to him in Japan, and I swear the guy's whipped like a wet noodle." "And that's a bad thing?" Lisa asked looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Of course not, darling," Andy said dropping a kiss on her lips. Sara smirked and shook her head.

A few minutes later, Sara spotted Melissa practically dragging Dany and John out of a gate. She smiled and wondered if Melissa would spot her. Her question was answered when Melissa squealed and ran towards her. She stood and met her daughter halfway, picking her up and twirling around. "Mama!" Melissa said hugging her neck tightly, "I missed you!" Sara smiled and kissed her face noisily. "I missed you, too, munchkin," she whispered squeezing her tightly. "What'd ya get me!" Melissa asked smiling up at her. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "Stuff," she said smartly. "You said that yesterday!" Melissa said. "And it's still the same stuff," Sara said smiling innocently. "Mama!" Melissa said pinching Sara's cheeks. Sara laughed and hugged her even more fiercely. "So, what do ya wanna do first?" she asked. "This," Melissa said kissing Sara's cheeks noisily in return. Sara smiled and looked over at Dany. "Hey, you," she said hugging her with her left arm, shifting Melissa onto her side. "Hey, Sara. Long time no see," Dany said jokingly. Sara smiled and shrugged. "Only a week left, though," she said quietly. "Ugh, is it that long?" John said smiling at her. "I just saw you a couple days ago, so you don't get a hug," she said in return. John feigned a pout and crossed his arms. "That's not fair," he said rolling his eyes. Sara smiled and tapped his arm playfully. "That only works for Melissa," she said, "And even then, she has to keep it up for a while." "Uncle John, your face is gonna get stuck like that if you're not careful," Melissa said. "Oh, really? And who told you that?" he asked. "My dad," she answered as Mark walked up. Sara handed her over and gave John a quick hug.

"Daddy, I missed you," Melissa said squeezing Mark's neck tightly. Mark feigned being choked, before laughing quietly. "I missed you, too, munchkin…but you get to travel with me for the rest of the week," he said kissing her cheek. "You told me that yesterday, daddy," she said smiling. "I know…but I'm excited about it. Aren't you?" he said shifting her onto his hip. "Yep! I get to see everybody on both shows this time!" she said happily. Mark chuckled and looked over at John. "Hey, you," he spoke. "What's up, big man? Enjoy that _generous_ day off?" John said grinning. "Yeah, I did. It wasn't long, I won't argue with ya there…but any time off is good in my books," Mark answered. "Come on, we gotta get outta here," Sara said to Mark. "We'll meet you there, okay?" John said handing Sara Melissa's small suitcase, "We're gonna get our bags, and go get somethin' to eat before we head to the arena." "Alright. Thanks, John," Sara responded before shouldering her own duffel bag, and pulling her suitcase behind her as she followed Mark from the large airport. Sara tucked Melissa into the backseat, buckling her seatbelt, before climbing into the passenger seat beside Mark. "This feels good," she said softly. "What's that?" he asked pulling onto the highway. "Us…bein' all together again…I've missed it," she said honestly. "Me, too, dollface," Mark said softly, "Me, too." Sara grinned slightly and looked over the seat to Melissa, who was reading as usual. "So what do you wanna do today, munchkin?" she asked grinning. "Learn how to wrestle," Melissa said, not looking up from her small book. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "I don't know if I can handle 15 years o' that questions, ya know," she said. "You should say yes, then," Melissa said smiling at her. Sara chuckled once more and pinched her cheek. "Maybe one day," she said quietly. "That's progress," Melissa said. "Oh, you learned another word, huh?" Mark asked. "Dany taught it to me," Melissa answered. "Good for her, munchkin. You'll be a walkin' dictionary one o' these days," he said grinning at her in the rearview mirror. "That's too many words to know, daddy," Melissa said smiling. "Might seem like it now, munchkin, but once you get older, you'll think differently," he said. "Whatever you say, daddy," Melissa said before going back to reading.

Mark pulled into the Allstate Arena parking lot nearly 20 minutes later. Sara climbed out of the car, helping Melissa from the backseat as Mark pulled their duffel bags from the trunk. "What now, mama?" Melissa asked as they entered the building. "Well, mama's gotta get a workout in first. Mark, would you--." "Sure thing, dollface," Mark answered picking Melissa up and handing Sara her duffel bag, "I'm gonna take Melissa around for a while." Sara nodded and slipped into the bathroom as Mark excited the room with Melissa in his arms. "Where are we goin', daddy?" Melissa asked as he headed down the hallway. "Well, I was thinkin' we could go up to the balcony for a while, have our usual father-daughter talk," Mark said grinning. Melissa laughed softly and rested her head on his broad shoulder. "You're not sleepy, are you?" Mark asked poking her stomach. Melissa squealed and squirmed in his arms. "No, daddy, but your shoulder is com…comfort…," she said slowly. "Comfortable?" Mark finished with a smile. "Yeah, that's it," Melissa answered putting her head back down on his shoulder. "Well, I guess that's what it's there for, munchkin," he said kissing her forehead. He made his way up to the upper level of the arena, and slowly sat down, coughing slightly. "Are you okay, daddy?" Melissa asked shifting on his lap. "Yeah, munchkin, just a little cold. Don't you worry about your dad. Now, how'd you spend your week?" Mark answered sniffling slightly. "Dany took me out to the movies, and that was fun. I taught Marley how to roll. And Lucky's startin' to listen to me, too," Melissa said smiling. "Good for you, munchkin. Take it one day at a time with him, and he'll be as loyal to you as he is to me and mom," he said grinning, "What else?" "I'm still practicing in the pool. I can swim without those float things now, though," she said proudly. Mark smiled and rubbed the top of her head. "You're gonna be a great athlete one day soon," he said quietly. "And I'm almost done with the 'A' encyclopedia book, too!" Melissa said laughing. "Oh, a smart athlete! That's double the trouble!" he said happily. Melissa smiled and leaned back against him. "Can I be a smart wrestler?" she asked looking down at the ring. "Maybe one day, munchkin," Mark said quietly.

"Mama's a smart wrestler, and I wanna be just like her," Melissa said quietly. "I'm sure that'd make her very proud," Mark said in her ear. "When does mommy come home for good, daddy?" she asked quietly. "Next Tuesday, sweetheart. Are you excited?" he asked. "Yeah! I'm already thinkin' o' stuff we can do together!" Melissa said smiling. "Oh, really? Like?" he asked grinning. "We can watch TV all day, and mama can teach me other stuff besides reading, and we can go shopping, and out to dinner, and all that stuff!" she answered clapping her hands. "How does that make you feel, munchkin? Knowin' mama's gonna be home now, and you won't have Dany babysitting you like she does now?" Mark asked. Melissa took a deep breath and looked up at him. "How am I supposed to feel, daddy?" she asked quietly. "However you want, baby. Your feelings are very important to your mother and me," he answered honestly. "I'm gonna miss Dany," Melissa said quietly, "She's always tellin' me how…she wants to have a kid like me…she's really nice, nicer than Stacy was…" "Did Stacy ever treat you bad, munchkin?" Mark asked looking into her light green eyes. "She yelled at me sometimes…she called me spoiled, daddy," she said softly. "Well, don't you worry about what Stacy thought o' you…you're my little princess, and if I wanna spoil you, then I'll do just that," he said quietly, kissing her forehead, "Now what else are you feelin'?" "I'm sad, daddy," Melissa said looking back down to the ring. "Why?" he asked, his brows furrowed slightly.

"I want you to come home, too," Melissa answered looking down at her hands. Mark let out a slow breath and said, "Baby…I promise, when I finally do come home, you'll have me all to yourself, just like you'll have mama." "When's that, daddy?" she asked. "Not for another seven years, sweetheart," he answered quietly. "But…that's so long from now…why do I have to share you with strangers for that long? I'll be…," she said, her voice trailing. "I know…you'll be ten years old…but you'll still be my little girl," he finished. "Will you be gone as much as mama was?" she asked softly. "Nope," Mark answered grinning, "I'll probably have to go on the road a few days a week, maybe longer if there's a big show comin' up, ya know," he answered, "But I will be home at least two or three days a week." Melissa sighed and looked up at him. "You should be home all the time," she said quietly. Mark swallowed and let out a heavy breath. "I know…I should…but you know how mama and me are always tryin' to teach you responsibility and accountability? Makin' sure you do what you say you're gonna do, and takin' credit or blame for whatever you do?" he said quietly. Melissa nodded slightly and Mark continued, "Well, I have a responsibility to Mr. McMahon…and as much as it's gonna hurt me to leave you and mama at home, I'm gonna leave with a smile on my face…you know why?" Melissa shook her head, bringing a grin to Mark's face. "Because I know that, when I get home, you and mama are gonna be right there waitin' for me," he said softly, pinching her nose playfully. Melissa laughed and Mark put his arms around her small waist. "Anything else?" he asked quietly. "Nope," Melissa answered. "Good…let's talk about other stuff, then," Mark said softly.

For nearly an hour, Mark and Melissa chatted about various things; Melissa even tried to get Mark's permission to become a wrestler, which had caused him to laugh deeply. They headed back to Sara's dressing room around 12:30 p.m. Sara had yet to return from her workout, so Mark placed Melissa on the floor. "I'm gonna take a nap, so you just sit here and read, okay? Don't open the door for anybody," he said slowly stretching out on the couch. "Yes, sir," Melissa answered pulling out a book from her backpack. Mark grinned slightly and put his arm over his eyes, falling asleep a few minutes later. Sara walked into the dressing room a half an hour later, smiling at the sight of Melissa on the floor. "You wear your dad out?" she asked quietly shutting the door. "No…he was coughing, though…I think he's sick," Melissa answered quietly. Sara sighed and kneeled down at Mark's head, noting the beads of sweat. _I told the stubborn man not to kiss me_, she thought carefully wiping it away. Mark groaned slightly and opened his eyes slowly. "You okay?" Sara whispered. Mark sighed and wiped his forehead, shaking his head slightly. "I feel like shit," he whispered, "I guess that cough medicine didn't help." "You should go see if Bruce has anything," she said softly. "Nah, I'll be alright…I'm sure it'll pass eventually," he answered slowly sitting up, "Good workout?" "Yeah…me and Rob started throwin' out ideas for Sunday night," she responding going over to her duffel bag, pulling out a towel, washrag, and bar of soap. "I'm sure you two won't fail to impress everybody," he said grinning. "Of course not…Rob wants to send me out on a high note, but I told him that since he's a heel, we're gonna have to have a twisted ending," she answered heading for the bathroom. Mark watched the door close, and let out a heavy sigh. His throat felt sore, and he knew he had a fever. _It's gonna be a long week_, he thought swallowing slowly.

Sara took a quick shower, washing her hair thoroughly, before going back into her dressing room. "What's your part in the show tonight?" Mark asked running his fingers through his hair. "Just a match with Adam," Sara answered pulling on a pair of sweatpants, "Rob's gonna run in at the end, and blindside me." "Is it okay for her to watch?" Mark asked motioning towards Melissa. "Not the end, when Rob comes out…but the match itself should be fine," Sara answered honestly. "Why can't I watch the end, mama? Are you gonna get hurt?" Melissa asked looking up at her. "No, sweetheart, but I don't feel comfortable with you watchin' that part," Sara said quietly. "Can I watch Sunday?" Melissa asked. "I haven't decided yet, Melissa," Sara said pulling a bra and t-shirt over her head. A knock came on the door, and Sara answered it. "Vince needs to talk to you real quick, Angel," Stephanie said grinning. "Uh-oh, I know that look," Sara said smiling slightly. "Don't worry, it's nothin' too big, I promise," Stephanie said. Sara looked over her shoulder at Mark and said, "You wanna meet me in catering in a few minutes?" "It's gonna take about 15 minutes, Sara," Stephanie interjected. "That's fine, Steph. 20 minutes, Mark?" Sara said to her husband. "That's fine, dollface," Mark answered quietly. Sara sighed softly and followed Stephanie from the room. "Is he okay?" Stephanie asked. "He's sick, but he won't go see a doctor or anything," Sara answered. "Well, you know how stubborn Mark can be," Stephanie said grinning. Sara smirked and nodded her head in agreement. "So what does Vince wanna talk about?" she asked. "A slight change in your last week," Stephanie answered smiling. "Should I be worried?" Sara asked grinning. "Of course not, sweetheart. We just want you to get a little bit more exposure," Stephanie answered.

They entered Vince's office a few moments later, and Sara spotted Al Severn, a longtime agent of the company. Paul was also sitting on a couch, and Stephanie sat down beside him. She hadn't talked to Al much lately, but knew that he was a part of a new program the company was in the process of recording for MTV. "Hey, Sara. Thanks for comin' so quickly," Vince said motioning to an empty seat. "Sure thing, boss," Sara said grinning as she sat down, "What's up?" "Well, first off, there's a slight change in your schedule for this week," Vince started. "Yeah, Stephanie told me that much," Sara said winking at the smiling brunette. "Alright, well, you know Al here is head trainer for our 'Tough Enough' show. And he came to me, and asked if you wouldn't mind making an appearance on the program this week," Vince said. "What would I be doing?" Sara asked. She wasn't a big fan of the show, considering the winners practically got handed a contract. "Angel, I know that a lot o' the boys in the back don't really like the show, but I can tell ya…I've been training these kids for goin' on two months now, and they're all dedicated to learning as much as they can about the WWF. We've only got 12 weeks with 'em, and considering how long it takes a normal wrestler to even get a shot at a contract, we're cramming as much training in as we can. They train for nearly 12 hours a day, and wrestling takes up about eight o' those hours. We probably weeded out the weak ones in the first three weeks. I know you're leavin' the company soon, so I just wanted to know if you wouldn't mind comin' to L.A. on Thursday for a training session with them, let 'em know how it feels to work with the best o' the best," Al answered slowly.

Sara took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "How many are left?" she asked. "Five…three guys, and two women. We just want you to come in, watch 'em wrestle around with me and the other trainers, maybe help 'em practice some moves, give 'em advice…just things like that. They're actually out in the arena now helping to set up for the show, so they can learn that aspect of what goes into putting on our shows. They're on the road with me this week, and goin' back to L.A. on Wednesday for more training, and we're also gonna take 'em to the pay-per-view on Sunday, RAW on Monday, and Smackdown on Tuesday, leading into their last week. We're trying to make the last two weeks as eventful as possible for them," Al answered. Sara sighed and nodded, knowing this would be one of her last chances to really make an impact in the company. "Thanks a lot, Angel, I really do appreciate it," Al said shaking her hand and standing. "Will they know I'm comin'?" she asked. "Nope. You're our only guest this week, and next week, Vince is gonna show up for the next to last day," he answered. "Alright, Al…but only 'cause I trust your judgment with them," she said honestly. "Thanks, Angel," Al said once more, "Vince, I'll talk to you later about next week." Vince nodded slightly, and Al left the room and shut the door quietly.

"So…what do you really think about the show?" Vince asked honestly. "Frankly, Vince, you know as well as I do…the boys think that show is a load o' shit. I don't care how much those kids are training, they're pretty much gettin' a free ride into this company. I mean, even with my connection to Roddy, I trained for nearly a year before I stepped foot in front of an actual WWF crowd …and there are a bunch o' guys here who busted their ass for the _opportunity_ to show what they could do. I won't pass too much judgment on them until I can see what they can actually do…but I'm gonna have to side with the boys on this one. I know you're all about tryin' to find new ways to bring fans in, and make money for the company, because you are a businessman. But…I know how I feel, and I'm pretty sure I know how the boys feel," she answered slowly. "So why'd you agree to the appearance?" Stephanie asked. Sara took a deep breath and shrugged slightly. "It's a chance to really give those kids some knowledge about what they're tryin' to get themselves into. I'm sure Al and the other trainers have done their jobs in preparing them, but…Al's more of an agent than anything. I think they need to here from somebody who's been actively wrestling recently, and who's pretty much done everything possible, ya know," she answered honestly. "What are you gonna do to 'em?" Paul asked grinning. "Nothing too harsh, Paul…but they really gotta understand that, whoever wins or whatever, they're not gonna get totally accepted until they prove their worth in the company, not on a show," she said. "Alright, I guess we'll move on, then," Vince said handing Sara a red folder, "This is your schedule for the week. You've got the houseshow tomorrow, an autograph session with Paul here on Wednesday, L.A. on Thursday, a training session in OVW on Friday, another houseshow on Saturday, and then the pay-per-view."

Sara looked through the schedule and grinned slightly. "It's gonna be a busy week," she said quietly. "Yeah, I suppose it is…what do you think about wrestling one last match on RAW after the pay-per-view?" Vince asked. "Against who?" Sara asked. Paul raised his hand and grinned slightly. "I figured since you're gonna lose on Sunday in what the fans will consider an unfair manner, the fans might want to see you again the next night in a clean, one-on-one match," Vince spoke. "Why Paul?" she asked. "Why not?" Paul asked pouting. "Seriously, you two. Storyline-wise, Paul's got a grudge against you from back in July when you beat him for the number-one contender spot. Reality-wise, I think you two could give the fans a good showing," Vince said, "Paul, despite how much the fans hate you, they do know you can deliver in the ring. Sara, you've been goin' at it for a long time, and you've shown repeatedly that you can also deliver in a one-on-one contest. So, that's how it's gonna be." Sara grinned and nodded. "That's fine, Vince. I actually wanted to wrestle Paul in my last real match," she said honestly. "Excellent. Now, in your folder there, you've got plane tickets to Houston for Wednesday, L.A. on Thursday, and Kentucky on Friday. I also took care of your hotel and car rentals for those days. Consider it a going-away present," Vince said smiling slightly. "Thanks, Vince," Sara said smiling as well. "You and Rob got somethin' special cooking up for Sunday night?" he asked. "Of course…it's gonna be pretty brutal, but we're gonna try to have as much fun with it as possible," she answered. "Good…now, I have another question for you…do you really think Rob can carry the company in that role?" Vince said. Sara took a deep breath and nodded slightly. "He's hungry for it, Vince…he knows that a lotta people are doubting him, just like they did me…and he wants to prove everybody wrong. He's got the physical abilities to do it…the fans love him…I know I made the right choice," she answered honestly. "Okay. I'll say it again, I trust your judgment," Vince said grinning. "Thanks, Vince, I really do appreciate that," she said quietly. "Go on, get outta here. I'll see you around," he said. Sara grinned slightly and stood, waving slightly to Stephanie and Paul before leaving the room.

Mark saw Sara enter the catering room and waved slightly to get her attention. Sara nodded slightly and grabbed a plate of food, and a water bottle, before going over to where he was sitting. "Good meeting?" he asked. "Yeah…it's gonna be a busy week," she said sitting down beside Melissa. "What's on the schedule?" he asked. "Houseshow, autograph session, a trip to L.A., OVW, another houseshow, then the pay-per-view," she answered taking a swig of her water, "So…I'm gonna be all over the country all week." "What's in L.A.?" Mark asked. Sara chuckled and answered, "That Tough Enough show. Al wants me to do an appearance for the recording." "Are you shittin' me?" Mark asked quietly. "Nope. I'm not too high on the show, either, but…it's a chance to leave 'em with a real impression of what it means to be a WWF wrestler," she responded. "Whatever you say, dollface," Mark said grinning. Sara smiled slightly and dug into her food. "You have fun hangin' out with daddy, munchkin?" she asked after swallowing a forkful of chicken salad. Melissa smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "He said he might take me down to the ring after we're done eating," she said chewing on a piece of orange. "Oh, really? You're a determined little girl, you know that?" Sara said chuckling. "But that's a good thing, right, mama?" Melissa asked. "It sure is, munchkin," Sara answered. "What are you doin' in OVW?" Mark asked. "Training session with their six best developmental and contracted wrestlers," she answered, "That should be fun, though, because OVW doesn't accept just anybody. At least there, I know I'll be dealing with people who really _do_ have a clue as to what they're doing." "True," Mark said grinning, "Speakin' o' those Tough Enough kids…"

Sara looked over her shoulder and sighed. Five young people walked into the room with Al and Bill DeMott. The first male was a young black man who just exuded confidence, had a bald head and thick eyebrows, and stood around 6'4". The second and third males were both white, but one was clearly the underdog of the group. He stood around 5'9", looked to weigh only 150 lbs. max, and had short brown hair with blonde highlights. The other male was a little taller than the first, and seemed to Sara to be overconfident, as though he already belonged in the company. The two girls caught Sara's attention: one was fair-skinned, with waist-length black hair, large brown eyes, and a contagious smile; the second was a black female, around 5'5", with shoulder-length black hair. Sara recognized the young girl immediately, and a smile broke onto her face. "Where are you goin'?" Mark asked as she stood. "I'll be back, I promise," she said walking towards the second girl. "Shannon?" she asked quietly. Shannon looked over her shoulder, and her jaw dropped. "I never took you to be a wrestler," Sara said grinning. "Yeah…it's been a dream o' mine for years," Shannon answered looking over her shoulder at her group of fellow contest participants, "No disrespect, Angel, but I don't want them to get the wrong impression. I'm in this thing to win, and I don't want people to assume--." "Don't worry…I just wanted to say hello. Good luck," Sara said before going back over to her table. "What was that about?" Mark asked as Sara resumed eating. "I've seen that girl at more autograph sessions than I can remember. Remember when I went to that college to speak?" Sara said. Mark nodded, and Sara continued. "She was the one responsible for bringing me there…she's as big a fan as anybody, and she's really got a lotta drive…I didn't even know she wanted to be a wrestler," she said quietly. "You'd be surprised nowadays, dollface," Mark said grinning. "Yeah, this is very true," Sara said softly.

After lunch, Sara made her way back down to her dressing room with Mark and Melissa. "Mama, can I go to the ring now?" Melissa asked once they were inside the room. Sara sighed and looked down into the wide green eyes of her child. "Let your food digest first. Knowin' you, you'll want to run around, and I don't want you to get a cramp or somethin'," she answered. "What's a cramp?" Melissa asked. "It's when your muscles get all tightened up," Sara said, "And trust me, they're _not_ fun." "Yes, ma'am," Melissa answered climbing up onto the couch. "Sara, I'm gonna go see Bruce, okay? My throat is killin' me," Mark said quietly. Sara nodded and laid down on the floor in front of the couch. "Is daddy okay, mama?" Melissa asked softly. "I don't know, munchkin…let's hope so, okay?" Sara answered.

RAW kicked off at 9:00 p.m., and Sara sat in her dressing room, happy to be away from the hectic atmosphere of the backstage area. Melissa laid across her lap, while Mark slept quietly beside her. He'd been asleep for nearly two hours already, so Sara nudged his elbow slightly. "What? What's wrong?" Mark asked quietly. "Nothin'…do you wanna watch the show?" she asked softly. Mark cleared his throat and let out a slow breath, peering at the television screen. "Yeah…thanks," he said slowly sitting up. Sara watched him shift around, scratching at his throat, and shook her head slightly. "What?" he asked softly. "What'd Bruce say?" she asked simply. "Might be strep…might be the flu…might be both," he answered quietly. "Jesus, Mark," she whispered. "It'll pass," he said. "Not if you don't see a doctor," she responded. "Sara, please…don't press, okay? If it gets bad enough, I'll do what I have to do," he said quietly. Sara sighed softly and turned her attention back to the television. "You're wrestling tonight, right?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, against Adam, remember?" she answered as a preview shot of her and Adam's match showed on the screen. "Main event?" he asked. "Yeah…they wanna end the show with my little spot with Rob," she said quietly, resting her head on his shoulder. Mark eased his arm behind her neck, squeezing her shoulder gently. "I love you, dollface," he whispered. Sara grinned slightly and whispered in return, "I love you, too, darlin'."

Near the second hour, Sara left the room to do a quick segment for her match. She went down to the room marked with Shane's name and knocked. The door opened, and Sara smiled at Shane. "We're up in a minute or so," he said, "You remember what to do, of course?" "I know I've only got a week left, Shane, but I'm still pretty sharp about everything," Sara said with a smile. "Rob, you ready in there!" Shane screamed out. "Sure am, boss man," Rob said from the bathroom. "Alright, 20 seconds," the cameraman said suddenly. Sara went a few feet back down the hall and rotated her neck slowly. The cameraman gave her the signal, and she stormed towards Shane's door. When she reached it, she looked up at the name plate and scoffed before bursting through the door. Shane jumped out of his seat, a look of automatic understanding on his face. "Angel, look--." "No, Shane, you look. That bastard RVD got away with murder last week! You can't let him go unpunished for that!" Sara exclaimed angrily. "Angel, listen to me…I can't do anything about Van Dam not signing the contract," Shane said calmly. "So you're telling me that I can't do anything to him--." "Because you signed the contract," Shane finished. Sara groaned and grabbed his shirt, pulling him close. "You listen to me, Shane…contract or not, if he puts his hands on me, I'm gonna get my revenge," she snarled. "You know the consequences of doing that, Angel," Shane said touching her hand. Sara groaned and pushed him away, turning her back to him and rolling her eyes. "How 'bout I make your match tonight No-DQ?" Shane suggested. Sara took a deep breath and faced him. "That way, you can take all your frustration out on Mr. "Money in the Bank" himself, Edge," Shane continued. A grin formed on Sara's face, and she crossed her arms. "Anything goes?" she asked. "_Anything_," Shane confirmed with a nod. "I hope RVD pays close attention tonight, then…because what I do to Edge…is gonna be just a preview of what I'm gonna do to him at Survivor Series," she snapped before leaving the room and slamming the door shut. Rob came out of the bathroom rubbing his hands together in an evil manner. "Worked like a charm, boss man," he said grinning. "Yeah. She doesn't suspect a thing," Shane said shaking Rob's hand. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership, Mr. McMahon," Rob said. Shane nodded as the television screen turned black, signaling a commercial break.

Sara went back down to her locker room and grabbed her ring jacket and the World title. Mark was stretched out on the couch, his eyes drifting open and shut. "Dollface?" he asked softly. "Just make sure to keep an eye on her, okay, Mark?" she said heading for the door. "I'm will, dollface," he said softly. Sara swallowed and slowly left the room, shutting the door softly. She hated seeing Mark when he was sick, because he was practically helpless. After stretching for nearly a half an hour, Sara got to her knees and prayed for a few minutes. Adam and Rob walked up as she finished and got to her feet. "You ready?" Adam asked as she stretched out her arms even more. "I'm always ready, Mr. "Money in the Bank"," Sara said with a smile. "Of course," Adam said grinning. Sara slipped on her ring jacket and picked up the World title, then followed the two men to the pit. "Take it easy out there tonight, you three," Vince said from the table, "We just wanna give 'em a taste for Sunday night." "Yes, boss man," Sara said playfully saluting him. Vince chuckled as the show went to commercial break. Sara and Adam talked over a few spots in their match before she stepped away from him and lowered her head. The show came back from the commercial break a few minutes later, and Adam's music hit immediately. "See ya out there, Angel," Adam said before going through the curtain. Sara nodded slightly and took a few deep breaths as Lillian announced Adam's entrance to the fans. "Where's Melissa?" Rob asked quietly. "With Dany…Mark's a mess, and I don't want her seein' this, so I left her with her babysitter," she answered quietly, "It's a good thing we brought her, 'cause Mark's drifting in and out o' sleep right now." "Is he gonna see a doctor?" Rob asked. "God only knows, Rob…but I doubt it," she answered, "He's as stubborn as a bull." "Sounds like someone I know," Rob said grinning. Sara chuckled as her theme song blared throughout the arena. "See ya in 20, Rob," she said before going through the curtains, prepared for the battle that her match would most certainly be.

Sara had an absolute blast wrestling against Adam; he played his heel role better than anybody Sara had seen in a long time. Like Paul's character, Adam played the type of the person the fans absolutely loved to hate. At the end of the match, when Sara had Adam positioned for Broken Wings, she heard the cheers turn to boos. Suddenly, a huge blow came to the back of her head. She dropped to the mat immediately, groaning as Rob stood above her with a brick in his hand. Adam looked up at Rob with shock apparent on his face. "Pin that dumb broad!" Rob said emphatically. Adam looked at Sara and slowly rolled her over, covering her with one arm as the referee administered the three count. Once the bell rung, Rob jumped up onto the closest top turnbuckle and nailed the Five-Star Frogsplash on Sara's prone body. "That, Angel, was your own preview of what's gonna happen at Survivor Series!" he snapped, "See ya Sunday, bitch!" Mike kneeled down at Sara's head and touched the back of her head. When he pulled his hand away, there was crimson liquid on his fingers. He screamed for EMTs as the show went off the air. Sara was barely aware of anything; she was strapped to a gurney and rushed into the back. Melissa's crying voice pulled her from her state of near-unconsciousness. "Mama!" Melissa screamed as she ran into Bruce's office. "Munchkin?" Sara whispered, "Where's your dad?" "He's coming," Melissa said grabbing her hand, "Are you okay, mama?" "Yeah, just a little bump on the head," Sara said, wincing as Bruce placed thick gauze on her wound. Melissa struggled to get onto the table, so Bruce helped her up.

Melissa wrapped her right arm around Sara's waist, crying into her chest. "Baby, don't cry…I promise, I'm okay," Sara said rubbing her back. Mark entered the room moments later, obviously out of breath. "I asked you to watch her, Mark…you knew--." "I'm sorry, dollface," Mark said softly, coughing quietly. Sara sighed and looked down at Melissa's shaking form. "How bad is it?" Mark asked Bruce. "It's a cut, but it's not too deep," Bruce answered, "She won't need stitches." Rob entered the room as Bruce finally helped Sara to sit up. Melissa climbed off the table and ran towards him, pounding his legs with her hands. "You hurt my mama!" she screamed angrily, "You mean, mean man! You hurt my mama!" Mark picked up Melissa and carried her out of the room. "Sara, I'm so sorry," Rob said shutting the door. "Don't worry about it, Rob…it was a freak accident," Sara said looking down at her legs. She groaned as Bruce wrapped her head with bandages. "Sorry, Angel," Bruce said quietly. "You're just doin' your job, Bruce," she said softly. "Are you gonna be okay?" Rob asked with concern. "Yeah, Rob…I don't need stitches, so it's no big deal," she answered, "You're lucky that little girl didn't start biting your kneecaps." Rob chuckled and nodded his head. "She's a little spitfire like her mom," he said quietly. Sara sighed as Bruce handed her two ibuprofen. "You're gonna have a helluva headache in the morning," he said also handing her a cup of water. Sara downed the pills and water, tossing the cup into the waste bin. "I'll be expecting it," she said as he helped her off the table, "Thanks, Bruce." "Should I expect you in here Sunday night, too?" he asked grinning. Sara forced a grin and shrugged. "Probably," she answered, "Have a good night, Bruce." Rob opened the door and let her out. Melissa immediately reached for her, and Sara took her into her arms. "See, munchkin, just a bump," Sara said softly. Melissa glared at Rob, and smacked him across the head. "Munchkin, don't hit people," Sara said quietly. "Nah, I deserve it, Angel," Rob said, "I'm sorry, lil' 'Taker, I really am." Melissa pouted and eyed him warily. "Apology accepted," she said softly. "I'll see ya tomorrow, Angel," Rob said before walking away.

"Sara, are you--." "Just forget it, Mark," Sara said heading towards her locker room, "And where the fuck is Dany?" "With John," he answered, "She lost track o' time." Sara's jaw clenched and she went down to her dressing room. Mark helped her with her bags, and they met up with Dany near the back door. "Sara, I'm so sorry. I meant to come get Melissa, but I completely forgot," Dany said quickly. "Whatever, Dany," Sara snapped going through the back door. "Angel, it was my fault. We got to talking about--." "John, don't say anything," Sara snapped over her shoulder. "But--." "Dany, drop it," Sara hissed climbing into the passenger seat of her rental car, holding Melissa tightly. Dany sighed and looked up at Mark. "We were talkin' about my dad, Mark," she said softly. Mark sighed and nodded in understanding. "Are you gonna room with John?" he asked quietly. "Mark, I'd like to put my daughter to sleep, if you don't mind!" Sara snapped from inside the vehicle. "Yeah…but I'll meet you at the airport tomorrow morning," Dany answered. Mark nodded and climbed into the driver's seat. "She was talkin' about her dad, dollface," he said starting up the engine. Sara rolled her eyes and gently caressed Melissa's trembling back. She had nothing against Dany, and did feel bad about her father's death, but Melissa came first to her. "Just make sure she does her job tomorrow," she said tensely. "I will, dollface," Mark said slowly pulling away from the arena.


	117. Making an Impact

**Holy schnikes! LOL An update four days later! Never expected that one, now did you? LOL Sorry, but this chapter just seemed to come to me naturally. I spent 6 1/2 hours Saturday night watching the entire Tough Enough 1 season, just for an influence, and to reminisce. I tend to do that with old wrestling footage. It's 25 pages in Word, so a rather long chapter, but well worth the read. :) I don't know that the next update will come so soon, because it's Monday tomorrow, and I have a busy ass school week. I can't believe I only have four more chapters before this story's done. :( Kinda sad, but oh well...that's the way the cookie crumbles. Enjoy!**

**Shannon

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Chapter 116…Making an Impact

"And this is where I live," Sara said to Paul as she pulled up in front of her home Tuesday night, a place she hadn't been for nearly two weeks. "Wow, this is…amazing," Paul said grinning, "And here I was, thinkin' I had the most secluded home." Sara chuckled and quickly parked the car. She grabbed her bags out of the trunk, taking a deep breath as she crossed over the threshold. "It's a bit weird…not hearing Melissa screaming for me," she said to Paul. "I can expect so…but Mark's takin' care of her, right?" he responded. Sara nodded and led Paul upstairs to a guest bedroom. "Vince is gonna be pretty pissed you didn't use that plane ticket the way he bought it," Paul said grinning. "Yeah, well…I wanted to stay in my own house at least once more before I retired," Sara said quietly, "Sleep easy, Paul." "Sure thing, Angel," he said opening the bedroom door. "Paul, I'm home…call me Sara for once," she said grinning slightly. "It's a habit, you know that," he said grinning as well. Sara nodded slightly and went down to her bedroom, where she found Marley and Lucky curled up in her bed. "Oh, you two," she whispered dropping her bags by the door. She slowly went over to the bed and climbed in, careful not to disturb the animals. Marley shifted and curled up against her back, while Lucky moved closer to her stomach. Sara smirked and closed her eyes, thankful to be home once again.

The next morning, Sara awoke to the sounds of Paul screaming for her from downstairs, as well as Lucky and Marley growling and barking ferociously. Sara chuckled as she made her way into the kitchen, where Paul was up on the counter island. Sara threw her head back and laughed heartily. "I'll tell ya, if I had a camera…man, the boys would love to see this!" she exclaimed. "Will you call 'em off?" Paul asked exasperatedly. "What happened?" she asked leaning against the doorway. "I was just in here makin' a cup o' coffee, and they walk in and go crazy on me!" Paul said as Marley attempted to jump up onto the counter. "Well, you are a stranger in their house, and they don't take too kindly to those," she said grinning, "Lucky, Marley, down!" The two dogs stopped barking, and glanced from Sara to Paul. "Now will you get down off o' there? You look like an idiot," Sara said moving over to the refrigerator. Paul moved down from the counter warily, and Sara smirked. "Man, that was classic," she said pulling out the carton of orange juice, "So you want the tour?" "I'm sorry, but I've gotta go make sure I didn't burn my skin off," Paul said pointing at his soaking t-shirt. Sara managed to stifle a laugh, simply nodding her head. "I'll blame any injuries on you," he said before leaving the room. Sara smiled and leaned down in front of the two dogs. "You guys are just as overprotective as Mark," she said rubbing their heads. Both dogs barked playfully, and Sara stood. "Were you hungry? That why you try to bite his ankles off?" she asked pulling out a bag of dog food from the pantry. Marley and Lucky bounded around her feet as she poured the food into each of their bowls. "There…you two take it easy on Paul. He's a coworker o' mine, so he's okay," she said putting the bag back in the pantry. Lucky barked twice, and Sara grinned. "Good boy," she said before pulling out food to make for breakfast.

Paul came back into the kitchen nearly a half an hour later, dressed in a pair of dress pants and white, button-down silk shirt. "You didn't have to cook, Angel," he said as Sara set out a couple of plates. "I'm gonna kick your ass if you call me that one more time while we're in this house," Sara said half-seriously. "Yes, ma'am," Paul said grinning. Sara put out a plate of eggs, sausages, and pancakes. "This okay?" she asked. "Yeah, it's fine," Paul answered pouring himself a cup of coffee. Sara sat down at the counter and lowered her head, saying grace silently, before looking back up at Paul. "You're gonna miss it, aren't you?" he asked quietly. Sara took a deep breath and looked down at her plate. "For the first six months or so…you know as well as anybody, Paul…wrestling is my life…I love Mark, and I love Melissa…but that's what I've done for 12 years," she answered quietly, "It's hard to just…let it all go." "I know how ya feel…Steph's always askin' me when I'm gonna hang up my boots," Paul answered, "And I keep tellin' her, I'll retire from wrestling when I'm good and ready…you, you're good and ready, right?" "There are times when I am, Paul…when I'm in an airport, or ridin' down the highway, or suffering from lack o' sleep," she answered scooping eggs into her mouth, "And then there are times where…I'm in an arena, with all the boys, performing for the fans, and…I don't wanna be anywhere else." "Yeah, I know how ya feel. That ride to Japan was harsh…flying is fun and all, but damn, that flight was way too long for me. But when I got to step on that stage in front o' all those people…all the hassles are worth it," he said munching on his own plate of food. "Yeah…that's exactly how I feel," she said softly, "But I can't sign a new contract…it's unfair to Mark and Melissa."

After breakfast, Paul offered to clean the dishes while Sara went upstairs to get ready for their autograph session that afternoon. She decided to take a full bath instead of a shower, since they had a few hours to waste before they had to go into town. As she stepped out of the tub, she heard the phone ring in the bedroom. She quickly wrapped a towel around her body before dashing into the room and picking up the cordless receiver. "How'd I know you'd be there?" Mark said quietly, a grin on his face. "You know me, I couldn't resist," Sara said grinning, "What's up?" Mark sighed heavily and hesitated to answer. "What, Mark?" Sara asked, concern filling her body. "I, uh…I tore my bicep," Mark said quietly. "What? How!" Sara exclaimed. "I guess I should've went to the doctor sooner," he said before coughing. "What do you mean, Mark? What happened?" she asked. "I was so out of it last night that I…mistimed a clothesline…my arm slipped past the guy's head, hit the turnbuckle, and boom…," he answered, "Torn bicep." "Jesus, Mark…are you in the hospital?" she said quietly. "Yeah…Dany's got Melissa out in the hallway right now," he answered, "It tore right off the bone…it was a freaky thing, 'cause I didn't even realize it until after the match was over." "Do you have to have surgery?" she asked softly. "Yeah…I'll be out for…probably four months or more…I'm tryin' to get back in time for Wrestlemania," he answered, "But for now…it's not lookin' like it." "I'm sorry, Mark," she whispered, knowing how much he loved being able to perform at their biggest pay-per-view of the year. "Nah, it's alright…I think it's a sign…I need to slow down," he said quietly, "When do you head into town?" "We're doin' the autograph session at a sports shop in the Galleria at three o' clock, so we'll probably leave here around 1:30," she answered.

"Paul's there with ya?" he asked. "Yeah, we flew in last night. Mark, you would've laughed your ass off…I woke up to Paul screaming from downstairs, so I go into the kitchen, and…," Sara said, beginning to laugh, "He's up on the counter island, 'cause Marley and Lucky are…barking their heads off and growling at him! It was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time!" Mark chuckled softly and ran his fingers through his hair. "I can imagine," he said softly, "You should've taken pictures." "Yeah…but I felt bad for him, so I called 'em off," she said smiling, "You gonna be okay?" Mark sighed heavily and answered, "Eventually…but hey, at least I get to spend three or four months with you and the munchkin." "True. How'd Melissa react?" she said quietly. "Same way she did Monday night when you got hurt…it was so hard seein' her like that," he said painfully. "Yeah, I know…," Sara said moving to the walk-in closet, "Are you gonna be able to come to Seattle?" "The surgery's on Friday, and they're gonna keep me here until then…and I'll probably have to stay a couple days afterwards, so…I'm hopin' to be there," he answered. "Okay…," she said softly, "I'll be thinkin' about you…" "That'll make this a little better to deal with," he said grinning. Sara chuckled and looked through her clothes, trying to figure out what to wear. "I'm gonna go, 'cause I'm pretty tired…I'll see you Sunday, okay?" Mark said softly. "I love you, Mark," she whispered. "I love you, too, dollface," he said quietly. "Always?" she asked grinning. "And forever, dollface," Mark answered smiling slightly. "Bye, babe," Sara said softly. "Bye," Mark said. Sara turned the phone off and let out a heavy sigh. _Talk about bad fuckin' timing_, she thought pulling out a business suit Mark had bought for her. She went back into the bedroom and took her time getting dressed, letting the news of her husband's injury digest.

After getting dressed, Sara straightened her hair and put a head band on to hold it out of her face. She took a few minutes to add a light layer of make-up, before finally making her way back downstairs. Paul sat on the living room couch rubbing Marley's head. "Oh, so you two are best friends now, huh?" Sara asked with a grin. "Yeah, he's alright when he's not tryin' to rip off a limb," Paul said chuckling. "Mark tore his bicep last night," she said leaning against the doorframe. "Oh, shit, is he okay?" Paul asked. "No…he's gotta have surgery," she answered looking down at the floor, "He's in the hospital until then, but he doesn't know how long he has to stay afterwards…he might make it for the pay-per-view, he might not." "Oh, man…how's Melissa takin' it?" he asked. "He said she's really worried about him, but of course she would be…Dany's watchin' over her closely, though…" "Good, good," he said quietly, "You gonna be okay today?" "Yeah…I can put it out of my mind for business," she said, "But I'll be glad when I don't have to anymore." "Yeah, I hear ya," Paul said, his focus half on the television. "What're you watchin'?" she asked coming into the room. "ESPN," Paul answered. "Typical male," she said sitting down beside him. "Don't even go there," Paul said. Marley moved over to Sara and placed his head on her lap. "Think he's biased much?" Paul said grinning. Sara chuckled and scratched the animal's head gently. "Maybe a little…but he's more Melissa's dog anyway," she answered. "And who does the other one belong to?" he asked. "He was actually my mom's," Sara said quietly, "But…when she died…Mark and I brought him home with us." "Gotcha," Paul said quietly.

Around 1:30, Paul and Sara finally left the house to head into town. Paul's phone rang as they pulled into the parking lot of the Galleria. "Yeah," he answered. "Where are you?" Jim asked. He was doing security for Paul and Sara that day, and was standing in front of the airport. "Already at the mall, Jim. Sorry, we stayed at Sara's place last night," Paul answered. "Jesus, man, why didn't you call me?" Jim asked climbing into the long white limousine. "Sorry, I didn't even think about it," Paul responded, "I forgot you were doin' security today." Jim sighed and said, "You guys drive around for a half an hour. I'll be there as soon as I can. Meet me in the back o' the mall." "Will do," Paul said before ending the call, "Jim wants us to drive around for a half an hour, then meet him in the back o' the mall." "Are you crazy? Call him back, and tell him to meet us at the store," Sara said simply. "You're gonna walk through the mall without security? You're gonna cause a riot!" Paul argued. "I'm not driving around for 30 minutes, Paul. You got two choices: sit here and wait for Jim, call Jim and tell him we'll be waiting for him after I'm done shopping, or you can come with me," Sara said before climbing out of the car. Paul sighed and put on his sunglasses, climbing out of the car as well. "If we get mobbed, I'll blame it on you, then," he said quietly. "It's a Wednesday, Paul…the only people who are gonna be at the mall are older people," Sara argued. "Do you forget we've got an autograph session? That place is gonna be packed. Look at all these cars!" he said pointing to the completely full parking lot. "I doubt they're all here to see us," Sara said grinning. Paul rolled his eyes and said, "You just wanna shop without bein' guarded." "Well…yeah," she said laughing softly, "It's much easier without that little hassle, 'cause then it's obvious. If I go in by myself, I'm just a regular shopper." "I'll take your word for it," Paul said, "I'm gonna head straight to the store." "Your choice," Sara said grinning.

The two people split up as soon as they entered the mall. Sara bought a new CD player, a few CDs, three new books for Melissa, and workout clothes. There was only one store where she was approached by fans, and she gave the teenagers her autograph willingly. She made her way to the FYE store around 2:45 p.m., where she found a huge line extending for what looked like the length of the mall. The fans cheered ecstatically as she walked past them. Sara smiled and shook hands with as many people as possible while continuing towards the store doors. Paul saw her walking up, and motioned to the store manager to unlock the doors. Sara squeezed through the small opening the manager had made for, smiling innocently at Paul. "See, I got here safely, dad," she said sarcastically. "I should kick your ass for that," Jim said crossing his arms. "Yeah, and Mark would kick yours," she said playfully. "I'm serious. That was dangerous, Angel," Jim said. "It was a risk, yes, but I wanted to go shopping, and I didn't want you watchin' over me like the Secret Service while I did," Sara said placing her bags behind the table set up for her and Paul. "Ms. Angel?" the store manager asked. "Yeah, sorry," Sara said shaking her hand. "I'm Angela. Thanks for coming today," the woman said, "If you wanna get a little shopping out of the way, the store's locked until the autograph session." Sara grinned and began to look around. "You can't resist, can you?" Paul asked walking beside her. Sara smiled and simply shook her head.

The autograph session went very smoothly for Sara. It was her last before she retired, and she made sure to take pictures with anybody who wanted one. Around quarter to five, Jim told her and Paul that they needed to wrap things up soon. "Are we gonna be able to get everybody here?" she asked quietly. "I don't know…," Jim answered, "Probably not." "We'll stay until we're done, Jim," she said simply, glancing over at Paul. "Works for me," he answered, "I got nothin' to do tomorrow." Sara smiled slightly and continued autographing. The line finally ended around 6:30 p.m., and Sara was almost glad. Her wrist was killing her, and she was certain her face was stuck in a permanent smile. "When's your flight?" Sara asked as Jim escorted them from the mall. "About an hour…so I think I'll just ride around until then. Yours?" Paul asked. "Around midnight," Sara answered, "So…I'm gonna go back home…relax for an hour or three, pack up a few things, then head out." "You're goin' to L.A., right, for the Tough Enough thing?" he asked. "Yeah…it's gonna be interesting," she said throwing her bags into the trunk of her car. "I was there about a month and a half ago, and they were lookin' pretty rough. I gave a nice little speech about how they have a golden opportunity that they better not fuck up. I think one guy almost pissed his pants," he said with a grin. "Well, that's what you do best, isn't it? Scare the fuck outta the new guys," she said smiling slightly. "Nobody does it quite like me," he said proudly. "Yeah, that's true…I'm gonna miss that," she said opening her front door. "Enjoy your last few days, okay? Make the most of it," Paul said as Jim opened the back door of the limousine. "I will, Paul…I'll see ya on Saturday," she responded. Paul waved goodbye before climbing into the long vehicle. Sara watched as it pulled away before climbing into her own car and heading home.

The next day, around 12:30 p.m., Sara pulled into the parking lot of the warehouse where the Tough Enough contestants were being trained, known as Trax West. John "Big" Gaburick met her in the parking lot as she climbed out of her rental car. "Hey, Angel, thanks for coming," he said shaking her hand enthusiastically, "I was a little shocked when Al told me, but I'm glad you're here. Those kids could really use someone like you to help 'em out." "Who else has come, besides Hunter?" she asked pulling out her duffel bag. "We got Matt Hardy and Lita to show up a couple weeks ago, and we've had a few o' the road agents stop by every now and then. We also had a couple o' the ladies from Smackdown come," John answered, "It's been interesting, to say the least. They've gotten to meet such a wide variety o' people, and now we want 'em to be able to talk to the highest-ranking wrestler on the roster, before they eventually meet Vince." "What are they doin' now?" she asked as he lead her to the entrance door. "They're out back eatin' lunch, but they're just about to start practicing in the ring. We have 'em warm up, go through some drills for a couple hours, then they break for lunch. At this point, though, they're mastering how to put matches together, how to sell moves, stuff like that," he responded. Sara nodded as he led her into the building. The warehouse was huge; Sara felt like she could fit her house inside it. There were large pay-per-view posters draped around the building, from that past year. To her left, there were eight chairs against a wall, folded up. To her right sat five empty chairs, obviously for the remaining contestants. "You okay?" he asked grinning. "Yeah, it's just…weird," she answered. "Alright, well, they have no idea who's comin' today, just that it's somebody in the main event bracket of the company," he added. "Oh, I'm in a category now?" she asked grinning. John chuckled slightly and led her into a room near the back of the warehouse. She and John spent a few minutes going over the schedule for the rest of day, and how involved he actually wanted Sara to be. She threw out a few ideas of things she wanted to do with the contestants, which John happily approved.

A few minutes later, Sara hear voices echoing in the main building. "That's them. What we're gonna do is have 'em sit down, look straight ahead, for about a minute. Then you'll walk out, and do your thing," John said. Sara nodded and went into the bathroom to change into workout clothes. She decided on a pair of purple spandex pants with white stripes down the sides, and a purple sports bra/vest. It was very form-fitting, but it also allowed Sara enough flexibility to be able to move. "You ready?" John asked a couple minutes later. Sara threw her hair up into a tight ponytail before coming back into the room. "Yep," she answered. John grinned slightly and opened the door quietly. Sara took a deep breath before stepping back out into the warehouse. The backs of the same five men and women she'd seen a couple days ago faced her. They were all glistening with sweat, but were looking straight ahead. She shook hands with the trainers (Al, Bill, John Layfield, and Ruthie), before walking up the right side of the group. The jaws of all five contestants dropped when they saw who their guest trainer was, and Sara eyed them warily. She stepped in front of the group and crossed her arms. _Youngsters_, she thought. "What's your names?" she asked firstly. "Maven," the first guy spoke with a slight smile. Josh, Greg, Jamie, and Shannon introduced themselves politely. "You guys doin' alright? Feelin' pretty good?" Sara asked. "Kinda…," Greg answered honestly, "Been pretty beat up the past couple weeks." Sara nodded and said, "Anybody else?" "We've, uh, had some injuries, nothin' big," Maven answered, "Just a bunch o' bumps and bruises." "Anybody feel like they can't go right now? Anybody feel like they can't take a bump?" she asked. Nobody answered and Sara nodded. "Good," she said, "You know…I'm sure your trainers have you pretty much programmed by now…it's not easy bein' a wrestler. We're on the road 200-plus days a week…wrestling three or four days a week…there's never been a point during the past 12 years I've been doin' this that…I felt 100 percent. Every day, I wake up with a new pain somewhere. Before I started wrestling, the only pain I ever had was from workin' out too hard. Now…I've got so many problems, it's not even funny."

Shannon raised her hand, and Sara motioned towards her. "What's the worst injury you've ever had?" she asked. "Well, that's hard…I've had concussions, I've had cuts, I've had broken bones…I've pretty much run the gamut as far as injuries go. I was out for a year, because of a bunch o' stuff…it's hard to pick a 'worst' injury, 'cause they've all been pretty scary, pretty hard on me," Sara answered, "What about you guys?" The group listed off a variety of injuries, such as mat burns, bruised bones, and even a few concussions. "What you guys, and girls, have to understand is that…injuries are a part of bein' a wrestler. Obviously you five are the toughest ones out of the original 13, but this…competition is just a small taste of what it's gonna be like for whoever wins. You are…miles ahead of where you should be, and you're extremely lucky. So your injuries…whatever they may have been…don't really matter in the grand scheme o' things. There are thousands of people who would probably kill to take your spots," she finally said. She made eye contact with each person as she leaned against the ring. "You," she said pointing to Greg, "Why do you wanna be a wrestler?" "Uh--." "Uh? _Uh_? You've been training for what, seven weeks?" she said looking at Al, who merely nodded, "And you don't have an answer?" The guy looked down at the floor, and Sara scoffed. "You, what does it mean to be a professional wrestler?" she asked Jamie. "To give all you can to entertain the fans," Jamie answered with a grin. "Hmm. Where'd you learn that?" Sara asked. "The trainers have pretty much pounded it into our heads," she answered. "Why do you want to be a wrestler?" Sara asked. "To prove I can do it," Jamie answered, "I lost over 50 lbs. before I tried out, and bein' a wrestler provides me with a sense of…satisfaction, I guess." "What about the fans? You gonna give them a sense o' satisfaction if they watch you wrestle?" Sara countered. "I'm certainly gonna try," Jamie said.

"Everybody in the ring," Sara said suddenly. The five people scurried into the ring, and Sara slowly climbed in through the ropes. "What can you do?" she said sitting on the closest top turnbuckle, "Greg, Maven, go." Maven and Greg did as they were told, and Sara watched intently as they called several moves, and performed them well. "Alright, stop," she said as Greg dropped Maven with a powerslam, "Jamie, Greg." For the next hour, Sara had each person work with another, going through as many moves as possible, for ten minutes each. When they were done, Sara climbed off of the turnbuckle, and put four of the people out of the ring. "Alright, let's go," she said to Maven. She and Maven went into a collar-and-elbow tie-up, and Sara pulled him into a tight headlock. Maven made sure to keep his head up, and pushed Sara into the ropes. When she bounded back towards him, Sara knocked him down with a shoulder block. She picked him up and hit a quick suplex, going immediately into a pin fall. Maven kicked out and rolled to his feet. They locked up again, and Sara maneuvered him into a waist lock, pulling him down to the mat. Maven struggled to get out of the hold, but Sara rode him relentlessly. She put him in a front facelock, then pulled him up to his feet, only to hit a DDT. "Alright, out," she said standing. Maven rolled out of the ring, and Sara grinned slightly. "Good job," she commented. "Thank you," Maven said. "Jamie, in," Sara said quickly. Jamie climbed into the ring, and Sara worked her over the same as she had done to Maven. After a few minutes, Sara put Jamie out of the ring, and wrestled with the other three people. Shannon turned out to be the second best (right behind Greg), even though she was nearly a half-foot shorter than Sara. She'd actually made sure to be a tad bit more aggressive with Jamie and Shannon, because she especially knew what it was like to be a woman in a man's world, and wanted to know just how badly those girls wanted to do what she herself was still doing.

When they were done, Sara went over to a corner with one person at a time, while the other four continued to practice with the trainers. Josh took a seat across from Sara, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "So, Josh," Sara said taking a swig of her water, "What about this business intrigues you?" "Well, I've been a fan all my life. I started watching when I was three years old, and I'm 22 now. Everything about it is just…it's larger than life. The things that the wrestlers do day in and day out, it's awe-inspiring," Josh answered, "I have so much more respect for it, especially after having gone through this competition." "Why do you wanna be a wrestler?" she asked. "I feel like I can bring somethin' to the table that isn't seem too much nowadays. I mean, sure, the WWF is the land o' giants, but the cruiserweight division is pretty popular, too. I like to watch those guys, and see how they tell a story, and try to pick up as much as I can," he said, "The athleticism, the characters…everything about it makes me wanna do this for a living." "So you don't mind gettin' your ass kicked for 200-plus days a year?" she asked grinning. "Not at all. It's fun. I mean, the pain isn't fun, but, ya know, knowing that the fans are enjoying what I'm doing in the ring, and can go home satisfied that they got their money's worth…it's what's kept me goin' the past seven weeks," he answered. "Do you ever feel at a disadvantage because o' your size?" Sara asked bluntly, "Knowin' you're probably the smallest guy around?" Josh chuckled slightly and shook his head. "I love bein' small, because then I can prove everybody wrong, knock down those barriers that have been put up, ya know. I've never wished to be taller or more muscular, because then I wouldn't feel like I have to work as hard as I do, ya know," he answered honestly. Sara nodded slightly and took another swig of water.

"You got any questions for me?" she asked. "Um…what does it mean to you, ya know, to be a wrestler?" Josh asked slowly. Sara took a deep breath and glanced over to the ring, where John was laying into Maven with forearm shots to the back. "It's the greatest job in the world, Josh. There's nothin' like goin' out in front of a crowd o' 20,000 people, and knowing that I can make them feel any emotion I want. Even after 12 years o' doin' this, I still get goosebumps stepping in front of a live audience," she answered, "And…even with all the bullshit I've had to deal with during my career, it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change one moment of anything I've gone through…because it helped shape me into the person I am today." "That's kinda how I feel about this whole competition. I mean, there have been times when…I've hated it. The training's gotten progressively harder…it's put a ton o' stress on my relationship with my girlfriend…I didn't always get along with everybody. But…it's been the best seven weeks o' my life. I mean, I'm gonna be really sad when it's all over. That's why I'm hopin' to win, because I wanna continue training, and continue to improve upon what Al and the others have taught me. I don't ever wanna stop wrestling," Josh said grinning. "And what are you gonna do if you don't win?" she asked. "I don't know…I can't imagine not winning," he answered. "You should have a contingency plan, just in case," Sara said bluntly, "Somebody's gotta lose, Josh…I don't know how the trainers are judging you all, but they're only picking two winners. You might not be one of 'em." "I know…I'll probably just take a month or so off, just to heal up a little…then start checking out wrestling schools or independent promotions," he said.

"See, there ya go. Even if you don't get into the WWF right away, you can always continue training somewhere else, and get some experience under your belt, then give it another go," Sara said, "How are your promo skills?" Josh chuckled and said, "Terrible. I mean, we've been goin' to improv classes the past few weeks, just to learn how to think on our feet, but…I'm still kinda lacking in that department." "Well, ya know, bein' able to cut a promo, and bein' able to make the fans feel a connection with your character…that's as hard as actually wrestling, if not harder," Sara said. "That's what John's been tellin' us since we started the classes," Josh responded. "Who's got the best promos?" she asked grinning. "Maven, hands down. The guy's just got so much charisma, it's ridiculous. Even when we first started training, there was just somethin' about it…you kinda knew he'd be here at the end, ya know," he answered, "Everybody's always askin' him for tips, too." "Well, it's all well and good to get tips. But bein' comfortable in front of a camera has to come natural, ya know. It's not somethin' you can force. Sure, you can practice and whatnot, but that ability has to be there first and foremost before you can hone it," she said, "It's like any other skill. Sure, you can learn it, and practice does make perfect. But if you're not able to do it, on some basic level, then it's not gonna do any good to waste time tryin' to get it right. Believe me, the fans can tell who's forcing somethin', and who's not." "How long did it take you to feel comfortable in front of a camera?" he asked. "Probably about two years. I started out as a valet, of course, but even that was a challenge. The camera's always on you, so you have to be aware of your facial expressions, and your mannerisms, constantly. Once I was able to get on the mike, and actually start practicing how I was gonna act, and how I wanted to fans to perceive me, it got easier every time. Then again, I'd always liked to talk, so that was somethin' that just came natural. You seem like the pretty quiet type, so maybe instead o' tryin' to be great on the mike, you should let your wrestling do your talkin' for you, ya know," she answered.

After talking for a few more minutes, Josh thanked Sara for her time, and Sara nodded her head. "You've got a passion for this, Josh…I can tell that much. And if you want it as bad as I think you do, then…win or lose…you're gonna do just fine," she said smiling. Josh nodded and headed back over to the ring. Al sent over Greg next, and Sara sat up in her seat and crossed her legs. Greg slowly took a seat and ran his fingers through his hair. "So, Greg…why _do_ you want to be a wrestler?" she asked him again. "All my life…I've had to stand in the shadow of my older brother. Baseball, football, everything…I had to live up to what he'd done. With this, I feel like I've finally found my true calling. I've had more fun learning from Al and John and Bill the past seven weeks than I ever had in baseball. Wrestling has so many different aspects to it, and each one fits me perfectly," he answered slowly, "I'm sorry I didn't answer that right away earlier." "What's the reason for that?" she asked. "I was nervous," he answered honestly. "Why? You've been doin' this for about two months now," Sara said. "Yeah, I know. And we've had guest trainers before, but…I never expected us to get the World Heavyweight champion. It was…a little overwhelming," he said. "And it's not now?" she asked grinning. "Well, it is…but practicing and bumping around with you earlier helped me calm down a little bit," he answered grinning as well. "So you enjoy doin' this? All the stress, you enjoy it?" she asked. "It's hard at times. It's a lot harder than I ever thought it would be. It's probably the most challenging thing I've ever done…but at the same time, it's the most rewarding thing…because I'm still here. As a matter o' fact, I was a back-up choice. One o' the original guys decided to back out at the last minute, and they called me up. So…it was a goal o' mine to see this thing out as far as I could, 'cause I wanted to show them that they should've picked me from the get-go," Greg said honestly, "And yes…I enjoy all of it. As hard as it is, this has been the best experience o' my life, and I wouldn't change it for anything."

"What does your family think about this?" Sara asked. "They're happy for me. They know I'm tryin' to break outta my brother's shadow, like I said, so they want me to go for it," Greg answered. "Excellent," Sara said grinning, "Family support is always a plus, especially when you're struggling to stay motivated." "Did your family support you?" he asked. "Yeah, my mom was all about it. Growing up, I actually despised the business. But when I married my first husband, I was kind of forced into it, you might say. He was a wrestler, and I developed a respect that I had never knew I had. I never, ever imagined I'd actually become a wrestler, let alone have the career I've had," Sara said smiling slightly, "I love this business so much…it's been a part o' me for so long, I really couldn't imagine doin' anything else." "How does it feel…bein' the only female World Heavyweight champion?" Greg asked quietly. "It's a blast, Greg, it really is. I've gotten to do so much the past few months, in and out o' the ring. The guys I work with have been so helpful, and have really helped me to step up my game. I mean, don't get me wrong…it's a huge challenge, because there were so many expectations initially. But now, after havin' had the title for three months, I've become a better entertainer overall, ya know," she answered. "How do you deal with all the travel? I mean, we went to a show this past week, and we're traveling on Sunday for a few days with Al and Bill…but we can't really get a grasp on what it means to really be a WWF wrestler," Greg said quietly. "Well…the travel is probably the hardest part o' the job. I mean, say you're on a four-day trip. You fly into the first town, wrestle, drive to the next town, sleep for a few hours, work all day, drive to the next town, sleep a few hours, work all day, drive to the last town, maybe get a few hours o' sleep, work, and then you go home for a few days. The first day you're off, you're probably in bed all day resting up, then the next day you handle errands and whatnot. The third day, you pack up, and you go out on the road again. It gets very repetitive…but you have to find ways to make it fun, ya know. Take a book, or a CD player, or a magazine, or whatever…whatever it takes to pass the time by. After a while, it just becomes another part o' the job," she answered. Greg nodded slightly, and Sara smiled.

"So, you got a girlfriend at home, Greg?" she asked. "Yeah…we're kinda struggling right now, though. It's hard for to understand why I'm away from home for so long," he answered quietly. "And what is she gonna do if you win?" Sara asked bluntly, "When you're on the road for 200-plus days?" "We, uh…haven't really talked about it yet. I think we're both avoiding the subject, 'cause we argue about it every single time," he answered. "Does she support you in this?" she asked. "Yeah, completely. She always wants what's best for me…part o' the reason I love her so much. But…it's hard to explain the travel part of it," he answered, "And…if I do win…we're both gonna have to figure out what we really want. I want this more than anything, but…I also love her very much. It's…hard, ya know." "I could see how it would be," she responded. "Do you have to deal with this?" he asked. "No, actually. I told you, I, uh, I married into the business. I traveled with my first husband, because I definitely was not the kinda person who could just stay at home and work a normal job," she said grinning. "Are you married now?" he asked. Sara nodded and smiled slightly at the thought of Mark. "Can I ask who it is?" Greg asked quietly. "The Undertaker," Sara said simply, "I mean, we're on different shows, but…we're still under the same company, so we worked together for so long before the shows split that we both know how to deal with the travel." "What can I do…to help ease my girlfriend's mind?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath and shrugged slightly. "You both gotta decide if you wanna stay together. If she loves you…I mean, really loves you…she'll accept that sacrifices have to be made. Whether that sacrifice is somethin' small, like sucking it up and smiling while you go on the road, or…lettin' you go and allowing you to pursue your dream…that's somethin' that _you_ have to talk out," she answered. Greg sighed heavily and nodded. "Best o' luck to ya, Greg. You seem like a really nice guy, and I hope…win or lose…everything works out for ya," Sara said shaking his head. "Thanks, Angel," Greg said before going back over to the ring.

Sara gulped down the rest of her water as Maven walked over and took the seat in front of her. "Nice to meet ya, Angel," he said shaking her hand. "You, too. Josh and Greg have said nothin' but good things about you," Sara said. "Yeah, those guys are great. I'm really gonna miss 'em when this is all over," he said grinning. "So you've grown pretty close with everyone?" she asked. "Yeah, I love all of 'em. There were a couple people here the first week…well, more like half o' the people…you could just tell who was gonna make it and who wasn't," Maven answered honestly. "What do you think everybody's chances are?" she asked. "I don't know…I honestly don't. It's up in the air right now, 'cause everybody's givin' as much as they can, everybody's improving everyday…it's like, I'd hate to be the one who has to pick the two winners, 'cause I don't know who I'd pick," he answered. "How much do you want it, Maven?" she asked. "More than anything…but I think everybody says that, 'cause we all mean it. We're all so dedicated to learning as much as we can from Al and Bill and John, and even Ms. Ruthie…but I can think o' nothin' I'd like more than to be able to say that I proved to be the best o' the best," he said. "Hmm…do you have any questions for me?" Sara said running her fingers through her ponytail. "Let's see…how have you managed to do this for so long?" Maven questioned. "After a while, the pain just becomes an everyday thing, if that's what you're wondering. I can remember when I first started training, I had to force myself outta bed the first three or four months. But once I got used to the pain, I never wanted to stop doin' what I was doin'…and here I sit today," she said grinning.

"Actually, I meant, like, how do you stay fresh? I've been watching you since you first came to the WWF, and you've just gone through so many different changes, ya know," Maven said. "Oh, well, that part's a little more complicated. I've pretty much remained the same person over the years…it's just my character name that's changed a few times. I've been lucky enough that…no matter what I was the called, the fans still related to me," she answered. "How'd you choose your names?" he asked. "Vince gave me the first two, but when I came back from my year-long hiatus…I came up with Angel. It just seemed to fit perfectly with 'Taker's character, and…after I while, I got more comfortable in the ring, and decided to get back into wrestling full-time. And…here I am," she said with a grin, "If you win, Vince will ask you to search for something that you think can be made into a WWE Superstar the fans can identify with, ya know. You can't go out there and try to portray somethin' you're not, because the fans will see right through you. That I can promise you." Maven nodded and said, "I've kinda been thinkin' about it, like, all my friends say I could play the pretty boy kinda thing, maybe as a heel…or as a face, whatever Vince wanted." "I'll tell ya what…practice your promos in the mirror. As a matter o' fact, practice 'em in front o' everybody. Feed off o' their facial reactions, their body language…that's how you'll learn to connect with people, by learning how to read them," Sara suggested, "I mean, practice in front o' the mirror, too. That way, you can learn exactly how you wanna say what you wanna say, and you can practice your own mannerisms." "I certainly will do that," Maven said shaking her hand, "Thanks a lot, Angel. I really appreciate it." "Not a problem, Maven. Good luck," Sara said shaking his hand. Maven smiled slightly before going back over to the ring.

Sara stretched out and yawned slightly, watching as Shannon and Jamie practiced together in the ring. Despite her rather short height, Shannon was holding her own against the much taller Jamie. Sara slowly moved over to the ring, standing beside "Big" and Al. "So…what do you think?" Al asked quietly. Sara took a deep breath and said, "They're alright, Al…you've done a good job. I still don't think they realize just how lucky they are, though. They seem a little spoiled." "Yeah, they are. Bradshaw's been layin' into 'em whenever he can, just to toughen 'em up even more," Al said, "And we try to have a little discussion/debriefing time at the end of each workout day, just to try to keep things in perspective." Sara watched Shannon perform a hurricanrana on Maven, and her jaw dropped. "Like I said…miles ahead of where they ought to be," she said quietly, "Seven weeks into my training, and I was just learning how to bodyslam correctly." Al chuckled softly and said, "They pretty much got a crash course in wrestling. But I've told 'em over and over that, whoever wins, those people will be sent off to OVW for at least a year, maybe even longer. The contract that they get is a developmental one, not a full-time contract. They really do have to earn their stripes, Angel." "When do you announce the winner?" Sara asked. "Well, training's up in about two weeks. Then, we send 'em home for a few months, while we edit all the tapes, and show the program on MTV," John answered, "Then, for the final episode, we bring 'em back and have a whole big finale show. So…we probably won't announce the winners 'til a few weeks before Wrestlemania next year." "That's a helluva long time to wait," Sara said. "Yeah, but…television works like that sometimes," John said quietly. "You gonna talk to the girls?" Al asked. "Eventually…I wanna see what they're about in the ring first," Sara answered honestly. John smirked and said, "Yeah, they've been busting their ass the whole time." "Are you picking one male and female, or just two winners?" she asked. "One male, one female," John answered. "You got any favorites?" she asked grinning. John looked at Al, who grinned slightly. "Yeah, I suppose we do," he answered quietly. "Let me guess," Sara said, "Maven and Shannon." "Hands down…Jamie and Greg have got the looks, but that's about it. Josh is a great bumper, and he's got a true passion for what he does, but…his size is just a huge detriment," Al answered honestly, "I could see him in more of a backstage announcer position, not actually in the ring. But if Vince did want him in the ring, he'd be a natural." Sara nodded in agreement, continuing to watch the two females work together with the guidance of Ruthie and Bill.

"How'd you pick the other three trainers?" she asked a few minutes later. "Well, Bradshaw and Ruthie were up in OVW, actually, training to come back to full-time competition…Bill was working with Smackdown as a road agent, and they've got a load o' those already. So…we asked 'em all if they wouldn't mind joining up with Al to train a bunch o' newbies, and they jumped at the chance," John answered. "I could see why…bein' able to leave a legacy like this," Sara said quietly. Al grinned and looked at her. "If all goes well with this season, we might do a second one. You interested in bein' a trainer?" he said. "Eh, not really. I'm gonna enjoy my retirement," Sara answered quietly, "I just meant that, it's gotta be fulfilling in some way knowin' you're giving back to the business like this." "Yeah, it definitely is. I'm gonna be sad when we get to the last day of recording…these kids kinda give me an energy I haven't known in a long time," Al responded. "I get the same feeling when I'm workin' with the younger guys on RAW," Sara said, "Like Rob. He's such a kid sometimes…it just makes the day a little easier to get through." "Same here, same here," Al said quietly. "What were the first three weeks like?" she asked. "A weeding-out process. One guy quit the first week after Hunter came and talked about life on the road," John answered, "He didn't want to spend that much time away from his girlfriend." "And the next two girls quit, 'cause they didn't realize how much work it took to be a wrestler," Al said next, "One girl just wanted to do Playboy, while the other one figured that since she'd been a stuntwoman, she could be a professional wrestler." Sara chuckled as Jamie dropped Shannon with a headlock takeover. "We eliminated the next two guys, because they couldn't master the bumps we were doin'," Al said. "The third girl dropped out 'cause she injured her knee, and she was also struggling with the bumps," John added, "And another guy quit because he couldn't handle the pace they were training." "And we eliminated the next guy because he couldn't get the promo part down. He was a master in the ring, probably even better than Maven, but he just had zero charisma," Al said lastly. "So you're down to the best five, then," Sara said. "Yep…they can feel the closure, too. But they've all been stepping up, so it's been good," Al responded.

After talking for about 15 more minutes, Sara called Jamie out of the ring, and Al told Maven to join Shannon in continuing to practice. Sara went back over to the corner she'd been in, motioning for Jamie to sit across from her. "You're pretty good in there," Sara said grinning. "I've been training really hard. This is the most fun I've ever had doin' anything," Jamie said proudly, "I'm always gettin' advice from the trainers, to see what I'm messing up on, and how I can always improve." "That's the perfect mindset of a wrestler…always look to improve yourself," Sara said, "So…how'd you find out about Tough Enough?" "About five months ago, there was a commercial during RAW, and my friends said I should send in a video…so I did," Jamie said, "It was the best decision I've ever made." "How long did it take you to drop the weight?" Sara asked. "About two months. I kinda crashed-dieted, and went to the gym at least twice a day. I started running and biking everyday, too," Jamie answered, "It was a real challenge, because my entire family is pretty much overweight, so I had to work extra hard to lose as much weight as I did." "Did your family support you through that whole process?" Sara asked. "Not really. They'd made fun of me my entire life, so I wanted to show them that I could do anything I put my mind to. When I went home during the middle of summer, after my first summer school session, they were pretty shocked," Jamie responded, "It felt good to see the looks on their faces, though…it was priceless. I don't think my mom initially recognized me, 'cause by that time, I'd lost about 30 pounds." "In how long?" Sara asked. "A month and a half. I sent in the tape, and got a call from WWF Headquarters, sayin' they wanted me to lose at least 25 pounds before the second round of picks, which was gonna be in three months. So…I busted my ass, and I lost 30 pounds in two months, and 20 in the last month," Jamie answered. "Did you use your own program?" Sara asked. "I kind of mixed up things. I worked out at the city gym, with a personal trainer. And my doctor turned me on to a dietician, who personally designed a day-by-day eating schedule. And during summer school, I stepped up my training, 'cause I had more time on my hands," Jamie responded. Sara nodded slightly and said, "That's amazing, Jamie, it really is." "Thanks…I look in the mirror now, and I'm finally happy with who I see. I mean, when I came here, I was about 145, 150. With all the training we've done, I've dropped down to 130," Jamie added, "I'm more toned now, because of all the calisthenics, and the program Big has us doin' at a local gym."

"Excellent," Sara said, "So, what other reasons are there to you wanting to be a wrestler?" "When I sent in my tape, I never expected to be called. I've only been a steady, diehard fan for the past couple years. I never knew what you guys really went through to entertain the fans, and now that I do…it's somethin' I wouldn't mind doin'. I've learned so much about myself the past seven weeks, and I want to continue to push myself," Jamie answered. "What about the fans, though? What about their satisfaction?" Sara asked, "I know I asked you that before, but I want you to go into detail." "The fans are, essentially, what make this business possible. None o' the wrestlers, even our trainers, would have a job if it weren't for the people who pay their money to see them perform. The fact that they do that, the fans, I mean…I want to do as much as I can as a wrestler to make sure they're gettin' their money's worth. I love the idea of bein' able to control someone's emotions without them knowing it, because it's such an art form, an art form that I plan on mastering," Jamie said confidently. "What are you gonna do if you don't win?" Sara asked bluntly. "Go back to school, get my degree, then head to California or Georgia for wrestling school," Jamie answered. "Good plan. What are you studying?" Sara stated. "I'm a double-major in Psychology and Sociology," Jamie said, "I love studying individuals, but I also recognize that an individual belongs to and is affected by the world around them." Sara smiled and nodded. "That's a good thing. That'll really help out in understanding the ring psychology," she said. "That's what Al told me a couple weeks ago, when we started learning how to piece matches together," Jamie said with a smile.

"What have you learned so far? Not just with your training, but overall?" Sara asked. "Well, first of all, this isn't fake," Jamie said chuckling. Sara laughed and shook her head. "Far from it," she said. "The next person who tells me that it is, I think I'll either show 'em pictures of my bruises…or knock 'em out. Maybe even both," Jamie continued. "Yeah, I know how ya feel," Sara said, "What else?" "Everybody is just so passionate about what they do…and they have to be. Otherwise, it's not even worth trying. I knew from the first time I took a bump that this is somethin' I really wanna do. Like I said, I've only been a steady fan for a little over two years, but even as a casual fan, I always thought that what you guys did was outta this world. I have so much more respect for everybody, from the wrestlers to the ring crew to the writers…everybody. It's just…one big family, ya know. Everybody works together to make the show what it is, and I never looked at it from the behind-the-scenes perspective," Jamie said, "Now that I have…I could never go back to being just a regular fan again. I know too much." Sara chuckled and said, "You know maybe a _tad_ of what your trainers know. They may be teaching you everything you know, but not everything _they_ know. If you do become a wrestler, whether it's with the WWF right now, or even later down the road after you've gotten some experience under your belt, you'll see the bigger picture." "Can you give me an idea of it?" Jamie asked. "The WWF…is a business unto itself. It's not just about the wrestling. That's just half of it. Vince has got his hands in everything, from television, to movies, to CDs, to videos…hell, from what I hear, he's trying to start his own football league. What they do in Stamford is handle the technicalities of everything. They handle our arena booking, our merchandise design, our magazine publications…everything. So what you're learning here is just a smidgen of what encompasses the WWF as a whole," Sara answered.

"How many magazine covers have you been on?" Jamie asked. "Oh, jeez, I lost count. I didn't make my first cover until after I won the Intercontinental title the first time. After that, it was at least once or twice a year," Sara answered grinning. "Wow…," Jamie said. "Yeah, it was pretty exciting the first time. I mean, it's exciting every time, but that first was just like…'I think I've made it'. I actually made it three months in a row, after I won the World title at Summerslam, and then the next month when I went up against Shawn in the ladder match at Unforgiven, and then again when I faced Randy in the Cell at No Mercy," Sara said proudly, "It was…very memorable…and a complete honor to have that trust placed in me. I really can't explain it." "Do you still enjoy wrestling, even though you've been doin' it for so long?" Jamie asked. "Oh, there's nothin' like steppin' out in front of a crowd 20,000-strong, and knowing that they paid to see me. I get goosebumps every time I go out to the ring. I love what I do…I've loved it since I started, and I'll love it 'til the day I hang up the boots," Sara answered with a smile. "How does it feel…like, how have you managed, as a woman, to be so successful?" Jamie asked quietly. "It's preparation and opportunity. I happened to have the right look at the right time. I never thought I'd be a wrestler…I hated it growing up. But, when I married my first husband, I kinda got suckered into it, 'cause he was a wrestler. And…once I started…I was hooked," Sara said, "I look back on my first match…it was in Daytona, Florida, my hometown…my mom was in the front row with a bunch o' my friends…my husband was watching behind the curtain…I was absolutely terrified. But it was the best night o' my life. It's like…once it's in your blood, you don't ever wanna stop." "And that's exactly how I feel," Jamie said nodding, "I never wanna stop." "Well, even if you don't win, you've got a back-up plan, so I think you'll be just fine, Jamie," Sara said shaking her hand, "It was a pleasure. Good luck, and remember…at the end o' the day, if you can look back and know that you tried your hardest…it was a good day." "Thanks, Angel," Jamie said smiling broadly, "It was an honor." Sara nodded curtly and watched as Jamie jogged back over to the ring.

Shannon finally came over a few minutes later, wiping her hands off on her sweatpants. "Nice to see ya again, Angel," she said shaking Sara's hand. "You, too, Shannon," Sara said smiling, "It's a real shock to see you here, ya know." "Yeah, I know…but…it's what I wanted to do," Shannon said, "I've always been one to go after what I wanted, and this was just an opportunity I couldn't pass up." "What about school?" Sara asked. "Well…my mom doesn't know that I'm here," Shannon said quietly, "Me bein' in school was mostly to please her. I mean, I enjoyed it, I really did…but I've always wanted to be a wrestler, and this was just too good an opportunity to pass up." "When's the last time you talked to your mom?" Sara asked. "A few days ago, when we were at RAW," Shannon answered. "You know…I really suggest you let her know what you're doing. She's gonna be disappointed that you lied about this, but it's better for her to know the truth, especially when she doesn't get a report card at the end o' the semester," Sara said quietly, "And I think I can say this from experience…moms tend to know when their children are lying to them." "Yeah…she was really quiet when I talked to her on the phone on Monday," Shannon said, "I just…don't want her to be mad at me." "If she sees that you're following your dream, and especially that you're gonna finish school when you're done with this…I don't think she'll be too mad," Sara said with a supportive grin, "Promise me you'll call her tonight, after your training." Shannon took a deep breath before nodding. "And you'll tell her everything," Sara added. "Everything?" Shannon asked sadly. "WWE Superstars are all very honest people, Shannon. It's just somethin' that's…expected of you, even if it's somethin' dealing with your family," Sara responded. "Okay…," Shannon said quietly.

"Alright, now that that's outta the way…what do your friends think o' you doin' this?" Sara said. "They thought it was a joke. I mean, they always played around suggesting that I should try to become a wrestler, 'cause they know how much I love it. So…when I told 'em I got the call to go to New York for the casting call, they kinda laughed and said I'd never make it," Shannon responded, "And now…here I am, almost finished with my training. I can't wait to see the look on their faces when I win this thing." "Oh, you're pretty confident about that?" Sara asked grinning. "That's the only way to be. I can't let people see me worry about that, because they'll prey on it. I'm a very determined person, and I'll do what's required, and more, to win this competition. I want nothing more than to go home with a contract in my hand," Shannon answered. "What are you gonna do with your three months off?" Sara asked. "I don't know…I'm gonna miss everybody so much, especially Greg. He's like the older brother of the house, such a sweetheart. Jamie and I get along so well, because we're both _huge_ tomboys. We laugh about the most simplest of things, and we have a lot of the same interests. Maven's just a great guy, great personality, awesome to watch in the ring. Josh is just…Josh," Shannon said chuckling, "I mean, he's as passionate about this as anybody, and we love to wrestle with him, of course. I'll miss his personality the most. He can act immature at times, but it's all in good fun. He always tries to find ways to annoy Al, too, which is absolutely hilarious. So…I'm gonna miss everybody."

"How have you dealt with everything so far? Bein' away from everybody you love? Training non-stop five days a week?" Sara asked. "It's more a mental challenge than physical. I love bein' physical, I love testing my limits, because then I can find out what too much really stands for. Mentally, it's a lot harder than I thought it would be. Not havin' my mom's support, since she doesn't know…it's a challenge, because I'm usually so upfront with her about everything. She's my support beam, and I could've used her wisdom a lotta times over the past seven weeks," Shannon said quietly, "Other than that, everybody tries to give everybody else support, 'cause we all know how hard this really is. Sure, we've butted heads at times, about everything, but…we've pretty much stuck together." "That's good. It's the same way up in the big leagues," Sara said grinning, "I don't know if I would've lasted as long as I have without the support of everybody I work with, even the production and ring crews." "Yeah, when we were in Chicago on Monday, I could tell how bonded everybody was. And…even though we were kind of alienated, people were generally polite to us, ya know. Helping to set up the ring, and the stage, and the seats, was so cool. I mean, I'd been to shows before, and always wondered just what it took to put all that stuff up, and how they did it so quickly and efficiently. Now I know. It's like one giant machine, ya know. Everybody knows exactly what has to be done, when it has to be done," Shannon said smiling. "Why _do_ you want to be a wrestler, Shannon? You seem like such a smart girl…why not finish out college first?" Sara asked suddenly.

"You can't turn your back when opportunity comes knocking, because you don't know when it's gonna come again. If this doesn't work out, I can always go back to school. But I know for a fact…I would've regretted for the rest of my life not comin' into this training program when I had the chance," Shannon answered, "And as far as why I want to be a wrestler…everything about it is just so amazing. I love entertaining people, I love providing people with a sense of…happiness, I love making people smile, and I feel I can do that best through stepping into the ring." "Who do you like facing more, Jamie, or the guys?" Sara asked. "The guys, hands down. I'm a mean little thing when I get in the ring. I put as much energy as I can into every move I do, because I know the fans need to feel the emotion that I'm feeling. I can't do that as much with Jamie as I can with Maven and the other guys, because…it's like, as tough as she is, she can be a little prima donna sometimes, ya know. That's not my gig. Yeah, I can look good when the time calls for it, but I'm as physical as they come, and I don't hold back against anybody," Shannon answered. "I completely understand," Sara said grinning, "When I had to wrestle against Lita and Jackie several years ago, it was awesome because both o' those ladies never bitched once after we went at it in the ring. They were as tough as I was, and I respected them even more for that. Yeah, they wrestled pretty much in the women's division, but I knew they could also go against some o' the smaller guys. So when I got the chance to wrestle them, I knew I could go full-force, and they'd meet me halfway with just as much force." "I really wish I could say the same about Jamie. Sometimes, in the middle of a match, I'll feel myself kind of start to take it easy on her, 'cause I don't want to hurt her too bad. Al points it out to me sometimes, too," Shannon said. "Well, I think there's a difference between tryin' to actually hurt someone, and merely wanting the fans to register what you're doing, and tap into the emotions you're displaying," Sara responded. "Yeah, that's what all the trainers keep tellin' me," Shannon said quietly.

"You got any questions for me, Shannon?" Sara asked grinning. "A whole list, now that I know what it is you put yourself through," Shannon said chuckling softly. "Go for it, sweetheart," Sara said with a smile. "Okay, first…why?" Shannon asked. "Why what?" Sara asked in return. "Why this business? I mean, I know your history with Roddy and all, but…did it ever cross your mind to not take the contract?" Shannon asked. Sara took a deep breath and looked over at the ring. "I'm kinda like you, Shannon. An opportunity knocked…and I answered the door. Roddy gave me a newfound respect for the business when he took me on the road with him, and I was able to see what it was he did to prepare for the show, how things were worked out for the show, and how he performed in the ring. I was proud to be his wife, but…when Vince approached me and asked me if I wanted to be a wrestler…somethin' inside me clicked, like a light bulb went off. I'd found my calling in life…and there was no way I was gonna be a stay-at-home wife after traveling with Roddy for that month," she answered. "Gotcha. Next: what was it like when you came back after your year-long hiatus? Like, did the guys welcome you back, or did you have to earn respect all over again?" Shannon asked. "At that point, I'd been with the WWF about four, maybe five years. So, I was pretty close with everybody, wrestlers and crew alike. When they heard what happened to me, they were all supportive, and wanted me to come back as soon as I could," Sara answered, "So when I finally did make my return, they were all happy to see me back. The only person I had to prove myself to…was me. I didn't want to step into the ring if I knew I couldn't perform at the level I'd been at before the attack, ya know. It's kind of a personal standard that wrestlers set for themselves if they get injured: you don't come back until you feel like you can go 150 percent."

Shannon nodded in understanding and asked, "How do you keep a family bein' as involved as you are? I mean, as World champ, I'm sure you have a ton o' responsibilities to the company." "Even when I wasn't World champion, Shannon, I had a ton o' responsibilities. I was already on the road three or four days a week wrestling, and then maybe another day or two for special appearances if Vince wanted me to do that. When I became World champion, there was one point where I worked, I think, three weeks straight without seeing my husband. I'm lucky enough to work with him, though, so he understands what it's like to be on the road nonstop," Sara answered simply, "It's just something that you, as a person, have to decide how to deal with. If you get into a relationship, your boyfriend or husband has to understand that…your career is a priority, as much as he is, and you love what you do, as much as you might love him. And…sometimes, sacrifices have to be made. They may be hard, but they have to be made, ya know." "Yeah. Ruthie and Al tell me all the time how their spouses have kind of just…accepted this as part of the job. It doesn't hurt their relationship, but it's a strain that they all just deal with day by day," Shannon said. "And that's how you have to look at it: somethin' to be dealt with day by day. Things are gonna crop up that you don't expect, but if you work together, you can get through it. Are you in a relationship now?" Sara said. "God, no. I can barely focus on this sometimes, and I don't need the added hassle of a relationship," Shannon said smiling slightly. "It's not a hassle all the time," Sara said chuckling. "Yeah, I know, but…it's just not something I wanna put on my plate right now," Shannon added. "And that's completely understandable," Sara said grinning, "Any other questions?"

"Let's see…how do you stay in shape? Like, your workout schedule?" Shannon responded. "Well, since I wrestle pretty much three or four days a week, I only train to look good. I'll do at least a half an hour of cardio, maybe more if I'm really stressed out. And I'll do about 45 minutes of weight training, unless I'm wrestling in a big, big match, then the wrestling's my workout," Sara answered honestly, "When I'm at home, I try to relax my muscles as much as possible. Again, if I do train at home, it's probably just a cardio workout, like aerobics or kickboxing, unless I'm really stressed out." "What do you do to relax when you're on the road?" Shannon asked. "Depends on what town I'm in on what day. Usually, I'll stay in my hotel room and watch TV, or read a book, or just sit and think about things. If I can, I go shopping, because that's always a relaxation thing, especially with some o' the other ladies on RAW," Sara said smiling slightly, "Also, if it's a Sunday night, and I'm done with the show early enough, I'll try and catch a movie at a local theater, just to spice things up." "Okay, last question…how do you feel about the current state of women's wrestling? I mean, we had Torrie Wilson here a few weeks ago, and she basically told me and Jamie that women were there to look good, that men made the money in the company, and that was it, and we needed to accept that. I disagreed, but I didn't wanna be disrespectful or anything," Shannon said. "Women's wrestling has progressed so much since I've been in this business. I mean, there's more chances now than there have ever been for a woman to show that she can hold her own in the ring. Even when the ladies only fight each other, the fans really do enjoy watching them wrestle, as opposed to standing there like a damn plant," Sara answered honestly, "And…if we continue to get athletes like you…then women's wrestling really does have an even brighter future." Shannon smiled broadly and shook Sara's hand. "Thank you so much, Angel. It's always good to see you, but this time, I really am glad that I can talk to you from a student's perspective, instead of a fan's perspective," she said happily. "It's my pleasure, Shannon. I really do wish you the best o' luck," Sara said honestly, "You've got what it takes, sweetheart." Shannon looked at the floor, and Sara saw shades of a blush on her brown cheeks. "Go on, you better get back to work," Sara said quietly. Shannon nodded quickly and dashed back over to the ring.

Sara stretched her arms and slowly stood, groaning slightly. She had a bruised hip bone from a powerslam she took from Rob on Tuesday, and it was still bothering her. She picked up her nearly empty water bottle and made her way over to Layfield and Ruthie, who were standing outside the ring. "Hey, you, two," she said grinning. "Haven't seen much o' you lately, missy," John said grinning. "Yeah, you know me, always busy. I didn't know you were comin' back," Sara said quietly. "Just part-time, more to help with the younger talent, ya know," John responded. "What about you?" Sara asked Ruthie. "I just needed time off to take care o' Rodney, 'cause he was in the hospital for a while," Ruthie answered. "Oh, what happened?" Sara asked quietly. "Blood clot," Ruthie answered quietly. "Oh, shit…is he okay now?" Sara asked. "Yeah, he's alright. They've got him on blood thinners, and he's just startin' to work out again. He'll be alright in due time," Ruthie answered, "How have you been?" "Good, good…gettin' ready to hang up the boots," Sara answered softly. "When!" John asked, his voice filled with shock. "Monday," Sara answered, "My last match is on RAW, against Hunter." "Oh, wow…are you excited?" Ruthie asked. "It's touch and go, ya know. The past few days have been hard, just really startin' to accept it. I think after Monday, though, I'll feel more relieved than anything," Sara answered, "I'll miss it all, but…it's time, ya know." Ruthie and John nodded slightly, continuing to watch Greg and Maven in the ring. "Dammit, Greg, stop!" John suddenly yelled, rolling into the ring. Maven had dropped Greg with a single-leg takedown, but Greg had put his hands flat down on the mat, instead of landing on his back.

"Holy crap…he could've--." "Just watch," Ruthie said grinning. "How long have you been learning how to fall?" John asked tensely. "Seven weeks," Greg said quietly. "Seven weeks! And you all of sudden forget how to fall!" John screamed, "Outta the ring! Everybody, in the corner!" Sara watched Greg leave the ring, his head hung low. John dragged the group over to a far corner, and Sara watched them proceed to do push-ups. "How many do they have to do?" she asked Ruthie. "Until John gets tired," Ruthie said grinning, "One o' his ways to…make sure they don't keep makin' the same mistakes." "Knowing John, they're gonna be there for a while," Sara said smirking. "Oh, yeah…the longest he made them go was a half an hour," Ruthie said. "Oh, my God…how many push-ups can you do in 30 minutes?" Sara asked incredulously. "About 300 each," Ruthie said chuckling. "You guys are nuts," Sara said. "No, we just wanna make sure they understand the little things, and why we make 'em do the little things," Ruthie responded. "Gotcha," Sara said. After about 15 minutes, John finally forced everyone to their feet. "Don't fuck up again, Greg," he growled in the muscular man's ear. "Yes, sir," Greg said quietly, rubbing his arms as he headed back into the ring. Sara went over to Al, who was talking with Bill. "Would you mind if we all wrestled against them, just to see what it is they're not pickin' up?" she asked quietly. "Yeah, no problem. Hey, everybody, get in your corner. We're gonna have a match," Al announced. Sara climbed into the ring with Jamie, who decided to go first, and rotated her neck. She winked at the slender girl as "Big" rang the bell.

30 minutes passed by, during which all of the trainers and Sara, faced off against each of the students. Sara spent much of her time in the ring making sure everyone sold as much as they could without looking idiotic, and helping them to perform each move as crisply as possible. When the match finally ended, with Shannon pinning Bradshaw, Sara grinned and stepped inside the ring. "Good job, all of you. You're really comin' along perfectly," she said shaking all of their hands. "Thanks so much for comin', Angel," Al said giving her a slight hug, "I really do appreciate it." "No problem, Al. You should've called me sooner," she said with a grin. She climbed out of the ring, and Gaburick passed her duffel bag to her. "You guys take advantage o' your trainers. Pick their brains, because you're never gonna get a chance like this again," she said honestly. "Don't worry, we will," Josh said smiling. "Enjoy yourselves. See ya, everybody," Sara said waving goodbye. John walked her out to her car, and Sara tossed her duffel bag into the backseat. "Thanks again, Angel. You really did help them out a lot," he said as Sara opened the driver's side door. "They've got the basic principles down, "Big". Now, it's just a matter of who can show they've mastered it the best, ya know," she said quietly. John nodded in agreement as she climbed into her vehicle. "Travel safe, Angel," he said as she started the car. Sara nodded slightly before pulling away from the warehouse. She had to be in Kentucky early the next morning, so her flight took off at 9:00 p.m. When she got back to her hotel room, she took a hot bubble bath before dressing in a pair of loose shorts and a t-shirt.

Afterwards, she picked up her phone and dialed the number Mark had called her from the day before. "Hello?" a female voice answered. "Hey, Dany. How's he doin'?' Sara said quietly. "Hold on, Sara," Dany said before handing the phone to Mark. "Hey, dollface. Have a good time?" Mark said quietly. "Yeah, it was…interesting. In a way, I'm jealous o' those kids, 'cause they've got such a huge opportunity. But…I know they're bein' taught the right way, so I did what I could to help 'em out," she answered. "Good, good. Was it a lot o' ring time?" he said quietly. "Yeah. We trained for about two hours, maybe a little more, and I talked to 'em individually. It was a good time," she answered. "Have the trainers picked out the winners yet?" he asked. "They haven't finalized anything yet, but they've got their favorites," she answered grinning. "Who?" he asked. "One guy named Maven, and then Shannon," she answered, "They're the two best. They've got it all, Mark…in-ring skills, charisma…everything. And they're both passionate about the business, they're both huge fans, and they have a lotta respect for the business. But I'd hate to have to be the one to pick…'cause I'd take 'em all to OVW." "They're that good?" he asked grinning. "Yeah, they are. Sure, they're rough in some places, but nothin' a little work won't fix," she answered. "Well, that's great for them, then," Mark said.

"So…how you doin'?" she asked softly, stretching out in the bed. "God, I'm so ready to be outta this fuckin' place, dollface. They've run so many tests on me, it's absolutely ridiculous. Every other hour, it's time to play "Let's see hw many places we can stick a needle in you"," Mark said quietly. Sara smirked and ran her fingers through her damp hair. "I'm sorry, baby," she whispered. "Ah…I'll just be glad when Sunday comes…I can't wait to see your face again," he said softly. "Same here, babe. How's the munchkin doin'?" Sara said quietly. "Ready for me to be outta the hospital, too. She doesn't like it any more than I do," he answered, "But Dany's been makin' sure to keep her as occupied as possible." "That's good. Does she understand why you're there?" Sara asked. "The basics of it, yeah. I figured I'd save her the pain of knowin' exactly what's wrong, since she wouldn't really understand it anyway," he answered. "Where is she?" she asked. "Asleep on a cot by the window," he answered, "She and Dany had a pretty busy day today. They went shopping, and out to the movies, and lunch. So…she's been gettin' a little spoiled." Sara chuckled softly and yawned. "When do you go to Kentucky?" he asked. "My flight's in a couple hours…I have to be at the Davis Arena by nine a.m. tomorrow, 'cause it's an all-day training session," she answered tiredly. "Wow…you sure you can handle that?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, it'll be fine," she said quietly, "More than likely, I'll be more of an observer than anything. If it comes down to it, I'll get in the ring if they need or want me to. But…since I've got that big match on Sunday, and then fighting Paul on Monday, I'm gonna try to take it easy tomorrow and Saturday." "Good," Mark said softly. "Alright, babe, I'm gonna let you go, 'cause you sound about as tired as I do. I'm thinkin' about you, okay?" she said softly. "I love you so much, Sara," Mark whispered. "I love you, too, Mark…bye," Sara said quietly. Mark said the same, and Sara ended the call, laying back on the bed to catch a quick nap before leaving for her flight.


	118. Winding Down

**Sorry, guys, this chapter is a bit shorter than usual. Good content, though. :) You know what they say, great things come in small packages (except some things :P). LOL It was a hard chapter to write, 'cuz I'm starting to feel like Sara, mixed emotions about the whole thing ending. I think I gave it a pretty just title, so I hope you enjoy! Make sure to leave those wonderful reviews!**

**Shannon

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Chapter 117…Winding Down

Sara pulled up in front of the Trax South training center early Friday morning. She'd arrived in Kentucky the night before around midnight local time, and had gotten a good night's sleep, for which she was extremely thankful. Jim Cornette had called her early that morning, informing her that they weren't going to be training at the New Davis Center after all, and had given her directions to the training facility. After parking her car, Sara pulled out a small bag with a few bottles of water and a quick lunch inside. She entered the building, and searched for Jim's small office. When she found it, she heard Jim speaking exuberantly. She knocked quickly, waiting for his voice to call her inside. "Yeah, come on in!" Jim said exasperatedly. Sara slowly opened the door, grinning at the frazzled state of the plump man. "Hey, Angel, come on in," Jim said before going back to his phone conversation, "Yeah, I got it, Vince. I'll try not to yell at the fools too much." Sara smirked and took a seat in front of his old wooden desk. "Yeah, I promise already," Jim said, "Alright…see ya Sunday." Jim hung up the phone and groaned. "Fuckin' bunch o' babies around this place, I swear to God!" he said tensely. "What happened?" Sara asked. "A couple o' the guys went complaining that I was bein' too harsh on 'em, but the little fuckers shouldn't have been playin' around in the ring!" Jim said heatedly, "We run a goddamn business here, and if they can't understand that, they shouldn't let the doorknob hit 'em on the ass on the way out!" "Gotcha," Sara said grinning. "Sorry about that, Angel. Thanks for comin' down here, I really appreciate it," Jim said shaking her hand. "Not a problem," Sara said, "What's on the schedule for today?" "Warm-ups from nine 'til around 11:30, break for a 30-minute lunch, promo practice from noon 'til around one o' clock, then in-ring practice until around six o' clock," he answered. "Who's the lucky group?" she asked.

"Let's see," Jim said flipping through a thick notebook, "John Hennigan. He's been called up to Smackdown, but he's here to continue with his training. Nick Taylor, he's a rookie, and he's workin' on gettin' a developmental deal. He's a natural in the ring, but he's gotta work on his promos. Mike Mizanin, of 'Real World' fame. He's got it all, but Vince wants to clean him up a little bit. Alexis Laree, she's been wrestling for goin' on five years now, but she signed up when she found out you were leading the session. Beth Phoenix…she's also been called up to Smackdown, but she injured Victoria, so Vince sent her back here on the days she's not traveling with the company. And then there's Passion…" "What?" Sara asked grinning. "Yeah…stays in character all the time. Hell, at times, I forget what her real name is," Jim said, "I think it's Kristen or somethin' like that. She's kinda got an attitude problem, so I figured you'd break her down a little." "Oh, yeah, definitely," Sara said grinning, "Are they here yet?" "Nah, they won't get here for another 30 minutes, probably. I'll show ya around, let you get situated," Jim said standing. "Am I gonna be training 'em by myself?" Sara asked. "For the most part, yeah. But Danny Davis and a couple of the other trainers are gonna be there in case you need 'em, to work with everybody who's not busy doin' somethin' with you," Jim answered as he led her through the halls. He pointed out the locker rooms, the lunch room, the upper level where they taped matches to be reviewed, and finally, the actual training area. There was an area for weight lifting, a ring in the back corner, and large blue mats for the warm-ups. "So…what do you think about the group?" she asked beginning to stretch out on the floor. "They're alright. Some are better than others. Mizanin has wrestled over in California for a few years, but he's still got a ways to go before he's ready for the WWE. Hennigan's a cocky little bastard, but he knows how shut his mouth when the time calls for it. Beth could really use some work, just on her confidence in the ring. She's a natural athlete, but she freezes up so damn quick. Alexis has got the perfect look, and abilities out the ass, but Vince said he's not gonna do another call-up 'til sometime next year, so for now, she just wants to continue perfecting herself," Jim answered, "The other two…at this point, I'm sick o' Kristen's attitude, and if I had the authority, I'd kick her ass outta here. Taylor…I'm not too sure about, either. Today's gonna be a real chance to see how they handle bein' trained by someone they don't really know."

Sara nodded and stretched her arms, yawning slightly. "How was the Tough Enough crew?" Jim asked. "They're comin' along. I was only there for about three or four hours, but from what I saw…I wouldn't be surprised if Vince eventually gave the three who lose a developmental contract of their own. They all got somethin' to bring to the table, so I think they could all become good wrestlers. It's just a matter of what Vince wants, and how much time he's willing to put into their training," she answered. "And they know they're comin' here if they win?" Jim asked. "Yep. Honestly, I wish I could've given 'em all developmental contracts on the spot. Training in front o' Al and the others is one thing, but I would love to see them in front of a live crowd, ya know," she answered. "Yeah, that's the real test right there. The people today have all performed at the New Davis Arena, and the crowds there are usually around 400 or 500 people. It's not that big, ya know, but it's big enough for them to start to feel comfortable performing in front of a live crowd," Jim commented. "That's cool. I remember bein' here…all those years ago," Sara said grinning, "It's good to be back, helpin' other people." "Yeah. Everybody's real excited about it, especially Beth. She told me she got to talk to ya a little bit on the trip ya'll had to Japan," Jim responded. "Yeah…she seems really nice, and real eager to learn, ya know. With time, I think she could be a decent wrestler," Sara said. "Well, for the most part, these people gotta hit the ground runnin'. We both know how impatient Vince can be," Jim said grinning. Sara chuckled and nodded in agreement.

The two people talked while Sara stretched, until 9:00 rolled around, and several people entered the building with duffel bags in tow. Sara looked up from the floor at three women, one she recognized as Beth. "Hey, Angel," Beth spoke excitedly, "Glad you're here!" Sara smiled and got to her feet, rubbing her hands on her pants. "Nice to see you, too, Beth," she said shaking hands with the shorter woman, "You ready for this?" "You have no idea," Beth said smiling, "This is Alexis, and Passion." The brown-haired woman shook Sara's hand enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you," she said grinning, "It's a real honor." "You, too, Alexis," Sara said. "Please, call me Lex," Alexis said. Sara shook Kristen's hand, and said, "Nice to meet you, Kristen." "I'd prefer Passion," the woman said somewhat arrogantly. "Well, too bad. You're here to train, and I'll call you Kristen if I want. You got a problem with it, you can head right back out the door," Sara said simply. Kristen's jaw tightened, and she nodded curtly. "Fine," she said quietly. "Go change," Sara commanded. She watched as the women headed towards the bathroom, and glanced over at Jim. "This'll be fun," he said smirking, "The guys should be here any minute." Just as he said that, the door to the building opened, and in walked three men. "Holy shit!" one exclaimed. Sara smiled as they headed towards her. "Hi, guys," she said leaning against the ring. "Hi, Angel. Mike Mizanin," the first spoke, "It's an honor." Sara shook his hand as he introduced the other two men. "Nice to meet you both. Go ahead and change, and we'll get right to work," Sara said simply. The two men practically ran into the bathroom, and Sara finished stretching her arms. She wasn't going to be as physical today, but she wanted to make sure her muscles were loosened up.

A few minutes later, all six people emerged from the bathrooms, talking quietly amongst themselves. "What do you think she's gonna do to us?" Lex asked quietly. "Whatever it takes," Beth answered, "She's really passionate about what she does, and expects nothing less than perfection." "You act like you know her personally, Beth. You only traveled with her for two days," Kristen whispered tensely. "Yeah, but I talked to her as much as I could. You should do the same, dumbass," Beth snapped softly. "Whatever," Kristen said quietly. "She's right, Passion. I got to see her work in the ring, and she's pretty fuckin' great," John said quietly, "I work with her husband on Smackdown, and he's just as gung ho about wrestling as she is." "Well, I'm passionate about what I do, too, John, hence the name," Kristen said quietly. John and Beth rolled their eyes, shaking their head in disbelief. "On the blue mat," Sara spoke up. The group did as she asked, spacing out in order to have enough room for whatever Sara wanted them to do. "I'll say this once: you do what I say when I say it, or you're outta here. We've got a schedule, and we're gonna stick to it. You fall behind, I make sure you do extra to catch up. I can be the biggest bitch you've ever met, but I'm fair. You got a question, it better be a good one. I don't take shit from the guys I work with, so don't think I'll take it from you youngsters. I demand respect, because I've worked too damn hard to earn it. I've been doin' this for over 12 years, so I'm pretty much a master in that ring. I know what the fuck I'm doin'. In return, I'll respect you as newcomers, and give you as much help as I can," Sara said crossing her arms, "Any questions?" Nobody said anything, and Sara took a deep breath.

For the next two and a half hours, Sara put them all through extensive calisthenics, allowing them to stretch out between exercises. "I don't want anybody gettin' a cramp, or pulling a muscle. So stretch as much as you can," she informed them, "I'm gonna push you further than you've ever been pushed before. I had to do this when I first got into the business, so I'm not makin' you do anything I haven't done." They even ran laps around the training facility for nearly 45 minutes before Sara brought them back inside. "Stretch out, and break for lunch. Noon, you better be back on this mat," she said, "I suggest you get back here a few minutes early. In the wrestling business, you're on time if you're early, and you're late if you're on time. And if you're late, you might as well pack your shit up and get out." "Yes, ma'am," they answered collectively. "Don't call me ma'am. I'm not that damn old," Sara said, a grin playing at her lips, "Go on, go eat somethin'. The last thing you want is to pass out." The group dispersed, and Sara followed Jim back to his office, where her belongings were. "So…what do you think?" she asked quietly. "Rough warm-up, at least compared to what they usually do. But I didn't hear any bitchin' out of 'em, so that's a good sign," Jim answered. "The real test will come when I put 'em in the ring," Sara said pulling out the small bag with her lunch in it, "Where's the other trainers?" "They're on their way. I told 'em to come for the actual training today," Jim said sitting down behind his desk, "So, I hear Sunday's your last pay-per-view?" "Yeah…," Sara said sighing heavily.

"Not so sure about that?" he asked grinning. "Oh, nah, I'm sure about it. I've lost count o' how many times Vince has asked me to renew, though," she said gulping down cold water. "Yeah, he's pretty determined when it comes to keepin' his main-event players around," he said simply, "But you and Rob seem to have great chemistry, so your match should be fun, right?" "If you consider a Last Man Standing match fun," Sara said smirking. "Depends on who's in it," Jim responded, "Your Ladder Match with Michaels was brutal, and Hell in a Cell after that was just…left me speechless, which takes a lot. I know a lotta the kids here are really lookin' forward to seein' you Sunday night." "Yeah, I think it's gonna be a unique match. I'm just ready for it to be all over. I get to go up against Hunter the next night, though, and I _know_ that'll be a good one," Sara said biting into her ham sandwich. "Yeah, definitely. I'll have to watch that one," Jim said. "I'm gonna miss it, though. All the hassles…it's been worth it," she said quietly, "It's funny, though, 'cause my little girl wants to be a wrestler." "How old is she?" he asked. "She turned three in March, and 'Taker and I have been takin' her on the road whenever we can. She's used to bein' around the other guys constantly, so it'll be an adjustment for both of us," Sara answered. "Are you comin' back for Wrestlemania?" he asked. "Oh, definitely. I wouldn't miss that for the world," Sara said chuckling. "You think 'Taker will be performing on the card?" Jim asked munching on a chicken salad. "He tore his bicep a couple days ago, and he's probably gonna be out for at least four months, so…probably not," she answered, "But we'll go regardless." "Excellent. I've been thinkin' o' givin' all this up, too," Jim said quietly, "I've been in this business since I was 14 years old, and I'm pushin' 60 now." "Oh, my God," Sara said quietly. Jim chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, it's been that long. But Vince hasn't found anybody he wants to take over OVW yet, so I'm just waitin' around until then," he added, "I mean, Danny's a good trainer, but he doesn't have the business skills. I've got my assistant, but I'm already runnin' her ragged." "I'm sure Vince will get around to it as soon as he can," she said quietly. Jim merely nodded as he continued eating his own lunch.

20 minutes later, Sara went back into the training area. She set up chairs in front of the ring for each of the people, before sitting on the mat, thinking of how she wanted them to practice their promos. She hadn't gotten to do that with the Tough Enough kids, so she wanted to make sure she covered the topic pretty well today. A few minutes later, Kristen entered the room and sat down in one o' the seats. "You been doin' this for a while, huh?" Sara asked. "Yeah, goin' on six years now. I'm waitin' on my call up from the office," Kristen answered. "What makes you think you'll get one?" Sara asked bluntly. "I deserve it," Kristen answered simply. "Just 'cause you think you deserve it doesn't mean you'll get it. I know people on the independent scenes who've been tryin' a helluva lot longer than you just to get a try-out match. At least you can say you're workin' for the WWE, if only indirectly," Sara said crossing her arms. "How long did it take you to get the call?" Kristen asked. "I got lucky. I married a wrestler," Sara said simply. "So you used him--." "Don't even assume that shit. I didn't want to be a wrestler. Vince looked at me, and figured I could become somethin'. I trained here in OVW for over a year before I stepped in front of a WWF audience," Sara said tensely. "I've been here way longer than that," Kristen returned. "Yeah, but you still got an attitude problem. You walk around here like you're somethin', like you got somethin' nobody else does. But I'll tell ya this: Vince only calls up the wrestlers who've got a good attitude about the business, who got a good head on your shoulders. I've known you all of three hours, and I can tell that's somethin' you _don't_ have," Sara responded. Kristen shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Listen here, little girl. You watch your fuckin' attitude. You don't wanna test me," Sara said tensely. "I know what I have, and what I don't have," Kristen said. "Get the fuck outta here," Sara snapped, "Get your shit, and get the fuck out." Kristen stood and stomped into the women's bathroom, leaving the building in a huff. "Where's she goin'?" Jim asked coming over to Sara. "I told 'em, respect me, and I'll give it back just the same. She tried to pull an attitude with me, so she's outta here," Sara answered, "And trust me, Jim…Vince doesn't want or need broads like that in his company. I don't think you'll be seein' much o' 'Passion' around here anymore." Jim smirked and shook his head. "I figured she'd try that shit," he said quietly. "Oh, well…she tried and failed," Sara said as the other five people came back into the room. "Where's Passion?" Mike asked. "Outta here," Sara said simply. Mike glanced at the other people, each one smiling. "Thanks, Angel," Beth said, "We were all pretty sick o' her. In the bathroom, she was runnin' her mouth about how she was gonna show us all who was the best." "Maybe the best o' the worst," Sara shot back. The group chuckled as they took their seats, while Sara folded up the seat Kristen had been sitting in and putting it back near the far corner of the room.

"Alright, now what we're gonna do is practice your promos," Sara said. Nick dropped his head forward, and Sara quickly said, "If you wanna be successful, Taylor, you can't just be good in the ring. You gotta be good on the mike, too. So…you're goin' first." "Come on, man, just take a few deep breaths," Mike said supportively. Taylor slowly stood, and Sara motioned for him to come over to her. "Yes?" he asked quietly. "What's the first thing that comes through your mind when you're about to cut a promo?" Sara asked softly. "How much I _don't_ wanna screw up," he answered quietly. "That's your problem. If you think you're gonna screw up, you will. Self-fulfilling prophecy, ya know. So…what I want you to do is cut a promo with your back to us," she said quietly, "You seem like you don't like talkin' in front o' people, so I don't even want you to focus on who's in the room. Focus on your mannerisms, what you're gonna say, how you're gonna say it." Taylor nodded slightly, and Sara touched his shoulder. "It's always hard the first few months. Trust me, my first promo, I looked like a deer in headlights…I damn near froze in front of 30,000 people," she said softly, "So you're not a weirdo 'cause you feel scared, okay?" "It's just…," he said quietly. "What?" she asked. "I don't really have a character or anything, so I don't have anything to say," he answered quietly. Sara grinned slightly and dragged him into a corner further away from the group.

"What do you think she's sayin' to him?" Lex asked. "Well, we all know Taylor isn't the greatest on the mike. She's probably just givin' him some inspiration or somethin'," John answered. "Well, she's definitely got the experience," Mike said quietly, "I remember watchin' her when I was a teenager." "You callin' her old, Miz?" Beth asked grinning. "Hell, no. She's younger than my mom!" Mike answered smiling. "Are you callin' her a M.I.L.F., then?" Beth said stifling a chuckle. "Maybe. I mean, she _is_ a mom…and she's pretty fuckin' hot," Mike said innocently. "And, of course, Beth, that's all that matters," Lex said sarcastically, "Nevermind the fact that she's probably the most accomplished female in wrestling history, that she's been doin' this for longer than any woman except Fabulous Moolah, or that she's our freakin' teacher!" "Ooh, touched a nerve, did I?" Mike asked winking playfully at Lex. Lex slapped his arm, a grin playing at her lips. "You know I respect her as much as anybody, Lex. She's one o' my favorites of all time. Hell, I'd lick the dirt off her boots if she asked me to," Mike said quietly. "Oh, you nasty bastard!" Beth said punching his arm. "Ouch, Phoenix! You know you forget your own strength sometimes!" Mike whined, rubbing the place where she'd hit him. "Oh, suck it up, sissy," she said laughing. "This should be interesting," John said quietly as Sara came back over to them. "Alright, listen up. Since this is a small group, I need all o' ya'll to participate while we practice with the promos. Play the part of a fan. If you like what the person's sayin', cheer; if you don't, show it. But make sure you actually do listen to what's bein' said, and how the person's acting. After each person goes, we'll discuss the positives and negatives, and see how we can improve," Sara said, "And trust me…even if you've been doin' this for a while, there's _always_ somethin' you can do to improve how you act during a promo. Understand?" Everyone nodded, and Sara sat down beside Beth. "Alright, Taylor, we're ready," she said grinning.

The next hour and a half passed by quickly for Sara. Taylor's promo wasn't the best she'd ever seen, but it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. He fulfilled his objective of completely tearing apart his opponent (Sara had told him he would be facing the Undertaker, and needed to make her believe he could actually beat him), and had gotten his fellow trainees to boo him without distracting him from his goal. Mike cut his promo against Triple H, during which Sara was introduced to Mike's character, the "Miz". Sara scratched her head a few times during the time Mike was in the ring, but was thoroughly impressed with his natural abilities. John was even better, with his character of "Johnny Nitro" given to him on Smackdown. He was supposedly in a tag team match going up against Undertaker and Kane, and Sara chuckled softly throughout the young man's promo. Beth struggled through her time (attempting to cut her promo against Victoria), and Sara had stood at ringside helping her to feel a little calmer. Lex had the best promo, hands down, talking trash about Trish Stratus. The discussion times were very productive, and everyone made sure to give constructive criticism and honest opinions. When they finished up, Sara gave them 15 minutes to stretch out for their in-ring training, while she went into the bathroom to relieve her bladder. When she came back out, a man and woman were standing with the five wrestlers. Sara walked up, and the two people smiled and introduced themselves as Danny Davis and Lisa Moretti.

"I'm really glad you could come, Angel," Danny said, "These kids have been lookin' forward to this for a month." "Well, we've gotten a lot accomplished so far," Sara said smiling, "We're about to start the in-ring part o' the session." "Excellent. So, we're right on time, then," Lisa said grinning. "Where have you wrestled before?" Sara asked her. "I spent about six years in G.L.O.W., which is Glamorous Ladies of Wrestling, and another three years in WCW before Vince offered me a job as assistant head trainer here in OVW," Lisa answered, "And I've been here about four years now." "Wow…I've never met a woman who's been in the wrestling business longer than me," Sara said grinning. "Well, I only actively wrestled for nine years, so you got me beat by a few years," Lisa said with a smile. "Ah, what's a few years?" Sara said grinning. "Mike was just tellin' us about the promo practice. I think we should've come a little sooner," Danny said chuckling. "Yeah, they were all pretty decent," Sara said, "They've got a ways to go, but they're on the right track. Practice makes perfect, of course." "Do you know where Jim is?" Lisa asked. "I think he's back in his office. He came out every now and then just to see how things were goin', but he's been back there pretty much all day," she answered. "Alright. We'll be back in a few minutes," Danny said before walking away with Lisa. Sara sat down on the floor beside Mike, and said, "You ready for this?" "Yeah, definitely," he answered, "Are you gonna be in the ring with us?"

"If I think it's necessary. But I've got a houseshow tomorrow, and then a big match on Sunday, so I'm not sure just how much," Sara responded. "Are you excited about that?" Lex asked. "Yeah, it's gonna be interesting…considering the fact that it's my last pay-per-view match," Sara answered slowly. "You're retiring?" Beth asked. "Yep. I've got one last match the next night on RAW, then I'm officially done with wrestling," Sara said. "Wow. I guess we got lucky with this training session," John said quietly. "Yeah, you did. I've never done one o' these before, so I was really glad that Vince asked me. It gives me a chance to really give back, at least a little bit more, to the business, ya know," Sara said grinning, choosing to leave out the point that she'd helped to train the Tough Enough contestants the day before. "What are you gonna do, I mean, now that you're retiring?" Taylor asked. "Uh…enjoy bein' at home, for the most part. Rest up my body…I'm gonna start home-schooling my daughter in January…ya know, just…enjoy the little things in life," she responded. "How old is your daughter?" Mike asked. "She turned three in March," Sara answered grinning, "And before you even ask, yeah, she's pretty much a genius. She started reading about seven or eight months ago, and asked when she could start school not too long after that. So…I think that's gonna end up takin' up a majority of my time." "That's so cool!" Lex said smiling, "You've gotta be excited about that!" "Oh, yeah, for sure. I'm not sure how long it's gonna last, 'cause I know she'll wanna go to a real school eventually…but I'm gonna make the most of it while I can," Sara said smiling.

Dany and Lisa joined the group ten minutes later, as Sara got to her feet. "I hope you guys and girls are ready for this," Danny said grinning. "Oh, no," Mike said, "I know that look." "What's that mean?" Sara asked. "Well, Danny gets this look sometimes…means he's up to somethin'," Taylor answered, "And usually, he is." "What we're gonna do is each one o' you is gonna wrestle the other, which means you'll each wrestle four times. How long you go is Angel's decision. Whoever's not wrestling is gonna work out with me," Danny informed them. Sara chuckled as she rolled into the ring. "Lex, in," she said simply. "Guys, over to the weights," Danny said quickly. Sara rotated her neck as Lex rolled into the ring. "We're gonna start with simple bumps," Sara said, "Okay?" Lex nodded and rotated her arms, before Sara motioned for her to run towards her. For nearly 20 minutes, Sara called out several bumps to Lex, who took them easily. "Beth, in," Sara said finally. Beth took a deep breath as she climbed into the ring. "Just relax, Beth," Lisa said from outside the ring. "Yes, ma'am," Beth said. Sara grinned and did the same with Beth as she had done with Lex. There were a few times where Beth hesitated to take a bump, and Sara had to slow down the pace. "You gotta just relax, Beth," she said after the woman had taken a sloppy backdrop, "You're gonna end up hurtin' yourself for real if you don't." Beth nodded as she went to climb out of the ring. "Nah, stay in. Lex, I want you two to just go at it," Sara said, "Call the moves as quietly as you can." Lex nodded and quickly rolled into the ring as Sara climbed out and stood beside Lisa. "What do you think?" she asked softly, watching Lex and Beth lock up. "Beth…she's gonna need a lotta time," Lisa answered honestly, "When I work with her, or she's in there with Lex, she's all confidence…but when she gets in the ring with somebody she doesn't really know, she freezes up." "Yeah, I kinda noticed that when we were in Japan," Sara said quietly, "What's her prep like?" "She kinda sits off by herself…I guess she goes over the match in her head," Lisa answered.

Sara sighed heavily and rested her elbows on the apron. "She's gotta talk to people, get to know 'em…you know how it is," she said quietly. Lisa nodded as Beth executed a clean snap suplex. "Good one, Beth," Sara said. Beth got up with a smile and pulled Lex up by her hair, whipping her into the corner near Lisa and Sara. Sara watched as Beth put the other woman on the top turnbuckle, climbed up, and performed a nice headscissors takeover. "Holy shit," Sara said grinning, "You're a natural, Beth!" "Thanks, Angel," Beth said still smiling. Lex rolled her up into a schoolboy, but Beth kicked out. The women went back and forth for nearly a half an hour, before Sara finally stopped them. "Alright, Lex, go work out with the guys," Sara said climbing into the ring. "Oh, man," Beth said quietly. "Hey, you were doin' great with Lex. Don't freeze up now, okay?" Sara said supportively, "Take a few deep breaths…just imagine you're still workin' with Lex." "I try that…it doesn't work," Beth said quietly. "What makes you freeze up?" Sara asked. "I don't know. I've tried to figure it out," Beth said, "I just…can't." Sara took a deep breath and walked up to her, pushing her down without warning. It was the same thing Andy had done to her when she'd had her own issues with feeling comfortable in the ring. Beth landed correctly, but looked up at Sara with shock. "What was that for?" she asked. "You took that bump, Beth…you didn't think about it. That's what you gotta do," Sara said quietly. Beth took a deep breath and nodded slightly. "Come on," Sara said holding out her hand. Beth took it, and Sara pulled her to her feet.

Sara wrestled against Beth for nearly 20 minutes, helping the younger woman to perfect herself as so many others had done for Sara. When Beth finally got the pin over her, Sara sat up and wiped her forehead. "Good job, sweetheart," she said quietly. "Thanks," Beth said sitting back on her feet. "I'm serious…that was amazing," Sara said grinning, "For someone who gets so nervous in the ring, you turned out to be a natural." "It's just when…I'm in front of a live audience," Beth said. "That's understandable. You're gonna be nervous for your first year or so. But take it from me, it'll pass. What you gotta do is think about what kinda magic you can create with the person across the ring, ya know," Sara said. Beth nodded and sat down on the mat. "You wanna know somethin'?" Sara said softly, "I've been doin' this for over 12 years, and…I _still_ get nervous right before I go out." "Seriously?" Beth asked quietly. "Yeah, definitely. I worry all the time about whether or not I can perform well enough to entertain the fans," Sara answered, "But instead of letting that nervousness hinder me…I channel it, and use it as a motivator. It turns into adrenaline, and once I step through those ropes…it's like a high you can't explain." "Wow, that's pretty cool," Beth said. "So, instead o' focusing on how nervous you are, let that nervousness become adrenaline, and use it to your advantage. When you're excited about performing, you tend to step it up a notch. I saw that when you were in here with Lex, and even just now…so, get excited when you're in here, no matter who you're wrestling for the night," Sara concluded. "I'll definitely try," Beth said with a smile. "Oh, and another thing…Lisa told me you don't really talk to anybody before your match. Believe me, gettin' to know the people you're gonna be working with helps inside the ring, because you have more trust, and you don't have to worry about much goin' wrong," Sara added. "I actually talked to 'Taker Tuesday afternoon, just for a little bit," Beth said. "What about?" Sara asked. "Longevity in the wrestling business," Beth responded, "He's been in it so long…I felt like he was the best person to go to." Sara smiled proudly and nodded. "He's definitely a master of ring psychology," she said softly. "Your little girl was so worried when he came back and figured out about his injury," Beth said quietly. "Yeah, she worries a lot about both of us. That's why I'm glad I'll be retiring after Monday…the less stress her little mind has to deal with, the better," Sara said. After talking for a few more minutes, Sara sent Beth and Lex over to the weight area. Danny sent over Mike and Taylor, and Sara rolled out of the ring.

"Is the camera set up?" Lisa asked Mike. "Yep, we did that before we started on the weights," Mike answered. "Alright. Mike, you're gonna start first. You're gonna wrestle each guy for at least ten minutes. After each match-up, we'll review the tape, see what can be corrected or improved, and move on to the next match," Lisa informed him. Mike and Taylor nodded in understanding before starting their match. The next four hours zoomed by for Sara. Each of the guys wrestled four times, averaging a match time of 15 minutes. When six o' clock rolled around, Sara felt absolutely exhausted. She'd gotten in the ring more than she'd planned on doing, but felt great about being able to help them out. As they stretched out, Sara mentally figured out what she had to do for the next three days. _Houseshow tomorrow, pay-per-view Sunday…RAW Monday_, she thought, _I can't believe it really is only three days left…no more traveling, no more puttin' my body through punishment, no more dealing with bad attitudes…it's all over in three days_. "You okay, Angel?" Lex asked suddenly. Sara looked at her and grinned. "Yeah, I just was…goin' over my schedule for the weekend in my head," she answered, "Are you guys comin' to the show on Sunday?" "Oh, for sure. I haven't been to Seattle in a while, so I'm stoked about goin' back," Mike answered. "I'll be goin' to see my parents," Beth answered. "Oh, that's awesome. What do they think about you doin' this?" Sara said grinning. "They were shocked at first, but…they're warming up to it," Beth said smiling. "Are you on the card?" Sara asked. "Oh, no, heck no…I'm not ready for that yet," Beth answered, "But I'm hopin' to be on one by this time next year." "I'll keep an eye out for ya, then," Sara said chuckling softly. "Have you and RVD planned out your match yet?" Taylor asked. "Nah, not yet. We've thrown out some ideas, and we know the ending…but, I think we'll actually end up winging most of it," Sara answered honestly, "I wanna give the fans a good show, but at the same time, I wanna have fun with it. My last pay-per-view match, so I gotta make it memorable somehow."

The group finished stretching out over the next 20 minutes, after which they finally dispersed. Sara went back to Jim's office, knocking on the door quietly. "Yeah, come on in, Angel," Jim said knowingly. Sara grinned slightly as she entered the room and shut the door. "How'd it go?" Jim asked as she sat down in front of his desk. "It was a good day. We got a lot done, especially in the ring," Sara answered, "I think Beth's gonna do fine now. We worked a lot on her mannerisms, and just bein' relaxed in the ring. Taylor's still got a lotta improvement to make on his promos, but I'm confident he'll be alright, too. The other three were damn near perfect with everything. I'm gonna have to talk to Vince about callin' Lex up sooner than next year, too. The women's division could really use her." "Yeah, I completely agree. But you know how Vince feels about the women's division sometimes. He'll hire great wrestlers, and give it a lotta attention for a few years. Then, he'll pull a 180, and start hiring bimbos left and right, before goin' back to actually bringin' in wrestlers again," Jim responded. Sara chuckled and nodded in agreement. "I'll see what I can do," she said grinning. "Thanks again for comin', Angel. We're really gonna miss you," Jim said shaking her hand. "I'm gonna miss everybody, too…but you know I'll pop up every now and then," Sara said standing. "Of course…once the passion is there, it doesn't ever really go away," Jim said grinning, "I'll see ya Sunday, sweetheart." "Sure thing, Jim," Sara said before grabbing her belongings and leaving the building. It took her 15 minutes to get back to her hotel, and once she was in her room, she set the alarm and collapsed into bed, falling asleep almost automatically.

The next morning, the alarm rang at 7:45 exactly. Sara groaned and quickly shut the worrisome clock off. She slowly sat up and groaned slightly. Her muscles were still sore from the previous day's events. She took a few deep breaths before rolling out of the bed and stumbling into the bathroom. Turning on the shower, she stripped down and stepped into the steaming water. "Oh, God, I just wanna stay in here forever," she whispered soaking her hair. Taking more time than necessary, she washed her hair twice and lathered her body before rinsing off and stepping out of the tub. She wrapped a towel around herself and went back into the bedroom. Her phone rang as she got dressed, and she quickly answered it. "Yes, dear?" she said grinning. "Hello to you, too, baby doll," Andy said quietly. "You in Indiana already?" she asked. "Yeah, Lisa and I flew in last night," he answered. "Oh, she's still traveling with you?" she asked pulling a shirt over her head. "Yep…she's goin' back home on Wednesday, though, 'cause she starts therapy in a couple weeks. She wants to rest up as much as possible beforehand," he said quietly. "You mean sleep the day away?" Sara asked chuckling softly. "Same difference," Andy said grinning, "When do you get into town?" "I'm about to leave for the airport," she said quietly, "So I should get there in a couple hours." "You wanna meet to pick you up?" he asked. "Yeah, sure. I'll give you a call when my plane lands," she answered. "Alright, baby doll. See ya in a couple hours," Andy said. "Bye, Andy," Sara said before shutting her phone and tossing it into the front pocket of her suitcase. _Oh, man, I hope Mark's okay_, she thought suddenly. Check-out took a little longer than Sara expected, but once she was off to the airport, her mind relaxed once again.

"Flight 1345 is now making its decent into Evansville, Indiana. We thank you for flying Southwest Airlines. Enjoy your stay, and join us again soon." The flight attendant's voice brought Sara from her sleep, and she stretched her arms, yawning quietly. She was happy to be seeing Andy and Lisa again; being around the Tough Enough kids and OVW wrestlers had been fun, but Sara had longed to be back around her friends and fellow co-workers. When she walked out of her terminal, Andy was already there waiting for her. She smiled as he pulled her into a tight hug. "Have fun with the kiddies?" he asked grinning. "Yeah, actually. It was…energizing, in a way, 'cause I remember when I was in their shoes," she answered quietly, "Where's Lisa?" "Where else? Bed," he said grinning, "She's gonna take a cab to the arena later this afternoon. She didn't wanna get outta bed before noon." "Of course," Sara said grinning. They retrieved her luggage before heading out to the car. "Have you talked to Mark yet?" he asked as he pulled into the morning traffic. "Nah, I figured I'd wait 'til after I've gotten business outta the way. Plus, he had surgery last night, so I know he's not gonna be feelin' too good," she said quietly. "What! Why'd he have surgery?" Andy asked in shock. "You didn't know?" she asked. "Obviously not," Andy said, "What happened?" "He tore his bicep Tuesday night," Sara answered, "He's gonna be out for probably…four months, maybe more." "Oh, man…where's Melissa?" Andy said. "Dany's takin' good care of her. But she's worried about her dad," Sara answered. "Rightfully so. Have you talked to her yet?" Andy said quietly. "Nope…I was so busy yesterday and Thursday…I just didn't have time to call her," Sara said, "But I'm sure I'll talk to her today…I'm gonna make time to talk to her." "Good," Andy said, "McDonald's okay for breakfast?" "Yeah…," Sara said quietly, her thoughts turning to Mark being in the hospital. "Don't worry, darlin'…I'm sure everything went fine," Andy said knowingly. "Yeah, I know…if it hadn't, Dany would've called by now," Sara said before pulling out her phone. "What are you doin'?" Andy asked. "Checkin' to see if she did call," Sara said grinning slightly.

After a quick breakfast, Andy drove straight to the arena. Sara's cell phone rang as he parked the car, and she quickly answered it. "You're up early," she said softly. Mark chuckled and said, "Yeah…" "How'd it go?" Sara asked climbing out of the car. "It went perfect…the doctor said that…with some real intense rehab, I could be back in three or four months," Mark answered happily, "So a Wrestlemania return is actually possible." "Good," Sara said quietly, "Are you gonna be able to come tomorrow?" "I'm here until tomorrow morning, just to make sure I don't have an infection or anything…but Dany's already booked our flight for tomorrow, so…come hell or high water, I'll be there, dollface," Mark said softly. Sara smiled as Andy handed over her duffel bag, and said, "That just made my day, baby." "I got somebody who wants to talk to ya," Mark said quietly. "Mama…I miss you," Melissa said moments later, tiredness apparent in her voice. "Oh, munchkin, I miss you, too," Sara said following Andy inside, "But I'll be seein' you tomorrow." "I know…the doctor fixed daddy's arm last night," Melissa said quietly. "Yeah, he just told me…are you feelin' okay?" Sara said as she mindlessly walked down the hall. "I'm tired, mama…I stayed up late last night, to…make sure daddy was okay," Melissa answered before yawning. "Well, you should catch up on your sleep, then, baby," Sara said grinning. "I will, mama…here's daddy," Melissa said yawning once more. Sara grinned as she found her dressing room, stepping inside and dropping her bag. "So, how was OVW?" Mark asked quietly. "It was a blast, Mark, even better than L.A. The group I got to train…they were all so great. There was one chick, though, who just had the nastiest attitude…I kicked her out o' the building before we'd even got to warm-up," Sara said, remembering her little spat with Kristen, "Other than her…the others were so willing to learn. It kinda made me feel like…I might actually be a good wrestling trainer in the future." Mark chuckled softly, caressing Melissa's back as she slept beside him. "I guess we'll see about that, dollface," he said softly. "Alright, well, I gotta get to work…I'll call you tonight, okay?" she said softly. "That a promise?" Mark asked grinning. "You better believe it," she whispered in return. "I'll look forward to it. Have a good day, okay, babe?" he said quietly. "Will do, darlin'…bye," Sara said softly. Mark said the same, and Sara ended the call, dropping down on the small couch. It was only 9:30 a.m., and she wanted to get a little bit more sleep before starting her day. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

A couple hours later, Sara awoke suddenly, springing up from the couch. She rubbed her hands over her face, answering the door which was being pounded on. "What?" she said to Rob. "You sleepin' on the job?" he asked grinning. "I think I've earned it," she said grinning as well. "Just thought I'd let you know we've got a match tonight," Rob said leaning against the doorway, "No-DQ." "Preview for tomorrow night?" she asked. "That's what Vince wants…not too hardcore, just enough to leave 'em wondering what's gonna happen tomorrow," he answered. Sara took a deep breath and nodded slightly. "Alright…I gotta get a workout in, and lunch…you wanna meet up in an hour?" she said. "Works for me," Rob said, "And I'll keep it on the down low that you were sleepin' on the job." Sara smacked his head playfully and chuckled. "You're a bully, you know," he said rubbing the spot she'd hit. "Yeah…but it's so much fun," she said grinning. "Yeah, yeah…see ya," he said before walking away. Sara shut the door quietly and let out a yawn. "Alright, Sara…two more days, that's it…just two more days," she said to herself, changing into a pair of running shorts and a t-shirt before heading down to the arena's small gym. She stretched out her tired muscles, before stepping onto one of the empty treadmills. Setting the time for 30 minutes, she took a few deep breaths before stepping fully onto the machine. Paul walked in as she was halfway done. "Hey, you," Paul said coming over to her, "Enjoy L.A. and Kentucky?" "Yeah, it was…a blast," Sara said, focusing on keeping her breathing fairly even, "The kids were…all pretty enthusiastic. I'll be surprised if the kids who…don't win that competition in L.A…don't get developmental deals. With some hard work…and time spent training hard in O.V.W., they…could all be successful."

"Excellent deal…let me guess, Maven and Shannon are the top two choices?" he said grinning. "How'd you know?" she asked grinning. "When I was there, they took the most initiative out o' the group. Even after my little spiel, they still came up to me askin' questions about life on the road, and askin' for advice in adjusting to it. When we practiced in the ring, they were the ones who were constantly lookin' for feedback from me as well as the other trainers," he answered, "Some people just have it, ya know…those two stood out to me." "Yeah, same here," she said grinning, "I actually have met Shannon on several occasions…before L.A….and I knew she had a passion for the business…but I never knew she wanted to be a wrestler. So, I'm kinda hopin' she wins. People like her and Maven are the future, for sure." "Who were the other three that were left?" he asked. "Uh, Jamie…the long, black-haired girl….Josh, the really skinny kid…and Greg, big muscular guy, short black hair, nice smile," Sara answered. "Wow, Josh made it? That's a shock. I'd have thought he would've been cut by now," Paul said. "How come?" she asked. "His size," Paul answered bluntly. "Not everybody can be 6'5" and 300 pounds, Paul," Sara said grinning, "Besides, he's a natural bumper…knowing Vince, though, if Josh doesn't win, he'll end up with a contract as a backstage interviewer. I mean, he's knowledgeable enough, and I think the fans will connect with him just because he _is_ the underdog." "Ah, the fans don't know what they want," Paul said grinning as well. Sara laughed and asked, "And, of course, you know what's best for them?" "Absolutely," Paul answered arrogantly. Sara rolled her eyes and shook her head. "What the hell does Stephanie see in you?" she asked smirking. "Good question," he said smiling, "I'll let ya get back to your workout." "Alright, Paul, see ya around," Sara said waving slightly.

After her run, Sara went back down to her dressing room and quickly showered. She dressed in her outfit for the night (simple black shorts with her symbol on the back, and a black velvet halter top), and slipped on a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt over it. She ran into Rob on her way to the room designated for lunch. "So you have a good week?" he asked. "Yeah…training sessions over in L.A., and at OVW," she answered. "What's in L.A.?" he asked, "They got another training center up?" "Nah, some show for MTV, wannabes tryin' to be wrestlers…but the final five are actually pretty good for havin' only been wrestling for seven weeks," Sara answered. "When did they start that up?" Rob asked. "It's one o' Vince's ideas," she said quietly, "It's called Tough Enough…they bring in 13 people, train 'em for nine weeks, cutting people as they go along. The two winners get developmental deals." "Wow…the lucky bastards," he said quietly. "Yeah, no kiddin'," Sara said grinning, "But they're pretty humble, the last five. If you want, I'll introduce you to 'em tomorrow." "Oh, they're comin' on the road?" he asked. "Yeah, startin' tomorrow, and they're goin' to RAW tomorrow, and Smackdown Tuesday," she answered, "And I think they're goin' to some shows next week, too." "Wow…they really are lucky," he said grinning. Sara smiled slightly and nodded. They arrived at the catering room, grabbing their food quickly before taking a seat at one of the back tables. "So, what do you wanna do tonight?" Rob asked as Sara put a piece of chicken into her mouth. Sara swallowed the morsel before shrugging. "I don't wanna do too much, 'cause I wrestled my ass off in L.A. and OVW, so I'm a little beat. I wanna save as much energy for tomorrow as possible," she answered. "Well, you can just bit the holy hell outta me, if you want," he said grinning. "I'm gonna do that tomorrow anyway," she said winking at him. Rob chuckled as he began to eat from his own plate. "I figured we can just keep it to a minimum level of violence. Who's gonna win?" she said. "You," Rob said simply, his attention beginning to focus on the food in front of him. Sara chuckled and followed suit, since her own stomach was grumbling for attention.

After lunch, the two people went down to the ring, to work out details for their match that night. "Well, let's see what we got under here," Rob said pulling back the ring siding with a smile. Sara shook her head slightly as Rob giggled stupidly. "Trash cans, kendo sticks, ooh…a sledge hammer," Rob said grinning. "I think Paul might have a problem with you stealing his trademark," she said leaning against the barrier. "Eh…yeah, I suppose you're right," Rob said looking back under the ring, "We got a bunch o' steel chairs…a tool box…what the hell…" Sara watched him scramble from under the ring, then burst into laughter. Rob held a small Frankenstein doll with a ripped WWF t-shirt on it. "Holy shit, that's hilarious!" she exclaimed. "Where the hell did this come from!" Rob asked. "No clue…but we definitely gotta use it!" Sara said still laughing. "Sure thing," Rob said tossing the item back under the ring. "So, okay…what's the time limit?" she asked. "30 minutes," Rob answered. "Alright, we'll go 20," Sara said, "We'll wrestle for the most part, but incorporate whatever's under the ring throughout it." "Alright, what kinda wrestling?" Rob asked. "Brawling, submission, technical…a little bit o' everything," she answered. Rob rolled into the ring, and Sara followed suit. They spent nearly a half an hour working out different spots, with the help of a couple of the road agents that were at ringside. When they finally wrapped up, Sara dropped out of the ring. The show started in a few hours, and she wanted to relax until then. Remembering that she needed to talk to Vince about Kristen, she headed towards his designated office.

Knocking on the door, she took a deep breath before entering. "Hey, Sara…I just finished talkin' to Jim about yesterday," Vince said. Sara grinned and sat down on the small black couch. "Yeah, it was definitely a lotta fun," she said. "I suppose you wanna talk about what happened with Passion," he said grinning slightly. "Jim give you the rundown?" she asked. "Yeah, the basics of it," he answered, "So, what happened?" "Well, the one girl, Kristen…or Passion, as she calls herself, just got real snotty with me. She was rude, and stuck-up, and I didn't feel like she deserved to be there. The way she talked to me, Vince…it was like she thought that she was better than me. You know me, and you know I don't like to be disrespected by anyone, let alone some youngster like that," she said honestly, "So…I kicked her out. Told her to pack her shit and leave." "Hmm…what'd Jim say?" he asked. "He thought it was a good decision, and that he would've done it himself if she'd given him any shit," Sara answered. "So you didn't get to see her in the ring?" he asked. "Nope…and to be honest, after seein' what kinda attitude she had, I didn't want to," she said, "I'd like to think that you trust my judgment when it comes to picking out talent, considering you actually allowed me to pick who I wanted to drop the title to, so…I'm just gonna come right out and say it: she doesn't belong in OVW." "Jim's been tellin' me that for the past three years," Vince said grinning slightly, "But since I've only heard about it, I don't really wanna let her go just yet. And I've seen video footage of her in the ring…she's pretty damn good." "So you're just gonna let her attitude slide?" Sara asked, slightly taken aback. "I'm gonna bring her and Lex up next month, give 'em both a couple o' dark matches with each other for a while…if I see that she's not acting like I think she should be, then I'll let her go," Vince answered simply. Sara sighed and shrugged. "Your company," she said grinning slightly. "Glad you realized that," he said smiling, "How was L.A.?"

"The kids were great. All of 'em were so passionate about what they were doin'. I mean, yeah, they made their mistakes, but…for only seven weeks o' training, they're well beyond what I thought they would or should be," Sara said grinning. "Well, Al and the others have been pushing them as much as possible. No pun intended, but we wanna make sure they are tough enough to be in this business," Vince said. "Well, they've definitely got a good basic understanding of the wrestling part. A couple of 'em could use help expressing themselves in the ring, but…we had a good time," she said. "Good. Are you ready for tomorrow night?" he said quietly. Sara took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. "I'm not sure yet…bein' in OVW kinda…made me wanna stick around for a little while longer, even if I was just a road agent. But then again…I just wanna be home for a while, ya know," she answered, "I know that Rob and I are gonna put on a great match…I just…I'm hesitant to leave it all." "That's understandable. I remember how hard it was, years ago, for Austin to let this all go. He doubted his decision to retire up until the day o' his last match…but once he came back through the curtains after he was done, he told me the first real emotion he felt after that bell had rung…was relief," Vince said quietly, "So, don't think that what you're feelin' is unnatural, because it's not." Sara nodded slightly and ran her fingers through her hair. "How's Mark?" he asked. "He's good. The surgery went well, and he said that…with some intensive rehab, he could be back by Wrestlemania," Sara answered. "Good…I couldn't believe it when he came back through the curtain and said he'd torn his bicep. He was wrestling in the ring like nothin' was wrong," he said. "Yeah…that's Mark for ya, though," she said quietly. "Of course. Is he gonna be here tomorrow?" Vince said. "Yeah…he gets outta the hospital in the morning, but he said he's gonna be here before the show starts," she answered. "Good. So you're okay, then?" he said. "Yeah, I'm good," Sara said grinning slightly. "Alright, then. I'll see ya around, okay?" Vince said. Sara took that as her cue to go, and stood from her seat. "See ya, Vince," she said leaving the room.

The houseshow went extremely well; the building was sold out, and the ticket windows even had to turn people away. Sara sat near the curtain for the duration of the show, watching her co-workers do what they did best. She and Rob even had an exceptional match, utilizing everything they'd found earlier under the ring, including the Frankenstein doll. When she came back through the curtain afterwards, she rubbed her head and groaned slightly. She'd taken a few trashcan shots, and now felt a headache beginning to course through her brain. "You okay, Angel?" Rob asked after coming through the curtains afterwards. "Yeah, I'm good, just a headache," Sara answered, "That was fun, though. I loved your little dance with Frankenstein." Rob chuckled and shrugged. "You said we had to use it," he commented. "Yeah, as a weapon, not as a partner," Sara said smiling. "Are you leavin' for Seattle tonight?" he asked. "Yeah, I wanna get there and get a good night's sleep," she answered. "Yeah, same here," Rob said. "Is Sonya coming?" she asked. "Of course. My first World title win, so she said she wants to be there," he answered. Sara smiled and said, "I know how that goes…" "Alright, I'll see ya tomorrow, Angel," Rob said as they came up to her dressing room. Sara nodded and entered the room, smiling at the sight of a dozing Andy. "What are you doin' asleep?" she said hitting his leg, "It's only eight o' clock." "Been a long day," Andy said, not opening his eyes.

Sara grinned and grabbed a towel from her duffel bag, as well as jeans and a long-sleeved WWF t-shirt. "I'll be out in 20," she said before going into the bathroom. Andy grunted softly and shifted slightly on the couch. Sara took a quick shower, getting dressed before going back into the room. "Come on, buddy, time to go," she said packing her bag. "Yes, mama," Andy said with a grin. Sara smirked and shouldered her duffel bag as Andy stood from the couch. "You ready for tomorrow?" he asked picking up his own bag. "Everybody's askin' me that," she said grinning. "Well, it's a popular topic among the boys. One of our own is gettin' ready to retire. We're kinda wonderin' how you're doin'," he said opening the door for her. "It's gonna be hard to sleep tonight," Sara said honestly, "I'm nervous, I'm excited, I'm depressed…a little bit o' everything." "Understandable. Mark and Melissa are comin' tomorrow, right?" he asked. "Yep. He says his flight is tomorrow morning, so he should get to the arena sometime in the afternoon," she said as they headed out of the building, "That reminds me, I have to call him." "I take it he's ready to be outta there, then," he said grinning. Sara chuckled softly and nodded. "That's an understatement. You know how much he hates hospitals," she responded. "Oh, yeah, forgot about that," he said as they dropped their belongings in the trunk of their vehicle. "I'll just be glad to see him again. I missed him this week," she said quietly. Andy nodded and closed the trunk as Sara climbed into the passenger seat. "You sure you're okay to drive?" Sara said as he climbed into the driver's side, "You looked really tired." "I was just takin' a nap, baby doll. I'm fine," he said grinning. "Alright," Sara said smiling. "Besides, it's not that far a drive, and I can get back to sleep on the plane," he added. Sara nodded and leaned her head back against her seat, starting to mentally prepare herself for the next day.


	119. Survival of the Fittest

**So...second to last chapter here. It's by far the longest chapter I've written so far...33 pages in Word. I won't say it took on a life of its own, because it didn't. I just didn't want it to end. LOL I procrastinated like a mofo typin' up this bad boy...but it's a good, substantial chapter. I don't think I've gone into this much detail in a while, so I know you guys will enjoy it. :) Remember, read and review!**

**Shannon**

**P.S. I'd like some good reviews/comments/advice, 'cuz I'm not quite sure how I want the last chapter/epilogue to go. So, if you want to have some say-so, just post your thoughts in a review/e-mail me.

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Chapter 118…Survival of the Fittest

When the plane landed in Seattle, Sara took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair roughly. "You okay?" Andy asked from beside her. "Yeah, just…gettin' antsy," she answered quietly. Andy rubbed her shoulders gently and said, "Everything's gonna be fine, sweetheart." "I know, Andy, I'm just…it's hard to describe," she said quietly. "Don't even worry about it," he said softly. "I don't know how I'm gonna sleep tonight," she said softly. "Just don't toss and turn. I need my beauty sleep," Andy said grinning. Sara smiled and chuckled softly. "You're retarded," she whispered. "Yeah, but you love me," he said squeezing her shoulders. "Yeah…I'm gonna miss you, Andy," she said quietly. "Oh, so you just forgot about that convenient little invention called the telephone?" he asked, his jaw hanging open. "Of course not, but you know what I mean," she said elbowing his stomach gently. "Yeah, I know, baby doll. I'm gonna miss seein' you four days a week, too," he said grinning. The plane slowly eased to a stop, and Sara took another deep breath. _I'll call Mark once I get to the hotel_, she thought as she and Andy exited. "You wanna grab dinner?" Andy asked after he'd gotten the keys to their rental car. "Yeah, I'm starving," Sara answered pulling her bags behind her. "Where to?" he asked. "Surprise me," Sara said with a grin. Andy stopped at a small deli, where they both picked up small subs and drinks, before heading to their hotel. Once inside, Sara dropped her luggage by the bed, grabbed her cell phone and went out onto the balcony. It took her a moment to find the number she'd dialed to reach Mark, but once she did, she sat down in one of the plastic chairs.

"Hello," Mark answered moments later. "Hey, darlin'," Sara said quietly. "It's good to hear your voice," Mark said softly, "How was your day?" "It was good…I could kinda…feel the closure comin', ya know," she answered looking into the darkened sky. "Yeah…who'd you wrestle? Rob?" he asked. "Yeah, no-DQ. We had a lotta fun…a lot more fun than we should have," she said chuckling, "It was memorable." "That's a good thing, right?" Mark said grinning. "Yeah, of course. I think Rob's now more excited about tomorrow than I am. He's even bringing his wife in to watch the show," she said quietly. "It's gonna be an unforgettable night for him," he said quietly. "Yeah…God, Mark, I can't believe it's gonna be all over in 48 hours," she said softly, "I'm so…confused right now." "What do you mean, baby?" he asked. "I wanna keep doin' this, Mark…I wanna keep performing…but without all the hassles," she said grinning. "Can't have your cake and eat it, too, dollface," he said quietly. "I know, I know…but I wish I could," she said, "I think I'll feel better once I go home Tuesday morning." "Don't you mean once _we_ go home?" he said grinning. Sara chuckled and sighed contently. "I still can't believe you tore your freakin' bicep," she said quietly. "Yeah, me, either. But seein' as how I get to spend four months with you and the munchkin, no interruptions…it's worth it," he responded. "Of course," she said grinning, "How is she?" "Tired. She's been sleeping off and on all day. I think she's resting up for tomorrow," he said quietly. "What time is your flight?" she asked. "12:30 local time, so I'll be to Seattle around noon their local time," he answered. "That's one thing I won't miss," Sara interjected. "What's that?" he asked. "Time zones," she said smiling. Mark chuckled and said, "Yeah…it'll be nice to only have one clock to deal with for a while."

After talking for nearly an hour, Sara finally decided she should get to her dinner. "I'll see ya tomorrow, okay?" Mark said quietly. "I'm lookin' forward to it more than you'll ever know," she whispered. "I love you, dollface," he whispered. "I love you, too, Mark…always," she said softly. "And forever," Mark completed, "Bye, babe." "Bye," Sara said softly. She waited for Mark to hang up before ending the call on her phone and going back into the room. Andy was stretched out on the bed, flipping through the television stations. "I'm bored," he said as she pulled her sub out of the bag on the table. "I can tell," she said grinning, "Mark's gettin' into town tomorrow around noon." "Good. Lisa decided to fly in tomorrow, too," Andy said, "Her knee was really bothering her, and she didn't wanna irritate it by bein' stuck on a plane." "Gotcha," Sara said biting into the sub, "Oh, man, I've been lookin' forward to this." Andy glanced at her and grinned. "It's not goin' anywhere, Sara," he said quietly. Sara glared playfully at him before turning her focus back to eating. She ended up only eating half of the sub before sitting back in her seat. "All full now?" Andy asked grinning. "Yeah…besides, it's late, so I shouldn't eat too much," she said wrapping the sandwich up and putting it in the small refrigerator by the dresser. She went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth, then came back into the room. "You gonna go to sleep now?" Andy asked turning the volume down on the television. Sara chuckled and shook her head, slipping on a jacket. "I won't be goin' to bed for a while, buddy," she said quietly. "Where ya goin'?" he asked. "Just out on the balcony…," she answered. Andy watched as she opened the sliding door, then turned his attention back to the television, watching the Seattle Supersonics face off against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Sara slowly sat down in one of the plastic chairs, propping her feet up on the banister in front of her. She looked out into the light-filled city, smiling slightly. _Wonder how many of 'em are goin' to the show tomorrow_, she thought sighing, _They're definitely in for a treat_. "Mom…if you're listening…I hope you're proud o' me….I could never have done any o' this without you. I miss you so much, and I wish you could be here to see me," she whispered looking up into the sky, tears coming to her eyes, "I love you so much, mom…not a day goes by where I don't think o' you. I look at Melissa, and I see you. I look at myself in the mirror…and I see you, ma. I hope heaven's treatin' you right…I don't wanna have to come up there and set things straight." Sara felt a tear slip down her right cheek, and she looked down at her hands. "I still can't believe you've been gone for four months…seems like just yesterday, I was bringin' Mark to meet you," she said softly, "I remember…the look in your eyes when you saw him…like you knew somethin' about him that…I didn't. All I know is that…you never looked at Roddy the way you looked at Mark. I never realized it until now…you knew Mark was the one for me…" She sniffled slightly, wiping away the stray tears that had fallen from the corners of her eyes. "And I remember…the way you looked at me…the day o' my first match…like you knew I'd really found my calling in life. It's funny, 'cause…everyday, I think about…what if I hadn't married Roddy…what if I'd stayed up in Virginia like I was planning to…things would be so different right now," she continued, "But thanks to you…I came back home…and life never really was the same after I graduated college. I never told you this enough, mom…thank you…you've influenced me every single day o' my life…I could never have given back to you…what you gave to me…I love you, mom."

The wind blew suddenly through Sara's hair, and she felt her mom's presence surrounding her. Sara's bottom lip trembled slightly, and she let out a slow breath. _I'm very proud of you, Sara…you're the daughter I'd hoped to raise…and I'm always listening, baby…whenever you need me, just call for me and I'll be there_. The wind stilled, and a smile slowly came to Sara's face. "Thanks, ma," she whispered before slowly standing. She wiped her cheeks dry, and took a few deep breaths before going back into the room. Andy was already fast asleep, the television only offering background noise. Sara went into the bathroom and washed her face, brushing her teeth once more, before coming back into the room. She slipped off her jacket, and tossed it onto her suitcase. _Tomorrow's the day_, she thought carefully climbing into the bed behind Andy. Andy shifted slightly, putting his right arm under her head. Sara grinned slightly as she snuggled closer to him, reaching for the remote. "What're you doin'?" Andy asked softly, a grin playing at his lips. "Changing the channel," she answered. "Who won?" he asked quietly. "No clue," Sara said continuing to reach for the remote in Andy's outreached hand. "Let's find out," Andy said switching to ESPN. Sara rolled her eyes and chuckled. "You're as bad as Mark," she said quietly. "I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or not," Andy said rubbing her back gently. "Eh, in this case…probably not," she said smiling slightly. "I'll remember that one, baby doll," he said softly. "So, who won?" she asked. Andy searched the bottom of the screen for nearly ten minutes before saying, "The 76ers." "Great. Can I watch TV now?" she asked. "Fine," Andy said handing over the remote. "Thanks, dad," Sara said sarcastically, flipping through several movie stations. "You're welcome, darlin'," Andy said putting his left arm over his eyes. Sara only watched the television for about 15 minutes, before turning it off and tossing the remote on the nightstand. "Goodnight, Sara," Andy said quietly. Sara grinned and whispered, "Night, Andy." Sleep came to Sara sooner than she thought it would.

The next morning, Sara was awake bright and early at seven a.m. She didn't have to be up until nine, but once her eyes opened, she knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. She slowly moved from the bed, and slipped on her jacket and shoes, going out onto the balcony. The sun shone brightly against a partly cloudy sky, and the wind had a chill to it. Sara leaned forward against the banister, rubbing her hands together to warm them. _It's here…it's finally here…my last pay-per-view_, she thought somewhat somberly. She took a deep breath and sat down in the seat she'd been in the night before, rubbing her arms roughly. She leaned forward and clasped her hands together, resting her chin on them with her eyes focused on the bright morning sky. "God…thank you for everything. Thank you so much for the blessings that you have given me. Thank you for my husband…for my daughter…for my wrestling career, and the friends I've made the past 12 years. Thank you for the time I had with my mother, for the memories I was able to make with her, especially in her last days. I feel more blessed now…than I ever have, and I know it's all because of you. I pray that Mark can get into town safely, and that he really is okay from his surgery. I pray for the safety of my co-workers, that no one gets injured tonight, because I know how much they all love what they do, and how much they risk in performing each and every night. I ask thee to help Lisa heal up as soon as she can, so that she can get back to doing what she loves," she whispered, "I pray for my own safety, Father…in that I can give my all tonight, and not come out of that match with any serious injuries. Again, I'm so grateful for what I've been able to do with the WWF, for what I've been able to learn and grow from, for all the experiences I've had because of that company…good and bad. Help me to realize your influence over me, God, to know that you are there by my side wherever I go, whether it's in an arena, or traveling across the country, or sitting at home with Melissa. I'm ever grateful that you are there for me, and I want you to know that more than ever. I say these things in name of thy Son, Jesus Christ…Amen."

After her short prayer, Sara stood and went back into the room, grabbing her key card before leaving the room as quietly as possible. The streets were practically empty, except for a few cars here and there, and Sara enjoyed the serenity of it all. She walked around the downtown area for nearly an hour, glancing into shop windows and observing passersby, before finally heading back to the hotel around 8:00. When she entered her room, Andy was sitting up in the bed, eyeing the door. "You scared the shit outta me," he said quietly. "Why?" she asked grinning, shutting the door behind her. "You just…up and disappeared," he said crossing his arms. "You sure you're not turnin' into Mark?" she asked kicking her shoes off. Andy took a deep breath, and despite himself, a grin came to his face. "I'm sorry, Andy, I just…wanted to walk around for a bit before we headed off to the arena. "Don't even worry about it. I know you can take care o' yourself," he said, "Good walk?" "Yeah…it was pretty quiet, considering how early it is," she answered, "But it was relaxing." She sat down beside him, running her fingers through her hair and sighing. "I can't believe this day is finally here, Andy," she said softly. Andy grinned and rubbed her neck gently, whispering, "You and me both, sweetheart." Tears came to Sara's eyes, and her head dropped forward. Andy wrapped his arms around her comfortingly, and Sara covered her eyes. "I don't wanna leave, Andy," she whispered, "I really don't…I love this too much." "I know ya do, sweetheart. But remember…you've got Mark and Melissa to take care of now," he whispered in return, "They're gonna take up whatever extra energy you might have from…not wrestling anymore." Sara nodded in understanding, sniffling softly. "I wonder if Vince still has that renewal contract," she said softly, a smile playing at her lips. Andy chuckled and nodded slightly. "I'm sure he does…waitin' for you to come to him sayin' you'll stay on for a few extra years," he said quietly. "Nah, I can't do that…it's not fair to Mark and Melissa," she said softly, wiping away the tears that had fallen. "You wanna take a shower first?" he asked. "No…I just wanna lay here for a while," she said softly. "Alright…I'll try and save you some hot water," he said moving from the bed. Sara chuckled and lied back on the bed, covering her eyes with her left arm.

A half an hour later, Andy exited the bathroom, dressed in a pair of sweatpants and WWF t-shirt. Sara was curled up on the bed, fast asleep and snoring softly. Andy grinned and packed up his dirty clothes, turning on the television and putting it at a soft volume. Around 9:00, Sara finally stirred. She rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up, rotating her neck as she did. "Better?" Andy asked quietly, looking at her over his left shoulder. "A little…," Sara whispered. "We don't have to be at the arena until 10:00, so if you wanna sleep a little longer…," he said grinning. "No, I'm okay…I should take a shower anyway, so we can grab somethin' to eat before we head to the arena," she responded. "Okay, baby doll," Andy said quietly, his eyes wandering back to the television screen, "I've counted four commercials for Survivor Series so far." Sara grinned slightly and moved from the bed, pulling out a pair of sweatpants, and a long-sleeved t-shirt. "I guess Seattle's excited about it. I saw a couple o' buses with ads on the side when I walked around earlier," she said quietly. "They've got reason to be excited," he said grinning, "I'm on the card." Sara chuckled as she headed into the bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind her. She took a thorough shower, shaving away excess hairs and shampooing her hair twice, going so far as to deep condition it while she scrubbed her body. Andy knocked on the door as she stepped out of the tub. "Hurry up in there, will ya!" he said loudly. Sara smiled and wiped away the steam from the mirror. "We're not gonna have time for breakfast now!" Andy whined through the door. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Andy," Sara said staring at her reflection, smiling slightly. "I'm wearing boxers, thank you very much!" Andy said back.

Sara wrapped a towel around herself and swung open the door, but stepping back as Andy stumbled in. "You shouldn't lean against doors, Andy," she said as he tried to compose himself. "You shouldn't take a half an hour in the shower," he said grinning. Sara smiled and shrugged, moving into the room to her suitcase. "You're in a good mood," he said smiling. "Yeah…I am," she said softly, pulling out her brush, a pair of sweatpants, and another t-shirt before going back into the bathroom. "Don't take too long, or we're gonna be late," Andy said as she shut the door. "Yes, dad," Sara said laughing. She brushed her hair smooth before slipping on the clothes she'd brought with her. When she opened the door again, Andy was standing with his arms crossed, his foot tapping impatiently. "Oh, stop it," Sara said grinning. "Are you ready now?" he asked. Sara packed up her dirty clothes and stood, brushing her hands off on her sweatpants. "Yes, dad," she said sarcastically. "Stop callin' me that," he said grinning. "Why? It's so much fun," she said with a grin of her own. "Yeah, yeah, come on," he said, "You're gonna make us late." Sara slipped on her jacket and tennis shoes, following Andy out of the room with her luggage in tow. She checked them out of the room, then quickly dashed after Andy, who'd already gotten to the car. "Someone's in a rush," she said throwing her bags into the backseat, and scooting into the passenger seat, "Just don't get us killed. I got a kick-ass match to wrestle tonight." Andy chuckled and pulled away from the hotel.

Sara spent the ride staring out the window, her mind beginning to work out several sequences she wanted to try in her match that night. Andy tapped her shoulder as they pulled up to the KeyArena, pointing to the thousands of screaming fans. Sara smiled at the sight of several posters adorning her name, wishing her luck in her match with Rob. "That's way too many people to sign autographs for," Andy said grinning. "I wasn't even thinkin' that," she said. "Yeah, but you know you want to," he responded. "That's besides the point," she said chuckling. Andy parked the car, and Sara climbed out, smiling broadly when the fans erupted in cheers. She grabbed her duffel bag from the backseat, and headed into the building. When she entered, she could feel the excitement in the air for the night's pay-per-view. It was the fourth, and last, co-branded televised show of the year, and everyone always stepped up their game even more when performing on one of the big pay-per-views. She and Andy walked down the halls, waving to several people in passing, and found her dressing room. "I'm gonna go see if Bennie's here yet, okay?" Andy said as she opened the door. "Alright," Sara said before entering the room. She dropped her bag by the door, kicking the door shut. She sat down on the couch, and rested her elbows on her knees. The silence of the room overcame her, and she had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself. _It's just another day, Sara…_, she thought before scoffing, _Not just another day…only one o' the most important days in your career, darlin'. Your last pay-per-view match. You better make it worth it. You don't have another shot to leave that last impression_.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and Sara slowly stood from the couch. She tucked her hair behind her ears before opening the door. "Morning, Angel," Stephanie said with a smile. Sara smiled slightly and leaned against the doorway. "Morning, Steph. Let me guess, Vince needs to see me," she said. "Actually, no. I wanted to talk to you real quick," Stephanie answered. "Oh, yeah, sorry. Come on in," Sara said stepping to the side. Stephanie smiled and moved into the room, Sara shutting the door behind her. "Have a seat," Sara said motioning towards the couch, sitting down as well, "What's up?" "Well, I just wanted to…be the first to…say thank you," Stephanie said quietly. "For what?" Sara asked smiling. "For all you've done for my dad over the past 12 years. You've given so much for this company, and…I don't know that…we would be the same without you," Stephanie answered, "Oh, God, I promised myself I wouldn't cry…" Sara smiled and said, "Don't cry, sweetheart. We all have to give it up eventually." "I know, I know…you've been here so long, though, I just…grew used to you bein' around. Did you cry yet?" Stephanie said quietly. Sara chuckled softly and nodded. "This morning, actually. I kept tellin' myself I was makin' a bad decision in leaving…that it wasn't my time yet," she answered honestly, "I tried to reason that…maybe I could give just a few more years, maybe make it an even 15, ya know. But…then Mark's face popped into my mind, and Melissa's, too…and I knew right then and there that I _was_ making the right decision." "How's he doin', by the way?" Stephanie asked. "He's good. He's actually comin' into town in a few hours," Sara said smiling slightly, "I can't wait to see him." "I'm sure. He scared the hell outta me Tuesday night when he came back through the curtain…it was just…not pretty," Stephanie said. "I can imagine…but he said the surgery went perfectly, and he should be back in a few months, hopefully in time for Wrestlemania," Sara commented.

"Good, good. And Melissa?" Stephanie said. "She's excited about tonight…I still haven't decided if I want her to watch the match. I mean, I know it's gonna be brutal, but…she didn't watch last month, and I know she really wants to see my last pay-per-view match, so…I'm weighing the options right now," Sara responded. "So you're ready for tonight, then?" Stephanie asked. Sara sat back on the couch, leaning her head back. "Yeah, in some ways…but it's like, I know that…once it's over, it's over, ya know. I'm just afraid that…I won't give the fans their money's worth, and I really want to," she said quietly. "Ah, don't worry about that. I haven't seen you in a bad match in a while," Stephanie said grinning. "Remember the second day in Japan?" Sara asked grinning. "Well, you were sick…," Stephanie responded. "No excuse…," Sara said quietly. "Yeah, I know. But you know dad…he gives you a little bit more leeway than other people," Stephanie said with a smile. "I'm gonna miss that crazy bastard…I really am," Sara said slowly, "He really was…a father to me…" Tears came to her eyes, and she tried to blink them away. "Don't worry…you're gonna be missed around here," Stephanie said touching her hand. Sara leaned forward and covered her face with her hands. "I don't wanna leave, Steph…my mind is screaming at me not to go yet," she said softly. Stephanie sighed and reached into her jacket, pulling out a packet of papers. "Here," she said quietly. "What's this?" Sara asked taking the papers. Her jaw dropped when she saw the words "Renewal Contract" at the top of the cover sheet. "Steph…," she whispered.

"I wasn't gonna give it to you…but you know my dad," Stephanie said softly. Sara's bottom lip trembled, and she felt the tears escape. "I don't want you to feel pressured at all…it's just a last ditch effort from my dad," Stephanie added, "If you don't want to sign it, he won't be offended, Sara." "I…I don't know, Steph," Sara whispered, her hands trembling. "That's okay…whatever your decision is, though, he wants it…by the end o' the night, after the show's over," Stephanie said quietly. Sara swallowed and nodded slightly. "Okay," she said letting out a heavy sigh. "As a matter of fact," Stephanie said taking the papers from her and placing them on the small table beside the couch, "I don't want you to think about it right now…wait 'til Mark and Melissa get here…talk it over with them. Think on it…pray about it…and whatever your heart tells you to do…then make your decision, okay?" Sara sniffled slightly and nodded. Stephanie smiled and gave her a comforting hug. "Like I said, even if you decide not to stay…we won't be offended. You've done so much for us already…there's no need to feel pressured to do more," she said quietly. "Is it bad to want to do more, Steph?" Sara asked softly. "Of course not. You're as passionate about this business as anybody I've ever known. No matter what we asked you to do…you did it…for the good of the company. You're a real classy lady, Sara," Stephanie said quietly. Sara sighed heavily and looked into Stephanie's wide blue eyes. "Thanks, Steph," she said softly, "If I do decide not to stay…I'm really gonna miss you…" "Oh, you know me…I'll find a way to keep in touch," Stephanie said with a smile. Sara chuckled and nodded. "Same here, sweetheart," she whispered. "Alright, I gotta get back to work. Dad wants to meet to work out the final run sheet for tonight, and all that jazz," Stephanie said standing. Sara stood as well, walking her to the door. "Thanks for stopping by," she said opening the door. "You'll probably have visitors all day, from the people who know it might be your last pay-per-view," Stephanie said grinning. Sara smiled and shrugged. "I'll be expecting it," she said quietly. "See ya later, Angel," Stephanie said before leaving the room. Sara sighed and shut the door softly. She felt the ultimate temptation to sign the renewal contract right away, but she knew she had to talk to Mark first.

After taking a few minutes to compose herself, Sara changed into a pair of shorts, and left the room. She found the building's small gym, and stepped onto one of the treadmills. As she set the time for a 30-minute run, Paul entered the room with a camcorder in hand. "Wow…how'd I know I'd find you in here?" he said with a grin. "Oh, come on, Paul, not now," Sara said forcing a grin. Paul put the small device down and asked, "What's wrong?" "What?" Sara asked quietly. "Don't bullshit me, Angel. That's my forte," he said quietly. Sara took a deep breath as she stepped onto the machine and began to run. "Stephanie gave me a renewal contract a few minutes ago," she said softly. "Wow…Vince really is bein' gung ho about that," he said quietly, "Stephanie told me he was thinkin' about doin' it, but I didn't think he would." "I don't know that I wanna sign it, though," she said quietly, "There's so many pros and cons to…staying for a few more years." "Yeah, I hear ya…when I signed my renewal contract a couple months ago, I took about two or three weeks tryin' to decide if I could handle it, physically and mentally," Paul said. "Steph said I have until the end o' the night, after the show is over, to give my answer to Vince, but…I'm torn…and I think I'll be torn until right after that bell rings," she said quietly, "I already know what Mark's reaction is gonna be…he's gonna tell me it's my decision…Melissa's gonna argue about bein' home-schooled. There's just…too many…factors, ya know." "Yeah, I know," he said grinning, "But I also know you'll make the right decision, whatever that may be to you." Sara grinned and nodded in agreement. "So what's with the camera?" she asked. Paul shrugged and brought the device back up, saying, "Just in case…" Sara chuckled and began to focus on her run.

"And here she is, gettin' her daily workout in. Then again, I don't know if she works out daily…she's got a few handles here and there," he commentated. Sara merely flipped him off, her eyes staring off into space. "And of course, she's not the 'Angel' she claims to be," he added, "So, Angel, how does it feel knowing you're going into what could possibly be your last match here in the World Wrestling Federation?" "I'm as confident as ever, Hunter. You know me, I always get the job done," she answered grinning. "Really? RVD might have a problem with that, considering he's gunning for your World Heavyweight title," he said smiling. "Well, he'll have to deal with that on his own terms. That's my World title, and I'll keep as long as I want," she said smiling into the camera. "Oh, man, gotta love that smile. Looks like an Angel, and wrestles like the Devil," Paul said chuckling. "Nah, I just know how to take a man down…by any means necessary," Sara said winking at him. "Tell me, what's been your favorite memory bein' here in the WWF?" Paul asked smiling. "Any time I've gotten to spend with you, Hunter," she said sticking her tongue out. Paul dramatically wiped away a fake tear, and put his hand across his heart. "I love you, too, Angel!" he said sniffling loudly. "You're an idiot!" Sara said laughing. "But it's so much fun bein' me," Hunter said pointing the camera towards himself, "I mean, who wouldn't wanna be around me? Who wouldn't wanna look at this beautiful body? I'm so great! There's not another person in the world like me!" "Thank God," Sara muttered with a grin. "Whoa, what was that!" Paul exclaimed pointing the camera at her once more, moving closer, "Did thou just insult me!" Sara smiled innocently and shook her head. "I will shove that camera into a very uncomfortable spot, though, if you don't let me finish my workout," she said, the smile still on her face. Paul grimaced and said, "Alright, alright, no need to make threats…as idle as they might be." Sara moved to get off of the machine, and Paul dashed out of the room, his laughs echoing back into the room. Sara chuckled softly and finally focused completely on running.

After her run was over, Sara sat down on the floor and stretched out her legs. Andy came walking in as she moved to her feet. "Hunter told me I'd find you in here," he said grinning. "Yeah, that fool is runnin' around with a camera. He was in my face with it for about ten minutes before I had to threaten him with bodily harm," she said chuckling. "Oh, not our resident 'Angel', makin' mean threats?" Andy said grinning. "No, of course not…just simple warnings…for his own protection," Sara answered before laughing heartily. "Glad to see ya smiling, sweetheart," Andy said quietly. "Feels good to be smiling, Andy," she said quietly. They went down to the catering room, where Sara grabbed a small plate of chicken salad, and a bottle of water. "Nerves startin' to kick in?" Andy asked quietly. Sara took a deep breath and nodded. "It's almost like…how I felt my first day back from training…," she said quietly, "I couldn't eat anything the whole day, and if I did, I couldn't hold it down…" "Just don't spew this way," Andy said grinning. Sara chuckled softly and nodded. "I'll try," she whispered. "Don't worry, sweetheart. It's just another day on the job," he said supportively. "The next to last day, Andy…," she said softly. Andy sighed and watched as she dug around in her food for nearly 15 minutes, occasionally taking a bite. "You're not gonna have any energy for tonight if you don't eat somethin', baby doll," he said finally. "I know, I know, it's just…I can't," she whispered pushing the plate away and leaving the room. Andy sighed heavily and pulled the plate in front of him. "She okay?" Paul asked suddenly. "I don't know…," Andy answered honestly, "She just has to…come to terms with everything, I guess." "Yeah," Paul said, "See ya around, buddy." Andy nodded slightly as Paul walked away, hoping that Sara would be okay by show time.

Sara went back down to her dressing room, waving absentmindedly to people who spoke. When she opened her door, her jaw dropped. "Whoa, when'd you get here!" she exclaimed going into the room. Lisa smiled and said, "Just a few minutes ago. I figured you'd have to come here sooner or later." Sara smiled and sat down beside her. "Yeah, I was just…trying to eat," she said quietly. "Nervous about tonight?" Lisa asked. Sara forced a smile, but nodded. "I don't wanna leave," she whispered. "Yeah, I, uh, saw that renewal contract," Lisa said quietly, "Are you gonna sign it?" Sara swallowed and looked down at the pack of papers on the table in front of her. "I don't know, Lisa…," she whispered, "Part of me really wants to…but the other part knows that Melissa needs me now more than ever, ya know." "Yeah," Lisa said quietly, "But I'm biased…you know I want ya to stick around for a little while longer." Sara chuckled and looked into Lisa's soft chocolate eyes. "I'm gonna…talk to Mark and Melissa…about it, once they get here," she said quietly, "And then…I'm gonna pray about it. I think God knows better than I do what the best decision would be." "Good for you, sweetheart. I hope that…you make the right decision for you," Lisa said quietly. "That's what Stephanie said to me when she handed me that thing," Sara said chuckling, "But I think I'll be puttin' all that off until the very last minute." "Of course," Lisa said chuckling as well, "When does Mark get in?" "Probably a couple hours," Sara answered, "He said he's landing here around noon local time, and it's only 11:00 now…he'll probably wanna stop and get some real food, since he's been living off o' hospital food for almost five days now," Sara answered going over to her duffel bag and pulling out a towel, "Does Andy know you're here?" "Nah, not yet. I'm actually gonna go find him," Lisa said slowly getting to her feet. "Whoa, do you need--." "I got it, trust me. I'm a master with these things now," Lisa said smiling, setting the crutches in place underneath her arms, "I'll see ya around, okay?" Sara nodded and watched as the other woman left the room, shutting the door a little awkwardly behind herself. _Andy's gonna be happy to see her_, she thought before going into the bathroom.

After a quick shower, Sara dressed in a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt. The show started in less than five hours, so she left her room in search of Rob. Walking out under the large stage area, Sara took a deep breath and stopped just past the edge of the walkway. She faced the stage, noting the large screens flashing the pay-per-view name in bright green letters, a target shape focused in the center of the name. She crossed her arms and let out a heavy sigh, running her fingers across her lips as it began to truly hit her that tonight would probably be her last pay-per-view match. After staring blankly for a few minutes, she climbed over the barrier and sat down in one of the seats close to the ring. Trish was in the ring practicing for an interpromotional match against Smackdown's Gail. Sara grinned as she thought back to the time she spent with Trish in the 'Corporation'; if someone would've told her that, years after the group had been disbanded, Trish would be a multiple-time Women's champion, Sara probably would've laughed in that person's face. But she'd watched Trish grow as a performer, constantly seeking to learn new moves in the ring, and how to use those moves to tell a great story to the fans. _You saw a lotta people come and go, Sara…some were pretty fuckin' bad, but a few…were pretty fuckin' great…you'll probably be considered a part o' that latter group_, she thought grinning slightly, watching Trish practice a hurricanrana on Gail, _Hall of Fame career…probably_. Trish and Gail finished up their practice session 15 minutes later, rolling out of the ring once they were done. Trish waved goodbye to Gail before coming over to Sara. "Hey, you," she said quietly, "You ready for tonight?" Sara took a deep breath and shrugged. "A little," she said softly.

Trish hopped over the barrier and sat down beside Sara. "Looks a little different from this side, doesn't it?" she said quietly. Sara chuckled softly and nodded. "I don't think I've ever experienced it from this side…I didn't watch much as a kid, and I didn't go to any events…I married Roddy, so I started off behind the curtain," she answered quietly, "I can't imagine…what the fans go through sittin' here like this." "Well, it's definitely a lotta fun. My brothers and I went to shows in Toronto all the time, so I know what it's like to be on this side. I actually met a lotta cool people from goin' to houseshows. I mean, you talk to people about everything under the sun while you're waiting for the show to start, or for another match to start, or at intermission…it's a blast," Trish said wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "Yeah, I bet…," Sara said quietly. "Is Mark comin' tonight?" Trish said, "I heard he got hurt Tuesday night." "Yeah, he should be here in about an hour and a half," Sara answered, "He had surgery a couple days ago, but…last time I talked to him, he was doin' fine." "Does he know when he's comin' back yet?" Trish asked. "He's hopin' for a Wrestlemania return, but it depends on how well he does in physical therapy," Sara responded, "I'm hoping he can get back in time, but…I don't know." "I'll keep my fingers crossed for him," Trish said slowly getting to her feet, "I'll see ya around, okay?" Sara nodded and watched as the short, blonde woman climbed back over the barrier and made her way backstage. Sara let out a heavy sigh as she turned her attention back to the ring, now empty as ever. She slowly climbed over the barrier and rolled into the ring, sitting back in the corner closest to the rampway. The sounds of the production crew working around her began to calm her down, and she leaned her head back against the middle turnbuckle, her mind once again began to kick into gear. A few minutes later, she heard Rob's voice coming down the small walkway. She opened her eyes and looked over her right shoulder, smiling at the sight of Rob leading his very-pregnant wife.

"Hey, Angel," Rob said smiling broadly, "I figured you'd be down here." "Yeah, just…tryin' to think o' some spots for tonight," Sara said. "I couldn't sleep that much last night…I think I probably got maybe two hours o' solid sleep," he said grinning. "So you're delirious, then?" she said chuckling. "I said the same," Sonja said grinning. "I'm sorry, Angel. This is my wife, Sonja," Rob said. Sara reached through the ropes and shook the small woman's hand. "Nice to meet ya again, Sonja," she said, "We met a couple years ago." "Yeah, I remember. Rob tells me you're finally givin' this up," Sonja said. Sara sighed heavily and nodded. "It looks that way," she said forcing a grin. "Are you ready for that?" Sonja asked. "I'm not too sure yet, Sonja…probably in about eight hours, I will be, though," Sara said grinning, "When's the baby due?" "Sometime this week," Sonja answered, "And I'll tell ya, I can't wait!" "Yeah, I know how that goes," Sara chuckled. "Oh, how old is your little one?" Sonja asked. "Three and a half," Sara said grinning slightly. "Is she comin' tonight?" Rob asked. "Yeah…Mark should be here in an hour and a half or so," she answered, "Time's goin' by so slow, though…" "Yeah, I agree…did you see all those fans waitin' outside?" Rob said grinning. "Oh, yeah…I had a slight urge to start a small riot by goin' over to 'em to sign autographs," she said smiling. Rob chuckled and nodded. "Of course, it wouldn't be that big a deal," he said. "So, how long are you gonna be?" Sara asked. "About a half an hour, just to go grab somethin' to eat, and get Sonja settled in," he answered. "Where are you gonna be sittin', Sonja?" Sara asked. "Up in a skybox with some o' the other wrestlers' wives and family," Sonja answered. "You got the second best seat in town, then," Sara said grinning. "And what's the best?" Sonja asked. "Right where she's sittin', sweetheart," Rob answered knowingly. Sara chuckled and shrugged slightly. "Always will be," she said quietly. "Alright, Angel, I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?" Rob said quietly. Sara nodded and watched as he led his wife back through the curtain into the backstage area. _I definitely got the best seat in town_, she thought.

Just as he said, Rob returned in just under 30 minutes. Sara was still sitting in the corner he'd seen her in before, looking as though she hadn't moved a muscle. "Angel?" he said quietly. Sara took a deep breath, glancing at him from under her right eye. "Yeah," she said softly. "You okay?" he asked. "Just thinkin' about stuff," she answered quietly, "Sonja all settled in?" "Yeah, she's up with Shawn's wife in the skybox, just talkin' about pregnancy stuff," he answered slowly getting into the ring. Sara let out a heavy sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. "You sure you're okay?" Rob asked sitting in front of her. Sara swallowed and shrugged. "Just a lot o' things on my mind, Rob," she said quietly. "You wanna talk about it?" he asked. "Vince…offered me a renewal contract," she answered, "It's just for three more years, ya know…and I wanna sign it…I wanna sign it so bad…" "But?" he asked. "Mark…and Melissa…it'd just be such a selfish move on my part," she answered, "And…I don't wanna be like that…" "Have you told Mark about it?" he asked. "No, I'm gonna…talk to him about it once he gets here," she answered. "Wow, that's…heavy. When does Vince wanna know?" Rob said quietly. "End o' the night…after the show," she answered taking a deep breath, "And…I have no idea what I'm gonna tell him…" "I wish I could help ya out, Angel," Rob said quietly, "I've never seen ya like this…" "I've never had to make such a…hard decision…," Sara said looking into his eyes, "If this was…four and a half years ago…I'd have signed that contract as soon as it was in my hands. But…once I got pregnant with Melissa…I realized that…I wasn't living for myself anymore, ya know." "Yeah, that's how I feel about little Madajah," Rob said quietly. "Who?" Sara said, "Oh…wait, nevermind…that's what you decided to name the baby?" "Yeah," Rob said grinning, "Sonja really likes it, and I think it's cute." Sara grinned and nodded. "Alright, let's…get to work," she said softly. "You sure you can focus?" Rob asked grinning. Sara chuckled and nodded. "It's business," she said softly.

About 20 minutes later, Sara made her way back to her dressing room. She and Rob didn't spend much time working out their match, since it had so many unpredictable factors anyway. As she headed down the hall, she spotted Andy and Lisa sitting together, their heads together. "Hey, you two," she said in passing. Andy raised his hand slightly to acknowledge her, but his focus was solely on his wife. Sara grinned slightly and continued on her path to her dressing room. "Sara?" Sara stopped and looked up at Vince. "Hey, Vince," she said quietly. "I need to--." "Of course," Sara said forcing a grin. "Don't worry, I won't keep ya long," Vince said quietly. Sara followed him down to his office, shutting the door behind her once they were inside. She sat down at one end of the long black couch, and Vince sat at the other end. "Look, Sara, I'm gonna be upfront about this…you know I want you to stay," Vince said honestly. "Vince…," she whispered. "The fans aren't ready to see you go, the boys in the back aren't ready to see you go…and from what I've heard, even the Tough Enough kids want a chance to work with you again," Vince said. Sara swallowed and looked down at her hands. "But…I know you have your family, especially little Melissa," he said quietly, "So…I don't want you to feel pressured to have to re-sign with me." "Vince…what would I gain from staying? I've done everything there is to do," she argued quietly, "Granted, I'm sure you could find a way to bring me back creatively…but…I don't see many benefits in signing another contract." "And I know that. But there are benefits. Now that the fans have seen you win the World title, they'll expect to see you in the main events. I'd do my best to ensure that you're in that tier. And even if you're not, I know how much you enjoy helping out the newer wrestlers, so I'd put you in some quality angles with them," Vince said.

"What about my schedule? I can't…keep up a full-time schedule anymore," she said quietly. "I'd give you the same as Mark, a part-time schedule. You'd work the televised shows, maybe a weekend o' houseshows twice a month," he answered, "Depending on the storyline, you may or may not be on a pay-per-view." "What about appearances?" she asked. "Three times a month, maybe four or five. It'd gradually reduce as time passes," he said. Sara rubbed her eyes roughly, knowing that every second she spent in Vince's office was time she couldn't think about this situation on her own. "I'm gonna…think about it, Vince," she said quietly, "I just…need time." "Okay…I know Stephanie told you, but I really would like to know by tonight, so that we can have somethin' for RAW either way," Vince said. Sara sighed and stood. "I will, Vince," she said quietly. Vince stood and walked her to the door. "If you decide to…not renew…I'm gonna go ahead and say…I'm gonna miss you around here, darlin'," he said quietly. Sara bit her bottom lip and nodded. "I know, Vince," she said softly, opening the door and leaving quickly. She went down to her dressing room without speaking to anyone, fearing that she would burst into tears if she said anything. When she opened the door to her room, a small voice squealed in excitement, "Mama!" Sara smiled as Melissa came charging towards her, and scooped her up quickly. "Hey, munchkin," she said squeezing her small body, "How ya doin'?" "I'm good, mama. Daddy and I just got here," Melissa said smiling. "And I'm so glad you _are_ here. It was startin' to get pretty boring," Sara said kissing her cheek noisily. Melissa smiled and wrapped her arms around Sara's neck. "You haven't done anything all day?" she asked in apparent shock. Sara chuckled and kicked the door shut. "Of course I have, sweetheart," she said, "But that doesn't mean it was fun without you here."

Mark slowly stood from the couch, and Sara noted the sling on his right arm. Tears came to her eyes, and Mark quickly pulled her close with his left arm, kissing the top of her head. "Hey, you," he whispered in her ear. "We, uh…we need to talk," she whispered in return. "I figured," Mark said quietly. Sara looked up at him, and he said, "It's right there in plain sight, and…you haven't signed it yet, so…I kinda guessed you'd wanted to talk it over with me." "I wanna…talk to both o' you," she said looking down at Melissa. "Are you not comin' home now, mama?" Melissa asked. Sara set Melissa down on the floor and said, "That's what I want you to help me figure out, babycakes." "Okay," Melissa said smiling. "Have you already met up with Rob?" he asked. Sara nodded as she sat down on the floor across from the couch. "It's gonna be fun," she answered watching Mark ease down onto the couch. Melissa sat down between her legs, and Sara grinned slightly. "So…," she said quietly. "It's a good contract, that's for sure. Have you read through it yet?" Mark said quietly. "I, uh…I thought I wouldn't be able to hold out if I looked at it right away," she said honestly. Mark chuckled softly and nodded. "Probably," he said quietly. He handed the pack of papers to her, and Sara read it thoroughly, along with Melissa. She had to stop every now and then to explain things to her daughter, but they finished it in about ten minutes. "Yeah, it's…a good one," she said softly, placing it beside her. "Do you still want to do this, Sara?" Mark asked honestly. Sara sighed heavily and shrugged, whispering, "I don't know, Mark…I honestly don't know." "You know what I'm gonna say…this is somethin' you gotta decide on your own. I can't tell you what to do with your life. You never listen to me when I do," he said grinning slightly. Sara smirked and winked at him. "I'm serious, dollface…," he said quietly. "I know…what do you think, Melissa?" she said.

"I don't know, mama…you wouldn't be able to home-school me if you came back to work, would you?" Melissa said. "I could do it on my days off, which I'll have a lot more of if I sign this new contract. And the days I'm not home, you can spend studying or resting up or whatever you want," Sara answered "But you'll be too tired, mama. You don't wanna do anything when you come home," Melissa said. "If I say I'm gonna teach you, I'll teach you, munchkin," Sara said softly. "What about Dany, mama? She's goin' back to school in January," Melissa argued. "We'd have about a month to find you a new babysitter, munchkin," Sara answered quietly. "Would I still be able to see everybody?" Melissa asked. "I don't know, sweetheart. I'm sure we could take a break from 'school' every now and then, and bring you on the road," Sara answered. Melissa looked at Mark, then back to Sara, and shrugged. "I don't know, mama," she said quietly, "I was…kind of happy that you were coming home…" Sara sighed and nodded. "I know you were, sweetheart…which I why I wanted to talk to you first before I made my decision," she said quietly. "How long would you work for Mr. Vince?" Melissa asked. "Just a few more years…I'd be done before you turned seven," Sara answered. "I kinda want you home, mama," Melissa said softly, looking down at her hands. "Hey," Sara said tilting her chin up, "Don't be ashamed o' what you feel, okay? I want to know what's on your mind, what you think about this. So don't ever be ashamed o' sayin' what you want, okay?" Melissa nodded slightly, and Sara looked over at Mark. "What do you think?" she said softly. Mark took a deep breath and shook his head slightly. "My opinion…don't sign it…take a few months off…rest up, relax as much as possible…if you find you're missing it more and more everyday, then call Vince. But, like I said…it's your decision," he answered quietly. Sara sighed heavily and kissed the top of Melissa's head, then moved to her feet. "Where ya goin'?" Mark asked as she headed for the door. "I gotta…think about this…pray," she said softly. Mark watched as she left the room, then motioned for Melissa to join him on the couch. "What do you think she's gonna do, daddy?" Melissa asked quietly. "I don't know, sweetheart…you hungry?" he responded. Melissa nodded quickly, a broad smile on her young face. "Alright, let's see if we can find some food around this place," Mark said easing himself to his feet. They left the room quickly, in search of the catering room.

Sara made her way to the balcony, knowing she didn't have long before she had to go get ready for the show. She sat down in one of the upper-level seats, hidden by darkness. She propped her feet up on the seats in front of her and clasped her hands together tightly. "God…I need you…more than ever. I have to make probably one o' the most important decisions in my career…and…I don't know what to do," she whispered, "I don't wanna let Melissa down, 'cause I know how bad she wants to be home-schooled. And I know how bad Mark wants to spend his time off with me. I…I don't know what to do." Tears of frustration came to her eyes, and Sara couldn't hold them in. "Please, God…tell me what's best for me," she said softly, "I know that you know…you have a plan for everybody, even me. So I'm begging you, don't…don't leave me to…make this decision on my own…because I can't." After over a half an hour of praying diligently, Sara finally felt a peace begin to spread through her body. She let out a heavy sigh of relief, almost laughing. "Thank you, Lord…thank you so much," she whispered wiping away the tears that had fallen from her eyes. She slowly stood and took a few deep breaths, an excitement beginning to spread through her once more. She practically ran down to Janet's area, smiling broadly as she sat down in the brunette's chair. "Hey, you, I was wondering if you were gonna stop by," Janet said grinning. "Sorry about that…had a lotta…business to take care of, ya know," Sara said. "Don't worry about it. I take it you're excited about tonight," Janet said picking up one of her big brushes. "Yeah, it's gonna be such a blast. Rob's a great guy, and he really deserves this," Sara answered honestly. "How do you want your hair for tonight?" Janet asked running the brush through Sara's thick locks. Sara shrugged nonchalantly and said, "I haven't even decided what I'm wearing yet, so…I figured I'd see what you could do, and then go from there. So…surprise me." Janet chuckled and began to work diligently.

An hour later, Sara left Janet's work area with her head covered in crimps. When she got to her dressing room, a young man in dress pants and a button-up shirt was standing by her door. "Angel?" he asked Sara. "Yeah, how can I help you?" Sara answered. "I was just wondering if I could get an interview with you, just about tonight…it's for the website," the man said, "I'm Todd Grisham, by the way." "Nice to meet you, Todd. Give me a few minutes, and I'll be right back out," Sara said grinning. Becky nodded and Sara entered her dressing room, smiling at the sight of Melissa curled up on the couch beside Mark, who was reading to her. "Hey, you. Wow, that's a good look," Mark spoke. Sara smiled broadly and reached into her duffel bag. She pulled out an outfit one of the seamstresses had made for her a while back: leather shorts with steel studs around the waistline and leg holes, a black, leather tube top, and a black mesh shirt with ¾ sleeves. "You're feelin' better," Mark said grinning at her. Sara winked at him before going into the bathroom. "What do you think she decided, daddy?" Melissa asked. "With your mother, who knows, munchkin," Mark answered before continuing to read to her. Sara quickly slipped into the outfit she'd chosen, before staring at her reflection in the mirror. _You look good, Angel…you look real good_, she thought with a smile. She then went back into the room, dropped her clothes into her bag, and left the room as fast as she had entered. Todd was still waiting outside the door.

"Alright, where do you wanna do this?" Sara asked. "There's a couple chairs just a ways down," he answered. "Lead the way," Sara said smiling. She followed the small man down the hall, around a corner, where Todd had a small briefcase already opened. "Okay, here we go," he said pulling out a tape recorder, and a yellow notepad. Sara sat down and rotated her neck slowly, sighing contently as the muscles loosened. "Alright, now what's this about again?" she asked. "Well, it's kind of two-part. Shane wanted me to get an interview with you before the show started, just to get your feelings on RVD as a competitor, and your chances in the match, and all that stuff. And then, he wants me to get a post-match interview…if that's okay," Todd answered. Sara smiled and shrugged. "Sure, anything for Shane-O-Mac," she answered shrugging. Todd chuckled softly before turning on the tape recorder. "Okay, firstly. You've been World Heavyweight champion for three months now--." "Three months, one week, and two days to be exact," Sara said before chuckling. "Fair enough. What has it meant to you to not only have that long a title reign, but to know that you're goin' down in WWE history?" he stated. "Well, holding a title means you're representing the company, you're representing the industry, ya know. There's a lot of pride involved in being able to wear that belt out in front o' the crowd night after night," Sara answered, "For me, it's been a wild three months. I've gotten to wrestle against the best in this company, and prove why I am the best o' the best. Granted, I couldn't have done it without my opponents, but I like to think that I got the better end o' the deal." "So you feel like you've had to, in a way, prove yourself? I mean, you would think that, being the only woman to win the World title, you wouldn't have to really prove anything," Todd said.

"Well, every time I step into that ring, I've gotta prove myself again. I think every wrestler goes through that, knowing that his peers, and Vince McMahon, are judging you, waiting for you mess up, almost wanting you to do that so they can come back and try to tear you apart. For me, every time I step into that ring, I think back to all the sacrifices I've made over the years, all the training…and the re-training, all the focus…what makes me who I am as a WWF Superstar is the drive, the desire, the passion, the focus to always give more than 100 percent. When the day comes that I've proven myself permanently, that's when I have to retire. Because that's losing the passion; I have no reason to test myself in the ring if I feel like I've already done everything," Sara answered, "That's very contradictory to what my mentality is." "Can you talk a little bit about how you've been able to do this for so long? I mean, most wrestlers only have a career spanning maybe five or six years, if they're lucky. You've been goin' now for over twice that. How have you done it?" Todd said. "What it really boils down to is the love I have for what I do. All the goals I've attained, all the titles I've been able to win, all the great matches I've had, they add to the pride of it all, add to what I am. Sometimes, when I'm training, I flash back to…being out for a year…and when I'm unmotivated, I think of what I went through during that year to be where I am today, and it'll change my attitude, because I'll think, 'I wanna do this.'," Sara answered. "Okay…everybody knows the sacrifices Superstars make as sports-entertainers. Living the life of a wrestler isn't easy, by any means. Can you talk a little bit about that, about why you continue to push through all that," Todd said. "Todd…I live for being in that ring. That's why I'm on the road, that's the only reason I make all the sacrifices I make, leaving my daughter at home with a babysitter, living in hotels, eating in restaurants, making long drives, making long flights. The sacrifices are huge…looking back, any normal person wouldn't be able to make those kinda sacrifices for that long. But like you said, WWE Superstars are not normal people. Anyway, the sacrifices…yeah, they're cumbersome, but my payoff is that bell-to-bell time. I love bein' in there, I love what I do. Yeah, in college, being a wrestler was the last thing on my mind…but once I took my first bump, I knew I'd found my calling," Sara responded, "Years ago, I used to enjoy traveling, getting to see so many different places, collecting stuff from all the cities and countries we went to; it was fun. It's not that fun anymore, Todd. I want to be home…I miss being around my daughter…but that's the sacrifice you make."

"Lastly, Angel, how do you feel knowing that tonight might very well be your last match in the World Wrestling Federation," Todd said. Sara took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. A sadistic smile came to her face, and she looked back at Todd. "Todd…tonight, that World Heavyweight title isn't going anywhere. _I'm_ not going anywhere. I've been doin' this for way too long to let some punk kid run roughshod over me. Hell, I don't let veterans pull that crap. I kept the title against the "Heartbreak Kid", I tore Orton limb from limb in the Cell the next month…the fans and the boys should realize…I don't quit. As long as there's a breath in my body, I will get to my feet. If I can get through Hell in a Cell intact, then a Last Man Standing match…is gonna be a walk in the park," she said maliciously, "RVD had very well better come with all he's got, because I'm stepping into that ring with a little bit more. If he wants this title, he's gonna have to knock me out…and I doubt that'll happen." Todd turned off the tape recorder, added a few more notes to his yellow pad, before smiling slightly at Sara. "Thanks, Angel," he said shaking her hand. "No problem," Sara said before standing. Sara went down to catering to grab food, because she was now starving. When she entered the room, she spotted Shelton sitting with John and Dany. "Ah, Angel!" John exclaimed spreading his arms widely. Sara chuckled and piled up a plate of food, pulled a bottle of water from a bucket, and then went over to his table. "Hello, John," she said setting her food down on the table and hugging him. "You ready for tonight?" he asked as she sat down. Sara shrugged and grinned. "What?" John asked. "I think she's up to somethin'," Dany said grinning. "What?" Sara asked innocently, "Moi?" "Oh, yeah, she's _definitely_ up to somethin'," Shelton said chuckling. "Maybe…maybe not," Sara said, "You guys shouldn't be so quick to assume." "Right, 'cause then you make an 'ASS' outta 'U' and 'ME'," John said smirking. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "You're retarded," she said quietly. "Yeah, but you love it," John said winking at her.

"Dany, I wanted to thank you for…staying with Melissa while Mark was in the hospital," Sara said looking at the caramel-colored woman, "I really do appreciate that." "Don't even worry about it, darlin'. She was a doll the whole time," Dany said grinning. "Up until that point, did you have fun traveling around?" Sara asked. "Oh, yeah, definitely. The guys on Smackdown are a trip," Dany said nudging John's ribs. He grimaced and said, "Watch it, babe." "Oh, yeah, sorry," Dany said quietly. "What happened to you?" Sara asked. "He got put through a table last night," Dany answered, "Courtesy o' Marc and Devon." "Oh, wow…," Sara said, "Are you okay?" "Eh, it's just tender, ya know. It's no big deal," John said. "Oh, so you not bein' able to get outta bed for an hour is no big deal?" Dany said. "That's an everyday thing, Dany, trust me," Sara said. "Yeah, I know…it's still…hard to deal with," Dany said quietly. "I'm okay, ma," John said grinning, "Quit worrying." "I told you not to call me that," Dany said poking his ribs repeatedly. John groaned and pushed her hands away. "Come on, that's not fair," he said. "Well, nix the pet names, then," Dany said grinning. "But they're so cute," Sara said chuckling. "Maybe if you're three," Dany said chuckling as well. "So I act like a three-year-old, ma?" John asked, "Oh, okay, I'll stop, I promise!" Sara laughed heartily as the couple continued to playfully banter back and forth. She managed to eat half the food on her plate, before dumping the rest. "Why get all that food if you're not gonna eat it?" Dany asked as they left the room a half an hour later, "There are kids in Africa starving, and you just--." "Nerves, Mother Theresa," Sara said quietly, "I was hungry as hell when I got all that food, but…" "Gotcha. I was just playin' around," Dany said.

"Don't worry about it," Sara said grinning, "How're you and John doin' anyway?" "He's such a breath o' fresh air," Dany said smiling, "No matter what, he's always got a smile on his face…he's really…helped me through my dad's death, ya know." "He's a sweetheart, that is true," Sara said grinning. "I'm actually goin' with him next week to…visit his parents," Dany said quietly. "Oh, wow…that's a big step," Sara said. "Yeah, I'm, uh, I'm really nervous," Dany said smiling. "Why?" Sara asked. "It's just…I mean, it's not like I've never met a guy's parents before…," Dany said nervously, "But…John's different, ya know." "I kinda know how ya feel…I remember meeting my first husband's parents for the first time…that was a little crazy," Sara said chuckling softly, "They'd always thought Roddy would settle down with some small-framed, meek little thing…come to think of it, he did." "What?" Dany asked. Sara smiled and waved her hand slightly. "Anyway, I'll never forget the way Roddy's parents just…stared at me, like I was some sort o' freak o' nature," she said chuckling. "You're not helping me, Sara," Dany said grinning. "Oh…right. Just…be yourself, ya know. Obviously John sees somethin' special in you, and you see somethin' in him to want to be with him…I don't know what it is, but whatever floats your boat," Sara said smiling. "Oh, hush. I could say the same about you and Mark," Dany said laughing. "Exactly. John cares a great deal about you, especially if he wants to take you home to meet his family. Just remember that," Sara said smiling. "Will do," Dany said as they came up to Sara's locker room. "So what are you gonna do until the show starts?" Dany asked. "Hang out," Sara answered, "It's gonna get hectic in about an hour, so I wanna relax as much as I can while I can." Dany nodded and followed Sara into her dressing room.

Mark and Melissa, though, were nowhere to be found. Sara eyed Dany, who merely shrugged. "They couldn't have gone too far," Dany said, "I'm gonna go see if I can track 'em down, okay?" "Thanks, Dany," Sara said grinning. Dany nodded slightly and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Sara sighed softly and stretched out on the couch, a grin on her face. _Tonight's gonna be a blast_, she thought for what seemed like the millionth time that day. Her eyes drifted shut, and she resigned to taking a short nap before Sunday Night Heat started. Just as she was about to fall asleep, there was a knock on the door. Sara sighed and got to her feet, opening the door slightly. "Hey, Angel, Vince wants to shoot a scene with you before Sunday Night Heat starts," a stagehand said to her. "What's the scene?" she asked. "You walking into the building for the show, and then bein' stopped by Josh Matthews for a quick interview," the man answered. "Alright, give me a couple minutes," Sara said before shutting the door. She slipped on a pair of sweatpants, and a long-sleeved WWF t-shirt, then grabbed her duffel bag and leather jacket. As she headed down the hall, she ran into Mark and Melissa. "Whoa, what's goin' on?" Mark asked. "Are you leaving, mommy?" Melissa asked as well. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "I'll be back, munchkin. I gotta go do somethin' for Vince for the show," she answered. "Gotcha. I'll see ya back in your room, then?" Mark said grinning. Sara smiled and winked at him before continuing towards her destination. When she arrived, Josh was waiting with a cameraman.

"Alright, Angel, this won't take long," Josh said, "Basically, we just need you to walk through the door, look as focused as possible, and then I'll stop and ask you about tonight." "What are you askin'?" Sara asked. "Just your feelings on the match, and your approach to RVD," Josh answered. "Alright, that works," Sara said slipping on her jacket, "You want the title out?" "Yeah, that'll be a good shot. And try to make your shirt visible, too, just so we can get a good shot of the logo," the cameraman answered. Sara grinned and removed the World title from her duffel bag, then zipped the bag shut. "I'll knock on the door to let you know we're set to record," Josh said. Sara nodded and exited the building, shivering instantly as the cold Seattle air hit her skin. She slipped the duffel bag onto her shoulder, looking down at the World Heavyweight title belt. "Here we go, buddy," she whispered with a grin. The knock came on the door moments later, and Sara took a deep breath, rotating her neck before opening the door, her eyes on the ground as she walked into the building. "Angel, Angel! Can I get a word with you?" Josh asked urgently. Sara stopped and grinned at the young man. "Yeah, sure, kid," she answered. "I was just wondering, considering the stipulation of your match tonight against Rob Van Dam…how are you feeling knowing this might be your--." "Last WWF match ever?" Sara completed. Josh nodded and Sara smirked. "Kid…I'm flyin' high right now!" she said smiling broadly, "Because I know for a fact that there is no way I'm goin' down tonight without a big fight. If Rob Van Dam wants to take this World title from me tonight, he's gonna have to put in a little extra overtime." "What do you mean by that? It's already a Last Man Standing match, so RVD is sure to bring his A-game," Josh stated.

Sara scoffed and shook her head. "Little grasshopper…you must understand…in a Last Man Standing match, you need more than just your A-game," she said putting her right arm around his shoulders, her eyes taking an evil glint, "You need to be just a little more dangerous, a little more conniving…a little more sadistic…than your opponent. And what RVD _doesn't_ understand is that…there's nobody in this business more sadistic than me." "But--." "But nothing," Sara snarled, "Shawn Michaels couldn't take this title from me in his coveted Ladder Match…Randy Orton couldn't take it…and he and I took a trip to hell to fight for it. So if Rob Van Dam thinks that he's gonna be the one to dethrone me…he's got another thing comin', and it's gonna be my fist in his face!" She then continued down the hall, until she felt Josh tapping on her shoulder. She stopped and looked down at him. "Good?" she asked grinning. "Yeah, perfect, thanks a lot," he answered. "Alright, later, kid," Sara said before going back to her dressing room once more. When she entered, Mark was stretched out on the couch, his eyes slightly closed. "Where's Melissa?" she asked dropping her bag by the door, and shrugging off her jacket. "John and Dany took her to hang out with some o' the Smackdown guys, since she didn't get to really do it this week like I wanted her to," Mark said quietly. Sara sighed softly and sat down on the floor at his side. "Don't worry," she said softly caressing his cheek, "You got seven years to let her spend around the guys." Mark grinned and softly said, "I know, I just…this couldn't have happened at a worse time, ya know. I was just…gettin' into a rhythm over there…I was gettin' settled with the guys…it's hard." "I know, babe…," Sara said quietly. "Are you ready for tonight?" he said, "Melissa was wondering what your decision was about the contract." "I guess you'll have to wait 'til the end o' the show, like everybody else," she said winking at him. Mark caressed her cheek with his left hand, pulling her closer to him. "I love you," he whispered against her lips. "I love you, too, Mark," Sara whispered grinning, "I'm gonna go relax somewhere, get ready for the show…you gonna be okay?" "I'll be fine. I'll sit here, maybe watch a little Sunday Night Heat…you know the deal," he said quietly. Sara grinned and kissed his lips lightly, then got to her feet. "I'll be back before the show starts," she whispered. Mark nodded slightly and watched as she left the room, before closing his eyes to catch that nap he'd been planning.

Sara went to the pit area, and peeked out the curtains. The arena was filled with the sounds of fans filing in, and Sara felt the butterflies return to her stomach. She smiled slightly and let out a soft breath. _You guys are in for a wild night_, she thought excitedly. She put the curtain back into place before going backstage, walking around for a good chunk of time, just to clear her mind. As 4:00 rolled around, Sara went back to her dressing room. Mark was now sitting up on the couch, and he'd just turned on the television when she walked into the room. "Have a good nap?" Sara asked grinning. Mark chuckled and nodded. She sat down on his left side, and rested her head on his shoulder. "Have a good walk?" he said softly, putting his arm around her shoulders. Sara smiled and nodded slightly. "It was peaceful…even as hectic as it is right now…I wasn't feelin' too nervous about tonight," she said quietly. "Good…so you're good?" he asked softly. "Oh, yeah," Sara said grinning, "And, no…I won't tell you what I decided." Mark chuckled and kissed the side of her head. "I'm no longer curious," he said softly. "Liar," she whispered laughing softly. "You're lucky I only got one arm," he whispered. "I'm sure that won't be for too long," she said grinning, slowly moving onto his lap. Mark raised an eyebrow, pulling her closer with his left hand. "Careful, dollface…don't start somethin' you can't finish," he whispered as she leaned towards him. "I don't think you'll be startin' much o' anything," she whispered smiling wickedly. Mark chuckled as the door opened. "Ma, dad!" Melissa groaned covering her eyes. Sara chuckled and climbed off of her husband's lap, motioning for Melissa to come over to her. "Wow, your hair is really pretty, mama," Melissa said dashing over to the couch and hopping onto Sara's lap. "Thanks, sweetheart. You have fun with Uncle John's friends?" Sara said. Melissa nodded and said, "Uncle John said that, as soon as he gets time off again, he's gonna come visit me with Dany." Sara smiled up at John, who merely shrugged. "I wanna spoil the kid, I can't help it," he said grinning. "Don't worry about it, John," she said. "I'll be back when the show starts, okay, Sara?" Dany said as John opened the door. Sara nodded slightly and leaned against Mark's warm body, her focus going back to the television.

The show seemed to fly by for Sara. She enjoyed watching her co-workers perform, because she knew and felt the passion they held inside. As ten o' clock rolled around, and Paul and Andy went out for their Intercontinental title match, Sara stood from the couch. "Be back in a bit," she said quietly. "Can she watch?" Dany asked quietly, motioning to Melissa. Sara grinned and glanced at Mark, who was looking at her, wondering the same thing. "Yeah, why not? Just make sure she doesn't freak out at the end," she said quietly. "Will do, mom," Mark said winking at her. Sara chuckled and left the room with her ring jacket and World Heavyweight title in tow. She'd wrapped black tape around her hands, up to her forearms, earlier during the show. She ran into Rob on her way to the pit area. "You goin' to stretch?" he asked quietly. "Yeah," she answered grinning, "You wanna join me?" Rob smiled slightly and nodded. Sara found a quiet spot around the corner from the pit, and sat down on the floor. She and Rob talked over several spots in their match as they helped each other stretch out. When they heard the final bell ring for Paul and Andy's match, they stood and headed to the pit. "You ready for this?" Sara asked Rob. Rob took a deep breath and shook his head. "I'm scared outta my mind," he said quietly. "Don't worry, that's normal. I felt the same way before my match with Shawn at Summerslam," she said slipping on her jacket, "But you know…as long as you realize that you deserve this, that you've earned it…then there's nothin' to be afraid of."

"I know, I just…don't wanna--." "Disappoint anyone?" Sara asked quietly. Rob nodded as Andy came stumbling through the curtains, his face covered in blood. "Have fun out there, Angel," Andy said slowly heading down the stairs. Sara grinned and waved to him. "Will do, buddy," she responded, "Rob…just take it all in stride. This is just another phase o' your career." Rob grinned and rotated his neck. "I'll do my best, Angel," he said quietly. Sara let out a few deep breaths, and Paul finally came through the curtains. "Kick ass, Angel," he said winking at her. "Sure thing, Trips," she said quietly. "Angel?" Vince said from behind the table. Sara looked down at him, a grin on her face. "What time is it?" she asked. "10:23," Vince answered, "Why?" "You'll have your answer in about 20 minutes," Sara answered as Rob's music blared throughout the arena. Rob stepped out onto the stage as Vince sighed dramatically and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I can wait," he said grinning. Sara rotated her shoulders and smiled, knowing that Vince was one of the most impatient men in the world. "Yeah, right," she said sarcastically. "Should I be worried about you in there tonight?" Vince asked honestly. "Nothin' will ever be as bad as Hell in a Cell, Vince, so no…you don't have to worry…too much," she said grinning. "Just don't kill yourself out there, alright? It's bad publicity," he said winking at her. Sara chuckled and nodded as her music started. "Be back soon, Vinnie Mac," she said before walking through the curtains.

The crowd cheered as Sara stepped out onto the stage, the World Heavyweight title in her right hand. Sara took a deep breath as the cameras flashed in the darkness of the arena, pausing so that as many pictures as possible could be taken. She made her way down the ramp, noting Rob's pacing form in the ring. A grin came to her face, and she slowly rolled into the ring, the lights coming on as she did so. Rob came towards her, and she tossed the title belt to the side, dropping him with a double-leg takedown, and nailing him in the face with right hands. Earl grabbed the belt and signaled for the bell to ring. Rob tried to cover his head, but Sara continued to pound on him. She finally got to her feet, removing her jacket and tossing it to Earl, circling Rob like a hawk circling its prey. Rob got to his feet slowly, and Sara whipped him into the opposite ropes. When he bounced back, she put her knee directly in his stomach, flipping him over sharply. Rob groaned painfully, curling up and clutching his midsection. Sara pulled him to his knees, and kneed him in the side of the head, pushing him backwards into the left corner facing the rampway. As he got to his hands and knees, Sara kicked him in the back of his head. She pulled him to his feet, and gave him a quick snap suplex. She stood with a smile, and motioned for the referee to start the count. Rob quickly got to his feet, and Sara sneered and gave him a stiff chop. Rob groaned slightly, stumbling to the right corner, but Sara continued her assault with forearm shots to his back. She dragged him to the left corner, ramming his head into the top turnbuckle twice. She grinned slightly and forced his head into the middle and bottom turnbuckles as well. Rob collapsed on the mat, and Sara told Earl, "Count!"

Rob, though, got back to his feet, and Sara rolled her eyes dramatically. She pushed him into the corner, and slapped his chest as hard as she could. Rob screamed and fell to the mat, feeling the burn spread in his chest. Earl automatically began the count, but Rob got to his feet, going to kick Sara in her stomach. Sara blocked the move, retaliating with her own kick. She beat on Rob with a few forearm shots to the head, before whipping him across the ring. Rob reversed the move, hurtling her chest-first into the turnbuckle, and causing her to crash into the mat. He got to his feet, growling as he began his own offense by stomping the back of Sara's head. Sara flipped onto her stomach, but RVD continued by stepping on her stomach and using the ropes for leverage. Sara screamed at the pressure on her belly, breathing harshly when he finally moved off of her. Rob didn't give her a chance to rest for too long, though, because he dropped his shin over her throat. He walked away screaming as Sara coughed and slowly went to move to her feet. Rob kicked her in her stomach, turning her over roughly. He continued kicking her in her belly, then picked her up, and draped her over the middle rope, choking her roughly. Sara screamed and flailed her arms around, trying to get loose. Because it was a Last Man Standing match, Rob knew he couldn't be disqualified. He finally stepped back after a few moments, only to pick Sara up and drop her with a harsh powerslam. Sara groaned at the impact, grabbing at her lower back. Rob stepped back a few feet and kneeled, motioning and screaming for Sara to get to her feet. When she did, he charged at her, but Sara executed a quick drop toehold. Sara slowly got to her feet, giving him a short boot to the stomach, then pulled him to his feet and whipped him across the ring. Rob bounced back and was dropped with a stiff clothesline. Earl began his count, and Sara tried to catch her breath, holding her sore throat.

Rob started crawling, and Sara dropped down, attempting to put him in a Fujimato armbar. Rob screamed and scooted to the ropes, so that Sara couldn't put the move on fully. Sara sneered and kneed Rob four times directly in the face, before pulling him to his feet. She went for a back suplex, but Rob started throwing punches to the side of her head. Sara stumbled back, and Rob kicked her stiffly in her temple, knocking her to the mat. He rolled out of the ring, and pulled a trashcan from under the ring, not seeing Sara get to her feet. Sara flew at him, knocking him down with a baseball slide. Sara eased out of the ring, slowly moving towards the trashcan. She was stopped when Rob hit her in the back with a forearm shot. The two people traded punches until Rob gained the upper hand by throwing her into the barrier. He charged towards her, only to be backdropped onto the concrete floor. Sara climbed over the barrier, feeling the fans patting her upper body and arms. She saw Rob began to go through the crowd, and quickly chased after him. There were so many people, though, that she almost ran into him. When she felt his back, she immediately grabbed a handful of his hair. Rob turned around, and they began to hit each other with right hands. They made their way back towards the ring, where Rob quickly flipped over the barrier. Sara followed his actions, rolling into the ring just as he did. When they got to their feet, Sara hit him with a headbutt, then executed a double-leg takedown and put him into the Sharpshooter submission. She cackled evilly at the sounds of Rob screaming, cinching the move on tighter when he hit the mat repeatedly, since she knew as well as he did that the match would not end by that route.

Rob screamed as he inched towards the ropes, but Sara pulled him back to the middle of the ring at the last moment. She settled into the move even more by sitting down as far as she could and squeezing Rob's legs. Rob flailed his arms trying to get Sara to release the hold, but that was the last thing on her mind. Finally, after nearly a minute, Rob reached the bottom rope, and Sara broke the hold. Rob slowly got to his feet, but she didn't let up. She gave him a forearm shot to his lower back, before hitting him with five consecutive belly-to-back suplexes. Rob rolled out of the ring after the last suplex, collapsing on the floor to take a small break. Sara got to her feet as Earl reached a count of four, staring down at Rob's prone body. She climbed onto the outside of the mat, taking a deep breath before jumping onto the middle rope and executing a perfect Asai moonsault. The crowd burst into "Angel" chants as Sara slowly climbed back into the ring clutching her stomach. _Maybe that wasn't such a good idea_, she thought watching Earl proceed with his count, _But it was sure as hell fun!_ Rob got to his feet at eight, grabbing his ribs as he climbed up onto the mat. His eyes widened when he saw Sara launch towards him with a missile dropkick from the top turnbuckle to his left. He fell back to the thinly-covered floor, a loud groan escaping his lips. Sara paced in the ring, shaking her arms slightly, her eyes never leaving Rob's body. When she saw him move towards his feet, she sneered and bounced off the far ropes. She flew between the top and middle ropes, only to be hit square in the face with the trash can lid Rob had picked up when he'd gotten to his feet. She felt blood squirt from her nose, thinking, _Shit, I hope Mark covered Melissa's eyes_. The crowd had let out a collective gasp at the impact, and Sara clutched her head as the pain began to spread throughout her head.

Earl's voice sounded so distant to her, and only when he reached six did she realize she had to get up immediately. Her arms shook as she pushed herself to her knees, her eyes barely able to focus. Rob slid the trashcan into the ring quickly, before grabbing the lid and slamming it into Sara's right shoulder, forcing her down once more. Earl kneeled by her head and began to count. Sara grabbed the back of her head, wincing at the contact. Once again, when Earl reached six, she pushed herself to her feet. Rob groaned and hit her in the jaw with a left hook, then rolled her back in the ring. He rolled in as well, and kicked her in her lower back, then pulled her roughly to her feet. He got her in a front facelock, then lifted her onto the top turnbuckle, punching her in the side of the head to keep her dazed. When he climbed up onto the second rope, though, Sara fought back with right punches of her own. Rob nailed her with a headbutt, then continued to punch at her jaw. He put her head under his left arm, stepped up onto the top rope, and grabbed a handful of her tights. Sara saw the trashcan in place, and took a deep breath, thinking, _This is gonna hurt_. Rob superplexed her right onto the aluminum can. The pain shot through her back, and Sara felt the tears slide down the sides of her head, mixing with the sweat pouring from her pores. The fans immediately began to chant, "Holy shit!", which gave Sara a small spark of satisfaction. _Glad you guys are enjoying this_, she thought, _I could quit here and now, and they'd be happy…but I wouldn't be_.

Rob got to his feet at seven, motioning for Earl to count fast, but Sara got to one foot just a moment later. Rob charged her, knocking her back down with a knee to the head. He picked up the trashcan lid, just wailing on her upper body and screaming in frustration. When Sara rolled onto her right side, with her back to him, Rob knew it was a silent signal for him to stop hitting her. He dropped the thin metal object and climbed out of the ring, going around to the side facing the announcers' tables, and pulled out a ladder. The crowd cheered slightly as he pushed it into the ring and climbed in. Sara had gotten to her feet, but was leaning on the second rope like it was her life support. Rob booted her in her ribcage, then set the ladder up in the corner. He went back over to Sara, but she met him with very stiff chops to the chest. After the third or fourth one, Rob hit her with his right forearm, dragging her to the middle of the ring. He dropped her with a hard powerslam, then limped over to the ladder. As he climbed up, though, Sara got to her feet. She made her way to the ladder as well, hitting Rob in the lower back. She quickly climbed up behind him, put her arms around his waist, and took him down to the mat with a German suplex. She groaned and turned to her side, grabbing at her back. For the second time in the match, the fans began to chant, "Holy shit!" As Earl got to eight, Sara and Rob both stumbled to their feet. Sara grabbed Rob from behind, executing yet another German suplex. She slowly got to her feet, and looked from Rob to the ladder. _You brought the ladder in_, she thought leaning against the ropes, _Let's use the bastard_. She slowly climbed up to the top of the ladder, glad that she didn't have too profound a fear of heights, and slowly stood as the object wobbled slightly.

_Here goes nothin'_, she thought before jumping off of the ladder. Rob rolled out of the ring right before she hit her planned elbow, and the fans screamed loudly at the impact. Sara screamed loudly at the pain in her arm, grabbing her elbow, and curling up into a tight ball. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_, she thought as tears filled her eyes, _That was fucking stupid!_ Rob got to his feet and grabbed the trashcan lid. Sara twitched slightly, but got to her feet as well. When Rob swung at her, she grabbed his right arm and dropped to the mat. She put his right arm between her legs, and pulled his left arm back as well. It was a submission move she'd seen on an old wrestling tape a few years back, and fit perfectly for that moment in her match. Rob screamed loudly as his chest was stretched taut, moving his legs forward to try to ease the pressure. "God, get her off, get her off!" he yelled at Earl. "I can't!" Earl responded as Sara cinched the move on even tighter, garnering more screams from Rob. After about 30 seconds, Sara released the hold, laying back on the mat to rest. Earl began his count automatically, and Sara slowly moved to her hands and knees, taking deep breaths as she tried to focus. _Come on, Angel, not too much longer_, she thought slowly getting to her feet. Rob stirred at seven, and crawled towards the trashcan lid. _Oh, no, not again, motherfucker_, she thought dropping a double-axe handle onto his back. She hit him hard with forearm blows, then picking him up and taking him over with two more belly-to-back suplexes. She went for a third, but Rob blocked it by wrapping his left foot around her calf. He hit her with a hard back elbow, causing her to release him. He pulled her into a front facelock, grabbed a handful of tights, then lifted her up and drove her into the trashcan lid with a modified DDT.

Sara went limp against his body, and Rob slid from under her left arm. _Oh, shit, I hope she's okay_, he thought glancing at her from half-closed eyelids. He got to his feet at seven, and stumbled into the corner across from the ladder. While counting, Earl unknowingly pulled Sara back to consciousness, and she got to her feet at nine. When she turned around, though, she was met with an enziguri from Rob, knocking her back down to the mat. Rob stumbled to his feet, motioning again for Earl to count faster. Sara's limbs shook noticeably as she got to her feet, and Rob groaned, a look of utter disbelief on his face. When Sara faced him, he took her down with a hard spear, getting back to his feet almost immediately. She saw Sara turn onto her right side, and rolled out of the ring, pulling out the planned cinderblock. The fans booed loudly as he slowly climbed back into the ring, almost daring Sara to get back to her feet. The fans began to chant for the champion, and Rob looked around in disgust. Sara's leg twitched slightly, and she used her left arm to push herself into a sitting position. Her name began to echo in her ears, and she realized it was the audience chanting for her to get to her feet again. "Stay down, Angel! Just stay down!" Rob screamed at her. _I had to earn my title, Rob_, she thought as Earl motioned the number eight, _You gotta earn yours_. As she got to her feet, Rob sneered and picked up the cinderblock. He watched Sara stumble around the middle of the ring for a few moments, before rushing towards her and crushing the concrete block over the back of her head. Sara collapsed to the mat, realizing that that was the last spot of the match. Rob leaned against the ropes as Earl began his count. Sara didn't bother to move an inch, and when Earl reached then, Rob collapsed to his knees. _The torch has been passed, Rob_, Sara thought feeling a tear slide from her left eye, _Carry it proudly_.

"Your winner, and new World Heavyweight champion, Rob Van Dam!" Lillian screamed from ringside. Earl handed the title over to Rob, who just stared at it in amazement. The fans booed loudly, and he merely smirked, rolling out of the ring. Earl slowly touched Sara's shoulder, and her eyes opened slightly. "You okay, Angel?" he asked quietly. "Is it over?" she asked. "Yeah…you okay?" he said quietly. "Yeah, I…help me up," she said quietly. Earl nodded slightly, putting a hand under her left arm as she pushed herself to her knees with her right hand. "Get me a microphone, Earl," she whispered as he helped her to her feet. Earl did as she asked, and she motioned for him to get out of the ring. Sara could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she felt as scared as she had as a rookie. She looked out to the crowd, and leaned against the ropes. Every single person in the audience was on his or her feet, giving Sara a standing ovation. "Guys…it's been a pleasure," she said slowly, wiping away the blood from her face, "I, uh…know I don't say this enough, but…I love you guys. You made this all worth it…" She covered her eyes and took a few deep breaths, looking out to the people who had supported her for so long, whether they were booing or cheering. "I'm really gonna miss this business…I busted my ass for you guys tonight…but it wasn't good enough. You got a new World Heavyweight champion now…," she said slowly, almost smirking when they booed at that last statement, "I know, I know…I think it sucks, too." She dropped her head and took another deep breath, trying to think of what to say. "I just wanna say that…as much as you guys are gonna miss me, know that…I'm gonna miss you all even more," she said before dropping the microphone and climbing out of the ring. She walked up the rampway with her hands on her hips, stopping just under the stage set and looking over her right shoulder, tears in her eyes.

A moment later, she headed back through the curtain, where Vince was standing with Stephanie. "You're not re-signing, are you?" Vince asked quietly. Sara shook her head as the tears escaped from her eyes. "I can't, Vince…I'm sorry," she whispered. "Don't even worry about it, Angel. I kinda had a feeling as soon you stepped out on the stage," he said quietly, "You feel okay?" "Yeah," she said nodding slightly, "A helluva headache, but…I'm fine." "Did you get knocked out?" Stephanie asked. "I think so, when Rob, uh, DDT'd me on the trashcan lid…I could barely hear Earl counting," Sara answered. "It looked like it from here, but we weren't sure," Stephanie said, "Are you sure you're okay?" "Yeah, I gotta go check on Melissa," Sara answered, "Do you…want me to show up tomorrow?" "You still gotta wrestle Paul, remember?" Vince said grinning, handing her a towel. Sara grinned as well, placed the towel over her nose, and headed down the stairs. Rob was standing nearby, his wife fawning over him. "Angel…," he said as Sara walked by. "Yeah," Sara said stopping. "Thanks," he said quietly. Sara grinned and nodded. "Amazing feeling, isn't it," she said quietly. "Yeah…I'm still in shock," he answered. "You and me both!" Sonja said slapping his head, "You tryin' to send me into premature labor!" "Don't worry, Sonja," Sara said grinning, "Your husband's a tough cookie…he's just fine." Sonja took a deep breath and placed her hand over her belly. "I worry about him…," she said quietly. "Don't, babe…hopefully I won't have a match like that for a while," Rob said kissing her cheek. "Nah, you won't. That's the third stipulation main event match in a row that Vince has had…I think he'll stick with plain one-on-one contests for a while," Sara said. "Good," Sonja said, a slight grin on her face. "Will I see you tomorrow?" Rob asked Sara. "Yeah, I'll be here," Sara answered, "Got one last match." "With who?" he asked. "Paul," Sara answered, "I'll see ya tomorrow, okay?" Rob nodded slightly and watched as Sara limped away, before heading to the main men's locker room.

Sara went down to Bruce's office and got her nose taped up, before finally heading down to her own dressing room. When she entered, she saw that Melissa was fast asleep in Dany's arms. Mark slowly stood, and Sara's bottom lip trembled. "Will you take her outta here, Dany?" Mark said quietly. "Yeah, sure, Mark," Dany said quietly, leaving the room. "Oh, dollface," Mark said softly, embracing Sara with his left arm. Sara burst into tears, and she shook against his body. "It's over, Mark…it's really over," she cried into his chest. Mark kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back. "It'll be okay, baby," he whispered in her ear. "I'm scared, Mark…," she cried. "Of what, baby?" he whispered. "I don't know what I'm gonna do now," she said sniffling. Mark grinned and forced her to look at him. "You're not gonna do a damn thing," he said softly, "And that's the beauty of it." He wiped away the tears, and said, "You get to sit at home now, and do whatever makes you happy…especially when it comes to Melissa." Sara smiled slightly as a knock came on the door. She slowly opened it, and Dany stood there with a now-awake Melissa. "Mama," Melissa said reaching for her. Sara grinned and pulled her daughter into her arms. "I'm gonna go meet up with John. You need anything else?" Dany said. "Nah, we're good, Dany," Mark answered as Sara made her way to the couch. "Alright, I'll see ya in the morning," Dany said grinning. Mark nodded and shut the door quietly.

"Are you okay, mama?" Melissa asked pointing at the tape on Sara's nose. "Yeah, sweetheart, just a boo-boo," Sara answered sitting down on the couch, "You were sleep when I came in, ya know." "I fell asleep right after Uncle Andy finished his match," Melissa responded, resting her head on Sara's shoulder. "So you missed your mama's match?" Sara asked, feigning hurt feelings. In truth, she was ecstatic that Melissa hadn't seen the punishment she'd gone through. "We can watch the tape, mama, like you and daddy do," Melissa argued. "Alright, sweetheart…maybe in a few days, when we're at home," Sara answered. "Why not tomorrow?" Melissa asked. "Mama's gonna be busy sayin' goodbye to all her friends, all your aunts and uncles. Plus, I don't have to study my matches anymore, so I don't have to watch the match right away," Sara answered. "Oh," Melissa said yawning. "Lay here, munchkin, and I'm gonna go clean up, okay?" Sara said easing her onto the couch beside Mark. Melissa yawned once more and nodded slightly, curling up against her father. "Be out as soon as I can," Sara said slowly moving from the couch. "Take your time, sweetheart," he said softly. Sara grinned slightly and pulled a towel from her duffel bag before going into the bathroom. She stretched out on the bathroom floor for nearly 20 minutes before finally climbing into the shower. She took a thorough, hot shower, washing her hair, and letting the water wash away the damage Rob had done. When she went back into the room, Mark had his head leaned back, and his eyes were half-shut. "Thought you drowned in there," he said grinning. Sara chuckled softly and pulled on a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a thick WWF sweater. "You ready?" she asked quietly. Mark slowly stood, and Sara slipped on her leather jacket. She carefully picked up Melissa, and Mark opened the door for her, grabbing her suitcase with his left hand. "Mark…," Sara said softly. "Don't even worry about it," he said grinning.

Sara smiled slightly and left the room, Mark following behind her. They exited the building, and Sara spotted Andy and Lisa walking towards the rental car Sara and he had taken earlier. "Hey, you two!" Sara said smiling. Andy looked over his shoulder and stopped. "Wait a minute, hon," he said to Lisa. "Damn, I was on a roll, Andy," she said grinning, slowly facing Sara. "Great match, baby doll," Andy said hugging her carefully, not wanting to wake Melissa. "Yeah, it was…emotional," she said quietly. "We could tell. So…you're givin' all this up, huh?" Lisa said. Sara grinned slightly and nodded. "I feel good about it, though, like…it's the right decision for everybody," she responded. "Good, good," Andy said quietly, "How's your nose? That trashcan shot was crazy!" "Yeah, I didn't expect that," Sara said grinning, "But…it showed Rob can think on his feet, so it was worth it. And I'm fine…I'll be hurtin' in the morning, but for now…I'm doin' okay." "How'd Melissa handle it?" he asked. "She actually fell asleep right after your match, and I was kinda glad…I don't know that I could've handled her bein' like she was Monday night," she answered, "How are you? You looked pretty bad comin' through the curtain." "Ah, it was a scratch. I'm fine," Andy said grinning. "You sound like me," she said chuckling softly. "Alright, sweetheart, we'll see ya in the morning, okay?" Andy said, feeling Lisa tugging on his arm, "Yes, mama, I'm comin'!" Lisa smirked and slapped the back of his head, then went to apologize when Andy groaned in pain. "Sorry, baby," she said smiling innocently. "Yeah, yeah," Andy said as they continued to their car. Mark led Sara to the car he'd rented, and opened up the back door. Sara eased Melissa into the backseat, buckling her up before throwing her duffel bag on the floor. "You gonna be okay to drive?" she asked Mark, putting her suitcase in the trunk. Mark merely grinned and handed her the keys. Sara grinned as well and climbed into the driver's seat. Once Mark was all settled into the passenger's seat, Sara pulled into the main street, wanting a bed more than ever.

She arrived at the hotel Mark had directed her to a few minutes later. She decided to only take her suitcase up to her room, and carried Melissa into the building as well. Mark unlocked the door and pushed it open with his foot, letting Sara in first. Sara set her suitcase by the dresser, then placed Melissa in the middle of the bed. "What side do you have to sleep on?" she asked Mark softly. "My left," he answered quietly. Sara nodded slightly and kicked off her tennis shoes, climbing into the bed. Mark turned off the light, then carefully laid down beside Melissa. "You did good tonight, dollface…I'm proud o' you," he whispered. Sara grinned and shifted onto her right side, placing her hand over Melissa's back. "I'm so glad she didn't see that match, Mark…I kept thinkin' about her watchin' when I was out there, hopin' you had covered her eyes when things got too violent," she said quietly. "Yeah, I was…pretty worried about you," he said softly, "The lid shot to the face…the moonsault…the elbow drop…that cinderblock…" "Yeah…but it was all worth it," she said quietly, "I think the fans enjoyed it." "Yeah, I'd say so…not every day you see a standing ovation," Mark said grinning. Sara chuckled softly, then groaned quietly. "You okay?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, the pain's startin' to kick in," she whispered, "I'm hopin' that…if I fall asleep soon…I won't have to deal with it 'til morning." Mark grinned and linked his fingers with hers. "You better start tryin' to go to sleep, then," he said softly. Sara kissed the back of his hand and whispered, "I love you." "I love you, too, sweetheart," Mark returned, "Goodnight, dollface." Sara said the same and closed her eyes, more than relieved that the day was officially over.


	120. Fond Farewell

**Who's good at procrastinating as much as possible? THIS girl! 8-) LOL Yeah, a month since the last update. To be honest, it took two weeks just to start writing up this chapter. Once I kinda got an idea of how I wanted it to go, it then took another two weeks to actually write it out. I'd sit down and write a paragraph or two one time, or two or three pages another time. Grand total for this chapter: 32 pages in Word. Just one shy of the chapter before this one. Don't worry, there's still the Epilogue to go. I might not get that one out 'til November 20th, like the day before I go home for Thanksgiving Break. I'd love to finish it on my b-day (Nov. 24th), but I won't be near my computer on that day. So...you'll get the last chapter on or before November 22nd. That's a promise. Anywho, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll save my last comments/goodbye speech for after the Epilogue. :)**

**Shannon

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Chapter 119…Fond Farewell

The next morning, Sara awoke in tears. Melissa had draped herself over Sara's midsection during the night, and now Sara felt as though there were a thousand knives stabbing at her stomach. "Oh, dear God," she whispered slowly easing Melissa from off of her. "Mama," Melissa mumbled squeezing her mother's waist. Sara bit down on her bottom lip to keep from screaming, tears slipping down the sides of the face. "Come on, munchkin, you gotta get off," she whispered, her breathing fast and harsh. Melissa slowly moved to the softness of the bed, and Sara tried to take deep breaths. The bathroom door opened, and she looked over her shoulder at Mark. "Baby, what is it?" he asked, noticing that she was crying silently. Sara's bottom lip trembled, and Mark slowly sat down beside her. "How's your arm?" she whispered. "I just took some painkillers, so I'll be fine," he answered, "What about you?" "I wish I had some painkillers right now," she said forcing a smile. "Everywhere?" he asked softly. Sara nodded slightly and took another deep breath. "Melissa was…layin' on me, and…it felt like my stomach was just bein' ripped to shreds," she said quietly. "Is it your ribs?" he asked quietly. "Not really…it's just really sore," she said quietly, "It hurts everywhere, Mark…I hurt in places I forgot could hurt." Mark grinned and leaned forward, kissing her softly. "I ordered breakfast…it should be here soon, okay?" he said softly, "I'll feed ya breakfast in bed." "How? You only got one good arm," she said grinning. "You shouldn't make fun o' the handicapped. It's just rude," he said grinning. Sara chuckled softly, then grabbed at her midsection. "Stop making me laugh," she said grinning. "I can't help it," he whispered. "Well, just give it a rest for a while…like the rest o' the day," she said smiling. "Fine," Mark said rolling his eyes playfully.

There was a knock on the door nearly 15 minutes later, and Mark stood. He slowly opened the door, and grinned down at the bellhop. "Thanks," he said stepping to the side. "You're welcome, sir," the young man said pushing the cart into the room, "Where would you like this?" "Over here, please," Sara said from the bed, pushing herself into a sitting position. "Sure thing, ma'am," the young man said to her. Mark handed him a $10 bill as he walked out. "Thank you, sir," the man said politely. Mark nodded curtly and shut the door. "Ah, don't you move a muscle," he said as Sara reached towards the cart. Sara grinned and leaned back against the pillows, shrugging slightly. "Whatever you say, babe," she said softly. Mark sat down at her side and uncovered the platter. Sara inhaled the scents deeply, a look of sheer pleasure coming to her face. "God, that smells so good," she said quietly. "Food," Melissa mumbled from her side. Sara smirked and looked over her shoulder as Melissa slowly sat up. "Oh, what'd ya get?" Melissa asked climbing over her mother's stomach. Sara winced and squeezed her eyes shut. "Watch it, munchkin," she whispered. "Sorry, mama," Melissa said quietly, "Are you okay?" "Yeah, I'll be alright. Just a few bumps and bruises. Nothin' for you to worry your pretty little head over," Sara said grinning slightly. "What'd ya get, daddy?" Melissa asked, turning her attention to the cart. Mark chuckled softly and lifted the silver cover. Melissa smiled and scooted to the edge of the bed. "Don't ya wanna say grace, munchkin?" Mark asked winking at her. Sara eased her legs over the edge of the bed, lowering her head. "God is grace; God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Bow our heads, we all be fed. Give us, Lord, our daily bread," Melissa said slowly. "Amen," Mark and Sara whispered.

"What time are you goin' to work today, mama?" Melissa asked as they all began to eat. "Well, munchkin, it's only eight o' clock, and we don't have to be back at the arena until ten," Sara answered after checking the clock by the bed. "Are you really comin' home for good, mama?" Melissa asked softly. Sara smiled and let out a content sigh. "Yeah…I am," she responded. "Good," Melissa said smiling as well. Sara chuckled softly and ruffled her daughter's thick auburn hair. She was starting to resemble Mark more and more every day. Melissa moved her head away, causing Mark to chuckle as well. "What's so funny?" Sara asked. "You know that annoys her, and you still do it," he said softly. Sara smiled and looked down at her plate. "Why do you have to go to work today, mama? I thought last night was your last match," Melissa spoke up. "Well, it was my last pay-per-view match, sweetheart. Mr. Vince still wants me to wrestle my last RAW match," Sara answered. "You're a lot more comfortable sayin' that now than you were yesterday," Mark said matter-of-factly. "It's a lot easier to say it when I'm around you, 'cause I know what I have to look forward to once the show's over," Sara returned grinning. "But once you get to the arena…," Mark said quietly. Sara sighed heavily and poked her food around. "I'll be fine," she said with a soft smile. "I'm sure you will be, baby," Mark said softly. "Did you sleep okay last night?" she asked quietly. "Yeah, for the most part. I woke up a few times, but it was nothin' major," he answered, "I'd just look over at you and the munchkin, and the pain would just kinda go away on its own." Sara smiled more fully before digging into the eggs on her plate.

"Mama, can I watch your match tonight with Mr. Paul?" Melissa asked suddenly. "Yeah, sure, sweetheart," Sara said grinning. "Are you gonna be okay?" Melissa asked secondly. "Oh, yeah, you know your mama's a tough one. I've got some bumps and bruises, but I'll be fine workin' with Mr. Paul tonight," Sara responded. "Good. Were you mad at me when I hit Mr. Rob?" Melissa said looking up at her mother. Sara thought back to Monday night, and remembered her own feelings of anger towards both Rob and Mark, and her worry about Melissa. "No, baby, I wasn't mad at you. You had every right to feel the way you did. You shouldn't hit somebody unless they hit you first, but…I can let that one slide," she answered finally. "Okay," Melissa said smiling. Sara chuckled softly and took her time in eating her breakfast. When she was finally done, Mark moved to push the cart away from the bed. "No, stop, Mark. You need to rest up that arm, and you're not gonna be able to do that if you're keepin' busy all day," Sara said getting to her feet. "You're the one who needs to rest up," Mark said with a grin. "Give me another 24 hours, and I'm gonna be resting up for a long, long time," she said smiling slightly. Mark chuckled as she went into the bathroom, carefully sitting down beside Melissa. "You ready for today, munchkin?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, daddy. Are you?" Melissa responded. Mark took a deep breath and looked at the bathroom door, thinking of what it would be like without Sara on the road, even as a part of a different roster. _No more hassles about babysitters, no more hassles about special appearances, no more worries about risking too much_, he thought with a grin. "Yeah, baby…I'm as ready as I'll ever be," he answered quietly.

Sara undressed in the bathroom slowly, looking at the splash of bruises covering her entire back, a large bruise on her right elbow from the missed elbow drop, and the slight swell of her right eye. There was no visible damage to her midsection, but it was extremely tender. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, a slight grin coming to her face. _You're a crazy broad, Sara Callaway_, she thought running her fingers through her hair, then wincing, _God, even that part hurts_. She quickly turned on the shower, setting it to a fairly hot temperature. She took a deep breath before stepping under the streaming water. "Oh, my God," she whispered in pain. The contact of the water both soothed and stung her extremely sore body. She stood there for at least five minutes, just allowing the water to soak into her skin. After acclimating to the near-scalding temperature, she began to move around in the tub, slowly but methodically stretching out tightened muscles. She heard the door open, and peeked out of the curtain, grinning slightly at Mark. "Hello, there," she said somewhat invitingly, "To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Callaway?" "I just wanna talk a little bit," Mark said closing the door, "Melissa's watching some cartoons, so…" "Okay," Sara responded, winking at him before closing the shower curtain, "Let's talk, babe." "How're you really feelin', dollface?" Mark asked quietly. Sara sighed and ran her fingers across her skin. "I don't know, Mark. Part o' me is…ecstatic. I'm beyond happy to be goin' home with you and our daughter…but…another part o' me…still wants to stick around, like…I regret telling Vince I wasn't gonna re-sign," she answered honestly, "And…part o' me just…doesn't give a damn either way…" Mark grinned and said, "I kinda figured." "Yeah, you're a regular Mr. Know-It-All," Sara said playfully.

Mark chuckled softly and peeked through the curtain, whistling softly. "That's a lotta damage, dollface," he said softly. "Yeah, no kiddin'," she said, her eyes locking with his, "It hurts a little less with every stretch, though…" "So you're gonna be okay to wrestle?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, of course," she answered grinning, "Now, do you mind?" "I don't know…I kinda like watchin' you," he said grinning mischievously. "Perv," Sara said slapping his hand away playfully. Mark chuckled softly and seated himself on the toilet. "I take it you've already showered," she said rotating her neck slowly. "Yeah…I got up early 'cause I knew you'd wanna relax before we had to go back to the arena," he answered. "Thank you," Sara said quietly. "Not a problem, dollface," Mark responded. "It's gonna be so hard, Mark," she said quietly, tears coming to her eyes, "Knowing that…I'll be walking into an arena…as a performer…for the last time." "I know, dollface…but you know somethin'?" he said quietly. "What?" she asked softly. "The sooner you get there…the sooner the day's over…and that means we can go home," he said quietly. "I know, I know," Sara said, "But…I'm not sure I wanna go home." "What do you mean by that?" he asked. "I don't know, Mark…I guess I just…it's hard to explain," she responded slowly. "Take your time, baby," he said quietly. "I guess…I'm not ready to go home yet, because…I know that, once I step inside our house…I'm gonna realize that…I'm not working anymore…," she said slowly, "You know me…I don't like…not havin' anything to do, at least, for an extended period o' time." "Remember what I told you yesterday? About that contract Vince offered you?" he said quietly, "Take a few months off…if you find you're missin' it more and more every day…give the old man a call. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to bring you back into the fold, even if it is only for a few more years." "Okay," Sara said softly. A knock came on the door moments later, cutting their conversation short.

The bathroom door crept open, and Mark grinned as Melissa peeked her head inside. "Yeah, munchkin?" he said. "When do I get to take a bath? Mama's gonna use up all the hot water," Melissa said pouting slightly. Sara chuckled softly and poked her head out of the shower. "Give me about ten minutes, munchkin. I'll save some hot water for you, I promise," she said smiling. "Okay, mama," Melissa said before going back into the bedroom. Mark stood and leaned down to Sara's face, kissing her quite passionately. "I love you," he whispered a few moments later. Sara smiled fully and whispered, "I love you, too." "I better go keep her company. She's just as impatient as you are," he said grinning. Sara stuck her tongue out before closing the shower curtain once more. After hearing the door shut, she turned her focus to showering and using as little energy as possible. A few minutes later, she stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel loosely around herself. She rinsed out the tub, then started a warm bath for Melissa before going back into the bedroom as well. "See, munchkin. I bet there's still some hot water left for you to take a bath," she said to Melissa. Melissa smiled and dashed into the bathroom. Sara chuckled and grabbed some clothes from her suitcase, then went back into the bathroom to get dressed and help Melissa. "Mama, are you sure you're okay?" Melissa asked from the tub, watching as Sara slipped on a pair of sweatpants. "Yeah, munchkin," Sara said looking down at her. Melissa's eyes had been focused on her back, and Sara let out a heavy sigh. "Don't you worry about those bruises, okay? I promise, I'm fine," she said kneeling down by the tub. "But they look like they hurt," Melissa said quietly. "I'm not gonna lie and say they don't, but…I feel a lot better now than when I first woke up, okay?" Sara said. Melissa nodded slightly and picked up a handful of airy bubbles, blowing them in Sara's direction. Sara chuckled softly and stood, grabbing her t-shirt from beside the sink.

Nearly 15 minutes later, both females headed back into the main room, where they found Mark stretched out fast asleep on the bed. "Keep quiet, okay, munchkin?" Sara said softly. Melissa nodded and allowed Sara to help her get dressed. Once they were done, Sara packed up her duffel bag. As she finished, her cell phone rang loudly from the dresser. Mark stirred and groaned softly. "Sorry, babe," Sara said grabbing her phone, "Hello?" "Good morning, Sara, it's Vince," Vince responded. "Hey, Vince," Sara said going into the bathroom and shutting the door quietly. "I was just wondering how soon you were going to be here," Vince said. "I was actually about to wake Mark up so we could head there," she answered, "Why, what's up?" "Nothing. I just need you here to do record some sound bites for a video we're putting together," Vince answered, "We've already got the music and video put together, now we just need your part of it." "Alright, that's fine. What kind of video is it?" Sara said slowly. "Just a…a summary of your career," he answered, "It's about four and a half minutes long." "12 and a half years in four and a half minutes, huh?" Sara said quietly, fighting the oncoming tears. "It's a good video…short, but very comprehensive," Vince responded, "I think you'll like it. I'll give you more details once you get here, okay?" "I'll be there in about 20 minutes," she said sniffling. "Alright, sweetheart. Bye," he said. Sara ended the call and let out a slow breath, wiping away a stray tear with the back of her hand. _This is gonna be a lotta harder than I thought it would_, she thought leaving the bathroom. "Who was that?" Mark asked slowly sitting up from the bed, wary of his right arm, which was still in a sling. "Vince…he wants me there as soon as possible to record some pieces for a video," she answered dropping her phone in her duffel bag. "What kinda video?" he asked. "Just a little…tribute video, I guess…I don't know," she said quietly. "Alright, babe," he said moving from the bed. Sara looked up at him, letting out another heavy sigh. "Just think, I'll be right there for ya, all day," he said touching her cheek. Sara grinned and looked down at Melissa. "You ready, munchkin?" she asked. Melissa nodded as she slipped on her backpack. Sara smiled and headed out of the room, followed by her husband and daughter.

Mark (who had insisted on driving, even with one hand) pulled into the KeyArena close to ten o' clock. The roads had been a little busier than the day before, so it took a little longer to arrive at their destination. As he parked their car, Sara saw Rob walking in with Sonja. She smiled and waved slightly to him, chuckling softly when she saw that he was carrying the World title in his hand. _Was it really three months ago when I was doin' the same thing_, she thought turning the car off. "You okay, babe?" Mark asked quietly. "Yeah, just thinkin'…," Sara answered grinning, "Reflecting, I guess, would be the word." "On?" he asked. "A little bit o' everything today, Mark," she responded before climbing out of the car. Mark sighed and looked over his shoulder at Melissa. "How ya doin' back there, munchkin?" he asked quietly. "I'm okay, daddy. I can't wait to see everybody again," Melissa said excitedly, opening her door and sliding out of the back seat. Mark looked in the rearview mirror at the open trunk, watching as Sara retrieved her duffel bag, then picked Melissa up onto her hip. "You comin', babe?" Sara asked closing the trunk. Mark carefully climbed out of the car, shutting the door with his left hand. Sara linked her fingers with his free hand, smiling up at him. "I love you, too, dollface," Mark whispered as they headed inside. Sara quickly found her dressing room, dropping off her duffel bag, leaving Melissa with her father while she went to find Vince. His room, as usual, was near the entranceway. Sara took a deep breath before knocking on the door. Stephanie opened the door, and Sara smiled slightly. "Morning, Steph," she said quietly. "Good morning yourself, Sara," Stephanie said pulling Sara into a tight hug. Sara's bottom lip trembled, but she returned the hug. "You gonna let her in, Steph?" Vince asked from inside the room. Stephanie chuckled softly and released Sara, stepping aside so she could enter. Vince stood and pulled Sara into an embrace as well. "God, is everybody hug-happy today or somethin'?" Sara asked once he released her. "Eh, no more than usual, I think. What do you say, dad?" Stephanie responded with a smile. "Yeah, no more than usual," Vince answered grinning as well. "Yeah, I love you guys, too," Sara said grinning, taking a seat on the large brown leather couch.

"Thanks for comin' so quickly, Sara," Vince said. Sara took a deep breath and shrugged. "Gotta be here eight hours before the show starts, right?" she said quietly. "I know today's gonna be hard, Sara--." "Don't even worry about it, Vince…really," Sara said quietly, "What's this video thing you wanted me to do?" "We'll let you see it first, so you can get a general idea of the kinda stuff you wanna say," Vince said. Stephanie popped a tape into the VCR, and turned on the television. Sara watched as the screen faded into a picture of her walking down the ramp with Roddy, the video scored to Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You". By the time the screen went black, Sara had to wipe away the tears that had escaped onto her cheeks. "That was…really well done," she said quietly. "That's what the production office back in Stamford is all about doin'. They've been workin' on that video for…about a month, I believe, just gettin' everything together from your whole career, including last night's match. Kevin Dunn put the finishing touches on it late last night, and flew out here for RAW, with the tape," Stephanie said pulling the tape from the VCR and handing it to Sara, along with a notepad and pen, "We'd like you to take a look at it two or three more times, and come back to us with an idea of the kinda sound pieces you wanna do, and where you wanna have 'em in the tape." "How long would it take you to put all that together, like the final copy that'll be shown tonight?" Sara asked quietly. "Probably up until the show. I'll give that task to Kevin himself, because I want it to be perfect, and he's the only one I trust to do it," Vince responded. "And if I feel like there's nothin' I could say that would make it any better?" she asked. "Then we'll show it as is," Vince answered. "Okay…," Sara said moving from the couch, "I'll have it back to you in an hour." "That works," Vince said.

Sara gave a curt nod before leaving the room, heading straight back to her dressing room. When she entered the room, she sighed heavily, seeing that Mark and Melissa were obviously not there. _He's probably takin' her around to see people_, she thought shutting the door quietly and leaning against it, _I don't know that…I can make this video any better than it already is…dammit, Vince, why do you gotta make this day even harder_. She ran her fingers through her hair and took a few deep breaths before turning on the television and popping the tape into the VCR. She sat down on the couch with her pen and notepad, taking notes about various scenes on the tape. Over the next 30 minutes, Sara filled three pages with statements she felt would add to the quality of the video. "It's gonna take forever to narrow these down," she whispered rewinding the tape once more. The dressing room door opened, and Melissa entered with Mark right behind her. "Where'd you disappear to?" Sara asked as Melissa climbed up onto the couch beside her. "Daddy took me around to visit with people," Melissa answered, "They're all--." "Talkin' about how much fun they had watchin' your match last night," Mark quickly interjected. Sara looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, and asked, "What are you planning?" "Nothing, dollface," he responded sitting down on her left side, "What're you doin'?" "Just writing down some phrases that I think would make this video better," Sara answered. "What video, mama?" Melissa answered. "It's a tribute video that Mr. Vince had put together to show during the show tonight. You wanna see it?" Sara responded. Melissa nodded and Sara took a deep breath before starting the tape. It took a great deal of effort, but she finally managed not to cry at any point during the video. When it stopped, she let out a slow breath and hit "rewind" on the remote.

"So…what'd ya think?" she asked quietly. "Did you really do all that, mama?" Melissa asked. Sara grinned slightly as Mark took the notepad from her. "Yeah, munchkin," she said slowly. "How long have you wrestled, mommy?" Melissa asked. "Just over 12 years," Sara answered. "Wow…," Melissa said in awe, "And that video covered that whole time?" "No, munchkin, they missed out on a _lot_," Mark said, "But…it gave a good broad picture." "Yeah, it did," Sara said quietly, "What do you think about the notes?" "I'd have to watch it again, see how they fit in…but to be honest, I'd leave it as is…maybe ask Vince for some microphone time before your match with Paul, and say all this then," Mark responded. Sara chuckled softly and said, "That's kinda what I was thinkin'." "Did you read mama's mind, daddy?" Melissa asked. Mark looked into Sara's eyes and grinned. "You never know, munchkin," he said before leaning forward and kissing Sara softly. "Oh, dad!" Melissa groaned covering her eyes. Sara chuckled against Mark's lips and pulled away. "She's right. I gotta go give this tape back to Vince…get a workout in…find Paul…all that stuff," she said slowly standing. "You gonna be okay?" he asked. "Yeah…," she answered honestly, "I just gotta…keep busy." Mark watched her remove the tape from the VCR and head towards the door. "You wanna meet back up in…a couple hours?" he asked quietly, "For lunch?" Sara grinned slightly and looked over her shoulder at him. "That'd be nice," she said quietly, finally leaving the room. Mark looked down at Melissa and said, "You almost spoiled the surprise, munchkin!" "Sorry, daddy," Melissa said smiling innocently.

Sara made her way back to Vince's office, and quickly knocked on the door. When there was no answer, Sara figured he was off setting things up for the show. She headed towards the entranceway, and ran into Rob. "Hey, Angel. How're ya feelin'?" Rob spoke. "A lot better than when I first woke up," she answered honestly, "I mean, I hurt in places I forgot _could_ hurt, ya know." "Yeah, same here…I had to roll outta bed, and even _that_ hurt," Rob said grinning, "What's that?" "Just somethin' Vince wanted me to work on for the show tonight," Sara answered looking down at the tape in her hand. "Well, what's on it?" Rob asked. "You'll have to…wait and see, I guess," she said smiling. "Alright, be that way," Rob said, "Where ya headed?" "To find Paul. You haven't seen him, have you?" she responded. "Yeah, he's out near the ring," Rob answered. "Alright, excellent. Sorry to cut this short, but I really gotta get to work now," Sara said. "Not a problem, Angel. I'm sure I'll see ya around," Rob said. Sara nodded slightly before heading towards the ring area. Paul was leaning against the barrier, with a couple other road agents, watching Trish and a girl Sara recognized immediately from OVW. She slowly walked down the ramp, watching the brunette bounce around with Trish. "Hey, Paul," she said once she reached the muscular, blonde man, "How's Lex holdin' up?" "You know her?" Paul asked. "Just a little bit. I met her when I went to OVW this weekend," she answered. "Man, Sara, she is…a natural," Paul said quietly. "Yeah, I had a blast workin' with her," Sara said grinning, "I didn't even know she was gettin' called up so soon." "Yeah, she approached Vince last night at the show…pretty much demanded to be called up," Paul said grinning, "So…she's got some guts." Sara smiled slightly and nodded.

"You just down givin' advice?" she asked quietly. "Yeah, Lex asked me to watch her work with Trish, and give a few pointers afterwards," he answered, "Is that your tribute video?" Sara grinned and nodded. "I figured you'd know about it," she said quietly. "Well, Steph was talkin' about it on the ride from the hotel this morning. I haven't seen it yet, though," he responded. "It's a good one…I actually have to talk to Vince about gettin' some microphone time," she said quietly. "Why?" he asked. "He wanted me to write down some stuff that I could record, and he could add to the tape, but I figured I'd leave the tape as is, and just speak my heart about my memories, ya know," she said. "Good idea," Paul said as Lex took Trish over with a delayed vertical suplex, "Wow…" Sara chuckled softly and nodded. "How long have they been at it?" she asked. "Just about 15 minutes, so they're about to wrap it up," he answered as Lex hit a tornado DDT from the top turnbuckle and got the pin fall. Sara smiled as Lex leaned back onto the heels of her feet. "Hey, you," she spoke leaning against the mat. Lex smiled and scooted over to the ropes where Sara was. "Hey, you, yourself. Kick-ass match last night," she said shaking her hand. Sara smiled and said, "Thanks a lot, Lex. Kick-ass job yourself on gettin' Vince to give you a shot like this." "Yeah, I was definitely nervous," Lex said chuckling, "What'd you think, Hunter?" "How long were you in OVW again?" Paul asked. "I celebrate my fifth anniversary the day before Christmas," Lex answered, "And I wrestled independents before that for about three years." "How old are you?" Sara asked in shock. Lex chuckled and looked down at her hands. "I started wrestling school the day I turned 18," she answered. "Now _that_ is impressive," Paul said, "Alright, you were great. Still a little slow on some things, like reacting to strike moves, but that just comes with time. Your grapple moves were all sharp, and you did a good job of telling a basic story. So…you're on your way, Lex." "Thanks, Hunter. I really appreciate it," Lex said before rolling out of the ring. Paul nodded slightly and looked down at Sara. "I wouldn't be surprised if she has a match come Wrestlemania," he said quietly. "Me, either," Sara said grinning, "You wanna get to work now?" "Yeah, sure," Paul answered as they made their way backstage as well.

"So, what do you wanna do tonight? Like, generally?" Paul asked once they were behind the curtains. "Ya know, Paul…I think we should just go out there and improvise," Sara answered honestly. "How come?" he asked. "Because…I don't want my last match to be so technically planned. I've done that for over 12 years now…I don't want it to be like that for my very last match, ya know," she answered, "I just want to…go out there, and…whatever happen…I mean, I've always been able to have kick-ass matches with you, so I know it will be far from a dud. Besides, I want the fans to really be able to feel the emotion that…I'll be feeling." "Gotcha," Paul said grinning slightly, "Don't worry, Angel. We'll take care o' each other out there." "I'm not worried about the technicalities of the match, Paul," Sara said quietly, "I'm just…a little bit o' everything." "That's completely understandable, sweetheart," he continued, "It's not everyday a legend leaves the business." Sara chuckled softly and said, "I don't know that I'd consider myself a legend, buddy." "Oh, stop fishing for compliments," Paul said grinning. "Damn, didn't think you'd notice," Sara said playfully. "Where ya headed now?" he asked. "Ya know, I really have no idea," Sara answered laughing, "I'm just…wandering around today." "Well, I've got a production-slash-creative meeting to go to, so I'll catch up with you in a few hours, okay?" he said grinning. Sara nodded slightly and watched him head in the opposite direction, back towards Vince's office. Sara let out a slow breath and decided that she should get a workout in, if only to pass time. After quickly changing in her room, she made her way to the arena's small gym, which was luckily empty.

Stretching completely took Sara nearly a half an hour. Her muscles were still sore from the night before, and she knew the pain would only go away with the passage of time. She decided on a lengthy walk/run on the treadmill as her workout, setting the timer for 60 minutes. As she started her run, her mind began to go over all the memories she'd made the past 12 years. _Started off as a valet…had to fight for respect then…looking back, it's hilarious how much of a bitch I was to the guys. I mean, yeah, sometimes they deserved it, but…I had to be that way to earn their respect, to show them that I wanted to do this as much as any of them. I absolutely loved this business from the moment I took my first bump. I knew it was what I was meant to do. From day one, I _knew_ I was gonna set records that nobody had ever set before…and look where I am now: a former World Heavyweight champion…wow…_, she thought as she set a slow pace on the machine, _I wonder what would've happened had I not met Mark when I did. Would Roddy and I have had children…would we have gotten divorced anyway…would he have retired from the business so soon after I got into it with him? And if he did, would he have been okay with me still wanting to wrestle, if that had been the case. So many questions…no answers…all I can do is be glad for how things have happened, good and bad…that reminds me, I should ask Vince for some mike time, so we can set up for my match with Paul. God, my last match…this sucks!_ A grin came to Sara's face as she started going over all the things she wanted to say once she got in front of the camera. Her energy level picked up, as did her speed of running. Before she knew it, the treadmill was slowing to a stop. She stepped off of the machine and sat down on the floor, her mind still racing with ideas for later that night. _You gotta give the fans somethin' to remember…that's been your motto for 12 years, Sara. Just 'cause it's the last night doesn't mean you can stop busting your ass. It's not over until that bell rings, and you're back through those curtains_, she thought stretching out her legs.

After another half an hour, during which Sara barely noticed the unusual absence of any of her coworkers in the gym, she finally headed back to her dressing room. Mark and Melissa were strangely out, and Sara figured they'd left early for lunch. She decided to take her time in the shower, trying to relax her mind and pray about her match later that night. _Four and a half more hours, Sara…that's it, four and a half more hours 'til the show starts…six 'til the show's over. You can do this_, she thought as she stepped into the shower stall. She heard her dressing room door open, and poked her head out of the stall. "Mark?" she called out. "Yeah, dollface, it's me. Are you just gettin' back?" Mark said coming into the bathroom. "Yeah…," Sara answered stepping back under the steaming water, "Where ya been?" "Oh, you know…here and there," Mark said grinning. "You're up to something, I know it," Sara said running her fingers over her upper arms. "No, I promise. Melissa's like you, ya know. She catches people's attention, and doesn't let go once she's got it," Mark said grinning. Sara smiled and began to soap up her rag. "Anyway, I took her down to the ring with the premise of just staying for a little while, but the guys just wanted to hang out with her," Mark continued. "Right," Sara said sarcastically. "What, why don't you believe me?" he asked poking her through the curtain. Sara squealed and stuck her head out of the curtain. "Stop that," she said winking at him, "And I don't believe you because I know you, Mark. You get this look in your eyes, like a little twinkle o' mischief, and it tells me all I need to know." "So…," Mark said moving towards her, "What am I up to, psychic one?" Sara smiled slightly and shrugged. "I didn't say I knew details, just that I knew you were up to something," she said before moving back into the shower once more. "How long do you think you'll be?" Mark asked. "Eh, give me a half an hour," Sara answered. "A whole 30 minutes?" Mark said, "But my stomach's about to implode, dollface!" "I could always catch up with you, Mark," Sara responded. "I'm teasing, babe…I'll be out in the room with the munchkin," he said before leaving the bathroom. Sara smiled and continued to wash her body, thinking, _Yeah…he's definitely up to somethin'_.

"Remember, munchkin, not a word about what daddy's planning," Mark said quietly, slowly sitting down beside Melissa. "Will mama be mad, daddy?" Melissa asked. "Nah, baby…she'll be a little shocked, but she won't be mad," Mark answered, "At least…I hope she won't be mad." Melissa smiled and focused her attention on the book on her lap. "Where's Dany, daddy?" she asked suddenly. "Good question. You wanna go find her?" Mark responded. "What about lunch?" she asked. "Mama can catch up with us in the catering room, munchkin," he said grinning, "Why don't you go tell her, okay?" Melissa hopped off of the couch and dashed into the bathroom. "Mama, me and daddy are gonna go find Dany, okay?" she said looking at the blue shower curtain. "Alright, sweetheart. Did he want me to meet up with him in catering?" Sara asked. "Mmhmm," Melissa answered. "Okay. I'll see ya in a little bit," Sara said grinning. Melissa went back into the room, and pushed on her father's leg when she saw that his eyes were closed. "Dad, come on!" she said. "Alright, munchkin, easy on your old man," Mark said grinning slightly. "You're not old, daddy," she said smiling. Mark sighed softly and carefully moved from the couch. "You okay, dad?" Melissa asked him. "Yeah, munchkin," he answered opening the room door, motioning for her to exit first, "Let's go find your babysitter." Melissa smiled and took his left hand in hers, leading him down the hall. "Where do you think she is, munchkin?" he asked, "We haven't seen John yet, so she might not be here." "But I thought you had to be to work by a certain time," Melissa stated. "Yeah…let's go check with the guys' locker room, maybe she's there," Mark suggested, smiling down at her. "Okay," Melissa said returning the smile.

Sara stepped out of the shower about 20 minutes after Mark and Melissa had left. She got dressed in a pair of loose jeans, and a simple Tommy Girl baby tee. Another 20 minutes later, and her hair was finally dry, spilling down her back. She packed up her dirty clothes, before finally heading down to the catering room. Mark and Melissa were already seated with Dany and John, so Sara quickly grabbed a small plate of chicken salad and water bottle before going over to their table. "We saved you a seat, Angel," John said grinning. Sara smiled and sat down between Melissa and John. "So, how ya feelin'?" John asked. "I think if one more person asks me that, I'm gonna flip," Sara answered. "Hmm…front flip? Back flip? Cartwheel?" he teased. Sara couldn't help but chuckle, mentally saying grace over her food before picking up her fork. "Seriously, though, Angel," John said, "That was a great match you had last night. Tough, but great." "Thanks, John," Sara said quietly. "Do I gotta get up on the table and dance to get you smiling?" John asked grinning. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Please, God, spare me. I really don't wanna spend retirement in therapy," she retorted. Mark chuckled softly and shook his head. "And I sure as hell don't wanna spend my time off in therapy," he said. "Anywho," John said smiling, "I see you're up against Hunter tonight." "Yeah, it's gonna be…interesting. We're improvising the whole thing," Sara said, "I just…want it to be as real as possible tonight, ya know." "Sounds like it's gonna be interesting. Hunter could wrestle damn near anybody blindfolded, and it'd still be the best match on the card, so…I'll make sure to stay around a monitor for that one," John said. Sara grinned and looked up at Mark. "I will, too, dollface," he said kissing her forehead. "Oh, not at the table, you two," Dany said playfully. Sara blushed slightly and focused on her plate of food.

Only a half an hour later, Sara and Mark decided to head back to her dressing room. Dany and John had offered to take Melissa for them, and neither parent protested. Once inside the dressing room, Sara plopped down on the couch, rubbing her fingers through her hair. "You okay, baby?" Mark asked sitting down beside her. Sara snuggled into his side, sighing when his arm came around her shoulder. "How's your arm feel?" she asked softly. "It's alright, babe. You know I can ignore the pain," he answered, "Besides, the swelling should go down in the next couple days, so I'm not too worried about it." "I know, I just…oh, shit, I'll be back," Sara said moving from the couch. "What's wrong?" Mark asked moving to stand and follow. "No, stay here. I'll be right back, I promise," Sara said winking at him. Mark sat back on the couch as Sara dashed out of the room. Sara quickly headed down the hall, in search of who would soon be her former employer. Vince saw Sara running down the hall, and smiled at her apparent energy. "What do you need?" he asked as she came to a stop in front of him. "I, uh, just wanted to know if I could have…some microphone time…maybe at the beginning of the show. A lot of the stuff I wanted to put on the video, I figured, would be great material for my last promo, I guess," Sara answered. "I'd already put that in, and was just comin' to pass the run-sheet on to you," Vince said handing her a few sheets of paper, "Your video is playing first, and then we'll have the opening of RAW. J.R. and Jerry will talk about last night for a minute or two, and then your music will hit, so you're right at the beginning of the show. I did that so you'd have time enough between your promo and your match to get ready." Sara grinned and said, "Thanks, Vince." "Not a problem. You feelin' a little better?" he said. "Yeah…I'm startin' to feel the butterflies, but…I know everything's gonna be fine," she answered. "Good…I've gotta get back out to the arena, so I'll see ya," Vince said before heading in the opposite direction. Sara grinned and headed back to her dressing room, planning to spend the next hour or so just relaxing with Mark.

She entered her dressing room to find Mark carefully removing the sling on his right arm. "What are you doing?" she asked shutting the door. "This thing is annoying the hell outta me, dollface," Mark answered wincing slightly. Sara sat down beside him, her eyes filled with concern. "Don't you worry about me, baby," Mark said softly, caressing her cheek with his left thumb, "Okay?" "I can't help it, ya know," she whispered. Mark pulled her a little closer, kissing her gently. Sara moaned softly against his mouth, resting her hand on his cheek. After a minute or so, Sara pulled back, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. "What was that for?" she asked softly. Mark shifted slightly, turning more towards her. "Well, first of all…you look so damn beautiful, I couldn't resist," he said quietly, taking her left hand in his own, "Second, I really…don't want you to worry about my arm, dollface…and last…you know what the last reason is?" "What?" she asked quietly. "I am so proud o' you, baby," he said caressing her cheek, "For gettin' to this day…for makin' it through everything, keepin' your head up when everybody – including me – was tryin' to knock you down…for bein' the strongest woman I've ever known." Tears filled Sara's eyes, and Mark captured her lips once more. She moaned softly and inched closer to him. "Come here, baby," Mark whispered placing his left hand around her back. Sara hesitated, and Mark said, "Didn't I tell you not to worry?" Sara grinned and slowly straddled his lap. "I love you, baby," he whispered against her lips. "I know…I love you, too," she whispered planting soft kisses on his face. "You can't tease a handicapped man, dollface," he whispered grinning. "Who says I'm teasing?" she said softly, running her fingers lightly over his shoulders. Mark carefully eased his right arm around her waist, groaning as pain shot up his shoulder, then sighing once he found a good resting spot.

"Now…where were we?" he whispered. "Is this okay?" she asked. "It sure is," he responded. "So...what now?" Sara whispered grinning. "We sit here…enjoy each other's company…ya know, stuff like that," he answered, a grin on his face as well. "Hmm…sounds like a good idea," she said smiling and leaning forward. Their kisses were sensual, yet they remained in their same position for nearly an entire hour. A knock on the door broke up their session, and Sara smiled and said, "Come in." Dany poked her head in the door and said, "John and I are gonna go walk around the city for a little bit. You want me to just drop her off, or take her with me?" "You can let her in. What time do you think you'll be back?" Sara said, carefully moving from Mark's lap. "In a couple hours, more than likely," Dany answered as Melissa came into the room, an envelope in her hand and a broad smile on her face. "What do ya have there, munchkin?" Sara asked. "Just a card," Melissa answered handing the envelope to Sara before climbing up onto the couch beside her. Sara smiled and pulled the card from the envelope, chuckling when she saw Melissa's messy handwriting, as well as . "Good job, mama! You made it to the end! I love you, and I'm proud of you! P.S. Glad you are coming home now!" the card read. Sara looked down at Melissa and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you very much, munchkin…this certainly means a lot to me. I'm gonna put it in my bag, so it doesn't get messed up, okay?" she said quietly. Melissa nodded, and Sara placed the card in the front pocket of her duffel bag as she said she would.

"Now what, mama?" Melissa asked. "Well, I'm startin' the show off, and…I don't have to go see Ms. Janet, so…I've got three hours to relax with you and daddy before I have to work," Sara answered sitting down between her husband and daughter, "What do you wanna do?" "Can you tell me somethin', mama?" Melissa asked. "Tell you what, munchkin?" Sara asked grinning. "I don't know…somethin' you did for wrestling," Melissa answered smiling. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "I did a lot for wrestling, munchkin…," she said quietly. "What was your favorite thing?" Melissa asked. Sara smiled and looked up at Mark. "Alright, munchkin," she said looking back at her child, "I hope you're ready for this one…I think it was almost five years before you were born…I was given an ultimatum from Mr. McMahon. I was married to Uncle Roddy at the time--." "You were!" Melissa asked, her jaw hanging. Sara chuckled and nodded. "Alright, you gotta listen. Mr. Vince said that he wanted me to join this group, called the 'Corporation'…but I didn't want to. So guess what?" "What?" Melissa asked, her bright green eyes wide and attentive. "Mr. Vince made me join, because he wanted the company to be better, and he wanted to really shock the fans. And…the best decision I ever made was…not fighting it as much as I wanted to," Sara said, "I ended up doing what Vince wanted me to, even though it hurt Uncle Roddy. I met your dad, and…look where I am now." "So that's how you met each other, daddy?" Melissa asked. "Yep, munchkin…I'd always wanted to get to know your mama, but I didn't have the guts to really go up to her until she got put in that group with me," Mark answered honestly. "Wow…," Melissa said slowly. Sara chuckled and said, "Maybe when you're older, I'll tell ya all the details." "Why can't you tell me now?" Melissa asked. "You're not mature enough, sweetie," Sara said grinning. "Okay…tell me some more stories," Melissa said. Sara chuckled and sat back on the couch, trying to pick another good story that was both easy to tell and okay for Melissa to hear.

Two hours later, Melissa was stretched out on Sara's lap, as Sara finished up what seemed like her thousandth story. "Are you gonna practice your promo for the show?" Mark asked turning on the television so they could watch the recording of the Sunday Night Heat matches. "No…it's gonna be ad-lib the whole time," she answered quietly. "Have you got a basic plan of what you wanna talk about?" he asked. Sara sighed heavily and shrugged. "I'm procrastinating on that part, Mark," she whispered, "Because…the sooner I get that plan…the sooner I have to go out there…and I'm afraid that I won't be able to hold it together in front o' all those people." "But you will, dollface…you're gonna be just fine, you know that," Mark said squeezing her shoulder gently, "Why don't you go take a walk, clear your head." Sara sniffled slightly and nodded, easing Melissa onto the couch. "Where ya goin', mama?" Melissa asked. "Just to walk around, munchkin…Dany should be back soon, okay?" Sara answered standing. Melissa nodded and moved over to Mark's side. Sara grinned slightly and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. People were jetting through hallways in preparation for RAW, but Sara felt as though she was moving in slow motion. She had nothing to do for the night except her promo at the beginning and her match with Paul at the end of the show. She grabbed a seat in the hall by the entranceway, her eyes following the people walking past her. She spotted John and Dany, and waved slightly to get their attention. "Hey, Angel…what're you doin' here? I thought you'd be in your room 'til show time," John spoke. "I've been in there pretty much all day…I need to spend some time just…out here watchin' everybody, ya know," Sara answered quietly. "Gotcha. So 'Taker's got the little one?" he said.

Sara nodded and watched a cameraman dash past her. "I'm gonna miss this, ya know," she said quietly. "Ah, don't worry…Wrestlemania will be here sooner than you know, and you'll be right back here, walkin' around like you never left," John said grinning. Sara chuckled and shrugged. "Yeah, I know, but still…it's not gonna be the same in April. I'll be a fan then…watchin' you guys doin' what you do best," Sara answered. "Just enjoy your time off, darlin'," John said, "You're gonna have more than enough on your hands with Melissa." "Not to mention an injured husband. He's the biggest baby when he's hurt," she said smiling. "I know the type," Dany said grinning. Sara chuckled and nodded in agreement. "So you're just gonna sit here 'til nine?" Dany asked. "Nah…I've gotta get ready for the show," Sara answered, "Think about my promo, all that stuff, so…yeah, I'll probably end up sittin' here 'til then." "Are you on first?" John asked. Sara nodded and said, "My last promo…it's a weird feeling." "I can only imagine," Dany said, "You want me to go keep an eye on Melissa?" "Yeah, if you don't mind," Sara answered. "Alright," Dany said. "See ya in a bit, Angel," John said heading down the hall with Dany. Sara swallowed and leaned back against the wall, her eyes drifting shut. She could hear the fans in the arena, knowing they were watching some young, no-named guys try to entertain them. _I remember when _I_ was one o' those no-named youngsters…I really wish I had more time to help out more people_, she thought somewhat sadly, _I mean, I know this company's gonna move on without me…the show always goes on…but it'll be hard walkin' away from it all_.

"Hey, you," Paul spoke a few minutes later, "Havin' fun just sittin' here?" "I'm thinkin'," Sara said quietly. Paul hopped up onto the case beside her and said, "Don't overthink it." Sara smiled slightly and shook her head. "Just got a general plan for tonight, Paul…," she said quietly, "Have fun." "That's how it should've been every night," he said. "Yeah, it was, for the most part…everybody has their ups and downs," she responded. "Of course…but tonight…should be the most fun night of your whole career," Paul said grinning, "And don't worry, I'll make sure o' that." "Oh, Lord, now I'm worried," Sara said. Paul chuckled softly and said, "Don't be…you can trust me." "Oh, now I'm _really_ worried," she said laughing. "Why do people feel they can't trust me? It hurts sometimes, ya know," Paul said looking at his hands. "Oh, Paul…don't even try that act with me. How long have we worked together?" Sara said grinning. Paul smiled and said, "I should've known that wouldn't work on you." "Look who you're talkin' to, man," Sara said quietly. "Yeah, yeah…I'm gonna miss that smart-ass mouth o' yours," Paul said quietly. "I could say the same about you," Sara said innocently. "That's exactly what I'm talkin' about. Few can go toe to toe with me, Angel…it's not gonna be the same without you…before we go out there, I really want you to know that," Paul said quietly. Sara took a deep breath and nodded slightly. "Thanks, Paul," she said softly. Paul slid off of the case and said, "I'll see ya in a little bit, 'kay?" he said. Sara nodded and watched as he left down the hall as well. _Not too long now, Angel…_, she thought closing her eyes once more.

RAW kicked off at exactly six p.m. (9:00 Eastern time), as it had done for the past 12-plus years of Sara's career. She stood by the table in the pit area, her eyes locked on the small television screen as the video Vince had shown her earlier played solemnly. Tears came to her eyes, falling as she seemingly watched her career flash before her eyes. Paul simply put a supportive hand on her shoulder. Sara looked up at him, letting out a shaky breath. "You okay?" he whispered. Sara's bottom lip trembled, but she gave a brief nod. "I'll be fine," she whispered. "You sure?" he asked in return. "God, this is so much harder than I thought it would be, Paul," she said softly. "Ah, don't worry about it…you're Angel…you can get through anything…even this," he responded grinning. Sara sniffled as more tears escaped from her eyes, and Paul gently pulled her into a hug. "Don't get my suit wet…you'll ruin the segment," he said quietly. Sara couldn't help but chuckle. "Thanks, Paul…that helps," she said sarcastically. "Hey, business first, then tears," he said grinning. Sara smiled and let out a heavy sigh, nodding ever so slightly. "Two minutes, Sara," Vince said as the video ended. "Who are you goin' out there as?" Paul asked quietly. "Myself, Paul…they've seen a different side o' me for long enough…I'm goin' out there as myself…the person the boys in the back have known for so long…the person my husband and daughter see…it's time to be real, ya know," she answered as the fireworks exploded loudly just a few feet away from them. "I'll keep that in mind for this segment," Paul said grinning. "Here we go, Angel," Vince said moments later. Sara nodded and looked at Paul. "See ya out there, buddy," she said quietly.

Sara's music hit, and she took a deep breath before stepping out onto the stage. She couldn't help but look a little sad, knowing it was the last RAW of her career. The fans stood on their feet cheering loudly, just as they had for nearly 12 ½ years, and Sara spotted several signs adorned with her name as she headed down the ramp. Instead of rolling into the ring in her usual manner, Sara slowly walked up the stairs and wiped her feet on the mat before climbing through the ropes. Lillian handed her the microphone with a supportive smile, then quickly exited the ring. The lights came on, and Sara looked out into the crowd, forcing tears from her eyes. "Thank you…thank you all," she started almost a full minute later. The fans broke out into an "Angel" chant, and Sara felt her cheeks redden. "Wow…thank you, guys…really," she started again, running her fingers nervously through her hair, "That means the world to me. Whoever says WWF fans aren't the most passionate in the world…they're dead wrong." Sara smiled as the fans chanted her name even louder. "Okay, seriously…I came out here for a reason," she said. The fans finally quieted down, and Sara took a deep breath. "For the past 12 ½ years…the WWF has been my life. I quite literally…married into this business. And once I decided to sign on the dotted line as a full-time performer, I was given the opportunity to not only be remembered for eternity, but to grow…as a WWF Superstar…as a mother and wife…as a human being. I knew I could never give back to this business as much as it gave me…but I sure as hell tried. Ya know…I look back on everything I've gone through as a wrestler, in and out of the ring, and I came to a realization. I could never have made it to this point…without each and every one of you," she said pointing to the crowd, "And for that, you all will forever have a space in my heart."

The fans burst into cheers, and Sara looked down at the mat. She took a deep breath and sniffled slightly. "The past three months…have been the best of my career. To be given the honor of carrying the torch for this company…only a select few ever get to do that. Every match I had…whether the title was on the line or not…my coworkers, my 'boys'….you guys helped me to take it up a notch. Whether I wanted to or not, you made sure I gave at least 110 percent in this ring every single night. Even if I messed up…in a promo or in a match…you helped me through everything. And regardless of if we're friends or not, I respect you all as true-grit, world-class athletes. I owe you all so much," she said slowly, careful not to break down in tears. The fans clapped loudly, giving Sara a chance to compose herself once more. "I honestly don't have a clue what I'm gonna do now…the hustle and bustle of being a WWF Superstar was never easy for me. It's not easy for any of us, of course. We wrestlers are truly a different breed o' people. Working 12-16 hours a day, four or five days a week, for over 12 years…it took a toll on every possible aspect of my life…but not for one moment would I have traded it for anything else. I've learned practically everything there is to dealing with life because of this business. I'm gonna miss you fans…I'm gonna miss my 'boys'…hell, I'll even miss working for that crazy, dominating son of a bitch Vince McMahon," she said with a grin. The entire arena shook with cheers, and Sara chuckled softly. "I guess…everybody's gotta hang up the boots eventually," she said with a smile, "So…how to end my last promo, huh? This business has made the saying "Never say never" a way of life. I'm leaving this company, yes…but remember…I've proven that…just when you think this 'Angel' is gone for good…know that I will find some way to give back to an industry that has given so much to me." A tear slid down her cheek as she handed the microphone back to Lillian.

Paul's music hit immediately, garnering loud boos from the entire audience. Paul strutted down the ramp dressed in his usual, custom-made designer suit, a cocky grin plastered on his face, and a microphone in hand. Sara took the microphone from Lillian once more as Paul climbed into the ring. He laughed heartily and pointed at Sara, before holding his stomach and leaning over. Sara felt the hair on her neck bristle as Paul continued to laugh at her. "Angel, Angel, Angel…this day hasn't come soon enough. Frankly, I thought you'd never leave," Paul said with an evil smirk. "What's wrong, Trips? Are you still bristling over the fact that you couldn't stop my rise to the top o' the mountain?" Sara asked with a grin. "Looks like RVD knocked you off the damn mountain, sweetheart," Paul snapped. Sara's jaw twitched and she felt her top lip curl involuntarily. "Listen, I didn't come out here to…ruin your little moment with the fans," Paul said grinning, "Well…okay, I did." The fans booed in response, and Sara crossed her arms. "Seriously, though--." "Is it possible for you to be serious, Hunter?" Sara asked grinning. "I'm trying right now, but you are testing my patience. Now if you'd be a good little girl, and shut your face for once, I can say what I came out here to say," he said heatedly. Sara smiled innocently and motioned for him to continue as the audience booed loudly. "Now…as I was trying to say before I was so rudely interrupted…everybody knows last night was your last night. I mean, Rob Van Dam sent you packin' with a smile on his face! However…there's no way I can let you go out with some sappy-ass, feminine speech. We all know…that's not your style," he said winking at her. Sara grinned and couldn't help but nod in agreement. "So…let's lace up our boots, get in this ring tonight, and see who really is the best…let's make it no disqualification. You were good, Angel…hell, you were pretty damn great. But you've never really been on the level of the 'Game'. Let's see if you've been all talk for 12 ½ years…or if you really can…play the game," Paul said grinning, "What do you say, darlin'?" Sara hesitated to answer, glancing out at the crowd as they began to chant her name once more. "Triple H…it'll be my pleasure to kick your ass!" she said very nonchalantly, an arrogant smirk coming to her face. Paul grinned and exited the ring. "Angel, tonight…I'm gonna put you on your back where you belong," he said condescendingly, before heading through the curtain.

Sara rolled her eyes and tossed her microphone to Lillian, who caught it easily, before following suit and heading to the back. She ran her fingers through her hair, and went down to her dressing room. Mark was waiting with Melissa in his arms, while Dany was sitting in the small armchair. "That was a good promo, Sara," Dany said grinning, "You two really fed off each other well." "Thanks, Dany," Sara said quietly, pulling out her outfit for the night. She went into the bathroom and shut the door softly. Dany looked at Mark, and he said, "Don't worry, Dany." "You really think she's okay with her decision to retire?" she asked quietly. "Without a doubt, Dany. The last match for any wrestler is hard, but she knows she's made the right decision for her. Besides…she's had eight months to change her mind," he said grinning slightly. Dany chuckled and nodded in agreement. "When do we go home, daddy?" Melissa asked with a yawn. "In the morning, munchkin," Mark answered caressing her cheek. "Is Sara in the main event, then?" Dany asked. "Yeah. We won't be leaving here until around 10:30, just so Sara will have enough time to clean up and say her goodbyes," he answered. "That's fine. I'm just worried about the little one getting a good night's sleep," Dany said quietly. "We're really gonna miss you, Dany," he said honestly. "Oh, you know me, I'll be around. If you guys ever need me to baby-sit, I'm here for you," she said smiling, "Besides…John won't let me stay away from this place for too long." "Are you excited about January?" Mark asked. "I'm actually kinda scared, to be honest. Grad school is a whole different level than college; it's a lot tougher," Dany answered, "I know I can handle it, ya know…I just have a huge fear of failure. And the last thing I want to do is fail outta grad school." "I'll tell you the same thing I tell Sara when she starts doubting her abilities," Mark said, "If you don't want to fail, you'll do what's necessary not to." Dany grinned and nodded slightly. "My mom used to tell me that all the time when I was growing up," she said quietly.

Sara came out of the bathroom nearly 20 minutes later. She was dressed in a pair of tight, navy blue stretch pants, her name written in gold letters down the right leg, a small, navy blue vest with a gold hemline, and black combat boots. Her hair was up in a half ponytail, and her face was donned with light make-up. She held up her arms and spun in a circle. "What do you think?" she asked quietly. "You look absolutely perfect, dollface," Mark said winking at her. Sara smiled slightly and looked at the floor, feeling a blush creep onto her cheeks. "Here ya go, babe," he said tossing her his wrist tape. Sara smiled and grabbed her elbow pads and ring jacket before leaving the room. As she headed down the hall, everyone she passed wished her good luck in her match with Paul. Sara found a dimly-lit area by the entranceway, and sat down on one of the black equipment boxes to mentally prepare herself for her last match. She wrapped black tape from her hands to the middle of her forearms. She slipped an elbow pad (made of simple black spandex in the same style as Mark's) on her left elbow, deciding to mimic Mark's style, then sat down on the floor to complete her stretching routine. _The last match, Sara…it's really the last match. You go out there and make them understand why you were around for over 12 years…make them remember. Make them all understand why you've hung with the 'boys' for as long as you have, why you were once called the '9th Wonder of the World'…make them understand why you were World Heavyweight champion for three months. Hold those fans in the palm of your hands. Manipulate their emotions like never before, and make them enjoy every fucking moment of it_, she kept thinking as she prepared her muscles for the upcoming battle. Finally, after going through every stretch she could think of, Sara moved to her knees and clasped her hands together. "Thank you, Father, for the career you have blessed me with. Thank you for giving me the strength and ability and patience to get through everything that was ever put in my path. Thank you for my husband and daughter, whom I love with all my heart, and for whom I would sacrifice anything and everything. Thank you for my coworkers, all of whom have sacrificed to help me become who I am today. I ask for your protection in the ring tonight, so that I don't get injured, and so that I can perform to the absolute best of my abilities, and truly give the fans their money's worth. I say these things in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ…Amen," she whispered. She then stood and slipped on her jacket, clearing her mind of any and all things.

Mark walked up with Dany and Melissa around 10:45 p.m. He'd known exactly where to find his beloved wife. He motioned for Dany and Melissa to stand back, before going over to Sara. "Hey, you," Sara whispered without even facing him. "You ready for this, Angel?" he asked softly, placing his left hand on her shoulder. Sara took a deep breath and nodded slightly. A grin came to her face as she turned around and looked up at him. "Without a doubt," she whispered. "I love that jacket, dollface," he said grinning. The black jacket was pure leather, and just barely grazed the floor. It gave her an even more methodical look. She took a deep breath and looked down at her left hand, the wedding band shining brightly even in the dark corner. She slowly removed the diamond ring and placed it in Mark's hand, then walked past him, rubbing Melissa's hair as she passed her daughter. "Make 'em remember, Angel," Mark said quietly. Sara stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Bank on it, Deadman," she said darkly. Mark grinned and watched as she headed up to the pit area. "Let's go find a monitor," Mark said to Dany, picking Melissa up with his left hand, "Tonight is gonna be one for the history books." Dany smiled and followed Mark down the hallway, where they found nearly every wrestler and crewperson who wasn't busy gathered around a television. "I hope you ladies and gents are ready for this," Mark said taking a seat.

Paul's music hit first, and he arrogantly made his way down to the ring. Sara stood right behind the curtain, listening to Lillian introduce her opponent. "And now, coming to the ring, from Daytona, Florida, the former World Heavyweight champion…Angel!" Lillian screamed. The first note of Sara's music hit, and she took a deep breath before stepping through the curtains. The cheers of the fans engulfed her as she eyed Paul in the ring. After a few moments, she began to head down the ramp, shedding her jacket as she did. She slid into the ring, meeting Paul with straight right hands as the bell rang. Paul swung at her, but Sara ducked and continued her onslaught. Paul fell backwards out of the ring by the announcer's table, and Sara chased after him. Paul hit her with a right hook, causing her to stumble just a bit, but she tackled him over J.R. and King's table, driving her fist into his forehead repeatedly. After a few moments, Sara stepped away to take a breather so that Paul could get to his feet. She chased him around the table, and Paul tried to slow her down with a back elbow. Sara stumbled back, and he tried to slide back into the ring, but she quickly pulled him back out. She hit him with a couple of quick jabs, but Paul knocked her down with another back elbow. Sara quickly got to her feet, and slid into the ring with Paul. She got him up against the ropes, punishing him with stiff punches until Paul slid out of the ring once more. Sara smirked and circled the ring once before climbing out onto the mat. She went for a flying clothesline, but Paul caught her and rammed her back into the pole. Sara groaned as blinding pain shot up and down her spine.

Paul took a deep breath and grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her to her feet, only to knock her back down with a stiff punch. He picked her back up again and dragged her over to the steps, ramming her head into the steel. Sara bounced back to the floor, holding her forehead and groaning loudly. Paul smiled arrogantly as he rolled her back into the ring. Sara slowly got to her feet as Paul walked up the steps. When he climbed through the ropes, Sara backed him into the corner, nailing him with a fury of rights and lefts. Paul suddenly grabbed her throat and slung her into the same cornering, hammering her down with punches. He even gave her a headbutt for added measures. He grabbed her left hand and whipped her into the opposite corner. Sara landed chest-first with hard impact, collapsing to the mat. Paul grabbed her ponytail and pulled her back to the other side of the ring. "Flip this time, Angel," he whispered before hitting her with two hard back elbows. Sara groaned as he knocked her back to the mat with a stiff jab. Paul picked her up and, once again, whipped her to the opposite corner. Sara grabbed the middle rope, flipped backwards to the outside mat, stumbling until Paul nailed her with a knee to the side. Sara fell to the thinly-covered floor, groaning loudly and clutching at her right side, which she'd hit on the side of the ring. Paul climbed out of the ring and arrogantly said, "Now we go to school." He forced Sara to her feet, continuing to pound on her body with his fists. He even forced her into the timekeeper's chair while he punished her. Sara eventually slid onto the concrete floor, and Paul stepped back, chasing away the bothersome referee.

When Paul came back, he realized a tiny cut had been opened up on the brow over Sara's right eye. It wasn't deep enough to be bleeding excessively, but dripped just enough to draw gasps from the crowd. He instinctively targeted the wound with hard right jabs. After about 30 seconds, he finally rolled her back into the ring. Sara wiped the trickle of blood away with the back of her hand and slowly got to her feet. When Paul charged towards her, she took him down with a hard spinebuster, jumping onto his chest and wailing on him with right hooks. "You son of a bitch," she sneered pulling him to his feet. She whipped into to the ropes, executing a beautiful dropkick when he bounced back. She slowly climbed up to the top corner near the announcer's table and dropped a huge elbow over Paul's chest. Paul groaned and tried to roll away, but Sara didn't let up. She dropped her knee into the left side of his ribcage several times, before pushing him out of the ring. She wiped away blood from her face again, waiting for Paul to stand. Outside the ring, Paul clutched his side as he got to his feet, only to be knocked back down with a baseball slide from Sara. Sara slid out of the ring and yanked Paul upwards, ramming his back into the edge of the ring twice. Paul groaned and collapsed to the floor. Sara stepped back and glared at him, before pulling back to his feet and shoving him into the ring. When she got back into the ring, Paul had pushed himself to his knees. Sara let out an animalistic scream and planted her boot in the side of his head. The fans began to chant her name as she circled Paul's prone body. She grabbed his head, easing him to his feet, before slinging him into the ropes. She went for a back-body drop, but Paul kicked her in her chest. When she shot up, he took her down with a hard clothesline. The fans booed as he pulled her up into the closest corner, kicking her midsection with brute force. Sara curled up in the corner, her ribs beginning to bother her more and more.

As she struggled to get to her feet, Paul chased away Hebner yet again before heading back over to her. Sara met him with a resounding chop, Paul's screams bringing a sadistic smile to her face. She continued her onslaught until Paul was backed into a corner. She went for an Irish whip, but he reversed it, instead charging at her and hitting a powerful clothesline that knocked Sara back down to the mat. Paul kicked her in the back of her head before dropping at her side and punching her over and over again, widening the cut above her eye. He pulled her to her feet and slung her as hard as he could to the opposite corner, actually dropping to one knee. Sara screamed in pain when she hit the turnbuckle, but she was met with yet another stiff clothesline from Paul. She stumbled out of the corner, and Paul picked her up and set her on the top turnbuckle. He headbutted her as he climbed up, also adding in shots to her ribcage and stomach, before executing a methodical superplex. He went for a pin fall, and when Hebner's hand came down for three, he grinned and pulled Sara's head up. "Come on, Hunter!" Earl screamed. Paul smirked and rubbed his forearm over her forehead, spreading the blood to make the injury seem even worse. He kneeled back, slowly getting to his feet and pulling Sara up with him. Sara pushed his hands away and chopped him as hard as she could, but fell back to one knee. Paul groaned and planted his boot in her jaw, forcing her back down to the mat. He then dropped a huge elbow on her chest. Sara twitched and groaned, grabbing at that stinging area.

Paul rolled out of the ring, pulling Sara so that her head was sticking out past the edge of the ring. He took a few steps back before charging at her and dropping an elbow on her forehead. He flipped her onto her stomach, went up onto the mat, and dropped his right leg over the back of her neck. Sara screamed and scooted back into the ring, coughing and holding her throat. Paul got back into the ring and went for another pin fall, only to pull Sara's head up again before the three-count. The referee hassled him about that decision, but Paul only smiled and shook his head. He pulled Sara to her feet, only to take her down with a Russian leg-sweep, then quickly got to his feet and dropped his knee over her head. He went for a huge elbow drop, but Sara rolled out of the way at the last moment. Both people got to their feet at the same time, and Sara nailed him with a stiff chop. Paul reached for her, but she was able to execute a few more chops before he blocked one, knocking her down with a short clothesline. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the corner, talking trash as he went up to the top rope. Sara saw that he was getting ready to make a mockery of her husband and grabbed his hand, pulling him over her head back down to the mat. She got to her feet as Paul did, and chopped it chest until she actually broke the skin. She bounced against the ropes, but Paul met her with a hard sidewalk slam. He went for the pin, but this time, Sara found the strength to kick out on her own. Paul snorted and got to his feet, while Sara had to use the ropes to stand. She saw Paul running towards her for another boot, and quickly ducked. Paul ended up straddling the top rope. Sara grabbed the top rope and shook it with all her might. When Paul didn't fall, though, she gave him a couple of chops and punched him in the side of his head until he fell to the outside of the ring.

Sara took a few deep breaths as she dropped outside the ring. Paul was reaching for something under the ring, but Sara stopped him with a boot to the back of his head. She reached blindly under the ring, and pulled out Paul's favorite weapon of choice: a sledgehammer. When Paul ran towards her, she rammed the sledgehammer (her hand over the steel for slight protection) directly into Paul's forehead. When he stood, there was a cut on his forehead that was bleeding profusely. Sara grinned and hit him in his stomach, as well as over his back, with the heavy weapon. Paul screamed and rammed Sara's back into the edge of the ring, forcing her to drop the object. He pulled her away from the ring, up the rampway, and slung her into the black barrier. He stepped away to wipe blood from his forehead, but when he went back over to Sara, he was met with a steel sign shot to the face. He screamed loudly and stumbled back towards the ring. Sara screamed and hit him across the back three more times before dropping the sign and rolling into the ring after Paul. "NOW…we go to school, bitch!" she yelled putting Paul into a side headlock. She wailed on his wound with right hands, laughing maniacally as Paul flailed his arms aimlessly. She finally released him and bounced against the ropes. When she came back, though, Paul had gotten to his feet. He kicked her in the stomach and went for the Pedigree, but Sara dropped to her knees and gave him a stiff low blow. Paul screamed loudly and hopped around the ring, clutching at his groin area. Sara clipped him down and quickly snapped on the Figure-Four leglock.

Paul screamed and tried to flip the maneuver so that the pressure would be on Sara's legs, but Sara growled and kept her advantage. Paul groaned and grabbed his hair, falling back to the m at. Earl counted two, and Paul sprang up, his eyes wide with anger. Sara screamed when he grabbed her throat and squeezed, forcing her to release the submission hold. Both people got to their feet, and Paul quickly executed a DDT before rolling away and clutching at his left knee. He went for the pin fall, but Sara kicked out right after two. Paul sat back on his knees, staring at her in pure shock. He reached back and nailed her in her forehead with quick punches, then went for a pin fall again, only for Sara to kick out once more. Paul sneered and got to his feet, cornering Hebner. After hassling the senior official for a few moments, he dropped out of the ring and grabbed the sledgehammer Sara had used earlier. He rolled back into the ring, and went to hit her with the weapon. Sara ducked, and when he spun around, she kicked him in the stomach and locked Paul's arms up behind his back. Instead of hitting her own finishing move, though, she executed the Pedigree and went for the pin. The fans counted along with the referee, but Paul violently kicked out right before three, tossing Sara out of the ring. When she finally rolled back into the ring, she was met with a sledgehammer shot to the face. Paul smiled evilly and kissed the wooden handle, then tossed the weapon out of the ring. He reached for Sara and put her head between his legs. Just as she had stole his finisher, Paul growled and planted her with Broken Wings. He rolled her onto her back and placed his forearm over her cheek, pulling her leg up for the cover. Sara squeezed her eyes shut as Earl's hand came down three times.

"And the winner of the match…Triple H!" Lillian screamed from ringside as Paul's music, mixed with the boos of the crowd, echoed throughout the building. When the bell rang, signaling the end of the match, several feelings coursed through Sara's body. Paul slowly stood, allowing Earl to raise his hand in victory. "Get me a microphone, Earl," he said quietly. Sara rolled onto her side, covering her eyes as it hit her that her career was officially over. Paul stood back and watched as the former World Heavyweight champion got to her feet, tears escaping from her eyes. "Ya know, Angel…I've seen a lotta people come and go. You and I have…been up and down the roads for 12-plus years…we've fought beside each other, and we've fought against each other," he said slowly, "And…as hard as this is gonna be for me to admit…you, darlin'…are truly one of a kind. It's been an honor, Angel." He extended his hand, and Sara looked down at the mat, her bottom lip trembling as she slowly extended her hand as well. She let out a shaky breath as she locked eyes with the man she'd called friend for so many years. "Thank you, Hunter," she said quietly, shaking his hand. Paul grinned and raised Sara's hand, silently acknowledging the match they'd just had. Earl signaled to Paul that they were off the air, and Sara went to leave the ring. "Wait, wait, wait…wait," Paul said putting a hand on Sara's shoulder, "Now…I know you're kinda bloodied up, and I'm…really bloodied up, but…I can't let you leave quite yet." "What're you doin', Hunter? Just…come on, now," Sara said quietly. "There are…just…just a couple people in the back who…have somethin' they wanna say," Paul said wiping away blood from his forehead absentmindedly, "Come on out, you guys."

Moments later, Sara watched in pure shock as what seemed to be the entire RAW roster poured out from behind the curtain, each person clapping enthusiastically. Tears came to her eyes once more, and she covered her mouth, trying to breathe deeply. Everybody climbed into the ring and congratulated Sara on an amazing match and, even better, on a great career. Suddenly, the lights went out, and Sara heard the all-too-familiar bell toll of Mark's theme music. A blue spotlight lit up the top of the stage, and Mark stepped out onto the stage holding Melissa in his left arm. Sara smiled broadly as her husband also came down to the ring, and Adam grabbed Melissa from him, immediately handing the small child over to Sara. Melissa said in her mother's ear, "Are you okay, mama? You have a boo-boo." "Yeah, I know, munchkin. I'll get it taped up after we're done, okay?" Melissa nodded and smiled. "That was a good match, mama," she said. Sara locked eyes with Mark, and the group of RAW Superstars spread so that husband and wife were standing face-to-face. Mark grabbed her right arm and lifted it up, causing the fans to chant "Angel" repeatedly and applaud louder than they already were. "Here ya go, dollface," Mark whispered handing her a microphone, then clearing the ring. Sara looked down at Melissa, who had a look of complete pride in her bright green eyes, then looked out at the crowd. "It…is moments like these…that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. To have the respect of your peers…is truly the ultimate goal of any professional wrestler," she said slowly, "I came in…praying you fans would relate to me, and…you did. Bein' World champion was…a goal that I was lucky enough to achieve. But…what I was really lookin' for…was to be accepted by the men and women I worked with…and tonight…I finally know that you – _all_ of you – accept me for me…as one of your coworkers…as an athlete…I'm gonna miss you all. Thank you so much for this." She dropped the microphone and waved to the crowd before going over to the side of the ring where everyone was standing. "Up we go, munchkin," she whispered lifting Melissa over the top rope and easing her into Adam's hands.

Sara took a deep breath before sitting down and rolling under the bottom rope. Adam handed over Melissa once more, then hugged Sara loosely. "I'm gonna miss you, Angel," he said in her ear. Sara nodded slightly and whispered, "Same here, Adam." Mark grinned at her, and Sara placed her right hand around his left elbow, allowing him to lead her to the back. "You better go get that eye looked at, dollface," he whispered. "I will," she said quietly. Once she was finally behind the curtain, Sara felt another wave of relief come over her. The pressure was finally gone. She locked eyes with Vince behind the table, and he extended his hand. "It's been a pleasure, Sara," he said grinning. Sara smiled and shook his hand as well. "Guess I'll be seein' ya around, Vinnie Mac," she said quietly. "Sometime or another," Vince said releasing her hand. Mark led her down the stairs, where John was standing with Dany. "I'll take her," Dany said quietly. "I'll be back soon," Sara said handing Melissa over. "Take your time," Dany said as Melissa rested her head on her shoulder, "John and I will take her around to say goodbye to everybody." "Yeah, just…meet us at the back door in a half an hour, okay?" Sara said. Dany grinned and nodded slightly. "Will do, boss lady," she said. Sara chuckled and followed Mark down to Bruce's office, where they found the trainer taping up Paul's forehead. "You didn't have to do that, Paul…you could've really hurt yourself," Sara said as Paul groaned. "Yeah, well…you pulled out the sledgehammer," he said grinning. Sara smiled slightly and eased herself onto the second table. "I'll be right with ya, Angel," Bruce said placing a patch on Paul's wound. "Ah, don't rush, Bruce," Sara responded.

"So…what're you gonna do now that you won't have me to entertain you on a regular basis?" Paul asked. "Enjoy some peace and quiet," Sara said smiling. "Oh, I see how it is, Angel," he said grinning. "Nah, seriously…you know I'll be back for 'Mania," she responded. "Of course…I'd consider you a traitor if you didn't show up," Paul responded. Sara chuckled as Mark dabbed at her face with a piece of gauze. "Playin' doctor now?" she asked softly. "Just a little bit," Mark whispered in return. "Alright, Paul, you're done," Bruce said moments later, coming over to Sara. Mark moved to the side, and Bruce tilted Sara's face slightly. "Ah, that's not too bad at all. I swear, you guys make everything seem worse than it really is…scares the hell outta me sometimes," he said putting on a new pair of latex gloves. "You know how the business is, Bruce…exaggeration is key," Paul said rolling off of the table. "See ya around, Hunter," Bruce said wiping away blood from Sara's face. Paul nodded slightly and hobbled outta the room. "You two really took it to the extreme tonight," Bruce said quietly. "Yeah, but…it was worth it," Sara said grinning, "Go out on a high note like that, ya know." "Yeah, it was…very well done," Bruce said pouring hydrogen peroxide over the cut. Sara winced and whispered, "Ouch!" Bruce grinned and said, "Your last wrestling-related injury, and _now_ you turn wuss?" Sara chuckled slightly as he placed a waterproof bandage over her wound. "That should take care o' that. It doesn't need stitches," Bruce said drying the side of her face with a cotton ball. "Good…'cause I wouldn't have gotten 'em anyway," Sara said easing off of the table. "Of course not," Bruce said grinning, "Have a good one, Angel." "Will do, Bruce," Sara said following Mark out of the room.

They went back to her dressing room, and Sara slowly shut and locked the door. "So…was that the little surprise you'd been workin' on all day?" she asked facing Mark. Mark grinned and shrugged slightly. "Maybe," he said softly. Sara slowly went over to him, grabbing his shirt and pulling his face down to hers. "Thank you," she whispered before kissing him deeply. Mark groaned against her lips, pulling her sweaty form closer. "Are you teasing me?" he whispered. Sara grinned and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "Can't tease a handicapped man, right?" she whispered kissing him softly. "So what's this, then?" he whispered. "Thanking you," Sara said smiling broadly. Mark smiled as well and deepened the kiss. Sara moaned softly as she eased him backwards towards the couch. She helped him down onto the soft leather, before slowly untying her boots and kicking them off. "So, tell me somethin', Mark…," she said slowly removing her top, "How much can…you do with just…one arm?" Mark licked his lips in anticipation and whispered, "You wanna find out?" Sara leaned over and slipped out of her wrestling pants, then straddled his lap. "I kinda do," she whispered before kissing him deeply. "You're not worried about hurtin' me, are ya?" he asked softly. "Shut up, Mark," Sara whispered before pressing herself against his chest, delving her tongue inside his mouth. Mark groaned and ran his hands up her back, gently cupping her breasts in his palms. He trailed his tongue over her jaw line, and down her neck, sucking on the soft patch of skin at the base of her neck.

Sara moaned as his head dipped down to her breasts, and he swirled his tongue over her nipples. Mark carefully eased his shirt over his head, and Sara ran her fingers over his broad torso, careful of the bandage on his right bicep. "Thought you weren't worried," Mark whispered grinning, kicking off his own shoes as well. Sara smiled and slipped down to the floor, gently unbuttoning his jeans and pulling them down his lengthy legs. "Kinda…but not really," she said quietly, "Just…make sure you keep the noise level down." Mark grinned as she slid her form up his legs, brushing her fingertips gently over the insides of his thighs. Sara licked her lips at the sight of his growing erection, rubbing her face against the stiff member. "My God," Mark gritted. Sara smiled and kissed her way up his chest, teasing his nipples until they were like small stones. "You're teasing," he whispered as she rubbed her chest against his own. "Yeah, 'cuz it's so much fun," she whispered in return. Mark reached down and pushed her panties to the side, inserting two fingers inside her. Sara moaned and bit down on his left shoulder, beginning to move her hips against his fingers. "Ease up, baby, you're gonna draw blood," he whispered grinning, capturing her lips in a soft, romantic kiss. Sara placed her hands on the couch on either side of Mark's head, deepening the kiss as Mark began to stroke her womanhood. "Oh, God," she whispered riding his fingers even more. "Lean closer, baby," he whispered against her lips. Sara did as he asked, moans coming at a faster pace when Mark's mouth latched onto her right nipple. "My God!" she whispered as an orgasm suddenly hit her full-force.

Mark immediately pushed himself inside her, groaning at the tight feel. "Oh, jeez…," Sara whispered beginning to rock her hips against his, "Oh, yeah, baby…right there…right there!" Their lips locked once more, and Sara was more passionate than ever. Mark cupped her chin slightly, easing the pressure of the kiss ever so slowly. Sara, in return, slowed down her own pace. "There ya go, dollface," Mark whispered grinning against her lips. "I love you so much," she whispered nibbling on his ear. "Oh, babe…I love you, too," he whispered. Sara smiled and planted soft kisses over his face. "You're the biggest teddy bear I know," she whispered with tears in her eyes. "And you're the only one who knows that," he whispered pecking her lips gently, before wrapping her fingers in her hair, tilting her head to the side in order to kiss her as passionately as he wanted. Sara felt her insides tighten up once more, and Mark groaned inside her mouth as he felt his own orgasm creep up. "Oh, baby…please, take it," Sara gasped against his lips. Mark eased his left hand between their bodies, flicking his fingers over her nub. Sara threw her head back, mewing softly and squeezing her eyes shut. "I love you, Sara," Mark whispered before exploding inside her. Sara let out a low moan as her body shook with a second orgasm. After a few minutes, Sara finally moved from Mark's lap, helping him to his feet. She grabbed a towel from her duffel bag, before leading her husband into the bathroom to clean up. "So…I guess I won that bet after all," Mark said grinning as Sara turned on the shower. Sara smiled and looked over her shoulder at him. "Only 'cause I wanted you to," she responded before stepping into the stall. Mark stepped in behind her, running his hand over her back. "How do you feel?" he asked in her ear. Sara sighed and said, "I'm not quite sure yet…it hasn't me yet." Mark kissed her ear and whispered, "Ya know I'm here for ya, dollface." "I know, babe," Sara answered soaping up her rag. She washed Mark's upper torso for him, making sure to say several times, "Don't get used to this."

The couple got dressed, and Sara quickly packed up her bags. Now that the show was over, she was somewhat anxious to get home to start her retirement. When she opened the door, Vince was standing with his hand raised to knock. "Hey, Sara, I just…wanted to give you this…before you left," he said quietly. Sara looked down and smiled slightly. A World Heavyweight title replica with her stage name on the small gold plate was in his hands. "You deserve it…I wish I could've made you World champion more than just one time," he said quietly. "I'm gonna go find the munchkin, okay, dollface?" Mark said walking past Sara, "See ya at the back door in a few minutes." Sara nodded slightly and leaned against the doorway. "Thanks, Vince," she said taking the belt from her now former employer. "And…this is from the guys and ladies," he said handing her a huge envelope, "One o' those…super-sized cards, ya know." Sara grinned and felt her cheeks redden. "I'm gonna miss you, too, Vince," she said. Vince grinned slightly and said, "I can expect you back here for Wrestlemania, right?" "Oh, of course. Paul said he'd consider me a traitor if I didn't come back for that," she answered grinning. "Alright, then. Stay healthy, okay? And, uh…keep in touch," Vince said slowly. Sara grinned and pulled him into a hug. "Thanks for everything, Vince," she whispered in his ear, "It was a blast…all of it." Vince returned the hug and nodded slightly. "Yeah…it was," he said quietly. Sara released him and shouldered her duffel bag. "Are you flying home tonight?" he asked. "Yeah…I'll get home late, but…at least I'll be home," she answered as they headed down the hall. "Give me a call when you get in, okay?" he said. "Yes, dad," Sara said sarcastically. Vince chuckled and shrugged slightly. "Can't help it sometimes," he said quietly. They reached the back door, where Mark was standing with a now-sleeping Melissa. "Where's Dany?" she asked. "She and John just left for their hotel. He's got Smackdown here tomorrow night, remember?" Mark answered. Sara took Melissa from him and nodded. "Yeah…you ready?" she asked quietly. Mark grinned slightly and nodded. "Goodnight, Vince," he said holding the back door open for his wife. "Keep me updated on your rehab, 'Taker, okay?" Vince said. "Will do, boss man," Mark said before finally heading out of the building.

Sara pulled up to her home at four a.m. local time. She looked over at Mark, who was fast asleep, and let out a heavy sigh. A grin crept up on her face, and she turned the car off. "We're home?" Mark whispered with half-open eyes. "Yeah, babe…just think, you got the next three or four months off," she said slowly climbing out of the car, groaning quietly. _I'm gonna have to stretch before I go to sleep_, she thought gently pulling Melissa out of the back seat. "Yeah…but I've got rehab startin' in another three weeks, so…it's more like I've got the next three weeks off," he said grinning lazily. Sara smiled and decided she'd get her bags when the sun was actually in the sky. She unlocked the front door and took a deep breath before stepping over the threshold. "Finally home…," she whispered grinning. Marley and Lucky stood at the top of the stairs, in protective stances, before relaxing when they saw their owners. Sara tucked Melissa into her bed while Mark went down to their own bedroom. "Sleep tight, munchkin," she whispered kissing Melissa's forehead. Marley trotted into the bedroom, and Sara helped him up onto her daughter's bed. "Look over her, Marley. Keep her safe," she whispered rubbing the small dog's head. Marley curled up against Melissa's body, and Sara left the room, leaving a crack in the door.

When she got to her room, Mark was already stretched out in the bed. "I've never been so glad to be home," he whispered as she shut their door. Sara grinned and slipped off her sweatpants, then climbed into bed. "Oh, wait," she whispered picking up the phone on the nightstand. "Who are you calling?" Mark asked. "Vince," she whispered dialing McMahon's cell. "You've reached the voicemail Vincent Kennedy McMahon, Chairman of World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Incorporated. Please leave your name, number, and a brief but detailed message, and I shall return your call at my next convenience. Thank you, and have a good day." Sara smiled as the phone beeped, before quietly saying, "Gotta love the voicemail of one of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry. Just thought I'd let you know I got home safe and sound. Have a good one, Vince." She hung up the phone and curled up against Mark, deciding she would stretch her limbs in the morning. "You better now?" Mark asked softly. "Honestly…I've never been better," Sara whispered, "As much as I hurt…I feel the happiest I've felt in a long time. I didn't think I'd be so happy to be done with all this." "You'll dabble in it every once in a while, even if it's just visiting," Mark said grinning. "Yeah, I know…but to be done with active wrestling for good…it's a good feeling," she responded.

"So, what's on the schedule for tomorrow?" he asked before chuckling softly. "Ya know…for once, I don't care what we do, Mark…if I could stay in bed all day, I'd be just as content as goin' to the city," she answered. "Oh, but you're a housewife now, remember?" Mark said quietly. Sara smiled and kissed his chin softly. "I'd have it no other way," she said softly, "I just can't wait to start teaching Melissa. She's like a sponge, so it's gonna be a blast." "Yeah, that's our little munchkin," he whispered. "Are we gonna have more children now?" she asked. "Let's talk about that one in the morning," he said grinning. Sara chuckled softly and pulled the covers over her shoulders, as it was a tad bit chilly in the room. "It's gonna be a colder winter than usual," Mark said. "Yeah…but it'll be fun. Who knows, maybe we'll even get a white Christmas," Sara said. "I doubt it, but…I guess we'll see," he responded. "Alright…bedtime now," Sara whispered yawning. "Yeah….bedtime," Mark whispered kissing her forehead softly, "I love you, dollface." "Ditto," Sara whispered as her eyes drifted shut. A peaceful sleep came over husband and wife, as they allowed exhaustion to pull them into the dream world without worry.


	121. Life After Wrestling

**_NOTE: Well, I couldn't do it…I couldn't leave the story like this. This chapter is officially changed to Chapter 120…expect a new epilogue within the next week or so…:) After this, it really is over...I've been tryin' for about a month now to figure out a good plot for a sequel and I can't...sorry, guys...enjoy the new chapter 120 (there are some corrections), and wait patiently for the new epilogue... bye, guys:D

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_****Okay, so first of all, I honestly debated as to whether to post this version of the epilogue, or use it as Chapter 120 and write a whole new epilogue. But, I think I've got enough of a foundation for the new epilogue to maybe (THAT'S A MAYBE) write a sequel to this story. Don't get your hopes up, but don't completely forget the possibility. **

**Secondly, I wanna thank viper-sa and DreamingCowGirl, who were with me from the beginning. I wanna thank you for your honest opinions and questions and comments about the story. Also, can't forget about Steph3:16, who joined up kinda late as far as reviewing, but definitely contributed to a lot of my ideas. Jaden18, thanks for your support, and for inspiring me when I had writer's block. ElizaSnape, you my homegirl, KILLA!**

**Finally, I truly have enjoyed writing for all of you (even those who haven't posted a review). It's been a blast, and I'll miss it. If there's a sequel, there's a sequel...if not, "It was a blast...all of it." :)**

**Shannon

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**

**Chapter 120…Life After Wrestling**

Sara sat near the edge of the pool with an arm draped over her eyes lazily. She could feel the sun setting in the west, as the air began to cool down slowly, despite it being mid-June. The sounds of her children humored her as they echoed in the evening sky. "Mom! They're not playing fair!" Sara looked from under her arm, a grin on her face. Her 13-year-old twins, Grace Marie and Christopher Sebastian, were holding down their 9-year-old brother, Matthew James, in the middle of the wrestling ring Mark had had built several years ago. Mark had retired from active wrestling seven years after Sara had, but had stayed on with the company as a road agent. A few years ago, he opened up a wrestling school in the middle of Houston, with blessings from Shane McMahon, who was now running the WWF. Once a month, Mark would bring the most promising students in his school to his home for a weekend to receive personal training from both Mark and Sara, hence the need for a ring in the backyard. "Come on, kids, time to get out of the ring," Sara said slowly standing. "Mom!" the trio exclaimed from the ring. "Don't even try it," she said putting her hands on her hips. She watched humorously as the children rolled out of the ring. Matthew was the tallest of the three, standing at nearly 5 ½ feet, even though he was the youngest. He was often mistaken for a high school student when they went into town. His head was covered in bright copper hair, and his eyes were a blazing green. He looked like a spitting image of his father. Grace (whom everyone called Gracie) and Sebastian were only a couple inches shorter than their younger brother, but they also looked very much like Mark, sharing his deep auburn hair and green eyes. They walked past Sara with their heads hung low, and Sara smiled fully. "Pick your heads up," she said quietly. They looked up at her and she said, "Your father's gonna be home soon, so go clean up while I cook dinner." Smiles came to their faces and they dashed into the house.

Sara took a deep breath and slowly made her way into the house. She was only 45 years old, but her career had taken its toll on her body, and she felt like she was 70. She went upstairs and took a hot shower before dressing in a pair of cotton shorts and tanktop, then went down to the kitchen. She prepared a large roast, a fresh salad, and a large pot of sweetened corn. The smells of the dinner began to drift through the house, and before long, her four children were in the kitchen questioning her about when the food would be finished. "Mom, Tony's taking me out tonight," Melissa said. "But your dad's coming home tonight, Melissa," Sara said quietly. "I know, mom…but I already made the date," Melissa argued. Sara let out a soft sigh and shrugged. "Okay, baby," she said. "Don't worry, mom, I won't stay out late," Melissa said hugging her mom. "Why don't you guys go watch TV until dinner's done?" Sara asked. The four children left the room, and Sara grinned slightly. _They're growing up so fast_, she thought, _I can't believe Melissa's already 16. My little genius is gonna be goin' off to college in the fall…jeez, I wonder if this is how mom felt about me_. Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the front door unlock and swing open. Marley, their three-year-old Rottweiler Zeus, and their five-year-old Doberman Thor, went barking towards the noise, and a smile came to Sara's face. "Daddy!" she heard her children scream. Sara continued chopping up vegetables as Mark came into the kitchen, his children close behind him.

"What? No hello, dollface?" Mark asked grinning. Sara shrugged slightly and nonchalantly said, "Oh…hi." Her smile broadened as she felt Mark walk up behind her. His hands went to her hips and she set the knife in her hand down before slowly facing him. "Kids…you might wanna leave," Mark said staring into her shining eyes. "Why, dad?" Sebastian asked. Sara sighed softly as Mark leaned down and captured her lips passionately. The four children groaned and hurried out of the room. Sara put her arms around his neck and she squeezed tightly. "I'm done, dollface," he whispered kissing away the tears that had fallen onto her cheeks. "For good?" she whispered. "At least with the WWF. My body's finally done…I can't take the traveling anymore, babe. And Andy's gonna take over as head trainer of the school. I'll still go in to watch, but Andy's gonna be the main one takin' bumps with the kids. And Shane's gonna start using it as a stepping stone to pick guys and girls to go to OVW," he answered, "The company's now got developmental territories in Georgia, Kentucky, California, Ohio, and now Texas." "Well, that's great, Mark. You built that school up, ya know…," she whispered. "I couldn't have done it without you, dollface," he said kissing her softly, "You helped me pick out the top kids…you took bumps with them, you gave them probably more advice than I did…you really helped them to get prepared…I don't know what I would've done without you." Sara chuckled and shrugged once more. "You know I couldn't be a housewife forever," she whispered. Mark smiled and kissed her once more. "I love you so much," he whispered. "I love you, too, Mark," she whispered back. "What're you cooking?" he asked looking over her shoulder. "Just a little somethin'…a roast, and some corn, and a salad," she answered, "I can't believe you're home for good, Mark." "I know…it probably won't kick in until Monday, when I wake up and realize I don't have to fly anywhere anymore," he said softly. "Knowing you, you're still gonna go drive by the airport every now and then," she said grinning. Mark chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Get outta here, so I can finish…and take the dogs with you," Sara said smiling. "Fine…I see how it is," Mark said releasing her. Sara watched as he left the room before turning around and resuming her task.

Mark went into the living room, the three dogs on his heel, and sat down between Gracie and Sebastian. "Dad, I'm goin' out tonight," Melissa said to him. "What? With who?" he asked. "Tony…," Melissa answered. "He's her boyfriend!" Grace said smiling. Melissa turned red, and Mark looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Boyfriend?" he asked. "Dad, you said I could start dating when I turned 16!" Melissa said crossing her arms. "That was three months ago," he said slowly. "I've known Tony for years, dad," she argued. "Yeah, yeah," Mark said. "Dad, stop being overprotective," she said grinning. "You sound like your mother," he said with a grin of his own. "Hey!" Sara said from the kitchen, "I heard that!" "I gotta go finish studying, dad," Melissa said coming over to him and hugging him tightly, "I'm glad you're home now." Mark put his arms around her and rubbed her back. "Me, too, munchkin," he whispered. "You'll never stop calling me that, will you?" Melissa said straightening up. "Of course not…you're always gonna be my little girl, you know that," he said winking at her. Melissa smiled and left the room, a bounce in her step. "Daddy, when can I start dating?" Grace asked. "Never," Mark said, "And I'll get your brothers to make sure of that." "Dad, we're not her babysitters!" Sebastian argued. "You will be if I tell you to," Mark said rubbing his thick hair. "Dad, come on!" Grace said looking up at him with wide eyes. "The only thing on your mind should be school, young lady," Sara said coming into the room.

Mark smiled as he gently pushed Sebastian up, and Sara sat down beside him. "So Melissa's goin' out?" he asked putting an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah…she's goin' to Texas A&M in a few months, so I want to let her have some fun before she leaves," she answered. The other three children left the room, and Sara climbed onto Mark's lap. "My God, our little girl is goin' to college, Mark," she whispered resting her head on his shoulder. "I know, baby…she grew up fast, didn't she?" he whispered kissing the side of her head. "Yeah, she did," she said softly, "I can't believe time passed by so fast once I retired." Mark grinned and nodded. "Yeah, it has gone by fast," he said quietly. They sat in silence for a little while, before Mark sniffed slightly. "You better go check on that food," he whispered. Sara gasped and jumped up, dashing into the kitchen. She quickly pulled the roast out of the oven, sighing in relief when she realized it wasn't burnt. She set it on top of the stove, stirred up the corn, then went back into the living room. "It's almost done," she said sitting back on his lap. Mark grinned and kissed her gently. "Thank you," he whispered. "For what?" she asked quietly. "For being you," he said. Sara smiled and bit down on her bottom lip. "Well, you're very welcome," she said touching his cheek softly, "Can you believe we've been together for over 20 years?" "I'll tell you every single day, dollface…I knew from the moment I saw you that we were gonna be together," he whispered, "It's just somethin' you know when you see it." A knock on the door interrupted them.

"I hope that's not that Tony kid," Mark said as Sara stood. "Oh, hush. You'll be on your best behavior if it is," she said going to the front door. She opened it, and a smile came to her face. "Andy!" she screamed throwing her arms around his neck. Andy chuckled and hugged her back. "Hello to you, too, baby doll," he said quietly. She released him and hugged Lisa as well, wary of her protruding belly. "Hi, Lisa," she said smiling. "Hey, Sara," Lisa spoke. Sara kneeled down to their four-year-old daughter, Chelsie, hugging her as well. "Hey, you," she said with a smile. "Hi, Aunt Sara," Chelsie spoke. "Come on in, guys," Sara said stepping back and allowing them inside. The trio went into the living room while Sara shut the door. Mark stood and hugged Andy tightly. "Hey, man, it's been a while," he said quietly. "Yeah…too long," Andy said grinning. Mark hugged Lisa as well, smiling at the sight of her pregnancy. "So…you're having another one?" he asked. Andy chuckled and said, "Twins." "Are you serious?" Mark asked as they all sat down. "Yep. It was a shock to both of us," Lisa answered. "Yeah, I know how you feel," Mark said with a grin. "Chelsie, do you wanna go play with Gracie?" Sara asked the little girl. "Yes, ma'am," Chelsie answered politely. Sara took her upstairs, asking her younger daughter to play with Andy's daughter. "Sure, mom," Grace answered. Sara went back downstairs and sat beside Mark. "So, Mark tells me you're gonna be taking over the school," she said leaning into Mark. "Yep. I've wanted to do it for a while, but I just never had the time for it. Now I do," Andy said. "Good…you're gonna do fine," Sara said winking at him. "Melissa's leaving for college soon, right?" Lisa asked. Sara sighed and nodded sadly. "Yeah…," she answered quietly. "She's only gonna be a half an hour away, dollface…don't be so sad," Mark said grinning. "Oh, hush," she said smiling up at him.

"Is she excited?" Andy asked grinning. "She's already started packing," Sara said chuckling. "She's gonna do just fine…she got lucky, she got your brain," Lisa said smiling. Sara chuckled as Mark squeezed her shoulder. "Besides, you still have Gracie, Matt, and Sebastian for a while longer," Andy said. "Yeah, I know…it's just gonna be weird not having Melissa in the house," Sara said, "Home-schooling her was so much fun, because she took to it so easily. It was hard enough sending her to a public high school. College is a whole different setting." "And you call me overprotective," Mark said grinning. "I'm not overprotective, I'm concerned. I mean, all sorts of stuff happens at college, Mark. Trust me, I know," she said. "So do I, dollface. But we've raised her to make the right decisions. She's gonna make mistakes, we know this. But we have to trust her to make the right decisions the majority of the time," he said quietly. Sara sighed and nodded. "I guess so," she said quietly. "Besides, you know you can go up and see her all the time," he said grinning. "And embarrass her around her friends? I don't think so," Sara said. "Nah, you're too cool to embarrass her. Her friends would probably be climbing over themselves for an autograph," Lisa said laughing. "And you don't think that won't embarrass her?" Sara asked grinning, "The last thing I wanna do is hog her friends." "I don't think she'd let you, dollface. You know how headstrong she is," Mark said. "Yeah, I know…she got it from you," she said smiling innocently. Mark's eyebrows raised and he began to tickle her unmercifully. Andy and Lisa watched on in humor as their two friends hugged tightly. Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door.

"That's gonna be Tony," Sara said moving to stand. "Let me answer it, dollface," Mark said pulling her gently to the couch. "If you feel the strong need to," she said grinning as he stood. "I do," he said winking at her before going to the front door. He slowly opened it and stared down at the young man in front of him. Antonio Caesar Johnson was the son of Dwayne Johnson, one of Mark's longtime co-workers. His usual light skin was tanned from the Texas sun, but puberty had done him well. He stood an even six feet tall, with a head full of black curly hair. His brown eyes matched Dwayne's, as did his glowing smile. He was dressed in a sleeveless Polo t-shirt, brown khaki shorts, and a pair of simple flip-flops. Mark had known Tony for a long time, since he was a little boy. However, the fact that Tony was interested in his daughter had put Mark's guard up. "Hey, Tony," Mark said leaning against the doorway. "Hi, Mr. Callaway. Is Melissa here?" Tony asked. "You drove all the way out here just to see if she was home? Don't you think a phone call would've been easier?" Mark asked crossing his arms. "Well…we're supposed to be, um, going out, sir," Tony said. "Oh, really?" Mark asked tilting his head to the right. "Mark, stop being a bully!" Sara said from the living room. Mark grinned and stepped aside, letting Tony inside. "Melissa, Tony's here!" he yelled up the stairs. Sara stood as the 17-year-old young man entered the living room. "Hi, Tony," she said hugging him. "Hi, Mrs. Callaway," Tony said politely, returning the hug. "Oh, please, you've known me too long to start bein' so formal," Sara said as he sat down in one of the arm chairs, "How's your dad doin'?"

"Oh, he's good. Making the most of retirement, I guess," Tony answered. "So your old man finally hung up the boots, huh?" Mark asked entering the room. "Well, he stopped wrestling once we moved out here from Florida, ya know," Tony said, "That was about six and a half years ago…he was just living out here as a break from making movies." ""What is it about Texas that makes everybody wanna retire here," Mark said grinning. Tony shrugged with a smile as Melissa came rushing into the room. "Hi, Tony," she said excitedly, "You ready?" "You finished studying?" he asked smiling. Ever since he'd met Melissa when she was only eight years old, he'd known her to be a little slack in her studies. She was a natural genius, so she never felt the need to hit the books. "Come on, you know me, Tony. I can pass finals with my eyes closed," she said. "So," Tony said simply. "We're gonna be late for the game!" she exclaimed. Tony looked at her and shrugged nonchalantly, and she crossed her arms. "I'll be right here waiting," he said grinning. "Oh, whatever," she said before leaving the room in a huff. "I think you're the only person who can actually get her to study," Sara said with a smile. "Yeah, she's a little stubborn sometimes," Tony said grinning, "She's too smart for her own good." Sara chuckled and nodded. "So, Tony, are you goin' to college in the fall?" Mark asked. "Yes, sir. I got a football scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin," Tony answered smiling. "Wow, congratulations, Tony! You've gotta be excited," Sara said. "Yes, ma'am, I am. But I'm kinda nervous, too. They have so many great players already," Tony said honestly, "And my dad played football, so I've gotta live up to his name, too." "Don't worry, you'll do fine. How's the team doin' so far?" Sara said. "We've made it to state. The game's next weekend, so we're gonna be practicing a lot this week," Tony answered. "Well, I'm sure you'll do fine," Sara said.

"Are you hoping to play professionally?" Mark asked. "No, not at all. I love the game, of course…but professional sports aren't about the game…it's too much showmanship involved, too much focus on individuals rather than the team. In college, it really is about the game. People thoroughly enjoy playing, so I'll make the most of it while I can," Tony answered. "That's an interesting answer. What do you plan on majoring in?" Mark said. "I'm not sure yet," Tony answered, "Well, U. of Texas offers so much, so I'll wait and feel out my Gen-Ed classes, and see what I really like before making that choice." "Well, that's good, Tony," Sara said. 15 minutes later, Melissa walked back into the room. "Are you ready now?" she asked Tony. "Depends on if you're done," he said grinning. "Yes, dad, I'm done," she said sarcastically. Tony chuckled and stood, heading for the front door. Mark walked with them and opened the door. Melissa walked out and down to Tony's truck as Mark grabbed Tony's arm. "Tony, I just wanna let you know…that's my little girl. No matter how old she gets, she'll always be my little girl. So why don't you do me a favor?" Mark said quietly. "What's that, sir?" Tony asked nervously. "Keep your dick in your pants, son," Mark said before releasing him, "Or I'll cut it off and feed it to my dogs." Tony nodded slightly and hurried down to his truck. Mark waved to his daughter, a grin on his face. "Be back by 11, munchkin," he said as Tony started the truck. "Okay, dad!" Melissa said before Tony pulled away.

Mark shut the door and found Sara staring at him from the living room doorway. "What'd you say to him?" she asked. "Nothin', dollface," he answered. "You're a bad liar, Mark…always have been," she said with a grin. "I just told him to watch himself, 'cause that's my little girl he's out with," he said as she came over to him. "Mark, she's growing up…she's our little girl, of course…but she's growing into a young woman. We've gotta let her have some fun while she's still young," Sara said putting her arms around his waist. "I know, dollface…I just don't want to let her go too soon," he said putting his arms around her shoulders. "She knows how much we love her, Mark. She won't do anything stupid…she knows I'll kill her if she does…and she knows you'll kill Tony," she said smiling. "Is dinner done yet, mama?" Sebastian asked from behind her. "Yeah, go get your brother and sister," Sara answered looking over her shoulder. "Okay," Sebastian said running back upstairs. "I'll go make the table, dollface," Mark said dropping a kiss on her forehead. Sara smiled as they went back into the living room, thoroughly content with the way her life after wrestling had turned out.


	122. Closure

******So...FINALLY...the last chapter. I'm sorry for leavin' you guys hangin' for nearly six months. For one, I had no time on my hands to sit down and type up the chapter that I wanted. At the same time, I wanted to close up a few loose ends, and provide both myself and you guys, the readers, with some closure on Sara's time as a wrestler, and on my time as a writer. I honestly can't believe it's all over now. Knowing me, I'll go back through every chapter now, make a few changes, and repost them until I think they're perfect. LOL! Anyway, my thanks are in the previous chapter, but...I do wanna say that this has been a nine-year project. I started the original draft of this story when I was in eighth grade, if you can believe it, and I'm now finishing up my fifth year in college. So...to see this finally come together like this...I'm so grateful for my abilities, and for your guys' feedback, and for the sport of professional wrestling that has allowed me to even write something as extensive as this. I hope you guys enjoy the ending as much as you have the previous chapters. In Sara's own words, "It's been a blast...ALL of it!" :)**  


* * *

EPILOGUE

**Location**: New York, NY

**Year**: 2038

Mark pulled into the parking garage of the New York Marriott East Side Hotel. He and his family would be staying there for the weekend of Wrestlemania 54. It was going to be an amazing four days (including Monday night for the post-Wrestlemania celebration); Shane and Stephanie had decided on having a huge weekend extravaganza for the 54th anniversary of the company's biggest yearly pay-per-view. Mark carefully parked the rental SUV, grinning as he looked over at his sleeping wife. Grace, Matt, and Sebastian were all driving in from Connecticut the next morning, and Melissa was working, so it was just him and Sara so far. "Dollface?" he whispered caressing her cheek. Sara stirred slowly and stretched her arms, letting out a hearty yawn. "We're here?" she said softly. Mark grinned and nodded. "When are the kids gettin' in?" she asked rotating her neck. "Tomorrow morning sometime…you know Gracie, she'll probably drag her brothers along for shopping," he answered. "Reminds me of myself," Sara said grinning. "Come on, babe…we can order some dinner, catch a movie on TV, and get a good night's sleep," he said opening his door. Sara let out a slow breath as she eased herself out of the vehicle as well. Mark pulled their luggage from the back, handing Sara her small rolling suitcase. "I thank God for puttin' wheels on these things, I really do," she said grinning. "You and me both, dollface," Mark said gently grasping her left hand as they entered the hotel through the parking garage. After checking in to their suite, Sara opted for a hot shower to ease her aching bones. At a seemingly young 54 years old, she found it harder and harder to move around every day.

Mark stretched out on the king-sized bed, slowly working out the kinks in his own body. It had been four years since he'd retired from the business, but his body was aching as much as it was the day he started. When Sara walked out of the bathroom with a towel draped loosely around her body, Mark grinned slightly. "I'm a little too old for you to be teasin' me like that, dollface," he whispered. Sara chuckled softly and unzipped her suitcase. "Silly man," she whispered as a blush crept onto her cheeks. "I still got it," he said smiling. Sara chuckled as she pulled out a pair of sweatpants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of thick socks. Even though it was March, the northern part of the country tended to experience winter for a longer period of time. She took her time getting dressed as Mark flipped through the channels on the large television. "I should've dyed my hair before we came here," she said rubbing a towel through her tresses, which had thick streaks of graying hair. "You look absolutely beautiful, dollface," Mark said glancing at her with a grin. "You're supposed to say that," she said returning the grin. Mark chuckled softly and scratched his bearded chin. "You wanna go ahead and order dinner?" he asked. "Sure, babe," Sara said picking up a brush. Mark picked up the phone and dialed room service. "What do ya want?" he asked. "Mmm…crab salad…with crackers," she answered, "And some hot chocolate." "Can I feed ya?" he responded smiling mischievously. Sara grinned and eyed his reflection in the mirror. It had been almost 25 years since she'd married him, and he still charmed her with the little things he did for her. "Just order the food, Mark," she said chuckling softly. Mark winked at her before doing as she asked.

Nearly ten minutes later, Sara finally climbed into the bed beside Mark. "What's on?" she asked softly. "NCAA Playoffs," he answered, "So, a couple o' basketball games." "Did you even look for a movie?" she asked. "Mmhmm," he said grinning. "Liar," she whispered reaching for the remote. Mark chuckled and held his arm just out of her reach. "Come on, Mark," she said easing over his chest, "Don't make me get physical." "And you know how much I'd hate that," he whispered grinning. Sara smirked and leaned forward, kissing him gently. "I love you so much," he whispered caressing her back. Sara quickly grabbed the remote out of his hand and smiled innocently. "I love you, too," she said settling back onto the bed. Mark chuckled and ran his fingers through her silky hair. "When does Melissa get in?" he asked. "Well, as far as I know, she's already in town…but she's working, too, so she probably won't actually settle in until tonight," Sara answered changing through the stations. After a few minutes, she finally settled on a game between the University of North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs and the University of Texas Longhorns. "Who ya goin' for?" he asked. "I'm not sure…Blue Bulldogs are on a roll…they've won three championships in a row…," Sara answered. "Longhorns could pull it off if they wanted to," Mark countered. "Do they want to, though…that's the question," Sara said in return. "What do you think?" he asked. "Judging by that score, I'd say not," Sara answered. The score was currently 76-52, with 13:34 left in the second half. "Maybe a miracle will happen," he responded. "Miracles do happen every day, so…you keep on prayin', baby," Sara said grinning. "Don't start with the jokes, missy," he returned. A knock on the door came a few minutes later, and Sara climbed out of the bed to answer it. "Your order, ma'am," the young bellhop said with a friendly smile. "Thanks," Sara said with a curt nod. The young man walked away as Sara rolled the cart into the room. "Smells good," Mark said from the bed. "Any food smells good to you," she said jokingly.

After dinner, Sara pushed the cart just outside her suite door, then joined Mark back in their large bed. Mark had propped up pillows for them, making it more comfortable to watch television. Once the basketball game was over, Sara browsed through the TV guide on the nightstand, smiling when she saw that a Wrestlemania special was being shown. "You wanna watch that?" she asked Mark, showing him the description. Mark's eyes scanned the page, a grin coming to his face. "You think we made it on the list?" he asked. "We better have," she answered turning to the appropriate channel. The special turned out to be a countdown of the "Top 20" Wrestlemania moments, and it certainly covered a lot of moments of which husband and wife had firsthand memories. Sara found herself both laughing and crying during the well-produced program. There were several of her former co-workers featured whom had passed well before their time, most notably Eddie Guerrero at 38 years old. Near the end of the show, Sara's cell phone rang loudly. She picked up the annoying device, smiling immediately at the sight of her oldest daughter's name on the caller ID screen, and answered jovially, "Yes, munchkin?" "Ma…," Melissa groaned, rolling her eyes. "What?" Sara responded. "Ma, I'm 24 years old, with my Doctorate in Physical Therapy, and I've been on my own since I graduated from Texas A&M," Melissa stated emphatically. "Your point being?" Sara asked grinning, knowing full-well the cause of her daughter's annoyance. "Don't ya think I've outgrown the nickname?" Melissa asked in response. "Of course not. Are you almost done with work?" Sara said grinning. "That's why I was callin'. I'm heading to the hotel in about 30 minutes, and I know you and dad like to go to bed early. I figured ya'll picked up all the keys, so I don't wanna get locked out," Melissa said. "Of course. Just come up to the suite, number 906, and I'll let ya in," Sara responded. "Alright, thanks a lot, mom. I'll be there as soon as I can," Melissa said. "Bye, munchkin," Sara said. Melissa chuckled and said the same.

"Where is she?" Mark asked as Sara put the phone back on the dresser. "Still at work," Sara answered, "How much more to go for the countdown?" "It starts up with number five after the commercial," he answered, "I'm kinda interested to see how this goes." "Any opinions?" she asked settling into his side. "Not a one," he answered squeezing her shoulder gently. "I wish sometimes that I'd won the World title at 'Mania," she said as Mark's fingers caressed her left arm, "I mean, Summerslam was definitely memorable enough, but…it's Wrestlemania. I think if I would've won at 'Mania, I would make number one every time." Mark chuckled and kissed her temple. "I think you've gotten cockier over the years, dollface," he said softly. "Well, _you_ seem to have gotten by just fine," she said feigning innocence. Mark chuckled and began to tickle her unmercifully. Sara laughed heartily and tried to fight off his roaming hands. "Stop it, stop it, stop it!" she exclaimed squirming. Mark smiled and kissed her softly, easing himself over her torso. Sara eased her arms around his neck, settling more into the soft mattress. Despite being in their 50s, she and Mark still enjoyed showing each other affection. She gazed into her husband's eyes and whispered, "I love you so much, baby." "I love you, too, dollface," Mark whispered feeling her fingers caressing the hairs at the nape of his neck, "But I told you I'm too old for you to be teasin' me." Sara grinned as his right hand traveled up under her shirt. "Now who's teasin'?" she whispered running her finger across his neatly-bearded jaw line, "Show's back on, babe." Mark grinned and looked over his shoulder, the company's logo flashing on the screen. "Just you wait, missy," he whispered kissing her once more before easing back onto the bed.

A quiet knock came on the door around half past ten, and Mark slowly climbed off of the bed. He'd told Sara he'd stay awake to wait for Melissa, and Sara had fallen asleep just after the Wrestlemania special went off. He slowly opened the suite door and grinned. "Come on in, munchkin. It's so good to see ya again," he whispered taking one of her suitcases, "Just like your mother…can't pack light to save your life." Melissa smiled and hugged her father tightly. "I've missed you, too, daddy," she whispered in his ear. "Come on, sweetheart, I'll help ya get settled," he said quietly. "Mom's already asleep?" she asked pulling her bags inside. "Yeah. Traveling wears her out so easily now," Mark answered. They dropped her bags off in the second bedroom, then went back into the living room and sat down. "So, are you excited about tomorrow?" Melissa asked kicking off her shoes and sitting Indian-style on the plush white couch. "More for your mom. It's definitely been a long time comin'," Mark answered, "It's just funny…I think our class is the largest in company history." "Yeah, no kiddin'. I can't believe it, either. All these guys I grew up around are just now gettin' inducted. You think Shane waited on purpose?" Melissa said. "No…I think he was just so shocked with his dad's death just a few years after your mom retired that…he was overwhelmed with all that responsibility of bein' sole owner of the company. I mean, Steph and Paul were there to help, but…I don't know…it was up and down for a long time," Mark explained. "Yeah…," Melissa said quietly, "I remember a little how shocked mom was when she heard about Vince passing…" "I think everybody was, munchkin, especially your mom. You see, you were born just as she was winding down, so you got to be a part o' the tail-end o' her career. The whole time before, and even afterwards…as…rough as her relationship with Vince was at times…they were closer than I think either of them could've admitted…or would've for that matter," he said slowly, "They butted heads more times than I can remember, but…his death hit her almost as hard as her mother's, just because…I think Vince was the closest thing to a father she ever had."

"How 'bout you?" Melissa asked. "I'd worked for Vince pretty much my whole career. Even when I was on my part-time schedule, he made sure to take care o' me…until his death. Hell, he was there when I married your mom…we were friends outside of the business. I don't know, I guess I figured he was…too damn stubborn to let death beat him…he was the almighty Vincent Kennedy McMahon," Mark said grinning slightly, then looking down at his hands, "I guess…nobody can avoid it. Anyway…" "Sorry, dad," Melissa said quietly. "Nah, it's good to talk about it sometimes…back to the original question. If anything, it'll be good just to see everybody again. Some o' these guys I haven't seen in years," Mark said grinning, "What about you, are you excited about Sunday?" Melissa smiled and nodded slightly. "To win a belt mom held before I was even born, ya know…at Wrestlemania, no less," she answered. "I still can't believe you actually became a wrestler," he said grinning. "Well, mama did make sure I at least finished undergrad before she started training me," she responded, "And even then, I did go straight through grad school while I trained. "Don't get me wrong, munchkin, I am more than proud o' you, of everything you've accomplished…your whole life," he said quietly. "I know, dad, it's just…," she said quietly, her eyes dropping.

"What is it?" Mark asked, his voice taking a more serious tone. "It's just…the way people look at me sometimes, like…they think the only reason I got a job in the WWE is…because o' you and mom, because o'…who my parents are," Melissa said quietly. "Munchkin…I won't deny that your mom and I may have opened the door for ya, but…Paul let you in because he obviously saw somethin' unique in ya, somethin' different from me _and_ your mom, somethin' the audience could identify with…he saw that you were good in the ring, and that you could contribute," Mark argued, "And don't you worry, 'cause your mama went through the same thing when Vince hired her. It's somethin' you might have to deal with for a while, baby." "But how'd she deal, dad?" she said quietly, "It's so…frustrating!" "I think you inherited my stubbornness, darlin', so trust me…you'll get through this," he said holding her hands. Melissa grinned and said, "If I can get through your "special training" sessions, I'm sure I can get through this." Mark chuckled and nodded in agreement. "And before she tells you, I know it means everything to your mom for you to be inducting her tomorrow," he said quietly, "I just…don't think anybody, other than maybe me, Paul, or Shawn, would look right inducting her." Melissa smiled and said, "I'm just glad she's finally gettin' in, dad."

Mark yawned and nodded slightly. "What time do you have to be up tomorrow?" he asked. "Bright and early at seven a.m.," she answered, "You?" "Well, the ceremony doesn't start 'til seven, and Shane wants us there three hours early," Mark said, "And of course, your mom's gonna wanna get in a workout, go shopping for ya'll, have lunch with your sister and brothers…have time for all of us to get ready…hmm, she'll probably be up around the same time as you." "So I'll just meet up with you at the Manhattan Center?" Melissa asked. "Sure, munchkin," Mark said as Melissa moved from the couch. "Alright, goodnight, daddy," Melissa said hugging her father tightly, "I love you." "Ditto, munchkin…sweet dreams," he said quietly, returning the hug. He watched his daughter enter her bedroom and shut the door quietly, before easing himself off the couch and going into his own room, closing the door behind him. A grin came to his face at the sight of his sleeping wife. He quickly relieved himself and brushed his teeth, then went into his room and slowly kneeled down at Sara's side, clasping her left hand and lowering his head. "Heavenly Father, I thank thee from the bottom of my heart for the life that I have. I thank thee for the bond I have with my wife, for the love we've shared for over 25 years. You are a loving God, a merciful and forgiving God, and a God who gives second chances. Thank You for the success my wife and I had as wrestlers, and even as trainers, and for the chance we have tomorrow night to be remembered forever. Thank You, Father, for my children, for the blessing they have been to me and Sara," he said quietly, "I pray for Melissa's safety on Sunday, and I pray that you continue to give her strength and willpower to fight through her hardships, just as You have done for me and Sara on so many occasions. I pray for Gracie, God, that she realizes her mother and I love her, regardless of her…life choices. We never expected her to be a carbon copy of Melissa, Father…we just want her to be successful. Lastly, I pray for my sons, that they can continue to grow, and become honest, hardworking men, that they can take life one day at a time, and not stress so much about the future. I say these things in the name of Thy Eternal Son, Jesus Christ…Amen." He dropped a kiss on the back of Sara's hand, then crawled into bed behind her, draping his right arm loosely around her waist. "Love ya, dollface," he whispered before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, Sara woke just as the bedside clock reached quarter to seven. She looked over her shoulder at Mark, grinning at the sound of his soft snore. She reached over and turned off the alarm before it blared through the room, then slowly eased into a sitting position. Mark shifted slightly in the bed, his left arm obviously reaching for her. Sara smiled and took his hands in hers, kissing the back softly. "Hope you're dreamin' sweet dreams, babe," she whispered. "I sure was," Mark said softly, a grin playing at his lips, "Where ya headed so early?" "Out for a run, you know that," she said quietly. Mark chuckled and nodded. "I think Melissa's up now, so she's probably gonna do the same thing," he said softly. "Alright, babe, I'll be back in an hour or so," she said kissing his forehead softly. Mark nodded slightly, a loud yawn escaping his lips. Sara grinned and eased off the bed, going into the bathroom. She relieved her bladder and washed her face, drying it off with one of the plush hotel towels. Back inside her room, she brushed her hair smooth and grabbed clothes for her run. She exited her room just as her daughter came out of the second room. "Munchkin," Sara whispered smiling. "Mama…," Melissa said quietly. The two women embraced tightly, and Sara stroked her oldest child's head softly. She hadn't seen her daughter in close to eight months. "I've missed you, baby," she whispered kissing her temple. "Ditto, mama," Melissa said smiling. Sara released her and touched her cheek. Melissa's green eyes brimmed with tears, and Sara guided her over to the couch. "What time did you get in last night?" she asked pulling on a pair of running shorts. "Close to 10:30. Dad said you were already asleep," Melissa answered pulling her hair up into a loose bun. "Yeah…flying is so much more of a hassle for me now. And…tryin' to get your sister to come up here was like…pullin' teeth," Sara said quietly. "Why does she hate me so much, mama?" Melissa asked softly. Sara slipped on a short-sleeved WWE t-shirt, as well as a Columbia University "MOM" sweatshirt. "You know, munchkin…I wish I could tell ya, but…I don't know why she turned out so different from you, or why she feels the way she does about you. It hurts me as much as it hurts you, darlin'," she said quietly. "When does she get into town?" Melissa asked as Sara finally pulled on her tennis shoes. "She's ridin' in with Sebastian and Matt in a few hours, so they'll probably get here around 11, 11:30," Sara answered standing, "You ready?" Melissa grinned and stood as well. "You think dad will be up when we get back?" she asked as they left the suite. Sara chuckled and said, "Probably not."

After running for close to an hour and a half around downtown New York, Sara and Melissa finally entered their suite. "What's your first assignment?" Sara asked kicking off her shoes. "A newscast at ten," Melissa answered doing the same with her own shoes, "And then I'm meeting up with A.J. for a radio show." Sara smiled slightly at the mention of Melissa's two-year boyfriend. Having trained him alongside Melissa, Sara knew that the young man's heart was in the right place with her daughter. "Are we gonna get to see him before tomorrow?" she asked removing her sweatshirt. "He's got back-to-back appearances all day today, and his parents are in town, so probably not," Melissa answered. "So what time are _you_ gonna be free?" Sara asked. "I don't have a free moment today, ma, I'm sorry," Melissa said. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. You better go get ready," Sara said grinning. Melissa nodded and went into the suite bathroom, while Sara entered her bedroom. Mark was still fast asleep, so Sara kept quiet as she stretched out her limbs. Only 15 minutes later, Sara heard the shower turn off. She got to her feet and stretched her arms, now ready to begin her day. "Dollface…," Mark said quietly from the bed. "Yeah, darlin'?" Sara said pulling out jeans and a black Harley-Davidson baby tee. "Is Melissa gone yet?" he asked shifting in the bed. "Nah, but she's leaving soon, 'cause she's gotta be somewhere in an hour, and you know how New York City traffic can be," she answered, "I'll order breakfast after I get outta the shower, okay?" Mmhmm," he said softly, groaning as he shifted onto his side. Sara took her clothes into the bathroom, taking her time in the shower. The hot water soothed her muscles, and Sara ran a bar of soap across her skin. Her eyes dropped to the tattoo she'd gotten just one year ago, placed strategically on her hip. It was a female angel dressed in tattered ceremonial robes, wielding a double-edged sword in her right hand and a shield with the Celtic cross in the other hand. It was as elaborate as her first tattoo, colored in blues and purples, with distinct edges, and the tough look of a woman who'd battled her way through life, and meant so much to her because of her faith.

After her shower, Sara did just as she told Mark and ordered breakfast for them. Mark came into the living room rubbing his eyes as Sara pulled a white blouse over her head. "Lookin' good, dollface," he said going into the small kitchen area. Sara smiled slightly and said, "Food's on its way." "Okay, babe," Mark said setting up the coffee machine. "Are you okay?" she asked. "It took a little while longer to get outta bed this morning than usual, dollface," he said quietly, "The hips are…botherin' me." "What'd Dr. Jeffrey say last time?" she asked sitting down on the couch. Mark looked at her over his shoulder and quietly said, "It's surgery _again_ or a wheelchair." "You wanna…call him to make an appointment?" she asked quietly. "I need to think about it, Sara…," he responded. "Mark…," she started. "Don't, dollface…I'll get through this weekend, and I'll think about it when we get home," Mark said simply. "Okay," Sara said quietly. The silence between them was only interrupted by the percolating of the coffee machine. Sara eased her feet up onto the couch, sitting Indian style, and stared at her hands. She cared so much about her husband, and wanted him to be able to live comfortably, but she knew his stubbornness and fear of hospitals would keep him from getting the necessary surgery until he absolutely had to. Mark's voice broke her out of her semi-daze, and her eyes drifted over to him. "Don't worry, okay? I know what I have to do, baby…I just wanna relax this weekend with our kids," he said quietly. Sara let out a slow breath and nodded slightly. Their breakfast arrived a few minutes later, and Sara set the plates on the table in front of the couch. "When do Gracie and those two boys get in?" Mark asked easing down beside her. "In a couple hours. I told Gracie to call me before they left, but you know how she is," she answered lowering her head. Mark followed suit and said, "Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us this day to spend with each other, and with our children. We ask that You bless this food, and bless the hands who prepared it. We ask that You allow this food to strengthen and nourish our bodies, so that we can have energy to get through the day, at least until lunch. We pray that Gracie, Matt, and Sebastian get into town safely, Father, and that this day can be one of relaxation and fun. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen." "Amen," Sara said softly.

After breakfast, Mark went into the bathroom for a shower. Sara placed the dishes back on the cart and rolled it into the hallway. She made her way back to her bedroom and laid on the bed, turning on the television. It was just after ten, so her other three children would not be arriving for nearly two hours. "Nap time," she whispered, her eyes drifting shut. Mark came out of the bathroom nearly a half an hour later, smiling slightly when he saw that Sara had went back to sleep. _It is kinda early_, he thought pulling on a pair of boxers and dark blue sweatpants, followed by a black Harley-Davidson shirt and a blue denim WWE shirt. After getting dressed, he carefully limped onto the balcony. The years of punishment he'd put his body through had now caught up with him, and it took more strength than he cared to admit to simply walk. He seated himself in one of the plush chairs and put his hands behind his head, letting out a breath of relief as the pain began to dissipate. "God…I know what I'm supposed to do. I know the surgery would be…your way of…takin' away this pain, at least some of it. So…I'm prayin' to ya to give me the courage to…go through with it. Ya know I hate hospitals…and I don't like stayin' in 'em. But if that's what I have to do…I'm prayin' for the courage to get it done and over with," he said quietly, "I hate seein' my wife worry about me, 'cause I love her so much. So, Father, I'm prayin' for that everlasting strength that you have given me on so many occasions. I'm beggin' ya, God…give me your strength. I say these things in Jesus Christ's name, Amen." He slowly leaned forward and took in the sight of the morning sky, slightly cloudy, but teasing a beautiful day. The air was not so much cold as it was windy, sending Mark inside sooner than he thought he would. "Never did like New York weather," he mumbled going into the bedroom, climbing in behind his wife. He turned the television on, switching through the channels to find something halfway interesting to watch, and settling on a local morning talk show. Around 11 o' clock, Sara's cell phone rang loudly from the bedside table. Mark quickly reached over her and checked the ID screen.

"Hello, Grace," he answered. "Dad…hi," his second daughter said slowly. "I take it you're in town now," he said quietly. "Yeah…um, Sebastian wanted to know where we were staying," she said quietly. "The Marriott, East Side," Mark answered, "The address is 525 Lexington Ave." "Okay…what room?" Gracie asked slowly. "906," Mark answered simply. "Okay, I guess we'll be there in…about a half an hour," Gracie said. "Bye, Grace," Mark said before clicking the phone shut. When he looked down, Sara was staring at him with hurt in her eyes. "Dollface," he whispered. "That's your daughter, too, Mark…," she said before moving from the bed. Mark sighed as he watched Sara go into the bathroom. He and Grace had had a strained relationship from the time he'd started helping Sara train Melissa for her wrestling career. In his heart, Mark knew he didn't have as deep a connection with Gracie as he did with his oldest child. Some days it didn't bother him, because Gracie seemed to have such a different personality than either him or Sara. But there were other times where he begged God for the chance to get to know her, to feel as at ease around her as he did his other children. Nearly 20 minutes passed before Sara reemerged from the bathroom, her cheeks a slight shade of red. "Are you okay, dollface?" he asked quietly, already knowing the answer. Sara merely stared at him before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her. She pulled on a pair of sandals, grabbed her purse from the living room table, and left the suite. She knew that, in just a little while, she'd be reunited with her second daughter. Like Mark, she felt somewhat distant from Gracie, especially once Gracie decided to pursue a career in the tattoo industry at only 17 years old. Grace had accused them of being hypocritical when they'd completely opposed her decisions, since they'd been all for Melissa's career from the very beginning. Sara sat in the lobby, ordering a cold Iced Tea to sip on as she waited for Grace to enter, her mind wandering to the girl's younger years.

_I think it started in high school. I pressured her so much to be like Melissa, even indirectly. And…she just rebelled. First it was the hair. My God, she went through more colors in a year than I'd ever seen. Then came the piercings…Mark almost had a coronary at that point. I thought he was gonna kick her outta the house when she got her eyebrows pierced_, she thought watching people enter and exit the hotel, _Then there was the tattoo…_I_ almost had a coronary after that. And then…when Melissa left for Columbia…she moved out…and I can't believe I didn't hear from her for two straight years. I missed out on so much_. Before she knew it, a tear had escaped from her left eye. She quickly wiped away the moisture and let out a slow breath. _But she came back, Sara…as changed as she was…she came back_, she thought happily. Just a few minutes later, two tall, toned young men with bright red crew cuts entered the hotel a few minutes later. Sara smiled and waved slightly to get their attention. _They're their father's sons_, she thought. Behind them, though, was what looked like one of the tiniest young women in the world. Her hair was dyed black, with thick streaks of pink throughout the thick tresses, and was covering half her face. She was dressed in black tanktop with a dark pink rose on the front, a heavy leather jacket, a pair of pink and black plaid capri pants, and thick-soled, tall black boots. _And she's her father's daughter_, Sara thought grinning as she stood. "Hi, mom," Sebastian said hugging Sara tightly. Sara smiled and returned the hug. "Lookin' good, young man," she said in his ear. "You, too, mom," Sebastian returned. Sara hugged her youngest son next, ruffling his hair gently. "Hey, you," she whispered kissing his cheek. "Aw, ma!" Matt said. Sara chuckled and kissed his cheek. "Was the drive okay?" she asked. "Yeah, it was alright. We haven't been on a road trip like that since we came home for Christmas, so…kinda forgot how much it sucks to be in one seat for more than an hour," Sebastian said. "You can thank your father for that problem," Sara said grinning. "Not this little thing. You should've seen her curled up in the backseat like a little cat!" Sebastian said motioning to his twin sister, whose eyes were on the ground.

"Hi, Grace," Sara said softly. "Hi, mama," Grace whispered. Sara let out a deep breath and slowly embraced her 22-year-old child. Grace swallowed and carefully returned the hug, relaxing after only moments. "I miss you, mama," she whispered. "I miss you, too, honey. Are you eating okay with these two?" Sara said. Matt and Sebastian were both starting players at the University of Connecticut, and Grace had moved in with them back in mid-August at the beginning of the school year. She'd informed Sara that she would be attending that very same school to get her Bachelor of Arts in Painting, making Sara more proud than she'd been in years. "Yes, ma'am," Grace answered politely. Sara tipped the small woman's chin up, until Grace's eyes met her own. "You look good, Grace," she said grinning slightly. "Thanks, ma," Grace said grinning as well. "So, what's the plan for today, ma?" Sebastian said, "You know we have to make the most outta this weekend." "How 'bout we get you guys settled in, and then we'll decide," Sara answered. "Okay," Grace said shouldering her duffel bag. "That's all you have?" Sara asked. "You know me, ma, I can pack light with the best of 'em," Grace answered heading for the elevator. Only a few minutes later, the quartet sat in the second suite, hashing out the schedule for the day. "We've got three and a half hours before I have to be at the Manhattan Center, which means we've only got two hours to really do anything," Sara stated, "So…what do you wanna do?" "Shopping?" Grace asked smiling slightly. Sara smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Well, you women can go shopping…," Matt started. "Don't you forget that this woman is your mother," Sara said grinning. "Yes, ma'am. I just meant that…you know…," he stuttered. Sara laughed and moved from the couch. "Look, let's get outta this room and take in the sights, okay?" she said. "Ma, can we…go see dad first?" Grace asked slowly. "Ya know…I think that's a great idea, baby," Sara said softly. Grace smiled and stood as well. "Ma, we're actually gonna walk around for a while," Sebastian spoke up. "Alright, just be at the Manhattan Center by 5:30. The doors open at six to the fans, so Shane wants all the family members and wrestlers seated by quarter 'til then," Sara said. "Yes, mama," the men said together. "I'm serious, you two. I need you to be there _before_ they let the fans in so you can go ahead and get seated," Sara said as Grace pulled on her jacket. "I heard ya, ma," Sebastian said grinning. "Don't let me down, you two," Sara said heading for the door. "We won't, ma," Matt argued, just as his mother and sister left the room.

"Ma…," Grace said once they reached Sara's suite door. "Gracie, I know it's tough bein' around your dad sometimes…," Sara said quietly. "All the time, ma. 90 percent o' the time, he doesn't even look at me…and when he does…," Grace said softly, "I know I'm not like Melissa, but…" "Trust me, baby…your dad loves you regardless of…how you dress, or what you do for a living. You are one o' the best young tattoo artists in Connecticut…you did the one on my hip. You're as talented as Melissa is…just in a different industry," Sara said quietly, "So I want you to stop comparing yourself to your sister." "But dad--." "I know he does, baby. But I think…one of these days…he's gonna be just as proud o' you as I am. It just takes him longer to…come around. Do you still want to see him?" Sara said quietly. Grace took a deep breath and nodded slightly. "Are you sure?" Sara asked. "Maybe I should go change…," Grace said looking down at her outfit. Sara grinned and shook her head. "You actually look like one o' my old coworkers," she said, thinking of her longtime friend and former coworker Amy Dumas. "Do I look like a Callaway?" Grace asked, her bottom lip trembling. Sara grinned and touched her shoulders, staring into her eyes. Grace's eyes were the only thing that seemed to actually show her relation to Mark and Sara. The dark green orbs, dotted with specks of golden-brown, shone brightly with unshed tears. "Ma…," Grace whispered, "Do I look like I'm your daughter?" "More than you'll ever know, Gracie," Sara responded truthfully. The suite door opened suddenly, and Grace's eyes dropped to the floor immediately. "You two gonna stand in the hall the whole time?" Mark asked quietly. Sara gently pushed Grace towards her father, an eyebrow raised as she stared at Mark. "Hey, Gracie," he said quietly. "Hi, dad," Grace whispered. "You're lookin' good…you wanna come in?" Mark said. Grace looked up at her mother, who nodded slightly, before looking back to her father. "Come on, Red," Mark said softly, calling Grace by her childhood nickname. Sara smiled slightly and watched as Grace crossed the threshold into her suite. _Maybe this'll go better than I thought_, she thought following and shutting the door softly.

"So…how's school?" Mark asked easing down on the couch. "It's okay. It's gonna…take a while to finish just because…I'm working at this shop a couple towns away, and…I wanna be able to keep up with that while I go to school," Grace said slowly. "Well…you do what you have to do, I suppose," Mark said, "How's business?" "It's good, dad…real good. It's startin' to pick up more and more as…people find out who my father is. Connecticut is like…Wrestling Central, so…all these people come in and wanna get tattooed by the Undertaker's kid," Grace answered quietly, carefully removing her jacket. "Wow…who does your stuff?" he asked looking at her colorful arms. "It's been a work in progress, so…a little bit o' everybody," Grace answered, "When I moved out, I went to L.A., and my boss there did my left arm and upper back over a period of two years while I apprenticed under her. When I moved over to Florida, my boss there did my lower back over another two years. And, then, when I moved up to Connecticut with Matt and Sebastian, I let two o' my coworkers do my right arm over the past two years." "They look really good, Grace. I'm kinda jealous," Mark said grinning. Grace blushed slightly and said, "I could…touch you up…if you wanted." "Really?" he asked. "Yeah…I have my own tools…it's how I was able to work…at conventions and stuff," Grace answered. "You'll have to come home sometime soon, then. I've got a few that are faded pretty bad," Mark said. "Can I…can I see?" Grace asked slowly. Sara grinned as Mark removed his WWE denim shirt. _They finally got somethin' in common_, she thought as Grace's nimble fingers moved over her father's arms. "See…the demon here," Mark said pointing to his right bicep, "It was one o' the last ones I got, but it's faded the worst." "I can't tell ya how many people have come in askin' for this, dad," Grace said grinning, "I do it for 'em, but not quite like yours." "I'll take that as a compliment, then," Mark said. "Well, it's the belief of tattoo artists that no tattoo should be identical to anyone else's. It's hard to do sometimes, but it's an attempt to maintain the purity of the industry," Grace said tracing the outline of the faded tattoo with her finger. "What're you doin'?" Mark asked. "Tryin' to get a feel for what it used to look like, dad," Grace answered softly, "Ma, can you get me a pencil and paper?" "Sure, baby," Sara said happily, moving from her seat. Mark watched in amazement as his daughter went over seemingly every line of the tattoo, her eyes narrowed in study. "Here ya go," Sara said a few minutes later. "Give me five minutes," Grace said taking the pencil and hotel notepad. Mark stared at Sara in question, but his wife only grinned and winked at him.

Exactly five minutes later, Gracie slid the sheet of paper she'd been frantically drawing on over to her father. Mark eyed the drawing in shock; it was an _exact_ rendition of the tattoo he'd gotten over three decades ago. In less than ten minutes, she'd produced something that had taken his original tattoo artist well over two weeks to accomplish. "Gracie…this is…wow," he said, awe apparent in his tone, "Where'd you learn how to do this?" "The…ability was always there…so that was never an issue. When I moved out…the first place I went was…L.A. And when I went lookin' for a tattoo job, this lady…Joanna…took me under her wing, so to speak. It was…the first thing about tattooing that I learned. Like I said…the ability was already there…Jo-Jo just tuned it up," Grace stated quietly. "Can you draw freehand?" he asked, "Without a picture in front o' you?" Grace nodded and replied, "It's kind of a drawn-out process, by most people's standards, but…it's not as bad as it used to be." "Explain it to him, Gracie," Sara said quietly. "Well, I'll…talk to a potential client for…15 minutes or so…just about their background, and why they want what they're gettin'…and then I'll ask 'em to describe in detail what they want. And then…I'll go off in a corner and just…draw," Grace explained.

"And it works?" her father asked. "Nine times outta ten…," she said quietly. Sara smiled at Mark's reaction, and winked at her daughter. "I'm glad that, you know, you're…doin' what makes ya happy, Red…," Mark said slowly, "And that you're good at it." Grace blushed hard and looked down at her hands. Sara took that as her cue to leave father and daughter alone. "I'm gonna go find the boys, okay, Mark?" she said moving to stand. Grace stared at her mother incredulously, because she hated being alone with her father. It was not a physical fear, by any means; she just never knew the right thing to say to impress him. "Alright, dollface," Mark said taking his wife's blatant clue, "What do ya say we order some lunch, Gracie?" "Oh, uh…okay," Grace said quietly, inherently knowing that she and her father needed to work out whatever issues they had in order for them both to move forward. "I'll be back in a couple hours, Mark," Sara said grinning, "Gracie--." "Yes, ma, I know: 5:30, at the Manhattan Center," Grace said smiling slightly, "And, yes, I'll make sure Sebastian and Matt get there on time." Sara smirked and shook her head. "I hate it when you do that," she said before finally leaving the room. Once in the hallway, Sara said a quick prayer before leaving father and daughter in peace.

Inside the suite, Mark and Grace sat in complete silence, neither looking at the other nor wanting to make the first move. Mark almost smirked to himself, because he realized that Grace was being just as stubborn as he was…and he knew that she wouldn't budge until he did. He took a deep breath and quietly said, "Grace…I was never ashamed of you…I want you to know that." Grace scoffed as a tear fell from her eye. "You could've fooled me, dad," she whispered wiping away the moisture angrily. "I just…I don't know how to put it…," Mark said honestly, "I didn't…expect you to…go the way you did." "You make it out like I'm the devil incarnate, dad, so what can be worse than that?" she spat. "So like me," Mark said softly. Grace stared up at him confused. "What do you mean by that?" she whispered. "Grace…you're more like me, more like your sister, than you'll ever know," Mark admitted, "You're just as headstrong as either of us…you've got your mom's independence…and you're just as creative as you wanna be. Those qualities…they're so commendable and respectable." "So why is there such a...wall between us, dad?" she whispered. Mark looked down at his hands and let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know, Grace…I ask God that every day…it pains me to the depths of my heart to know that I am _not_ as close to you as I am to your sister and brothers," he said painfully. Grace eyed her father, swallowing slowly and reaching over to touch his shoulder. "Dad…I…have to take some blame for that, too…I looked up to Melissa right up until…the day I moved out, I really did. I saw the way you looked at her…the pride that was in your eyes when she was around you, and…I wanted that. But…after 17 years of bein' compared to her…I couldn't take it anymore. That's why I left, dad…because I wanted to know for myself that I could make it in this world bein'…who _I_ am, not just bein' _your kid_," she said quietly, "That's why…I didn't call or write for…two whole years." "Did you…at least _think_ about your mom and me?" Mark asked looking at her. "Every single day, dad…that first six months, I lost count o' how many times I wanted to hop on a plane and just come home, and follow in Melissa's footsteps and go to college, and do what you and ma wanted me to do, but…," she said quietly. "That stubbornness kicked up, huh?" he asked. Grace grinned and nodded slightly. "That, and Jo-Jo said that once I started workin' for her, she wasn't lettin' me go until _she_ thought I was ready," she responded, "And…I ended up stayin' with her for a year and a half…but I learned a _lot_, so it was cool. It was actually kinda painful when I did end up leavin'…but I couldn't stay in L.A. anymore."

"What made you want to…get into tattooing anyway?" Mark asked slowly. Grace grinned and said, "Look who my father is…one o' the most popular tattooed guys ever…you had to know these were gonna influence me someday." "You always did like 'em as a little kid," Mark said grinning, "And it wasn't even the colors…it was the designs. You were always askin' why I had what I did. I never thought anything of it." "You wanna see my favorite tattoo?" she asked. "On me or you?" he asked. "Both, I guess," Grace answered. "Alright…," he answered. Grace grinned and pointed to his neck, "That one…'cause I think that's brave o' you to get a tattoo right there and…sweet that you'd get mom's name…" Mark's cheeks turned a shade of red and Grace chuckled. "Don't worry, dad…very few people know what a softie you actually are," she whispered, as though they were sharing a big secret. Mark laughed softly and asked, "So what's your favorite that you have?" Grace slowly removed her right boot, and lifted her foot onto Mark's lap, pointing to the small piece on her ankle. Mark looked closely and saw an intricate pink, opened lock with the script "Free Forever" written above it. "When'd you get it?" he asked. "A couple weeks before I left Jo-Jo's," she answered. "Why?" he asked. "It was a sign to myself that…I'd made it…without anybody, I made it," Grace answered looking down at her hands. Mark took a deep breath as a grin came to his face. "Oh, baby…I'm so proud o' you," he whispered pulling his daughter into a tight embrace. Grace gasped as tears escaped her eyes and she wrapped her arms around Mark's waist. Never before had her father so willingly reached out to her, both physically and emotionally. "Daddy…," she whispered into his warm chest. "I'm sorry, Grace…I'm so sorry," Mark whispered as tears came to his own eyes, "You didn't deserve the way I treated you…and I'm so sorry." "It's okay, daddy," Grace whispered, "I forgave you…a long time ago." "Did ya really?" he asked kissing the top of her head. "Yeah…I knew how stubborn you were…I saw it all the time growin' up, even with Melissa," she answered grinning. Mark chuckled softly and ran his fingers through her hair. "What do ya say to that lunch order?" he said quietly. "That'd be nice, dad," Grace said smiling.

Around 2:30, Sara finally returned to the hotel with several bags in tow. Shopping in New York was just something one had to do, regardless of how little or how much she or he spent. When she stepped into her suite, she wasn't too shocked to see Grace and Mark laughing loudly and exchanging high-fives. "Hey, dollface," Mark said quickly. "Hey, Mark. What's so funny?" Sara answered kicking the door shut. "Nothin', we were talkin' about our wildest time on a motorcycle," Grace answered grinning, "Dad, I still can't believe you topped out at 150 miles an hour!" "You what!" Sara exclaimed. "Grace, you weren't supposed to mention that little fact," Mark said winking. "Oh, yeah, sorry," Grace said laughing heartily. Sara merely shook her head and dropped her bags by the couch. "You two are nuts," she said kicking off her shoes. "I know, dollface, but it's so much fun," Mark said smiling. "Where are Sebastian and Matt?" Grace asked. "Still walkin' around, I suppose. I never did catch up with 'em," Sara answered rotating her neck. "And just how much did you spend?" Mark asked. Sara smiled innocently and said, "Not as much as I usually do." "Sara…," Mark stated. "Oh, please, Mark. It's New York City. Everything's three times as much as it is down in Texas, so it's really not that bad!" Sara said. "You sound like me, mom," Grace said laughing. "How much, baby?" Mark asked a third time. "$7,500…," Sara said quietly. Grace's jaw dropped, and her eyes went to Mark's face. "Did you at least get me somethin'?" Mark asked after a few moments of silence. Sara smiled and let out a breath of relief. "Yeah," she said quietly, handing him a large black box. Grace clapped softly and pulled her knees up to her chest. Mark grinned and said, "See, Red…she spoils the hell outta me." Sara sat down on the floor across from them, a smile on her face. "Let's see what we got here," he said removing the box top, "Oh, wow…" There was a black, wool felt cowboy hat with a gray silk strip around the base. On the small piece of cloth was a row of diamonds, brightly reflecting the sunlight pouring into the hotel room. "Oh, wow, mom," Grace echoed. "I know you don't like the fancy hats so much, and you won't wear it in public, but…," Sara said quietly, "I thought you'd like the colors." "Hell, I'm wearin' this tonight," Mark said grinning. "Really?" Sara asked in shock. "Yeah! It goes with my suit," he answered winking at her. Sara blushed slightly and looked down at her hands.

"That's cute," Grace said smiling. "Yeah, I got it like that, baby," Mark said chuckling softly. Sara smirked and rolled her eyes playfully. "Silly man," she said quietly. "Speakin' o' which, I'm gonna go get ready," Grace said. "You don't have to be there for another three hours," Mark began. "Don't worry, dad…we can catch up all day tomorrow," Grace said kissing her father's cheek and moving from the couch, "Bye, mom!" Sara smiled and watched as Grace practically bounded out of the room. "Thank you, Mark," she whispered looking back to her husband. "No, dollface…thank you. That was definitely…way overdue," Mark said quietly, "I found out more about her in…two and a half hours than I did…in 17 years. It…God, it feels so good, dollface. She's become such a…a great young woman. Smart as hell, creative…full o' life. I can't believe I never saw it." Tears came to Sara's eyes and she moved over to the couch. "I love you so much," she whispered kissing him softly. Mark grinned and caressed her cheek. "So…what else did you buy?" he asked softly. "Just somethin' for Melissa, for tomorrow…a couple things for Matt and Sebastian," she answered quietly, "I'm gonna go back out tomorrow to get somethin' for Gracie. It's a lot harder to shop for her than it is for the other kids." "That, and you ran outta time to shop," Mark said kissing her gently. Sara chuckled softly and whispered, "Are you teasin' me, Mr. Callaway?" "A little," Mark said continuing to kiss her softly. "Let's go take a shower," she whispered. "Oh, now who's teasin'?" he whispered grinning. Sara laughed and slowly stood, helping him off the couch as well. "Get your mind outta the gutter, buddy. We don't have time for that, and you know it," she said leading him into the bathroom and shutting the door softly.

An hour and a half later, Mark pulled into the parking lot of Manhattan Center. There was already a long line of fans forming around the front, covering nearly the entire sidewalk. Sara took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her curled hair, which had taken nearly 45 minutes to finish. "You'll do fine, dollface," Mark whispered kissing the back of her hand. "Yeah, I know, I just…it's weird, seein' all those fans…takes me way back," she said quietly. "You and me both, dollface," Mark said parking the vehicle, "Did you call Melissa before we left?" "Yeah, she's already here with A.J. She said Shane wants to iron out some minor details, go over the run sheet…like old times, ya know," she answered climbing out of the SUV, "Knowin' him, he's runnin' around like…his dad used to." "Yeah, probably," Mark said pulling his suit jacket and new cowboy hat out of the back seat. "I can't believe you're actually wearing that, ya know," Sara said grinning. "I told you I would," Mark said slipping on his jacket and taking Sara's left hand, "Come on, let's take a step into the past." Sara chuckled softly as they entered the back of the building. "Wow, this is…insane," she said quietly, following Mark's lead through the building's bright hallways. "Yeah, no kiddin'…I feel ancient right now," Mark responded, "And no old man jokes, dollface." Sara smiled brightly and patted his right arm. "You're not old…you're wise," she said quietly. "Yes, grasshopper, you see the light now," he said chuckling. Sara laughed as they continued to roam the halls. "Wow, I'm surprised we haven't run into Shane yet," Mark noted. Just as he said that, Shane came speed-walking down the hallway. "Angel, 'Taker! Good to see ya! Take a right at the end o' the hall, and you'll find everybody," he said, "Sorry, no time to stop. Meeting starts in five minutes!" Sara chuckled as the third-generation McMahon continued on his apparent mission. "I haven't been called Angel in so long, I almost wanted to ask him who he was talkin' to," she said quietly. Mark smiled and squeezed her hand gently.

After following Shane's directions, they came upon a large conference-style room. Sara took a deep breath and said, "Here we go…" Mark opened the door for her, and Sara stepped over the threshold. The first person to approach her was Stephanie. "Oh, wow…how ya doin', sweetheart?" Sara said opening her arms for an embrace. Stephanie smiled and hugged her tightly. "It is so good to see you, Angel," she whispered, "We were wondering when you two were gonna show up." "You know me, gotta make an entrance," Sara said smiling. "Come on, everybody's here already," Stephanie said leading Sara further into the room. Melissa spotted her parents and dashed over to them. "Wow, ma, you look great!" she said hugging Sara. Sara had decided on a simple blue silk gown, with a square-cut neck, and V-shaped back. Her hair was done in large, bouncy curls, framing her face. "Thanks, so do you, sweetheart," Sara said admiring Melissa's silver flowing dress, "Where's that beau of yours?" "Talkin' to Joe and Chris about their match tomorrow night. I tried to tell him to wait until tomorrow, but you know A.J.," Melissa answered, "I saw Uncle Andy around here somewhere. He was lookin' for you earlier." "How long have people been here?" Mark asked. "Since around three-ish. That's when I first got here, and there weren't that many actual wrestlers here then, just backstage people," Melissa answered. Sara eyed the men and women in the room—inductees and inductors, old coworkers and new faces—and grinned slightly. "This is gonna be a blast," she said softly. "Come on, ma, let's walk around," Melissa said linking her arm with Sara's left one. "Lead the way," Sara said grinning. The first person Sara caught eyes with was Shawn, and a huge smile came to her face. Shawn stood and whispered something to his wife before coming over to Sara. "Wow…it's been a while, Angel," he said hugging her tightly. "Yeah, I have a feeling I'm gonna be sayin' that a lot tonight," she returned. She and Shawn still spoke once every couple of moths on the telephone, but they hadn't physically seen each other since the previous year's Wrestlemania. "How've you been?" he asked. "Gettin' older everyday, and startin' to finally feel it," she answered grinning, "Yourself?" "Ah, you know me…I'm just tryin' to get by. Bridgette is gettin' ready to graduate from Virginia Tech with her Doctorate in Education, so she wants me and Tracy up there to see her," he answered.

"Wow, that's amazing," Sara said, "Congratulations!" "Yeah, she grew up fast," Shawn said quietly. Sara looked at Melissa, who was dragging Mark around introducing him to some of the guys wrestling on the card the next night, and nodded in understanding. "They tend to do that," she whispered. "So…12 people gettin' inducted tonight. Shane tells me it's the largest class ever," Shawn said as they seated themselves with Tracy. "Yeah…but it doesn't matter. I figured he'd get around to inducting us when he could," Sara said, "Hey, Tracy, how are you?" "I'm good, Sara. It's nice to finally see you again. A year is way too long," Tracy answered smiling. "Yeah, seriously. It's kinda strange sometimes, considering we live only three and a half hours apart," Sara said grinning. "You know how hard it is to be in a car that long at our age," Shawn argued winking at her. Sara chuckled and shook her head. "You're gettin' old, Shawn," she commented. "Let's not even go there, sweetheart," he said chuckling as well. "Anyway…we got ourselves a good class this year, wouldn't ya say?" she said quietly. "Yeah, no kiddin'. Shane really goes all out sometimes. I don't think this building can handle all these egos," he said grinning slightly. Sara smiled and said, "If you're here and the building's still standing, then I think we'll be just fine." Shawn and Tracy both laughed heartily, and Sara looked around the room at her fellow classmates. "Seriously, though…all these youngsters…they got no clue what it takes, they really don't," she said quietly, "You see how we're all separated like this? It shouldn't be this way." "It's been this way since the start o' the business, hon…I don't think it's gonna change," Shawn responded. "Yeah, I know. Even when we were here, I was complaining about that," she said grinning. "True…," Shawn said grinning as well, "Is Melissa excited about tomorrow night?" "Yeah, like you wouldn't believe. I'm probably more excited for her, though…it's been her dream since she was three, and to see it actually come to fruition like this, on this stage…I can't really put it into words, ya know," Sara answered honestly. Shawn nodded in understanding and asked, "How's the other kids?" "Matt and Sebastian are real good, doin' absolutely amazing on the team. Matt is actually talkin' about goin' to play overseas if he gets good enough. I don't know about Sebastian, though. I think it's just somethin' he's enjoyin' for the time," she responded, "And Grace is…holdin' her own like she always does. They should actually be here in about an hour…hopefully." Tracy chuckled and said, "Bridgette's the same way sometimes. No matter how many times I tell her what time to show up, there's always a ten- or 20-minute grace period she adds on for herself." Sara laughed and nodded in agreement.

A few minutes later, Mark finally came over to where Sara was sitting. "That girl tires me out sometimes, she really does," he said easing down beside her, "Hey, Shawn, good to finally see ya again." The two men exchanged a quick, hearty handshake and began to catch up with one another. "Come on, Tracy, let's leave the boys to be boys," Sara said with a smile. "You were 'one o' the boys' for 12 years, might I add," Mark said as the two women walked away. "Long time ago, Mr. Callaway," Sara threw over her shoulder with a smile. Mark and Shawn chuckled and sat back in their chairs. Nearly a half an hour later, Shane finally came into the room with a thick folder of papers, looking quite flustered. Stephanie noticed his demeanor, and went over to him, a bottle of water in hand. "Don't worry, Shane, you're doin' fine," she said softly, "I know you like to work alone, but me and Paul and everybody else on staff are here to help." "I know, I know…I keep forgetting how much detail goes into these induction ceremonies," he answered. "What's next year lookin' like?" she asked. "I think we'll take it back down to six inductees max. We're finally to the point where we're catching up to where I want to be, ya know," Shane responded. "That's good, Shane, that's real good," Stephanie whispered, "Dad would be so proud." Shane grinned slightly and looked down at the folder in his hands. "Thanks, sis," he said softly, "You ready for this?" "Aren't I always, Shane?" she answered smiling fully. "It's gonna be a long day…long night, as a matter o' fact," he offered. "I got Dad's stubbornness, Shane…but I also got mom's patience," Stephanie said, "Don't worry, everything will be perfect tonight. We're McMahon's …perfection comes by nature." Shane chuckled softly and took a deep breath, ready to get the show on the road.

The initial meeting only lasted about 15 minutes, with Shane explaining the rules for the night. They did an extremely quick run-through, which took another 45 minutes. Once everyone was finally in the back, Shane informed security and building staff that the doors could be opened. Sara paced around backstage, waiting for her other three children. It was already six o' clock, and they were nowhere to be found. Melissa walked up with A.J., Chris, and Joe, gently touching her mother's shoulder. "Mom…you okay?" she asked. Sara swallowed and nodded, forcing a grin. "Your sister and brothers…," she said quietly, "They were supposed to be here a half an hour ago." "Don't worry, mom…you know how they are when it comes to gettin' to places on time," Melissa said. "Yeah…I'm sorry, hey, A.J.," Sara said offering the young man a gentle hug. "Hey, Ms. Angel," A.J. said politely, his Georgia accent as adorable as ever, "You excited about tonight?" "Oh, yeah…it was the biggest honor of my life 21 years ago to win the World title…this is probably gonna equal that night," Sara answered releasing him, "Hey, Chris. You two ready for tomorrow?" "Oh, without a doubt. There's so much that can be done in this kinda match…I'm surprised Stephanie's givin' us the leeway that she is," Chris answered, "You know how…anal she can be about us X-Division superstars." Sara smiled and chuckled slightly, her eyes still actively scanning the hallways for her younger children. The X-Division had been introduced to the company just a few short years ago, an upgrade of the company's Cruiserweight division. Under the nickname of "Fallen Angel", Christopher Daniels was one of the shining stars of the division, along with Joe Seanoa (known as Samoa Joe to the fans because of his Samoan heritage). The tag line of the division was, "It's not about weight limits, it's about NO limits!" This perspective took a while to be accepted in the WWE, because the Talent Relations department didn't want the Superstars constantly doing such high-risk moves and getting injured. The first year was hard on many of the division's Superstars, with WWE management acclimating the wrestlers not only to the company's style of wrestling, but giving them the opportunity to bring something even more special to the WWE.

"Mom…I'm gonna go, okay? Don't worry so much," Melissa said a few moments later, spotting her sister down the hallway, "Trust me." Sara nodded absentmindedly and swallowed nervously. She'd always been overprotective of her children, and now was no different. Melissa sighed softly and walked away with A.J. and Chris. "Mom!" Grace yelled suddenly. Sara smiled at the sight of her three children about 75 feet away, trying to get through the crowded hallway. A breath of relief escaped her lips and her chest felt lighter almost instantly. Matt and Sebastian, dressed in simple black tuxedos, cleared a path as usual, and Grace finally emerged from behind them when they reached their mother. "You'd think they were my bodyguards," Grace said quietly, "Wow, mom, you look…amazing…" "I could say the same for you, sweetheart," Sara responded with a genuine smile. Grace was dressed in a glimmering black silk skirt that flowed down to her ankles, hiding what little curves she had. The accompanying dark pink strapless bodice showed off her colorful arms, while maintaining a bit of modesty. Her uniquely colored hair had been pulled up into a simple French roll. Grace completed the look with light, natural-toned make-up, small diamond earrings, and a silver mood ring on her right ring finger. "I figured tonight is…your night, ma, so…the least I could do is look presentable," Grace said grinning. Sara chuckled softly and asked, "So…what took you so long to get here?" Matt simply smirked and said, "Little tyke had a blonde moment." "What does he mean by that?" Sara asked. "It's…I didn't know which door to go in, so…we ended up waiting outside with…the crowd," Grace answered slowly, her cheeks reddening. "That, and she was watchin' almost every guy that crossed her line o' sight," Sebastian said grinning. "Will you two cut it out?" Grace said softly, the color of her cheeks now resembling sunburn. "Stop pickin' on your sister, boys," Sara said smiling, "You're already late, so get to your seats as soon as you can. I'll see you after the show." "Where's Melissa?" Matt asked. "Down there," Grace said quietly, her eyes on the back of her sister. "Don't take too long talkin', you three," Sara said as she headed away. "Yes, ma'am," Sebastian said, leading his twin down the hall towards their sister.

"Hey, big sis," Matt said hugging Melissa from behind. Melissa turned around with a huge smile and hugged him tightly. "Hey you, long time no see," she said. "Yeah, no kiddin'. What can I say, I'm a busy guy," he said smiling. "Hey, Sebastian, Grace," Melissa said hugging the other two as well. "Hi, sis. How're ya holdin' up?" Sebastian answered. "Eh, you know me…I love what I do, so it's never really hard to get through the day," Melissa said grinning, "How 'bout you, how's basketball?" "College basketball season's over, babe," A.J. said from behind her, "And a heck of a season, Matt! You were all over the court against George Mason. You should've seen it, sweetheart!" While her brothers talked, Grace simply stood back and observed. Her relationship with her sister was much like what her and her father's had been before today. However, Grace didn't feel as strong a desire to reconnect with her sister. _We're just different…and I accept that_, she thought. Her eyes passed over the four people talking to a man standing behind A.J., looking as left out of the conversation as Grace herself felt. His spiked, short black hair was countered by a neatly trimmed goatee, and he was dressed in a navy blue, three-piece suit, the white dress shirt opened and revealing the start of a tribal-influenced tattoo in the middle of his muscled chest. When she looked up at his face again, his eyes were on her and he offered her a friendly smile. Grace felt her heart jump into her throat, and her cheeks flamed red. She latched her hand around Sebastian's arm and quietly said, "We should get to our seats…" "Are you okay?" he asked, feeling her trembling hand. "Yeah, can we just…go to our seats?" she asked looking up at him. Sebastian knew how nervous his twin got in public situations and nodded. "Alright, little girl, let's go," he said before looking back to Melissa, "Give ma a good intro, okay?" "Promise, Sebastian," Melissa said smiling, "You guys…try not to get too loud out there." Sebastian chuckled softly and headed away, Grace still gripping his arm. "Who's that?" Joe asked, still watching the tiny girl who'd just stared him up and down like a piece of meat. "That's my sister…," Melissa answered. "I didn't know you had a sister," he said. "For all she thinks…I don't," Melissa said quietly, "Come on, let's go."

"What's wrong with you, Grace? Why do you always get like this around her?" Matt argued quietly once they were seated. "Matt, please don't," Grace whispered. "I want an answer! Why can't you be happy for her?" Matt demanded. "Because you and the whole world acts like her shit don't stink, like _she's_ little Ms. Perfect, and _I'm_ the one with the issues," she hissed. "Not here, you two," Sebastian said, his left arm going protectively around Grace's shoulders. Matt had a habit of verbally attacking her, even though he was the youngest child. Grace took his berating most of the time, but there were times where she'd exploded like a firecracker. She might have been small in stature, but her temper rivaled their father's. "Fine," Matt grumbled. "You know, Matt…I do love her," Grace said quietly, leaning over Sebastian, "I always have, and I always will. But you don't know what it's like to be compared to her non-stop for 17 years. I _had_ to leave, okay?" "Whatever, Grace," Matt snapped. Grace looked up at Sebastian, but his face was void of emotion. "I'll be back," she whispered before standing and making her way through the crowd. Sebastian sighed and looked down at Matt. "Why do _you_ always do that? You know how she feels about that subject," he said quietly, "Let's just enjoy this night. It's not about your issues, or Gracie's drama, or even Melissa. It's about mom and dad, got it?" "Yeah…I got it," Matt said quietly, suddenly feeling ashamed of his actions. "Don't worry about it, man…just enjoy yourself, okay?" Sebastian said quietly. "Yeah…I didn't mean--." "Let it go, Matt. She'll come back just fine like she always does," Sebastian said simply.

Grace entered the backstage area, her eyes on the floor. Matt was always the one to put her on a guilt trip about leaving home; in a sense, he felt she had abandoned him. _He doesn't understand…_, she thought sadly, _He'll never understand. Even Sebastian didn't really understand…_ "Excuse me," said a voice behind her. Grace turned around and gasped, looking up at the same man she'd locked eyes with just a few minutes ago. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I just…you looked upset about somethin'," Joe said. "I'm fine," she said quietly, "Can I help you?" "Yeah, um…I'm Joe," he said slowly extending his hand. Grace hesitated and stared into his dark brown eyes, trying to read what it was he wanted from her. "I won't bite, I promise," he said grinning. Grace smiled slightly and shook his hand. "I'm Grace," she said quietly. "Are you normally so…soft-spoken?" he asked as they headed down the hallway. Grace laughed and shook her head. "I just…I'm not really into bein' in public like this, but…," she said. "Your parents," Joe completed. Grace took a deep breath and nodded. "I try to…hide that fact, but…it's hard when they have two o' the most easily recognizable faces in the world, even now," she said honestly. "I kinda understand that. There are definitely times where I enjoy the attention, when I'm givin' the fans what they want, but…there are times where I _definitely_ just enjoy…bein' me," Joe said honestly. _And just who are you_? Grace thought, trying to hide the slight grin on her face. "What's with the grin?" Joe asked. Grace blushed deeply and stared at the floor. "Must've been an interesting thought, then," he added grinning. Grace stared up at him in shock, before laughing heartily. "I like your sense o' humor, Joe," she said softly. "Well, thank you, Grace. Are you lookin' for somebody, or just…wandering around?" he stated. "Just…wandering, I guess. It's pretty raucous out there right now," she responded. "Just wait 'til the wrestlers actually get out there…even more when the show starts," Joe said grinning. "You all have…assigned seats?" she asked. "Not assigned seats, per se, but an assigned area. It's just to maintain some order, I guess," he answered, "Although I don't understand opening it to the public if we can't all sit together, ya know." Grace grinned and nodded slightly.

"Is that my little girl?" Mark said from behind them. Grace spun around and jumped into her father's arms. "Whoa, easy," Mark said chuckling. "I was wondering if I was gonna have to wait 'til after the show to see you," she said squeezing his neck. "Honey…daddy can't breathe," Mark said quietly, a smile on his face. Grace smiled as well and kissed his cheek before dropping back down to the floor. "Sorry, daddy," she said wiping away the lipstick on his skin. "Where are your brothers?" he asked glancing at Joe. "Matt and I…we had a little argument, and so…I walked away," Grace answered, "But don't worry, I'll be back out there before the show starts." "Hmm…what about?" he asked. "Dad…please don't push," she said quietly, her eyes pleading with him. Mark sighed and scanned her outfit. "That's a nice look," he said quietly. Grace grinned and said, "You look good, too, dad. Excited about tonight?" "You better believe it, darlin'. Speakin' o' which, the wrestlers are startin' to get seated, so you should get back out there, too," he said. "Okay, dad, I will," Grace said before looking back at Joe, "Sorry…" "Don't worry about it," Joe said with a curt nod, "I hope you enjoy yourself." Grace returned the nod and hugged her father once more before leaving for her seat. "Joe?" Mark said quietly. "Yes, sir?" Joe responded nervously. Mark hesitated as he tried to formulate his thoughts. Joe remembered how long it had taken his trainer to warm up to A.J. when the young man had wanted to start dating Mark's older daughter, and how long it had taken him to even give permission to the two young adults to date. He hoped this wouldn't be the case with himself and Grace. "Sir?" Joe asked again. "If you're…pursuing my daughter…like I know you are…you be careful," Mark said quietly, "She's not Melissa. She's the complete opposite." "I know, sir…I think that's why I like her so much," Joe said nervously, "That's not sayin' Melissa's not cool, 'cause she is…but…I don't know." Mark took a deep breath and quietly said, "Just…keep an eye on her tonight…make sure she enjoys the show." "Yes, sir," Joe said politely. Mark smirked slightly and headed down the hall towards to the main conference room. Joe merely grinned and dashed the opposite way.

He found Grace just before she got to the curtain separating the seating area from backstage. "Grace," he said quickly. Grace grinned and slowly face him. "Yeah?" she asked. "I, uh, just wanted to know if you…would like to sit with me during the show," he answered. "Actually, I have to get back to my brothers. They're probably startin' to get worried," she responded. "Oh…okay," he said quietly. Grace smiled slightly and asked, "Would you…like to…sit with me? And my brothers, of course…" "You think security would pitch a fit?" he asked grinning. "Not if they know what's good for 'em," Grace said smiling. "Do you have a temper, Grace?" Joe asked chuckling. "Look who my father is," she answered with a laugh, "I can control it most o' the time, but…sometimes I can't." At that moment, Stephanie came walking past with a headset on and said, "Joe, everybody is movin' to their seats, so get goin' soon, okay?" "Steph, wait, we have a small conflict," Joe said. "Walk and talk, buddy," Stephanie said over her shoulder. "Come on," he said to Grace. Grace smiled and matched his long stride. "What is it, Joe?" Stephanie asked quickly. "Well, Grace here wants me to sit with her, but I know you have sections for the wrestlers already--." "Sit with her, Joe," Stephanie said simply. "Really?" Joe asked as they came up to the curtain, "Security won't freak?" "No, Joe. Just don't cause a ruckus. The girls and guys are already gettin' seated, so do be discreet about it," Stephanie said with a smile, "We'll rearrange as necessary, now get." Joe smiled his thanks and looked down at grace. "You ready?" he asked holding out his right arm. Grace grinned and placed her left hand around his elbow. Her heart jumped once more, and she said, "Lead the way." Joe smiled and they headed through the curtain. "Ohhh boy…I hope 'Taker knows about this," Stephanie said to herself.

Sebastian saw Grace walk up with Joe, and he felt his chest tighten. Here was his twin, smiling and laughing and hanging on the arm of one of Melissa's coworkers. "Do you mind, Sebastian?" Grace asked, seeing his tenseness. "I thought you had to sit with the other wrestlers," Sebastian said to Joe. "The boss lady cleared it," Joe stated. "Oh," Sebastian said simply, his eyes on his sister. _I wonder…could he be_, he thought. "Yes," Grace answered grinning at the question in his eyes. He grinned slightly and said, "Have a seat, man." Grace smiled broadly and sat down in her seat, Joe sitting at her left. "So you're gonna make sure I have fun?" she asked him quietly. "What?" Joe asked. "I kinda…overheard my dad…say that to you," she said blushing. "Oh really? You like listening in on people's conversations?" he asked smiling. "When it's my dad, yeah," she answered. "Or your brothers," Sebastian added. Joe chuckled as Grace's cheeks blazed an even brighter red. "That was not my fault," she whispered, "You two shouldn't be so damn loud!" Sebastian laughed heartily and nudged her ribcage playfully. "But it was funny," he argued. "What happened?" Joe asked, feeling left out from the conversation and not liking it one bit. "I'll tell you later," Grace said simply. "Later?" Joe asked looking down at her. Grace locked her eyes with his and smiled slightly. "Later," she said softly. "I'll look forward to it," he said offering a smile in return. The lights in the small theater began to flicker, and the noise of the crowd died down. "You ready?" Joe asked. Grace smiled and nodded. "Obviously all the…inductees are very deserving," she answered quietly. "Do you know them all?" he asked. "No…," she answered honestly, "I leave wrestling to my sister, actually." "Oh," Joe said quietly. "That's nothin' against what you do, Joe, don't take it that way," she explained, "Melissa was born while…my mom and dad were still active wrestlers. Even after mom retired, dad was still doin' it, and I remember he used to take Melissa with him all the time. She grew up with that lifestyle…I didn't. It's not that I don't have a respect for it…I don't know, I'm rambling." Joe chuckled and said, "You're fine, Grace. I meet non-fans all the time. We'll have a good time, I promise." Grace smiled and looked over to her two brothers, who were having a quiet discussion about their plans for after the ceremony.

"I'm tellin' mom," she said grinning. "You'll do no such thing," Sebastian said over his shoulder, "You don't know what we're doin' anyway." "You're goin' drinking…and you're not old enough, Matt," Grace stated emphatically. Usually Grace had no problem with her brother's antics, but Matt was still only 20 years old, despite looking like a young businessman at times. "Come on, Grace, let me have some fun!" Matt half-whined. Grace smiled and said, "You boys will certainly be boys. Just don't make too much noise when you come in tonight." "Yes, mama," Sebastian smirked. Grace smiled and pinched his earlobe. "Ow!" he said grabbing his ear. "What?" she asked innocently. "Oh, just you wait," Sebastian said still rubbing his stinging earlobe. Grace smiled and turned her attention back to her new date. "Looks like you're havin' fun, then," Joe said quietly as the lights dimmed. "I always do with these kids," Grace answered, "But I'm ready to learn now." Joe grinned and eased his right arm around her shoulders. "This okay?" he asked softly. Grace nodded as a short, skinny brown-haired man with round spectacles walked out onto the stage. "Who's that?" she asked. "Joe Bonsignore, better known as Joey Styles. He's the current lead play-by-play guy on RAW," Joe started. A smile came to the young woman's face as Joe explained the announcer's history with the company. _Sit back, relax, and be yourself, Grace_, she thought as the show officially began, _It's gonna be a fun night indeed_.

Two hours later, Grace stood up from her seat, stretching out her arms. Thus far, eight of the night's 12 inductees were now officially Hall of Fame members. Throughout the show, Joe had explained the history of the inductees. _Such a nice guy…he doesn't talk down to me…and that in itself makes him special_, she thought staring out into the ballroom. "You okay?" Sebastian asked in her ear. "Mmhmm," she said softly, "He's got a really good heart." "You think he's just pulling your leg?" he asked quietly. "No…you know how good I am in judging people, so don't get like dad," she whispered. "I'm not, sis…I'm just tryin' to be a good twin," Sebastian said quietly, "Speakin' o' dad, his induction is first up on television. Melissa told me it's him, then mom, then the last two people." Grace smiled and looked up at her brother. "I don't think I've been this excited since I got into U-Conn, Sebastian. I can…feel their happiness…even from so far away," she answered quietly. Sebastian rested his arm on her shoulder and kissed her temple. "I'm not your armrest, buddy," she said grinning. "You let Joe there rest his arm on ya," he whispered in her ear. Grace blushed deeply and nudged his ribs. "You better go keep him company. He's gettin' antsy," he whispered. Grace glanced back at Joe, noticing his tense body. "I've never made a guy jealous before, bro…and he's the jealous type…it kinda creeps me out," she whispered looking forward again. "Just remember this, sis…nobody owns you…not dad, not mom, not me…not anybody," he said squeezing her shoulder protectively, "Don't lose yourself tryin' to make someone else happy, 'cause…I don't wanna lose my sister for another two years." "I know, Sebastian," she whispered as the lights went low, "Come on…back to our seats." Sebastian sighed and kissed her temple once more before leading her over to their chairs. "Sorry about that," Grace said to Joe. "Don't worry about it," he said grinning, "You guys are really close, huh?" "Twins," Grace said quietly, "He's less than a minute older." "Oh wow…," Joe said quietly. "Yeah…," Grace said softly, a slight grin on her face, "My mom always said that…the doctors took my brother from me and…I wasn't havin' that so I came lookin' for him." Joe chuckled and nodded. "Here we go," he whispered as music began to blare throughout the small ballroom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the broadcast portion of the WWE 2038 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony!" stated Joey Styles. The crowd yelled their joy, and Joey continued. "In just a moment, we will go live on the USA Network. I hope you are as excited as all of us here at World Wrestling Entertainment! Once we go live, make sure you get hyped up and show some good ole' New York City love to the last four inductees!" he said excitedly. The audience yelled even louder, and Grace smiled broadly. The lights went out, and a video began to play on the large screen above the stage. Grace watched as her mother and father, along with one of their coworkers and old employer, were highlighted in various situations from their careers. Tears came to her eyes, and she felt pride at watching what her parents had accomplished while in the wrestling business. A tear fell after the video ended, but she quickly wiped it away. "That was great," she whispered to Joe. "Yeah, definitely," he agreed. "Welcome to the 2038 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, live from the Manhattan Center in New York City!" came Joey's voice over the P.A. system, "Please welcome your master of ceremonies for the night, WWE Hall of Famer The Rock!" Dwayne walked out onto the stage, a broad smile on his face and waving to the raucous crowd. As they quieted down, he stepped up to the podium in the middle of the stage. "_Finally_…The Rock has come _back_--." "TO NEW YORK CITY!" the crowd completed. Dwayne smiled and nodded. "It really does feel good to say that again. I've been out of this business as an active performer for over 20 years…and to know that you guys went out and studied up on your ancient wrestling history makes me feel really good!" he said happily. The crowd laughed and applauded loudly. "We're gonna go ahead and get this show on the road. For those out in TV land who _don't_ have computers in their homes, I'd like to acknowledge the eight men and women inducted on the webcast portion of the Induction ceremony," Dwayne continued, "First, "Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero, accepted by his nephew Chavo Guerrero…"Mr. 619" Rey Mysterio…Jerry "The King" Lawler…the "Queen of Extreme" Lita…the "Rabid Wolverine" Chris Benoit…the only ten-time Women's Champion, Trish Stratus…good ole' J.R., Jim Ross…and finally, the "Heartbreak Kid" himself, Shawn Michaels!" Each person on stage stood and raised their plaques, while the fans acknowledged each inductee with loud applause and cheering. Dwayne waited until the crowd quieted down before clearing his throat. "And now…we move on…to induct three of the greatest performers, characters, wrestlers, and people not just in WWE history…but in the storied history of professional wrestling!" he said excitedly, "Please take a look at the screen, as we take a step back and remember our next inductee!" A short video about Mark's 20-year career played, and the entire crowd watched with reverent-like silence. Once it was done, the lights came back up and Dwayne stated, "To induct our next Hall of Famer, please welcome ring veteran and former WWE champion…Test!"

Andy walked out onto the stage and shook Dwayne's hand before stepping up to the podium. He scanned the crowd as the fans applauded him, smiling as they even chanted his old stage name. "I kinda feel like the Rock, 'cause you guys have _obviously_ studied up on your ancient wrestling history," he said happily. A collective chuckle passed over the crowd, and Andy spotted Mark's other three children on the second level balcony on his left-hand side. "Ya know…I still remember…the first time I saw the next inductee wrestle. I was wrapping up my training, and…our trainer brought in a tape of that week's RAW. He wasn't known as the Undertaker back then…he'd only been with the company about a year and a half at that point, but still…I watched him in the ring and _knew_ that he was going to make one hell of an impact on this great business," he started. The crowd cheered loudly and Andy continued. "The Undertaker is…easily one of the best overall performers in WWE history. He could quite literally do anything with anybody, including his fellow Hall of Fame classmates, in _any_ environment. He was in a lot of firsts here in the WWE…Buried Alive…the Inferno match…_Hell in the Cell_! He saw a lot of guys and girls come and go in his…20-year career, and…he's helped more than his fair share of past _and_ current Superstars," he said confidently. More cheers from the crowd, including an "Undertaker" chant, interrupted Andy's speech. "Like I said…I knew the impact this guy would have on the business. He had the look…he had the personality…he had the raw ability. He had _it_. What I didn't know, though…was the professional _and_ personal impact he would have on me," he said after the audience quieted down, "I personally met the Undertaker for the first time when I was brought up to be on television. I was placed in the group, the 'Corporation', with him, and…I was assigned as bodyguard to his then-girlfriend. Needless to say, that didn't start me off in his good graces." He chuckled softly and looked down at the plaque with Mark's name on it.

"I remember that day, when I got the bodyguard position…I honestly didn't think he was gonna let me live past that week. He wasn't really into me as a bodyguard for his lady, let alone as a WWE Superstar. I think he thought I was too young, too immature to be a successful wrestler. But eventually, he opened up to me, and…to this day, next to my wife, he's my closest friend," he continued, "We helped each other not only in the ring, but away from the job as well. I remember one time…I locked myself outta my hotel room, and I headed down to the lobby to get the extra key. The only problem was that it was…three in the morning, so there was nobody at the front desk. 'Taker saw me asleep on the couch – God only knows why _he_ was out that late anyway – and…let me stay in his room for the night. I had to sleep on the floor, granted, but still…it was the thought that counted. He helped me to learn how to budget my money, how to cut costs…whenever I could. He taught me how to be responsible and accountable for my actions, both from my own mistakes and from his as well." Andy felt tears come to his eyes, and took a few deep breaths. "He was a roommate…a counselor…a brother to fight with…he's about as close to family for me as you're gonna get. He was never a man of many words, but…when he did talk, you kinda had to listen," he said slowly, "It didn't matter if…he was talkin' about wrestling, which was 95 percent o' the time…or talkin' about his family…or tellin' really, _really_ corny jokes…or just givin' advice about life in general. He told me once, when I was stressed about…not gettin' a lot o' TV time, not gettin' time to develop my skills…he told me…"Buddy…if you feel like givin' up…just remember why you've held on for so long." He was always givin' out little proverbs like that…he should've published a book, 'cause he had enough of 'em."

The crowd applauded once more, and Andy ran his hand over his mouth. "He also said to me, the day he decided to retire from active wrestling…I'd yet to win my WWE championship at that point, and I was startin' to doubt I ever would, 'cause I only had a few years left on my contract, and I didn't know that…they had confidence in me to put me in that position. Anyway, 'Taker told me, "Test, remember this: Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you're doin', you _will_ be successful." And it's easy to see that…this guy loves this business, and that's why he _was_ so successful. This man deserves every bit of this induction, and I can never truly express that to you. Like all of you here and those watching on television, I know that 'Taker deserves this…for his in-ring contributions, his personal sacrifices, and his sheer passion for this business. He has the best record at the biggest pay-per-view of the year, 16-0 at Wrestlemania! He faced, and beat, every major name to come through this place for _20 years_! He is the 'Deadman', the 'American Badass', and the 'Phenom', all rolled into one! Please welcome into the WWE Hall of Fame…my coworker, my friend…my brother-in-arms…the one, the only…the Undertaker!"

The entire crowd rose to their feet as the lights turned out. Mark's old music began, and Mark took a deep breath. "See ya out there, babe," Sara said softly. Mark grinned and walked out onto the stage. Andy handed him the small marble plaque, embracing him tightly. "Congratulations, man," Andy said quietly. "Thank you," Mark said as the lights came back up. Andy walked over to the raised stage where the inductors were sitting and took his place, his focus going to Mark. Mark eyed the plaque as the crowd cheered loudly for him, several long moments passing. "Most people come to…an event like this with…some kinda speech, some kinda "Thank You" list. To be honest…I actually had one, too. But…lookin' at this plaque…I forgot everything I wrote down," he said honestly. The crowd chuckled lightly as Mark ran his hand over the shiny white marble. "I got into wrestling my senior year of college. I was headed to Europe to…play basketball, but…a trip to Germany showed me that that was not the route I wanted to take. So…at 21 years old, I dropped out of school, enrolled in a wrestling camp in Houston, and…began on a path that I was determined to see through until the end," he started, "I had my first match about a year after I started training, and…from that moment, I knew I had found my purpose in life. Everything about this business enthralled me…settin' up the ring, sellin' merchandise, handin' out programs…bein' able to perform, whether it was in front o' 50 people in some Podunk bar in Louisiana, or a high school gym in front of a couple hundred people in Oklahoma. My first few years wrestling…I learned more about the real world than any college degree could've ever offered me. When I got my contract here in the WWE…it was one o' the best days o' my life. I had the shot of a lifetime, and I was gonna show everybody…from my family to the boys to the fans…that I belonged in this company." The fans cheered loudly, and Mark grinned.

"From a performance standpoint, I gave all that I could every single day of my active career. It didn't matter if I was curtain jerker for the night, or in the main event. One of my favorite matches of my career was in my second year with the WWE. I got the chance to face another Hall of Famer, Kurt Angle. We wrestled in the main event of a RAW – my very first one – and…in that one match, he taught me how to really tell a story, how to connect with the fans," he continued, "When I got into the 'Corporation' after that match, I went and personally thanked Kurt for all that he'd taught me. And he told me, "Kid…a good mind is a precise mind. Learn what you can from everyone around you, and the sky's the limit for you." I took that advice, and I ran with it. I watched the main eventers in and out o' the ring. I watched the new guys, and learned from them. I went through ups and downs, and I learned from it all. I didn't start off with the greatest presentation, but I kept at it, and…here I stand." The crowd cheered once more and Mark felt a smile come to his face. "I had some great moments in the ring. My Wrestlemania record is…somethin' I hold near and dear to my heart. I had no idea it would go as long as it did. And there were more than a few times I thought it was gonna get taken, but…it didn't. Havin' all those firsts that Test listed…those are all very, very special to me. Bein' entrusted with the WWE Championship seven times…most guys don't even get it once," he continued, "I loved my job, in good times and bad. This business gave me more than I ever could've asked for, as a performer, and as a human being. I learned respect, for myself and others…I learned responsibility and accountability…I learned patience, and…as an Irishman, that was quite a feat." Applause spread through the ballroom, and Mark decided to wrap his little speech up.

"On a personal level…this business introduced me to my wife. Through her, every single lesson I'd learned was reinforced 1,000 times over. She taught me how…to take care o' myself, and…how to care for others. She taught me…persistence, determination, and how to…not let anybody hold me back, even myself," he said slowly, "Even after I stopped wrestling, I knew I still wanted to be involved. With her support…I opened up my own wrestling school. With her help, I was able to help a lot of people get at least a start in this wonderful business…some of whom are lucky enough to…be in the WWE today." A light applause emanated from the crowd, and Mark grinned slightly. "This business is the greatest business in the world, and I was blessed from above to be as involved as I was for as long as I was. I could literally spend the rest of the show thanking people. But I won't," he said slowly, "I do need to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the abilities he blessed me with. I do need to thank my wife and children, all four of them, for their patience with me, for accepting my lifestyle, even though they were too young to understand, and for supporting me through my successes and failures. I need to thank the McMahon family, as a whole, for takin' a risk on a young college dropout, and for givin' me a job. And lastly, but not least, I need to thank the fans…for letting me into your homes, in all my forms, and sticking by me. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here. Thank you!" He held up the plaque as music began to play. He headed over to the raised stage and took his place with his fellow inductees.

Sara stood behind the curtain, wiping away a few tears from her cheeks. "You okay, mom?" Melissa asked quietly. "Yeah, munchkin…I'm just…happy for your dad," Sara whispered, "Andy almost broke down out there…I don't know how _I'm_ gonna be able to hold it together." "Here," said Stephanie, holding out a box of tissues. Sara offered a smile of thanks and grabbed a handful of the cotton sheets. "Oh jeez," she whispered feeling her hands starting to shake. "Ma…," Melissa whispered. Sara sniffled and looked at her oldest child, whose eyes were shining with pride. "Mom, you deserve this…you know that, more than anybody. I know I'm biased, but I honestly believe that," Melissa said quietly, "And obviously the WWE does, too. Besides…you were in front of the camera for 12 years…you look even better now." Sara smiled and let out a deep breath. "Do you know what you're gonna say out there?" she asked softly. "Of course not," Melissa answered smiling, "I'm gonna speak from the heart…like dad did." "Okay," Sara said, "If I come out crying…I'll blame it on you." Melissa chuckled and embraced her mother tightly. "I love you, mom…and I'm so proud o' you," she said quietly, "When you go out there, just…speak from your heart. I always find that works best." Sara smiled and touched Melissa's shoulders. "Before we do this…I want to…thank you for…inducting me," she said slowly, "I couldn't have asked for anyone better." "30 seconds, Angel," Stephanie said quietly. Sara let out a slow breath and dropped her hands. "You ready?" Stephanie asked. "Yeah…," Sara answered slowly, "Nervous…but I'm ready." "D.J., you're up," Stephanie said over her shoulder. "Before I go out there, Angel," Dwayne said hugging Sara, "Welcome to the club." Sara smiled as she heard the music start back up. Dwayne winked at her before heading onto the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The next inductee is best known for being the _only_ woman in WWE history to ever hold the World Heavyweight championship. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg of her storied career. Take a look," he said before the lights dimmed. A four-minute video played on the large screen above the stage, and Sara chuckled softly. "Seems like just yesterday," she said to Stephanie. Stephanie smiled and nodded slightly. "Thank you, Stephanie," she whispered. "Wait 'til ya get out there to thank me, darlin'," Stephanie said smiling. Sara laughed softly and nodded in understanding. "Of course," she said quietly. The lights came back up in the ballroom, and Dwayne smiled proudly. "To induct this next amazing performer, please welcome the third-generation WWE Superstar, Mystique!" he said happily. Sara squeezed Melissa's hand gently and watched as her daughter made her way onto the stage with the small, marble plaque in hand.

Melissa hugged D.J. in a friendly manner before stepping up to the podium. She took a deep breath and looked over her shoulder at the other inductees already sitting on the stage, smiling slightly at her father, before turning back to the audience. "When I was three years old…I told my mother…that I wanted to be a professional wrestler. She told me what most normal parents would say: No," she said chuckling softly, the audience laughing as well, "She said that…I was too young to know what I wanted, too young to know what other options there were out there to pursue as a career. But, she also said…that if I still wanted to be a wrestler _after_ I graduated college…she would train me. As a three-year-old, "after college" seemed like so far away. And I did definitely have other interests growing up. But deep down, in my heart and soul…I wanted to be a professional wrestler. I didn't want it because of the fame…I didn't want it because of the money. I wanted it because I saw how much fun my mom had in her job…and I wanted to be able to have that much fun myself." She took a deep breath and wiped away imaginary dust on the panel. "Even though she retired while I was still a little kid, I have very, very fond memories of her career. I remember…her getting so excited when her last Wrestlemania rolled around, and knowing that she had one final opportunity to perform on the grandest stage of 'em all. I remember her…winning the number-one contendership for the World Heavyweight title, and then going on to actually win that World Heavyweight championship," she said happily. The crowd applauded and Melissa nodded slightly. "I must've hauled that belt around the arenas from the time mom got to work to the time we left for the next city for the three months she held the title," she said smiling, "And I was so proud of her. I went up to concession stands workers, to security guards, to…janitors, in every arena, and I said, "My mom's the World Heavyweight champion!" She'd etched her name in the annals of wrestling history, and I wasn't gonna let anybody ever forget it." Tears came to her eyes, and she looked down at her hands.

"Even though she retired while I was still a little kid, I was always surrounded by wrestling. From road trips with my dad, to havin' the boys and girls over to our house, to watching old wrestling tapes around the clock…I wanted to soak up as much as I could before I left for college. You see, when I turned 17, I went to college like my mom wanted me to…and I got my degree in something I could fall back on should my dream of being a WWE Superstar…not come to fruition. And I even got my doctorate…but at the same time that I was in grad school, I was flying back and forth from New York to Texas…so that my mom could teach me how to wrestle," she continued, "I wanted to learn from the best, and that's what she is to me…she is the best wrestler, and performer, I've ever seen. She wrestled a full-time schedule for just over 12 years…she held every major title in this company on more than one occasion, except for the tag titles, which I still make fun of her and dad for not doing…she had more ups and downs than you could _ever_ imagine. She was a performer, a WWE Superstar through and through, someone born to be in this business, and nobody can argue any differently." The fans cheered loudly, and Melissa chuckled softly. "She's taught me so much…about life…since I was a little girl. She taught me that it's okay to be stubborn sometimes, that it's okay to be hotheaded...she taught me…that women can do just as much as men can, and that the fans will like it if it's done correctly. She taught me the basics of not only actual wrestling, but most importantly of ring psychology, of how to tell the right story at the right time to the right crowd. She taught me to…stay true to myself, especially in a business like ours," she said slowly, trying not to cry, "This business…has brought me and my mother closer together…than anything ever could. She knows the lifestyle, she knows the rigors, she knows the hardships…and she knows the highs that we get from performing in a WWE ring. She was a pillar of World Wrestling Entertainment for a very long time, and she's been my support beam all my life. It is my honor, my pleasure, my honest-to-God sheer and utter joy…to finally induct into the WWE Hall of Fame…Angel!"

Sara took a deep breath as her old theme song blared through the ballroom, and she felt a chill go down her spine. "Go on, Angel…take your place, sweetheart," Stephanie said from behind her. Sara swallowed and walked through the curtain, smiling as the entire crowd stood on their feet and applauded her. She walked up to the podium and embraced Melissa tightly, shedding a few tears as she did. "Thank you…so much, munchkin," she whispered. "You deserve it, mom," Melissa said handing her the Hall of Fame plaque bearing her mother's stage name, "Congratulations." Sara wiped her cheeks as Melissa exited the stage, swearing silently that she would not break down in front of the capacity crowd. Once she was sure she was composed, she looked out to the small crowd of 2,000 people, smiling as she realized that millions more were watching on television. "I, uh, I kinda feel like 'Taker right now…I had a whole lot I wanted to say, but now that I'm out here…I can't remember a thing," she said jokingly, "I guess that comes with…old age." The crowd laughed and applauded as Sara tried to decide where to start her speech. "If you had asked me post-college graduation if I wanted to be a wrestler…I think I'd have laughed in your face. I wasn't a fan of wrestling growing up, despite my father _and_ stepfather being wrestlers for the WWE. And at that point, I really wanted nothin' to do with this business. I was gonna stay up in Virginia, and work for a PR firm…maybe one day open up my own firm. But…then I met my first husband, and…he was a wrestler. He managed to convince me to travel with him for a month, just to see what he went through behind the curtain. At the end o' that 30-day period…I knew I was home," she said slowly, "Vince McMahon approached me about bein' a wrestler for him, and…I accepted. Training to become a professional wrestler for the WWE was…both one of the most difficult and yet most rewarding times of my life. I had obstacles in my path with every step I took to becoming a wrestler. I had to prove to everybody, and to myself, that I could succeed on my own abilities, that I wasn't gonna wait around for somebody to give me a break. That's how my mom raised me, and that was my way of thinking for the 12 ½ years that I was an active performer."

The crowd cheered slightly, and Sara heard loud whistles from the second balcony. _My children_, she thought grinning. "There are so many stories that I want to tell, so many happy memories that I have locked up in the back o' my mind. I remember…my very first wrestling match, and…how scared I was. I was wrestling some local guy in front o' my hometown…with my mom in the front row, and my husband right behind the curtain. I wasn't too good, but I wasn't too bad. I didn't mess up once…and when the fans cheered…however slightly…you don't get that kinda feeling doin' anything else in the world," she said smiling slightly, "I remember…being put in the Royal Rumble, and thinking…these guys are gonna beat the crap outta me, but I'm gonna dish it right back out to 'em. I knew that, as a woman and as someone tryin' to break through that glass ceiling, I was a target. The guys I worked with were gonna make me a scapegoat, but…I wasn't havin' that. Yeah, I got eliminated, but…not before eliminating my own share of guys. I remember…everything I went through with Test and 'Taker in the 'Corporation', the challenges we all faced, and how much fun it was to come outta that situation intact. Like I said, I have…a personal treasure chest _full_ of memories. And only this business could've given me those memories." She took a deep breath, pausing to decide where to direct her words. "I cannot put into words…how grateful I am for the…career I had. Working with the people that I did, from the production crew to the referees to…performers like the inductees sitting up on this stage right now, I had the time of my life. Did I always like everybody I worked with? Of course not. That's not the way life is, and the WWE is no exception. Did they always like me? Probably not. And I accept that as a part of life. But…we always, always offered the same level of respect to each other, because we all recognized the larger picture. We were there for the fans, to entertain them, no matter what it took. One of my favorite matches of my career, if not my favorite, was the night I wrestled Shawn Michaels for the World Heavyweight Championship. It was not only the culmination of a storied history with him, but it was the night that…Vince gave me the ball to truly run with. I had been wrestling for 12 years at that point, and had always wondered if…I could or would ever have the chance to fight for that title…that night, Vince put me in a position that most people only _dream_ of. The match itself was…unbelievable. I took the fight to Shawn, and he brought the fight right back. Technical wrestling, brawling, submission holds, crazy bumps through the Spanish announcers' table…that match had everything. And then, to be able to hold that title for three months…and to know that the fans really believed in me, not just as a WWE Superstar but as their World Heavyweight champion…like I said, you can't get that feeling in any other industry." She let out a deep breath and smiled slightly.

"When I decided to…go ahead and train Mystique…it was not because I wanted her to be a professional wrestler. If anything, while she was growing up, I was tryin' to get her into anything _but_ wrestling. Anyway, when I finally decided to do it…the biggest influence was the fact that…I didn't trust anybody else to do it the right way. I also knew that…wrestling as a whole had changed so much since I'd been active, and…I wanted her to learn not just to wrestle, because anybody can throw together a bunch o' moves. But the art of storytelling…is somethin' few ever master. And I wanted her to have that strong foundation starting off, and not having to wait until she was wrestling regularly, because then it's almost too late. That was the standpoint I took when I decided to help my husband train young guys and young girls to wrestle," she continued, "And you can ask the 'Fallen Angel' and his little sidekick Trinity if I took it easy on them. I was broken down, toughened up, and finally honed as a wrestler when I was training…and that was what I did for them, because I _knew_ that it was the only way to train. And I had a blast those few years that I did train people…seeing those few who wanted it more than anybody else step up to the plate, and take the beatings, and come back for more…it made me realize why I love this business as much as I do. This company…gave me a chance to…do what I knew in my heart I wanted to do. As many…bad childhood memories I had of the wrestling industry…I knew that it was in my destiny to be a performer for this company. Every match I had…I was taking a risk, not physically…but mentally, because I never knew how the fans would react to me, even after I'd established myself. And I'm so grateful that…I was supported for as long as I was. The fans are the reason this industry exists, you guys are the reason we had a job, the reason the WWE is still around and able to hold the biggest pay-per-view of the year for the 50th time." The fans in the crowd cheered exuberantly, and Sara knew that it was time for her to close up.

"I didn't bring a list, but…first and foremost, I want to say how grateful I am to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for this night. I finally can…feel closure, like my story is now complete, and I'm so grateful for the amazing ride I had with the WWE. I want to thank…my husband, my coworker, my equal…you, 'Taker…for putting up with one of the most stubborn, hardheaded women in the world, and for supporting me through…my injuries, my doubts, my ups and downs with this company. I want to thank my mother, God bless her soul, for being my support beam, my rock, my foundation, and the woman I'd hoped to be when I was growing up. Without my mother, I would not be here…I would not be a wrestler if it weren't for her, and I miss her to this day. I have to thank the McMahon family…for putting trust in me as a performer, for letting me perform for the biggest and best wrestling company in the world. I definitely have to thank my children…because it is for them that I live. They are the light of my life, and keep me goin' through every day. Lastly, and most importantly, I again have to thank you fans. Because it is through you that we Superstars have a purpose in this world, to give you an escape from the daily rigors of life, to bring together so many different types of people, and show you that, yes…anything is possible in the WWE," she said as tears came to her eyes once more, "I thank God for every day I had in the WWE, and for every day I had to be a part of this business. And I thank you for this…for this night, for this moment in time. Like so many other memories I have from being a wrestler, this night will never be forgotten. Thank you all so much." Sara wiped away a tear as the music signaling a coming commercial started. The entire crowd stood once more and applauded her accomplishments, and Sara moved over to the stage, shaking hands with everyone on the raised platform. When she finally sat down beside Mark, he wiped away her tears. "Congratulations, baby," he whispered in her ear. Sara sniffled slightly and smiled. "Thank you, darlin'. Congratulations to you, too."

Up in the crowd, Grace sat in utter awe. The reaction that her mother had gotten was nothing short of amazing. "I had no idea," she said softly, feeling slightly guilty for some reason. "What?" Joe asked quietly. "The…connection she has to…to this business," she answered slowly, "How much a part of her it…really is." "Yeah, she really does love this business. One o' the first things she taught me and Steph – Trinity – was a respect…for our trainers, for each other, for…everything about wrestling," Joe said. "Were you and my sister in the same training class?" she asked. "Yeah, along with A.J. and Steph. It was a year-long program, and…out of a class of 75 people…only we four made it," he said, "When she said she broke us down, that was a huge understatement. Just training with her, I didn't know someone, let alone a woman, could dish out so much punishment. Within the first month, she alone had probably eliminated 10 or 15 guys. So…it was pretty intense. But…once we got past the point of gettin' rid of the weaklings, so to speak, the guys who didn't want it as bad as they thought they did…it turned into what Melissa called it, fun." "It's fun gettin' hurt?" Grace asked looking up at him, "My dad got his hips replaced just last year…it didn't look like much fun." Joe sighed and looked down at his hands. "It's…hard to explain, Grace," he said quietly. "I'm just…tryin' to understand, Joe," she said looking back to the crowd. "I know, I know, it's just…not somethin' that can _really_ be understood if…you're on the outside lookin' in," he said honestly. The fans started a sudden chanting contest, leaving the two people to their own thoughts. _That'll be one more subject we can talk about later_, Grace thought hopefully. "How many more inductees are there?" she asked. "One…Vince McMahon," Joe answered, "He--." "Was the owner of the company," she said grinning, "I at least know who _he_ is." "Yeah, he was the genius behind the WWE bein' what it was," he said, "Amazing man, a total creative genius…I was about seven when he died, but…I remember him bein' a huge part o' the show up until his death. "My mom always spoke very highly of him," she said. "Same around us. She made sure that we understood what Vince had worked so hard to build, and why we should consider ourselves lucky if we ever got a shot to work here," he said quietly.

Grace nodded slightly and rested her head on his shoulder. "Tired?" he asked grinning. "All this excitement and…new knowledge," she said softly, "It wears me out easily." "Joe, quick question," Sebastian spoke up, "How long do you think it'll take us to get outta here?" "For you guys, about 15-20 minutes…for me, it'll be about 45 minutes before I can even _think_ of leaving," he said grinning. Grace chuckled and said, "It can't be that bad." "Oh, you won't believe it! Fans will wait like predators behind the buildings waiting for wrestlers to leave. It's fine some nights, if we don't get out too late…but there are nights where the show doesn't end until close to 11:30 at night, and by the time we leave, it's one in the morning. And by that time, all we wanna do is sleep," he stated emphatically, "Some guys are nicer than others, though, when it comes to doin' a little extra for the fans outside." "Are you one o' those guys?" Grace asked. "Wow, you're upfront," Joe said grinning. "It's a blessing and a curse," she said grinning as well, "I've driven off a lotta people because of it." "I don't see why…I think it's a great quality to have," he said quietly. Grace blushed and leaned over to her twin. "Havin' a good time?" she asked. "Yeah, mom and dad did real good," he answered, "You?" "Yeah…a lot more than I thought I would," she said quietly. "Yeah, I bet you are," he whispered in her ear. Grace blushed yet again and elbowed his left side, causing Sebastian to grown softly. "Gosh, bony elbows," he said softly. "Are you goin' out after this?" she asked. "Yeah…will you look out for us if mom and dad ask?" he responded. "Yes, Sebastian," Grace said rolling her eyes playfully, "What time is it?" "10:45," Joe answered, "So…not much longer." "What are you doin' after this?" Grace asked. "Wait 'til the building clears, and then probably take a walk, just to…clear my head for tomorrow," he answered. "Oh," she said quietly. "You wanna…come along?" Joe asked quietly. "Are you sure?" she asked. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to come along," he responded grinning. Grace smiled slightly and nodded, softly responding, "Okay, Joe…I'll go." Joe smiled and gently squeezed her shoulder.

The last induction of Vincent Kennedy McMahon into the WWE's Hall of Fame went very smoothly, and there were several audience members and wrestlers (including Sara and Mark) who shed a few tears. Stephanie proudly inducted her father, while Shane accepted the plaque for one of the best-known pioneers in professional wrestling. Once the lights went up, Sebastian and Matt stood like the rest of the audience, followed by Grace. "You two be careful tonight, okay?" she said hugging her twin. "Yes, ma'am," Sebastian answered, "You watch yourself tonight, too. I know you get those feelings…" "99 percent of the time, I'm right," she whispered. "It's that one percent I'm concerned about," he whispered in return. Grace sighed and said, "You know I keep protection close…if somethin' goes wrong, I promise it's easy access." "I didn't say kill him, Grace," he said jokingly, knowing about the butterfly knife she always taped to the outside of her right thigh. Grace smiled and kissed his cheek. "I won't have to do anything at all, Sebastian," she said releasing him, "Now go, and be careful." Sebastian grinned and motioned to Matt to begin moving with the crowd. Grace watched with bated breath as she watched her brothers move through the sea of people, part of her longing to be at their sides. A hand on her wrist caused her to tense up, and she looked down into Joe's dark brown eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked immediately releasing her wrist. Grace hesitated to speak, instead looking over her shoulder in the directions her brothers had gone, feeling her heartrate beginning to increase. "Grace…if you want to go, you can," Joe said slowly. The woman looked to be on the verge of a panic attack. He eased out of his chair and carefully moved towards her. "Grace…darlin', look at me," he said gently turning her face until her eyes met his own, "I'm not keepin' you here. You wanna leave with your brothers, that's fine." Grace took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm sorry, I'm just…not used to this," she said softly. "Used to what, sweetheart?" he asked dropping his hand. "Melissa always…gets this kind of attention…she was the one the guys focused on, not me," she said quietly, "I don't-I don't know…what to do."

Joe grinned and said, "I like your sister, Grace. She's really nice, funny as hell, and a super hard worker…but I'd like to get to know _you_." Grace turned deep red and looked down at the floor. "Look, I've gotta go get my jacket and stuff…with this crowd the way it is, we won't get to the back for another ten minutes…if, by the time, we do finally get to the back and you still don't wanna go for that walk…I'll walk you back to your hotel, or you can catch a ride with your mom and dad," he said slowly. Grace swallowed and nodded slightly. Joe held his arm out, waiting for her to grab hold of it. When she didn't move, he sighed heavily. "Okay, just…stay close," he said before heading into the crowd. Grace took a deep breath and followed behind the man she'd been so attracted to at the start of the night. At one point, they found themselves surrounded by people. Grace got separated from Joe, and she looked around in fear as people constantly bumped into her. She tried to remain calm, but nervousness coursed through her veins as she searched for Joe's familiar face. "Somebody…please," she whispered stretching out her hand, "Joe, where are you?" After a few tense moments, Grace felt a gentle hand curl around hers, recognizing the touch immediately. "You okay?" Joe asked pulling her to his side. She nodded as they finally came to the entrance to the backstage area. "You wanna look for your parents?" he asked. "I need to…talk to my dad," she said quietly. "Okay, let's go find him," he said quietly, figuring this would be the last time he saw Grace Callaway. They found Mark and Sara heading for the back door, ready to leave. "Daddy," Grace said hurriedly, running towards her father. Mark heard his second daughter's voice and turned around with Sara. Grace wrapped her arms around his waist, trembling slightly against him. "Grace, what's wrong? Where are your brothers?" Sara asked as Mark rubbed his hands over his daughter's back. "They went walking around…," Grace answered quietly, "Daddy, can I…talk to you somewhere?" "Sure, Red," Mark said quietly, throwing a look of warning to Joe before leading Grace away.

Sara crossed her arms and practically glared at Joe. "What did you do to her, young man?" she asked tensely. "Nothin', Angel, I swear," Joe argued. "Did she stay with you willingly?" she asked. "I thought she did…but when her brothers left, she kinda froze up on me," he answered honestly. "So what did you do to her?" she asked again. "I don't think I did _anything_…we got separated in the crowd, and it took me a few minutes to find her. I think she just …panicked," he said quietly. Sara sighed and looked away. "Where did her brothers go?" she asked. "They didn't say," he answered honestly. Sara let out a slow, heavy breath and shook her head. "I didn't touch her, Angel. You know me, I'm not like that," he said quietly. "I know, Joey…Gracie is just…so different from her sister, so different from me…it's hard to read her sometimes," she said quietly. "I learned that tonight," Joe said grinning slightly, "But…" "But what?" Sara asked with a raised eyebrow. "That's why I wanna get to know her…to learn why she is the way she is, what her dreams are, what her fears and hopes and likes are…I wanna know everything about her," he said slowly. "Why?" Sara asked. "I don't know…somethin' about her caught my eye…and I don't know that I can let her go until I know what that somethin' is," he answered straightforwardly. Sara couldn't help but grin, because she knew the exact same feeling.

Down the hall, Mark finally managed to get Grace to stop trembling. "What happened?" he asked quietly. "I don't know, dad, that's the thing…I watched Sebastian leave, and I just got…so scared," she said quietly. "Do you know why?" he asked. "I think it was…because I was alone with a man that…I really like, but…know nothin' about," she said looking at her hands, "I don't know what to do, dad." Mark grinned and caressed her cheek. "Gracie…you are…a smart, creative, beautiful young woman. And…Joey sees that. When I questioned him about you, about his intentions with you…it reminded me of myself, when I was tryin' to get to know your mom," he said as they sat down in two cushioned chairs, "I didn't know how she would…react to me approaching her. What I did know was that I had a connection with her, and I was determined to find out why." "I do feel that way about Joe—I even told Sebastian—but I'm…I don't know why," she said running her hands over her arms. "Do you _want_ to know, Gracie?" he asked. "I think so…," she said quietly. "Why the hesitation?" he asked. "I don't wanna get hurt, daddy," Grace said swallowing, "It happened in L.A….and it even happened in Florida…I don't want it to happen a third time, because I don't know that I can handle that." "Gracie…I know you don't wanna get hurt, but…with every relationship, there comes a risk of gettin' hurt. I've been married to your mom for over 25 years…but it hasn't been a cakewalk the entire time. We've struggled…but our connection is strong enough that…we work through it," he said honestly, "I'm not sayin' go and get married to the guy, not at all. I'm just sayin' that…if you think you a connection with him, on _any_ level…trust me, it's better to risk than not risk. And if it makes you feel any better…I went through six serious relationships before I found your mother." "What's your definition of serious?" she asked grinning. "Six months to a year of regular dating, _and_ meeting the parents," he said grinning as well. "Wow, dad…that _is_ serious," she said smiling fully, "Why was mom different?" "That's a 30-year explanation, darlin'," he said chuckling.

Grace smiled and let out a deep breath. "Better?" he asked quietly. Grace nodded and slipped on her leather jacket. "I just…hope he's still with mom," she said softly. "I have a feeling he is," Mark said easing out of the chair, "So…other than this, did you have fun?" "Yeah," she said smiling, "I learned so much about wrestling tonight, dad. It felt good to…at least know some history of what you and mom did. And…congratulations on your induction." "Thank you, Gracie…that means a lot to me," he said quietly. "I'm sorry I didn't understand when…before I left home," she said softly. "Oh, honey…it's okay. You did what you had to do, and I know that now," Mark said putting an arm over her shoulders, "And…I know I said it before, but…I'm very proud o' you, Gracie." Grace blushed slightly and put her right arm around his waist. "I love you, too, daddy," she whispered. They came up to Sara and Joe, who were talking quietly. "Sara…," Mark spoke first. Sara looked from her husband to her child, a slight smile on her face. "Mom…," Grace said hugging Sara tightly, "Congratulations. You deserved it…more than I ever understood." Sara smiled and hugged her daughter tightly. "Thank you, baby. You okay?" she whispered. Grace nodded and softly said, "Dad's a real…counselor kinda guy." Sara smiled and nodded as well. "So…you gonna be okay?" she asked. Grace grinned and looked over to Joe. "How 'bout that walk?" she said quietly. Joe grinned and held out his arm. "Bye, mom…dad," Grace said taking Joe's arm with her left hand. "Don't stay out too late, little girl. Remember, we got a lot to do tomorrow," Mark said as the two young people headed towards the exit. "I won't, dad," Grace said waving to her parents. Sara came over to Mark's side, watching as Joe and Grace left the building. "Wow…who'd have thunk it," she said softly. "Not me," Mark responded. "Me, either," she whispered, "Come on, let's get outta here." "Good idea, dollface," he whispered kissing the top of her head.

The ride back to the hotel was quiet, both people's energy completely drained. When they got back to their suite, Sara kicked off her shoes and let out a sigh of relief. "You okay, baby?" Mark asked shutting the door. "I forgot how much I hate high heels," she said grinning. Mark smiled and placed the boxes with their Hall of Fame plaques inside on the couch. "It was a good day, wasn't it?" he whispered easing his arms around her waist. "Yeah…it really was," Sara whispered putting her arms around his neck, "We're Hall of Famers, Mark…can you believe it?" Mark smiled and kissed her passionately. Sara moaned softly and relaxed against his body. "I love you so much, baby," he whispered. Sara smiled and kissed him once more. "I love you, too," she whispered against his lips. "Come on, let's take a shower…we're already up way past our bedtime," he said grinning. Sara chuckled softly and followed him into the suite bathroom. Only 20 minutes later, the couple was stretched out in their bed, Sara draped over Mark's right side. "What's on the schedule tomorrow?" she asked softly. "The "Bacon, Bagels, and Biceps Breakfast" thing at ten, then…Grace and I are gonna hang out for the day. We don't have to be at the Garden until four o' clock, I think," Mark answered. "Our munchkin is wrestling at a Wrestlemania for the first time tomorrow, Mark," she whispered. Mark sighed happily and whispered, "Her first, baby…but I doubt it'll be her last for years and years." "I know, it's just…I wonder if this is how my mom felt about me," she said quietly. "I'm sure she did, darlin'," he whispered yawning loudly. Sara grinned and snuggled into his warm body. "Goodnight, dollface," Mark whispered kissing her forehead. "Goodnight, Mark," she whispered. Sara fell asleep with a smile, knowing that while her children's lives were just starting, her own personal story was finally complete.


End file.
